Mayor Bob, WTF?

[coyote]

Raising hand ...Well, paid taxes to Waukegan for many many years and my spouse was associated with Lakefront Industry workers. We still know people working down there that still reside in Waukegan. Speaking for myself - I would never think of showing up to a council meeting on behalf of the lakefront industry as #1 kinda seems like a political protest thing... #2 that would be something that I would leave for the owners of the companies... really would not be my place as an employee. From what have seen so far- kinda a political mess that I wouldn't want to jum into. Just my take on it.

:::: Re: Mayor Bob, WTF?
by WalkTheWalk » Wed Jul 08, 2009 4:29 pm

Well, if the employees of lakefront industry actually lived in Waukegan, why were none present last year when the harbor dredging became such a hot-button issue? Obviously Wakluvit wasn't at that meeting where NOT ONE PERSON that spoke on behalf of lakefront industry actually LIVED in Waukegan. Not one. Nada. So, it's obvious that you're a lakefront industry owner hellbent on preserving the status quo. Lakefront industry does what for Waukegan? Their trucks tear up our roads and their employees speed down the Amstutz and Sheridan road to get going home--where they live. OUR lakefront is for OUR people now, it's not for industry any longer and it shouldn't be. Maybe you could place it in Libertyville or Pleasant Prairie or Grayslake or Gurnee or Lake Bluff--the towns where the industry employees said that they actually live, the towns where they pay their property taxes, support their local businesses and where they keep industry and its trucks OUT of their towns. It's not in Waukegan. It's time for us to take OUR TOWN back. Wakluvit is a phony. ::::

[verenablock]

Here’s an article I found on the internet. As they say the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree or in this case the “nut”, check out the antics at city council meetings by “The Rock” and compare to “Mayor Bob”. Is he trying to be his father?

Frankly, the only antics during this past city council meeting came from the Aldermen, not the Mayor.

[wakluvit]

WalktheWalk wrote:

Well, if the employees of lakefront industry actually lived in Waukegan, why were none present last year when the harbor dredging became such a hot-button issue? Obviously Wakluvit wasn't at that meeting where NOT ONE PERSON that spoke on behalf of lakefront industry actually LIVED in Waukegan. Not one. Nada. So, it's obvious that you're a lakefront industry owner hellbent on preserving the status quo. Lakefront industry does what for Waukegan? Their trucks tear up our roads and their employees speed down the Amstutz and Sheridan road to get going home--where they live. OUR lakefront is for OUR people now, it's not for industry any longer and it shouldn't be. Maybe you could place it in Libertyville or Pleasant Prairie or Grayslake or Gurnee or Lake Bluff--the towns where the industry employees said that they actually live, the towns where they pay their property taxes, support their local businesses and where they keep industry and its trucks OUT of their towns. It's not in Waukegan. It's time for us to take OUR TOWN back. Wakluvit is a phony.


WalktheWalk, let's do a poll of all of the companies in Waukegan and find out the percentage of their employees that actually live in Waukegan. If they fall below a certain percentage, let's kick those companies out too. If it happens to be a school where most of the teachers that work there don't live in Waukegan, we might as well get rid of the school as well. That school obviously doesn't have our best interests in mind. Then, we'll poll all of the citizens of Waukegan and if any of them have the guts to work outside of Waukegan, we'll force them to move where they work. Let's take OUR TOWN back now!!!

Also, please keep the personal attacks to a minimum. If you disagree with my argument just state the facts of your argument and move on. By writing that I'm a phony you discredit yourself.

[wakluvit]

In case it isn't apparent, my last post was to point out how ridiculous the argument is to shut down lakefront industry just because their employees alledgely don't live in Waukegan.

WalktheWalk, we are in the worse recession in our lifetimes (yes, I'm not that old). Why would anyone want to shut down a viable business? Anyone that ever had a economics class knows that the pros of business in a community outweigh the cons 99.9% of the time. The only exception is if the industry was polluting, which the ones on our lakefront aren't.

The trucks tearing up the roads is not a valid argument. If that was the case let's shut down Waukegan Steel and any other company in Waukegan that receives and/or delivers by trucks. Most of the roads they use are State owned anyways.

I am not an owner of the lakefront industries trying to maintain status quo. Actually, I'm a resident that knows we needs businesses and jobs in this community in order to turn it around. We'll never attract future businesses as long as some of our residents (and Alderman) are public about their anti-business ideas towards our lakefront industries. We'll continue to see our businesses lured to Wisconsin for the tax (and political) incentives.

[mommalu]

verenablock, maybe you were not at council meeting Monday night, but Mayor Bob displayed his true (ugly as they are) colors. I'm not a huge Tenpas fan, but in this case, he was right!

[TypesWithFist]

verenablock, maybe you were not at council meeting Monday night, but Mayor Bob displayed his true (ugly as they are) colors. I'm not a huge Tenpas fan, but in this case, he was right!

The whole idiotic "rumble" over the minutes was "set-up" beforehand by TenPas and Larsen. Both men think they should have been the "heir apparent" to Hyde, but the citizens got in the way with their votes for Sabonjian. Tenpas and Larsen are trying to capitalize on Sabonjian's temperment issues and pave the way for a return to the old status quo. Tenpas and Larsen need to be neutralized :twisted: .

[Frankzilch]

verenablock, maybe you were not at council meeting Monday night, but Mayor Bob displayed his true (ugly as they are) colors. I'm not a huge Tenpas fan, but in this case, he was right!

Mommalu,
Both you and Tenpas don't know WTF you are talking about. It's lawful to take things off the agenda but it's unlawful to put new items on the agenda within 48 hours before the time of the meeting. Larry Tenpas and Mommalu.... two ignorant Waukegan Haters spewing their pathetic negativism.

[Frankzilch]

verenablock, maybe you were not at council meeting Monday night, but Mayor Bob displayed his true (ugly as they are) colors. I'm not a huge Tenpas fan, but in this case, he was right!

The whole idiotic "rumble" over the minutes was "set-up" beforehand by TenPas and Larsen. Both men think they should have been the "heir apparent" to Hyde, but the citizens got in the way with their votes for Sabonjian. Tenpas and Larsen are trying to capitalize on Sabonjian's temperment issues and pave the way for a return to the old status quo. Tenpas and Larsen need to be neutralized :twisted: .

Bravo! As true as true can be.

[fedupinwaukegan]

I didn't see this on the online Daily Herald today -but just got a link on my Waukegan google alert.


Waukegan mayor lashes back over sheriff's critique of layoff plans
By Thomas Edwards | Daily Herald Staff

Published: 7/8/2009 1:04 PM | Updated: 7/8/2009 4:59 PM


Waukegan Mayor Bob Sabonjian rebuked Lake County Sheriff Mark Curran for a media briefing earlier this week in which Curran decried the proposed layoffs of Waukegan police, firefighters and service employees.

The city has a soaring budget deficit, which officials have estimated at $3.5 million. Under the proposed cuts, 19 police officers would lose their jobs, in addition to the 15 vacancies that already exist on the 120-person force. The fire department would lose 16 firefighters.

Curran stated on Monday that "the blood of Waukegan's citizens could potentially be on (Sabonjian's) hands" if police and fire personnel were reduced.

Sabonjian responded by citing Curran's "flair for the dramatic" and calling his words "premature" and "inflammatory."

"My goal has always been to keep people working and with that in mind we are going through our budget to look at every possible solution," Sabonjian said. "That includes nonunion management salary cuts, making sure management pays for health insurance and deferring vehicles and capital improvements. There are no sacred cows here and there is no secret 'rainy-day fund' that the public doesn't know about - everything is on the table."

But even with substantial expense reductions, a deficit exceeding $1 million is still likely, Sabonjian said. He stated that the ball is in the court of union employees, who either must take a 4 percent to 7 percent pay cut or accept layoffs.

"At that point it becomes more of a moral question of loyalty than a fiscal one," Sabonjian said. "Will they be willing to take a slight pay cut to keep everybody on the job?"

Waukegan's revenues have plummeted in recent months, with virtually no recent activity on the residential and commercial markets and no projected growth on the immediate horizon. Sabonjian called the city's financial wounds "wide and deep."

Curran defended his statements and pointed out that the Chicago area was recently named the nation's top region for gang activity and membership by the U.S. Department of Justice. He also said that the 40 percent reduction in Waukegan's crime rate since 1996 can be attributed to the hiring of more police officers.

Sabonjian said that Curran's comments were "inappropriate" since he is not a Waukegan police officer but instead an elected countywide official.

Curran defended his comments.

"I feel that it is imperative that the Sheriff weighs in; especially when he has opinions based on fact that are well-reasoned in terms of the potential impact dramatic cuts will have on the public safety on Waukegan and Lake County as a whole," Curran responded.

Angry residents did not mince words when asked about the potential layoffs on Monday.

"I have never seen as many burglaries as I have in the past three months," said Bany Marlowe of Waukegan's Crescent Hill subdivision. "The police already are saying they don't have enough officers and the mayor wants to get rid of more?"

"If they go through with this, may God help us all," said Wally Sczygielski, a Waukegan resident for the past 68 years. "I have always felt safe and secure, but crime is contagious... "

Sabonjian made it clear that the resolution to this problem will require concessions from both sides.

"We hope that Waukegan residents will keep watching the situation in a rational fashion and understand that it's a give and take on both sides," he said. "This is not a management lockout by any means. Hopefully everybody gives a little bit to keep working and after 18 to 24 months we'll see where we are at."


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[WalkTheWalk]

BINGO! Mayor Bob's temperament issues. Finally it is brought up. Why did you vote for someone who needs medication to control bi-polar behavior? You wouldn't hire a guy like that to be around your children, would you? He will not "heal" overnight and behave any differently than from his previous Lake County Board histrionics, will he? When he closes the shades to his entire office and puts a "closed" sign on the door during business hours, is screaming at someone in the public areas of city hall at the top of his lungs, or is fighting loudly with his wife at the Genesee Theater, he's in "his element". Mayor Erratic-Bob. That's our mayor.

When the going-gets-tough, Bob runs away. That's his history. That's YOUR mayor.

Mayor Erratic-Bob.