Get over 'concern' on COD appointment

I read with interest your article about Downers Grove Commissioner Bob Barnett's "concern" about David Olsen holding positions as a College of DuPage board member and Downers Grove village commissioner. In that article, Commissioner Barnett admits sending the complaint to the attorney general saying, "It just seemed like a question worth getting a straight answer to."

To the casual reader, it may seem that Barnett is riding in on a white horse by referring a question to the attorney general. But to those of us who know better, this could not be further from the truth. His latest actions appear consistent with a pattern of turning to obscure rules and laws to further his own political advantage.

For example, when Commissioner Barnett and his faction were in the majority on the Downers Grove Council, they took a fair appointment process for local boards and commissions and decimated it by denying appointments to extremely well-qualified individuals based solely on politics.

Further, in 2010 Commissioner Barnett not only showed no concern but hyped the fact that then-Mayor Sandack could be the mayor of Downers Grove as well as a state senator. Commissioner Barnett and his faction also supported a single resolution that would have automatically allowed Mayor Sandack to attend and vote at future council meetings from Springfield.

This would have required council members to illegally pre-vote for future meetings and not necessarily attend. Clearly Commissioner Barnett had no concern except for maintaining his own council majority.

The recent appointment of David Olsen to the College of DuPage Board, a position which he did not seek, was a step to restore COD as one of the gems of DuPage County. Barnett should get off his horse of faux concern and admit his desire to promote fractional and partisan politics.

William Waldack

Downers Grove