Your intelligence is being tested and insulted by a serial blowhard who has taken it upon himself to be the judge and jury of our elected officials. We are fortunate that thoughtful and caring individuals put themselves out there to represent us and our interests. By our interests, I mean the citizens of Cook County who live and work here full-time.
Unfortunately, a few individuals who would have you believe that paying taxes is the same as stealing are attempting to poison the well against our elected officials and our county administrator. They are trying to undercut support for amenities that appeal to young families, professional workers, and senior citizens who wish to remain active in their golden years; think YMCA.
Their actions are an attempt to undermine our sense of community and caring for each other and our attempts to make Cook County a welcoming and supportive environment for young families. Their message is a negative one. They would have you believe the people you elected are working against you, that they and others in county government have some hidden agenda or ulterior nefarious motives for their actions; think county administrator.
Nothing could be further from the truth. Think about it – is the reason someone becomes a county administrator or puts him/herself up for election to be a county commissioner so that they can deceive you and work at cross purposes to your best interests? Really!
The “Taxpayer Survey” published in this newspaper Nov. 18 is meant to drive a wedge between us and our elected officials. Crunching the numbers only about 370 responses in that survey were from Cook County residents, or 7 percent of the total who live and work here year-around. Even if the survey wasn’t worded to elicit the responses they desired, that number is not significant enough to draw any conclusions as to whether we Cook County residents who pay real estate taxes are dissatisfied with how our tax dollars are being spent.
It’s easy to tear down and spread doubt. It takes real work to build a vibrant community, to balance the competing interests of older people, younger people, businesses, and part-time residents. Not everyone is going to be satisfied. But I believe our county administrator and our county commissioners are working full-time to best serve everyone’s interests to the best of their abilities.
John F. Brisky
Lutsen
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