Yingling messed up township finances

I am very disappointed with the financial crisis that Avon Township is enduring. As many people know, I was Avon Township road commissioner for many years, and I am proud of the services we provided our constituents. What happened to destroy this great history of superb service?

First, Sam Yingling was elected township supervisor. He came into office and used his gavel like a sledgehammer; everything was done his way or the highway. He also wanted to run for higher office, so his No. 1 objective was to make a name for himself. He accomplished this by irresponsibly cutting taxes. Yes, he saved each homeowner $10 or $12 a year, but when you multiply that by 22,000 parcels of property and do it for six years, all of a sudden you are talking big money. But Sam did not cut spending on a proportional basis.

This approach, cut revenues but don't cut spending, is bound to lead to major problems. I am disappointed that the current assessor didn't even attempt to live within his budget, but you need to remember he is an integral part of the Yingling team. Sam also made major cuts to the township road program, and I am sure everyone has noticed the dramatic increase in potholes in the township.

But Sam did accomplish his major goal; Mike Madigan noticed him. Madigan especially liked the fact that Sam would not need any training; he was already a perfect fit for the "Springfield Democrat big spender" mold. That must be why Mike Madigan and his allies have already given Sam Yingling well over $500,000 for his campaign fund. Does this explain why Sam votes 98.7 percent of the time with Madigan and only 1.3 percent of the time for us?

Pat Anderson

Round Lake Beach