I was wondering what the city was installing in the parking lot on Main Street at Fourth Avenue. Now I know: Electric vehicle charging stations.

Electric vehicle sales seem to be on the rise. Charging stations will be a welcome addition to public parking lots and stores. It’s pretty progressive thinking on the city’s part.

Electric vehicles are becoming popular as people look for ways to cut down on carbon dioxide emissions, one of the major causes of climate change.

Remember throwing a stone into water and watching ripples form? Electric vehicles can cause ripples. How far can you travel on a charge? How common will chargers be in public parking lots and hotel lots? What do you do when the batteries no longer charge?

All ripples. One other ripple: how do we pay for highways?

Currently roads are financed mainly through taxes on gasoline sales. If the sales drops, the revenue drops. If the revenue drops, the taxes will go up to compensate.

Also, as revenue drops, roads will deteriorate, and in Illinois they are already pretty bad. I suppose you could hike the income tax rate, eliminate gas taxes and fund roads that way. But then people who drive from out of state to Illinois don’t share the financial pain a good road system requires.

In some European countries, limited access highways require a sticker to use. Even if you don’t live in that country, but drive there, you have to buy a sticker. Not having a sticker could result in a huge fine. 

Illinois leaders need to start thinking about a plan now.  And they have to accept that nobody will be happy with what they decide.

Dryness

I saw a weather map last week that listed Ogle County as one of the top 500 counties in the US for dryness.  DeKalb was in the top 250.  The west and southwest had some of the driest areas, as we know.

With all the rain we have had, I wonder if that has changed?

COVID-19

Tennessee is experiencing an increase in COVID-19 cases. Only 38 percent of the population has been vaccinated, and the state health director was recently ousted for encouraging teens to get the jab.

We have to remember that this is a deadly disease that can have long lasting effects on survivors. Heart, lung, and cognitive issues are all being reported as after effects.

Be safe. For your family, neighbors, and friends.

Terry Dickow can be contacted at terrydickow@gmail.com.