We met with a very affable Mr. Mark Rantala of the Lake County Port Authority today.  We requested the meeting to try to understand the focus of the Port Authority.  We explained our concern for seniors being priced out of their homes because of the ever increasing property taxes, and wondered if that issue is on the Port’s “radar screen”.  Unfortunately, our Port Authority is focusing on the other end of the age spectrum – millennials.

Their top priority is trying to meet the looming shortfall of workers, and are trying to develop ‘out of the box ideas’ to attract younger, skilled workers to Lake County to feed the economic engine that makes the County thrive.

We can understand the need for a constant stream of talented workers.  However, we did state our concerns that if their policies advocated importing cheap labor to meet the demands of the Chamber of Commerce;  thereby, thrusting the education and welfare costs on the backs of existing Lake County taxpayers, we would seriously object to such a policy.

We mentioned that last year Lake County taxpayers paid over $14 million dollars to educate children that could not speak English, and currently welfare recipients are not asked their legal status.  There was some discussion about the extended use of the E-Verify system.

Switching to another subject, we expressed a deep concern that Commissioner Dan Troy’s petulant behavior had placed the Port Authority, Mr. Rantala, and their employees in a very uncomfortable, compromising position regarding the Rider’s Inn Affair.
https://lobbyistsforcitizens.com/2018/09/27/commissioner-dan-troys-folly-want-to-see-how-politics-works-in-lake-county/

Mr. Rantala thanked LFC for writing a very positive article on the City of Eastlake’ s Miracle League.  They view that project as one of their finest achievements to date.   LFC would concur with that assessment. https://www.facebook.com/miracleleagueoflakecty/

(LFC Comment:  Lake County taxpayers should realize that there are storm clouds brewing at the Port Authority.  We hope that their  lawyer and Board of Trustees can handle the problems in a fair and equitable manner.  All we ask is that they be TOTALLY honest and transparent with Lake County taxpayers.  If we find that our  Freedom of Information  (FOIA) request was ‘light’  (purposely not complete documentation), we promise that we will shine a light on the problem.)

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