Candidate speaks with forked tongue

I have long admired perennial Winfield candidate Tony Reyes’ ability to instantly speak as an expert on any subject. The secret is that he just makes it up as he goes along, but his dramatics are so convincing that the random numbers he inserts must seem real.

At another performance they will be different, but it is still entertaining as long as one remembers that it is just masterful improvisation, not reality. For example, the payback times he cites for water meters ranges from 20 to 75 years, depending upon his mood. (The correct answer is seven years.)

Mr. Reyes has advocated getting rid of impact fees on new home developments, calling them ”ludicrous and an obstacle to development.” But last year Winfield was in the top-ten communities in all the Chicago area in new home permits issued, despite the impact fees paid to the schools, parks, fire district and the village totaling $850,000 in the past two years, and $2.5 million in the past six years.

Clearly, impact fees don’t hinder development in Winfield, but then Mr. Reyes’ conclusions seldom match the facts.

We need public officials who do not speak with forked tongues; who operate from facts, not fantasy. I’m voting for Glenn VadeBonCoeur, Cliff Mortenson and Jim Hughes for trustee. They are hardworking, honest people that Winfield cannot afford to be without.

Stan Zegel

Winfield