You are currently browsing the monthly archive for November, 2007.
[Follow these links to read Introduction, Part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4 and part 5]
This week, we’ve seen an extensive amount of evidence showing the atmosphere of conflict that has held the Village hostage, slowed progress, created division in the community, and even neglected the infrastructure and development of the town.This blog has taken the time to highlight the recent history of Carpentersville politics in order to hopefully move past it. The posting of such information does not set well with some who naturally would want to protect what they have built for themselves. So they will pick one piece of information to try to twist and turn it in an attempt to discredit everything else. Even the accusations of my having deleted some post was used to try to impugn the credibility of the overwhelming amount of information posted.
So, where do we go from here?
We need to move forward. We can do that only by holding accountable those who are not moving the Village forward — such as Sigwalt and Co. We need to tell those who have put themselves before the good of the community that we’ve had enough — and make that message loud and clear.
We need to work together as a community to ensure that work continues and is not hindered. We need everyone’s voice, ideas and effort in order to make Carpentersville’s future as bright as it was in times passed.
In order for that to happen, we are going to need to embrace all sectors of our community, embrace the long-time residents, embrace the young and old, the rich and the poor … embrace the vibrant diversity of our town.
That work has already begun, but there is much more work to do.
The State of the Village Address in late August did a wonderful job, I think, of pointing out the things that have gotten done in the last few years (to highlight a few):
- Police Department working diligently to crackdown on gangs and drugs
- Fire Department providing wonderful service to the community (and now even working with the school district to bring life-saving education to students)
- Extensive, perhaps unprecedented, efforts to build, repair and maintain infrastructure such as streets, sidewalks, sewer system, etc
- New retail and commercial development, especially taking advantage of the Randall Rd corridor and innovation to fill vacancies
- Professional staff with strong experience, continually improving, especially the financial picture, in the Village
The future depends, though, on the community. People go through their daily lives and often don’t give a second thought to their garbage being picked up, or how the store or restaurant down the street got there, or even what it took to build a school or park, or repair a road in their neighborhood. They shouldn’t have to. The Village of Carpentersville Board of Trustees really should be invisible in the daily lives of residents.
That is when government is at its best in serving the community. When people don’t have to think about it, when they don’t notice it. When they look around at things and say “Nice!”
I’ve taken this week to step back into the past so that we can look to the future with open eyes. This battle of Sigwalt and Co to maintain control of Carpentersville will certainly continue until they and their group are removed from their seats in upcoming elections. Our voices must be heard more than just on election day, even though that is the day when we can really make ourselves heard.
Though I think they should now have a snowball’s chance of maintaining their seats on the Board, they better start working now for the people of Carpentersville, clean up their act and move Carpentersville forward if they want to have any chance of remaining. We are going to be moving forward either with them or without them. They’ve been shown the error of their ways … now its up to them to decide to amend them and begin to work for us. This is a season of miracles, and perhaps they can give this nice gift to the Village.
We all will be watching closely now … aware of their tricks and games. I will not hesitate to call them out and neither should you. Help them hear the voice of change that we all have been calling for.
Use this blog as part of a unified voice to shape the Village that the People of Carpentersville deserve.
Tell your friends and neighbors. Email the posts to others. Print them and give them to those who don’t have computers. Translate them into other languages to make them more accessible to everyone in the community.
This is how it happens people. This is grassroots.
It all starts now … for the future of Carpentersville!
[Follow these links to read Introduction, Part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4 and part 5]
After looking at what has been shown in the previous days’ articles, it is quite reasonable to conclude that Sigwalt and Co have been involved in a good deal of hijinx.
They (and those behind them) have purposefully created controversy and used divisiveness on the Board in order to draw negative attention away from themselves and put it on President Sarto.The position of Sigwalt and Co before the election and then after the election is telling of their agenda. They want to make things appear like Sarto (and Sliwinski too) have done things wrong — even trying to change the rules if it is discovered that there was no wrongdoing.
The combativeness on the Board was certainly an election strategy, in order to get their names in the news regularly for a sort of “free advertising.” As candidates in the last election, they did not even file a contribution disclosure because they said they didn’t get the minimum contribution level necessary to require such disclosure.
Again, none of this should come as a surprise to anyone who’s been even remotely paying attention. The news papers have regularly highlighted it over the last 6 – 8 months:
- “Trustees to take on the mayor, Carpentersville leaders in a power struggle”, Daily Herald, Jun 5, 2007
- “Board battle flares up again”, Chicago Tribune, Oct 18, 2007
- “Trustees retaliate in Carpentersville”, Chicago Tribune, Jun 7, 2007
- “One big year – Oct. 3, 2006: Contentious debate in Carpentersville over illegal immigration began”, Daily Herald, Sept 27, 2007
- “Suit stirs flap over projects”, Daily Herald, Sept 26, 2007
- “Trustees seethe over mayor’s e-mails, Carpentersville board members might change law just to censure Sarto”, Daily Herald, Sept 20, 2007
- “Meeting ends, rancor lingers“, Daily Herald, Aug 9, 2007
- “Carpentersville seats 3 on finance committee – After 30minutes of debate, trustees get residential appointments settled”, Daily Herald
Sigwalt and Co have debated every move Sarto makes, in an apparent attempt to make it appear that Sarto is doing things that are bad for the Village. In several cases, they end up supporting Sarto in approving whatever action is before the Board.
The President has the sole authority to choose those to appoint to committees, etc., which are then brought to the Board for approval. In most municipalities, these things are routine. But, Sigwalt and Co have made even the routine things difficult in Carpentersville.
Sigwalt and Co proposed amending rules to limit the power of the President. In March 2005, rules governing the Board meetings were being considered. In that discussion …
Trustee Nancy Moore expressed concerns, saying some of the ordinance’s provisions gave the village president too much power and stifled the voice of trustees.
However, in June 2007, Sigwalt and Co changed their tune and wanted to take power away from the President:
Trustees proposed amending the ordinance to wrest sole appointment power from the village president.
Some might try to say that its because Sarto is appointing only his friends and allies to the committees, but that is not the case.
Sarto appointed both Republicans and Democrats to committees and commissions. In addition to appointing every one of the Trustees to one commission/committee or another, Sarto also appointed (to name a few):
- Carl Sebastian (who ran Humpfer’s slate in 2005); Chairman of Planning and Zoning; member of Police Pension Board.
- Pat Schultz, Audit & Finance, Carpentersville Improvement Committee (ad hoc)
- Don Moore, Audit & Finance
- Don Doran, Planning and Zoning
- Virginia Gregg, Audit & Finance
- Jim Frost, (former Trustee and previous running mate with Sigwalt and Whitehouse), Planning and Zoning
All these people, and the others on the various committees, were appointed because they brought strong qualifications to the table. The only answer is the logical one that we keep seeing: it is a power play.
In a June 24, 2007 editorial, after arguments over the makeup of the Audit and Finance Commission and rejection of Sarto’s eventual offer to reappoint Humpfer as Chairman (they said the rejection of the offer “defied logic”), the Daily Herald encouraged the Board to “take off the boxing gloves”:
Too bad they don’t all realize none of them will get far if they can’t find compromise instead of conflict.
Even with compromise once again possible, it’s an easy bet another squabble is coming. This in a community facing the incredible demands of a vastly diverse population, the controversial immigration issue, deteriorating roads, still struggling finances, rapid growth.
This town, frankly, needs – and deserves – far better than romper-room rhetoric and behavior. Although, clearly, the immigration issue is a volatile catalyst for conflict, elected officials in many communities find ways to differ respectfully. Carpentersville residents deserve no less from their leaders.
But …
Despite facing tremendous challenges, its governing officials seem more interested in one- upping – or simply being nasty – to one another. Just over a year ago, it had seemed peace could reign as Village President Bill Sarto and Trustee Paul Humpfer set a tone of compromise after initial antagonism in their first months on the board.
At the time, Sarto said, “To get along, people have to be willing to get along.”
And, it seems readily apparent that Sigwalt and Co are not willing to get along.
In May 2005, Trustee Sigwalt was quoted in the Daily Herald as saying “I don’t believe personally in criticizing in public. Praise in public, criticize in private.”
Given her tenure on the Board, the statement is laughable. In the most recent battles in this war an email exchange between Mr. Sarto (who was not writing in his official capacity as Village President) and president of a local townhome association was read in open meeting, rather than the customary way of doing it in Executive Session. After reading the emails:
Board members attempted to censure Sarto at Tuesday’s meeting, but the village attorney said the village’s rules of decorum do not apply to e-mails.
Finding that the rules didn’t apply, they wanted them changed to to curtail First Amendment rights, which ultimately failed as well.
And, a culmination of the battle came a few weeks ago when Sigwalt and Co appeared to collude in drawing Sarto into a debate on his choices for an ad hoc committee. Sarto did not take the bait.
Now, it may appear like I’m seeking to defend Sarto here … and, in some ways, I am. Again, because I’ve seen a lot of good things happening in the Village since Sarto came on Board. And I’ve seen certain Board members trying to crap all over it for their own political futures — which should have been yanked long ago when they trampled the electoral process.
Enough is enough! As I’ve shown throughout the posts this week (and at times before that) Sigwalt and Co have been at the helm of a ship which they have steered into vindictiveness and political spite. And it’s time for the people to stand up and say they are not going to take it any more …
Coming tomorrow, Part 5 … For the Future of Carpentersville
[Follow these links to read Introduction, Part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4 and part 5]
By now, readers should be able to see the pattern of behavior that has disregarded voters in order to safeguard what politicians have built for themselves. For those who still have some doubts, let’s continue …
Before proceeding with the meat of today’s posting which will cover the illegal immigration controversy in Carpentersville, let’s recap some of the points to keep in mind. Trustee Judy Sigwalt has been on the Village Board since 1999. But even the local newspapers observed that the productivity of the Board significantly improved with the election of Sarto in 2005. He was being credited with a newfound cohesion on the Village Board. This, along with their actions after the 2005 election, put them in a precarious position.
It is no secret that the Village of Carpentersville has a large Hispanic population. In fact, in the 2005 election race, both Sarto and Humpfer expressed desire for the Village to reach out to the Hispanic community more to spur more involvement. In late 2005, the Village expressed interest in getting more input from the Latino residents to help in shaping the future direction of the Village. There were even questions raised about the possibility of broadcasting the Village Board meetings in Spanish.
But, fast forward nearly 1 year and you get the controversy on illegal immigration. The pros and cons have been discussed endlessly over the past year and half, so there is no need to get into those again here. Instead, let us focus on the “Why?” of the debate in Carpentersville.
Overcrowding in homes and schools, and code enforcement have been a problem for the Village for a long time. Yet, in 2006, it was suddenly decided that illegal immigrants were the problem. Were they the real reason this issue was raised? If you look at what occurred leading up to the debate, and then after the election, I don’t believe we can be too confident in that answer.
This issue would have died shortly after it was raised by Sigwalt and Humpfer, but they needed to keep it alive. Four members of the Board voted to table discussion until the outcome of the Hazleton, PA case (which was ruled unconstitutional in July, although it is on appeal). Sigwalt, Humpfer and Trustee Kay Teeter voted against tabling the ordinance.
“I don’t know why we are going through this pain,” said Trustee Ed Ritter, who motioned to have the item tabled indefinitely. “Until this goes through the court we are not going to do anything with this. Why should we go through this and divide the community in half only to find this can’t be done? Or we might find out it can be done. Right now, I don’t see how this would move our community forward.”
[Source: Daily Herald, "Village decides to wait and see", Oct 18, 2006]
(Hopefully this series of posts will begin to get Trustee Ritter an answer to his question. But, back to Sigwalt and Humpfer’s fight to stay alive …)
More than once, Sigwalt and Humpfer were accused of misrepresenting information on illegal immigration. An Oct 28, 2006 letter from David Paluch of Sugar Grove that appeared in the Daily Herald, accused them of misrepresenting the position of Kane County Sheriff Pat Perez. Grant Crowell stated that he received emails on two occasions from Trustee Sigwalt, disseminating false information about illegal immigration. And, there was even controversy about the support that they claimed to have from government officials in West Chicago and Lisle:
As thousands rallied for and against a proposed crackdown on illegal immigrants in Carpentersville, a village trustee told reporters other communities had called to voice support for the move – among them, West Chicago and Lisle.
When media outlets broadcast the comment throughout the suburbs, officials in those towns were taken aback. Any involvement by their towns was news to them, they said.“I have never had any discussion with anyone about (the Carpentersville proposal),” Lisle Mayor Joe Broda said, echoing the comments of West Chicago officials. “As a board, we have never had any discussion about it.”
In light of the statements from officials in those other municipalities, Trustee Sigwalt reversed herself, saying that it was “residents” who had contacted her … although …
Sigwalt couldn’t pinpoint how many West Chicago and Lisle residents had called or e-mailed her.
[Source: Daily Herald, "W. Chicago, Lisle aren't looking at law", Oct 5, 2006]
Village President Sarto also continued to raise strong issues against the ordinance. Sarto’s points were so strong, in fact, that Trustees Humpfer and Sigwalt have cited them as their reasons for having dropped the push for the illegal immigration ordinance. Oh … “for now”, they say.
Perhaps until another time that is convenient?
On election night, Sigwalt vowed “You bet we’re gonna talk about [illegal immigration] now”. But, now they have a “wait and see” answer that Sarto and a majority of the Board suggested 2 weeks after it was first brought up for “Discussion and Direction”.
Sounds a lot like 2005, doesn’t it?
After all, Sigwalt and Co. disregarded the voters then. And, they did it once again this year. They used the illegal immigration issue to distract voters from the “double dirty pool” to maintain control in April 2005. And, having gotten back in their seats, they appeared to kick back and bask in their dupe of the voters.
“I’ve got four more years on the board and so does Paul… “, said Sigwalt.
[Source: Chicago Sun-Times, "Proposal to fight illegal immigration gains no ground", June 6, 2007]
Sue Ontiveros of the Chicago Sun-Times also wrote in a June 9th editorial:
I don’t doubt that Carpentersville Trustees Paul Humpfer and Judith Sigwalt didn’t recognize that vitriol and knew it could work to their advantage come re-election time. And you know what? It all went just fine for them. As Sigwalt was quoted in the Sun-Times this week, “I’ve got four more years on the board and so does Paul, so it’s not going to fade away.”
Of course not. Anytime they need to whip up emotion and support for anything, they’ll just trot out that proposal again and people will be lining up behind them.
Coming tomorrow … Part 4, Divide and conquer
[[Follow these links to read Introduction, Part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4 and part 5]]
The Board elected in 2005, with 4 new members, didn’t get off on a good foot due to the last minute appointments and 11th-hour approvals that came at the hands of an outgoing Board. There were some bumpy roads caused by more than the crumbling infrastructure in the wake of years of neglect.
Yet by the end of 2005, the papers were congratulating the Board for having found some direction and cohesiveness that hadn’t been seen in years; things were getting done, and they were crediting Sarto with being the key in moving the Village forward and bringing the Board together:
At their last village board meeting of the year, Carpentersville’s leaders Tuesday gave themselves a pat on the back for their newfound cohesion after a history of fractious government.
Comparing Carpentersville and East Dundee as towns heading in opposite directions, the Daily Herald wrote:
Carpentersville’s government, for years notorious for its ugly public spats, has been humming along pleasantly for the past several months.
[...]
Now, board members spend more time thanking each other and laughing at each other’s jokes than debating each other at board meetings. When disputes do arise, they lack the biting tone they once had.
[...]
The turnaround came, according to both Sarto and Humpfer, when the men met to discuss their differences, agreed they needed to compromise, and made shows of good faith.
The eutopia on the Board — with a few disagreements here and there — lasted through the better part of 2006, as well. However, there was still some animosity carried over from the earlier actions of the outgoing Board. Not only was the appointment of Trustee Humpfer without consideration of others for the position both suspect and underhanded, but also the 11th-hour deal on Pulte’s Winchester Glen subdivisions.
The distrust caused some finger-pointing, mostly between Sarto and Sigwalt, and charges of ulterior motives.
Yet, it was Sarto who repeatedly reached out to try to mend fences and bring the Board together to be able to work on the things that needed to be done in Carpentersville.
In July, the Daily Herald commented:
Almost three months after he demanded his political rival resign his appointed trustee seat, Carpentersville Village President Bill Sarto says he will appoint trustee Paul Humpfer, an auditor, to an advisory financial panel. Sarto also plans to appoint former Trustee Nancy Moore’s husband, banker Donald Moore, whose offers to help previously had been rejected.
“We can’t keep fighting,” Humpfer said.
Well, you could – but this is so much better.
[Source: Daily Herald editorial, July 2, 2005]
While Sarto was reaching out though, you could almost sense that it would not be well received by Sigwalt and Co:
New Carpentersville President Bill Sarto named the man who ran against him the chairman of the newly merged audit and finance commission this week. “I think he’s capable of handling this, and hopefully this can heal some of the past wounds,” Sarto said of Paul Humpfer’s appointment. “I’m doing my best to bring this board together to get things done.”
In a town where political strife is constant, the move to mend a deep political schism is downright soothing. Here’s hoping Sarto also brought the Super Glue.
[Source: Daily Herald editorial, July 9, 2005]
“Super Glue”, as would be seen in later months when Sigwalt and Humpfer would continually slap Sarto’s cooperative hand, would have been nice.
Things were and have been getting done in the Village under Sarto. Sigwalt and Co were not getting the press they needed to win re-election … especially when there was a very real possibility that voters would hold them accountable for disregarding the results of the election 2 years earlier by the backdoor appointment of Paul Humpfer. So, in September 2006, with the help of the local media and backed by Sarto’s sometimes fiery penchant for pushing to get things done, they moved on the volatile illegal immigration issue.
Coming tomorrow, Part 3 … Volatile illegal immigration issue used to get Sigwalt and Co back in their seats
Last week the Daily Herald published an editorial related to a libel lawsuit filed by a court reporting firm against a court reporter who started a blog to complain about not being paid by the firm. The specific facts of that case will apparently be worked out in court, but I think there are a few things worth commenting on from the editorial, for the sake of some education.
The editorial begins:
Those in the “old” media, more than a little familiar with the intricacies of libel and slander law, knew it was bound to happen. A blogger has been sued for libel in Kane County’s 16th Circuit Court.
Perhaps this is a first in Kane County, but its nothing new nationwide. Bloggers have been sued, or threatened with suit, many times before. Only an extremely small number have worked or won.
Despite the apparent belief that those using the Internet can say anything without consequence, those with more experience knew individuals would tolerate the besmirching of their names and reputations for only so long before putting up a fight.
A large number of cases filed against bloggers typically have the goal of silencing their critics; of abridging First Amendment rights. And courts have regularly sided with bloggers in these cases.
While it is true that those who feel that they can say anything on the Internet are wrong, there seems to be a great amount of levity given to those who speak their opinion, and whether the target of criticism is a public or private person. This goes for “old media” as well as “new media” such as blogs. (In fact, the Supreme Court has ruled that “in the context of defamation law, the rights of the institutional media are no greater and no less than those enjoyed by other individuals and organizations engaged in the same activities.”)
Political speech is given the most leeway, so as to not suppress freedom of expression. That does not mean that someone can spread something that is “verifiably false”, such as saying that someone is guilty of a crime when they are not. But, an example from a real case will give some info as to how much can be tolerated:
A statement that the plaintiff is a “Dumb Ass,” even first among “Dumb Asses,” communicates no factual proposition susceptible of proof or refutation. It is true that “dumb” by itself can convey the relatively concrete meaning “lacking in intelligence.” Even so, depending on context, it may convey a lack less of objectively assayable mental function than of such imponderable and debatable virtues as judgment or wisdom. Here defendant did not use “dumb” in isolation, but as part of the idiomatic phrase, “dumb ass.” When applied to a whole human being, the term “ass” is a general expression of contempt essentially devoid of factual content. Adding the word “dumb” merely converts “contemptible person” to “contemptible fool.” Plaintiffs were justifiably insulted by this epithet, but they failed entirely to show how it could be found to convey a provable factual proposition. … If the meaning conveyed cannot by its nature be proved false, it cannot support a libel claim.
This California case also rejected a claim that the defendant linked the plaintiffs’ names to certain web addresses with objectionable addresses (i.e. www.satan.com), noting “merely linking a plaintiff’s name to the word “satan” conveys nothing more than the author’s opinion that there is something devilish or evil about the plaintiff.”
So, what was my “take away” from the editorial? That folks like me were being given a little bit of “notice” to watch it.
But, I write about public figures, backing up my conclusions with as much information as a reasonable person would expect to detail. A lawsuit filed against this blog would require the plaintiff to prove “actual malice”, meaning that a “verifiable fact” was posted that was reasonably considered to be untrue. Most legal opinions consulted have noted that is something difficult for a plaintiff to prove. Still, I make every attempt to provide legitimate reason for the opinions I hold and express on this blog.
Something else interesting to consider is anonymity. Cases have been brought in order to reveal the identity of an anonymous blogger.
The Supreme Court has repeatedly upheld the First Amendment right to speak anonymously: “author is generally free to decide whether or not to disclose his or her true identity. The decision in favor of anonymity may be motivated by fear of economic or official retaliation, by concern about social ostracism, or merely by a desire to preserve as much of one’s privacy as possible. Whatever the motivation may be…the interest in having anonymous works enter the marketplace of ideas unquestionably outweighs any public interest in requiring disclosure as a condition of entry. Accordingly, an author’s decision to remain anonymous, like other decisions concerning omissions or additions to the content of a publication, is an aspect of the freedom of speech protected by the First Amendment.” (McIntyre v. Ohio Elections Comm)
Procedures and motions are often filed to allow anonymous bloggers to remain anonymous until the lawsuit is decided, or a summary judgment is entered that considers the likelihood that the case will result in a final judgment in favor of the plaintiff.
Yes, bloggers need to be responsible and understand the law and their boundaries. But, bloggers also need to know their rights, and SLAPP lawsuits used to scare away criticism are often dealt with collectively in the blogosphere, having even caused those who brought the suits to drop them.
[Follow these links to read Introduction, Part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4 and part 5]
A June 13, 2005 article in the Chicago Tribune may help explain the problems in Carpentersville to the unenlightened.
You see, Carpentersville elections are non-partisan, meaning that candidates run for office on a ticket that is not affiliated with any political party. However, for many, many years, those with loyalties to the Dundee Township Republican Party have held a majority on the Village Board.
Factions in the party put that at risk, however. Some supported the best candidate, regardless of party affiliation. Others would support only those friendly to the party and those in something of an inner circle.
In February 2005, Trustee Sigwalt was part one faction of the Dundee Township Republican that fought to remove an ad paid for by Bill Sarto, “a longtime Carpentersville Democrat”. The ad was supported by some others in the Township Republican party, such as then-Trustee Nancy Moore:
Nancy Moore, treasurer of the Dundee Township Republican Party, said Sigwalt was angry because Moore and others were supporting Sarto, who they thought was the best candidate in the non-partisan board election.
[Moore said] “This has everything to do with Carpentersville politics.”
[Source: Chicago Tribune, "In-fighting splits Kane County GOP", June 13, 2005]
Jack Roeser, identified in the article as a “conservative millionare” brings some crucial points to light:
Roeser blames the GOP infighting on a “leftover old-boy network” that is interested in development. And he said Sigwalt and Trustee Paul Humpfer, who lost the presidency of the Village Board to Sarto, are … beholden to developers.
In April 2005, after years of the Village being plagued with financial problems, high staff turnover, and regular combativeness on the Board, voters went to the polls and demanded a change in leadership. In particular, they voted in Bill Sarto and Linda Ramirez Sliwinski. In doing so, voters also rejected Paul Humpfer. But, Sigwalt and Co. would not accept that. They had to do something, as their power was slipping, especially now that two Democrats had been voted onto the Board.
The move may have been legal, but critics said it protected Carpentersville’s old political guard.
This was an early shot in a battle for Sigwalt and Co. to retain control of Carpentersville Village government, which has had a ripple effect on events of the past several years.
Since President Bill Sarto was elected in 2005, a lot of things have been accomplished in the Village — many things that haven’t been done in more than a decade or longer. One can read in the State of the Village Address the extensive list of items that have been completed in the past several years, not to mention the things that are being worked on for the future. This, of course, wasn’t the work of Sarto alone, but mostly of a qualified, professional staff. Sarto’s work as President of the Board helped facilitate staff’s commendable efforts.
But, there have been those who apparently didn’t want Carpentersville residents to see Sarto’s ability to move the Village forward. After all, if voters saw the extent of progress made in the Village under Sarto, it would become even more difficult to get their own person into the President’s seat.
Paul Humpfer was chosen as the candidate to run for the president’s seat in 2005 based on opinions that he was responsible for fixing the Village’s audit problems of the previous years which made him appear like a solid choice for the position. Most expected him to run uncontested, until Sarto filed and later won the election.
Stunned by Sarto’s narrow defeat of Humpfer, the outgoing Board turned around and appointed Humpfer to take the seat of Trustee Bob Whitehouse. Whitehouse unexpectedly quit, saying that he was going to be moving out of Carpentersville that summer. (It should be noted that he still lives in Carpentersville today.)
At the end of a special meeting on April 12, 2005, after an hour-long executive session, (which seemed to all but assure that members of the public were no longer present) Whitehouse read his letter of resignation, effective immediately, and then stated his desire that Trustee Humpfer, who had lost both the bid for the Village presidency and the trustee seat to which he had been appointed approximately 7 months earlier, be appointed to his vacated seat.
Humpfer resigned his expiring seat Monday, April 18th, in order to be appointed to Whitehouse’s seat, which had a remaining 2 years. The next day, outgoing President Mark Boettger, made the appointment of Humpfer at the regular Board meeting without consideration of other applicants.. Two residents attempted to file their applications for the vacancy that evening to no avail. The appointment was approved by Trustees Sigwalt, Frost and outgoing member Karen Roeckner. Another outgoing Trustee Nancy Moore, who chose not to run for re-election, opposed the appointment, as did many residents and business owners.
The residents had spoken at the polls, signifying that they wanted a change in leadership, a new Board. However, members of the outgoing Board ignored the will of the People of Carpentersville and put their own choice back on the Board. (One should take note that in the middle of all this sat Trustee Judy Sigwalt.)
“(Humpfer) wasn’t supported for the presidency position, and it is unknown if he would have been supported if he had run for trustee,” resident Laura White said.
Tom Roeser, president of the Carpentersville firm Otto Engineering, said it was “an issue of integrity” and making the appointment in such haste “smells of intrigue” and “pre-arrangement.”
“If Paul (Humpfer) is the best person for this vacancy, he can be appointed by the new board,” Roeser said.
Moore said the “arrogance is just unbelievable.” “It’s these types of behavior that destroy public confidence,” she said.
[Source: Daily Herald, "Board gives losing candidate a seat", Apr. 20, 2005]
Former Trustee Nancy Moore is further quoted in a later article published by the Daily Herald:
Amid boos and heckles from the audience, the board voted 4-1 to appoint Humpfer, with Trustee Nancy Moore issuing a scathing dissent. She condemned Humpfer for overstating his role in mending the village’s finances and the board for its “arrogance” in rushing through the appointment.
“I will make sure that the village will not forget what the board did tonight,” said Moore, who decided not to run for re-election.
[Source: Daily Herald, "Carpentersville board fuming after appointment", Apr 21, 2005]
(It was not until the April 2007 election, that Humpfer was actually elected to the seat, on a platform that vowed to crackdown on illegal immigration, seemingly in an attempt to distract voters from these shenanigans.)
But Humpfer hardly could be heard taking his oath of office over the two dozen residents who streamed out in disgust after the vote, bellowing, “There is no honor here!” and “So much for elections!”
Police almost had to intervene as Humpfer’s critics dominated his fans in outcries.
The local news media called the move by the outgoing President and some members of the Board, suspicious and of questionable ethics:
A Northwest Herald editorial opined: “It was a case of double-dirty pool.”
An April 17th editorial in the Daily Herald stated:
Even giving the idea its best connotation – the desire to appoint a qualified and committed replacement – troubling questions are raised by the very fact that it involves two defeated candidates and a resigning trustee who could easily stay on until his proposed summer move.
If this village is to restore the trust of the public, it must establish transparent processes for all its decisions, and follow those processes to the letter under the scrutiny of the public. It has a process to replace trustees who resign, and it doesn’t include last-minute efforts to fill those posts so those who were elected can be cut out of the decision.
Nothing against Humpfer. … But Sarto was the voters’ preference, and any perceived attempt to undermine that decision will be viewed with derision. And that derision will focus on Humpfer, not Boettger or Whitehouse, both of whom will be long gone.
This editorial was also accompanied, in the preceeding and following days, by several letters to the editor from residents upset by these actions. One such example stated:
This is yet another slap in the face to Carpentersville residents.
Voters made a statement for change in the past election. However, there are several board members who feel change is not needed, regardless of their constituents’ views.
If the voters wanted Humpfer or Mark Boettger on the board, voters would have voted for them.
Enough is enough. Give us our village back.
I agree wholeheartedly. Give us our Village back!
Make no mistake, the appointment of Trustee Paul Humpfer was very important in maintaining some semblance of control over the Board and the Village. It was important for Trustee Sigwalt to maintain another ally on the Board, not simply to get more backing on her ideas, but seemingly designed to help ensure that Bill Sarto was prevented from doing anything significant that might extend his tenure beyond one term and keep fuller control of the Village just out of reach.
Coming tomorrow, Part 2 … As Sarto begins to move Village forward, Sigwalt and Co. work to derail those plans and actions.
[This is an introduction, with 5 more parts. Follow these links to read Part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4 and part 5]
It’s no secret that Carpentersville politics and government have had a history of problems, fights and power struggles. There are many others, like myself, who have wanted the Village of Carpentersville Board of Trustees to reconcile their differences and learn to work together for the benefit of the residents and business owners in the town. I’m not talking about eliminating differences of opinion — that is the reason a Board of Trustees exists. Instead, I’m talking about the power struggles and smackdowns. I’m talking about being more professional.
There are those, though, that don’t want to do that. For those that wonder why, let me tell you a little about the trouble with Carpentersville — specifically as it relates to the current Village Board.
A little over a week ago, I posted an article about the suggestion given by a public works professor at Northern Illinois University, that the Board meet in executive session to iron out differences,so that they may work more effectively in conducting Village business. Village President Bill Sarto made a comment related to that proposal expressing his desire to resolve differences, in order to be more effective in moving the Village forward. The response to that message was an attempt to draw Sarto into a debate over something that had nothing to do with the special session.
You see, one or two comments to that article stated that an executive session would do no good. Then, some attempted hijack the comments for the purposes of seeking to minimize the seriousness of criminal indictment of domestic abuse against Paul Humpfer by calling them nothing but “accusations for political reasons”. You can read the exchange in the comments to get the fuller impact of that discussion. But, it was as I was involved in that discussion, it occurred to me what was really going on.
Folks have accused me of partisanship. However, my statements on this blog are not driven by partisan politics. Rather, as I’ve observed the antics that have occurred over the years, I feel compelled to wake up the residents of the Village of Carpentersville to the backroom politics that have taken the control out of their hands and put it in the hands of a few elite.
I am tired of seeing the people of Carpentersville held hostage by those who appear to have little concern for anything beyond their own status in the town’s government, and perhaps covering their own butts (or those of their friends and supporters).
It is time for the residents of Carpentersville to rise up, take back the Village, and toss these elitists out on their asses.
As I’ve spent time going back over news and information of the past several years, I am drawn to the conclusion that Trustees Sigwalt, Humpfer and Teeter (and, others on occasion) are part of a group that purposefully instigated controversy and argumentation to hinder progress and maintain control over political adversaries, as well as Village staff and residents. I believe their record and actions provide overwhelming evidence to support this position.
This article will detail the actions of Trustee Judy Sigwalt, along with allies Paul Humpfer, and to a lesser extent, Kay Teeter, which have purposefully sought to sully the record of certain members of the Board. These actions have harmed the Village of Carpentersville, in particular by not addressing the needs of the Village in a timely manner.
What follows is a significant amount of information that will require some length to properly capture the events of the last approximately 3 years. This will require multiple posts, each focusing on a series of events, so as not to overwhelm you with too much all at once. Though posted separately, they are intended to be part of a whole to demonstrate the tactics and dirty politics employed to manipulate the minds of the voters, and even override the voters when they are not swayed by those attempts.
Every bit of what I am speaking about is available in the public record, via news reports, meeting minutes and broadcasts, or other documents available under the Freedom of Information Act. I encourage any and all readers to check these things to see for themselves that what I put forth here is accurate.
(It’s actually interesting to note that there was hesitation by some about taping the Village Board meetings to make them available for broadcast. It seems very likely that there was some fear that their agenda would be more prone to analysis and discovery.)
Coming next … part 1…
Have a Happy Thanksgiving!
Taking a break for the Thanksgiving holiday. Check back Monday, November 26th for the next post — sure to cause some excitement.
The Daily Herald published an article today, “Settle differences behind closed doors, expert tells village board”, reporting on one of the items that came up in Saturday’s Strategic Planning meeting.
Gerald Gabris, a professor in the public administration division at Northern Illinois University, suggested trustees meet in executive session to address problems among the seven-member board.
I believe this to be an excellent idea. This is something that I and others have been saying to the Board for quite awhile. In fact, it is the predominant factor in this blog being started.
But not all trustees are convinced the special meeting will solve the board’s problems.
“I think some things will be said that people will not want to hear,” Trustee Paul Humpfer said. “There are differences in opinions on the board and I don’t think they are going to change. I am pretty tentative.”
If one watches the Board meetings (whether in person, or on Comcast) or they read the meeting minutes, there are many times where this isn’t simply “differences of opinion”, but often they are catfights. (Cases in point would be the meeting minutes for September 18 and October 2.)
Frankly, something is going to have to be done because the Village’s image is being further damaged by this at nearly every meeting, and the ability to efficiently work on Village business is being hindered. Those unwilling to do whatever it takes to resolve differences and begin to work effectively together do not deserve to sit on the Village Board. If it fails, it fails. At least it can be said it was tried.
Although there is probably a need for some airing dirty laundry and calling people out for past issues, that should not be the focus or the intent of such a meeting. Rather, it should be used more as a means of agreeing as to what is proper conduct, how to effectively run the meetings, Board members’ interpretations of the Corporate Proceedings as specified in the Municipal Code and State Statutes, and learning how to communicate respectfully with one another.
Have I left anything out that would make such a meeting more productive, and solutions-directed, instead of being simply a rant session?
Driving around town this weekend, there were still many people who had jack-o-lanterns, some of them rotting, on their porches, etc. (Uncarved pumpkins are fine as fall decorations, in my opinion).
C’mon folks, is it that difficult to pick it up and put it in the trashcan?
With Christmas season gearing up at local malls and retailers its past time to toss your carved pumpkins (jack-o-lanterns) in the garbage.
The next meeting of the Longmeadow Parkway Task Force will take place on Thursday, November 15th, at 7:00pm at Public Safety Center II, 100 Carrington Drive, West Dundee. (The same day as “$1.00 Butterburger Day” at Culver’s! 
)
The agenda includes:
- Legal Opinion(s)
- Scope of Services for Preliminary Traffic Projections and Financial Feasibility Study
- Establish Working Groups
Time is available for public comments, however comments must be limited to agenda items only.
The Board has previously discussed lifting the overnight street parking ban that is in effect on Village streets. At the October 2nd meeting, a majority of the Board expressed that they had received calls from residents requesting that ban be lifted. Only one trustee said she received no calls or emails with such requests.
At the last meeting, it seemed likely that a majority of the Board would vote to keep the ban in place, despite the objections of some residents.
This is not an item that really affects me, but I wanted to put this information out there so that people were aware of it.
Yes, residents do have the option of contacting the Police Department if there is a necessity to park their car in the street overnight. In such a case, a ticket would not be issued.
And, worthy of note is the winter street parking ban that also exists.
Since this item was raised, however, several Board members have expressed that they have not heard anything from residents about lifting the parking ban.
If you are one of those residents who have contacted members of the Board about lifting the ban, it is recommended that you call or email them to express your feelings on the issue. Otherwise, it does appear that the parking ban will remain in effect.
This past Tuesday, an ordinance was discussed that would ban “scavengers” from picking up “white” items (such as appliances) put out at the curb for waste management, making it punishable by a fine. One of the issues raised was that residents are required to put 10 $2.40 stickers on these large items, as well as the fact that the current Village contract amount with ARC expects there to be a certain level of these “white” recyclables that would be picked up.
But, has the Village considered cases where residents put out these items without stickers the evening before pickup with the explicit hope that a “scavenger” would take such an item, thus saving them the $24 (or putting stickers on in the morning, if the item is still there)? Would this really be a “theft of recyclables” as defined in the Municipal Code, if stickers were not present? Or, would the homeowner be fined in accordance with 8.08.100 ? Will they take away residents options in this regard?
In terms of there being a lesser number of these items found at the curb by disposal service workers, could it be due to the fact that many delivery services now include hauling away the old appliance in their delivery options?
What would be the added cost for the Village’s waste disposal and recycling services if a specified level of these items is not received by ARC?
As a kid, I recall waiting anxiously for the Sears catalog to arrive in the mail. When it finally arrived, I would grab it — along with a few sheets of paper — flip toward the back where the toy section was, and then go page-by-page writing down the toys I wanted on my list to Santa Claus.
If I remember right, that was sometime just before Thanksgiving. My list wouldn’t be completed until sometime after Thanksgiving, however. It, of course, had to go through revisions.
Also excitement surrounded Thanksgiving morning. I would wake up in time to be in front of the TV for the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade (which was carried live in those days) … and to catch the first Christmas commercials that signaled the beginning of the season.
Unfortunately, those days are gone. Now, stores begin to set up their Christmas displays and prepare for the added gift inventory … sometimes before Halloween has arrived! Radio station, WLIT 93.9FM, began playing Christmas music 24/7 on November 1st.
The Courier-News reported that Spring Hill Mall will hold Radio Disney’s Santa Jam … this weekend!
The Santa Jam with Radio Disney will be held from 10 to 11 a.m. Saturday at the West Dundee mall’s center court.
Santa will arrive at Woodfield Mall on Thursday, November 15:
WELCOME SANTA TO WOODFIELD ON THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 15 AT 11:30AM!
Bring your children to Macy’s Court next Thursday, November 15th at 11:30 a.m. to participate in Santa’s Arrival Parade.
Retailers have continued to extend the Christmas season — unofficially labeled “Christmas Creep” — in hopes of being able to help their bottom line, especially due to consumers already feeling pinched by credit card debt, mortgage woes, and increases in fuel and food prices.
But, I will admit that I am planning to have at least 99% of my shopping done before Thanksgiving, so that I can slow down and truly enjoy the Christmas season; listening to Christmas music, putting up decorations, listening to Christmas music, and meeting with friends and family…
For me, though, the Christmas season still doesn’t really arrive until Santa guides his sleigh and reindeer down the street at the end of the Thanksgiving Day Parade.
Carpentersville Action Network is not just about keeping you informed. It is also about getting you fed…
Culver’s of Carpentersville is showing customers their appreciation by offering their famous “Butterburgers” at a special price.
On Thursday, November 15th, 2007, guests can get a Butterburger for only $1.00.
The advertisement reads:
1.00 Butterburgers are back
Join us at the Culver’s in Carpentersville on November 15 for $1.00 Butterburger day.
Come in and try one of our delicious seasonal shakes or malts.
We are offering pumpkin spice, cranberry, and egg nog. Get one today.Culver’s – Carpentersville
8000 Miller Road
Carpentersville, IL 60110
847-649-3225
Got a few emails requesting information on what happened at last night’s Village Board meeting, so here is a quick rundown…
Residents will begin seeing the water and sewer rate increase on their bills starting in January, that was originally approved in September. The Board voted unanimously to accept the January, rather than April, date. The Board also approved credits for those residents billed in October at the increased rate. Originally, the Village was to put the rates into effect beginning October 1st, but reconsidered after being alerted to the fact that the increase was retroactive.
The Board also voted to have an amendment written to the Municipal Code (“6.08.190 Number of dogs to be kept-Limitation.”) to allow two dogs to be kept in multi-unit dwellings. The current number is one. So, it is expected that this amendment to the current ordinance will be on a future meeting agenda — perhaps the next meeting.
And, another significant item was the “Resolution Approving a Professional Services Agreement for Municipal Facilities Site Planning Services“. The Board voted to table that item pending a review and recommendation from the Audit & Finance Commission.
This was an item designated for a land study and planning for the former site of Tamarac Crossing (a high-density housing development that was opposed by residents and eventually voted down by the Board in late 2004, which subjected the Village to a lawsuit that the Village Board ended by voting to purchase the property in late 2005. The purchase was a cause of some controversy (surprised?) because it didn’t get a prior Audit & Finance review and resulted in a 4-3 vote to approve the purchase).
Development of a new Public Works building has been in talks for a few years now, and was one of the top priorities in the strategic planning that occurred last year. When the property was purchased, this was the usage proposed for this site. Because the property is larger than is needed for the new building, however, it was proposed that the surplus acreage could be parceled and sold. That would allow the Village to recoup a portion of the funds spent on the land purchase.
At issue, however, is that the planning — estimated to cost approximately $45,000 $49,200– was not included in this years budget numbers. Thus it would be necessary for an amendment to be made to the 2007 budget — similar to what was done for the Kimball Farms work that was approved this year.
Some members of the Board, however, want to hold off considering this until next year’s budget.
That’s a quick wrap-up of some of the Board actions that took place last night.
I wanted to point out a few things from around the blog that people might be interested in.
First, I wanted to point out the “What I’m Reading” section of the sidebar. It will contain a list of links to articles that I found interesting, or might be of interest to readers. It links to my del.icio.us page, showing any items I’ve tagged “blogit”. At times, I will also bookmark items that I will tag with something other than “blogit”, so they won’t show up in the sidebar, but still might be of interest. Some things I bookmark may be of a wider scope than the blog intends to cover, so click on the “What I’m Reading” header to visit the page to check for more items.
That said, I’m widening the scope of the blog a bit more, to include more of the community, rather than just a government focus. It is my belief that the community will be better served by this. Also, by focusing on the community of Carpentersville, the strengths and benefits of the Village can be highlighted in order to show the world a truer face of the town.
That’s where you come in. There are lots of things going on in the Village … things that often people don’t hear about. If you hear of some news, information, or events going on in and around the town, or want to announce an event for your business or charitable organization, don’t hesitate to email the details to me using the link in the sidebar.
And, finally, I am aware that, for those using Internet Explorer 6, the sidebar drops to the bottom of the page. I am not sure what the exact error is that is causing this, but it has to do with the way IE6 displays pages and reads the stylesheet used to format the page. Unfortunately, changing the stylesheet to try to correct this would cost money. Thus far, only IE6 is known to have this problem. Earlier and later versions of Internet Explorer do not have this problem. Also, I have not found a problem to exist on any browsers on either Windows or Mac — according to a site I found that allows testing of sites on different browsers and operating systems. The only other option might be to change themes, but I know that many people like this one. So, unfortunately, if you cannot update your browser to either Firefox or the latest IE, this will just be something that will happen, until WordPress decides to update the stylesheet for this theme. Thanks for your patience and understanding.
President Sarto sent the following message about the Village’s upcoming Strategic Planning meeting:
Once again this year as we did in 2006, the Village Board and the staff will hold a Special Meeting at Randall Oaks Golf Club. The purpose of this meeting is a Strategic Planning Session.
Last year I opened this session with some remarks that were meant to set the tone for this worthwhile planning session. Again this year I will be making some opening remarks. A year ago my comments were very upbeat and positive about our future. I stated: “This meeting reflects extraordinary changes that have taken place in the Village over a relatively short period. It reflects elections in Carpentersville. We are at a crossroads. We have before us today an opportunity that only comes around once in a while. We are in a position to make sure that our programs are moving in the right direction and addressing the issues that we as a Village need to face. We are on the right course.”
I went on to say: “The Village now has an outstanding staff. Our job on the Board is to now keep our good people. So, today, we are here to help build and develop a strategic plan that will identify issues that may involve short-term, medium-term and long-term consequences. We are ready at this time to move ahead in this strategic direction.”
I continued: ” Our predicament in the Village is to think as a dreamer. We need to think outside the box. This is a good thing. We need to look and think about the bigger picture. In my opinion, we can do better than we are doing now.”
I concluded my opening remarks with this: “What is important is that the Board members and staff now seem to be on the same page and ready to go. We need to conceptualize a future and then decide how we want to get there.”
That was last year. So, much has happened in that short time. Here are some of the thoughts that came from that session just one year ago. These were the comments from the Village Board members given in one on one interviews with the facilitator: Under the heading “Core Values of Carpentersville”
1. Down to earth community that reflects a
2. “diverse” demography that helps make the
3. Village a highly family oriented place to live.
4. The village has a “small town feel” even though
5. it is located in a highly populated suburban location convenient to
6. shopping and other cultural amenities.
7. The Village offers a wide variety of housing stock ranging from very affordable single family homes to those on the high end.
8. Carpentersville is a maturing community that is known for its high quality drinking water, hard working residents, and high quality schools.
9. In summary, Carpentersville reflects the future now. It displays the characteristics of a family oriented, ethnically diverse, high service community where municipal government sustains a high quality of life with a small town feel.
Listed below were the top 5 “Strategic Issues” that we identified a year ago:
1. Improve the Village infrastructure (i.e. roads) Build a Public Works Facility, Identify funding sources for additional Village staff, especially for Public Works, Educate citizens about the need for a potential property tax increase to fund needed infrastructure improvements.
2. Have the Village engage in more intensive business/retail recruitment. Focus on economic development. Increase Village Revenues, i.e., grants, sales tax, and link to economic development.
-Hire an Economic Development Director.
-Hire an Economic development advisory firm.
-Create an Economic Development Council to advise the Board and Village.3. Engage in active redevelopment of those areas of the Village that need it.
4. Improve the Village’s Image:
a. externally in a broad sense, and
b. internally between Board and staff.5. Have the Village grow wisely.
I’ll let those reading this make up their own minds in grading the Village on achieving those goals that we set out to accomplish one year ago.
Bill Sarto – President
Village of Carpentersville
No longer does Carpentersville simply have a place in the national spotlight. The Village has now gone international, with the latest piece appearing in The Guardian’s Observer magazine (The Guardian is a United Kingdom new source):
The fight against the Hispanic revolution is gathering momentum in small towns across America. None is more on the frontline than the seemingly sleepy Illinois village of Carpentersville, one of a string of towns hereabouts that were founded by Irish and Polish immigrants, thrived on trade and factories, and have now hit harder times.
This excerpt is part of a longer analysis that appears toward the end of the lengthy article, which speaks of a more far-reaching issue:
For decades, Hispanics have existed mainly in the shadows of the American dream. Now they’re taking to the streets in their millions, in the biggest march for equality since the Civil Rights movement. And with $1 trillion to spend, millions ready to vote and their own candidate for President, Hispanics hold the key to the new American century.
The portrait that is painted of Carpentersville is, once again, not pretty to look at. And, with pending litigation against the Village for alleged discrimination — while the Village and paramedics may be found to have immunity — we could be faced with the reality of seeing the town labeled, as Hazleton was in a Zogby International Report, as “full of racism”.
A Zogby International report issued Wednesday paints a harrowing picture of Hazleton as a city where racism is rampant and people live in constant fear of racial profiling and losing their homes and/or jobs if taken for being in the country illegally.
Just as in Carpentersville, the news in Hazleton, PA is not all bad. There are some good strides being made there as well. Unfortunately it is overshadowed. Unfortunately, “but” has to be inserted in order to tell the fuller picture.
Even if there is some admitted “political opinion” injected into the report on Hazleton, and the articles on Carpentersville, opinion shapes ideas, thoughts and plans. Seeing that Carpentersville has struggled with image problems for the better part of a decade, its those types of opinions that we could do without. Which makes it more important for the Village Board to put down their swords, make a public commitment to the residents and business owners to work to move past the division and spite of the past (that goes beyond the current group of Board members) and raise their level of communication.
Doing so would give this blog something to praise, rather than things which deserve criticism.
On Thursday, November 1st, a new law approved in May went into effect in Oklahoma: Oklahoma Taxpayer and Citizen Protection Act of 2007 [HB 1804 text, Microsoft Word Document] A lawsuit has been filed to overturn the law. A hearing on the case is scheduled to begin this week. An emergency injunction filed to prevent the law from being enforced was tossed out last week.
The news reports about the law are somewhat misleading, because they infer that it creates a primary enforcement directive. In other words, that illegal immigrants will be specifically targeted by the act, and police will be responding to reports of suspected illegal immigrant presence.
However, law enforcement is saying it won’t really change anything they are currently doing.
Are they planning to ignore the law? Not at all. But, they say, people don’t seem to understand what the new law means and what resources law enforcement agencies have available to them.
“We’re not rounding people up,” [Capt Dean] Grassino [of Enid, OK] said. “We’ll cooperate. If they do an immigration enforcement action, we’ll assist. But we’re not going to send officers out to businesses to check workers’ papers and stuff. That’s stuff we’re not going to do.”
And, this is where things appear to differ from what has been proposed in Carpentersville. (Although, there is a disparity in comparison, too, because States have greater jurisdiction in these matters than do municipalities.)
While there are items in the law that appear to be problematic, because they may violate due process rights afforded to all citizens and guests of the United States or do not provide adequate protections of those and related rights, a majority of the sections of the new law are directed at existing processes, and may well be upheld.
For example, providing clearer criteria for the issuance — and acceptance — of official identification for obtaining public benefits and services seems quite within the jurisdiction of the state, without interference in federal statues. Additionally, in cases of arrest for certain crimes (read: felonies or DUI), “reasonable” effort must be made to determine whether the suspect is a U.S. citizen or resident alien, using the “Status Verification System” (something which the State of Illinois banned the use of). Some of these seem to be be the kind of things that Sheriff Daniel Beck of Allen County, Ohio has employed in his efforts.
Still, some of the sections could end up being rejected, such as those that would penalize citizens, landlords and business owners who might transport, house or employ undocumented immigrants.
The outcome of this case will be another one that we should watch.
Yet, for all the things that appear to be beneficial in the protections of U.S. citizens and taxpayers, there are still fundamental flaws that must be addressed. Today on Tennessean.com, an “Our View” touches on several of the issues that must be considered by a “hodgepodge” approach to immigration reform and enforcement.
Thus, while no one may like the way Congress has handled immigration legislation so far, it is still the province of the U.S. House and Senate, and the reason for this is deceptively simple: questions involving individuals from outside the borders of the United States should be treated equally and even-handedly. This cannot be achieved by 50 or more separate authorities, but by one federal authority.
Smaller jurisdictions’ end runs around Congress only complicate the problem of illegal immigration for the future.
Perhaps, though, worthy efforts will be take up to the federal level and implemented uniformly. But, deportations will not matter one lick without adequate border security, and some of these efforts will have a further detrimental effect on an economy that seems to be headed toward depression.
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