Untitled Document
On openness . . .
When he formally announced his candidacy for mayor,
Ward 10 Ald. Bruce Strom placed accessibility and transparency at the
center of his campaign, saying that Mayor Tim Davlin’s administration
keeps citizens and City Council members in the dark too often. To remedy
this, Strom says he would hold office hours in various Springfield
neighborhoods each week in space already owned by or donated to the city.
This week, Strom laid out his full openness agenda.
Tim Davlin Mea culpa — Davlin, often criticized for authorizing secret negotiations that led to a deal between the city and the Sierra Club for reducing pollution by Springfield’s proposed coal-burning power plant, calls not getting the aldermen involved sooner “one minor deal” he wishes he would have done differently.
Stroma culpa — After hearing from reporters that Strom’s campaign staffers limited questions from the media at Strom’s announcement news conference in January, Davlin, in an interview, accused Strom of not practicing what he preaches with respect to openness.
Too much to do, too little Tim — “There has never been anyone who was not allowed to come through my door, unless they’ve got an order of protection or something. No one in the city of Springfield has ever not been allowed to come sit at the table, ever . . . . It’s all about the schedule,” the mayor says. “I work 10, 12 hours a day, usually, seven days a week, sometimes six — so I don’t know how much more open you can be.”
Bruce Strom Mr. Sunshine — Proposes hiring an independent city inspector general, holding weekly press conferences, opening three satellite offices, and upping the amount of information on the city’s Web site, including all requests for proposals, contracts, bids, and job openings. He also vows to appeal corporation counsel Jenifer Johnson’s denial of a Freedom of Information Act request for a 2,300-page report on the conduct of two Springfield cops.
An open-and-shut case — “Almost immediately [after being elected] Mr. Davlin sought to get around public scrutiny of city contracts. It continued to when he secretly negotiated a loan to pay for the Renatta Frazier settlement. Then his temporary sales-tax increase became permanent, with the perception at least, of aldermanic intimidation. Last spring, he and Mr. [Todd] Renfrow secretly met with and negotiated a deal with the Sierra Club . . . Finally, Mr. Davlin was less than forthcoming when he would not acknowledge double-digit pay raises for his political appointees until confronted by the media. This is not open government. Mr. Davlin’s attitude does not afford for proper discussion of issues confronting our city.”
Citizens decide elections. For this reason, from now until Election Day, we will let candidates explain in their own words where they stand the on issues that matter to you. Let us know your issues. Contact R.L. Nave at rnave@illinoistimes.com.
Tim Davlin Mea culpa — Davlin, often criticized for authorizing secret negotiations that led to a deal between the city and the Sierra Club for reducing pollution by Springfield’s proposed coal-burning power plant, calls not getting the aldermen involved sooner “one minor deal” he wishes he would have done differently.
Stroma culpa — After hearing from reporters that Strom’s campaign staffers limited questions from the media at Strom’s announcement news conference in January, Davlin, in an interview, accused Strom of not practicing what he preaches with respect to openness.
Too much to do, too little Tim — “There has never been anyone who was not allowed to come through my door, unless they’ve got an order of protection or something. No one in the city of Springfield has ever not been allowed to come sit at the table, ever . . . . It’s all about the schedule,” the mayor says. “I work 10, 12 hours a day, usually, seven days a week, sometimes six — so I don’t know how much more open you can be.”
Bruce Strom Mr. Sunshine — Proposes hiring an independent city inspector general, holding weekly press conferences, opening three satellite offices, and upping the amount of information on the city’s Web site, including all requests for proposals, contracts, bids, and job openings. He also vows to appeal corporation counsel Jenifer Johnson’s denial of a Freedom of Information Act request for a 2,300-page report on the conduct of two Springfield cops.
An open-and-shut case — “Almost immediately [after being elected] Mr. Davlin sought to get around public scrutiny of city contracts. It continued to when he secretly negotiated a loan to pay for the Renatta Frazier settlement. Then his temporary sales-tax increase became permanent, with the perception at least, of aldermanic intimidation. Last spring, he and Mr. [Todd] Renfrow secretly met with and negotiated a deal with the Sierra Club . . . Finally, Mr. Davlin was less than forthcoming when he would not acknowledge double-digit pay raises for his political appointees until confronted by the media. This is not open government. Mr. Davlin’s attitude does not afford for proper discussion of issues confronting our city.”
Citizens decide elections. For this reason, from now until Election Day, we will let candidates explain in their own words where they stand the on issues that matter to you. Let us know your issues. Contact R.L. Nave at rnave@illinoistimes.com.
