Common Sense

As I am sure you have read, the new Illinois budget is going to have an affect on the casino in Aurora that will have an impact on employment in town. Below is an open letter to the governor and the state legislature regarding the new budget.Dear Elected Official:As I am sure that some of you have never been to Aurora, let me fill you in on a few details. Aurora is the second largest city in the state of Illinois. It is a microcosm of this country in terms of race, religion, ethnicity, and economic status.

In short, there are good and bad things in this city. Ten years ago, Hollywood Casino opened and has become our largest employer with over 1,500 tax-paying employees. A year ago, a beautiful new building opened with promise of a new hotel to help with the revitalization of our downtown. A few months ago, a new company purchased the casino, investing their owners dollar's in the state of Illinois. Now these owners are being punished for being successful with the highest tax in the nation imposed on them.

To be able to make any return on their investment, the owners are laying off people. These people have to go home and tell their spouse and children that they no longer have a job since the casino has been taxed to its death. There will be no further expansion either.

So, hopes for construction workers becoming employed and hopes for people to work in a beautiful new hotel are dashed. These people will continue to remain unemployed, and, along with those laid off, a financial burden to the working men and women of this state.

If you voted against this new tax, you are still responsible to the people of this state. Work on repealing this tax when you get back in session. If you voted for this tax, help us with this answer. When a child of a laid off parent asks for a new bicycle this year for their birthday, how do they answer it?

"Financial mismanagement of previous administrations has caused the current legislative body to tax my company so they can no longer be successful, therefore they don't want me any more. So I don't have any money to get you that bike that you want. I have to stop my spending so they can continue with their spending. I am sure that you understand."

As an elected official, I am sure that part of your campaign was more jobs for the state. You lied. We will remember at the next election.

Sincerely,

A Registered Voter.

Make copies of this column and attach a note to it or create your own letter. Then send it to every state senator and representative. You can find their address on the Internet or at the library. Let's let our elective officials know that we are no longer going to tolerate business as usual. As citizens, we can be a more effective lobby group than any paid lobbyist in Springfield or Washington.

We need to start complaining and not stop. Our country was founded with the principal of a government "of the people, by the people, and for the people." That is often forgotten today. Remember that this year on Independence Day.

Dave Gruhlke is a resident of the Fox Valley area and is an average, ordinary guy. You can contact him by e-mail at averageordinaryguy@hotmail.com.