Buffalo Grove needs mediation, not recall
When Sen. Edward Kennedy recently died, he was hailed as one of our nation's all-time best senators. Yes, he was the liberal lion of the Senate. But his legislative success came because of his work across the aisle and the friendships he cultivated among many of the senators on the right.
Many a politician can make noise on their own side of the fence. It's the rare politician who can make things happen by working with the other side.
When Kennedy was first elected to the Senate, the story goes, he took some sage advice from a veteran senator to take his time to learn the ropes and the people before diving headlong into his own agenda.
For those who really want to make a difference as a legislator - be it in Congress, the statehouse or in the village and city halls across the suburbs - they would be wise to emulate Kennedy's legislative style. We bring this up today because of the ongoing tension among elected officials in the village of Buffalo Grove.
The latest in a series of contentious debates since the spring municipal election is a proposal to give voters the power to recall elected officials. It's a bad idea being made in the heat of the moment. We think it will only inflame the animosity that currently exists on this board and lead to more trouble, not less.
Trustee Lisa Stone believes this proposal is aimed at her. Indeed, she has been at the center of the storm in Buffalo Grove since she won election in April. She views herself as a long-needed independent voice, challenging the status quo. That may very well be. But her approach is not one of consensus-building. She has not shown any willingness to work with those who disagree with her.
That is not to say the other side isn't also to blame for the rash of disputes. We believe they have decided Stone is the enemy and now view recall as the only way to deal with her.
Instead, what this board needs is mediation and counseling. When executives don't get along in corporate America, making it difficult to do their work, the more progressive companies work with those employees to figure out solutions to those issues. It's clear in Buffalo Grove that the two sides do not respect each other. Rather than acknowledging that good people can have an honest difference of opinion, they see conspiracies and ulterior motives. We think it's time that Village President Elliot Hartstein show strong leadership, exert control and figure out a way to get this board working together. If outside help is warranted, get it.
Several communities do have recall provisions. Arlington Heights and Wheeling approved a recall law in the early 1980s but neither town has used it. The same is true for Mount Prospect, which passed one in 1995.
More recent discussions in Carpentersville and Naperville came, as in Buffalo Grove, as a result of controversy with one or more board members. Rolling Meadows considered one in 2003 and we were opposed then as we are now:
"Campaigns," we said, "cannot possibly come with guarantees; sometimes voters are understandably disappointed that the official they get is not the candidate for whom they thought they were voting.
"But the chances are remote that an official's behavior is so egregious that a community cannot stand to wait until the next scheduled election to pass judgment again."
And yes, we did eventually support a call for a recall amendment to the state Constitution. But the circumstances surrounding the state's corruption scandals with its two former governors are vastly different from the personality clashes that confront Buffalo Grove today.
If board members truly want to do the business of the people and not continue to selfishly focus on themselves, it's time they call a truce.