An interview with Walter Worrywart

"I don't know about you, but I have so much on my mind it would take three hours to download it on the internet", replied Walter.

"Really", I said. "I didn't know that you were an internet person."

With a twinkle in his eye, he said, "Yeah, I signed up for the internet when that skinhead Uphoff guy decided to start up a website for Minonk."

Without missing a beat I replied, "That is one of the kinder comments I've heard about myself since I started this website, Walter". "Compared to the Wenona City Council, you are probably one of my biggest supporters."

"Well, Uphoff, you sure know how to make enemies, don't you?" said Walter. You are probably one of the reasons that I am so worried. You are always dooming and glooming about property taxes, school budget deficits, litter problems in the city. Before your website starting stirring the pot, I was completely happy watching 'Everybody Loves Raymond' on television."

"So Walter, what are your worried about?", I asked.

"Isn't everyone worried about their property taxes," he replied.

"Unless you are rich, you should be," I said.

"Where are all the savings and efficiencies that were supposed to come from this school consolidation", he asked. "According to the superintendent, our school district is not too far from going belly up," he lamented.

"I don't think we are going to belly up just yet, but we certainly have to do something to reign in our costs throughout the school district", I replied.

"We certainly aren't going to get any help from those idiots in Springfield", he huffed. "That new Governor is spending more money for hair spray than he is for our school district. Being a Chicago guy he probably thinks us downstate hayseeds don't even have bank accounts so why bother educating us."

"Is that why we had to put that $250,000 elevator in the Wenona school?" he asked. "How did our schools in Minonk survive all these years without an elevator? Are we going to have to spend another $250,000 for an elevator at the Fieldcrest High School when that student comes here?"

"Unless we make other accommodations, that is a real possibility except it may cost even more than $250,000", I replied. "In regards to the elevator at the Wenona middle school, the Fieldcrest Board of Education asked the Wenona City Council to chip in $50,000 to help pay for the elevator but their request was denied."

"What is it with the City of Wenona anyhow? Don't they like us or something? What did we do to them?" he asked.

"I really can't say for sure but I did get an idea of their feelings for the school consolidation a few years ago when I compiled the results of a survey for a Community Center that would be funded and used by every community in the school district. Wenona had the most negative response. I remember one response in particular that went something like this. 'There is no way that I am going to help support a community center after you stole our high school from us'."

"Aha, so therein lies the problem", said Walter. "They're resentful over losing their high school and now its payback time."

"I don't think its quite like that," I replied. "Honestly, I think that most people in Wenona are good tax paying citizens and supportive of the school district."

"Then why isn't the Wenona City Council more responsive to our objections to their TIF district", Walter asked.

"Maybe they don't feel that the taxpayers in the school district are really concerned about it," I said. "One reason may be due to the fact that nobody from the community showed up at the school board meeting to voice their concerns about the TIF district other than Gene Oncken. What kind of signal does that send the Wenona City Council? By the way, where were you last Thursday night?"

"I was watching 'Everyone Loves Raymond'," replied Walter.