Now I understand

I think I finally understand just what's going on with the CUMTD versus the city of Savoy. It's personal. It has nothing to do with taxes. It has nothing to do with access or rights or service or municipal justice.

It's personal.

A story in today's News-Gazette pretty much explains it.

CUMTD Board Chairman George Friedman held a press conference (sort of) yesterday to attempt to explain just why the CUMTD was doing what it was doing in annexing areas around the central C-U metropolitan area.

"Much has been made in certain quarters to the effect that the Champaign-Urbana Mass Transit District board of trustees does not listen to people who say they don't want to be annexed to the district," said MTD Board Chairman George Friedman. "The problem is that those people are not our only constituents. We also have to listen to those people who are already in the district.
"People living within the MTD boundaries have every right to expect that all the members of the community, including those on the outer edges, participate in funding all the services needed by the community."

Even those in the ritzy southwest Champaign neighborhoods with flocks of lawyers and a fervent desire to hang on to every penny they have, justice be damned. George! How undemocratic of you!

He continues:

Friedman said the MTD can justify its annexation proposals because the Champaign-Urbana Urbanized Area Transportation Study's transportation plan recommended the annexation of areas on the fringe of Champaign-Urbana.
Friedman said areas of southwest Champaign already receive city park and sanitary services.
"Why would they resist paying the tax to support transit, but not the tax to support all the city services?" asked Friedman. "In our society, we do not pick and choose those services that our tax money will support."

Even the most fervent critics must admit that he makes a good point.

But the people of southwest Champaign and the people of Savoy disagree. Finally, toward the end of the article, the critics admit the real reason they're so adamantely against the CUMTD: It's personal.

Three Savoy Village Board members said they weren't convinced after Friedman's news conference:

"Indeed, after listening to George Friedman's arrogant comments, I'm more convinced than ever that Savoy should form its own mass transit district," said Savoy Trustee Bill Smith.

I see. Friedman's arrogant; let's take our ball and go home.

That statement was followed by one of the more ridiculous quotes by a municipal official I've heard in a while:

"All this extra federal money will just make the Champaign-Urbana MTD that much more inefficient," said Savoy Trustee Brant Lewis.

That statement's so baseless it really can't be commented upon. Just read it again:

"All this extra federal money will just make the Champaign-Urbana MTD that much more inefficient," said Savoy Trustee Brant Lewis.

I guess the bottom line is George Friedman is arrogant so we're gonna cut our own citizen's (and our town's business') throats for spite.

Now it makes sense.

And so it goes.