Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Party to a Crime?

The Newton bomb exploded at last week's Lake County Board meeting. Operatives familiar with this blog will already know that Jim Newton was handpicked by Board Chair Michael Stolman to replace Board member Suzi Schmidt, who resigned to take a higher-paying job in Springfield. The devil however is in the details, and this devil in particular is Netwon's party affiliation. Illinois law stipulates that Schmidt, a Republican, is to be replaced by another Republican. Newton however, for the purposes of the same Illinois statutes, is a Democrat. He is a Democrat in the opinion of Lake County State's Attorney Michael Waller, who interpreted the statutes that way for the Board when a similar appointment was made in 2009. This issue actually led to about 25 minutes of discussion during the 2009 Board meeting. The video can be watched on this blog:
The Finagle System
Since Newton is legally ineligible to replace Schmidt, it was no small surprise that Netwon's appointment had been scheduled, last Wednesday, to a vote before the Board. Your LakeCountyEye at least looked forward to a thorough and rigorous debate. Here is the transcript:
STOLMAN: Number One, the resolution recommending the appointment of Mr Jim Newton as a member of the Lake County Board Representing District Three. Is there a motion? Diana O'Kelly? Second by Ms Carter. All in favor?

COUNTY BOARD: Aye.

STOLMAN: Any opposed?

CRICKETS: Chirp.

STOLMAN: We do have a new board member. Mr Newton if you can come forward we would like to swear you in.
The video can be watched here, although operatives are advised not to blink if they do not want to miss a thorough and rigorous debate:

Lake County Board 03-15-2011
It is unclear to your LakeCountyEye whether Sheriff Make Curran is now required by law to arrest Newton for impersonating a Republican, or arrest the County Board for malfeasance.

3 comments:

Team America said...

While Curran's at it, how about bloggers masquerading as "non-partisan"? ;-)

Anonymous said...

It is funny how these Republicans on the board did not even care that this guy voted for President Obama in the primary election. That means he couldn’t vote for any of the current Republicans running in that primary, the same Republicans he now wants to join. What is even more hilarious is that there is a rumor out there that the head of the Republican Party recommended Newton to Stohlman. Priceless. The head of the Republican Party was in the military. I wonder how he feels now that he knows Newton didn’t even bother to vote in the 2010 primary. So much for our troops dying for our country to protect our freedoms.

Barney Baxter said...

hi TA,

Thanks for the head's up! I may be getting an opportunity to find out if they teach creationism in the County jail.

-BB-