The Rascal's on a mission

Posting here will be light over the next few days as I head off to Springfield to impart a bit of wisdom to the fine folks who make the laws in this state.

Upon my return, we'll have plenty to talk about.

Perhaps Alberto Gonzales will have resigned by then. Maybe Karl Rove will have overcome his fear of Sheryl Crow. And the good burghers of Belvidere might have figured a way to recover from their self-inflicted wounds with respect to public education.

Rockford's doofuses vs. Belvidere's

The big difference between the outcomes of important referendums (or referenda, for you Latin scholars) in Rockford and Belvidere in Tuesday's elections is that a greater percentage of Rockford's nitwits stayed home.

You see, political decisions are best left to people who know what they're doing. When too many morons get involved, the result is usually a disaster. The basic principle is that only about one in every four registered voters is qualified to make even a marginally intelligent decision at the polls.

Rockford needed a change in how it pays for street repairs, and Belvidere needed money to operate its public schools. Rockford got what it needed because only 26.6 percent of registered voters turned out. Belvidere did not get what it needed because 43.2 percent of its registered voters did turn out.

So, Rockford awoke Wednesday morning to a slightly brighter future, while Belvidere awoke to big problems.

The moral of the story is that we shouldn't encourage people to vote. Folks who know what they're doing generally don't need encouragement.

UPDATE: This guy is especially pissed about the result of the Rockford referendum.