Central DuPage isn't your sugar daddy

Central DuPage Hospital is one of the premier hospitals in the world. We have one of the best, most talented groups of medical professionals in the world in our town.

But if you showed up to a town-hall meeting, you could be sure to hear griping that CDH is not paying its fair share, especially when there are town bills to be paid.

The fact is that CDH pays sales taxes, about $500,000 per year in property taxes and donated $300,000 to Winfield charities. CDH donated $47 million in free health care to the poor in 2009. The fact remains that CDH is a nonprofit hospital and much like you, dear reader, they do not have to give a penny more in taxes than what is decreed by law.

I was at the Winfield Town Meeting on Feb. 27 to hear about the $3.3 million road referendum that is coming this November. Village Manager Curt Barrett did an excellent job explaining, for what I believe was the first time, that the hospital is doing everything that it has to as laid forth by Illinois statute. He also mentioned very diplomatically that while the hospital may use Winfield, Highlake and Jewel Roads, it would be laughable to expect them to foot any of the cost for our crumbling residential streets.

It is counter productive to view CDH as Winfield's own sugar-daddy. Hoping that CDH will pay Winfield's bills distracts our citizens and our politicians from taking personal responsibility for our village's current economic situation. It delays us from taking ownership of our problems and setting a course for sustainable revenues. Holding out hope that CDH will save our village from bad fiscal planning will just cause anger to fester between the residents and the hospital.

Tim Allen

Winfield