[Peace] [Peace-discuss] WCIA has posted a petition re resignation of Mayor Schweighart

[Marti Wilkinson]

Currently Champaign has one city council member who is stepping down. If the
mayor resigned then deputy mayor Michael LaDue would have to take office.
This would leave two positions on the council open, and provided the
opportunity for the remaining members to strengthen the conservative base
that is already in place. Please remember that the last time a member of the
city council voluntarily stepped down we ended up with Tom Bruno and he is
still on the council.

The way the system is set up right now, voters are not the ones who will
select the replacement for Dave Johnson. Anyone who is interested in serving
needs to live in District 5 and be appointed by the current city council. So
all of this posturing over what needs to be done about the mayor after what
he said at the Tea Party is very short sighted and does not consider the
potential long-term ramifications.

As it's been pointed out this is the same city council that has consistently
turned a blind eye to the shenanigans of the police department. What makes
the death of Kiwane especially tragic is this city council had a chance to
make some tangible changes after Brian Chesley was beaten and
pepper-sprayed, and after cops shot into the rental home of Mildred Davis
when Torriano Johnson ran in. Remember, this is the same city council that
voted against a citizens review board, that voted to remove protections from
section 8 vouchers, and didn't bother to find out that Officer Norbits had
been doing light desk duty while technically on leave after shooting Kiwane.
So if we get rid of one mayor and leave two council seats open,  then the
residents of Champaign are looking at the possibility that two more people
who are handpicked by the remaining members will be put in office. Then,
like Bruno, by the time that elections come up they will have had enough
time to become entrenched in the positions.

Is this something that people on this listserve really want to see happen to
the residents of Champaign?

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