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Monday, February 4. 2008
Township Road Problem
This interview took place in Senator Fawghourne's secret local office where he escapes from Grover Norquist and the rabid anti-tax increase people. He has long been known for fiscal conservatism, but that means that no tax dollar should be wasted and money should never be borrowed except to maintain the infrastructure. As he always says, "Tax money well spent is often a bargain. We should never forget our obligation to posterity in seeking a short term tax reduction."
This article is brought to you courtesy of a kind grant from the Republican's Against the Deficit, a small but growing group of citizens concerned with what we are leaving our children. | |
| Sen. Fawghourne: | Hi, Bob. Glad to see you made it out of Winfield Township. Do you have four wheel drive? |
| WegoWeb | Naw, I just stuck to city streets and then the state highway. |
| Sen. Fawghourne: | I think a lot of West Chicago residents do that. They think they never drive on the township roads and therefore object to increasing the township road funding. |
| WegoWeb | I'm not sure I could tell you what roads are township and which are city. I think they've traded plowing responsibilities around so much that even that doesn't give us a clue. The township has 45 miles of roads, but I don't know which they are. |
| Sen. Fawghourne: | Well, I can tell you a couple and how you can tell. Joliet Road south of Manville Oaks Park is township road. You can tell because, in the vicious freeze thaw cycle the area is currently going through, the township part is completely coming apart. There are so many pot holes it looks like a moon scape. |
| WegoWeb | You mean I can't complain to the mayor about that? |
| Sen. Fawghourne: | Nope. Although the township highway money is shared with the city and benefits both city and unincorporated roads, the city cannot fix that stretch and the township is short on money to do so. They will, of course, do so when the weather improves, but that will cancell other work scheduled to be done. |
| WegoWeb | Wow. When I think township roads I think the quiet country lanes in the unincorporated areas... not the wear and tear of trucks on that major cutoff for trucks turning from northbound IL59 to westbound Rt. 38. |
| Sen. Fawghourne: | And it's not the whole thing... just two little stretches, both of them noticeable as you drive the road. |
| WegoWeb | Any other examples? |
| Sen. Fawghourne: | Purnel Road south of Gary's Mill and Currier School is also township. Check out how it is all but exploding in that section just south of the deer crossing sign. Lack of maintenance lets the water into the pavement, it freezes, the ice breaks the surface of the pavement up. That black stuff on the road in both those areas is not NACAR marbles. It's broken up asphault. |
| WegoWeb | So what's the solution? |
| Sen. Fawghourne: | The Township has asked for more highway money with referendums and been turned down five consecutive times. They are facing a sixth test tomorrow, Feb 5th. Vote yes. |
| WegoWeb | I'm sure a lot of local voters think they are already getting more money because of increased property values. |
| Sen. Fawghourne: | Has your house's value gone up as quickly as petroleum based products... like asphault? Since 2000, gas has gone from $1.28 to over $3.00. Has your house more than doubled? Have your local taxes more than doubled. There is a shortfall, because of the cost of oil. They need the help. |
| WegoWeb | Senator, you've sold me. |
| Sen. Fawghourne:
| Well, I hope some more voters will reconsider also. I'll be watching for voters on those stretches today and tomorrow, becuase they really need to drive thru and take a look before they vote. |
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