DATE: 09/21/2006 09:18:34 PM
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<a href="http://www.ilga.gov/Senate/Senator.asp?MemberID=985">State Senator and DuPage County Republican Chair Kirk Dillard</a> described <a href="http://www.lizchaplin.com/">DuPage Water Commissioner Liz Chaplin's</a> appointment to the Commission as a "great choice." When <a href="http://www.co.dupage.il.us/cobrd/generic.cfm?doc_id=269">Republican DuPage County Board Chair Robert Schillerstrom</a> appointed Liz Chaplin to the <a href="http://www.dpwc.org/">DuPage Water Commission</a> he said,
“Ms. Chaplin has been a strong champion for the families of Downers Grove who have had to live with this public health crisis [of polluted well water]. She has worked tirelessly with the County and the Water Commission to find a workable solution to this complex problem. Her voice on the Commission will ensure that the Water Commission continues to address the concerns of all the citizens of DuPage County.â€
Now Liz Chaplin is running for DuPage County Board District 2. Liz, who is the only DuPage Water Commissioner to attend every meeting since she started September 2002, is endorsed for DuPage County Board by the outgoing <a href="http://www.dupageco.org/cobrd/generic.cfm?doc_id=277">GOP District 2 County Board member Irene Stone</a>, a 20-year veteran of the board, who says,
"I worked with Liz to help resolve the 'contaminated water problem' in Lisle. She exercises as much determination and perseverance as I have during my tenure in office, if not more, and I can testify to the fact that this is what it takes to get things done, particularly on controvertial issues.
Liz is honest, she is sincere, she is concerned and she cares about the people. And she has proved it! Please take the time to <a href="http://www.wurfwhile.com/archives/000739.html">read her biography</a>. We need people like Liz in government." [Editor Note: Out of convenience I have supplied the WurfWhile biography in the link - not the original Irene Stone refers to which was a pdf campaign biography.]
Now, despite years of distinguished government service with the DuPage Water Commission, despite the endorsement from the outgoing 20-year veteran DuPage County Board member, despite the fact that Republicans Kirk Dillard and Robert Schillerstrom both encouraged Liz to run for DuPage County Board, Republican County Chair Kirk Dillard believes it's right to disparage Liz in today's <a href="http://www.chicagotribune.com">Chicago Tribune</a> because she decided to run for the all-Republican DuPage County Board ...as a Democrat.
Liz hasn't changed her views, she's remained steadfast. When she told Republican officeholders of her plans they begged her to run as a Republican, offering her their support if she would and telling her that she was a "good" candidate as long as she accepted the GOP label. Liz was polite but stands firm. Liz is a Democrat, one who has tremendous respect for and has successfully worked with officials of both parties, but one who will run as a Democrat. It would have been easier, much easier for Liz to have taken the Republican label and waltzed to victory. It would have been easy, but it wouldn't have been honest.
As DuPage County Board member Irene Stone said, Liz Chaplin "is honest, she is sincere, she is concerned and she cares about the people. And she has proved it!"
In July 2004, Kirk Dillard considered running for U.S. Senate telling reporters that he could beat then candidate <a href="http://www.barackobama.com/">Barack Obama</a>. State Senator Dillard decided ultimately not to run. Instead Democrat Barack Obama's honesty, sincerity and qualifications stood in sharp contrast to his Republican opponent Alan Keyes, as did Obama's ability to acknowledge and work with others of opposing views. Keyes' attacks on Obama failed to resonate with DuPage voters because they wanted competent government that would work together for them, not government that would fight against itself, and fail DuPage. As a prominent party official, I would hope that Republican Chairman Dillard would recognize the qualities in a candidate that DuPage residents seek.
Today it seems that the lesson of DuPage voters supporting Barack Obama is lost on Kirk Dillard, leader of DuPage Republicans, who believes that people he worked with, befriended and supported before because they were qualified must be mocked, cast aside and disparaged during campaigns. In today's paper he describes 20-year veteran Irene Stone's endorsement of Liz Chaplin for DuPage County Board as lacking intelligence - and this after having months ago endorsed Stone for the position. In the case of Liz, whose politeness and kindness is unmistakable when you meet her, Dillard dismisses her "as a woman candidate with some limited local government experience [that] might look good." Dillard's attack on Irene Stone and Liz Chaplin, who has local, county, state and federal experience, is inaccurate, rude and a real disservice to DuPage County. Better that Chairman Dillard stick to the issues or simply say nothing, then use attack politics and partisanship over progress and civility.
Perhaps Kirk Dillard could learn a little from <a href="http://www.lizchaplin.com/quotes.html">Liz Chaplin about working with everyone to do the people's business</a> - which is the reason we elect public officials. As Liz says in the <b>Chicago Tribune</b> article,
"I really think we need to get back to good government here and stop the politicking.... Coming in as a Democrat on the County Board would be a great opportunity for DuPage, because any time you have a one-party system, the checks and balances aren't there."
To me the lack of checks and balances sounds like a national problem - similar to <a href="http://www.wurfwhile.com/archives/001059.html">the DuPage County deficit resulting from poor planning, and talk of balancing the budget on the backs of the most vulnerable in DuPage</a>. DuPage County residents who care about results would benefit from more honest, sincere people like Liz Chaplin, who will work with members of both parties to bring "good government" back to DuPage. Vote for a DuPage County that works. Support Liz Chaplin.
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