By: Diane Benjamin
The media used to be the government watchdogs. They no longer are. It is now the job of citizens to hold their government accountable. If we don’t, government will destroy us with taxes, regulations, and tyranny.
The video below is from the Village of Wheeling. One resident has taken it upon herself to expose misconduct of a former official and the complicit behavior of the Village Board. Even though the guy was voted out in April, he is still working behind the scenes with City Staff. Laws don’t matter in Wheeling or this guy would have been prosecuted for personal use of Village Credit Cards and use of a City vehicle after his vehicle got repossessed. So far no law enforcement or prosecutors have stepped up. Meanwhile the Village Administration and Board have treated this citizen with disdain. Sound familiar?
The speaker in the first video is a lawyer with the Citizens Advocacy Center. He berates the Board for their ignorance of the law and FOIA violations. He never mentions the citizen involved by name, but everybody knows who he is talking about because she was the topic of a letter signed and distributed by Village officials.
If the second video doesn’t start at 28:35, fast forward to it. The lady is the citizen in question. She was obviously overcome with emotion by the previous speaker. After she composed herself she detailed past and present malfeasance.
If you care about corruption in Illinois and why the Freedom of Information Act is vital to exposing it, watch both speakers. It’s an easy law – documents belong to the citizens. When government pretends they have a right to hide information not listed in the FOIA law, they prove they aren’t working for citizens. It isn’t their government – it belongs to you! Since media refuses to do their job – it’s time for you to step up and hold government accountable.
Gee…too bad Tari “doesn’t visit your site anymore” (wink wink)….this is beautiful.
It’s hopefully a foreshadowing to him of what happens to community “leaders” who abuse their privileges, personally attack those who hold him to account, and hide the truth.
But even if he saw this (which he won’t, because, again…he doesn’t visit this site – wink wink), his ego is so huge, he absolutely believes he’s above this…he’s better than these people…and he won’t be caught. And those questioning him are just “naysayers” and will be sued.
LOL.
Kudos to Deborah for holding the Wheeling Board of Trustee’s feet to the fire. I grew up in that area, and I lived in Wheeling for a number of years before moving to Bloomington in 1991. It’s evident to me after following their village meetings that they had a “Mayor problem ” much like we have now, along with collaborating Trustees who ignore the law and consider the village their personal fiefdom. Good work Deborah!
The video has disappeared, I’m working on it.