Republicans in glass houses shouldn’t throw anything

Republicans in glass houses shouldn’t throw anything

Now, most of you know me for the calm, cool, collected, and eminently reserved individual I am. But on rare occasion, if provoked, I can be riled to action. And nothing does it faster than a political party that thinks it’s hilarious to share my former legal woes. Add one of the most moronic attack mailers I’ve ever seen and it becomes time to restore balance to the force.

First, for reference purposes, despite the KC GOP’s insistence that 16th District County Board candidate Ted Penesis wants to do away with the St. Charles Fox River dams, the County has absolutely no say in that process. Only the local municipalities can determine if the dams stay or go, which makes their claim a preposterous lie.

And second, though they may lack the quality of some of the criminal charges we’ve covered over the years, the legal issues besetting Penesis’ Republican opponent, Eric Stare, make up for it in sheer quantity. Let’s just say Stare beats his Agent Orange hero hands down in this scurrilous scofflaw regard.

So, since turnabout is always fair play, let’s examine Mr. Stare’s rather lengthy rap sheet. We’ll start with his amazing litany of DuPage County traffic tickets. Here’s my favorite.

In July of 1996, in what was clearly a go big or go home effort, Stare was pulled over for an improper turn. No big deal, right? But then he also managed to rack up the following additional charges:

  •         No insurance
  •         Transporting open alcohol
  •         Driving on a suspended license

We’ve all been pulled over before, but how many of us can say we got the book thrown at us in ONE stop?

Not to be outdone, Stare beat that feat in 2007 with another traffic stop quad-fecta. This time it was:

  •         Speeding
  •         Failure to signal a turn
  •         No insurance
  •         And a DUI

 He did a little better in 2009 when Roselle’s finest pulled him over for: 

  •         No insurance
  •         Driving on a suspended license

 But then he ran afoul of the Roselle Police again in 2010 with racking up another DUI and a reckless driving charge just to make it more interesting.

Stare’s two charges for driving 20-plus miles over the speed limit and five other minor traffic violations suddenly pale in comparison, don’t they? Four separate cases of illegal consumption of alcohol by a minor? That tells us that Mr. Stare harbors an extraordinary capacity for getting caught.

Just to round it out, there were additional DuPage complaints for reckless conduct, assault and battery, and then TD Bank had to sue him for failure to pay his credit card debt. Yep! That’s the financial wizard we want serving on the County Board. And Stare essentially pled guilty to all of the charges successfully serving some form of court supervision.

Sad to say, Eric hasn’t been nearly as prolific in Kane County where he’s only managed to accrue charges for:

  •         Transporting open alcohol
  •         Possession of alcohol by a minor
  •         Driving with expired plates.

 And I thought I liked to drink!

I understand how youthful discretions can lead to one or maybe two DUIs, but four charges for driving with open alcohol? Some folks say I’m slow, but even I would’ve learned my lesson after the first time.

All kidding aside, it’s bad enough to drink and drive, but Stare’s penchant for drinking WHILE driving displays the worst kind of blatant disregard for basic common sense and decency. Apparently he can’t make it as far as the grocery store without needing a drink.

To be fair, we’ve all been pulled over before, but the vast majority avoid making a habit out of it. If we do persist in that regard, then we generally rule out running for public office. Did the KC GOP vet this guy at all?

Given Stare’s absurd number of trespasses, I searched the DuPage Circuit Clerk’s website so frequently they thought I was an Internet robot and temporarily blocked my access. And that, my friends, is an 18-year journalistic first.

Please don’t get me wrong, we all deserve to be able to recover from our youthful and not-so-youthful indiscretions. But you summarily forfeit that right when you and your Party lackeys decide that it’s a good idea to go after someone else.

Just as an aside, in that same bogus mailer, the KC GOP petulantly refers to candidate Penesis as “Teddy” as if that playground slight will shake Collar County civilization to its core. But it only proves the Party has all the emotional maturity of an ADHD toddler who didn’t get his nap.

Aside from the obvious, what can we take away from all of this? It would seem that Mr. Stare shares the same blatant disregard for the law that his Grand Cheeto hero does. And that’s the last thing we need on the Kane County Board. 

 

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