Fix money problems by writing tickets

I want to thank the Daily Herald for running my "Letter To The Editor", on Dec. 20 concerning the speeding U-46 buses and all the other speeders on Middle Street in South Elgin. This problem will continue until someone that has the influence or willingness in South Elgin government/police department to change this situation.

Last week as I was pulling out of my driveway some guy in his silver BMW SUV and his passenger went flying by me like I was standing still. This driver then ran two stop signs and rolled through another one on his way to somewhere. I decided to follow them, just to see what the life threatening emergency was. It was Starbucks. While I was leaving Starbucks' parking lot, I saw two of our finest sitting in the Kohl's parking lot, shooting the bull.

I decided to go down to the police department and complain. I was told that those two police cars were assigned to the west side and couldn't be sent to the east side unless it's an emergency. He said that the reason there wasn't more police protection on the east side was due to "budget" problems, so only one squad was on the east side. I was told gas costs money and by sitting checking radar a squad car would eat more gas, and make the budget shortfall that much worse.

Why not burn gas while checking radar? You know, write some tickets? Middle Street would be safer and the tickets would bring in needed revenue; a win-win for South Elgin.

After all, the police found the manpower and the gasoline to write hundreds of tickets on Middle Street residents going the wrong way while we tried to deal with road reconstruction this past summer.

Warren Redmond

South Elgin