I am a high school history and civics teacher. In this world, it is very difficult to get young people excited about government. Even at such a young age, high school students are cynical about their voice and their influence in the very affairs that can affect their lives. "My vote doesn't count," they say. "No one listens."
And the Village of Cary last night proved them right in a vote that was for greed and against the well-being of many Cary residents---residents who have, over the last several months, expressed concern and outrage over the proposed extension of a gravel pit within the borders of the village.
Despite the petitions, despite the letters, emails and phone calls, the village of Cary decided to side with Meyer in a unanimous vote in favor of the corporation's plans. So much for Cameron Davis' proclamation that Cary is a "great quality of life community."
Tom Kierna admitted that some residents will feel "pain" during the mining of the pit. That's comforting to know that at least he acknowledges our pain. But then he also revealed the true nature of his vote: "It’s going to generate $2.5 million for the village of Cary, and that’s not small potatoes." He then went on to express admiration for the deal, "looking forward to a prosperous relationship with Meyer."
A prosperous relationship with Meyer? Wow. That's a big "screw-you" to the residents of Cary who put him into office. Apparently, his "relationship" to a corporation with headquarters in Zurich, Switzerland, now outweighs his relationship to the very people in his own community.
I wonder what this "long-term" relationship includes? Perhaps further extension of the pit into Hoffman Park? All that has to happen is the Cary Park District sells that land to Meyer and we are going through this all again. Only this time there will be less opposition, because people will know that the concerns and well-being of the community are secondary to the whims and wishes of a faceless corporation.
I know what some people are going to say: "you don't understand the intricacies of the situation." "The village could be sued." "There were people in Cary who supported the pit." "You are a nimby." Yada Yada Yada.
The fact is, this vote came down to an issue of morality, plain and simple.
Eighteenth century moralist Emmanuel Kant tackled the issue of morality and law during the Enlightenment. He believed that morality was something one was born with; it was not something learned. With his "Categorical Imperative," Kant outlined a way in which one can "test" the morality of an action or a law: if you can will that action as a "universal law" to be followed the world over, then that law is "moral."
In other words, if you can imagine a world in which it is followed that, in exchange for large sums of money, gravel pits are dug near residential homes over the protests of the residents, then you believe that that Village of Cary's actions last night were moral. If you can envision this as the rule rather than the exception, then the vote taken by the Village of Cary was the right thing to do.
Greed over people. That is what this vote comes down to. It doesn't matter that there may be a lake or a park there sometime in the future. The fact is, those residents who live nearest the pit overwhelmingly were against it. They are the ones who should have figured most into the decision. Apparently, they were not.
I am not too surprised by the fact that Meyer will be extending their pit. I am surprised, however, by the unanimous nature of the vote. Even Deb McNamee, a Fox Trails resident, voted for it. However, after a long period of time in executive session, she admitted that her vote was based upon the "advice" of Cary's attorney, Mike Coppedge.
It's a shame that my tax money is helping to pay for his salary and who knows how much he has billed the village for his "advice." I guess we are stuck with his mediocrity.
But at least we can vote the others out of office.
