By:  Diane Benjamin

The bird-cage liner and Tari Renner don’t want to listen to citizens – unless the citizens agree with everything they do.  Walking hand-in-hand, the Pantagraph and the City tried to stifle speech they don’t want to hear.  Finding out their vile plans were illegal, Renner’s campaign daddy, Steve Vogel, is now encouraging the Council to just not listen.  Check your email!  Obviously the baby liberal Vogel hasn’t been to many Council meetings.  The Council rarely pays attention when citizens address them!

In case you don’t know, Vogel’s daughter was Renner’s campaign manager TWICE.

Since both the Pantagraph and Renner like to reference what Normal and McLean County do for public comment – which are both illegal – they need to see LEGAL policies.

The Champaign County Board has an excellent Public Comment policy:  http://www.co.champaign.il.us/COUNTYBD/cbrules.pdf  Page 6

E. Time for public participation shall be provided on the agenda for members of the public to be heard, on both the regular meeting of the County Board and Committee of the Whole meetings of the Board, and meetings of standing committees, as follows:

1. Any person wishing to address the Board shall be allotted not more than five (5) minutes to do so.
2. The total time allotted for public participation shall not exceed sixty (60) minutes.
3. Members of the public wishing to speak at other times on the agenda may do so only if recognized by the Chair or by majority vote of   the Board or committee members present.
4. No Board member shall be permitted to address the Board during the time reserved for public participation.
5. Board members shall not engage in dialogue with members of the public during public participation.

Failure to listen to citizens proves one thing:  You aren’t a public servant!

By encouraging the Council to NOT listen to citizens, the Pantagraph isn’t serving the citizens either.  Still giving them money?

Please explain why!