Prospect Hts. endorsement off the mark

You seemed to suggest that Ms. Vole inherited a mess, and she did; however, you failed to mention that she also contributed to the mess while on the City Council.

Since her election she has loaded the committees and council with friends, and micromanaged most committees of which I am aware. I was on one myself and speak from experience. Finally, she has forced the resignation of Chief Morris, has removed at least one highly qualified commission head and is trying to remove another.

She has systematically stymied almost every residential and commercial development opportunity of which I am aware that has been presented to the city over the past few years.

Among them was the demise of Sarpino's attempt to develop a distressed piece of property at Palatine and Elmhurst roads. She has campaigned against other opportunities that were presented to the council while an alderman and mayor. The cause stated by the firms that chose other locations was, first and foremost, the difficulty of working with our city, and I have firsthand knowledge of that fact.

You misrepresented Mr. Helmer's qualifications. He is not just real estate developer. He is one of the founders of one of the largest real estate development and management firms in the country, and is still actively employed.

Among his services, he has served the city well as a director of the Chicago Executive Airport for many years, volunteered as a basketball coach at a regional high, and his firm is a great supporter of charitable and civic causes.

I would think that has given him significant experience in building a business, managing projects, working with people and developing consensus quite often over the past 40-plus years.

In an effort of accuracy, you should review this “qualified endorsement” of Ms. Vole.

Leonard T. Digate

Prospect Heights