Money burning a hole in our pocket? Seems to me that is what the broadband issue looks like. I have some news for you. I have been around more years than most, and I have learned there is no free lunch.
There is only one taxpayer: us. Sooner or later all the money eventually comes from the citizens. For those that need high speed internet, it is available. The business plan has not been fleshed out, and we are being asked to “trust me, it’ll work out.”
With the federal government probably changing (read increasing) our taxes to fund healthcare, green jobs and who knows what else, it does not seem to me to be the best time to take on a project with lots of unanswered questions. If several other communities have already done similar projects, why are there no answers to the questions raised by others in our community?
We do not live in an isolated bubble. Also in the October 17 News-Herald,
I read that the county will soon likely require septic owners to get their tanks pumped every few years whether they need it or not. It will also result in more work for the county government. Guess who will get to pay for that in property taxes?
Believe me, like all homeowners I do not want septic problems. I am a responsible homeowner. We get ours pumped every three years. We have a three-bedroom capacity septic, capable of supporting six adults, yet are only two people. Many places in Cook County are only occupied seasonally.
I don’t need to pay increased property taxes to have a county official make sure I am a good boy and do what I should.
Yet it looks like we will all get to pay increased taxes for some pumping of tanks to account for the few that are not responsible. Many of us live on fixed incomes and really don’t need the government at any level taking more money from us.
George Gradek
Maple Hill
Leave a Reply