Cliff Surges Decries “Cozy Relationship” Between Karen McConnaughay and Geneva Township Road Commissioner, who Rents Garage from McConnaughay Properties
A press release from Cliff Surges:
Cliff Surges
Cliff Surges Demands McConnaughay and Mark Wissing Explain Over $46,200 in Government Payments from Geneva Township to McConnaughay Properties since 2009
(Gilberts)- “The cozy relationship between political friends and the resulting cost to taxpayers is legendary in Illinois. We have seen it time and again in Chicago and Springfield. Unfortunately political cronyism, and pay-to-play, is alive and well in Karen McConnaughay’s Kane County and this is why we can’t afford to send her to Springfield,” said Cliff Surges, Business Owner and Republican candidate for the 33rd Senate District.
During the relationship between Kane County Board Chairman Karen McConnaughay and Geneva Township Road Commissioner Mark Wissing, McConnaughay supported Wissing in his bid to defeat Geneva Township Road Commissioner John Carlson in 2009, after Wissing had worked for her campaigns in 2004 and 2008 for Kane County Board Chairman.
Wissing won the election for Highway Commissioner in 2009.
There are only 10 miles of roads in Geneva Township that are still unincorporated, outside the city of Geneva limits.
Why would Wissing want the job and why would Karen McConnaughay want to help him get it?
The answer to that could be buried in public documents unearthed last week.
Since August 2009, the Geneva Township Road District has been making $1650 monthly payments to McConnaughay Properties for rental of a small, one bay garage space on Roosevelt Road in West Chicago.
Since August 2009, the taxpayers of Geneva Township have been on the hook for this payment.
Karen McConnaughay
Why does the Road District need this space now, if it did not need it before Wissing was elected?
Were there other places to rent, what other properties did Wissing consider, and at what prices, as an alternative to awarding this contract to his political sponsor?
Why not sell off excess equipment, rather than pay to store it?
When Wissing endorsed McConnaughay for Kane County Board Chairman for 2004 and 2008, in his capacity as Geneva Township Republican Chairman, it was just another example of cronyism.
This is done in a blatant attempt to fool good voters into thinking endorsements like this are legitimate.
It is just like
- the endorsement of McConnaughay by Ellen Nottke, the Batavia Township Republican Chairman who has received over $44,000 from the McConnaughay campaign fund for political work and
- the endorsement of McConnaughay by St. Charles Township Chairman Ken Shepro, who has made hundreds of thousands of dollars as McConnaughay’s appointed attorney for county business.
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Geneva Township Road Distrrict's snow plow logo.
These examples of political payoffs and paybacks are disgusting,” said Surges.
“People are sick and tired of tax dollars being used by politicians to help their friends and family.
“The culture of corruption in Springfield is well-documented.
“We can’t send someone who has been practicing that style of politics in our home area down to Springfield where she will have an even bigger pool of tax dollars to waste.” Surges said.
“I call on McConnaughay and Wissing to explain this relationship and payments immediately.
“We, as taxpayers, do not have any patience or tolerance for secretive deals and tactics. Illinois residents deserve elected officials they can trust and respect,” Surges declared.
This woman represents everything we need to change.
She is too embroiled in the political baloney.
She has too much support from the good ole boys.
VOTE SURGES
1Slowly but surely, the FBI and DOJ are making their way.
If I were a Suburban Politician within 75 miles of Chicago and you’ve been playing ‘hide and go seek’ with your campaign money………”Start Listening for that 0400 Wake-Up Knock!”
Only “You” know who you are………..but not for much longer!
Sleep well, sleep well.
2PoliticianNot: So has Pat Fitzgerald or Robert Grant told you about pending investigations?
Whether or not I support McConnaughay is up in the air, but you anonymous cowards either back up what you have or slink back into the sewer.
3Paul, the Karen McConnaughay campaign was very swift to respond to this story. Here is a Kane County Chronicle article publishes this (2/24/12) morning:
http://www.kcchronicle.com/2012/02/23/truth-revealed-in-election-rhetoric/anlyvg0/
In the same issue of the Chronicle, McConnaughay won the endorsement of the newspaper (as an aside, the Chronicle also endorsed Geoff Petzel, the 28 year old Democrat, to challenge Congressman Peter Roskam in the fall).
4And I thought McHenry County was bad!
5And the McConnaughay contractor assisted finance team keeps up the slash and burn campaign against any citizen opinion that does not feed into the establishment message.
Calling citizen commentary in the free press “monkeylike” should enrage any of the people allowed a personal opinion to take pause and then vote for Cliff Surges.
It appears that the McConnaughay campaign only considers politicaian and PR guy hired to represent her as worthy of an opinion.
Now that the PR guy has stepped forward the media can review the proven documents that will show that he is cleverly taking on step sidewise in an attempt to avoid some real truth.
This should be interesting.
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