Vote for those that truly serve residents

Yesterday’s Daily Herald reported that West Dundee was looking to ensure there was room in their budget to support the “Ride In Kane” program.

The township earlier this year asked village boards in Carpentersville, East Dundee, West Dundee and Sleepy Hollow to contribute a total of $58,000 to help the township match a $90,000 federal transportation grant. A $32,000 subsidy through the Regional Transportation Authority helped offset part of the match.

So far, East Dundee and Sleepy Hollow have agreed to contribute to the program. Meanwhile, a slim majority of the Carpentersville village board denied a request for $13,412…

Based on the report that West Dundee had already included their share in the 2009-10 budget, which they will look at in their March 21st budget meeting, Carpentersville will likely be the only Dundee Township member not contributing to the plan, letting at least $13,412 of federal funds that could have served Carpentersville be reallocated to some other community.

I believe the following discussion about this matter may be helpful to residents in understanding this issue, and being knowledgeable about the ideas represented by some running for Village Board in the April election; namely Ed Ritter, Kay Teeter, Pat Schultz and Brad McFeggan, who are aligned with Trustee Judy Sigwalt.  (Ritter, Teeter, Sigwalt and Humpfer voted against funding “Ride In Kane”, thus rejecting federal tax dollars that would benefit Carpentersville residents.)

A person using the alias, woningkammer, (who is likely a Village board member or has close ties to a certain bloc of the Board) made complaints about the cost of such services.

I had this to say:

So Ritter, Teeter, Sigwalt and Humpfer voted AGAINST nearly $27,000 ($13,412 + 13,412 in matching funds = $26,824) to help fund a program that serves seniors, disabled and needy residents … ?!

woningkammer (and the group he/she supports) SAYS they SERVE, but then condemns programs intended to SERVE. “Seniors? the disabled? the needy? Find your own way!” (They chose to build about 150 yards of sidewalk instead.)

“Seniors, low-income and disabled residents benefit from this program,” [West Dundee] Village Manager Joe Cavallaro said before the meeting. “In these tough economic times, these are the types of programs that we need to maintain.”

Absolutely! With tight budgets everywhere, who in their right mind would vote to NOT accept money for services in their community?

[Amazing that] even with a current campaign slogan, they show they DON’T CARE. No wonder residents don’t believe these people.

woningkammer responded, claiming that I was for “wasteful spending” by supporting such programs, and that “Ride In Kane” was a redundant program which could be handled by NETSPAP and taxis.

I followed up with the following information and comments:

It is sad that you consider services provided to seniors, disabled and low-income residents to be “waste”.  Further, it is obvious that you don’t understand how multi-agency funding helps make important social programs affordable.  And you think I am the one in need of education…?!

NETSPAP serves one particular segment of the community [those who qualify that need a ride to a doctor appointment].  “Ride in Kane”, and other transportation services under the same umbrella, extend services to persons for reasons that would not be covered by NETSPAP [such as transportation to work or local grocery and retail stores for those who are disabled, senior or low-income citizens that also may not be accessible by means such as regular PACE bus routes].

Funding of this sort is a waterfall, with portions coming from several levels of government.  The funding that was voted against by such short-sighted nincompoops was also a rejection of MATCHING FEDERAL FUNDS — federal tax dollars being returned to the local community.  It gets returned through those ” multiple … budget line items”.

“One elected to office” SERVES EFFECTIVELY by also doing what is necessary to get, keep and use tax dollars in their community.  To let them go elsewhere is WASTEFUL; waste that will ultimately increase our tax liability, not to mention put strains on other agencies, both public and private. (Yes, you are saying it should be eliminated by calling it “wasteful”. Do you expect us to believe you want to keep a service you think “wasteful”?)

Make your stand against waste somewhere else, instead of against senior, disabled and low-income citizens.

Do you like the taxes you pay…

…. for nothing?

Then you must love the way Judy Sigwalt and Paul Humpfer spend your tax dollars!

Between 5/1/05 and 1/31/08, Judy Sigwalt, Paul Humpfer “and friends” have taken approximately $15,000 in tax dollars to pay for legal fees. These fees are related mostly to things that were unconstitutional, unenforceable, unethical, or even unlawful.

The Daily Herald wrote in an editorial on Sunday:

Undaunted, and without board support, Sarto spent more than $20,000 in public funds seeking legal backing.

However, actual examination of the charges finds the statement to be completely wrong. In reality, Sigwalt and Humpfer are the cause for over 70% of that money.

Did they get “board support” for their spending of those “public funds”?  If not, then why are they requiring it of Sarto, even though the expenses are considerably less? 

Seems like a bit of a political double-standard, doesn’t it?

The list of charges can be lumped into the following:

• Illegal Immigration Ordinance — $4,869.50
• English-only Resolution — $3,620.50 (that’s a lot of money for “fluff”)
• Attempts to recall or censure Sarto (in each case, Sarto had done nothing wrong so no action could be taken) — $2,141.
• improper use of Village resources (conference rooms at Fire Station) for campaign activity and meetings with Fox Valley Citizens — $2,493 (An investigation by the Illinois Attorney General’s office is presently underway on a complaint of violations of the Open Meetings Act, and possible ethics violations)

These 4 items alone total $13,124.

How do you like the results of your tax dollars at work…?

Additional fees attributable to Sigwalt and Humpfer, “and Friends”, include:

• $940 — for libel suit threatened against Trustees responsible for writing letter alleging that Tom Roeser knowingly hires illegal immigrants.
• $676.50 — attempting to stop the purchase of the Tamarac property (Note: this purchase settled a lawsuit filed Town and Country Homes; and is being used in a plan for a new Public Works Facility)

(Total: $14,740.50)

Already included in the above immigration ordinance figures, but worth noting is that friends of Sigwalt and Humpfer generated legal costs of $828. Of that figure, $626 was created by someone who isn’t even a resident of Carpentersville!

And, those are just legal costs associated with so-called “controversial issues”. That doesn’t even begin to account for what they have cost the Village by their actions and opinions.

I think Paul and Judy have some ‘splaining to taxpayers to do…

Stop the insanity

Elgin is now going through a similar push for local officials to do something about illegal immigrants in our communities. However, unlike in the Village of Carpentersville, Elgin City Council members are basically united in their position on what the city can and cannot do.

A few letters to the editor, as well as a response from the Association for Legal Americans (AFLA), have spoken about the failures of federal elected officials that has necessitated the need for local action. Similar argument were used by some trustees and residents (and non-residents) during Carpentersville’s illegal immigration debate.

Honestly, I fail to see the logic in this.

Are we really saying that we should hold our local elected officials responsible for the failures of our federal (and even state) officials? Are we really saying that our limited resources at the local (and state) levels should be appropriated to things that our federal tax dollars are to be used for?

I agree 100% that we need to take action with regard to the failures of our federal elected officials in doing their jobs — we need to vote their asses out of office!

In Carpentersville, there is argument about the need to obtain a measly $3,000 through a controversial sale of police and confiscated weapons. There is argument about spending money in the 2007-2008 budget for a site plan and design of a much needed, new public works building.

If we need the money so desperately (that we would even put public safety at risk), why are we so gung ho to allocate our tax dollars to creation and enforcement of laws and ordinances that could be resolved (and more thoroughly) at the federal level with tax dollars we’ve given them for such purpose?!

Why?

Why do we let our federal officials off the hook in doing their jobs, and then try to hold our local officials and resources accountable for things that those feds tell us only they can do?

People sit and they spin their wheels on finding loopholes in federal jurisdiction over immigration, rather that spend that energy on ensuring that enforcement comes at the correct level.

Dumb.