North Cook News

It’s become a thing for Rep. David Harris (R-Arlington Heights).

For the third time in a row, Harris pointed out the Prairie State positives at Tuesday’s House floor debate. First it was the 80 new businesses that came to Arlington Heights in 2017, second was Illinois’ low income tax rate and this time it was yet another really confident criticism.  

“I would like to say something good about the state of Illinois today,” Harris said, winning immediate applause from the House Floor.

Rep. David Harris

The representative noted that 10 Illinois communities recently made the National Council for Home Safety and Security 100 Safest Cities in the U.S. He then added the one question everyone has on their minds when moving to a new city.

“Is it safe?” Harris asked, adding the question remains even after one settles down.

“By focusing on safety, people looking for a new city feel more secure when they establish themselves to raise a family and improve their lives.”

Among the Illinois cities on the list were Wheaton, Arlington Heights, Hoffman Estates, Palatine, Mt. Prospect and Des Plaines.

“Obviously the Northwest suburbs are well represented,” Harris said.  

Not only did Naperville make No. 41, Harris said, it was also the third most successful city in the United States according to the career resource site Zippia.

“Tinley Park was No. 46, Oak Lawn was No. 79 and Bowling Brook was No. 86,” Harris said. “My point,  ladies and gentlemen, is there are 100 cities on this list; there are 50 states in the Union; and Illinois has 10 percent of the cities on that list. Good for Illinois and good for the municipalities that made that list.”

Rep. Patricia Bellock (R-Hinsdale) concurred.

“I would like to thank Rep. Harris for bringing that up because one of my cities ... Western Springs was (the) No. 1 safest city in Illinois,” Bellock said. “I just want to acknowledge them for that and thank them for bringing that title back to the residents of that town.”

Rep. Grant Wehrli (R-Naperville) took a moment to “thank his esteemed colleague from Arlington Heights.”

“We do have good things going here,” Wehrli. “Many of us come from a background of small government, and I bet if many of you go down there and look at those municipalities and how they operate and how they do things, it is an example of how  we need to be doing things here.”

He said whether it is budgeting with an open, thoughtful transparent process or having the fiscal discipline to get that Triple-A bond rating, “it’s having the foresight to govern for outcomes and not for political purposes.”

“Those are the best practices that we need to be doing at the state level,” Wehrli said.