My View on helping Seniors and the Arts

A few weeks ago there was an article in the HP news quoting me in opposition a brand new city owned senior center and performance arts facility. That is absolutely true because I do not believe it is a priority for our citizens. The best way we can help the seniors is not to raise their taxes by spending the millions of dollars it would cost for yet another city facility. That being said, I will continue to help the arts in Highland Park as I had voted in favor of the help we gave to the Womens club/Community House and the Suburban Arts Center to create the Cultural Arts campus on Sheridan Road.

I do believe the lions share of capital costs and all the operation costs must be the sole burden of the not for profit enities. If there is not private support of these operations to survive, I do not believe it is in the mission of our city government to handle that burden. There is a role for us to help facilitate the welfare of these organizations and am always ready to help in that regard.

Our current Senior Center is a great all year round lakefront place to gather. As our seniors demand more services and programing there is nothing wrong in using the library, Community house, recreations center/HP Country Club, and many other government facilities in our community. I do not want to abandon that great facility on the lakefront for a new costly facility that I do not believe we need.