Our son, Lance Cpl. Steven Golden, will soon be going to Afghanistan. At this time, he is some place in the South Pacific on special training with the Marine Corps, but he says after that he will go to Afghanistan.

He already as some friends over there from Forest Park.

Only a parent could understand the worry and hardship that another parent or loved one goes through. The people in Washington don't seem to care how many of our boys they put in harm's way for a war we don't seem to be able to win. If they had children there maybe things would be different.

Our sympathy goes out to all parents and loved ones of these brave men and women. Forest Park should be proud of them all.

Jim Golden
Forest Park

Holding the line

Like the rest of Illinois, Forest Park taxpayers are feeling the bite of the economic slowdown and rising tax burden.

So it will come as a pleasant surprise that we scored a major victory recently by passing a Cook County budget with no new tax increases and none of the massive borrowing sought by the Stroger administration.

After a months-long battle, we were able to slash $50 million from Todd Stroger's proposed budget (and we need to cut more) and hold the line against his call for $740 million in new bonds - a huge back-door tax increase.

This budget victory is just the beginning. In the coming weeks and months, I will continue to push for more transparency, an end to the waste, fraud and abuse in county government, and to repeal the sales tax increase enacted last year.

With your help, we will continue to shift county government from a mindset that favors political insiders over taxpayers - to one that puts you and your families first.

Tony Peraica
Cook County Commissioner, 16th District