Flying above all the issues going on in town, several of which are reflected at a national level, it is important not to assume that people know what all the basic issues are.
In other words, from the perspective of our City and the issues we face, I am looking at – there could be, let’s say, 100 problems on the table, but we can’t solve all of them right now. So then, I want to know what are the overarching themes and which things we are going to focus on. To my mind, this would be things like (in no particular order) :
1. COVID-19;
2. Mental health and things that can ameliorate it, with the City taking actions that would keep people from feeling lonely, disconnected, or getting in trouble;
3. Crime – which crimes have increased during this pandemic? Covering that with data and stories;
4. Workforce and entrepreneurial development;
5. Shopping locally;
6. Arts and culture development,
7. Unlivable compensation for public office which rules out most residents;
8. Mishigas at School District 65 and 202 and governmental corruption;
9. Reparations – needs to be taken care of, guys. It’s just fair and we’ve made international news. Enough discussion; it’s embarrassing, especially when I hear from family members across the U.S. about it;
10. Northwestern paying very little taxes while we don’t have enough industry here. Therefore the tax burden falls on us as residents while we are basically the poor cousin to Northwestern. This situation is akin to the bully at lunch that steals your favorite meal that your mom made but far worse. Plus, it’s a pandemic. To those much has been given, much is expected, as the saying goes. Period. It could be that Northwestern can contribute much more in terms of in-kind services as well as cash. Cash is still King, and Northwestern not tripping and more would be like a parent raiding their kid’s piggy bank when their kid is about to buy their favorite toy. Enough already.
If the community understands more of what is going on, what issues are on the table so that they know what the overarching themes are and understand basic budgeting, it will help us make more informed decisions and make us grow together in the same direction better.
— Brooke L. Murphy Roothaan