Link will learn lesson with defeat

There are no words to express my disappointment in your recent endorsement of Terry Link. First, your reasons for endorsing Sen. Link include the fact that he "sponsored the statewide smoking ban and favors a casino in Waukegan." Your reasons for endorsing him are fluff. Our state is on the fast track to nowhere, he's been in office for 12 years and you're endorsing him because of the smoking ban? What positive change has he brought to Lake County? He voted for a sales tax increase for Lake County that went straight to fund transportation in Chicago.

And of course he favors a casino in Waukegan because according to reports filed with the State Board of Elections, he's accepted over $30,000 in contributions from gaming casinos. You've also stated he would be "independent of both Gov. Blagojevich and House Speaker Michael Madigan." If you had done your research, you'd know that Terry Link consistently votes with the governor on tax and fee increases and he led the charge against the recall amendment.

He also voted to let the governor steal taxpayer dollars from the transportation and education funds and put it in General Revenue for use as the governor sees fit. That is not my definition of "independent." The fact that you even had to defend your endorsement by stating you hope he learned his lesson about the forgeries found on his nominating petitions proves you feel you owe an explanation to your readers. Besides, what politician has ever "learned his lesson?" Perhaps he would learn his lesson if voters and the media would stop giving him second and third chances.

Lauren Fleming

Zion