Lisle Township Democratic Organization Featured Content

Paul's Pick of the Week: DuPage chairman candidates weigh in on zoning proposal

Lisle Democrats lisle71dem@gmail.com — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 11:52:14 PST

Each week our news sleuth, Paul, selects one important article that you should not miss.
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DuPage chairman candidates weigh in on zoning proposal
By Jake Griffin | Daily Herald Staff
Published: 8/31/2010 8:35 AM
http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=404740

Both candidates vying for the DuPage County Board Chairman's post in November agree with a proposal to prohibit religious facilities and other places of assembly in unincorporated residential areas.

Republican Dan Cronin and Democrat Carole Cheney said the county's zoning laws need to strike a balance between property rights and religious freedom, but sided with the controversial proposed zoning law amendments.

Cheney said she doesn't want the county to rush the zoning amendments. Currently, the county's zoning board of appeals is holding hearings so that stakeholders can voice their opinions on the issue. The board will take up the topic again Sept. 27.

"I hope the ordinance isn't targeted to a group of people," Cheney said. "If the legislation is necessary to address legitimate traffic concerns and that is the conclusion, then I think it is an appropriate exercise."

Cronin said the issue has been around for some time and noted that a county prohibition doesn't mean religious groups can't locate a facility in a residential area in a municipality.

"It's probably not something that can done on a case-by-case basis because you would then run afoul of someone who didn't get what they wanted and would argue discrimination," he said.

In fact, the county board did discuss placing similar restrictions on religious facilities last year, but the measure was defeated. Its current incarnation takes into account all places of assembly, including civic, service and military veteran organizations. The initiative was prompted after residents in various parts of the county complained about proposals in the works that would have located religious facilities in residential neighborhoods. There are five such plans under scrutiny that would not be impacted by the proposed law. Three of the current proposals are Muslim facilities, one is a Hindu site and the fifth is a Christian church.

Additionally, the county recently created a new building code violation hearing process. This was in response to several cases that have lagged in the judicial system, including a case involving a residential property near West Chicago charged with being used illegally as a religious facility. The new process calls for the county to hire an attorney fluent in development law to act as a hearing officer to adjudicate the complaints in short order.

Cheney worries the new process lacks independent oversight because the hearing officer is paid by the county.

"We need to be especially vigilant making sure our system works properly and protects against potential abuses," she said. "We want to make sure property owners are protected in the process."

Cronin said malingering building code violations create a blight and can become a quality-of-life issue. He said he would put safeguards in place to monitor results of proceeding to ensure property owners aren't abused.

"At this stage, it's worthwhile to try and do something different," he said. "It sounds as if the current process has become ineffective. This is an important tool."

Check Out the DuPage Candidates

Lisle Democrats lisle71dem@gmail.com — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 09:57:32 PST

The County Democrats have forwarded the official 3-fold pamphlet our way. You can get a nice handle on all of the Democratic candidates for this fall election. Here are the links:

Page 1: http://www.lisledemocrats.com/uploads/lisletownshipdemocraticorganization/DupageDems_Brochure_2010Pg2.jpg

Page 2: http://www.lisledemocrats.com/uploads/lisletownshipdemocraticorganization/DupageDems_Brochure_2010_PG1.jpg

Paul's Pick of the Week: Ethics panel sides with DuPage Election Commission

Lisle Democrats lisle71dem@gmail.com — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 08:41:18 PST

Each week our news sleuth, Paul, selects one important article that you should now miss. This week he has selected Jake Griffin's article from the August 16th Daily Herald entitiled, Ethics panel sides with DuPage Election Commission .

DuPage Good Oleboys Party's Version of Ethics

Ethics panel sides with DuPage Election Commission
“A newly convened ethics panel has determined the DuPage Election Commission did nothing wrong by rehiring a Republican strategist to be the commission's spokesman. It was the first opinion rendered by the three-person ethics commission since the body was empaneled less than a year ago. The opinion was issued Aug. 9. Dan Curry received a $3,000-a -month professional services contract in April. Leaders of the DuPage County chapter of the Illinois Ballot Integrity Project filed the complaints in June.

Jean Kaczmarek, co-founder of the chapter, said she was not surprised by the decision because the ethics panel is appointed and paid by the election commission. Curry had a similar contract in the past, but left to work on former Illinois Attorney General Jim Ryan's Republican gubernatorial primary campaign late last year. He said that several government agencies have hired spokesmen with partisan backgrounds. Curry said Kaczmarek's group has routinely filed complaints against him and his company Reverse Spin, but to no avail. "This is the latest body to find that the individuals in question have made accusations with no merit," Curry said. "These individuals have long ago crossed the line between watchdog citizenry and partisan, bitter, vendetta-seeking activism."

… Retired Circuit Court Judge Edward Duncan, who heads the ethics panel, wrote in the opinion that "the fact the two men continuing to be on friendly terms does not, in these circumstances, indicate a violations of the ethics ordinance." Duncan said the ethics panel met just once in private at his law firm's offices and spoke about the complaints with one another over the phone a few times before deciding no violations had occurred because Curry is a contracted employee. He suggested the Ballot Integrity chapter should take up its concerns with the state legislature, which could enact laws preventing some of the things the group is complaining about.”

http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=401292

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Many questions come immediately to mind that anyone reading this could ask as a commenter to this article or come up with your own.

As the story pasted below shows, Curry's main job is as a Republican media consultant. Why does Robert Saar who heads a nonpartisan election commission use taxpayer money to hire such a partisan as Curry? What Republican slant is needed? Why does Saar need to spend $3,000 per month for a job that one of his paid staff or he himself could do? What is Saar trying to hide that he needs that kind of expensive partisan expertise?

Could it be that one persistent, dedicated woman, Jean Kaczmarek, who gets paid nothing, who has asked very embarrassing questions, requires so much expertise to limit the damage? Why does the Ethics Panel head, selected by the Commission headed by Saar admit in his response to DH reporter Griffin that his panel did little research and quickly dismissed any violations?

Was the panel created and controlled by falling under Saar as just a PR vehicle to claim the Election Commission cares about ethics? Complaints of corruption or violations are dismissed by Joe Birkett after so called investigations are conducted and wouldn't you know, Curry is also a consultant to Birkett. PLEASE challenge Saar and his panel through comments or LTEs. We Dems need to take this opportunity to make it clear to voters that the Good Oleboys Party time has run out and new leadership is needed. It could be tied into the horrors that have come out about the Water Commission that is also under control of the GOP.)

(political-legal experts) Assessing the Chances of a Blago Retrial “Republican media consultant Dan Curry agrees: “A hung jury probably is the worse outcome of all for Democrats because it will thrust Blagojevich back into the limelight. He will be doing daffy interviews everywhere, giving Republicans a walking, talking symbol of corruption and incompetence they can inject into races across the state.” ()

http://www.chicagonewscoop.org/assessing-the-chances-of-a-blago-retrial/

September Meeting Date Change

Lisle Democrats lisle71dem@gmail.com — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 21:21:00 PST

The September Lisle Democrat's monthly meeting will be held on Monday, September 27th, at 7pm at the Woodridge Public Library.

Clark, Harper Campaigns Discuss Progress Toward November

Lisle Democrats lisle71dem@gmail.com — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 21:06:27 PST

Representatives from the Scott Harper Campaign came and shared their excitement about the progress that they are making. The support for Harper is very strong following the record of incumbent Congresswoman Judy Biggert. She has fallen out of touch with the changing nature of the issues that face DuPage County.

Tough on Wall Street
A Record on Job Creation
Independent of Special Interests

Dennis Clark, DuPage Forest Preserve Presidential Candidate joined us and discussed his priorities, which are

Protection of the public's forest preserve lands;
Focus on Mission; and
Transparency with the tax-paying public.

Dennis Clark addressing the Lisle Democratic meeting