As we enter into the final days of the hearings concerning siting of a new waste transfer station those of us who are public body watchers have to wonder:
We wonder why the County of DuPage even bothers with its usual "smoke and mirrors" hearings. Do the county leaders really think that they are fooling anyone.
We wonder how the county leaders can justify the expenditure of thousands in taxpayer funds to conduct such a rigged event.
It doesn't take a genius to see that those of us who live in the western part of DuPage are not represented by the county leadership. Whatever the Chairman wants the Chairman will get. Even the attorney for the county has stated that the Chairman controls the County Board and they will vote as they are told. The 3 members from District 6 will be "allowed" to vote against putting another waste tranfer station in their District. There will possibly be another 3 or 4 who will say NO but, the siting will be approved and we will be told that the will of the people has prevailed. Talk about garbage.
4 the People, the City of West Chicago and the Fire Protection District have continued to stand their ground in opposition to Mr. Hoving and the county. At least the expenditure of these private and public funds represent what the citizens of this area want and, my friends we are not talking a few hundred dollars. There have been thousands of dollars spent in opposition to this siting, which still does not meet the requirements. But, mark my words the county doesn't care and it will be "damn the oppostion--we know what's best".
I wonder how long after the siting is approved that the present owner will have his transfer station before it is sold to some large garbage company?
Congratulations to those who have fought the fight. To all of us, I hope you now understand the reality of how things are done in DuPage County. Let's not be so quick to criticize Chicago and Cook County they could probably learn from our county leaders. Don't suffer from a short memory--elections aren't that far away.
Gene Rennels
Aug 16, 2003