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Inverness questioned
Editor: [Regarding Jennifer Halperin's November article "Greener pastures?" page 12] If state government is so unimportant to the people of Inverness, why doesn't Sen. Peter G. Fitzgerald resign his seat in the Illinois Senate? Then he won't be humiliated into accepting a paycheck from a state government he and the people of Inverness get nothing out of.

Do the people of Inverness use the drivers license facility in their district? Or, do they choose not to drive? If they do drive, do they drive on Illinois-funded roads? Perhaps to go to Illinois-funded state parks, attractions, beaches, libraries? Do they benefit from Illinois state troopers who keep the roads safe? Are there teachers, lawyers or doctors, all licensed by the state of Illinois, living in Inverness? Do they fly on planes? Take trains? Do they settle their disputes in courts? Do they benefit from the rights of citizenship in the Illinois democracy? If state government is so unimportant, why did the people of Inverness register to vote (at the drivers license facility, perhaps?), go to the polls and elect Mr. Fitzgerald and other representatives?

It is sad that a discussion of state government, which touches every Illinois citizen in so many positive ways, centers around nothing but welfare for Mr. Fitzgerald. Has he sat around the Illinois Senate and done nothing for a year (talk about welfare!), just waiting for that one call for welfare assistance? I'm sure if Inverness wishes to withdraw from state government, it can be arranged. Put a binding referendum on the next ballot. Vote on it. Then, don't pay any more state taxes that only benefit those on welfare. Give up your right to be represented in the state of Illinois. But then, stay off of our Illinois taxpayer-funded roads, off of our beaches, out of our libraries ....

    Pat Magierski
    Chicago

Headline misleading
Editor: Jennifer Halperin's profile article about my campaign for governor {Illinois Issues, November 1993, page 16) was generally flattering and therefore on target. However, your headline "Netsch stays off the cut-the-waste bandwagon" steers your readers in the wrong direction and leaves a mistaken impression of my views.

I have said repeatedly, including in my announcement for governor last August, public state officials must do everything within our means to cut waste and deliver services more efficiently. But we must also be honest with our citizens and taxpayers, and not mislead them into thinking that our budget — which is hundreds of millions of dollars out of balance — can be balanced through efficiencies alone, or that cutting out the waste, which of course should be done, will be sufficient to finance a major shift of school funding from the local property tax base to the state.

As comptroller, I have cut the office's operations budget to the bone, despite an estimated 10 percent increase in our workload, due in part to the state's fiscal crisis. When I took office in January of 1991, the employee headcount in the office was 468. The most recent headcount in our office, taken in November, showed 394 employees, an actual employee reduction of 15.8 percent. In fact, the office appropriation for internal operations for 1994 is, despite inflation and a modest increase to provide a pay adjustment for my employees, 1.64 percent lower than it was when I assumed office.

As governor, I can assure you that I would continue to apply the same tough efficiency standards to all the agencies under the governor.

But my point was that that alone will not cure Illinois' substantial budgetary ills, and it is not honest to misrepresent the facts to the taxpayers.

Thank you for the opportunity to clarify this matter.

    Dawn dark Netsch
    Comptroller

Cover offensive

Editor: I was greatly disappointed to see Illinois Issues enter the "if it bleeds, it leads" mentality of journalism. The cover for the December issue showing a simulated murdered person was unnecessary and offensive for this kind of publication. Illinois Issues isn't exactly in competition with any number of Chicago TV stations.

While under the First Amendment you can do anything you want, the cover only adds to the desensitizing of our society to exactly what you were writing about... stopping the out of control violence brought on by a backward policy on allowing tiny killing machines into the hands of our citizens.

We need to aggressively deal with the gun violence, but not by using models simulating a national tragedy.

    Doug Dobmeyer
    Executive Director
    Public Welfare Coalition

'Gun Control' or
'People Control'?

Editor: Following are my comments on the feature story of the December issue (Illinois Issues, December 1993, page 11).

Face it! This is not about "Gun Control." It's about "People Control" — the ability of

Continued on page 11

February 1994/Illinois Issues/9