I was so saddened by the One View article in the Feb. 1 issue (“When politicians ignore the law everyone loses,” Opinion) and wanted just to state what I know as 35-year resident of North Riverside.
Mayor Hermanek was not mayor during the period of non/underfunded pensions and, since he has been in office, the pensions are 100 percent funded.
If the pensions were funded back in the days, then workers and services for the residents, like recreation and public works, would have been cut, but those in power always did what was best for the residents.
Our village officials always served the residents and we felt that. In fact, one of our friends called our former mayor because she knew she would be helped. She called him “her mayor” and that shows what all of us knew.
Finally, the state was to address the pension issues to get relief, but they did not act upon it and we know that the state is in bad shape even now.
This is what I always felt in this town, the village with the big heart. I felt families that were cared for by those in power. Thank you for letting me explain my viewpoint.
Carol Spale
North Riverside
