Springfield lawmakers passed a ceremonial resolution March 8 congratulating the Chicago Cubs on winning the 2016 World Series. But that pat on the back doesn’t make up for the adversarial relationship politicians have held with the Cubs and other professional sports franchises in Chicago.

A new ethics ruling prohibits aldermen from getting World Series tickets at face value — a perk not afforded to most of the public.

The start of a new year always comes with resolutions for improvement, but only time will tell if they translate into effective action.