Legislators have safety concerns misplaced

"The safety of our communities should not be at risk simply because municipal leaders want to limit the influence of unions," said state Sen. Mike Noland, an Elgin Democrat. So, the totally dysfunctional, fiscally irresponsible state legislature has degreed how municipalities are to staff their local fire departments.

Of course, this state mandate comes with no financial resources for municipalities to pay for this mandate. The safety of towns and villages are the direct responsibilities of the elected local officials.

If these officials put public safety in harm's way due to decisions driven by fiscal considerations, then the citizens of these communities can decide if the mayors and the councilmen responsible for these decisions stay in office or not.

One only has to look at the Grayslake Fire District referendum that passed the electorate earlier this month to understand that citizens of a local community, or in this case a fire district, understand the implication of balancing fiscal requirements vs the need to assure their own safety.

The risk to communities doesn't come from local officials; it comes from "know it all," state legislators who know so much more than the "peasants" they oversee. With the state teetering on the brink of insolvency, state Sen. Mike Noland and the other senators that voted in favor of this intrusive staffing mandate have their "safety" concerns totally misplaced.

How about concentrating on the fiscal safety of the state.

Steve Sarich

Grayslake