"You've Caught the NET!"

THE CHICAGO IL REAL ESTATE MARKET, AND OTHER THINGS CHICAGO, FROM THE POINT OF THE VIEW OF A LITTLE WHITE DOG!

This photo, taken by my humans, Dean & Sue, while we all visited our close friends and mentors in St. Paul MN last week.  It conclusively proves, beyond a shadow of a doubt, what we dogs have long known - we dogs can be dead asleep, but at the same time be completely awake.

You know, it takes work for a dog, especially a cute lil' white one, like me, to develop keen, instinctive driving skills.   It took me months to develop a way to reach both the gas, the break, and the steering wheel at the same time - while adjusting the stereo!

But months of practice fined-honed my driving skills, and I know qualify for the lowest rates State Farm offers for its best canine drivers!

There is a problem in Driver's Education as it would apply to teen drivers trained in the Chicago Public schools, however.  The largest school district in Illinois is trying to join the ranks of many Suburban Chicago School Districts by seeking an exemption to a new state law requiring public schools statewide to provide at least six hours of actual on-the-road driving in their Driver's Education Programs.

To this point, CPS has exploited a legal loophole to offer as few as one hour, forty minutes of on the road training in preparation for a new Driver's License. 

Last August, when IL Governor Rod Blagojevich signed the Driver Reform Bill into law, most applauded the new rules.  They were aimed at reducing vehicle crashes, especially among new teenaged drivers, low on driving experience. 

The Bill tripled the time a teenaged driver must have a Learner's Permit before they can get their actual Driver's License.  It also imposed night driving restrictions on teens, and maximized the number of teen occupants in a vehicle being driven by a teenager.

Many public school districts in IL, however, have been budget-challenged recently.  They contend the new six-hour rule is not really necessary, and is too expensive to apply across the board.   Last year, the state proposed a funding plan to subsidize the cost of a statewide six-hour minimum, but that funding never materialized. 

This led to nineteen school districts statewide - including the suburbs of Aurora and Crystal Lake, in the Chicago suburbs, plus several others in Downstate Illinois, to seek an exemption to the rule.  Most of these communities were successful in obtaining a five-year waiver.

The majority of the Driver Reform Bill became law last January 1st.  The six-hour rule, however, went into effect last week, on July 1st.  On June 25th, the Chicago Board of Education submitted their request for an exemption to the rule.

"We're looking for a change in the training hours, not solely because of financial reasons," said Chicago Public Schools Spokesperson Mike Vaughn.  "We think, in a lot of cases, that it's a bad idea to place new drivers directly out in traffic without training on simulators or driving ranges."

The school system is asking to train the estimated 19,000 public and private-school driver's education students with four hours of teacher-supervised, behind-the-wheel street driving, one hour of simulators and one hour of range driving, in addition to the 30 hours of classroom work, Vaughn said.

The State Board of Education will submit the request to the legislature by October 1st, Spokesman Matt Vanover said. The legislature must act on the request in 60 days from the time it convenes after receiving the waiver request.

If lawmakers fail to act in that time, the exemption is automatically granted.

Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White, whose office administers driver's rules and regulations, and issues Driver's Licenses, feels not requiring six-hours on the road for teen drivers will seriously weaken the spirit of the legislation, and make IL roads more dangerous.

On Wednesday, Secretary of State Spokesperson Beth Kaufman said White was "disappointed" that Chicago Public Schools is seeking a waiver. She added that he will try to overturn the waivers given to the 19 schools-and any that may be granted to Chicago schools-in the fall legislative session.

"The vast majority of schools" in Illinois have accepted the six-hour rule, Kaufman said. If legislators authorize the city exemption request, it would take effect in the fall of 2009, Vaughn said.

You dogs - what's your opinion?  My two cents - every driver, whether they have four paws, or only two, can't have enough experience and training.  FOLLOW THE SIX-HOUR ON-THE-ROAD RULE!

YOUR ACE REPORTER ON FOUR PAWS,

BUDDY HOLLY MOSS & DEAN'S TEAM CHICAGO