Removal effort is status quo's way to keep control
As the recall referendum approaches, it is critical to note that this is not a new or novel attempt to remove me. My recall was proposed before I was elected, before I took the oath of office and before I ever set foot in our village chamber. This effort is being backed by the same people who didn't want me to sit on this board from the outset. Why? Because I am independent. I am not part of the “good old boys club,” and I ask questions and expect government to be open, transparent and honest. This board does not share my view of good government, so they decided that recall was the answer.
Removing a duly elected official where no crime is committed or ethical violation occurred chills good, honest independent citizens from ever seeking office. On this board, questioning the sitting government officials is not tolerated; looking into important issues is frowned upon. The message is, “Sit quietly and don't rock the boat. We've been here for years and we will tell you what is important and what you can look into.”
Is it too much to expect that government will level with the people, that e-mails will not be altered, that tapes will not be “lost,” that crucial environmental evaluations will not be “missing” from our government documents, that officials will tell the truth, that when issues of health and safety become known to our leaders, they will not sweep them under the carpet and ignore them hoping that someone else will deal with them someday, if at all?
My passion for and devotion to this community compels me to stand up and be heard when injustice occurs. This same passion can be overwhelming at times, and I can become overzealous. I apologize to those that have been consumed in its wake or offended by my outrage. I know some of you think that quieter, calmer, faster meetings are the solution for all that ails us. I assure you it is not the answer. Quite the opposite. Dissent, discussion and debate are essential to good government. Burying our collective head in the sand will not solve or even expose our problems. We need our leaders to ask the hard questions and stand up for the community they were elected to serve.
We must be accountable. Despite the allegations made by our village president, I never failed to share detailed facts I received from the EPA. In fact, I shared this information with the news media, U.S. Rep. Mark Kirk and Lake County Commissioner Aaron Lawler. The village board was given the information by Village Manager Bill Brimm, who received it from Land and Lakes. In fact, the Daily Herald published an article discussing the EPA e-mail, and I was quoted in that article.
On the other hand, I was formally reprimanded by our board and a resolution was read aloud at a village meeting scolding me for reaching out to various government agencies seeking assistance on the environmental issues we faced, assistance I could not get from my own government.
For those who think it's been easy to raise certain issues and follow my conscience, it has not. I was not looking for missing tapes, missing environmental evaluations or altered e-mails, but once I discovered these issues, I felt it was my responsibility, in the interest of open government, to bring them to light and ask the hard questions. Anything less is shirking the very reason residents elect their officials.
Government is not an elite club whose members bear no accountability, and it should not be treated as one. Board members need not agree and no one should be afraid to discuss any issue in the public view.
The board and its minions seek to silence my voice and, if successful, will silence yours as well. On Nov. 2, you will have the opportunity to speak, do not make it your last word. Vote “no” to recall.
Ÿ Lisa Stone is a member of the Buffalo Grove village board.