County board candidate event
If you've known me for a while you may remember that I started this blog to promote my campaign for county board. I'm not running for county board again but there's still a need for balance in county government. Out of 29 county board representatives, only four are Democrats. We essentially have a one party system.
During my run, I realized that most people have no idea what the county board is up to. That's how the board likes it. With the exception of a few select issues they bring to public attention, they generally operate quietly under the radar. The local press doesn't watchdog county government with the same aggressiveness they have for city politics. That's a recipe for bad government, no matter who's in charge.
The example I raised in my race was the selection of the Populex voting machines, which failed to meet requirements for state certification. A committee of political insiders met for months with no news coverage and no input from the general public until after their decision was made. Republican leaders repeatedly showed condescending contempt for anyone who questioned their decisions. After wasting millions on Populex machines, and then spending more on leasing replacement machines we eventually had to buy, the county finally gave up on the Populex disaster.
Oddly enough, the owner of the Populex company and the head of the voting system selection committee were both political appointees in the Edgar administration. If we had more balance and oversight on the county board, then maybe you wouldn't have to read my blog to find out more about major scandals like this one. It's time to get more Democrats on the county board.
The fundraiser for Democratic County Board candidates is this Tuesday, February 16, at the Plumbers & Steamfitters Hall on 2880 East Cook Street from 5:30p - 7:00p. Any donation level will be accepted. You can make all checks payable to the West Side Democrat Club and bring them with you to the fundraiser. Or if you can't attend you can mail donations to the West Side Democratic Club @ 72 Archer Ave, Springfield, IL 62704.