FeedFrankly, Aaron, stop campaigning on public’s dime
August 31, 2006 in Overset
The following is a press release from Friends of Bill Spears. The invitation to print similar releases from Aaron Schock’s campaign still stands:
Spears Demands Schock Return Money to Taxpayers Used to Promote Political Campaign
According to brochures, taxpayers have paid for printing of four mailers in last few weeks alone
PEORIA—Democratic State Representative Candidate and Peoria City Councilman Bill Spears on Thursday lambasted Republican State Representative Aaron Schock for recently sending 88,500 pieces of taxpayer-funded mail at a time when Schock has voted against more money for local schools and healthcare claiming a shortage of revenue. While Spears agrees that the state is in financial difficulty, he believes Schock has chosen to promote himself over helping local families.
“Any objective person would believe that any politician sending 88,500 pieces of mail paid for by state taxpayers in the last month is up to a bit more than good ‘constituent service’,” Spears said. “Aaron Schock should admit to local taxpayers that he had a lapse in judgment, 88,500 pieces of state paid mail in the last month is an excessive use of their money being used to promote himself, and step up to the plate and refund the money.”
According to Spears, this incident is only the latest in a series of questionable actions by Schock that blur the line between the proper use of state-funded materials and the illegal use of tax dollars to promote one’s campaign. This month alone, Schock has sent 88,500 mailings to local residents paid for and printed by the State of Illinois, costing taxpayers an estimated $8,890*.
Mailings paid by state taxpayers in the last month contained Schock’s name 29 times and included 10 photos of Schock.
Newly implemented ethics reforms prohibit legislators from printing any state material for public distribution after August 31. Schock recently sent a mailing to 23,500 residents advertising an event on September 9, and while his mailings may be within the legal guidelines, Spears believes his opponent is coming as close as he can to campaigning on the taxpayer’s dime by promoting an event held after the August 31 deadline.
The city of Peoria and city police and fire departments previously pulled out of an event hosted by Schock over concerns it would prompt taxpayers to question if city officials were supporting Schock’s campaign. Community organizations and not-for-profit entities are barred from participating in political events. Participating in political events could jeopardize their non-profit status.
“Aaron Schock joined his republican colleagues in voting against the last two budgets citing the need for fiscal responsibility,” Spears said. “He voted against increased funding for our schools, our seniors, increased healthcare, our working families and our community, claiming he was looking out for taxpayers—maybe he was really working to make sure there would be money left in the budget for his own self-promotion. His actions clearly show where his priorities lie.”
*Figure is an average cost given by local printers
Paid for by Friends of William R. Spears.
August 31st, 2006 at 6:26 pm
I think Aaron actually has made some good decisions and when you get out there and do things for your community its easy for things to get misunderstood. He actually puts forth an effort and is very active on multiple issues, and he doesn’t just sit in an office all day and do nothing.
Oh, Billy is going to be mad…about the pimping ordeal.
August 31st, 2006 at 10:40 pm
Well, It looks like Mr. Spears is in fact going to take the low road in the campaign. I am extremely disappointed. One thing I have learned from my professional contacts in court is when you have nothing, you pull fluff. This confirms it. I noted I was extremely disapointed in Mr. Oliver’s decision about pulling out city staff from an event designed for families attending the Family Fair at Valeska Hinton. Apparantly that move was political by Mr. Oliver’s boss???–just a shot in the dark….who would be the council. Stiffing poor black kids and their families to try to score political points. That’s even lower and I am even more disappointed.
One shooting involving a drug dealer in the fourth district and all hell breaks loose. We deal with that crap everyday and I can’t so much as get dangerous sidewalks replaced. Give me a break!! Makes me wonder if all the crime hoopla by the city is only a precursor for an election vs. concern for the citizen’s safety. Cease Fire apparantly needs $250,000+ dollars to set up a chapter when we can’t get people feeling safe enough to leave their homes, we can’t get the various portions of the justice system to stop taking shots at one another. More political bull shit. We have the resources here to resolve many problems, it takes effort and people working together, we simply don’t have that. People want someone else to fix problems. Well they can’t it’s our problem and our responsibility to fix it. Come on folks, not all of us are a stupid as apparantly it is believed. The criminals just sit back and laugh because it only makes it easier on them to keep committing the crimes. If the entire justice system worked together, if neighborhoods cooperated, if leaders put aside their own agendas and listened to the people, much of these issues would disappear, because the overwhelming majority of people would stand up these crime riddled families and either have them shape up or ship out.
Representative Schock has been there consistently for neighborhoods, while Spears voted against the loud music ordinance, despite overwhelming neighborhood support, city wide. Representative Schock has provided a legislative liason to neighborhoods to take concerns directly to his office and distribute information to us. No one has made this type of effort to my knowledge previously. I get return phone calls from his office and return emails. My questions are answered and my requests for documents are researched and provided. This crap makes me angry.
You want votes, tell us why you’re a better qualified candidate, talk about issues you have been involved in, and what type of concrete, viable plans for improvement. Many of us are smart enough to figure out someone’s faults. We don’t need to be told. I was told that this campaign would turn ugly because of the democrats in Springfield wanting to run the show up here. By the way, I don’t need Springfield numbers calling my house about the campaign. I need local people who live and know what is going in the city to be able to discuss issues.
I will be at the Family Fair sponsored by Aaron Schock’s Office on 9/9/06 at Thomas Jefferson School. This is an opportunity for families to learn about community resources. If the city fails to show because of fear of political retribution, then it simply fails to serve the community it is sworn to. That will have voter retribution.
I am guessing the gloves are off, let the games begin.
September 1st, 2006 at 8:17 am
Hey Bill! There’s your Aaron Schock news release by Mr. Wilkinson.
September 1st, 2006 at 8:19 am
Paul Wilkinson? Never heard of him-but there is one smart man! I wish someone would get him to run for an at large City Council seat in the next elections. I may not agree with what he says, but he seems to shoot straight.
September 1st, 2006 at 8:34 am
Hell, Bill. You want to blog on the public’s dime…..
September 1st, 2006 at 8:43 am
My kudos to Mr. Wilkinson as well. Excellent, frank and honest commentary. Why aren’t you running for city council?
As for Mr. Schock, my group (Peoria Families, the group STILL fighting PDC’s haz waste landfill expansion) also got respectful and timely replies from his office. AS much as this liberal democrat/green party girl hates to admit it about a Republican.
September 1st, 2006 at 2:13 pm
I notice Mr. Wilkinson didn’t actually address the original complaint from Spears. But he certainly did get everyone off the subject! Kudos to Paul for excellent media spin execution.
September 1st, 2006 at 3:33 pm
Ok CJ,
I have recieved three pieces of mail from Schock’s office advertising 1. a community coffee regarding crime with Barbara Van Auken and the Chief to talk about criminal concerns in the second district. I attended this meeting.
2. A family fair advertisement for families who attend Valeska-Hinton and surrounding advertising community resources I did not attend this as i was helping with the Peoria-Peoria Heights litter campaign. 3. Another family fair like above but at Thomas Jefferson. I will be at this event. These are constituent services and I would guess were paid by taxes.
I would think this no different than when my counsel person held a meeting on neighborhood crime and had flyers printed and distributed to neighborhood leaders by city staff. That event was paid for by taxes, albeit a very small amount of money. And why wouldn’t it be.
Again. put the political fluff aside and guage who is the best candidate, who can represent us best, who has and will listen to and make efforts to meet out community’s needs.
These are separate issues than mailing items that say vote for me or send me money for my campaign. Those are sent from political offices.
So the issue is and remains fluff and I stand by my original “spin” as you put it. What I said is exactly the topics that need to be discussed.
And to the rest:
I am not planning on running for anything. I believe in order to be a good city council member you have to be available full time plus for people. You need to work on crime issues, attend meetings, meet with constituents. Research many items to make good decisions. The job pays about $1000.00 a month. My household cannot afford that type of pay cut. I think by pay design one must be retired or independently wealthy. My job expects that I show up and work to meet my clients needs. I would also have to give up neighborhood commitments, a committment to the Neighborhood Alliance and most likely would not be able to be a Guardian Angel and the myriad of other things I am involved in. I understand that it is far easier to look on the outside and comment than to make real changes, but I try to make my own little corner of the universe a better place, I hope that you will too.
September 1st, 2006 at 8:09 pm
$1,000.00 a month? I thought it was more like $300 or $400… hell, why doesn’t Willie York run? He could get a room at the Grandview Hotel for that amount of green, and… and… oh yeah, I forgot.
September 3rd, 2006 at 12:20 pm
Sheez, Wille York collects more than that for doing nothing from the FEDS each month. Why work when you don’t have to. Don’t let the makeup and stylish clothes fool ya.