The next Naperville city council has their work cut out for them. The departing city council ‘took the night off’ at last Tuesday’s city council meeting, by sitting back, letting things unravel, and kicking the proverbial can down the road.
The “can” being the topic of whether or not to adopt a resolution to support local government empowerment and reform legislation in the State legislature.
Decisiveness and courage have never been a strong points of the council and they proved it again at Mayor Pradel’s final appearance as the holder of the gavel. In fact with constant bursts of intimidation (applause) by the overflow crowd, not once was the gavel used to bring things back to order.
City council meetings have rules including:
- Speakers are allowed three minutes to make their point. This rule was not adhered to.
- Applause (bursts of approval or disapproval) are considered forms of intimidation, and not allowed. But it was allowed this time over and over and over again until it began to sound like an Academy Awards Ceremony.
- The total time allowed for all speakers is limited to 30 minutes, but the council sat on their hands and allowed it to continue for closer to two hours than one hour.
The bottom line to the meeting was the Naperville city council was intimidated into doing nothing. They allowed an overflow crowd of 600+ to control that segment of the meeting, and when all was said and done, nothing was accomplished.
There may be 60,000 voters in Naperville in favor of Governor Rauner’s attempt to save the State of Illinois, but council members could only see as far as the group of 600+ in front of them.
Whether or not you’re in favor of the union’s side of the issue, or the Governor’s side will be decided in one way or another; the ship (State of Illinois) either sinks or floats.
What is rather appalling at this council’s last meeting is the double standards and double-speak they subscribe to.
When a very well-behaved group of Naperville residents (Naperville Smart Meter Awareness group) tried over and over again to stop city official’s forced installation of Smart Meters and used the public forum at city council meetings to address the same council, the council:
- would not allow speakers to speak over three minutes. In fact, often times speakers we’re required, at the last minute, to reduce their planned and practiced 3-minute presentation, to one or two minutes.
- would not allow anyone to show support with applause, or risk being forcefully removed by police from the council chambers.
What should have been a ‘Champagne and cookies’ night for this council’s last meeting, turned out to be a total waste of time. The topic should have never been on the agenda. It wasn’t fair to the next city council, it wasn’t fair to the residents, and it wasn’t fair to either side of the issue.
What was the purpose? What in the world were they thinking?
First test of our new mayor a resounding failure of intestinal fortitude and leadership. Here is what happened at this meeting.
On the 4/21/2015, Naperville City council meeting, the last of the old breed, was interesting to say the least. Around 5 PM union leaders and members from all over the place descended on the facility taking up most of the parking spaces and filling the seats in city hall.
A poorly publicized Rauner non-binding resolution to turn IL around was placed on the agenda greatly modified by Krieger and sent to councilmen on Friday for consideration last night.
At the heart of the issue was essentially the fact that government unions in collusion with corrupt politicians have bankrupt the state and will do so to the cities like Naperville if their ridiculous salaries and benefits are not brought under control.
The 28 speakers (only one of which was for the resolution and who was booed and intimidated) listed a litany of horror stories and severe deprivations their membership would suffer should this resolution be passed. The middle class in Naperville would be destroyed they said ,if passed. News flash Naperville has one of the most affluent and wealthy residents in the state, hardly middle class.
Our illustrious leaders (mostly outgoing) cowered in front of this onslaught and waived all restrictions on applause and cheering during and after speeches and extended both the 3 min. and 30 min. total comment period numerous times.
When the tax payers’ employees’ salary and benefits exceed by a wide margin their employers it’s time to make some significant changes thus the need for the Rauner resolution.
Our new Mayor designate, who actually ran this part of the meeting, after all was said and done, came up with a Solomon type solution by proposing to table this resolution indefinitely. How creative and cowardly of him and the entire little ducklings followed suit giving the motion an 8-0 vote. Krause was absent from the meeting.
What the unions don’t realize is by keeping the status quo the state’s pensions funds will be turned back to the cities, they will declare bankruptcy and these pensions and benefits will be halved if not by more.
You can pay us now or lose it all later. Time for citizens to take back their power and tax dollars!
If you think Chirico is an honest man you didn’t see this meeting. He was bought off by the unions and let them do whatever they wanted! Local 150 gave him $5000.00, IBEW gave $500. Naperville police and firefighters unions worked on his campaign! He now will have oversight of their contracts with Naperville!
Water Street was rammed through under his leadership because the developer gave him thousands of dollars for his campaign. Wonder if any of the floo rcoverings in the place will be from Chirico’s business?
NAPERVILLE JUST ELECTED A CON-MAN AS THEIR NEW MAYOR!!
Which is exactly why I choose to self finance, accepted and told the Firefighters I did not want their endorsement because I do not believe unions, or any other entity or potential lobbyist, should endorse or contribute to their potential employer or political leader. My advice: to see how the new council people will vote on this issue, check out their endorsements and contributors.
Well put Nancy.
Say good-bye? I say GOOD RIDDANCE! Too bad they aren’t taking all the consequences of their bad decisions with them as they chuckle their way out the door.