Shame Upon Patty Gustin For Violating Council Rules

Is it really that difficult to extend an apology? Apparently it is for Naperville councilwoman Patty Gustin. Could it be she has no political aspirations? If there was ever a political candidate looking to commit political suicide, other than Democratic presidential candidate Gary Hart in 1988, it’s Patty Gustin.

Gustin has been prone to digging herself into holes, and not wanting to throw away the shovel. It happened again in March when she made a ‘character attack’ against two other council members, Judy Brodhead and Benny White, during a council meeting.

During discussion, to support recreational marijuana sales in Naperville, Gustin said, “I’m kind of surprised I have two teachers sitting next to me that are promoting recreational marijuana distribution”. Both Brodhead and White were offended by her remark, and said so during the meeting. Mayor Steve Chirico met with Gustin afterward and gave her the opportunity to publicly apologize to Brodhead and White during the next meeting, but no apology was extended, leaving no choice for the mayor other than to conclude that her comments were intended and a violation of council rules.

Mayor Chirico concluded, by diagramming what an effective apology format looks like, from which we can all benefit:

  1. Express remorse
  2. Saying I’m sorry
  3. Doing so in a timely manner
  4. Taking responsibility
  5. Make amends to make things right
  6. Promise it won’t happen again

Gustin chose a different route.

Show 20 Comments

20 Comments

  1. Gerard H Schilling

    She had every right to point out that two members of council were teachers and based on the discussion and effects on school children of this crazy marihuana sale ordinance ask appropriate questions and make her observation.

    She was right to question their judgement based on their occupation which influences our children. As to all this apology crap she should tell them to go to hell!

    • Jim Haselhorst

      And it clearly states in council rules you can question and discuss what other council members say all day long so long as you do not name them and make a statement that is personal attack.

      Yes she has the right to violate city council rules and say what she want. She has a right to refuse to apology to these people for these personal attacks and city council for violate council rules.

      She does not have the right to do these things and not face the consequences of her actions.

      Government constitutions in this country protect many rights, but none of they protect you from the consequence of your actions.

      If Gustin will not apologies then city council and these council members have every right to use council procedures to disciple her for her bad judgement and bad behavior.

      I personally not only support city council in doing this but strongly recommend it.

  2. Parent

    Truth hurts. What Patty said was correct.

    • Jim Haselhorst

      True or not it was a violation of council rules. Do you let your children violate rules without consequences? I doubt it.

      The reality is that even among Republican 51% believe adult use should be legal. Among independent it is 65% and in the general population of the US the total is 67%. So the reality is these two council members who are teacher are actually in the majority. And in the US the majority rules.

      Right and wrong has always been determined by the majority of society. Remember for centuries slavery was right until the majority shifted in this country and decided it was wrong. Women not being able to vote or own property in the US was right for almost two centuries in the US until the majority shifted and decided it was wrong.

      Truth hurts. Sorry but actually you and Gustin are the ones that are wrong.

  3. Sam

    Did legalization really make it that much easier to get??? Ha!

    At least now it won’t be laced with anything. Get over it.

  4. Dennis Papiernik

    I agree with Patty Gustin. There is nothing to apologize for.

    Not sure how pointing out that the 2 were former teachers is a derogatory comment. Unless of course they are not proud of the fact they are former teachers.

    I am pretty sure they used the fact that they are former teachers when they ran for election. With the implied bias being that they, as former teachers would make decisions to protect our children. So you should support them.

    Supporting the sale of recreational marijuana does not appear to be in step with other educators on this issue.

    You are out of bounds on this one.

    • Jim Haselhorst

      It wasn’t just that she said it but the context that it was said in. She implied the were in someway morally or ethically deficient. And that is, by it very nature, derogatory.

      Also I know a lot of teacher that support legal marijuana use. Were is it written that if you are a teacher you have to be against legalization? Were is the union mandate? School Board policy? Were are the polling number that say 100%? It is the zenith of arrogance to assume anyone in education is going to be anti legalization.

      Finally it was a violation of city council rules. And that is the biggest problem I have with this behavior. Everyone in these council meetings have to obey these rules. Not just the council members but city staff, the citizen in attendance and when addressing the dais. All the other council member have not problem complying with these rules. What makes Gustin so special she does not?

      Sorry but thinking you can insult fellow council members in a public meeting in violation of city council rules just seems to me to is someone that come ups short in ethics. Not sure I want to encourage openly unethical behavior in my city council.

  5. Mike Marek

    When is that bucket of water you carry for the mayor going to start getting heavy?

    • Jim Haselhorst

      This is not about Chirico. He was not the one publicly insulted in violation of city council rules. He is just doing his job, fulfilling his duties as the head of this council.

      The two council members have told Gustin they were insulted (first privately then publicly) and she has consistently refused to apologies. You can bet if she were the one so rudely and publicly attacked in a council meeting she would be the first one screaming of Chirico to do his job.

  6. Kevin Piket

    Was there anything that Council member Gustin said that wasn’t correct? Both council members Broadhead and White are in the educational field. Both council members are advocating for recreational marijuana distribution in Naperville. All Council member Gustin did was point that fact out and she said she was surprised by it. I don’t think she was being malicious or mean with her comments. She was just being honest. That is a rare quality in a politician these days…regardless of the party that you support. Council members Broadhead and White are within their rights to be offended by it, but just because someone is offended doesn’t mean they are owed an apology.

    I think it’s one of those things that you just agree to disagree and move on. If Mayor Chirico had the support for a censure on council, he would have moved that vote forward already, clearly he doesn’t. It’s time to move and turn the page to more pressing matters.

  7. Jim Haselhorst

    Yes!!! Her statement that educators should not and do not support legal adult use was blatantly incorrect.

    And that is not even the issue. The issue is a member of city council believing it is okay for them to violate city council rules just to promote their own political beliefs. This is a clear ethical violation and she refuses to apologies.

    I can not believe you support council members behaving unethically just because you agree with their politics. If you are okay with city council members violating council rules in pursuit of their personal agendas then I guess there is no longer any need for any council member to recuse themselves for any reason.

    Once you allow one council member to violate the rules, to behave unethically, you are giving the go ahead for all council members to do this. And that is the day all the residents of Naperville get screwed.

    • Kevin Piket

      I assume you are replying to me based on your response above. Let me make this clear, you have no idea what my politics are in general or on this matter. It might surprise you if you actually took the time to ask before casting judgement like you did. However, I don’t have thin skin, so comments like yours don’t offend me. If you weren’t responding to me, then I apologize for implying that you were.

      I have listened to her comments during that meeting and to the clip above, I don’t find what she said to be offensive personally and if the full council felt it was, she wouldn’t have gotten a slap on the wrist by Mayor Chirico, she would have gotten censured by the entire council. He didn’t have the votes for it, which is why he decided to give her a public lashing rather than move forward with the censure. Case closed, time to move on.

      Jim, I’ve never seen you apologize on these blogs for being wrong, but you have no issue calling out Council member Gustin for not apologizing when you felt she was wrong.That is either because you feel you are never wrong or your personal beliefs don’t allow you to be wrong in your mind. Unlike me, it is very clear where you stand on this issue, so I can understand why anyone who is in opposition to your beliefs on this matter won’t get your support. An argument can be made that your judgement is clouded on this matter. Maybe you can relate to Council member Gustin better than you realize.

      • Jim Haselhorst

        First, as to the issue being discussed when Gustin made her comments. There were several other members of the city council that shared her views. If this were about that then why haven’t any of these other council members come to her defense?

        My position on the issues Gustin commented on is not relevant. What is relevant is Gustin’s behavior. You may not have found what Gustin said offensive, but again what she said was not directed at you. The two members of city council her comments were directed at both said at the time during the meeting that they were offended by her comments. And both when interviewed have stated they are still offended and waiting for an apology, which Gustin refuses to do.

        And again it was a violation of city council rules. Rules everyone in city council chambers are required to follow during these meetings. And that is the most important point no matter how much anyone tries to downplay the fact.

      • Jim Haselhorst

        As to apologizing myself. I am not aware of anyone, other then yourself, that has indicated they took personal offense to any statement I have made on this page. So that is the reason I have not apologized in the past.

        Nothing I said on this page is meant to personal insult or demean anyone.

        Since you seem sincerely insult by my comments I apologize.

        Again my intent was to put the situation into a perspective you might better be able to relate too. It was not to insult you only to challenge you to see things from the perspective of these council members and the mayor.

  8. Parent

    Jim: Too many words again as is your MO. Patty was right. Period. The other two members who say she insulted them are refusing to admit the truth of her statement. I have not patience with anyone who believes it is ok to promote the use of this gate-way drug. Now. Go and tell me how stupid I am to continue to believe this is a gate-way drug.

    • Jim Haselhorst

      Dr. Denise Kandel coined the “gateway drug”, often associated with marijuana, in a research paper 40 years ago. But her work suggested nicotine, not pot, was most likely to lead to the use of harder drugs.

      Anti-drug activists Robert DuPont started using this term in relationship to marijuana in the 1980s, but he provided no data or study to support this position.

      Dr. Kandel and her Nobel prize winning husband, neurologist Dr. Eric Kandel over the last 40 year have done many clinical studies and a lot of lab research with rat and mice on nicotine. They published a report in 2015 summarizing their research.

      They not only found that the strongest correlation to progression to using harder drugs was with nicotine, but that nicotine precondition the brain for addiction. The majority of the hard drug users in there study started with nicotine (tobacco) and the remainder with alcohol, while only 41% of the hard drug users had ever used marijuana.

      So you can go on believing marijuana is the gateway drug, but if you really want to keep your children safe keep them away from tobacco (including vaping) and alcohol products.

  9. joe

    Thanks for you comments, Jim is alway smarter than everyone in the room

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