Peoria Pundit

Everyone in Illinois wants to get on the good government bandwagon. This includes new state Rep. Jehan Gordon. Via the Peoria Times-Observer:

To provide that openness Gordon is sponsoring House Bill 553. The bill says if an investigation by the state’s executive inspector general finds an ethics violation has occurred, a copy of the report with redacted personal information will be made available to the public.
The legislation, Gordon said, is pending a hearing in the Joint Committee on Government Reform, a new committee created to deal with ethics in government. This legislation follows Gordon’s support for legislation to deny pension payments to any elected official who is removed from office.

I’m all for transparency. The problem in Illinois is that we keep re-electing politicians who who KNOW are dirty, because we think our jobs depend on having this or that particular crook in office. That’s why Blagojevich got re-elected.  Peoria supported Blago knowing he was a crook and a train wreck of a leader because he favored things that gave them warm fuzzies, like All Kids.

We can pass all the reforms we want, but until WE, the voters, start tossing the crooked politicians and the politicians who enable them out of office, there isn;t any legislation that is going to work.

From a press release:

Koehler and Gordon should join Gov. Quinn’s call for Special Election for US Senate Seat

Koehler & Gordon are “Putting Price on Democracy” by not Speaking Up.

(PEORIA) Peoria County GOP Chairman Rudy Lewis is calling on Democrats Sen. Dave Koehler and Rep. Jehan Gordon to join the call of Democrat Governor Pat Quinn for a Special Election for the U.S. Senate seat held by Senator Roland Burris.

“By not stepping forward and adding their voice to the bipartisan chorus calling for a Special Election, Koehler and Gordon are putting a price on Democracy,” says Lewis.

“After ousting Democrat Governor Rod Blagojevich for putting a price on the U.S. Senate Seat vacated by President Barack Obama, Koehler and Gordon are re-opening the wounds of corruption by not allowing Illinois voters to have a say in who represents them in Washington. Governor Pat Quinn announced yesterday that he recognizes that the Senate seat should be filled by the voters and not by him as Governor,” said Lewis

“Sen. Dave Koehler has had no problem voting for Blagojevich’s bloated budgets that have put the State of Illinois in a $9 billion structural deficit, but refuses to spend state dollars to allow the citizens of Illinois to elect their own U.S. Senator,” Lewis pointed out.

Lewis stated that, “had the Democrat controlled legislature agreed to fill the seat with a special election in the first place, the election could have been held with municipal elections in March and minimized the cost of the election. However, even though they failed to act in the wake of the Blagojevich scandal it should not stop Koehler and Gordon from doing the right thing now, especially after having seen the result of their bad decision.”

Lewis said that State Senator Dale Risinger and State Representative David Leitch would welcome Koehler and Gordon joining them in their call for a Special Election.

Turns out, it’s going to be Joan Krupa after all.

This is wonderfully sweet revenge. Krupa has been appointed by 92nd District Republicans to replace Aaron Schock, who resigned to take his seat in the U.S. House of Representatives from Illinois’ 18th District. Of course, she’ll serve just nine days until Jehan Gordon takes over.

And it’s official, not some honorary appointment. Even though she’ll serve a little more than a week, she IS a member of the Illinois General Assembly, and the history books will record Krupa as replacing Schock and Gordon as replacing Krupa. And if all goes according to plan, history will record Krupa as being among the people who voted to have the Senate impeach Gov. Rod Blagojevich. Gordon, on the other hand, got her job in part because Blago sent campaign workers to Peoria during the primary to help Gordon defeat Allen Mayer.

This just occurred to me: Blago backed Gordon. Blago won’t be around much longer. Will Blago’s enemies — House Speaker Mike Madigan chief among them — seek to punish Jordon, or ignore her and the needs of the 92nd District?

The Chicago Tribune lists just some of the state and national politicians who think Blagojevich ought to resign, and some of whom favor impeachment if he doesn’t. Just last night, Peoria City Council member Bill Spears asked city staff to draft a resolution demanding Blago quit. There was not one single vote in opposition to his motion,

And what’s the most recent word we have from State Sen. Dave Koehler, who once was a member of the Peoria City Council? He’s distressed, disappointed and embarrassed, but opposed to impeachment, as he told the Peoria Times Observer. He’s quoted in today’s Journal Star, but says nothing about getting rid of Blago until after it’s been adjudicated.

And I also note that Jehan Gordan, elected but not yet sworn in as Aaron Schock’s replacement in the Illinois House of Representatives, is also nowhere to be found in all these reaction stories. Gordon famously benefited from campaign workers shipped into Peoria in the weeks before her primary election victory over Allen Mayer. These workers are believed to have been arranged by Rod Blagojevich.

It’s been suggested to me that Koehler just might be a bit too naive and/or warm hearted to turn on Blagojevich, who he has supported. Some who have worked with him scoff at that idea.

Will voters make Koehler or Gordon pay for not distancing themselves from Blago?

Probably not. Look at the terrible choices Peoria voters made in the last election. Kevin Lyons over Darin LaHood. Gordon over Joan Krupa. In both cases, the candidate who lost was a vastly superior candidate in terms of honesty and competence. Statistically speaking, the average Peoria voter is utterly unconcerned with issues like competence or honesty, an are unable to recognize honest public service when they see it. And many of them are just like sheep, and will vote they way they are told.

Just like they do in Chicago.

UPDATE: Commenter Ollie contacted Sen. Koehler’s office and received the following reply:

Thank you for contacting Senator Koehler and making your opinion known. Senator Koehler’s office continues to receive a large volume of calls and emails from constituents concerned about the recent events involving the Governor. The situation is changing every day. Please be assured that Senator Koehler is working to remove the current Governor from office. Senator Koehler is also working to implement a solution to fill the vacant U.S. Senate seat that will have Illinois citizens’ interests in mind first. Legislators will meet next week to address this matter. Please do not hesitate to contact Senator Koehler with further questions or opinions on this matter.
Respectfully
Kyle Dooley

Originally posted on December 10, 2008 at 9:42

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Remember these two guys? Dave Koehler and George Shadid are the current and former State Senator from the 42nd District (which includes the 92nd State House district). But you wouldn’t know it from watching the race to replace Aaron Schock.

13 months ago, I went to Limestone High School to attend the announcement that Jehan Gordon — a Limestone High School graduate and member of the Pleasant Hill School District 69 — was running for the 92nd State House district seat held by Schock, who had announced he was instead going to go ofter the Congressional seat now held by by the retiring Ray LaHood.

At that announcement, both Sen. Koehler and Shadid endorsed Gordon. They were very enthusiastic. Also, they had recruited her with the promised to support her in the primary. And, they kept their promise even after Peoria County Board Member Allen Mayer decided to run, a decision made after Schock decided to run for Congress. instead.

That’s why they appeared in this and other advertising for Gordon.

And Gordon defeated Mayer. So why haven’t Shadid or Koehler appeared in any newer, post-primary advertising for Gordon? Rumor has it that Shadid was so ticked off that Gordon didn’t reveal her legal difficulties during the vetting process, he’s since refused to allow his name be used by her campaign.

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Last night, I caught what I think is the very first negative ad from the Joan Krupa campaign, paid for by the Friends For Joan Krupa Committee. The ad noted Jehan Gordon’s shoplifting convictions and her having misrepresented her academic credentials. There’s nothing in the ad that isn’t true according to press reports.

How can the Gordon campaign respond? By denying them? Nope. By complaining about her going negative? Nope, since it’s obvious Gordon has been in negative mode for weeks. By airing newer negative ads herself? Yep. Look for a bunch of new attack ads.

I just received the following press advisory:

Joan Krupa to hold news conference to take opponent Jehan Gordon to task for trampling on the truth

Character becoming a central issue in campaign

(PEORIA) In recent press releases and mailings to voters, Jehan Gordon’s campaign has been spreading blatant falsehoods about Joan Krupa. The scope of Gordon’s purposeful deception is now breathtaking. Joan Krupa will hold a news conference to distribute Gordon’s campaign materials and provide proof to refute one outrageous charge after another. The level of absurd, completely concocted false charges by Jehan Gordon is unprecedented in this region and Krupa intends to set the record straight at the news conference.

Just a sampling:

* Gordon put out press release saying Krupa missed 25% of Peoria County Board meetings but after a FOIA response, the Journal Star found Krupa missed only two meetings out of 86.
* Gordon mailers put Krupa’s head on another person’s body and another had Krupa standing in front of a mansion that is not her house.
* Gordon mailers falsely say Krupa voted for things on the county board that have zero basis in fact.

Krupa will be joined by her campaign chairman, Jim Maloof and two former Peoria County Board Chairs, one a Democrat and one a Republican.

News Conference:

2:00 pm
Thursday, October 2, 2008
Jim Maloof Realty Headquarters
803 W. Pioneer Parkway, Peoria

I won’t be able to attend. Perhaps one of more citizen journalists will attend to report on what is said and asked, and maybe ask a few questions as well.

(Press release)

Gordon Blasts Krupa for Living in a Glass House & Not Meeting her Own Attendance Standards

Candidate for State Representative Jehan Gordon (D-Peoria) condemned her Republican opponent Joan Krupa for releasing information she knew to be false in an attempt to purposely lie to the voters of the 92nd district. In Wednesday’s release Krupa claimed that Gordon had missed 40% of the Pleasant Hill School Board meetings since she joined the board. According to the school board records this is false. Gordon’s attendance record show’s that she was at 11 of 15 regularly scheduled school board meetings. During her own time as a Peoria County Board member, during a comparable one-year period (the same standard that the Krupa campaign has used), Joan Krupa was absent from 25% of the meetings held between April 14, 1992 and April 13, 1993.

“It is unfortunate that my opponent has decided to ignore the real issues that the people of our district care about and instead released a statement that she knows is false,” Gordon said. “Joan Krupa has called character a major issue in this campaign but in the first test of her character she has shown that she is willing to lie to the voters in order to gain a political advantage.”

Last winter, in a personal letter to Gordon and again during Wednesday’s Peoria Chamber of Commerce forum, Krupa pledged to not go negative. One day later Krupa’s statement was released attacking Gordon with false and misleading information. Krupa’s campaign chairman Wednesday stated that missing more than 5% of meetings was an issue; he clearly should have an issue with his own candidate.

“When Krupa says it’s a betrayal of trust to miss meetings, she’s really talking about herself,” Gordon said. “According to the county board records Joan missed 25% of her own meetings in a one-year period. Joan is a hypocrite for trying to apply standards to others that she can’t live up to herself.”

A statement released by Bob Neal and Pat Carroll, president and vice president of the Pleasant Hill school board called Gordon a valued member of the school board who has dedicated her career to helping the students of Peoria county.

Gordon is the Democratic nominee for 92nd district State Representative. For more information, contact Jehan Gordon at (309) 673-9292 or at info@jehangordon.com

(Press release from the Joan Krupa campaign)

Joan Krupa holds news conference in front of Pleasant Hill School to discuss Jehan Gordon’s denial of an abysmal attendance record as a member of the school board and Gordon’s lying about canceling her participation in the Kiwanis debate on Wednesday

Krupa: “Jehan Gordon has sent out mailers saying she has learned from her mistakes, but these continued deceptions are disturbing and the voters have a right to know about them.”

Life-long Democrat and former Peoria County Board Chair Sharon Kennedy joined Krupa to praise Krupa’s work on the county board and explain why it is such a breach of public trust to hold a position and not show up.

(PEORIA) When Jehan Gordon deceived WHOI News yesterday by denying that she had an abysmal attendance record as a school board member for Pleasant Hill School, and she falsely claimed to have called to cancel her participation in the 92nd District Kiwanis Club debate, Krupa decided to hold a news conference to air the truth and call attention to the facts.

Gordon also recently sent out two mailers focusing on “character” and saying she had make mistakes but has learned from them. That is hard to believe in light of her prevaricating to WHOI News just yesterday about two separate matters.

Gordon also has failed to explain why she skipped out on two debates she agreed to participate in this week. She called the Peoria Medical Society hours before their debate to cancel her attendance. But for the Kiwanis Club full blown debate for just the two candidates in the 92nd District, she just didn’t show up without notifying anyone, despite her claim of doing so. She left Kiwanis leaders and members hanging as they tried repeatedly to call her when the debate was supposed to start. They continued for some time trying to reach her and then began the program 20 minutes late when they realized she just wasn’t going to show up.

Gordon told WHOI News yesterday that her “opponent does not want to talk about issues that affect people.” Krupa responded today saying, “I would love to focus on other issues, but it is hard to debate those issues when my opponent skipped two scheduled debates in two days.”

Krupa then said, “When you boil down all the problems in our state government in Springfield, it comes down to bad character. As I speak with voters they agree with me that character is a central issue in this campaign.”

Krupa released a Freedom of Information Act response from the administration of the Pleasant Hill School showing Gordon missed 40% of meetings from when she began as a board member into August of this year. Since then the school had their September meeting and a couple special meetings, giving Gordon a 32% absentee rate and being late for quarter of the meetings she did attend.

Sharon Kennedy, former Peoria County Board Chair who served as a Democrat and worked with Krupa praised the work Krupa did on the county board and said “Joan always showed up well prepared and was a model public servant.” Kennedy castigated Jehan Gordon saying Gordon’s missing such a high percentage of meetings was a breach of the public trust and that she let down the students, teachers and administrators who all rely on the leadership of their school board.

Krupa once again noted that if Gordon was a student at Pleasant Hill instead of a school board member she would be classified as a “chronic truant” with such an abysmal attendance record.

Krupa said Jehan Gordon’s lying just yesterday to WHOI about that attendance record and her not showing up at the Kiwanis debate is further evidence that Gordon has not changed her ways that have gotten her into so much trouble.

Krupa detailed aspects of the disturbing pattern of bad judgment and a lack of character in Jehan Gordon, in addition to being AWOL from school board meetings 32% of the time and being late to one quarter of those she did attend, and then denying it to WHOI News.

Gordon, who was a communications major, has played with words before to fool people into believing positive things about her that are not true. For instance, Gordon was forced to pull an ad in the primary election earlier this year that falsely said she graduated from the University of Illinois.

Jehan Gordon was arrested for shoplifting when she was 19 years old, but the disturbing aspect of that is that she only paid the fines associated with that conviction 8 years later, which was only two weeks before the primary. One wonders if those fines would have ever been paid if Jehan Gordon had not decided to run for state representative.

Continuing that pattern of skipping out on making good on convictions, Gordon was arrested for being “unlicensed,” driving without insurance and no valid registration in 2004 and 2005 when she was in her mid-twenties. Again, the disturbing aspect is that it took her years to pay the fines and she did so only when she was in the middle of her campaign for state representative.

Then Gordon had the audacity to criticize her opponent for not debating the issues, which is hard to do since Gordon skipped out on two debates just this week and then denied she didn’t show up without giving notice to the Kiwanis.

Krupa said there are vast difference for the voters to consider regarding the two candidates positions on issues, records in office, accomplishments, character and integrity.

(Press Release from the Krupa campaign)

JEHAN GORDON GETS A “F” FOR ATTENDANCE

Gordon a no show at two debates in two days but comes late to one in between

Jehan Gordon would be classified as a

CHRONIC TRUANT

if she were a student instead of a school board member on the Pleasant Hill School Board because of her abysmal attendance at school board meetings

(PEORIA) As a candidate for 92nd District State Representative, Jehan Gordon is living up to her abysmal attendance record on the Pleasant Hill School Board.

Gordon has missed an astonishing 40% of the Pleasant Hill School Board meetings where she serves as a board member. In addition, board minutes show that she arrived late to one-third of the meetings she did attend.

If Jehan Gordon were a student at Pleasant Hill School instead of a school board member, she would be classified as a CHRONIC TRUANT with that kind of abysmal attendance record.

That kind of attendance record proves that she obviously doesn’t care much about her duties on the Pleasant Hill School Board. It seems clear that she wanted to get onto a school board simply to be able to use that platform to launch her bid for State Representative. Otherwise she would have taken her responsibilities more seriously.

Such an attendance record is a horrible example to the students of Pleasant Hill.

Now, true to that poor attendance record, yesterday Gordon cancelled her participation at the last minute for the Peoria Medical Society’s Candidate Forum which she had formally accepted. Her opponent, Joan Krupa attended as did Congressional candidates Aaron Schock and Colleen Callahan.

This morning Gordon did attend the Chamber of Commerce debate in Peoria—but true to form, she arrived late.

Inexplicably, only hours later Jehan Gordon stood up the Downtown Kiwanis Club for their 92nd District Debate at the Lariat Club in Peoria. Kiwanis leaders had Gordon’s formal acceptance to participate in writing and were furious. Gordon did not even call to cancel, she just didn’t show up for the full blown debate between her and her opponent, Joan Krupa who was there.

So within 18 hours, Gordon skipped a debate she had agreed to attend, then arrived late at a second one and then did not show up at a third debate.

That disturbing pattern exactly mirrors Gordon’s horrible attendance record on the Pleasant Hill School Board.

In recent mailings to voters Gordon says she “has learned from her mistakes.” But she obviously hasn’t changed her ways.

Jehan Gordon’s campaign slogan is: Listen-Learn-Lead. But a Representative CANNOT listen if she doesn’t show up. She CANNOT learn if she doesn’t show up. And she CANNOT lead if she doesn’t show up.

It has been said before: “Some officials vote their conscience, some vote their constituents and some don’t vote at all.” The latter behavior doesn’t solve problems, it makes them worse.

With the legendary dysfunction in Springfield that our state already suffers from, voters ought to be wary about adding to that dysfunction with yet another person who has proven herself unfit to serve.