Many of state Sen. Bill Brady's and state Rep. Dan Brady's constituents in Bloomington and Normal are tired of hearing about cuts in Amtrak, closing of our parks or a lack of maintenance and services at our parks, closing of mental health facilities, insufficient amount of police, decay of roads and bridges, cuts in funding of historical sites, no funding for bike trails and many other services we would like to have.

Our community has enjoyed economic growth, and we don't want to see our way of life threatened by the lack cooperation in Springfield.

Much of the areas they represent have low unemployment. We can afford to maintain services. Please be part of solution, not the problem.

Do not finance our services by increasing the availability of gambling venues. This taxes those that have a gambling addiction. These addictions have meant the loss of people's retirement, their kids' college education and the financial ruin of many families.

Go ahead and increase some taxes on those that can afford it. Surely some of those people in the big SUVs can afford it.

Mike Kerber

Bloomington