Village's subsidy of theater is absurd

I nearly choked on my toast, when I read that Mayor Tom Hayes and six other trustees of Arlington Heights voted again to provide a $450,000 taxpayer subsidy to the Metropolis Performing Arts Centre.

To date, various village boards have provided over $5 million in taxpayer dollars to this continued losing operation.

You don't have to be Warren Buffett to understand that pouring Arlington Heights tax dollars into a losing venture isn't a good investment, nor is it good fiscal administration of village tax dollars.

Instead of seeking a corporate sponsor, grants or private donors, the Hayes Group continued the easy way - dole out another $450,000 in tax dollars - and don't worry about paying the taxpayers back.

Only Trustees Blackwood and Sidor had the fiscal sense to vote against this proposition.

I also read in the Herald that Mayor Hayes is quoted, "The Metropolis is a critical component to our life here and is something we cannot afford to lose."

Are you kidding me?

No Mayor, the critical component of life here in Arlington Heights is our citizens, which we cannot afford to lose by this type of taxpayer waste.

Just think of the additional police and fire personnel, and saving the trees, that could have been done with this $5 million bailout.

It would be nice if the Metropolis would rent a sign with the following verbiage: "Thank you taxpayers of Arlington Heights for providing $5.5 million in village tax dollars so that we continue to operate."

Kevin J. Cuttone

Arlington Heights