Several people have asked me why I have equated Lisa Stone's method of operation, to be polite, to that used by the late Joseph McCarthy, the republican senator from Wisconsin.
But it's a different McCarthy.
I've given it some thought and by gosh, they are right -- Stone is practicing McCarthyism.
But it's a different McCarthy.
Granted, it seems as thought Liza acts like Sen. McCarthy, immortalized by his wanton attacks on people he didn't like without cause.
But after attending a vast number of Village Board meetings the past 14 months, it's become clear to me that Miz Stoney is practicing the McCarthyism made famous not by Joseph McCarthy -- but Charlie McCarthy.
Far fetched? Any time you're talking about Lisa Stone anything can be far fetched.
Far fetched? Any time you're talking about Lisa Stone anything can be far fetched.But why Charlie and not Gene? All you need to do is watch the board meetings. Stone seems to have her own special causes that she takes up valuable board time and village money ranting about.
Stone specifically is wrapped up in a five-year old meeting involving the now infamous Land and Lakes Landfill, which came as a result of alleged complaints about odors from the compost transfer station. Oh my gosh, it smells. Hmm, no one came to the Village Board and no one seemed to complain except to Miz Stone.
All of a sudden it has become a major environmental issue. Why hasn't Stone expressed concern about the environmental impact of the Pekara Avenue Sewage Treatment Plant? Or how about the environmental impact of Chicago Executive Airport?
Because no one has their hands, figuratively mind your, under her short to control her mouth the way Edgar Bergen controlled Charlie McCarthy's
And where did Stoney get the background on filing Freedom or Information Act requests?
She does not have the educational background nor the professional background in municipal or government affairs. Her village-posted background lists involvement in school-based organizations and also says she is a retired legal research consultant and a retired Precinct Committeewoman. I'm not sure if retired mean she is actually retired, or a clever way of saying not retained. That, however, is inmaterial.
What is not, however, is the fact that Stone does not appear to be her own person. As a reader posted in a previous blog, Stone pays little attention to Board business that is not focused on her agenda. It is not unusual for her to arrive at Board meetings with prewritten comments that, to no surprise rip another board member or village staff member.
Stone's knee-jerk reaction to Board issues after they have been discussed leads me to believe that her Edgar Bergen has gotten in touch with her as if to say "what were you thinking -- here's what you should gave said.."
It often appears that Stone takes cues from an individual or individuals in the audience and it's widely known that she has received text messages during the meetings.
If Stone is going to represent the entire village, then she needs to be her own person and not some puppet for someone who does not have fortitude to speak their mind.
Otherwise people will see that Stone really is McCarthy, but not Joseph McCarthy, Charlie McCarthy.
And the village can't afford that.
You're on to something....keep up the good work ! She is definitely "scripted", and once she goes off script, she is lost.
ReplyDeleteI'm suprised she can even read the script. She appears to be constantly baffled and befuddled in meetings and is easily distracted. She also loses interest and doesn't pay attention when "her" topics aren't being discussed. What's more, she can't engage in discussions because she only has cursory, surface-level knowledge of what's going on, so she's usually forced to ramble incoherently in hopes of sounding informed and intelligent- and that ALWAYS ends up backfiring on her.
ReplyDeleteI don't see any issues mentioned other than the fact that Lisa Stone has possibly raised an environmental question and may have had the AUDACITY to file a Freedom or Information Act request. Those have been made easier, by the way, since we got rid of our cloak and dagger duo in the White House, Likewise at the state level, although not much, because our legislators rolled it back to the extent that had already been won in court.
ReplyDeleteAs an outsider with little knowledge of political realities up there, it looks like you are the pot calling the Kettle black, and you provide almost no real information. Just mudslinging. Why should I care about your personal dislike for someone named Lisa Stone?
I'm not surprised to see that you are absolutely in love with the evil cabal of Whores that call themselves City Managers. Please read the Illinois Statutes. This is only one possible system - and it's not absolutely prescribed by state law. Much has been done to promulgate the myth that they are necessary, That's why Dane Bragg is so valued by his peers: he raised the cost of doing business to a new level, and now will be rewarded in a town that's mainly populated by the Managerial Class.
Ask him about his Visioning Sessions. The results were never released as promised. It was a campaign he ran at city expense concurrent to the actual municipal elections, then ended abruptly. He made a little trip to Decatur, where things were seen that were not his doing - because he was HERE, in Galesburg, when they actually took a step forward to improve things for the average person in that city, which he has already scraped off his boots. He made sure the trip got good publicity - at exactly the same time the 3 year secret armory deal went down in flames and was not mentioned anywhere in print. This is quite a wonder, if you look up all the stories about the wonderfully secret back room deal that was being cooked up with some developers from CHICAGO'S NORTH SUBURBS. So the deal has died, it was costly for us in Galesburg, probably about a million dollars worth. That's how much Tony Riley cost us in the Sornberger Case, and it got him a promotion to Lieutenant. Now he's out on bail for felony charges, and it's being hushed up. But he's being prosecuted. Does that happen very often to a Police Lieutenant anywhere?
As the Chinese say, "You can whitewash a crow, but it won't last". Perhaps Mr. Bragg has finally found the crowd he wants to swing with. He's moved in with you. Soon you'll find out if you're just another steppingstone.
David Roknich
Galesburg, Illinois
Mr. Roknich:
ReplyDeleteThanks very much for posting. A few notes, however.
1. In regard to my background, I have extensive experience covering local, regional and state politics. I am not an "outsider." Rest assured, I do not blog on hearsay, but only on those meetings I attend. If I do not attend, nothing is blogged until I have watched the video.
2. It's obvious you have a disdain for village and city managers. As is the case in any profession, there are good ones and bad ones. I have seen both.
3. My dislike for Trustee Stone is not personal, it's due to her performance as a village official. It's no different than your dislike for Dane Bragg and the other village and city managers.
4. You seem to have a passionate dislike for developer from Chicago's North suburbs, but do not indicate which ones -- commercial? Residential?
I am, as I hope the rest of the village is, ready to give Mr. Bragg a chance to prove himself.
We'll just have to wait and see.
Stan,
ReplyDeleteIn my post, I refer to myself as an outsider relative to Buffalo Grove - I would view you as an insider.
With regard to Dane Bragg, the consensus from Galesburg would be caveat emptor.
David Roknich
Galesburg, Illinois