Throwing money at flooding hasn’t helped, so far

I was so pleased to read recently that the Mount Prospect officials have taken note of the basement flooding problems and held a meeting.

I moved to my present home in the village in March of 1953. In September my neighbors and I had flooded basements as did most of the village. We have had flooded basements periodically ever since. In the early 50s the board held a meeting to discuss the problem. It was decided that a sewer tax was necessary to fix the problem. It was subsequently levied.

It seems common that taxes are always the solution to fix problems. Some work was actually done but relief was not achieved and backups continued. The Deep Tunnel Project was initiated at the cost to taxpayers of billions to solve the problem. The problem continues. Now the officials are reexamining the problem for the umpteenth time. No doubt we will have yet a new tax to “solve” the problem.

Come to think of it we are already assessed a significant sewer charge on our water bills. This has been in place for a number of years and we still have that wet filth in our basements. I have been told that the money collected is being put to a much better purpose. Several million have been spent shoring up the backyards of the homes along Weller Creek. That obviously is far more important than preventing raw sewage from polluting our homes.

How about installing restrictors in the street drains? To my fellow citizens I say: Stock up on bleach and mops and pray to the Rain God, The village will never do anything.

Politicos never solve problems, they only become part of them.

Ken Kitzing

Mount Prospect