Cronyism alive and well in DuPage

The proposed consolidation of the DuPage County Clerk and the Election Commission is a great PR piece but has a number of flaws. Among those is the notion that this is bipartisan.

It is not and never has been. Republican county board Chairman Dan Cronin chooses the Democratic member. The Democratic Party does not. When Mr. Cronin was first elected, he dismissed two very well qualified commissioner, one a Democrat, both having been on the board for years with outstanding knowledge of election procedures.

Mr. Cronin then appointed a Democrat of his choosing, someone that he knew personally but had no experience with procedures and no involvement with the Democratic Party of DuPage. On Nov. 18, 2014, I sent a letter to Mr. Cronin recommending two Democrats for appointment should a vacancy occur. Both had considerable experience in election matters, but neither were considered. Rather, Mr. Cronin, again, appointed someone of his choosing with no experience.

At a recent county board meeting, Mr. Cronin said the compensation for the four commissioners would not exceed the total paid to the 3 current commissioners. They are currently paid $27,500 or a total of $82,500. That equates to approximately $20,600 each for the four proposed members. Cronin also said that the new board would meet quarterly. So his appointees would be paid approximately $5,150 per meeting. Cronyism is alive in DuPage.

The other 100 counties are run by the clerk of one of the political parties. We would expect either of the two parties to conduct elections in a fair and responsible manner. But here in DuPage, Mr. Cronin thinks it's necessary as long as he is empowered to appoint his friends and boast of bi-partisanship.

Bob Peickert

Chairman, Democratic Party of DuPage County

Lombard