Government is Shameless

Beacon News: Letter to the Editor:

Mr. Neuberger, I take this opportunity to inform you and the public that Rep. Chapa LaVia is not responsible for the stop lights at Farnsworth and Fifth Avenue. Grant 07-203387 was awarded to the Highway Dept. of Aurora Township on Feb. 1, 2007. The funding from the state faor the Grant has not yet been appropriated.

On March 26, 2007, Fred Burgess, Highway Commissioner sent a letter to all local legislators requesting funding for "Road Rebuilding". Rep. Chapa LaVia went to Rep. Mike Madigan for funds for this project. Madigan issued a check for $20,000 which was switched over to the Grant project to give the appearance that Rep Chapa LaVia had obtained the Grant and funding for the project. This is called illegal campaigning using tax dollars in my book.

I registered protests with the State Attorney's office and with Jack Lavin, Director, DCEO, who awarded the Grant. The specs for the project do not include the four signs posted at the corner praising Rep. Chapa LaVia. Nor can such signs be erected without approval. No approval was requested and none given. This is a violation of the contract.

In researching the project no receipts for the signs, cost of labor or date of installation could be found and are still missing. Many questions are still unanswered concerning the project and the funding. The Grant was for $80,000, the bid $74,343.30, paid out $71,147.00, balance, $3,196.30. As the Grant funds have not been received, I presume the money for the project is coming out of general revenues. Many ifs remain, such as, if the total $80,000 is received where will the $20,000 go, back to Madigan?

Neither Mr. Lavin, Mr. Burgess, nor Mr. Murphy, our Township Supvr. have answered my questions. I don't know how high or wide this cover up goes,but I intend to pursue it.

The truth is that the state may never fund the project, it has been done before. All of this information and more was given to the Beacon who choose not to go with this news item. It is set out on my Blog/ jbsolms.blogspot.com. I am pursuing several other items of interest during my campaign for public consumption.

Joan Solms, Candidate, 83rd District