Tuesday, October 4, 2011

A Difference of Opinion

D'Oh!It divided communities. Turned friends and neighbors into foes. Tore families asunder, pitted cousin against cousin, brother against brother, father against son. Operatives and Civil War buffs alike all know your LakeCountyEye refers to the one question that burns the bosom of every heart in Lake County: Suzi Schmidt, will she or won't she?

As readers of this blog are heartburnedly aware ...
The Spin Cycle
Suzi Schmidt, the Lake Villa State Senator, has been generating some earned media lately, but not exactly the good kind. Earned media of a kind that has the knowledgeable sources wondering out-loud whether and if Schmidt should resign ... or should not.

The first skirmish, in what no-doubt will be a long war of attrition, has broken out between Lake County's newspapers of record, the Daily Herald vs the News-Sun.

The News-Sun says it's time for Schmidt to make like the Michelin Man and retire ...
Lake County residents who have found themselves handcuffed and locked up in similar situations are watching this soap opera with awe and wondering with keen interest if this is once again a case of two sets of laws in Lake County: One for politicians, one for everybody else. Until the senator and her husband decide to seek marital counseling or choose family law attorneys, it will be impossible for her to carry on her duties to the voters who last November overwhelmingly sent her to Springfield from the 31st Senate District. She needs to resign.
Our View: Sen. Schmidt needs to resign
While the Daily Herald is all like, whoa not so fast there, Sparky ...
As a former Lake County Board chairwoman and current state senator, she should have known that emergency dispatchers could never ignore any call for help. And she certainly should have known better than to throw her political resume into the midst of an already complicated personal crisis. She owes her constituents a sincere and unequivocal apology. But should she forfeit her job? On that question, she and everyone else should slow down a bit and think.
Moving on from a public mistake
Your LakeCountyEye has a hunch what Schmidt will decide to do. One thing is certain, there is a paper-boy somewhere in Lake Villa with one less newspaper to deliver.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

In her own mind, she is unflappable, therefore she believes her constituents like most will forget about all of this in nine minutes...remember. She loves you Lake County.

Barney Baxter said...

hi Anon,

Nobody ever went broke underestimating the attention span of the Lake County voter. If Mencken didn't say that, he should have.

-BB-

Anonymous said...

I will canceling my subscription to the DH tomorrow morning...unbelievable that their editorial staff(read Suzi apologists) would advocate for her to remain in office when even her party is calling for her to do the 'right' thing and resign- I guess for Suzi the right thing is looking after herself and her donors! The DH has gone over the edge-any respectable publication would be advocating for her resignation and asking the hard questions about why in a domestic abuse case, where she was the abusers, with multiple incidents including on public property she was never charged-this reeks of cover up on the part of the state's attorney and sherrif. The DH has become a rag newspaper...not worth the money anymore even for the weekly shopping flyers.

Suzi Schmidt you should quit - you are a disgrace to every politician - and that's saying alot in Lake County.

Anonymous said...

Lake County is controlled by money and corruption. Whether it is a State Senator and former County Board Chair using her position to intimidate the SA and Sheriff to manipulate the laws, or a major donor giving money to commissioners to get a horse tunnel to nowhere partially funded by the taxpayers and swept through the hearing process under the radar. This is your wonderful County at work for you NOT!