I am making an exception.
I have mentioned before that I dislike talking about politics. But, in light of the events of this past week, I realized that my apathy toward this subject may be a part of the problem.
Recently, the Illinois State Police came to our Village of South Jacksonville, Illinois to investigate top officials. While our Village has a relatively small number of residents, we do elect a President and have the subsequent Police and Fire Chiefs as well as 6 trustee positions. Some of the positions are elected while some are appointed by the Village President.
I have heard rumblings that 'things were amiss' with some officials for awhile now, but I didn't pay too much attention to it. That was my mistake.
Our local radio station, WLDS, airs "What's on Your Mind" and they featured the ISP investigation in two-parts. I have attached the link here.
http://wlds.com/news/the-south-jacksonville-illinois-state-police-investigation-full-report-2/
From the comments and shares I saw on my Facebook feed, I can safely ascertain many people were as surprised as I was with the ISP findings.
Lines have been drawn, of course. Some are calling for the resignation of one, if not all three, of the officials mentioned.
Perhaps the most surprising and mind boggling to me is the seemingly nonchalant attitude of our Village President toward these findings which have been alleged to occur under his watch.
In my opinion, whether or not he agrees or disagrees, he has a responsibility to the village residents who elected him.
There has been a call for an internal audit by one current village trustee. It is my understanding that the President has declined to allow this.
Why would he not take the opportunity to open up Village Hall to prove to residents that there is nothing to hide? Why all the secrecy?
Since this story broke, I've seen nothing from our President but dodging of questions and pat political responses.
As far as I am concerned, the buck stops with him.
I am dissatisfied with his lack of answers and his refusal to be forthcoming in the wake of these massive accusations of his top people.
I vote.
I have been wrong, however, in my naive assumption that those elected would have the best interests of the village and all village residents at heart when operating in the name of South Jacksonville.
I don't point fingers. I don't follow rumors and untruths. However, when faced with so many inaccuracies and questions from our ISP, I have trouble reconciling the fact that 'just because the Attorney General declined to press charges' this somehow proves that what has allegedly happened is untrue and we should just forget and move on.
As a voter, I have realized I have a much bigger responsibility than merely casting my vote for a favored candidate. While I won't be a watchdog, I should have been paying closer attention to what had been happening. Sometimes where there is smoke, there is fire.
In my humble opinion, as a typical resident of South Jacksonville, I am not satisfied with letting this all drop. I am not satisfied with my Village President's comments and announcement that he sees this as a closed matter.
But what can one person do? I can say that
one person did make a difference and that is what spurs me forward. I have to publicly thank our Village Clerk Dani Glascock for first bringing this information out in the open. She showed a tremendous amount of courage by speaking up and doing what she could to right a wrong. She has done her part. The ISP investigation would not have happened without her initial efforts. We would have known none of what we have learned this past week.
While I don't pretend to know what the next steps are or how to go about them, I do know I feel like I haven't done my part as a voter or as a village resident.
Surely, I can't be alone in what I'm feeling.
It is what it is.
p
