If we are to succeed in 2008, the campaign started by OTDB must continue. This is why I decided to accept the challenge presented to me by the OTDB Steering Committee and run for chair of the county organization. OTDB has succeeded because of the team approach that was created. OTDB has assembled a team of experienced, talented and determined Democrats who have a will to win and they see OTDB as the organization that will make that happen.
However, nobody can achieve what we all want by doing it alone. OTDB can't do it alone. The county can't do it alone. If elected I will work to bring together the people from the county, township organizations and OTDB to get the job done.
Teamwork? Like as in, working together? What is the guy thinking? He obviously drank the progressive Kool-Aid.
Peickert calls for reduction in County Board seats.
Bob Peickert, Democratic Candidate for DuPage County Board District #1, has called for a reduction of the number of seats on the County Board from 3 to 2 in each District. Peickert claims his proposal will save the County approximately $750,000 and will have no adverse affect on County services. 'The current 18 member Board is nothing more than a revolving door to reward Republican Party loyalists. Board members seldom communicate with voters, so what difference would it make. We need to start the budget balancing process where it will least impact the residents of DuPage County.'
Peickert also calls for an immediate 50% reduction in pay for County Board members and its Chairman. 'Most of them have full-time jobs anyway and the $50,000 plus (with benefits and expenses) a year they receive is bonus money. Public service should be a privilege, not a luxury.'
Peickert also lashed out at the Board for voting themselves a 75% pay raise over the last 8 years. 'How many residents of DuPage County received a pay raise averaging 9.4% a year over the past 8 years? Politics combined with greed has no place in DuPage County.'"
Bob Peickert, Democratic Candidate for DuPage County Board District #1, has called the Board's recent plan to reduce the county budget by 10% "unacceptable and an election year stunt."
"Cutting services by 10% and giving themselves raises is unacceptable," said Peickert. "That's like cutting your food budget at home and increasing your beer supply. They need to cut their salaries. Seventy-five percent (75%) in 8 years is absolutely out of line."
The nerve of some guys! How dare he actually call out the DuPage Republicans like that. Next thing you know, he'll want more than one party rule in DuPage. Whoops:
State Senator Dan Cronin (R-21) recently submitted an amendment to House Bill 1752 that would increase by 300% the number of signatures required for candidates to appear on DuPage County ballots. Illinois law currently requires signatures from one-half of one percent "of the qualified electors of his or her party who cast votes at the last preceding general election in his or her county…" Senator Cronin's amendment would add, "or 1.5% if the county is DuPage County."
[...]
In his August 7, 2007 letter to the Daily Herald, Cronin again called for a two-party system of governance. Cronin stated that Illinois budget stalemate was "the result of one-party control of our system of governance, which eliminates the need for cooperation and good-faith negotiations."
In challenging not only the particulars of the proposed amendment, but the motives behind it, Operation Turn DuPage Blue Chair Bob Peickert asks, "Doesn't Senator Cronin see the hypocrisy in his proposed amendment? Cronin wants to change Illinois law to trap DuPage County under the exclusive control of the GOP by making it three-times as difficult for reform candidates to get on the ballot. If his proposal isn't to entrench the power of Republican bosses, why does the legislation single out DuPage County? Why not in Will, Kane, McHenry, or Kendall?"
Next thing you know, he'll be criticizing the way Republic cronyism runs DuPage. Kinda like this:
"I find it interesting that Republicans constantly criticize the State Democrats, but are always there with their hands out when money is involved. You don't deal with a $40 million budget deficit by handing out unnecessary political contracts," commented Peickert. "And Schillerstrom wants home-rule in DuPage County so that he has more tax dollars at his disposal for unnecessary lobbyist and PR work. How do these contracts help the taxpayers in DuPage?"
Geez, a Democrat willing to go after the entrenched DuPage Republican party is the last thing we need leading the DuPage Democratic Party. Maybe this Peickert guy would be better suited to forming a nice committee or something...
