Accusations fly in 53rd house race

Political mailers have played a large part in the 53rd state house race, where accusations have flown back and forth.

Incumbent Sid Mathias said the district, which covers Buffalo Grove, Arlington Heights, Mount Prospect, Prospect Heights and Wheeling, has been bombarded with literature attacking him sent by his opponent Carol M. Javens.

"I have been running for office for the last 20 years or more, and I have never had an opponent that distorted my pictures and told half-truths and innuendos," the Republican from Buffalo Grove said. "It's just Chicago-machine politics at its worst."

However, Javens, Democrat from Wheeling, stands by her fliers.

"Everything that is there in every mailing is cited based on an actual vote that Sid Mathias has taken," she said. "It's not conjecture. It's in the record."

Javens' mailings have included one that said Mathias received thousands of dollars in campaign contributions from a company being sued for fraud by the federal government.

While Mathias agrees he took money from Kam Engineering, he said it was years ago, when the company had no charges against it.

Javens contends the money should be returned.

Mathias insists that his campaign is discussing doing just that. The mailer went out so quickly, his campaign office said, that the discussion hadn't taken place.

For his part, Mathias has tried to tie Javens to Democrat Cook County Board President Todd Stroger. Javens said she's fought against the unpopular sales tax increase Stroger's administration implemented in Cook County.

Mathias has also said that Javens' campaign is funded by House Speaker Michael Madigan, which means she will be in his pocket. However, Javens said has not promised any support for Madigan. She has gotten money from the state Democratic party, just as Mathias has received funds from the state Republican party, she said.

Rob Sherman, the Green party candidate, said he's also not happy with the way Javens has been running her campaign.

"I think that it would be an abomination if Carol were to succeed in lying her way to a seat in the General Assembly," Sherman said.

He also agrees that she would be a rubber-stamp for whatever Madigan wants done and would add to the bickering in Springfield that has gone on between Democrats Madigan, Gov. Rod Blagojevich and Senate President Emil Jones.

But Javens said Republicans have had their share in the fighting and she believes an outsider can do better than any incumbents have.

"The House Republican leadership has been involved as well," she said. "There are a lot of people who say they don't like any incumbents."

Mathias and Javens both support the right to recall of any state politician, including Blagojevich.

In a candidate questionnaire, Mathias wrote: "Illinois citizens should also have that right of recall. I support this proposal not only because of our current elected officials but to have a mechanism in place for future elected officials who abuse their power while in office."

Javens said she'd like to see such a provision extended to other elected officials besides the governor but with guidelines that would allow for prevention of its abuse.

Sherman, however, said that's what elections are designed for.

"A candidate can be evaluated based on his total performance and all his votes," he said.