Still Waters,  the em space,  Where They Stand,  By the Numbers,

How We Stack Up,  What's Up With That?

By Lynn Spellman

[MAY 21, 2001]  On Wednesday, May 9, I had the pleasure of a whirlwind tour of Springfield sites with Janet Huckabee, first lady of Arkansas. A fun time, it was also a lesson in how effectively a title can open doors.

Huckabee was the featured speaker at the annual meeting of the Illinois Manufactured Housing Association. Since last August, when she chose a triple-wide house made by Champion Homes of Indiana as a temporary residence during restoration of the Arkansas governor’s mansion, she has become an enthusiastic spokesperson for the industry.

After Huckabee’s luncheon speech, association chairman Roger Huddleston assigned Lucy Anderson and Dianne DeRosa, both of Springfield, and I the delightful task of taking her "wherever she wants to go." We were a party of six in the DeRosas’ Lincoln. Dick DeRosa, Dianne and Lucy sat in the front, and in the back were Janet Huckabee, I and Dustin, whom we were told to introduce as "an Arkansas state trooper."

Our first stop was the statehouse. Dianne had some trouble unfastening her seat belt, and Huckabee ran around the car calling, "I can help." Inside, IMHA Executive Director Chris Kratzer guided us through the rotunda, the Senate legislative chamber and a meeting room with a hearing in session. We met Sen. Larry Bomke, R-Springfield, in his office. Then an aide to Gov. George Ryan escorted us to the governor’s office. Though Ryan was in Chicago, as we admired the richly decorated office we were joined by former Gov. James Thompson, who stepped out from a meeting to chat with us.

As we exited the governor’s outer office, Huckabee noticed an arm cover had fallen off the chair by the door and stooped to replace it. We then hurried to our car and drove to the Lincoln Home, with Lucy on her cell phone making arrangements. "The first lady of Arkansas is in town," she said. "She’ll be at your facility in five minutes and would like a tour." Meanwhile, the high-energy Huckabee was on her own cell phone, checking on the status of a $2 million grant application. It turned out she had received only $1 million. "That’s pretty good," she said, "except that I know who got the other million."

[to top of second column in this commentary]

Classes of grade-school children waiting for tours watched as we immediately entered the Lincoln Home. Our guide was especially skillful at presenting the house from Mary Todd Lincoln’s point of view, and Janet Huckabee was liberal with her thanks, as she had been at the governor’s office. Our tour continued to the Dean House, where we examined models of the Lincoln house in its various stages of expansion.

Then it was on to the Old State Capitol. In the car I learned that both Gov. Mike Huckabee and his wife had grown up in Hope, Ark., and knew Terry and Mickey Becherer, formerly of Lincoln.

Again we were met by an excellent guide who led us between school classes. We moved quickly through the offices and legislative chambers but not so quickly as to miss learning the origin of the term "red tape." In Lincoln’s day legal documents were folded and placed in file drawers about 4 inches square on the end. When a drawer was full, the documents were tied together in bundles using flat red fabric tape because it did not cut as string did. So a person looking for a specific document often had to go through a lot of red tape.

After thanking our guide we considered a quick pass through Oak Ridge Cemetery to see Lincoln’s tomb, but it was 4 p.m. and the first lady had to be ready by 5:15 to hostess a reception at the Illinois executive mansion. Even she, with her ability to pack a great deal into a few minutes, acknowledged that there wasn’t time. We had made our tour in about two hours, evidence of how much you can accomplish when all the doors are open.

Janet Huckabee, first lady of Arkansas, has the energy level to take advantage of the opportunities available to her. At 8 p.m. she planned to drive to St. Louis, fly to Little Rock, sleep briefly and be ready to fly to Texarkana, Ark., for a full schedule of appointments the next day.

[Lynn Spellman]

By Mike Fak

[JUNE 30, 2001]  So there you have it. For the first time in the storied history of Logan County, those few of us who vote for county board members will see our options dwindle even further in future races.

I was never too excited about picking six out of seven candidates. I look forward with even less anticipation to picking two out of three. For good or bad I enjoyed knowing that everyone on the board had my endorsement over others. Well, most of the time, that is. I find no serving of the public good with a new system that allows 10 members of the board to care little if any as to how I feel they are voting on issues that affect me as well as all of you.

Thursday, June 21, the board changed our system of representation from at large to districts. It was the proper thing for the board to do since it was mandated by the voters in this county. Well, it was mandated by the 20 percent of the voters who got off their kiesters on Election Day, that is. I fear we all now get what we wished for.

Six districts with two representatives each is how the ballots in Logan County will be prepared for at least the next decade. I have serious doubts if that will be a good thing.

Proponents of going to districts are quick to point out that nearly all of Illinois’ counties already are districted. My Irish grandmother used to tell me: "If everyone jumps off a cliff, it doesn’t mean you need to." I wonder what wisdom she would tell me if still alive today?

The new board setup will mean a little more rural representation, but will it be a mandate from the people or simply more "pick me or nobody" as we just saw in the last Lincoln City Council election that presented five candidates to fill five district seats?

I have stated repeatedly that in the last 20 years, 82 percent of the rural candidates have been elected to the county compared to 74 percent of the urban candidates. Those statistics are indisputable and irrevocable. To date, no one who supports districts has debated these findings. Instead, like a federal politician, they ignore these facts and go on with their own diatribe of how rural Logan County is being left out in the cold.

[to top of second column in this commentary]

Look at the last several elections and notice if you can a candidate running from Mount Pulaski.

How about an Atlantan running after Darrel Deverman decided to retire? How many New Hollanders besides Rod White have been a part of the selection process? Until Roger Bock, who initially was appointed, how many Elkhart residents have we seen on the ballot?

Lloyd Hellman from the tiny town of Emden was the top vote-getter in the last election, but still I hear that rural residents don’t think they have a chance to be elected.

We can all pretend this isn’t the truth if we want to, but the aim of districting was promoted by rural proponents to get a larger foothold on the board. That isn’t a bad thing, but it could be in the event rural members become increasingly negative to urban initiatives and are not answerable to a full 50 percent of the constituents. The coin can also become reversed, with rural residents feeling they are still being left out of the process with no future chance of voting rural candidates into offices held by urban members.

The board, I believe, was required to adopt this initiative because the voters of this county said so. In a democracy you have to follow the will of the people, regardless if it is the best thing to do or not.

No one wants to say it out loud, but the board is breaking into rural and urban factions. With a 12-member board, split evenly between rural and urban, I fear a great deal of deadlock on important issues is just over the horizon. I hope I am wrong.

Time will also tell if a field of candidates worthy of spending a minute in a polling place will be available to voters. I stand on record that in the event every district has more than two choices to pick from, I will apologize in this forum. In the event I do not see failures to progress due to where a board member lives, I will again apologize. Fair warning: In the event my fears on what will happen does occur, I will not be afraid to tell you: I told you so.

[Mike Fak]

Reply (not for publication) to Mike Fak:

mfldn@lincolndailynews.com

Reply as a letter to the editor:

ldneditor@lincolndailynews.com 

By Mike Fak

[JUNE 19, 2001]  I’m sorry but I just can’t get all in a lather over the Logan County Board’s recent discussion about giving themselves a pay raise. For obvious reasons, those who are against an increase throw out the number that the raise from $35 per meeting to $50 per workshop and $75 per board meeting is a 63 percent increase in pay. Big deal. If I give the old dog three bones instead of one, I just gave him a 300 percent increase in snacks, but all I have done is given old Fido a couple more bones.

To assume in this day and age that any right-thinking adult should spend time and effort in preparation for a meeting, field input from constituents (not always complimentary), and then shoot craps on another evening in their lives for $35 just doesn’t make any sense.

The argument that the board members should be doing this as a public service for the good of the community and not for remuneration also doesn’t make any sense to me. The board is not a charity staffed by volunteers. The board is a $10 million-a-year business in charge of remitting services to the taxpayers they are elected to represent. Yet, a pay increase that could bring a board member’s annual pay up to $4,000 is seen as extravagant?

Without criticizing any member of our current board, perhaps the fact that hours of research are done and evenings are spent in meetings for a pay scale that doesn’t reach minimum wage is why voters have so few selections on election night. Are not the current members of the board already doing community service by spending as much time as they already do for a couple of bucks?

A great deal has been made of Logan County being one of the last to come out of the dark ages and move to districting. Perhaps it is also time to change a pay system that went into effect three decades ago.

[to top of second column in this commentary]

It is valid to request new pay scales be tabled until after a district map has been determined by the board. It is also a good idea, agreed to by many board members, that committee numbers be reduced. This, in effect, would mean fewer members receiving a little more pay without the overall expense to the taxpayer going up.

Board members need to first concentrate on new districting rules. All members have recently received three proposals from the districting committee to consider. In one proposal, a county of 12 "one person" districts is offered. In another, three districts represented by five members each is subject to approval. In the third offering, a system of five districts with three board members each can be authorized. There is an opportunity for a decision to be made on one of these plans at the June 21 meeting.

Once the new makeup of representation is determined, it will be the course of the board to see how many committees can be cut down to still effective but more manageable numbers.

And then, let the board give themselves a decent pay hike.

[Mike Fak]

Reply (not for publication) to Mike Fak:

mfldn@lincolndailynews.com

Reply as a letter to the editor:

ldneditor@lincolndailynews.com 

Welcome to the em space, a staff writer's commentary section with observations about life experiences in Logan County and beyond. Enjoy your visit.

- Mary Krallmann

[Mary Krallmann] 

Where They Stand

Where They Stand is a commentary section that poses a question about a specific issue in the community. Informed individuals present their position with facts, opinions or insights on the issue. The following commentaries have been printed, unedited, in their entirety, as they were received. If you have further comment on the issue, please send an e-mail message, complete with your name, address and telephone number to ldneditor@lincolndailynews.com.

District vs. at large

April 3 ballot proposition:  "Shall Logan County be divided into districts equal in population for the purpose of electing County Board members to serve on the Logan County Board commencing in the year 2002?"

YES!

In January of this year, citizens throughout Logan County circulated petitions to place this issue on the ballot. That effort was successful with more than 10% of registered voters signing within a two-week period (2569 total/2000 needed). The referendum has been certified by the Logan County Clerk and will be on the April 3^rd ballot throughout the county. The citizens were successful and will be able to voice their opinion on this matter for the first time in 30 years!

Illinois law states that every ten years each county in Illinois with a township form of government shall determine whether board members shall be elected "at large" from the county or by county board "districts".

A "YES" vote on this issue will indicate that residents of Logan County want to have their County Board members representing all areas of the county. Each district must be divided equally in population and will guarantee that all areas are represented! The present "at large" system allows for all 13 County Board members to be elected from one area, while the remainder of the county could end up with no one. In fact, the east side of our county (from Mt. Pulaski to Atlanta) does not have representation at the present time! All of the counties surrounding Logan are in districts. Menard recently changed from "at large" to "districts" with an overwhelming vote. The greater majority of counties in Illinois are in districts and have been for several years. We are not the only county with this issue on the ballot. Bureau County recently passed a referendum to go to single member districts. Champaign County has a similar question, as does Adams County.

Remember that this question asks how the make-up of the County Board should be for the next ten years. Under a district system the voter is more likely to know the person they are voting for. This is your opportunity to voice your opinion and let your county governing body know how you feel. If the referendum produces a result in FAVOR of district representation, then measures will be introduced on the floor of the Logan County Board to accomplish that goal.

—Rodney J. White

(Rodney White is a member of the Logan County Board.)

NO!

It’s rather interesting and enlightening to note the places of residence of people appointed to the Logan County Board to fill terms of members who have died, moved away, or resigned.

Mr. Robert "Bud" Behrends was appointed to the Logan County Board March 18, 1975, to finish out the term of Robert E. Downing, and Lloyd Hellman was appointed November 15, 1994, to finish out Robert "Bud" Behrends term on the board. Mr. Behrends grew up in the Hartsburg area, and spent most of his life in Lincoln, and Mr. Hellman, who replaced "Bud" has spent most of his life in the rural Emden area. Mr. Downing was a rural Beason farmer.

The emphasis on appointments was the type of person needed to effectively function on the board; not where they resided. A Beason resident (Mr. Downing) was replaced by a Hartsburg/Lincoln resident (Mr. Behrends), who was replaced by Mr. Hellman, an Emden resident.

The above appointments don’t look like "district" representation. It looks like desire on the part of the replacements and their ability to effectively function on the Logan County Board.

Mark H. Werth resigned from the board December 31, 1988. L. Buckles was appointed to replace Mr. Werth, February 20, 1989. Both were from rural areas -- Mr. Werth, rural area north of Mt. Pulaski, and Mr. Buckles, rural area south of Mt. Pulaski.

Mr. Earl Madigan, who lived southeast of Lincoln, was replaced by Dwight Zimmerman, who farmed for years just east of San Jose and later lived in Lincoln. That certainly wasn’t a "district" appointment. That was an appointment based on the desire of the person to serve and his ability to serve.

Mr. Edward L. Spellman, resigned from the board March 18, 1976, and Mr. Don Smith was appointed to take his place. both came from Lincoln, Both were successful business people and served well on the board.

Mr. Robert Welch died in office November 18, 1998. He was a resident of rural Beason. Mr. Roger Bock of rural Williamsville was appointed to replace him. Again, not a "district" appointment, but one based on desire and ability.

To my knowledge, no proponent of the district plan for electing members of the Logan County Board has ever submitted a plan, so my question is: If the at large system of electing county board members is not flawed, why fix it?

If the system is working well and the members are getting the work of county government done, why change?

Will a district election plan, which apparently is only floating around in the minds of a few people and has not been committed to paper, better serve all the people of all the county?? I think not!!!

—Dick Hurley

(Dick Hurley is a former member of the Logan County Board.)

By the Numbers

Local figures are as follows:

Logan County = $44,078.23

(Counties receive an allocation on the basis of motor vehicle registration fees, with the exception of Cook County, which has a percentage allocation set by law.)

Townships and road districts = $90,973.85

(Townships and road districts are allocated an amount computed on the basis of mileage in their jurisdiction.)

City of Lincoln = $38,003.84

(Cities receive an allocation based on population.)

[Source: Economic Development report]

Alexis Asher

Alexis Asher

Lincoln High School history

1859

Lincoln School District

5

School buildings in 1859

1

"Grammar school" in 1859

1

High school teacher, Mr. January, in 1859

1870-71

Central School opened

1898

High school building started

1900

High school dedicated, Jan. 5

$20,000

Cost of new high school

1920

Election authorized community high school District #404

1958

Dedication of new Lincoln Community High School, 1000 Primm Road, in auditorium, on Nov. 9

Alexis Asher

How We Stack Up

Racial makeup of selected Illinois counties

What's Up With That?

        
[Road construction is taking place up and down Woodlawn Road.]

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