Don’t give Abboud a free hand in Barrington Hills

Earnest Benn wrote, “Politics is the art of looking for trouble, finding it whether it exists or not, diagnosing it incorrectly, and applying the wrong remedy.”

Barrington Hills President Bob Abboud is clearly a disciple of this practice of political process based on the long and exhaustive village debate that recently concluded his pursuit of an unnecessary Exterior Lighting Ordinance. Despite his closed-minded determination to quash overwhelming opposition to the ordinance, the voice of the people managed to prevail in the end (notwithstanding anonymous pink support mailers).

Every step of the way throughout this attempt to enact an overreaching Ordinance, efforts made by hundreds of residents to have their concerns heard were met with criticism, derision and blockades of due process by Abboud and his associates.

Abboud recently anointed the candidacy of three loyal followers for trustee seats in the April election. If they are chosen, he hopes he will no longer need to be bothered by the “shrill” voices or sound opinions of his constituents, and will be able to govern as only he sees fit. Friends and neighbors, this cannot happen.

We stalwartly support trustee candidates Steve D’Amore, Beth Mallen, Dede Wamberg and Skip Gianopulos of the Common Sense Party. They bring a wealth of knowledge, experience and common sense that our Village founders provided in 1957. And they will work for resident’s interests, not against them.

It’s time we restore that to our village governance on April 5.

Jim Hammond

Karen Trzaska Boccabella

Barrington Hills