To the editor:

So far you have published two letters from Crestwood residents who feel electing Mr. Robinson was a “huge mistake.”

I disagree.

It is time to face the bald facts: Crest-wood is in one hell of a financial mess.

The recent past administration, nor the current one, created the mess. They only have the unenviable responsibility to clean up the mess.

Proposition 1 obviously was not the answer. Higher taxes are not a fact of life.

Fiscal responsibility is. If you are up to your ears in debt, you cut your budget, get rid of extras until you are back in the black. Mr. Fagan was unwilling to make the tough decisions.

The tax base that supports this township is its business community. By their own admission — an admission which rated a front-page article in the Call — the administrators and aldermen of Crestwood said they recognized the need to be more “user friendly” with the local businesses.

Evidently, they have not succeeded. If Crestwood is to fix its financial woes, this needs to be addressed now. You drive through Crestwood and you see empty stores. Crestwood mall has more boarded up, vacant locations than ever before. Blockbuster, Sports Authority, where did they go? Across the line out of Crestwood.

As to the comment from the first dissenter, about how Crestwood is becoming a community of discount retailers — obviously a bad thing in her book — I’ll be sure and let Kohl’s, Sam’s Club and Gordmans know that you don’t appreciate the revenue they have brought to this community and that you don’t think they are “elite” enough for Crestwood.

Mr. Fagan plans as far as I can tell was to do nothing about the exodus of retailers, tax the private citizens to make up the difference and keep expensive and unnecessary development projects going.

Mr. Robinson may not have spelled out a specific plan, as yet, about what he is going to do, but I am more comforted by what he is not going to do, and that is flush Crestwood down a financial toilet.

Vicki Jiles

Crestwood