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

[C. G. Estabrook]

Certainly. Why not?  Every election in Champaign should be fought on the issue 
of dismissing Finney and Norbits and undertaking the reform of the department. 
Any candidate who refuses to commit to that should be opposed and defeated.


On 4/18/10 1:30 AM, Marti Wilkinson wrote:
> 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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