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Logan County Board candidate Paul E. Gleason from
District 6 has spent his entire life in Lincoln and Logan County --
most of the time in public service as an instructor of American
history and government for a period of 42 years. Thus he has been
exposed to a lot of the economic, political and social heritage and
changes in Logan County. Besides his Logan County Board and county
historian activities, Gleason is on the staff of Lincoln College as
an instructor of American history and assistant curator at the
Lincoln College Museum.
As a current county board member Gleason serves on
or represents the board on various committees: Abraham Lincoln
Tourism Bureau, Workforce Investment Act Employment Training Center,
Central Illinois Economic Development Corporation (Community
Action), Looking for Lincoln Committee, Main Street, Lincoln
Sesquicentennial Committee and Lincoln Heritage Days Committee.
Other major board committees include law enforcement (chairman),
insurance and legislation (chairman), building and grounds,
government/education, economic development/executive committee and
the Emergency Management Agency (formerly ESDA). Gleason also serves
as the county board's county historian without pay. In regard to the
latter he has aided several hundred citizens each year seeking
answers for their historical questions relating to their families or
Logan County.
Issues which have to be considered or addressed by
members of the board in the future include the preservation of prime
agricultural farm land while simultaneously promoting economic
development. That requires working with all organizations involved
to achieve major points agreement upon land usage. On the horizon is
appearing a new issue that involves the right of "eminent domain"
and the right to acquire private property for economic development.
That issue developed on the national level (Supreme Court) and is
currently working itself down to the states and in the future could
involve local decisions. Economic development also includes the
retention of local business and industries already in place and the
encouragement of such entities for expansion. That leads to job
preservation.
During the next few years opportunities abound for
the Abraham Lincoln Tourism Bureau to expand its activities and
encourage tourists to visit Lincoln and Logan County. During that
period the nation will celebrate the bicentennial of Abraham
Lincoln's birthday, during the period 2008-2010. To aid in that
agenda Gleason serves as an advisory member of the Abraham Lincoln
National Bicentennial Commission as well as co-chairs the Education
Committee of the Lincoln States (Illinois, Indiana and Kentucky)
Bicentennial Commission.
The Abraham Lincoln Tourism Bureau depends upon the
local motel tax for much of its funding. The other source of funding
is derived from state grants, which are dependent upon the size of
the county and number of motel-hotel rooms available. The local
tourism bureau is the smallest in the state and thus receives the
smallest amount of state grants.
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 A new approach to tourism is the development of
agritourism in Illinois. The program encourages visitors from the
large urban-metropolitan centers to visit downstate areas to learn
about the rural heritage and landscapes and the agricultural way of
life. (If you bring them to Logan County they will spend their
money.) That is another aspect of economic development.
The future county board needs to consider or study those measures
that would encourage quality workers to move to Lincoln and Logan
County and develop a program that will "showcase" our heritage,
social and economic life.
In the past, zoning issues have often become a
divisive topic. Development of a comprehensive plan that encourages
new businesses or industries to move into Logan County while
safeguarding the prime agricultural farmland should be a major
priority. That will allow the county to be prepared to handle zoning
matters in a timely fashion if a prospective business entity is
interested in coming into Logan County.
An issue where there is no simple answer is the task
of developing a balanced budget. To develop a balanced budget, one
must increase county income while cutting expenditures. Fines and
fees also have a limit. This raises the issue of how one can cut
spending, maintain services and yet encourage economic development
and improve the quality of life for the citizens of Logan County.
Not all issues can be solved with the wave of a
magic wand. They know no borders, but they are found in Logan County
among our youth. They fall under the topics of meth/drug use,
alcohol and school truancy. This candidate has no quick fix toward
correcting those issues. It will take many organizations -- both
governmental and civic -- all working together in an attempt to find
answers to those situations in a society plagued by them. Not to be
left out are the parents of our youth. This is not to say that
nothing has been done in the past, but rather it reflects a growing
social problem facing our society.
During a political campaign many candidates run on
the promise that he or she will do this or that when that person
wins the election. Not to be forgotten is the fact that it takes a
majority vote of the county board to pass resolutions to solve the
issues at hand.
For a county to have success in dealing with the
various issues which might arise, there has to be open and frank
discussion among all the people or groups involved in specific
issues. The key for success is good public relations. There are
times when I am sure the general public had the feeling that a
county board meeting became a circus under the "big top" without the
peanuts.
Being on the county board and out before the people
in the various events, festivals. homecomings and dinners held
year-round throughout the county allows one to keep in touch with
the people. During those events the citizens' concerns about issues
or just the expression of their feelings about anything allows an
officeholder to keep in touch with the people. That is what serving
the people in government is all about -- nothing more and nothing
less.
[Paul E. Gleason] |
