I went to the Bolingbrook, IL Village Board meeting tonight, hoping to get some pictures of Mayor Roger Claar for my website, The Bolingbrook Babbler. This was also the meeting where the board was going to approve the budget. The group Citizens for a Better Bolingbrook was also going to be there, and I wanted to see what they were like in person.
Unfortunately, I was disappointed.
When the time came for public comments, they seemed to embrace a two pronged attack. First, Bonnie Alicea, who lost the mayoral election as a write-in, would come up to the podium to ask a question. Then a man, carrying a laptop, would follow up on her remarks. Bonnie was fine, but the other person would just ramble on and on.
Bonnie raised some very important point, like the Mayor getting a pay raise while village employees either either getting pay freezes or cuts. She also mentioned that the village was doing business with a construction company that is barred from doing business with Chicago due to corruption charges.
The other guy didn't help with his rambling follow ups. I was even turned off when kept going on about how corrupt Chicago was, calling it a mob town. Thus losing the point that Bolingbrook is doing business with a company that has a questionable background. (And, as the mayor admitted, contributed to his campaign fund.) During his second time up, the man kept going on about "boondoggles," until Roger finally asked, "Do you have a question." Thrown off, the man replied "Why didn't you reply to the e-mail I sent you today?"
Roger demonstrated his years of political experience during this exchange. He said that there was "so much misinformation out there." He said that anyone could contact him if they had concerns about the budget. (Though whether he would reply is another question, if some online accounts are correct.) When asked by another audience member why he was getting a pay raise, Roger replied that annual pay raises is a village law, and state law says that an elected official's salary cannot be changed six months before and six months after an election.
Based upon the audience reaction, CBB didn't seem to make any new allies. A couple next to me were visibly annoyed by the group's speakers.
As a former Bolingbrook resident, I'd like the group to succeed. Bolingbrook is under one party rule, with Roger totally in control of the Village Board. If Bonnie is correct, then Roger used his influence to kick her off the ballot. He was also accused of using his position on the Illinois Tollway Commission to secure a land deal for himself raise campaign funds for himself. Though he was acquitted in court never tried, he resigned from the commission.
However, Roger is very popular in Bolingbrook. Many believe he is the reason for Bolingbrook's past growth, and believe that he can lead them through this recession. CBB can't afford to come across as holier than thou. They really need to work on their message.
They have four years until the next election, and hopefully they will use that time to build up their membership, polish their message, and build an organization that can challenge Roger. Otherwise, Roger will be able to say "I am Bolingbrook" for as long as he wants.