Funding for asbestos removal shot down at town meeting
In the township of New Lenox, Illinois, voters have recently shot down a proposed bond referendum that would have paid for asbestos removal for the Union School District. The $6.1 million building bond referendum would have also financed the construction of three classrooms (including a science lab), a gymnasium, washrooms and a bus barn. The proposal was defeated with 63.6 percent of voters in opposition. The proposed measure would have increased taxes for local residents, to the tune of $24 per year for a homeowner with property valued at $200,000.
Exposure to airborne asbestos particles has been conclusively linked to the development of mesothelioma, a rare form of cancer that often affects the lungs, heart, and other vital organs and tissues. Mesothelioma affects less than 3,000 Americans each year, as well as thousands more worldwide. While there are palliative treatment methods available, including chemotherapy, there is no known cure for mesothelioma. The disease typically lies dormant for up to fifty years, but when symptoms do finally emerge, the cancer can kill rapidly, sometimes in as little as a few weeks after being diagnosed.
Superintendent Barb Littlejohn said that the current state of the economy was the major reason that voters turned against the proposal. "The board decided to see if it would pass and it didn’t. The constituents told us what they feel, so that’s fine," she said. "The board of education and administration definitely wanted to thank those who did support it. We will be all right. That was the whole purpose of trying to maybe get a little bit ahead, but we’ll be fine."