Quick Hits – May 16, 2018

Quick Hits – May 16, 2018

So, now we’re paying prosecutors to defend the bad guys?

When those Greek philosophers said, “There is nothing new under the sun,” they were tragically mistaken, because, despite that stoic proclamation, I ain’t never seen this one before!

Just when you thought our strange and sordid tale of former Kane County Prosecutor McGropy couldn’t get any stranger or more sordid, it did! For background purposes please avail yourself of this and/or this previous post.

Briefly, after a six-plus-year reign of sexual harassment terror, State’s Attorney Joe McMahon finally let this prosecutor go on February 22. How do I know this? Because suddenly, the KCSAO is taking my Freedom of Information Requests seriously.

It’s amazing what happens when the Attorney General’s Office gets involved.

Ah! But here’s the thing! As a result of a separate FOIA to the Treasurer, it became abundantly clear that this prosecutor was paid until at least April 20. Another FOIA to KC Human Resources confirmed the State’s Attorney submitted April 20 as his final day.

Ghost Payroller

Meanwhile, the KCSAO’s FOIA response to me said he was paid until May 4. So, somebody bold faced lied to somebody! Regardless of what the actual termination date is, there’s nothing quite like a ghost payroller to brighten the taxpayers’ day, is there?

But wait there’s more!

Not one to rest on his laurels, our temporarily unemployed prosecutor immediately went to work for McNamee and Mahoney, one of the more “fascinating” criminal defense firms in Kane County.

Don’t get me wrong, we’re all entitled to a zealous defense – I’ve been known to avail myself of a good attorney on more than one occasion – it’s just that I have a problem with that defense coming at the expense of the Kane County taxpayer.

To sum this sordid tale up, despite being fired on February 22, Prosecutor McGropy was paid until April 20, or May 4, depending upon whom you believe. And while the taxpayers were paying him 11 to 13 grand not to work, he was defending the very individuals his former peers were in the process of prosecuting.

And Lulves continues to insist there’s no severance agreement here.

I told you those Greeks were wrong!

 

The Elgin Art police strike again!

My beloved Elgin has taken more than its share of undeserved hits lately, so while I’m loathe to pile on, when a wound is entirely self-inflicted, it bears mentioning if for no other reason than to seek redress.

For brief background purposes, after it had been on public display for 12 long years, in the summer of 2016, an observer noted that David Powers’ ‘American Nocturne’ bore a striking resemblance to a photograph of a 1930 Marion, Indiana, lynching. The reason it had been previously overlooked is the mural depicted only the lynching’s white audience.

Censored

Once its true intent was uncovered, the liberal outrage machine, with their eminently delicate sensibilities, immediately threw the kind of temper tantrum that makes Kanye West’s outbursts look tame by comparison.

The strange thing is, nothing about the painting had changed!

Fast forward to the spring of 2018, and Powers wants it back.

Sorry buddy! You’re out of luck. You happily sold it to the City of Elgin for $6,000 and now it’s theirs to do with as they see fit. Not only that, but when your brilliant piece of work came under fire, you abandoned it faster than Donald Trump ditches cabinet members.

Not only do you have no claim to it, but my fondest wish is that you get stored in a warehouse somewhere never to be seen – or heard from – again.

Meanwhile, the Elgin Cultural Arts Commission, who can’t get it right even twice a day, decided they wouldn’t return the mural to Mr. Powers, because, as city liaison to the commission, Amanda Harris, said, “…it could be displayed with no explanation of the origin of the work.”

This is exactly what Nazis do. They unilaterally determine if a piece of art has “merit,” and if they deem it doesn’t, they put it under lock and key where the rabble and their eminently malleable minds won’t have to be disturbed by viewing it. This is censorship at its abject worst!

Elgin City Council! It’s time to disband the Cultural Arts Commission because they have become an embarrassment to a city that doesn’t need any more public embarrassment. I’ve never seen a more inept and embarrassing group in 12 years of covering inept and embarrassing groups.

And that includes the Longmeadow Loons!

C’mon! They’ve had two years to deal with this mural, and they still can’t come up with a policy for artwork that will no longer be displayed? I’ve seen 90-year-old quadriplegics move faster in an ice storm.

Once the commission is mercifully extinct, please donate the mural to a museum or group who will honor the piece’s profound message by proudly displaying it – with no explanation – because none is necessary.

4 thoughts on “Quick Hits – May 16, 2018

  1. I enjoy your columns generally. However,
    it’s “its” unless it’s “it is” and only then is it “it’s.”
    … it’s share of undeserved hits
    … it’s true intent 
    … it’s abject worst

    It’s distracting.

  2. Elgin does have too many commissions, some that are obsolete and, henceforth, cannot get any volunteers. Most notably, the Human Relations Commission is one very, very dangerous commission that needs to be disbanded or, at the very least, reevaluated and re-worked. Why are they dangerous? They have subpoena power! Can you imagine that? A group of citizens on the commission can secure a court-approved subpoena for other citizens to meet with them? I tried to get that power obliterated and, imagine this and no one on the council wanted to touch it. (They have friends the commission, don’t you know)

    The CAC needs to get their rules approved by the council. You’re right, Jeff. The city paid for the mural. It’s ours. Auction it off in the right market and let the artist bid on it to get it back. We do that with many other taxpayer possessions like used police cars, etc.

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