Letter: Grants, Humvees, and Frivolous Lawsuits Save Taxpayers Money

Sheriff Randall, I am flabbergasted by your logic of saving money for taxpayers! I want to know where your sense of budgeting comes from. Since you apparently don’t understand fiscal responsibilities, I feel it is necessary to explain to you what you don’t understand.

1) Grant Money: This is created through the use of taxing bodies. Tax revenue is generated by taxpayers; therefore the use of grant money is the use of taxpayer dollars. Grant Money is just a prettier way of saying taxpayer money.  To release a statement saying that you saved me and everyone else money is pure stupidity!

2) Humvees received through the process of a grant: You stated that the Kendall County Sheriff’s Office received two “FREE” Humvees through the grant process that saves the County money and that Kendall County is the first County in the state to add Humvees to its vehicle surplus. Well, you didn’t save us money and did you ever stop to think why no one else has Humvees? I could give you many reasons why but I will name the most prominent one. Humvees cost a fortune in gas! The average Humvee receives between 8-12 miles to the gallon for gas and as everyone can predict gas prices won’t be decreasing anytime too soon. On top of that you now have to outfit the Humvee for department use, repaint, maintenance, and so on. So where did you save us money?

3) Frivolous Lawsuits:Due to yourlack of over site in your department, taxpayers are going to be on the hookfor two more sexual harassment suits pending in Federal court, which cost the County $381,000 and change to settle the last one, so I can only imagine what these next two will cost us. But we must have a ton of money to throw away since we can afford to maintain Humvees.How dare you make a statement that you are saving me money! Your lack of leadership, mismanagement,and disregard of budgeting is intolerable. Get off your soap box and pay attention!

Billy Lumino
Oswego, Ill.