Politics,
Poison and Posturing
Cat fight at City Hall
comments: 7
Welcome to
DeKalb, Mark Biernacki! You might be wondering if that's
true, given the
front page headline and lead in paragraph in the
Daily Chronicle announcing your hiring as City Manager. Or
after reading some of the letters to the editor and call ins to
their Ear to Ear column.
DeKalb really is a
friendly city. And there are many people who think you'll
do a great job.
Biernacki is not the
source for the cat fight at 200 South Fourth Street in DeKalb.
The issue is between aldermen Pat Conboy, Kris Povlsen, Steve
Kapitan, who all either directly or indirectly supported former
mayor Bessie Chronopolous in the past election, and current
mayor Greg Sparrow.
The Sparrow
Opposition Party is receiving expert cheerleading services from
Herb Rubin, professor emeritus at NIU, and former member of the
DeKalb Plan Commission. Sparrow chose not to reappoint Rubin to
the plan commission last July.
Dr. Rubin has earned
a Ph.D. in political science and a Master of Science degree in
mathematics. He put his education to use in writing a
letter to the editor (complete with graphics) with the posit
that since numbers he tabulated "prove" that the three aldermen
named above actually represent the majority of the citizens of
DeKalb, their voting block should determine all city council
decisions, despite how the mayor and four other aldermen vote.
In a call in to the
Ear to Ear column, Dr. Rubin has announced he is writing a
follow up letter to further drive his new mathematics home. He
also questions Mark Biernacki's motivation for accepting the
position of city manager. He and other callers and writers
(and Chris Rickert of the Daily Chronicle, read first
paragraph linked to above) have more or less accused aldermen
Dave Baker, James Barr, Kariega Harris and Mike Knowlton of not
having a mind of their own.
No wonder its so
difficult to get good people to run for elected positions.
Aldermen Baker,
Barr, Harris and Knowlton should respond to the personal attacks
on their integrity with their own letters to the editor. I
would, anyway. And the Sparrow Opposition Party should be
embarrassed for using or tolerating such a childish strategy.
Mayor Sparrow has
some responsibility in this silliness at city hall.
Comments, not usually aired so quickly after closed executive
session to discuss personnel matters related to the hiring of
Mark Biernacki, were turned into vicious personal attacks.
The mayor should order the public release of the recording of
the closed sessions in their entirety. I bet it would
reveal that Conboy, Povlsen and Kapitan did not so much oppose
the contract structure offered to Biernacki as they did the fact
that Sparrow recommended him.
At least until they
decided that the contract structure could be a tool to use in
their fight with Sparrow.
I believe Mayor
Sparrow, and aldermen Baker, Barr, Harris and Knowlton made the
correct choice, from the field of three finalists, when they
voted to hire Mark Biernacki. My opinion is formed from my
experience of him during his previous employment with the City
of DeKalb. We worked together on the DeKalb Park District
comprehensive plan. He basically served as the liasion/moderator
between the park district's executive director and staff and
volunteer citizens who served on the committee. His level
of excellence in fulfilling his duties and his abilities to
facilitate the strong, diversified opinions of the group earned
a lot of respect from me.
I suspect that the
mayor and four aldermen expect Mark Biernacki to serve city
residents by eliminating waste, increasing efficiency and
boosting morale to provide good government. As I have gratitude
for the efforts of all public servants, including elected
officials, I believe they also felt that Biernacki was the most
qualified to meet those expectations.
Welcome (back) to
DeKalb, Mark. Now get to work.
Comments: 7
Submitted 1-19-04
Mark is a very welcomed addition to this city. What a great
way to start the 2004 year. It was a big loss to this
community when he left and now it is time to get this
community back on track. It is unfortunate that the politics
that is being played in the council chambers is getting in
the way of the real needs of this community. The taxpayer
needs to wake up and take their responsibility of voting
more seriously. This community needs a drastic change in its
government. We need people who want this community to be
everything it can be.
I would be very interested to hear
the tapes and I know that many citizens would be appalled to
hear how government works behind closed doors. Many do know
and that is why many of the good people who should run for
an elected seat will not.
Ivan Krpan
Submitted 1-19-04
I'm glad to read somebody else has caught on to games being
played by our astute city council members. You were
too easy on Sparrow, though. He's just as guilty as
Povlsen, Kapitan and Conboy. The big babies should
grow up!
Anonymous
Submitted 1-20-04
Your article is dead on. It's bad enough that partisan
politics takes place in the state and national government.
It's embarrassing that it takes place in DeKalb.
Anonymous
Submitted 1-21-04
Great article! Povlsen is my alderman and I sure wish we
could get him replaced. They've turned city council into a
circus.
Anonymous
Submitted 1-21-04
Mark Biernacki is just what DeKalb needs at this time. He
is a leader, knows DeKalb from past service to the community
and will lead us on. We need to call the aldermen and
support the four who made the right decision and call the
other three and tell them where to get off. They are there
to serve the community - they are only doing a disservice.
The least that they could do would be to support the
majority and they should make the vote to bring Mark to
DeKalb an unanimous one.
Warren Osenberg
Submitted 1-26-04
Members of the Sparrow Opposition Party are outraged!
Absolutely outraged! I haven't heard so much outrage since
Howard Dean's concession speech!
James Sheridan
Submitted 1-26-04
I have to seriously wonder if DeKalb's current police
chief truly has his heart with the DeKalb force. With him
putting his hat in the running for the City Manager's
position with DeKalb, does he find the police chief's
position too unbecoming? I believe that position needs to be
reevaluated in DeKalb. How many other resumes has he sent
out?
Anonymous
