Parents face difficult choices due to flu scare
Sesame Street's Kermit the Frog laments, "It's not easy bein' green." These days, it's not easy being a parent, with the H1N1 mania sweeping through the area over the past week.

Drivers, insurance firms must be made to act responsibly
I received a letter in the mail last week that generated a few palpitations. The envelope's return address was a Chicago law firm. Since I don't know of any distant relatives who might have remembered me in their will, I opened the letter with a bit of trepidation.

Women should become experts at breast cancer awareness
October is recognized as Breast Cancer Awareness Month. It is very important for us to take proper precautions to safeguard women's health.

MAP grants vital to education in Illinois
Taxpayers often say they'd like policymakers to scrutinize government budgets just as a small-business owner would -- if a budget expense isn't needed, it should be taken out.

GOP aims to build wealth; Democrats promote 'fairness'
This is the third of a three-part opinion essay series by Republican State Senator Chris Lauzen of the 25th District.

Is it fair to ask us to pay for others' mortgages?
This is the second of a three-part opinion essay by Republican state Senator Chris Lauzen of the 25th District. The third part will be published Tuesday.

Learning to like mass transit tough but necessary
The story this newspaper and others in the Sun-Times News Group published last week on the future of transportation in the Chicago area echoed the same tune that we've heard since the suburban growth boom in the 1970s: Effective, efficient mass transportation systems are needed throughout the collar counties.

If the recession is over, where are the jobs?
This is the first of a three-part opinion essay by Republican state Senator Chris Lauzen of the 25th District. The second part will be published Monday.

Whatever Dugan's fate, no glory for prosecutors
If there was ever a prime candidate for a death sentence, it is Brian Dugan.