The truth is that many informed residents find their use of that catchphrase to be extremely disingenuous since the SOS mailings, website and Facebook page are littered with half-truths and, in some cases, blatant misrepresentations of the facts in this election.
In fact, there are so many distortions of reality in their various campaign communications that we’ll need to publish them in a multi-part series beginning today with part one. What is even more disturbing, however, is that the SOS candidates may actually believe what they wrote (or approved for publication) is the truth.
Here’s Part One of SOS campaign deceits:
SOS Spin: “Save Open Space candidates have no hidden agendas.”
Reality: Patty Meroni and Karen Selman have consistently practiced special interest agenda-based, block voting on the Village Board since they were elected. The bulk of their massive campaign donations have come from members of the largest quasi-political action committee in the Village, The Riding Club, which appears to set the SOS agenda, hidden or not.
The recently passed and fast-tracked LeCompte/Anderson Commercial Horse Boarding Amendment favoring one boarding operation in particular is a prime example of their agenda-based voting. As a result, Barrington Hills now faces a lawsuit that cites actions by Meroni and Selman.
SOS Spin: “(Selman) structured and managed $8.4 million annual village budget.”
Reality: Every year, each member of the Board of Trustees submits the proposed budget for their assigned committee to the Village Treasurer, who then works with the Village President to structure the budget. The Village Treasurer manages and reports expenses versus revenues and provides reports to the Board, which Selman presents each month for approval.
SOS Spin: “(Naumann and supporters) collected nearly 600 signatures against (Meroni’s) bike plan”
Reality: Mary Naumann did present nearly 600 signatures, however many were double or triple counted, as a result of multiple versions of petitions being circulated. One very telling petition version pertained to keeping the traffic island at Haegers Bend and Spring Creek, which Patty Meroni on her own apparent authority offered to remove at a May 2013 McHenry County Council of Mayors meeting.
SOS Spin: “(Meroni) actively opposed construction of environmentally hazardous East Dundee auto reclamation site atop aquifer adjacent to Pond Gate subdivision.
Reality: Meroni’s attendance at East Dundee village meetings did little, if anything, to positively sway East Dundee to modify IAA’s construction plans. Almost immediately after he was elected, President McLaughlin exercised diplomacy to work on mitigation for the neighboring residents, and obtained safeguards to their and others’ water supply.
SOS Spin: “(President McLaughlin) abandoned the residents of Pond Gate after promising to help prevent or mitigate a sure-to-pollute auto-dismantling site planned in East Dundee.”
Reality: President McLaughlin dove head first into what had been a mismanaged situation regarding IAA’s proposed facility. Working with IAA management, he secured their agreement to line the retention pond to protect the aquifers. Additionally, IAA agreed to reduce operating hours on weekdays, and weekends, restrict lighting at the facility, equip all machinery with state-of-the art “white noise” backup signals for sound suppression, and restrict car-carrying trucks from using Penny Road.
The Village of East Dundee also offered to install a fire hydrant in close proximity to the Pond Gate subdivision, as well as provide snow plowing and road resurfacing of Pond Gate’s private roadways. This is hardly what any rational person could consider “abandonment” of these residents.
Look for part two in this “Don’t be deceived” series in tomorrow’s Barrington Hills Observer.