Rachael Lawrence gives different take on trip to Springfield than what was conveyed in the Northwest Herald.
In a comment under my article on the NWH’s article {“Algonquin Township Officials Fear for their Jobs“) she wrote:
Rachael Lawrence
I attended this “Township Topics Day” under the guise from Township Officials of Illinois that it was an educational event and an opportunity for townships to collaborate with legislators on bills that may affect townships.
I was shocked when the TOI Legislative director took the podium yesterday morning to call for us to (and I quote) “lobby” for and against certain bills.
TOI even went to far as to provide each attendee a packet of bill names, highlighted in red or green to “support” or “oppose” the bills.
I even said so on the phone to Ed Komenda.
Township Officials may have educational opportunities from these sorts of events, however, this was clearly an attempt by TOI to promote its own self-serving agenda.
I can only speak for myself, but I was not lobbying for or against any pro/anti township bills on this trip.
That is inappropriate use of taxpayer funds.
Period.
Well done and much respect to Ms. Lawrence for standing up in the name of the already beleaguered taxpayers in regards of this matter.
The Northwest Herald lie???? ( shocked face :-0 not!)
Komenda won’t get any ‘Komendations’ of journalistic integrity.
I believe Rachel!
TOI is a criminal conspiracy to defraud the taxpayer!
Here’s a little song I dedicated to ‘The Cub-Distorter Komenda’
Nowhere Man Komenda — Nobody to Defend Ya?
He’s a real nowhere man
Sitting in his nowhere land
Scribblin’ all his hate-pieces for nobody to read
Doesn’t have a point of view
Knows not where he’s going to
Isn’t he a tool of the Jackal?
Nowhere man please listen,
You don’t know what you’re missing
Nowhere man, The County could be at your command!
He’s as blind as he can be
Just sees what he’s told to see
Nowhere man, can you see me at all?
Nowhere man don’t worry …
Take your time, don’t hurry
Leave it all till somebody else like Craver
Lends you a hand
Ah, la, la, la, la
The Herald, she be a sinkin’
The Herald, she be a stinkin’
the Herald will be gone by twenty-twenty-two
and, Nowhere Man Komenda…. so will you!
Fish, you better copyright that and
send it to the NorthWost Urinal, let’s see if they’ll print it.
https://www.toi.org/Events/Detail/1528/
“Here we will get our “marching orders” from our Legislative Committee Chair Arnold Vegter and our Legislative Consultant Taylor Anderson. Then it is off to the Statehouse to meet with our legislators. The afternoon “grassroots lobbying” effort will be “topped off” with an evening reception for legislators and township officials.”
Rachael Lawrence, did you not reseach what the meeting was about, or were you looking to become famous?
The extent of my expectations came from the home page of the very link you listed:
“36th Annual Township Topics Day
4/25/2018
It’s time to join forces in Springfield for the Township Officials of Illinois’ 36th Annual Topics Day. TOI invites you to become a part of our legislative team, and we need you to be present on this very important day for townships at the Statehouse. Township Topics Day allows township officials from throughout the state to meet with their legislators and others in the State Capitol to discuss matters that directly affect township government. We encourage you to call your legislators prior to April 25 to set up an appointment so you will have a better chance of talking with them when in Springfield. You will be given TOI’s legislative agenda that includes bills of interest that you may share with your legislators. We urge you to make use of the afternoon to help make townships visible!”
Networking with other township officials from around the state, learning about all the bills which may affect townships directly from legislators is vastly different from being rallied up, handed a list of bills TOI supports/opposes, literally bused to the statehouse, and told to go forth and lobby for or against TOI’s interests. I don’t represent TOI; I represent the electors of Algonquin Township.
Combine that with the fact that TOI actually charged money for government officials to do their bidding (paid for by the taxpayers, of course), and the end result is improper use of tax money and resources, in my opinion.
You’re quite welcome to your own opinion, Robin Mohr, just as I am.
My mistake was in trusting TOI’s general description of the event and not delving deeper. Live and learn.
The nob is a Millerite! If not Booby himself.
Rachael, you don’t have to defend yourself for not drinking the TOI koolaid.
If being honest about what you witnessed and disagreed with makes you “famous” then we need many more “famous” people in positions of trust.
Ignoring nob is good mental exercise.
Swordfish? Booby should pick a better ghostwriter.
Rachael should subscribe to my belief, that you can’t please everybody, so just be happy with the ones you don’t.
Nob, I read the TOI piece that you linked. It’s dated the same day as the Springfield trip, i.e., after the trip was planned and probably after the Trustees were already on the road.
Rachel…in the very content you copied/pasted:
“TOI invites you to become a part of our legislative team…You will be given TOI’s legislative agenda that includes bills of interest that you may share with your legislators.”
What did you think this meant other than lobbying on TOI’s legislative agenda?
**Nob, I read the TOI piece that you linked. It’s dated the same day as the Springfield trip, i.e., after the trip was planned and probably after the Trustees were already on the road.**
LOL – no. It was dated the day of the trip because that was the date of the trip. Not because it was posted that day. Check out this TOI event dates in May. Was it posted in May? That’s some crazy back to the future stuff if so.
https://www.toi.org/Events/Detail/1505/
Alabama Shake: If I’ve made an error, please correct me, but your link was blank.
Alabama Shake: Ah, I see what you mean now.
I went to the main TOI site and now I see that this is just part of a calendar and was probably posted earlier.
My apologies.
My apologies to you as well, Nob.
Steve this Blog the Northwest Herald everywhere else knows TOI is a lobbying organization.
Rachel reads this blog, no excuses work.
Let me get this straight, the township officials use taxpayer money to lobby for township friendly legislation to keep the whole crooked racket going! Wow.
I salute Rachel for being honest and forthright.
I condemn TOI and its parasites.
Iron Mike Lesperance deserves ignominy for all the lies he spreads about townships.
He only does it to keep his layabout job.!
I’m not a big fan of gov lobbying, it often ends up costing us more.
In this case McSweeney bill has no real plan built into the legislation, that is bad and I see why TOI are justied in opposing it.
Form a $$$$saving plan with in the legislation would work.
What say you Steve Willson?
TOI really stands for Township Officials: Icky