Consensus-building for common good

The Republican leaders many people really wanted to hear from at the RNC were those actually doing the work they were elected to do. DuPage County Chairman Dan Cronin is one of those leaders. In contrast to the divisiveness in Cleveland, Dan's work focuses on cooperation, consensus-building and common good.

The Daily Herald recently praised his ability to work with Mayor Emmanuel to improve western access to O'Hare, which will ultimately leverage the economic engine of O'Hare to benefit his constituents and the region as a whole.

He leads efforts to improve the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of local government. His work in Springfield and with the DuPage Water Commission's new leadership helped eliminate the agency's misspent reserves and debt problems. It is now self-sustaining, out of debt, and a quarter-cent sales tax that had been supporting it sunset last month. While others look to raise taxes, Dan works to find ways to do more with less. He fights opposition, often within his own party, to help entrenched local politicians understand that government must change in order to better serve the electorate.

He forges alliances that benefit DuPage residents. He built a bridge with the DuPage County Sheriff to balance the budget while still providing superior public safety service to the residents of unincorporated DuPage; he magnified the efforts of West Chicago's "Fathers Reading Every Day" program; and he worked with a former DuPage County Board member to facilitate a $2 million private donation benefiting the DuPage Convalescent Center.

Republican leaders like Dan do the daily work that provides jobs, keeps neighborhoods safe, and ensures care for friends and neighbors who cannot care for themselves. Successfully accomplishing this work is the true value of an elected leader, and a standard to which we should hold all those seeking our vote.

Mark Castino

Wheaton