The Northwest Herald recently posted responses to a questionnaire that candidates running for Trustee positions in the April 7th Barrington Hills election were asked to complete. Only four candidates chose to answer the seven questions.
Bryan Croll, Michelle Nagy Maison and Brian Cecola, running as One Barrington Hills candidates, all took full advantage of this opportunity to share their answers to the Herald’s questions for residents to review.
However, Karen Selman of the SOS Party was the only candidate from her slate who chose to respond to the Herald’s questionnaire about issues relating to our Village. Patty Meroni and Mary Naumann chose to abstain from sharing their answers for residents to consider.
The link to the questions and answers can be accessed by clicking here, and be sure to click on each question to learn how each candidate responded.
Reading entire Northwest Herald article is extremely valuable. One Barrington Hills team of Cecola, Croll and Maison knocked the ball out of the park with command of details of government and insights into improving our Village. They come across as professionals with ability for collaboration to implement new ideas, yet willingness to get into the detail of nagging tough problems that have not been handled effectively.
Meroni and Naumann chose not to respond, that’s telling. Selman brags about Finance Committee chair experience where she offers only defense of a no raise budget (not expenditures) that increased 2x+ past 10 years. Her Finance reporting is anemic at meetings offering little insights for improved allocation of spending and cost controls as evidenced by her foot dragging on 911 consolidation and roads budget allocation. Those decisions will cost tax payers millions over the life of those projects.
May be helpful for voters to study the following (particularly item #6):
(may also go to link http://m.wikihow.com/Spot-a-Pathological-Liar)
How to Spot a Pathological Liar
The term, “liar, liar pants on fire” takes on new meaning when dealing with a pathological liar. This person may not be completely rooted in reality, believing the lies they tell, often in an effort to remedy low self esteem. Unlike telling a few fibs here and there, or slightly exaggerating the truth once in a while, the pathological liar lies about literally every aspect of his or her life. From how much was spent on dinner last night to talking about the last time the dog was bathed, the pathological liar feels that every bit of communication has strategic meaning positioned for his or her gain.
Being lied to on a consistent basis is not only frustrating but also disrespectful to the other person. So how do you determine if you’re dealing with someone who may drop a few fibs on occasion versus a true pathological liar? A few clues and steps may help you draw a sensible conclusion.
1. Understand what a pathological liar is. Basically, a pathological liar is someone who tells lies habitually, chronically and compulsively. It has simply become a way of life for this person, to make up things for a variety of reasons and eventually, the truth becomes uncomfortable while weaving whoppers feels right to them. This kind of lying tends to develop early on in life, often as a response to difficult home or school situations that seemed to resolve better if the child lied. It’s a bad habit, not a manipulative trait––this is how to differentiate a pathological liar from a sociopath who does seek to manipulate.
2. Determine whether the person’s details and information comes across as consistent every time they tell a story. Find an easy, run-of-the-mill story, such as what the person had for dinner last night. They may tell you pasta and broccoli, but then may tell you and/or others that champagne was involved. Details and information will constantly change and evolve.
• Compare and contrast both big and small details. From the number of people in the liar’s story to the actual storyline itself, recall what has changed and how often the details have changed in the story.
• Keep tally of the cast of characters involved in the story. If, for example, suddenly the third time the story is told, the cops show up, you have to start wondering if he or she is telling the full truth.
• Recall the frequency of the lies. Pathological liars will lie consistently, which is one thing you can count on––they will lie all the time. Conduct a non-scientific experiment and inquire about certain aspects of the person’s life everyday. Choose something random like what the person ate for dinner or watched on TV the evening before. Ask the person the same question throughout the day to see if the answer changes––play into the lie by either getting excited or showing intrigue when the person embellishes the story. Don’t give away that you’ve heard a different answer before.
3. Compare stories with mutual friends of both you and the person you suspect of being a pathological liar, to determine if the story has changed or reshaped to accommodate certain personalities. Certain details may be morphed to create drama or draw attention to the liar.
• Trying to pit friends/family members against each other. If the liar was involved in an argument he or she may change the details so that he or she looks better. Also, he or she may involve other parties, making up information about the other party in order to get more people on his or her side.
• Trying to avoid trouble. If the liar has done something wrong, he or she will do whatever is necessary to avoid blame––that means fabricating a story and/or pinning culpability on another person.
• Fabricating a lie in order to gain attention. The main goal with many pathological liars is to gain positive notoriety. From being bored to having low self esteem, the pathological liar’s goal is to look better than everyone else, so that people pay attention and worship their accomplishments.
4. Consider whether the person is lying to gain attention. Part of the reason the pathological liar feels compelled to lie is because he or she may feel as though being in the spotlight has eluded them. This person feels that he or she should be the center of everyone’s universe and will do what he or she can to make it happen. Upon tasting the spotlight, it becomes self-reinforcing and the lies grow bigger each time just to keep on being the center of attention. Here are some possibilities:
• Sympathy attention. The pathological liar feels that his or her problems are paramount to what everyone else is experiencing. From a paper cut to being admonished by a boss or teacher, the pathological liar runs around telling his or her story to anyone and everyone, exaggerating the details to ridiculous proportions in order to gain sympathy from anyone within earshot.
• Wants to feel important. The pathological liar is the king or queen of the “one upper.” Whatever accomplishment you’ve achieved, they done it better. This person always has to feel superior to you at all times, no matter if it’s in the professional or personal arena.
• Feels bored. Unfortunately, because this person’s life is not rooted in reality, he or she may become easily bored if drama is not swirling around his or her head. As a result, lies may be fabricated in order to amuse or entertain this person, which unfortunately means that other people become involved and possibly hurt as a result.
• Insecurity. Low self esteem is one of the biggest reasons why people become pathological liars. Whether they consciously recognize it or not, a pathological liar feels that he or she is not important enough as they are so they must make up accomplishments or events to position themselves as worthy.
5. Look to whether the person has an addiction or secret habits that are potentially harmful. Pathological lying can arise in tandem with wanting to hide an alcoholic or drug addiction, an obsession with doing something too much such as spending time online or gaming, or in relation to a medical condition such as bulimia or anorexia. Therapy, group counseling and other professional interventions are important for such people but it may help you to better understand such lying if you know about the motivation behind it.
• Part of the therapy needs to address compulsive lying. A compulsive liar can be changed.
• There may be other personality disorders at issue, such as narcissistic personality disorder, bipolar disorder or borderline personality disorder.
6. Examine the person’s reaction when they’re busted in a lie. The worst thing that can happen to a pathological liar is to be busted for telling the lie.
• Extreme defensiveness. Expect the person to become extremely defensive, doing whatever he or she can to pin blame on someone else.
• Quickly fabricating another lie to cover up the original fib. The pathological liar will start the cover-up process quickly to ensure that their reputation remains in tact. This may include a bigger lie than the original fib––which may be quite apparent.
• Vindictive and may seek revenge. Rage and anger may be another reaction stemming from being “outed”, so expect possible retaliation or vindictive behavior. Alternatively, they may feel upset that they have been caught in the act by someone who cares for them and have a tearful meltdown.
7. Determine if the person lives in reality. The pathological liar is one who typically does not live in reality and has trouble maintaining any consistency in his or her life. Some signs include:
• Wandering from job to job. He or she may not be able to hold down a job for a long amount of time due to either being busted for lying or not being able to handle day-to-day mundane tasks because of bluffing their way into the job.
• Can’t hold a steady relationship. Romantic and interpersonal relationships often fail––this person will typically have a love of his or her life or a best friend for a few months and then will suddenly no longer have contact with that person. Between lies and unrealistic expectations, the pathological liar can often attract a bevy of new relationships but has trouble maintaining them.
• May be estranged from family. After years of being lied to, family members may not be very supportive or close to this individual.
THIS ELECTION THEME . . . SAME AS THE LAST ELECTION: , “CORRUPTION”, “WASTE” AND “MISMANAGMENT OF VBH TAXPAYER FUNDS”. . . . . THE PROBLEM, NONE OF THE CANDIDATES ARE TALKING ABOUT IT.
Selman is either ignorant or plays words games. In municipal finance, the the “levy” is based upon the “budget” which is not the same as actual government “expenditures”. “Budget” and “Expenditures” are two different items in muncipal law, but used interchangeably by SOS/Save 5 Acres as a means of confusing VBH taxpayers.
If the “budget” is kept artificially high by BOT, BOT can always say “expenditures” came in under budget. This has been “Save 5 Acres” BOT ploy for many years now. If in private business you budget $500.00 for a hammer and spend only $10.00 on it, you came in under budget and should be commended. The difference in “municipal finance” is VBH taxpayer is being taxed $500.00 for the $10.00 hammer. It is the budgeted amount which forms the basis of levy, not amount actually spent. Good for government, bad for you and me, the taxpayer.
Truth be told, expenditures by VBH government have more than doubled since 2001 to a whopping 8 Million Dollars. [1982 was the first time VBH expenditures hit the 1 Million Dollar mark]. The levy in VBH was “jacked up” so high by Abboud and “Save 5 Acres” BOT members between 2006-2008 making VBH the highest taxed municipality per capita in the entire State of Illinois. Higher than South Barrington, Lake Forest, Glencoe, Kenilworth etc. The downturn in the economy is why VBH real estate prices have plummeted, excessive real estate taxes is the reason VBH real estate prices will not fully recover.
VBH has a stagnant tax base almost entirely dependent on residents. The biggest threat to 5 Acre zoning is not “developers”, “feathering” or “maintaining equestrian activities” but increased real estate taxes which will in time result in increased pressure to subdivide 5 acre parcels in order for people to afford living in VBH. It happened in Lake Forest, it will happen in VBH unless the cost curve is bent. So if were going to “Consider the Horse” . . . This will not be good for the horse. I can hear the “Nays” in the pastures already.
Even under Anderson II horse boarding amendment which allows for the first time large scale horse boarding operations to legally operate in VBH beyond HOO, these large business proprietors can conduct this activity adjacent to any 5 acre residential parcel free of taxation by VBH. Not only will these business operations be free from VBH taxation but each will be paying reduced real estate taxes based upon “agriculture” exemption shifting more of the tax burden to remaining VBH residential owners. Thanks to Meroni, VBH taxpayer will not only be called upon to pay increased taxes for Meroni’s mismanagement of village roads but as a result of Meroni’s and Selman’s vote (twice) for Anderson II, VBH residents are being called upon to subsidize big horse businesses next door.
Under Abboud, Knoop, Meroni and Selman VBH was number 1 in the entire U.S.A. in expenditure of attorney’s fees per capita with the Sears lawsuit leading the way at 1.5 Million Dollars. Mountains of wasted taxpayer cash on attorney’s fees like VBH BOT expenditure of $182,000.00 to close boarding operations on Oakwood Farm when in the end according to Abboud and VBH BOT all it took was the 42 cent Abboud-Schuman Letter to keep these operations open. A mistake or crime, SOS (former VBH BOT) Knoop, Selman and Meroni refuse to talk about it and when you look at the timeline of events leading up to the Schuman Letter, I couldn’t blame them.
Congratulations Pres. McLaughlin for settling the Sears lawsuit single handedly without cost to VBH taxpayers. VBH was being sued by Sears for 16 Million Dollars and Selman and Meroni never informed VBH residents. They hid in executive session meetings outside of public view. BOT members Meroni and Selman kept this secret from village taxpayers, that is until Citizens for Stieper in 2011 discovered the existence of the Sears lawsuit and made it a center piece of my campaign along with the grotesque expenditure on attorneys and the “Grand Daddy” of them all, the “Save 5 Acres” pension debacle.
I am surprised none of the candidates addressed the pension time bomb. Thanks to the move by “Save 5 Acres” BOT to institute a referendum in 2005 moving the police pension from Il State IMRF to be locally run by the VBH, the financial losses are and into the future will be so great, that if the dynamic is not altered, the day will come in the foreseeable future where VBH will have to seek Federal Bankruptcy Protection. Do the math.
If you do not believe me, look at the audited financial statements for VBH where annual pension contributions from 2001 to the present have increased by more than 4x. Pres. McLaughlin is on the record at a BOT meeting saying if VBH does nothing, annual pension contribution will in time total one-half of current VBH budget or 4 Million Dollars annually.
Pres. McLaughlin has been wisely discussing with BOT about the possibility of bonding over pension obligation given interest rates are so low. The problem is the financial IQ of current BOT is “subpar” and that is being polite. SOS Selman, head of finance, after many months to study the issue still cannot grasp the basic concept of a fixed bond wasting valuable time at the expense of taxpayers. Of course, in the end, other than Pres. McLaughlin and BOT member Konicek, all other BOT members will wait until Abboud decides for them on how to proceed. While it may appear VBH has 7 BOT members, in reality, there are only 3 members, Pres. McLaughlin, Colleen Konicek and the “invisible hand of Abboud”. It is the latter who carries the majority. It is for this reason, we need to change the dynamic on the BOT.
For the first time in many years under the stewardship of Pres. McLaughlin, annual VBH government expenditures were decreased. Due to Meroni’s and her predecessor’s mismanagement of VBH roads these reductions will more than be wiped-out requiring BOT to find an additional 4.8 Million Dollars over the next 5 years. This why Meroni refuses to furnish BOT and taxpayers with results of prior 10 year road program which expired on 12-31-14. The results are abysmal and would easily cost her the election. Like Sears lawsuit and Schuman Letter, Meroni has elected to remain quiet.
To Meroni’s credit, she came up with a proposed solution on how to deal with the 4.8 Million Dollar mismanagment of R&B, “Raise Taxes on VBH Residents”. Trustee Gohl agreed chiming in that VBH taxpayers have to realize “there are no free lunches”.
It is more than telling Richard. In fact, when one visits the saveopenspace facebook page you are welcome to post only if you get approved to do so! Mr. Stieper your questions will never be answered! Because those deserving of any answer are only those who believe in what they believe in! Others can just go away quietly.
And the Northwest Herald’s review of candidate positions was very informative and glowing for the ONE candidates. They did a great job of answering the questions with specifics and intelliengent logic.
How can candidates Meroni and Naumann refuse to answer questions? They are running for 4 year terms for village Trustee to represent the residents of this village. And they decide not to answer the Herald’s questions!
A real shame when you consider how much trust, and competence the job of Trustee entails. These then are our PROVEN LEADERS!!! Heaven help us!
Hope you forward Mr. Stieper’s and Carlos’ comments to the real estate broker who’s door to dooring for the SOS candidates. Once again, she’s doing the dirty work for that fractious faction of the Barrington Hills Riding Club, whose actiions are systematically destroying Barrington Hills as a beautiful place to live. Rasputin in the LAB, directing his SOS candidates, is killing the market in Barrington Hills. SOS is heavy on arrogance and lies, a poor substitute for cold hard facts. Croll, Maison and Cecola know the difference between fact and fiction, It’s up to us to put them in office. Please mark your calendars for April 7th or vote early or vote by mail..