Don’t forget what Quinn did to Lake County

In a time of higher taxes and local government attempting to provide services with limited resources, we have Gov. Pat Quinn signing a mandate forcing more government on Lake County.

Over the past several years, the office of the Lake County clerk under Willard Helander’s leadership has conducted clean and efficient elections. Her office has been an example to other government bodies outside of Lake County on how to run elections.

Yet the state legislature passed an amendment, which no one will take credit for, that creates a new layer of government to conduct elections in Lake County. Gov. Quinn for his part signed this piece of legislation over the objections of county residents and members of county government.

If this new law is left to stand, we in Lake County will have a new unelected layer of government costing us an estimated $700,000. The governor apparently does not mind creating an unasked-for unit of government for us, nor does he seem to care how we find the money to pay for it.

Next year, Gov. Pat Quinn will be asking for our vote to keep him in the governor’s mansion. Next year, the voters of Lake County should remember how Pat Quinn has treated Lake County residents this year.

Cornelius Shanahan

Mundelein