[Peace] CORRECTION: IMPORTANT Cty Bd Meeting TONIGHT at7:00 p.m.

[Randall Cotton]

Just one correction here:

Beckett's proposal doesn't specify moving Justice into Facilities. The
proposal moves Highway (full name Highway & Transportation) into
Facilities (full name County Facilities - which Beckett chairs). Justice
(full name Justice & Social Services) is pretty much killed off with only
some of its duties and roles disseminated among Finance, Policy (full name
Policy, Personnel and Appointments) and the Board as a whole.

Full details are in my open letter to Mr. Beckett at:
http://lists.chambana.net/mailman/archive/peace/2009-March/022068.html

A new article on this in today's DI is at:
http://media.www.dailyillini.com/media/storage/paper736/news/2009/03/04/News/Champaign.County.Board.To.Vote.On.Restructuring.Its.Committees-3658277.shtml

R

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Ricky Baldwin" <baldwinricky at yahoo.com>
To: "prairie greens" <prairiegreens at lists.chambana.net>; "AWARE peace"
<peace at lists.chambana.net>; "socialist forum core"
<sf-core at yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Wednesday, March 04, 2009 8:57 AM
Subject: [Prairiegreens] Fw: [Discuss] IMPORTANT Cty Bd Meeting TONIGHT
at7:00 p.m.


From: Christopher Evans <caevans2 at hotmail.com>
To: caevans2 at hotmail.com; Courtwatch Discuss
<discuss at communitycourtwatch.org>; Martel Miller <tel460 at yahoo.com>; Mark
Foley <mfoley at usd116.org>; Imani Bazzell <thinkandfeel at gmail.com>;
imc-print at lists.ucimc.org; imc-production at lists.chambana.net
Sent: Wednesday, March 4, 2009 8:42:10 AM
Subject: [Discuss] IMPORTANT Cty Bd Meeting TONIGHT at 7:00 p.m.


Your Voice is Needed during
public participation time at
THE CHAMPAIGN COUNTY BOARD MEETING
TO DISCUSS
THE PROPOSAL TO MERGE THE HIGHWAY AND
JUSTICE AND SOCIAL SERVICES COMMITTEE
INTO THE FACILITIES COMMITTEE ONLY
IS
TONIGHT, AT 7:00 P.M.
At the Brookens Administration Building
(located at the intercection of Lierman and Washington
in east Urbana, next to the county jail.)

The Proposal:"Beckett said...that the transportation committee meetings
are usually short, sometimes a mere 10 minutes, while policy or finance
committee meetings often go on for two hours or more.
The per diem is $45 for the seven members of each committee. Beckett
estimates that cutting the per diems would save about $10,000 in the
remainder of 2009."
He said courthouse functions can be discussed in the policy and finance
committees, and construction issues belong in the facilities committee.
Another advantage Beckett noted was that all committee meetings could be
held in the first week of the month, allowing more time for discussion
before the full county board meets in the third week.
Department heads would report to the full board instead of first reporting
to a committee, then the board."
The News Gazette, Feb. 18, 2009

Reasons to oppose this proposal:
It is less democracy: "Board Chairman C. Pius Weibel, a Democrat, said the
proposal would cut a fraction of a percent from the budget, while closing
an avenue of debate.
'The more people involved, the more democratic it is,' Weibel said. 'It
costs money to have democracy.'"
The News Gazette, Feb. 18, 2009

There are bigger and better ways to save the taxpayers's money or at least
get a better value for the money: "Urbana Democrat Carol Ammons said that
'if we want to save public money, it would be best to look at the entire
form of county government.' Another board Democrat, Michael Richards of
Champaign , [said] 'I fail to see a real financial benefit.'"
The News-Gazette, Feb. 18, 2009

There would be less of a minority voice on the county board about issues
that directly affect minorities in Champaign County: "She [County Board
Member Carol Ammons] also expressed concern that both committee chairs
losing positions would be minority members, Matthew Gladney and Lorraine
Cowart."
The News Gazette, Feb. 18, 2009

The issues facing the Criminal Justice and Social Service committee are
too important to debate during a meeting that has 3 times the agenda
items:
"Another board Democrat, Michael Richards of Champaign , argued that 'it's
not a time for county to be reducing oversight.'"
The News Gazette, Feb. 18, 2009

It is unclear if this proposal is likely to pass or not:
St. Joseph 's Greg Knott, who chairs the Republican caucus, said his party
is always interested in saving money but hasn't taken a stand on the
proposal.
Beckett said there's nothing written in stone about his proposal.
"Frankly, we can do it for this term, and the next county board can
revisit the idea," he said.

________________________________
Windows Live™ Groups: Create an online spot for your favorite groups to
meet. Check it out. The News Gazette, Feb. 18, 2009






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