Longmeadow bridge a boondoggle

Kane County and local officials need to ask and answer one question as they push through the $117 million Longmeadow Tollway scheme in this time of economic distress. What if you build it and they don't come?

Officials foolishly believe that almost 9,000 drivers daily will pay $1.50 to use the 5.6-mile-long monstrosity that will alleviate McHenry County's traffic problems. West Dundee and Carpentersville will see more businesses lost if the tollway delivers on the promise to direct traffic to Algonquin's Randall Road developments.

Kane County residents will see more air pollution, noise from traffic, and a bill for $117 million. The plan comes to the board at a time when the health department is facing economic disaster. The county will soon be operating in the red and they're planning to borrow an obscene amount of money. Why doesn't one board member ask what they will do if the toll money doesn't come in?

Common sense would dictate scaling back this project. A true solution to resident's traffic problems (not McHenry County) would be a local bridge, from Route 25 to Route 31. However, I have no faith in government ever looking at a logical solution when they can stiff the taxpayers for a ridiculous project.

The smell of corruption is following this tollway as forest preserve officials hold "discussions" about opening up our conserved land to gravel mines (unbelievably, state law allows this). Perhaps that is their contingency plan, destroy our forest preserves for the almighty dollar. Either way, the people end up paying the extreme price for stupidity and greed.

Billita Jacobsen

Carpentersville