Lombard taxpayer here. I am all for the improvements to the Great Western Trail. The funding seems to be in place. I do not see why people are so negative about something positive going on over here in North Lombard. They say “the Prairie Path is just a few blocks south.” So what? That over-crowded path brings nothing to downtown. This new bridge will bring much needed traffic our way and improve the safety issue for our children going to and from the swimming pool, which I did not hear you complaining about when they built that. Quit your crying and get the facts straight before you complain. We have been aware of this for quite some time. You're just now speaking up? Shame on you. President Mueller, build that bridge. If you build it, they will come.

* * *

Is it true that the Lombard Fire Department spent around $700,000 in overtime in 2009? Also, I heard that the Lombard Fire Department will not let any ambulance from another town bill a person that they take to the hospital, even when they help the village when many ambulance calls happen together. Is this true that the village takes money away from other fire departments when they use their ambulance, medical supplies and fuel to help Lombard residents? Hope we do not do that to other towns because that is wrong. Please answer.

Lombard Fire Chief George Seagraves responded: “The overtime in the fire department covers many areas of the department. The largest area is the daytime medic unit which is budgeted at 10 hours per day six days per week. This is much more cost effective than other methods of staffing this unit. For next year’s budget this has been eliminated. Fire prevention inspectors and public education instructors are paid at a reduced rate from their regular salaries but at an overtime rate. This is budgeted at $162,000 and is being changed to part-time employees in fire prevention and is being reduced in $17,000 next year in public education. Other overtime covers training, fire investigation and fire administration for those jobs that cannot be performed on duty. The remaining overtime covers the staffing so that there is a minimum number of personnel on duty to respond to calls. This also includes holdovers and call backs that occur frequently due to calls at shift change and large numbers of calls at the same time and mutual aid to other communities. How overtime is used in a fire department is very complicated and is difficult to go into great detail in this response.  However I would be happy to sit and go into detail with this caller. The area departments have an agreement on how we bill when we are responding into each other’s communities. The transporting agency bills for Medicare and Medicaid which is approximately 65 percent of our call volume.  There are approximately 10 percent of our calls that are uncollectable regardless who is billing. The remaining 25 percent is billed by the local village where the call originated. This is because of the wide range in EMS fees by the various departments. Lombard’s is one of the lowest fees in the area.  This practice may be changed and is being studied by the DuPage Fire Chiefs’ Association. A change will have to be approved by our village board based on this recommendation, which will need to include a reasonable blended fee.”—JAC

* * *

I’m a Lombard resident and I’m angry. I just found out the village couldn’t afford its annual dinner to thank the dozens of volunteers who put in their time on various committees—citizens who give up hours each month to make our village a better place to live in, yet the village is ready to spend money on a bridge for the Great Western Trail over the train tracks. If our economy can’t afford to thank its residents for their time with a dinner, I don’t think we should be allocating funds for a bridge that’s not as important as the people in our village who give up their time and energy. How about building a toll bridge? People who want to use it can pay $2 each time they cross. If they know they have to pay a toll ahead of time, they’ll find a different way to go. That’s what they’re doing now and we’re definitely saving a lot of money. Don’t just sit there and read this; let your opinions be heard.

* * *

As an avid bicyclist I was really excited to hear the Great Western Trail was going to have a bridge over Grace Street. However, as a realist, I think this would be a poor time to do that and spend that money. I think a better use of that money would be sponsoring some businesses to come into this community with tax breaks so we can increase the number of people employed and increase the tax base. That’s really what we need, not more government spending. Does anyone understand?

* * *

Lombard here. I suspect I was being followed home after cashing a check after work at the bank. I checked my rearview mirror and saw a man behind me in a compact car. I drove for about 3/4 of a mile and turned on a main arterial street and the car was still behind me. When I turned on another street, this car was still behind me. I started to feel very uncomfortable and decided to make my way to my local police station just a short distance away and try a maneuver that might convince me I was being followed. As I was driving, I pulled out my cell phone and turned it on just in case. I was unable to get a plate number. As I approached a four-way stop intersection, I noticed there was no one coming against me, no one to the right of me, but a car was approaching to my left. No turn signal on, but I would reach the intersection before they did. I planned to turn without benefit of using a turn signal. After I stopped at the stop sign, I peeled south with the adjacent car ready to move down the street blocking the car behind me. I checked my rearview mirror and saw this car peel around the corner swerving down the street behind me. Just a block before the street where the police station was located, the driver turned off the street. I stopped at the Lombard police station and filed a report.The police officer said if I ever feel that I am being followed to call 9-1-1. They are out on the streets and can find me faster than I can find the station. I went into the back seat and removed the headrest so I will increase my odds of reading the license plate numbers on cars behind me. Finally, I am glad I did not go home. The driver would have followed me home, and who knows what would have happened next? It is important to be aware and alert especially after a visit to a local bank.

* * *

I watched with interest on access cable the action taken by the Lombard board on the Taste of Lombard and the fireworks. I was especially struck by the opinion of one of the trustees that these events should be self-funding. Self-funding as a criterion for all events in the village should open the door for the board to eliminate loads of unwanted drains on the village budget. How about starting with the cash-wasting Lilac Festival? I’m quite sure all that hotel tax money and extra sales tax receipts that are garnered at Yorktown mall could be put to other uses instead of being applied to a festival that is not self funding. We can eliminate grants completely. Who needs cultural events and holiday festivals in Lombard? Other towns in DuPage county are more than happy to welcome Lombardians to their festivities. See you there.

* * *

Hey, this is Lombard calling. By now we’ve all seen the billboards with George Bush and it says, “Do you miss me yet?” You know what? I didn’t think I’d ever say it but folks, I miss him. Recently Harry Reid was on the Senate floor and I quote, “Today is a big day in America; only 36,000 people lost their jobs today, which is really good.” That man is disgusting and despicable. I do not have a job. The president, who cares about everybody more than anyone else in the world, refers to me, the unemployed, as the “lagging indicators.” Well, Bill Clinton ran on a campaign with little buttons that said, “It’s about the economy, stupid.” Maybe President Obama and Sen. Reid should stop this onslaught and let the American people get back to the business of working.

* * *

Illinois has a $13 billion deficit, no money for schools, and we have illegal immigrants rallying again and demanding, while our politicians sit there and can’t figure out what to do. Stop giving them money and benefits. If we quit they’ll have to go home. We can’t afford to support illegals anymore in America. We’re losing our country. I would like to hear someone speaking English and American flags flying; it’s America.

* * *

For years I have heard more than a few people claim that teachers have made a sacrifice by entering their chosen profession, and that they could earn more money in the private sector. It looks like a lot of teachers are going to get the chance to do just that. Good luck.

* * *

We had a fun Saturday night laugh—the mailmen delivering the mail at 7:30 at night with flashlights on their heads. Isn’t it kind of strange that they can deliver the mail at 7 at night? In my house I can get it anytime between 7 in the morning and 7 at night. I never know when it’s coming. I thought there were rules. I’d sure like to know.

* * *

Listen closely, ladies and gentlemen. There’s one thing wrong with these politicians who want to keep raising taxes. Somehow they have amnesia and can never remember to get rid of them. They put them in and you pay those taxes until you die. So that way, when they get more money the politicians come up with more ways of spending more money and fattening their payroll and their pensions. It’s just like some companies, when gas went to $4 a gallon, they slipped it in as a surcharge. Now they call it an environmental this, that and the next thing, and they don’t remove the excess gasoline charges. What is this? How can a private company pull this off and get away with it? Somebody’s got to be watching somewhere, so that when things get a little bit bigger and better, cut the taxes down. We can’t live with these taxes as it is. They’re too high now. People are out of work. Who can pay for it?