Red Gate bridge a waste of money

Some of our country's problems is the integrity of the politicians that we elect and their spending habits.

An example of both can be found right here in St. Charles. Mayor Don DeWitte on Sept. 20 told the Chicago Tribune and WGN: “School District 303 alone will realize hundreds of thousands of dollars in fuel savings with their buses no longer having to come through downtown St. Charles in order to get across the river.”

How will District 303 save any money, let alone hundreds of thousands of dollars? Will school bus routes be changed? Is District 303 going to change boundaries and move students on the west side of the river that currently go to St. Charles North to St. Charles East? The buses that currently cross the river that travel to Wredling Middle School and St. Charles East are coming from St. Charles subdivisions off Route 64.

Does the mayor now want these buses to turn left on Route 31 and go down two miles to cross the “new bridge” and then back south on Route 25 to get to Wredling and St. Charles East?

This is a first that I heard of the big savings for the school district. Are taxpayers aware of any proposed school boundary changes if the bridge is approved?

Neither State Sen. John Millner nor Congressman Bill Foster support the bridge because taxpayers are currently paying to build the Stearns Bridge two miles north.

It has been reported in the Daily Herald, Chicago Tribune and WGN that there is very little opposition to the proposed Red Gate Bridge. There is tremendous opposition from not only our local communities but from everyone in our country.

We are tired of elected government officials wasting our money. This bridge would save 10 percent travel time through St Charles. So if it took you five to 10 minutes to travel through town it would save you 30 to 60 seconds. Do you think taxpayers want to spend $30 million to save a minute in travel time while they cut programs at our schools?

Terry Masterson

St. Charles