Really Good News
Posted by Bill Sarto on June 24, 2008
I was contacted yesterday by our former lobbyist in Washington, DC to inform us that Carpentersville has been included on the House Commerce, Justice, Science Appropriations Subcommittee Bill for a $400,000 earmark for our Community Response Team (CRT). This earmark was due to the efforts of our new Congressman, Bill Foster, who myself and our Village Manager, Craig Anderson met with not long ago to give him our list of projects that we have been attempting to get some federal assistance. If this money makes the cut, it most likely will not be seen until early next year. If this earmark holds up, the funding received would help our Police department combat gang crime in Carpentersville. It would be a big help in that ongoing effort.
I was able to contact Congressman Bill Foster on his cell phone while he was at the airport preparing to return to Washington, DC. I thanked the Congressman for his help. As you may be aware Congressman Bill Foster won a special election to finish out the unexpired term of our former congressman, J. Dennis Hastert. Hastert who had been Speaker of the House retired early, that set up a special election. Bill Foster won that election and is already producing results for his district. He also had a very large earmark included for Fermi Lab in Batavia. Requests for other funding for Carpentersville have been made by Congressman Foster and we are hopeful that we get some additional federal help on those requests. Congressman Bill Foster has shown some very good skills since being sent to Washington to represent the 14th Congressional District. He has come through for Carpentersville and I will not forget that in November.
Thanks but no thanks, Rep. Foster « Carpentersville Action Network said
[...] those two things, it should be welcome news that the Village may be getting $400,000 to “help our Police department combat gang crime in [...]
Bill Sarto said
First of all, we do not have a lobbyist. We had a lobbyist but decided that it was best to ask for the assistance directly from our elected federal officials. Our “former” lobbyist was who called to pass along the good news to myself and our Village Manager, Craig Anderson. Congressman Bill Foster’s Office did not contact us. He did not put this request in to get any political payback. He did it for a very good reason to help the Village of Carpentersville fight gangs and drugs. Isn’t that why we send people to Washington, to represent us, and provide us help when we need it?
Congressman J. Dennis Hastert had also tried to help us on this same request as did United State’s Senator Obama. Our requests are not political or “pork”. Congressman Foster is doing his job by trying to help those who need assistance in his district. We asked for this help long before Congressman Foster was ever a candidate. Yes, I will remember what he has done for Carpentersville. I do appreciate those who try to help us. Carpentersville is the third largest Municipality in Kane County. We have issues that are common to places our size. We have funding issues because of how many of our homes are considered to be “affordable”. Out of our intire houseing stock 61% of our houses are “affordable”. That’s the highest percentage of any community in all of Kane County. What we do not have is the benefit of a River Boat to help us with funding, as does our two larger neighbors to the south, Elgin and Aurora. I appreciated the help that both Congressman Hastert tried to give us as I did the help that Senator Obama tried to give. This isn’t about partisan politics. This is about who cares enough about Carpentersville to give us some much needed help. Bill Foster has proven to me that he cares. That’s what I look for in every person who holds public office. If they don’t care then they shouldn’t be there.
Michael said
The People are starting to wake up and notice these abuses of taxpayer money. The earmark system is being obscenely abused and it’s breaking the backs of the American people!
“Help” is being used in place of “want” way to often and this is clearly $400,000 for “wants”. You have other sources for revenue and refuse to use them because it will cause problems politically.
The lies and abuse are starting to catch up with these taxpayer money abusers. The waste MUST STOP!
You folks in Washington DC do your job of getting us out of this insane war in Iraq and we can work on the USA’s infrastructure. It’s unbelieveable that these liars just funded another $163 BILLION to Bush/Cheney for this insanity in the mideast. Not to mention the HUNDREDS OF BILLIONS being approved for the Pentagon and Dept. Of Defense BLACK BUDGET! A budget that does not even have to account to any public overseers.
It’s criminal what these politicians are getting away with!
Bill Sarto said
Michael–
Until Washington changes how they do business “earmarks” and grants are the only way communities have of getting needed help to do things that cannot be afforded by raising local taxes.
There was a time when local communities were given “revenue sharing” from the federal governement on a regular basis to help with infrstructure improvements and to build government buildings. Those days are long gone. Some communities are better off financially than others. This may not have anything to do with how they operate, but have more to do with their location and their proximity to major highways and mass transportation.
Gang violence is a growing problem in the suburbs. The reason is that the gangs have decided that moving from the larger better policed cities into the suburbs makes sense for them. They make easier targets. The money for years to fight gang crimes has been going for the most part to the larger cities. The suburbs on the other hand do not usually have the resources, man power or training to combat this type of crime. Fighting gangs is a different type of situation than your usual suberbia crime. Gangs are organized. They commit crimes such as drive by shootings, they sell drugs and guns, spray paint graffiti on property. They go to war against one another. Gangs engage in turf wars with rival gangs in the suburbs as they’ve done in the larger U.S. cities for years. These type of crimes make the community less safe and hurt economic development and cause people to move from the community or change their shopping habits. All of this hurts the over all vitality of a community. We have real wars going on right here on the streets of America. Local government needs help to combat this type of crime. This is not something local taxpayers can or should be made to pay for. Getting financial help from the federal governmemt to help combat this growing problem is not an “abuse” of taxpayers money. It’s a reality that all Americans need to face. This also is NOT an “obscene abuse” of the earmark system. Finally, this is not a “want” it is a need that too many communities are trying to deal with today. Most local governments do not have $500,000 that they have laying around waiting for a need to pop up. If they do, then they have been over taxing their residents.
I do appreciate that Congressman Bill Foster recognizes the difference between “pork” and real needs that truly help his constituents. We do not have this money yet and the process is just getting started. We are hopeful that this time the money will acctually get to us. We have been to this point before with our former Congressman, who at the time was the Speaker of the House, only to have the earmark not be realized. So, although we are encouraged we are also aware of the situation in Washington, DC. That’s why it is important for the system to change. Local government needs help and for the most part is not getting it. You may think that fighting gangs is a waste of money. Try asking those who live in neighborhoods that have gang bangers on their streets if it’s a waste of money.