Watching Waukegan pols squirm since Mayor Robert Sabonjian discovered the city is $6.5 million in the hole reminds The Hound of something Will Rogers once said: "I don't make jokes. I just watch the government and report the facts." Unless you're a Waukegan taxpayer, this is funny.
The rate Sabonjian's going, when he finishes his four-year term, the city may be in the red by about $150 million. That is if you want to blame the freshman mayor for the fiscal fix the city is in, but he just came into office. Then again, there's plenty of blame to go around.
LIke who else knew tax revenues were sliding? Where was the City Council watchdogs, especially 6th Ward Ald. Larry TenPas, known as somewhat of a municipal financial whiz? Asleep?
Or, was it planned that way to keep a low financial profile before the spring election? And, how would former Mayor Richard Hyde address this startling turn of events?
Even Sabonjian, appearing at a function featuring mayors from other communities right after his victorious election, said he would be "instituting a system for 'strong fiscal management' by addressing debt, keeping costs down and calling in unions to review contracts." Perhaps by then he had gotten a glimpse at the books.
Or maybe, he, too, knew of the financial straights before the April election. Considering the city has seen tax revenues drop seven straight months. That would be even well before the February primary.
Regardless, it appears the elected city folks have pared that $6.5 million deficit down to a mere $3 million and 1st Ward Ald. Sam Cunningham is calling for a tax increase to avoid layoffs of police and fire. The Hound has a feeling taxpayers can think of some pols who need to be laid off.
It didn't take a soothsayer to figure out the city was digging itself into a hole year after year; while issuing millions of dollars in bonds to pay for theatres, parking garages, 'master plans', casinos and other 'cool' items that you can place on glossy marketing materials. While people were questioning where the money was coming from and how it was being spent, the usual answer was 'If you don't like it, you can move.' Well, some people who wanted to keep some small portion of their income did. Some older businesses who kept the faith and tried to keep people employed were eventually treated as second-class citizens and either harassed or ignored by the city, while the much touted 'new businesses' were given the red carpet treatment. They too either decided to move, or they simply said that enough was enough and closed shop. While the GOBs were dividing up the pie, they ignored the fact that the pie had to be paid for. They decided that they could put off payment until they were all retired or dead. Either way, as long as their kids and buddies were covered, it would be the next guy's problem. Unfortunately for them, 'tomorrow' came a lot sooner than they thought. I can only hope that enough voters have received a wake up call, and come the next couple of elections, make those who voted for this financial disaster accountable, and put in some people who will do their best to fix the city rather than work to get their names on a plaque.
THE HOUND SAYS: Well, Hermie, if you could see it, why didn't the aldermen? They appear to have gone along to get along with the former mayor, who also appeared clueless to the impending fiscal implosion. Isn't that what you have staff for? Also apparently clueless was the city's director of governmental services, who got a one-year contract extension this week.
This old adage still holds true, "Live within your means." This adage should also hold true to all governments, "Spend within your means." Maybe our politicians & all government workers should pull up their britches, way up to their necks and tighten that belt... REALLY TIGHT!
THE HOUND SAYS: The Hound believes voters have been telling politicians that for some years, but they don't believe it themselves. They keep electing the same people who keep on doing the same things --- deficit spending or in the case of Illinois, keep on borrowing on money we don't have. Besides, most Americans don't live within their means. If they did, there wouldn't be this epidemic of foreclosures or bankruptcies.