Another tradition gone away...

Being a traditionalist in many ways, this time of year is a cause for reflection.

Kids are going back to school, vacations are wrapping up, and the Cubs are out of the pennant race.

Some things never change.

One thing that has changed, however, is the traditional start of election campaigning. It used to be that politicians would not start their bids for office until Labor Day. Not anymore. Now it seems as though campaigning is year round. It starts prior to the primaries, runs through the primaries and once the primaries are over – boom – the incessant rhetoric picks up once again.

Trustee Lisa Stone, who has done for campaigning what Lar “America First” Daly did for Chicago mayoral elections, fits, no breaks the mold. Her stint on the Village Board has been one continuous campaign filled with (this not news, folks) ridicule and personal accusations. And while she claims to be a concerned about the village finances, her campaign continues to cost the residents.

The video taping of the Village Board meetings is not free – and the longer Stone rambles, the more the village pays those videographers, who I believe now get Tetanus shots as part of their benefits. Stone uses the community access to wave her disdain for just about everything in the village. She uses community access for her own benefit, such as the time she told the videographer to “focus in” on the page of the Shaw Report she was waving around. Regular to Village Board meetings may also recall the bird houses that were placed in front of each member of the Board in recognition of the Arts Commission Bloomin' Buffalo Grove. Only Stone moved hers aside. Guess it interfered with the camera angle.

The interesting thing here is campaigns are for politicians. Lisa Stone is not a politician. That’s not my assessment, nor that of any of her opponents. That’s her assessment – she, made that pronouncement during the Aug. 9 Board Meeting. “I am not a politician.”

I’ll add that to my list of great political quotes – along with “I am in charge here” (Alexander Haig), “the policeman is not here to create disorder, the policeman is there to preserve disorder” (Richard J. Daley) and, of course, everyone’s favorite “I am not a crook” (Richard Nixon).

So now it’s “I am not a politician” – which leads to the question, if you’re not a politician, what are you and why are you taking up space on a governing body?

If it’s to showcase special interests, then the mission is accomplished. If it’s to serve the community, let’s make that entire community, the mission is falling way short, sort of like the Cubs bid for a World Series title (wait, let’s make that appearance).

Stone apparently thinks being a politician means playing games, back stabbing and doing only what you want to do. But she would never do that, she’s not a politician.

Savvy politicians would never steal a limelight; instead they would let their record and performance speak for themselves. Nah, I don’t think Stone would do that because, after all, she’s not a politician.

Good politicians who serve their constituency well get re-elected, much to the chagrin of some. However, it’s important to note that even if they do serve a long time it’s because of public trust and dedication to serving their community, county, state or nation.

The bad ones are rejected in one way or another.

So as Labor Day looms, it’s sad to see some traditions go by the wayside – like controlled campaigning.

Thank goodness we have the Cubs.