[Peace-discuss] GOP mobilizes in townships--Dupage

[Jan & Durl Kruse]

> It seems our experience last night with Champaign Mayor and council at 
> city hall wasn't so bad after-all!
> I almost felt guilty letting Siobhan know how uneventful our township 
> advisory referenda annual meetings went  compared to what went on to 
> the north of here.
JAN K

>

> Subject: GOP mobilizes in townships--Dupage
>
> DAWN (Dupage Against War Now)'s  Amy Tauchman & Kathy Slovick  did a 
> great job mobilizing--so great the GOP got wind of it and pushed many 
> people to engage in township meetings too.
> Could you let me know if you did get a township question or 
> questions on your ballot--I will write up a summary and post it to 
> ICPJ and those who have worked on these efforts in the past year.  I 
> know we are considering a ballot petition campaign for the primary or 
> nov election. 
> See the notice at bottom that went out to GOPers in Dupage.
>  
> Thanks very much,
> Siobhan Kolar
>  
>  
>  
> Daily Herald  
> http://www.dailyherald.com/story.asp?id=300306
> Big no on Iraq vote  Effort to get question on township ballots 
> rejected - Robert Sanchez 
>
> A push to have DuPage County townships seek a ballot question on 
> pulling troops out of Iraq met a wave of organized resistance Tuesday 
> night.
>
> Supporters of DuPage Against War Now attended all nine annual township 
> meetings in an effort to get an advisory referendum on next year's 
> primary ballot.
>
> But in at least five of the townships, the anti-war group couldn't 
> even get the proposal on the meeting agenda.
>
> "I suspected that this was going to happen," said Kathy Slovick, 
> DAWN's co-founder. "I didn't realize the level of their response."
>
> Under state law, township residents attending the annual meetings can 
> ask that an issue of public policy be put to an advisory referendum.
>
> But local Republican leaders said they were prepared to prevent DAWN 
> from using the township meetings as a platform to get its question on 
> the ballot.
>
> They lived up to that promise in Naperville Township, where residents 
> voted 69-20 to keep the item off the night's agenda.
>
> "We know from the polls that a majority of Americans want to be heard 
> on this issue," said Stephanie Hughes, a member of DAWN. "It is very 
> unfortunate that voices in this township won't be heard because we're 
> not even on the agenda."
>
> In Milton Township, more than 220 people packed the gymnasium at the 
> Glen Ellyn Civic Center. When the measure failed to get on the agenda 
> there by a 146-63 vote, audience members applauded.
>
> Township Supervisor Chris Heidorn said the annual meetings simply are 
> the wrong place to vent frustration over the nation's military policy.
>
> "This is for township issues," he said. "If you have a problem with 
> the war, write your congressman."
>
> That viewpoint was shared by York Township residents who opposed 
> seeing the question on the ballot.
>
> "I don't think this is the forum for this issue," said Rafael 
> Rivadeneira of Elmhurst. "This isn't the federal government. We had 
> that election already."
>
> Hughes and other DAWN members disagree.
>
> "It is a local-to-national issue," Hughes said. "It's totally 
> appropriate that it be on the ballot here. If this is the last vestige 
> of democracy, well, it's pretty weak."
>
> In townships where the issue wasn't on the agenda, DAWN needed a 
> three-fifths majority to add it.
>
> But out of the more than 100 residents who attended Addison Township's 
> meeting, only 17 supported DAWN. When the vote was called to change 
> the agenda, a resounding "no" echoed through the hall at 401 Addison 
> Road while only a few "ayes" could be heard.
>
> Despite the outcome, Slovick remained optimistic. She said the group 
> is exploring other methods to get the question on the ballot.
>
> "We've had four years of discouraging news," she said. "But I'm not 
> discouraged by what happened in this room. People took a stand for 
> what they believe in."  Justin Kmitch, Michael Wamble and Jill 
> Jedlowski contributed to this report.
>  
> Please send DAWN a couple sentences ( or more! ) of your account of 
> your township meeting. DAWN will compile them and use your words  to 
> write  a recap of each of the meetings. (Your names will be deleted if 
> we share this, unless you specify it is all right .)  
>  
> GOPUSA ILLINOIS
> If you are a registered Republican voter in DuPage County, please 
> attend your township annual meeting at 7:00 PM this evening - Dave 
> Diersen
> www.gopillinois.com
> Outrageously, Democrats plan on taking over the nine township annual 
> meetings in DuPage County this evening to put the following advisory 
> referendum question on the 2008 primary election ballot: "Shall the 
> United States Government immediately begin an orderly and rapid 
> withdrawal of all of its military personnel from Iraq, beginning with 
> the National Guard and Reserves?  Yes___ No___"  Outrageously, the 
> Democrats openly advertise their plans 
> at: http://www.d-a-w-n.org/warballot.html.  Even more outrageously, 
> their plans might very well also include putting an advisory 
> referendum question on the ballot calling for the impeachment of 
> President Bush.  Obviously, it is not appropriate to place questions 
> of national policy on a Township ballot. If you are a registered 
> Republican voter in DuPage County, please attend your township annual 
> meeting at 7:00 PM this evening.  A link to township websites is at: 
> http://www.co.dupage.il.us/generic.cfm?doc_id=530#10
>

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