Closing the Book on 2011

I don’t know about you, but I’m glad the time has come to close the book on 2011.

For many it was the worst year in their lifetime. If you lost your job or your home through foreclosure, it was a disaster. For those who survived, unscathed, it was still a time of doubt and anticipation. Very few were confident that their job or financial security would be there tomorrow. As we open the pages for 2012, it is a time of uncertainty.

During 2011, government seemed to lose all sense of purpose. It was all about politics and little or nothing about governing. The actions and decisions of our leaders made you wonder if they knew what they were doing. They created bills, 2000 pages in length, that no one read or understood and then passed them. We have a deficit of 15 trillion dollars and they keep spending.

They don’t have the guts to face the reality of making tough decisions.

Washington hasn’t passed a budget in over two years and they continue to pass short term measures to keep the government running. The Fed prints money as needed.

How’s your money tree doing? Is this the way you manage your money?

When it comes to their own money they used insider information to buy and sell investments that benefited themselves, their family and friends. In 2012 we need to send people to Washington who will represent the people not themselves or their party.

In Illinois, another governor was sentenced to prison. Before that we saw power brokers Tony Rezko and William Cellini take the fall. Maybe one day we’ll see the corruption and power politics in Illinois end.

Do you see that happening soon? Will the day come when the state enacts fair and honest legislation? Were you upset to see union bosses getting state-funded pensions for practically no time working in the system? Were you upset to see how clout benefited those seeking free tuition to state schools? How’s clout working for you? 

In Orland Park the Village won its eminent domain battle to take over the Orland Plaza. It was another win for developers and a loss for the little guy. We said good bye to Randy’s and Lang Lee’s as they closed their doors forever. Orland Bakery, the Barber Shop and Miroballi's will move to new locations while the remaining establishments will move to places in or around Orland Park. 

The City of Chicago elected a new mayor while it searched for ways to fund big government. The Occupy Movement invaded downtown Chicago. It was a good idea to challenge Wall Street but it went awry when it was taken over by radicals and unions. Gangs continued to plague Chicago as we saw innocent lives lost to senseless violence. Schools continued to be a major problem and the new mayor seems determined to make changes to fix the problem. The new mayor has made a good start and hopefully things will improve for the people of Chicago.

2011 was a tough year with a lot of concern for families and their way of life. As we leave 2011 we pray and hope that 2012 will bring the Hope and Change needed to create a stable, free and safe society.

So as we close the book on 2011 we wish you a Happy, Healthy and Prosperous New Year.