DuPage pol’s job strictly 9 to 5
Is a politician’s job a 9-to-5 thing?
From all I hear, the answer is an emphatic “No.” Not long ago, Kerry Lester, our political writer, traveled to Washington, D.C., to document the early days of our new congresspeople. One of my vivid memories of those stories is the long hours our leaders put in, exemplified by U.S. Rep. Joe Walsh setting up a makeshift bed in his office.
Perhaps not as dramatically, but we see more of the same on a local level.
When elections for municipal and school boards come around, one candidate after another stops by for his/her endorsement interview — and many talk about how they’re available for their constituents almost 24/7.
Then there’s longtime DuPage Forest Preserve District President D. “Dewey” Pierotti Jr.
A series of events last week led to the proclamation from Pierotti that “I’m a public official; I’m not a public servant” and that he shouldn‘t be bothered by the press or the public outside of regular 9-to-5 working hours.
It started with a night meeting Thursday, June 16, of a self-appointed watchdog group called DuPage United, an affair that drew an estimated 300 people. The group quickly made clear its next target would be the forest district, including Pierotti — with his $107,000 salary, plus benefits and a car allowance.
DuPage United members also claimed the forest district spends more than $700,000 a year on Pierotti and the part-time elected commissioners, who each make $55,000,
“The forest preserve district budget for 2011 shows over $700,000 for the commissioners,” DuPage United member Hani Atassi said.
“The district does not seem to be stretched for cash like other government units.”
The group also complained that it had invited Pierotti to its confabs, but had been stood up more than once. Finally, they asked if any forest preserve district representatives were present, and would they care to comment?
No one did. So, Justin Kmitch, regularly our Naperville reporter who was pressed into service for this meeting, did what all good reporters do: He attempted to reach Pierotti to put his side of the story into the next day’s paper. Kmitch called three different reporters who might have the info and obtained Pierotti’s home and cellphone numbers.
Neither number was answered, and Kmitch left messages saying who he was and why he was calling. No calls back, either, so Kmitch’s story said that Pierotti could not be reached for comment.
No call back from Pierotti the next day, but City Editor Bob Smith did get an angry call from forest preserve Executive Director Brent Manning. Pierotti, he said, was unhappy that we would even think of publishing such a story without getting his side of things.
Smith confabbed with Kmitch and called back Manning: Were these numbers that Kmitch called the previous night correct? Manning didn’t know; he couldn’t reach Pierotti that day, either.
Finally, a week after the meeting, Kmitch’s phone call to Pierotti was returned. Kmitch was out, but the forest preserve president left a rather detailed voice mail that explained:
1. He doesn’t answer any calls at home he doesn’t recognize.
2. He doesn’t do any forest preserve business outside of regular working hours.
3. He doesn’t have any “private meetings” with residents or special interest groups, though he provides “true transparency and openness” during regular office hours.
4. Regarding DuPage United, he doesn’t respond to “outright demands or orders”
Stop the presses! Just as I was putting the finishing touches on this column, we missed another call from Pierotti. He’s still interested in talking to us; in fact, thinks it’s our obligation to hear his side of the story, even though it took him several days to return our first call.
Point well taken. I’ve asked our regular forest preserve reporter, Elisabeth Mistretta, to give Pierotti a call on Friday.
During regular business hours, of course.
jdavis@dailyherald.com