Sunday, August 10, 2014

HOUSE FIRE SHOULD BE A WAKE UP CALL- WATERGATE SCANDAL GROWS

Opinion Editorial
Joseph Wiszowaty

The Watergate Scandal just got a little worse for the administration of David Hanks.  A few weeks ago it was discovered that Hanks has been siphoning money out of the Village’s water fund to pay for grass mowing in violation of 65 ILCS 5/11-129-11 which states “The fund shall be used only for the purpose of paying the cost of operating and maintaining the water-supply system.  Village Trustee Rosie Williams tried to justify this action by stating it was “past practice”.  Just because it was past practice doesn’t make it right.... OR LEGAL!

Housing Commission Gary Holcomb, who has published a private residents state identification card and her son’s Social Security card has been running this grass mowing operation and was trying to save face with his contractors apparently went to David Hanks begging for help with getting these folks paid before the Independence Day parade.  We have requested all of the information about this Grant through the Freedom of Information Act and will publish this as soon as we get it.

Yesterday, a garage fire in the Carlisle Estates subdivision  near US 30 and Torrence Avenue found the Fire Departments scrabbling to find a working fire hydrant.   Only one out of four fire hydrants worked on Poplar Avenue according to an eye witness. Fire Fighters were linking hose together to reach far enough to the next fire hydrant which also did not work!  Residents in the area are now worried and are furious that Mayor Hanks has already budgeted $360,000 from the water fund to balance his controversial 2014-15 budget which was passed nearly 2 months late and at the 11th hour.

Trustee Derrick Burgess questioned if it were legal to take $360,000 out of the water fund and put it into the general fund when state law, specifically, 65 ILCS 5/11-129-11 states the Village cannot.  “The fund shall be used only for the purpose of paying the cost of operating and maintaining the water-supply system.  Finance Director Mohan Rao said “we can do it...”.  Sure he wouldn’t be the one going to jail for the action, it would be the 5 Bobbleheads going to jail for violating the law!

One further thing that was discovered was that two administrative employees are paid exclusively from the Village’s water and sewer fund.  6 public works employees are paid exclusively from the water fund and 4 exclusively from the sewer fund, while the director of Public Works is paid 50/50 from the water and sewer funds.   Employees who are paid “exclusively” must work exclusively for those specific entities according to 65 ILCS 5/11-129-11.  Apparently the Boobleheads and his disHonor the Mayor didn’t read that law.

Also, let’s take a history lesson which goes back to 1986 during the controversy of Nancy McConathy.  McConathy filed a lawsuit which was settled where the Village of Sauk Village pledged NEVER to pay employees out of the water fund who were not working for the water department.  I believe that what is going on violates the terms of the settlement agreement and 65 ILCS 5/11-129-11 as all of these employees are not working “exclusively” for the water or sewer departments.  They are performing snow plowing, which is a Street Department expense, mowing grass which is not appropriate to be paid from the water or sewer funds, picking up trash, moving picnic tables, and doing other non water or sewer related functions.

It’s time for folks to start asking this Administration the “tough questions” and holding his hands to the fire!  He’s spending your money like a fool refusing to make those “tough decisions” he said he was going to back in November, 2012.

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