Voters Tuesday ignored allegations of corruption, sexual harassment, and nepotism in city hall and overwhelmingly re-elected city official for another term in the western suburb. Despite months of candidates slinging accusations towards one another of gang ties, racial slurs, and old-fashioned government corruption, voters approved re-election, though the administration has been mired in scandal. Secretly recorded by the FBI, and criticized for giving millions worth of town business to pals, and appointing friends and family to town posts, the incumbent is back in office.
Despite a string of police-related controversies, the incumbent won re-election. Though the city has been rocked by allegations of police abuse and misconduct, and the 2012 arrest of the ex-police chief that he allegedly stole more than $140,000 seized in drug arrests, the voters have re-elected the incumbent.
In case you think I am referring to city officials in Naperville, I am not. The first paragraph refers to Cicero town president Larry Dominick’s re-election February 26, and the second paragraph refers to North Chicago mayor Leon Rockingham’s re-election yesterday. The point here is that incumbents are difficult to unseat once in office. I mean even Hitler was re-elected to office in Germany. It’s no surprise that in yesterday’s election, the top three vote-getters where incumbents Paul Hinterlong, Judy Brodhead, and Doug Krause who was endorsed by City Council Watchdog.
The other candidates we endorsed, Jo Malik, Tom Glass, and Bill Habel came in 6th, 9th, and 10th place respectively in a field of eleven candidates. Those three candidates came with the least amount of political baggage, and would have also spread much needed light in the inky shadows of city hall. We came close to endorsing candidate Kevin Coyne who lost to newly elected council member David Wentz by a mere 129 votes. Who knows, maybe with an endorsement, a ‘biscuit for breakfast’, and a good luck penny (coin), Coyne would have have been elected.
Though no city official would openly admit it, they were ‘running scared’. The reason this is obvious is that city officials made an all-out assault on ‘outsider’ candidates Tom Glass and Jo Malik, both of whom have been outspoken about local government business-as-usual, resident-unfriendly decisions. Everything as simple as haranguing Glass and Malik about the location of their campaign signs, to outrageous comments from a council member’s spouse about Tom Glass’s intentions, the strategy was to demonize both Glass and Malik.
The good-news about the city council election results is that residents will still have one friendly voice at the dais (Doug Krause), and that both Hinterlong and Brodhead will have to be present as the results of their council decisions unravel. They won’t be able to ‘ride off’ into the night and leave someone else to pick up the pieces, as did the two previous council members who left after the last election. Quickly….can anybody remember the names of those ex-council members?
The other good news is that more and more Naperville residents are becoming aware of local politics and who is, and isn’t getting the job done. The next city council election (2015) looks to be a stampede, with 9 sitting council members along with a gaggle of candidates literally running for office.
Check-out the video image of what the next city council election might look like as city council incumbents on their way to re-election interact with other candidates and Naperville residents.
By the way, the two ex-council members are Richard Furstenau and Jim Boyajian. How quickly we forget their names, but how long those decisions continue to negatively impact residents.
Referring to Cicero and BIg Larry was of interest to me. Having lived in Cicero in the 50’s and 60’s and coming back in early 70’s to open a business, I could have written three books. The machine was in full force in the 70’s and 80’s having the most corrupt government within blocks of my business. Organized crime moved into the city hall looting $13,000,000 while Betty Maltese was in Vegas visiting her daughter she adopted knowing she may go to jail one day. The best deal of collecting campaign money was to sell golf tickets for $50 bucks and print thousands when only to find out the golf course could not support the tickets sold and attendance would drop each year and ticket sales would incease and most of the money went Betty’s hair do’s. Strong arming me for years to buy 15-20 tickets and each year increase by 5 I had enough. After the Grand Jury and business shake downs it was west for me. I spoke out along with other business people and it cost me friends along with a bad memory of why do residents allow a government to shake down its residents and businesses. In the case of Big Larry, he promised a new government and sweeping of the corruption out of his home town. While 9 knowing 5 personally went to jail,Larry formed his new goverment. Personally knowing Larry and Betty from days of hell in Cicero, they were bad in highschool and became much worse in adulthood. As for Naperville we are a large base of residents who do not want to get involved. They have the resourses to pay high taxes and do not realize its nothing more than buying tickets to the golf outing but with a different label. The Naperville Sun Newspaper is like the Cicero Life Newspaper. The Editors are councilmen,trustees or just large contributors. They decide what you need to hear and read. I heard that the FBI may use Big Larry as a starter in the next golf outing at St Andrews. After that he goes to Florida in the protection witness program all expenses paid by you.
Actually, candidate Wayne Floegel (who happens to be my husband, no anonymity here), who you neglect to mention, is the one candidate with the “least political baggage,” as he wasn’t involved in ANY of the mudslinging in either of the last two elections, is already involved in a volunteer capacity with the City Transportation Advisory Board and as an employee of one of our school districts. In those capacities he tries to make a positive impact on families of Naperville every single day. Trying to make a change where residents represent our City, yes… political baggage, no… but apparently any press is good press these days. At least that’s how 18% of registered voters feel – the other 82% don’t seem to have time to be bothered.
Sincerely,
Liz Floegel
Or is it that the voters are disenfranchised? They’ve watched their overwhelming approved referendum on their choice of government delayed for 5 years. They saw how the city used their own hard earned tax monies to thwart their mandate.They saw how their own tax dollars were spent to research out methods to reverse their devision, headed up by Wherli. They watched as their non-binding referendums were squelched. It’s my understanding, that The City denied a group of citizen’s formal participation in the belated Utilities Public Hearing because they joined together financially, under an organization. to present the citizens with the full facts of the issue. Citizens have seen, in my opinion, their tax monies used to influence an election, demonizing me at a Council meeting, as a “usual suspect” for filing 7 FOIAs, in 2 years as instructed by Krieger to do so. Add the local press who, in my view, are used as the city’s mouth piece to advance particular insider agendas. The citizens have given up caring about who are their elected officials, who is running their schools or how they are governed. After all, you can’t fight city hall. No one has pockets as deep as those who are dipping into our tax money. The good news is that about 25% of the voters a candidate outside of the inner circle of power. The voters are awakening.
Politics as usual.