The View From The Cheap Seats
By Jerry Haferkamp
Tuesday’s recall outcome has to be bittersweet at best. Sweet because the majority of voters turned back the onslaught against our city, but bitter when you realize that 715 voters chose to support corruption and fraud over honesty. I guess because of my advancing years I would like to have seen an overwhelming vote against the powers trying to buy City hall. I long for the days when honesty and integrity were revered in St. Charles, the days when a person was judged by the content of his character, not by the size of his wallet.
The For Sale sign has not been removed from City Hall yet. The prospective buyers are still waging war against you in the form of the recall effort aimed against Mark Brown. They won’t rest until they get a puppet council, and we shouldn’t rest until we show them again and again that they are wrong. Hopefully the Brown recall will also be unsuccessful for them, but if so they will only go after another councilman. The only ones safe from a recall drive are the ones who already dance to their tune: Weller, Kneemiller, Reese and Hoepfner. I will cut Muench a lot of slack because I really think he is independent and is pretty sick of the attacks on his fellow council members. I could be wrong, but his future actions will show whether he supports the continued assault on the citizens or not. I think that he (unlike Larry Weller, Curly Kneemiller, Moe Reese and Schlep Hoepfner) really wants what is best for his constituents.
Probably the most disheartening occurrence Tuesday was the traveling troupe of comic figures that appeared at the Ward 7 polls. Showing up to support the recall were Petty Patti, Weller, carpetbaggers Watkins, Jamboretz and others. You would think that the mayor and councilmen would have at least stayed neutral, but that isn’t what they need to do to help their friends close the deal on the purchase of City Hall. I have heard that the developer who is suing the City was there for good measure. With the help of Weller, Reese and Kneemiller, he has his eye on your tax dollars.
What Petty Patti and her handlers fail to realize is that most of the good people of St. Charles don’t want to hate. This recall was based on hate. The developers hate the word “No”. The mayor hates to be told “No”. Linda hates that Mr. Linda’s pal is no longer running the police department. They all hate the council members that won’t dance to their music. It was never about fireworks or cell towers. It was about the power that Patti’s handlers could have with just one more council seat. Therein lies the reason for the Mark Brown recall effort. We can only hope the voters in Brown’s ward send the same message back to the special interests and carpetbaggers.
I’m also going to have to cut Jack Banas a little slack. Although he has sworn depositions stating that there was conspiracy, it may be difficult to prove. The Ward 7 resident who submitted the fraudulent documents will claim she didn’t know they were phony. Banas has sworn depositions to counter that claim. It would probably be a case of “I didn’t do it. Nobody saw me do it. You can’t prove anything”. Then again, maybe Banas should prosecute and let a jury decide.
Thank you Ward 7. You were inundated with nearly $50,000 worth propaganda, but you did “the right thing” and retained Council member Greer. (Kinda makes you wonder what makes it worth $50,000 to buy a council seat). The whole city owes you a big round of applause. Beware, Ward 2. You’re next on the hit list. Brown has worked hard for you. It’s your chance to turn back the assault on your city.
Of course, that’s just the view from the cheap seats.
