Carpentersville - The Village Board of Carpentersville voted down funding to continue the Ride-In-Kane bus service. This service may be better known as Dial-A-Ride. Village President Bill Sarto supported the funding of this vital program. He argued that this was a service that many senior citizens and others rely on for affordable transportation to and from the doctor and to do their grocery shopping.
The total amount being asked for from Carpentersville was a mere $13,000. There was money in the budget to continue to provide this service. However, some board members were misrepresenting the facts on the issue. Trustee Paul Humpfer was leading the charge to NOT fund the program. He argued that it was up to the Township to provide this service. That is a fallacy that he has been promoting since before the Township Republican Party Primary Election. Humpfer was supporting Don Rage for Township Supervisor. Rage was easily defeated in the primary by the incumbent Sue Harney.
The Ride-In-Kane program is partially funded by grant dollars and is provided by Pace. Each Village in the Township has been asked to make a contribution to support the program. The size of that contribution is based on a formula of both population and ridership. This overall program is directed by Kane County.
Politics was still being played with the lives of our seniors and others who qualify for the Ride-In-Kane program. Most if not all of these riders need this program. Some use it as their only means of transportation to and from work.
It is a disgrace that a Village the size of Carpentersville does not have better representation on the Village board. Petty politics influences far too many decisions in the Village.
The reason so many have a negative feeling about their Village government is that some trustees only play politics. That was again the case on this important vote.
