OP_102016

18 | October 20, 2016 | The orland park prairie Sound Off
opprairie.com
Boldly.
Genuinely.
Chicagoly.
ANYWHERE.
ANYTIME.
The newest voice of America's greatest city is now
available online. Visit Chicagolymag.com for
award-winning writing on Chicagoland's biggest issues
and people in business, politics, and culture.
ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTIONS AVAILABLE FOR $16.
$4.99 FOR SINGLE COPIES.
Letters to the Editor
Cook County is overreaching
with paid sick leave
requirement
On Oct. 5, the Cook County
Board of Commissioners
passed a major regulation
establishing mandatory paid
sick leave in Cook County.
This ordinance directly impacts
every single business
within Cook County, regardless
of size.
As commissioner of the
suburban 17th District, I
have deep concerns about
the negative fiscal impact
this will have on small businesses
throughout suburban
Cook County. As a small
business owner myself, I
can’t imagine how this government
regulation would
not place greater financial
stress on small businesses.
Will jobs have to be cut to
cover this new significant
regulatory cost?
Moreover, the vast majority
of the 17th District
borders DuPage and Will
counties, and this ordinance
will likely create a serious
competitive disadvantage
for those Cook County businesses
in proximity to the
county border. I also believe
that this competitive disadvantage
would serve to hurt
the extensive efforts by suburban
municipalities to attract
new businesses, create
new economic development
opportunities and grow jobs.
Several legal questions
were raised regarding the
mandatory paid sick leave
regulation. Most importantly,
is it even legal for
Cook County government
to mandate a paid regulation
on private employers? This
question was placed to the
Cook County State’s Attorney’s
Office for a legal opinion,
and their answer was,
“Our legal conclusion is that
Cook County lacks the home
rule authority to enact a paid
leave mandate for employers
whether countywide or
within unincorporated Cook
County.”
The meddling by the Cook
County Board to mandate the
private sector’s pay requirements
is a bridge too far, and
I fear this ordinance will not
meet the legal threshold if
challenged in court. A previous
ruling by the Illinois
State Supreme Court said
allowing home rule units
to govern local labor conditions
would damage the
General Assembly’s carefully
crafted and balanced
economic policies. Which is
why the appropriate venue
for these types of economic
policies to be addressed is in
the Illinois General Assembly,
not the Cook County
Board.
Unfortunately, this is
another example of overreaching
authority by Cook
County government and bad
public policy. These reasons
and several more are why I
strongly opposed this ordinance.
Sean M. Morrison
Cook County 17th District
commissioner
Why you should run for
OPPL Board trustee
The deadline is fast approaching
to file your paperwork
if you are interested in
running for election to the
Orland Park Public Library
Board of Trustees. All paperwork
must be completed by
the time that the Dec. 12-19
window opens for the Village
Clerk’s office to accept
your paperwork.
I feel that the game is
rigged, in many ways, to favor
people who are politically
connected, and that tricks
are played to make running
for public office as difficult
as possible for regular, everyday
people.
That’s why I think it’s important
that average moms
and dads invest the time
now to get on the ballot and
run for office, instead of the
same politically connected
people who usually run.
Over the years, I have observed
wasteful spending at
the OPPL that I feel good
board members should not
allow.
Recently, the OPPL spent
another $655 on sandwiches
for staffers from Jimmy
John’s, continuing a long
habit of the OPPL using taxpayer
money to buy food for
staffers, instead of taking the
time to find businesses to donate
for the OPPL’s various
events.
Chick-Fil-A is just one
of the local businesses that
seem amenable to donating
food to the perpetually
hungry OPPL staffers. But it
seems like the OPPL insists
on spending taxpayer money
on food for employees, instead
of asking businesses to
donate food to them.
I also wonder why the wellpaid
staffers at the OPPL can’t
buy their own meals.
Fresh eyes and new blood
would be a good thing for
the OPPL Board. Parents
with young children who
know how to run a tight family
budget would be ideal
candidates for those board
positions.
Currently, three sitting
board members who are up
for election seem very out
of touch when it comes to
spending. The current Board
President Nancy Wendt
Healy never seems to pass
up a chance to fly to New
York City or Philadelphia
or someplace else fun on the
taxpayers’ dime, claiming
she is doing that as part of
being a trustee.
But, what public benefit
comes from Healy getting a
fun trip to New York funded
by taxpayers? Why is the
public seemingly forever
forced to pay for the Library
staff’s sandwiches?
Honest and frugal people
are needed to run for the
three available seats on the
board in next year’s election
to get a handle on some of
this wasteful spending.
Megan Fox
OPPL patron