Resist state zoning mandates

My wife and I are living the American Dream. We own a home in Palatine. We're quite proud of it. It's a Queen Anne-style Victorian house with a tower. The fact that we own our home is most important to us.

When you own something, you take care of it. You pay the mortgage, you maintain it and you improve it. Ownership of property is one of the many steps on the way to a family's independence, the bedrock of our nation.

Our home is just a small part of our neighborhood, a little bit of our wonderful village, and a tiny part of our great state of Illinois. We enjoy the beauty and tranquility of our life here.

But make no mistake. If the state wants to impose additional onerous mandates on our village and restrict our local zoning laws, then we stand opposed. Our village is best suited to make local housing decisions.

Our nation is on course to rebuild the American Dream of home ownership. One of the most important steps might be coming this year. A reduction in mortgage interest rates would make it easier for young people to buy a home.

We resist efforts to place additional costs on our local governments and force higher density on property owners in this state. We stand ready to defend the American Dream.

David Anthony Hammer

Palatine