Schielke not a ‘double dipper’

The story on double dipping by Jake Griffin is an attempt to make a mountain out of a mole hill.

In particular, as a resident of Batavia, I was shocked and appalled that he tried to drag the good reputation of Mayor Schielke down to the depths of a freeloader on taxpayer funds. Our mayor has built a sound reputation over nearly 30 years, providing strong leadership in growing the city coupled with sensible fiscal management.

In Batavia, the mayor is a part-time job and currently pays $28,000. I know that Mayor Schielke works more than full-time hours for the city. To suggest that this honorable man is trying to bilk taxpayers is slanderous.

Indeed, the Pace board is lucky to have Mayor Schielke providing his expertise on the transportation issues of the region. As a public transportation user and advocate, I have discussed Pace, Metra and RTA topics with the mayor. There are many very complex issues with many stakeholders some that I was unaware of. The Pace board needs to have real experts, such as Mayor Schielke, to improve their system.

Finally, the suggestion by Rep. Franks to pay board members only their costs to attend the meetings is laughable. It is like hiring a consultant to advise you, but you only pay him or her to come talk to you, not for any information that you may receive.

You get what you pay for. If you want a nonexpert opinion, then just solicit for anybody to do it for free. If, however, you have real problems and you want to find real informed solutions, then hire someone like Jeffrey Schielke, who is uniquely qualified. You will get tremendous value for your $10,000.

Bob Nishikawa

Batavia