More low-income housing for Geneva!

I wouldn’t believe you if your tongue came notarized. – Judge Marilyn Milian

You might want to dust off your First Ward score card for this one because it’s generally a requirement when you’re dealing with a liar on the scale of Geneva Mayor Kevin Burns. And political pathological liars are always more dangerous when their general mendaciousness catches up with them around election time. It’s never easy to unravel their carefully warped reality, but I’ll give it my best shot.  

For example, if you ask the Mayor whether he’s had any recent conversations with the Burton Foundation, he’ll look you straight in the eye, smile, and say, “I haven’t talked to the Burton Foundation in two years!”  Then he’ll walk away shaking his head as if you’re the one who has a problem with the truth.

But the truth is the City just held a very public meeting with the Foundation in response to resident concerns over the Emma’s Landing affordable housing double murder – you know, the one where a middle schooler was stabbed 37 times by a multiple felon who somehow manage to circumvent their supposedly “rigorous” entry standards.

So, we’re supposed to believe that Burns didn’t talk to Tracey Manning and the Foundation before the meeting? That makes him a liar right from the start, which will come as absolutely no surprise to anyone who’s known the man for more than 20 seconds. 

Then there’s this March 27, 2024 Burns letter to the Illinois Housing Development Authority in which the Mayor wholeheartedly supports the Burton Foundation’s latest affordable housing boondoggle. Apparently, the Mayor’s so impressed with her vast integrity and incredible competence that he accepts all of Ms. Manning’s proposals at face value.

It makes you wonder how he knew about the plan to begin with. So, now we know the Mayor’s a bold-faced liar on two counts.

Considering their so-far disastrous Geneva reign, what’s the Foundation’s newest ploy? Having already snapped up the land, they want to cram another 54-unit low-come housing project on the site of the former Duke & Lee’s gas station on the corner of Third Street and Route 31. That’s smack dab in the heart of what’s about to become the not-so-quaint downtown Geneva business district.

As the Mayor clearly wrote in his missive to Ms. Moran, “The City of Geneva is pleased with Emma’s Landing.”

Wait, what? Who’s pleased?

That brings us to our third lie because that’s not what I’m hearing. The non-progressive aldermen have been mightily complaining about what Emma’s Landing has become, as have a surprising number of city staffers. The police department isn’t happy with the constant calls, either. And to imply that the citizenry is behind it would certainly fall in the category of one of Mark Twain’s “Damned lies.”

Let’s not forget the Third Street merchants, who are finally catching onto this scheme and they’re about to raise holy hell. Fifty-four units on three-quarters of an acre? What could possibly go wrong with that? Emma’s Landing has been a shining example of low-income housing, hasn’t it? Those businesses want an influx of residents who’ll spend money downtown, not rob them blind.

Call me crazy, but wouldn’t you think that, after a double murder and the alleged felony beating of a baby momma’s momma, the Burton Foundation would at least pretend to care about keeping felons out? But no! Their entry standards continue to consist of having a pulse and being able to sign your own name.

To wit, the GPD arrested two more Emma’s Way felons in January alone.

On January 15, Keonne T. Mebane was arrested on behalf of the Elgin Police Department on three felony charges: one burglary and two retail theft. To be fair, after searching the nearby county court records, Mr. Mebane doesn’t seem to have a history of violent offenses. But he’s the exception that proves the Emma’s Landing rule.

Because a scant week later, the GPD picked up Jonathan Escobedo after responding to yet another domestic dispute at an Emma’s Way address. He was taken into custody after Tri-Com advised them of an outstanding Kane County Sheriff’s warrant. And by the looks of it Mr. Escobedo will be the likely winner of our first annual “Best Emma’s Landing Violent Criminal Award.” To say he’s been a busy boy, would be quite the understatement.

In descending chronological order, these are JUST the felony charges he’s managed to rack up in Kane County since 2020:  

•         Two class 4 violating an order of protection felonies
•         Three class 4 domestic violence felonies
•         Three class 3 domestic violence felonies for beating his pregnant girlfriend
•         Four more class 4 domestic violence felonies for doing the same thing the year before
•         Four class four unlawful use of a weapon felonies

And let’s not overlook his 2019 Kendall County arrest for DUI, driving on a suspended license, unlawful possession of alcohol by a minor, unlawful consumption of alcohol by a minor, speeding, and illegal transportation of alcohol. That kind of criminal sextet takes real talent, too!

I’m really starting to think the Landing’s entry requirements consist of a couple of felony charges and a “Welcome to the Club” handshake. Despite our progressive sisters’ rhetoric about how every low-income minority offender has a heart of gold, Emma’s Landing is attracting a wonderful variety of clientele, and before you know it, they’ll be right in the middle of downtown Geneva, too.

 Oh! But it gets worse, as it always does whenever Tracey Manning is involved.

Thanks to a carefully crafted series of FOIA requests, nearby residents have uncovered a disturbing pattern. A surprising number of new tenants have been recently released by the Illinois Department of Corrections directly to the Land. Given that mounting evidence, they suspect that Manning and the Foundation are turning portions of the site into a de facto halfway house to maximize profits. And I’m beginning to believe them.

Look, everyone deserves a place to live, and we all have to believe in redemption or we’re lost, too. But that was never Emma’s Landing’s intent. Considering their refusal to screen prospective residents or make any effort to ensure the safety of current tenants, why would we want more of their underhanded bullshit on Third Street?

And if you ask him, I’m sure the Mayor will be more than happy to lie about that, too. But that letter doesn’t lie!

That’s how it is with our Mayor Burns. Lie, after lie, upon lie, upon more lies. The man wouldn’t know the truth if it bit him in the ass. His police reports are legendary, the GPD let him slide on at least eight DUIs, he’s shown up drunk to Christmas events and at least one county board meeting, and now he’s trying to tear Geneva down, brick by brick.

But all is not lost, Dear Reader! We have a real choice on April first. Unless you want more of this low-income BS and so much more, it’s time to vote for Karsten Pawlik.

There will be much more to come on the Mayor Burns front, too. Please stay tuned.