Mayor’s Row……by Ned Mitchell

          By the time this column hits the paper we will have a new budget address by Governor Pat Quinn and from what preliminary news accounts say it looks like we are in for a tax increase.

          Of course we have the reformer/unreformer that year after year gave away the farm on one hand and failed to raise sufficient revenue to pay for goods and services on the other.  Now he is running around like Chicken Little saying “I told you so, I told you so” there is going to be a tax increase.

          We cannot blame the reformer/unreformer all alone though as we watched year after year Speaker of the House Mike Madigan and Senate President Emil Jones send the Governor budgets that were way out of balance.  None of us could operate our own households like that and it won’t work for the state either.  The result is a debt that is over $11 billion dollars and growing fast.

          I don’t expect that Speaker Madigan and new Senate President John Cullerton will be calling me for advice so I’ll just write it down here knowing that when some low level staffer Googles either of their names and this column pops up, they will indeed get to read it.

          As I see it Governor Quinn simply has no other choices left to make.  He must raise sufficient revenues to pay the bills in Illinois that are mounting on a daily basis.  As of this writing it appears that Governor Quinn will be focusing on an income tax hike for the wealthiest Illinoisans and at the same time cut the taxes on those making less than $60,000.00 per year.

          I’ve said here in this column before that if an income tax hike is what we need to pay the bills and have a much needed capital program, then so be it.  We could do some other things though to make this bitter medicine a little easier to swallow.  This is where Madigan and Cullerton need to listen up.

          I am pretty certain that Governor Quinn at the same time he proposes an income tax increase he will also identify some ethics and campaign finance reforms that are long overdue.  We should not even have the possibility in this state for unlimited campaign contributions.  There should be limits that can be read and understood by everyone.  Simple, plain, easy to understand rules that everyone would have to abide by would be a good place to start.

          Pension reform is another area that the two legislative leaders need to work on.  We should immediately get rid of any pension that allows an employee to draw %85 per cent of their highest wage.  This is preposterous at best and downright wrong.  The legislature has set this system up to benefit each other and have added to this gigantic pension gift other state employees.  Most private sector employees do not even come close to drawing %85 of their highest wage as a pension.  Private sector owners have to look at the bottom line to be competitive and state government should do no less.

          I do give Governor Quinn high marks for assessing the situation at hand and offering up his idea for putting Illinois back on the right track.  I would expect that Speaker Madigan and President Cullerton should help in any way possible as they both have had a big role in getting this state in the hole.  The least they could do is work on solving problems instead of creating more.  It will be interesting to watch!

          Locally we are excited that the weather is getting better which means that we can get back to work on the new sports complex we are building on the east side of town.

          Recently the city fathers, after meeting for several months, with the little league organization, decided to borrow $450,000.00 to pay for our portion of this project.  Despite what some say, most of this money will be used at the sports complex.  We will spend $60,000.00 to do safety work on the stage of the Opera House.  It seems un-American that we would send our school children up there to perform a play or to have a concert all the while knowing that something might fall from the ceiling and injure one of them.  After all the building was built in 1914 so we must keep up with the times if we want to continue to offer up premium entertainment.

          Another $10,000 will go to install ceramic tile in the men’s and women’s restrooms as well as automatic flush devices.  If you think this is not needed, stick your head in either restroom and then tell me that!

          Going back to the sports complex the money Sesser has borrowed from People’s National Bank will be paid back using the Home Rule sales tax which means that your tax bill will not go up.  Not only that; folks who come from out of town help pay for facilities such as the Opera House and the sports complex that they use.

          The little league organization has $35,000.00 in their checking account and Senator Gary Forby provided $50,000.00 so their contribution will pay for most of the lighting on the larger field.

          The St. Louis Cardinal Red Bird Rookie program will pay up to $200,000.00 to construct one ball field that will be better than any field in Southern Illinois, bar none.  We will also have all fields fenced, a parking lot, concession stand and restrooms as well as dugouts for each field.

          This project has been in the works for over 2 years and has involved a lot of people cooperating to make it happen.  Last year there were nearly 300 kids signed up to play summer sports and this field will accommodate all of them in a safe manner.  We will be able to showcase this property for years to come.

          Eventually we hope to develop a soccer field, a walking track, and picnic areas on the beautiful grounds.  Sesser residents will be proud of this once it is completed and will be able to point at in pride knowing that it was paid for by those who wanted to see it built.

          So despite what you may have heard the City of Sesser did not borrow $450,000.00 to blow on the Opera House.  The money will be spent to keep the stage area safe and to provide sports facilities for our children.  If you are opposed to those ideas, well perhaps you need to move to another town that is not quite so aggressive as Sesser in providing a quality of life that is envied by a lot of people!

          Mae Merkel is home from the hospital and is resting well.  Carl Allen is in the Green Tree facility in Mt. Vernon undergoing physical therapy.  Aunt Margie Dame is recuperating from hip surgery in a Mt. Vernon hospital.  If you have time drop these folks a note or make a phone call.   They will appreciate it!

          Sesser city council meetings are held the first Thursday of each month at city hall and they begin with a prayer by a local minister and the reciting of the Pledge of Allegiance.  You are welcome to attend and see your government at work on a first hand basis.  The meetings start at 7:00 pm and usually last about an hour.