Being from a certain generation, I remember an
irreverent comedy troupe, Firesign
Theatre, which was popular when I voted for the first time. Their comedy actually was very clever, with some out-there
satire, back in the 70s. The fourth album (remember those?) was named, “I Think
We’re All Bozos on this Bus”. The phrase stuck with me and I have used it many
times over the years.
You may wonder why I am writing about them at this particular
time, and referencing ridiculous people (Bozos) near an election day in Lake
County. Well, maybe one Bozo in Gurnee on that bus was dropped off at the
Warren-Newport Public Library. You might have caught a number of news stories
about the Library Board in the recent past. The meetings have been a real
circus.
This educated and dedicated group of
service-oriented people has been bussed around by some loopy, laughable and intentionally
argumentative person who has no concept on how to run a meeting, cooperate
within a team, or focus on the matters at-hand.
Much like a particular member on the Warren Township High School Board, this
library trustee is causing a great deal of turmoil for the other hard-working
public servants who are prepared for meetings, follow proper rules of order,
and work collaboratively with fellow library board members for the common good .
Unfortunately, this isn’t an exciting election year.
There aren’t big contests to be considered and this means a lower voter turnout.
No important questions, directly corresponds with the number of people venturing out at their
polling place. If people don’t vote, situations arise where write-in candidates
can be elected with 31 votes. Yes, it happened on Warren’s School Board two
years ago.
The vice-president on the library board is a perfect
example. This man has scores of detractors, but the public knows little about
his antics. He’s considered toxic by his
peers, impervious to criticism, and appears invulnerable, by running again for
a six year term. Last week at the monthly board meeting, the consultant hired
to help the board get-along, had blocked this gentleman’s Twitter posts. He was
also chastised for politicking on library property, disrespected fellow board
members, and called out on having library personnel make an extraordinarily
large amount of business cards that he’s handing out to voters.
I can’t tell you who to vote for on April 7th,
but I can offer some tips. Get educated and find out about the candidates before
you enter the booth. Don’t pick someone because the name sounds familiar, or they’re
an incumbent. Find out if the candidate’s views align with your beliefs. Go to
board meetings regularly, before the election. If you can’t attend a meeting,
ask someone you trust for their opinion, or view the minutes on record. Check-out
Facebook, look at who endorses them, and
read the news. Say no to the Bozos, do
the research, and vote smart.
