Your turn: I am voting yes for Freeport and ask you to do the same
I have worked closely with the City of Freeport for more than 30 years. I have interacted with various departments, on a host of issues and concerns.
Home Rule enables citizen’s issues to be addressed by local people. As we all know, the State of Illinois defines how cities can govern. For 52 years, Freeport has enjoyed Home Rule powers.
Now, as the state of Illinois has managed to lose population relative to the rest of the country; those same policies have caused a lot of border counties, like Stephenson, to send far too many of our families away.
The loudest, and most strident voices, wanting to change how we are governed are The Realtor’s Association of Illinois. They are bragging about spending $100,000 (and more if needed) to change how we govern ourselves.
Can you think of any other group so militantly engaged, and enraged, by Home Rule? Me neither. The only other group who are visibly active in support of Home Rule is the firefighters union. They are trying to save their jobs and protect our property.
More:Freeport voters to decide future of home rule in November election
The real estate agents make lots of money selling this property. What exactly do the real estate agents gain when the city has a $ 4 million-hole in its budget? How do streets, with leaves not picked up, make Freeport a better place to live? How do longer response times, or no response possible at all, make this a better place? How are we better off with a snowplow making a single pass down the middle of the street?
I have been in far too many cities using this method. For the record, our snow crews in Freeport and Stephenson County are combinations of artists and magicians. Our crews are simply the best.
Our city makes its decisions in public, literally broadcasting meetings into the public domain. Every action, every debate, every vote, every number public. Opponents of Home Rule, at a meeting I recently attended; claimed vocally of secrecy and made-up numbers, and that the city was not, and had not, disclosed information.
All these folks are full of it. And full of themselves. One fellow was clearly uninformed by claiming the city has a huge slush fund. Very obviously this person has never read or understood any of the financial reports or audits posted by the city.
We recently had a recent heavy rain event. One house was swept partially off its foundation. Neighbor properties on Douglas Street were at risk. Using home rule powers, the City convened a hearing, condemned the property, and had a local construction company taking the unsafe building down by noon. Without Home Rule powers this would have required court action and days/weeks of delay. Or maybe you call a Realtor in Springfield.
Should our cops find out that a group of bad actors share an address; with home rule powers they can act, and act swiftly. How does slowing this process down make us safer?
This issue is not about taxes or taxation. This issue is about governance. The Home Rule governance model is about our friends, neighbors, and family members acting for us; and being accountable to us. My alderman is visible to me almost daily. He is a friend and neighbor. He would never break the bond of trust he has with any of us. The people we know and see often, are the people who should govern us.
Realtors in Springfield believe that governance should come from Springfield. That is the place where money, talks and lobbyists buy and barter votes. This is after all, Illinois.
Early on, a group of business leaders were attempting to understand this coming referendum. One volunteered to contact our State Representative. When he was asked about Home Rule, his response was a very quick, “that’s a local issue”. I confess to being a bit bewildered at his dismissal of this. After all, he parlayed an aldermanic position in Freeport to higher office.
After a time of reflection, I came to understand he is 100% correct. Governance in Freeport is a local issue. It is not a state issue now, and given the massive dysfunction in Springfield, it never should be. He simply said, “It is a local issue”. He is absolutely right; it is a local issue and should remain a local issue.
Realtors in Springfield are really afraid that at some point, Freeport will require rental property to be inspected for code compliance annually. Or perhaps, at the very least, when a new tenant moves into a place. Some of our rental stock is wretched and is an embarrassment to all of us. That’s a pretty short peg to hang your reputation on. It is easy to see that many of the vote no signs are in front of rental property; and reflect opinions of the property owners, and not necessarily the occupants.
Realtors in Springfield are asking you to vote no, and completely change how we govern Freeport. They would also blow up the city budget. Their mailers claim all kinds of scary bad things will happen if we do not heed their histrionics. Notice carefully they cannot show any abuse by the City of Freeport using Home Rule. Not one example. Realtors in Springfield are joined by some real estate investors making lots of noise and practicing the fine art of sophistry.
The best example of sophistry is from an old story:
“From the other room, a mother shouted to her son “Johnny are you spitting in the goldfish bowl?” He quickly answered back “no ma’am”, and under his breath whispered, “but I’m getting pretty close”.
As Realtors from Springfield tell us, we will suffer abuse from home rule, remember that under their breath they must whisper, “but it hasn’t happened in 52 years”.
I say emphatically they are wrong.
I am voting yes for Freeport and respectfully ask you to do the same.
Gary S. Quinn is a former newspaper publisher and bank president. He is a Freeport resident.
This article originally appeared on Rockford Register Star: Your turn: I am voting yes for Freeport and ask you to do the same
