Lesson learned in slim victory in 96th?

Why did Naperville City Councilwoman Darlene Senger almost lose the 96th District State Representative race to the union candidate, Dianne McGuire?

You remember McGuire, the former union chief who ran a smear campaign against Senger, backed by more than $700,000 in union money from the state Democratic Party? Well, besides the Obama effect and the $700,000 dollars, several reasons come to mind.

1. Senger voted to give tax breaks to companies such as Calamos Investments. The Calamos family is worth billions, but Darlene Senger thought they needed more. Companies should decide to locate in Naperville because it is a great city, not because some elected officials want to provide some outrageous incentives, using taxpayer money.

2. Senger supported the Indian Prairie School District 204 tax increase referendum. She claimed she was a fiscal conservative, but the truth is that she has proved time and time again she is really a big-government Republican who supported unneeded and wasteful spending which hurt taxpayers and indebted them for decades to come. What we need are informed leaders who study the facts; we don't need empty school buildings in an era of declining enrollment.

3. Senger was supported by Joe Dunn, our current state representative, who took money from the teachers union, then supported the District 204 tax increase referendum to build the unnecessary 3rd high school.

4. Senger supported one of the most outrageous and offensive bailouts in Naperville history, the multimillion dollar Millennium Carillon fiasco. Every time local citizens drive past that ugly concrete edifice in the sky, they are reminded of people like Darlene Senger who support boondoggles with taxpayer money.

We have a budget deficit in Naperville due to a decline in sales tax receipts because of the slow economy. So what is their solution? Raise the sales tax rate.

Let's all be watching to see if Senger learned anything from her narrow victory over McGuire.

Paul White

Naperville