Elected officials sometimes take pains to conceal aspects
of their illnesses
"Craig Holman, an ethics expert at Public Citizen, a watchdog group in Washington, said he believes there was no need for Kirk to use a fake name. He said that once a person becomes a public official, much about their lives becomes of public interest, including their health."
64 comments:
Washington DC and Peru, Illinois are different worlds. If a Alderman was the leader of the free world then we may want to know if he has any health issues that would prevent him or her from holding office. He still deserves the right to have family privacy. Is it news when your mayor goes on vacation or your local Alderman has the flu? Not in the least! These people are all human and have the same issues that most of us have that include family, employment, health. There are a few with facebook pages, photos posted with the American flag and want to be adored by all. Those are the minority of small town office holders. Most want privacy and when it come to family, employment and health this makes sense. And health privacy is granted by laws.
Lois
Why would you post something like this???? If i were an elected official it would be none of your business what my health status is .
Where are you going with this ??
12:27 PM
Not me but others who seem to be "friends" of his have stated that. I have said previously I'm not interested in his health or lack of but the people who live in his ward need to know if he is fulfilling his elected responsiblities.
Previous aldermen who had real health issues kept no secrets about them.
This has such a simple solution but in "secret city" every mole hole becomes a mountain.
Do you think any one has called him? And that the people who need to know know??
Lois you help make it a mountain, that's a good reason to have two alderman per ward. If one has health or any kind of issues the other is there for the ward they are in. You seem to be part of the problem on this issue.
Woodrow Wilson suffered a stroke in 1919 and it was kept a secret.
"While Wilson lay in bed, unable to speak or move, his wife insisted that she screen all of Wilson’s paperwork, in some cases signing Wilson’s name to documents without consulting the convalescing president."
You bet that the health of any elected official is public business - at any level of government. We have laws and procedures to replace elected officials when they are not capable of fulfilling their duties.
Its nice to hear that Alderman Waldorf responsibilities are comparable to former President Woodrow Wilson. You have two alderman in each ward and others that freely would help if you need assistance. I doubt the paperwork needs to be screened or his signature is needed in case of war.
Beware....
North Korea leader Kim Jong-un was missing for a few weeks in Korea. Dissents were spreading rumors about his health and demise. One was blown by a rocket and many others executed in a public square.
How ridiculous you sound when you truly believe that a small town official's personal life should be a topic of discussion. I don't think Waldorf will be making any updates on this blog about anything.
And he owes nobody a explanation for missing a few meetings.
That is not the point 2:37 and you know it. He is part of the governing body of the city. If he can't perform his duties for an extended period of time, he needs to resign or be removed.
I don't care if it is dog catcher or POTUS - they need to do the job or step aside.
To whomever thinks that directing comments to Rodney is the purpose of this blog, take care of whatever you have to say to the former Alderman by yourself. You look foolish sending it to me as that topic is not even under discussion here. Your personal animosity is showing.
3:16 Lighten up! Missing a few meetings? Don't get worried our city will survive.
funny 2:49. But this issue comes up time and time again in government all the way up from local to federal.
Our own Senator Kirk suffered a massive stroke on January 21, 2012, yet remained in office. He was unable to work while recovering and missed all 189 roll-call votes in the Senate in 2012. So, Illinois had only one Senator in 2012. Now, he is in trouble for using campaign donations (instead of his own money or insurance) to hire a personal care giver to help him deal with the continuing effects.
Gabrielle Giffords remained in office for a year after suffering a gunshot wound to the head which left her unable to walk, speak, read, or write during that period. This left her district without representation in congress.
We need enforceable laws that force government officials out of office if they are unable or unwilling to perform their duties.
@2:49 & 3:16 Being a fully paid elected official whenever absent the official owes the public the respect of a updated notification of why he is absent. He is a employee of the city and its citizens and if he believes differently he should not have run for reelection. No one is worried about the cities ability to survive without him it is worried about the cities ability to survive with him, for example in 4 more years he would best serve the city by missing several meetings when the TEST contract is up.
4:13 your comparing federal officials in the same sentence as a local Alderman! Please stop the hysterical commentary. Will your life change without a small town alderman (one of eight) gone for a few meetings. Call any of them if you need that representation. Call the Mayor. Call anybody. Please note that we are all sure that Alderman Waldorf appreciates your well wishes. Its good to have such a caring group.
4:56 - You are obtuse. Government is even more important at the local level. I don't give a rat's behind about Waldorf. What I care about is the integrity of government at all levels. I posted my comments to get a conversation going. By your statement, it is obvious that you don't believe a city council is important. Why even bother with elections then? Or how about this, let the power brokers get somebody elected and then tell that person they really don't need to show up. We will call you if we need a vote.
I researched the code of ordinances. Peru has no provisions for an extended absence from office. It might be covered in State Law, but even if it is, Peru needs to have a clear protocol for what to do if an elected official stops showing up for meetings.
The length of absence is what we should be discussing. Not the insignificance of the office. No sir. This should be discussed in the Peru Council. The Statehouse in Springfield. And the US Congress. Kirk should not be a US Senator anymore. When was the last time Mautino was in Springfield - we are unrepresented in the House during a major crisis in the State Government. The book is open on Waldorf - it hasn't been that long.
from sickness..to conspiracy to TEST..love the way it always comes back to things that you guys dont understand..you guys are amazing!!!
5:46 P.M.
Professionalism does not exist in Peru in the realms of city government. Neither does transaparency. If the Alderman had knee surgery (yes) and he cannot stand for extended periods of time at his job (barber), that is all understandable and it should have been disclosed to the general public while he is recovering.. I do believe he is driving his car but I also believe that there is more to this.
I am seeing a lot of paranoia and lack of common sense emminating from the local government, in fact more than normal.
Lois - I think some big announcements are about to happen in Peru. Perhaps Waldorf's vote is needed. Perhaps we will be getting a new Mayor. Perhaps there is a real estate deal about to go down that may be controversial.
Back to Waldorf - as an Alderman, you don't need to stand.
Lois the only paranoia is coming from you and some bloggers, he will heal and the Dr. Will let him know when he can resume work and attend council meetings, not you or your bloggers
7:34, why is it that people with other jobs can go back to work after a couple of days (after knee surgery)?
I don't buy what everyone is trying to sell. No paranoia here. I actually feel better when it is reported that he skipped another day of work at the city council. But, if he has decided not to serve anymore, lets get on with it.
When it comes to "standing", it is clear that in a moral and ethical sense, Waldorf is unable to stand on his own so what difference does it make if he is physically unable to stand. When an alderman like Waldork "stands for" endorsing No-Bid contracts, refusing to answer questions from the public, restricting public comment, abusing his elected position to provide city employment for a family member, and being unbelievably unqualified and generally incompetent, he actually stands for NOTHING!
When it comes to "standing", it is clear that in a moral and ethical sense, Waldorf is unable to stand on his own so what difference does it make if he is physically unable to stand. When an alderman like Waldork "stands for" endorsing No-Bid contracts, refusing to answer questions from the public, restricting public comment, abusing his elected position to provide city employment for a family member, and being unbelievably unqualified and generally incompetent, he actually stands for NOTHING!
Lois, and all you haters, When you read the paper today or tomorrow you will understand were Mr. Waldorf has been. Each and everyone one of should be ashamed of yourselves.
If he is able to attend a finance committee meeting, then he should be able to attend a city council meeting.
Well I hope you all are happy now, the reason Mr. Waldorf has been gone he has been taking care of his ill mother who has passed away. You should all be ashamed of yourselves. This shows non of you have a heart or understand his loss. and If you have experienced it you should apologize.
Since this blog, doesn't like to post the truth in matters when it comes to elected officials I doubt this will make it through. But I for one am offering my sympathy to the Waldorf Family in this time of sorrow.
6/13 what are you talking about , it's a minimum of 6 wks with a knee replacement, I had mine replaced and do know. This was not a knee getting scoped.
Informative and interesting article in the Ottawa Times today regarding lobbyists.
You know... Franklin Roosevelt managed to govern the United States, end the Great Depression, and win World War II - all while being unable to walk or stand on his own. Even with assistance, he needed to wear ten pound leg braces to make it look like he was walking or standing.
I stopped by City Hall the other day and noticed this long ramp up to the front door - and buttons on the door to open them. I also noticed these special parking places up front that are reserved.
More pathetic conspiracy. Medical privacy is covered by law. Would you worry if a employee was gone for a month with a vacation or medical condition? No, someone else would pick up the slack. Same with city council members. There are 8 members of the city council and if 1 is out we have 7 to pick up the slack. You have representation.
We all understand that it is your right to post comments about anything personal in dealing with Peru City council members. You won't convince anyone that the integrity of government relies upon one city council member missing a few meetings.
I disagree. He has no requirement to share medical or personal information with anyone. He has missed very few meetings.
I see Alderman Waldorf's mother passed away last night. Hope you all are satisfied with the explanation for his absence lately.
7:34 If Mr. Waldorf did indeed have knee surgery why doesn't he or someone else just verify it and clear up all this nonsense? It's the keeping it a secret that is creating the speculation and on top of that the fact that he has been able to attend some meetings in between those that he's missed. i.e. 7/13 - no, 7/20 - no, 7/22 - yes, 7/27 - no, 8/3 - yes, 8/10 - no.
Unfortunately, the People are his employer. I'm sorry his mother died, but all it would have taken is for the Mayor to announce at the first meeting that the Alderman will be away for an extended period of time on Family Medical Leave.
He is a man in the public eye. He absolutely owes it to his constituents to explain his absence. Sorry, but that's the way it is when you take that job.
When Alderman Perez' father was dying, I don't remember him missing any meetings.
5:51 Aldermen do not get Family Medical Leave, nor is it the responsibility of the Mayor, Aldermen, or anyone at City Hall to "set the record straight" over another's personal matters. Alderman Waldorf owes you nothing in the way of an explanation. Any decent person would drop this conversation, especially in light of the truth. You should be ashamed of yourselves.
To 8:36 AM, Yes, I'm happy now. Thanks for asking.
We all experience loss in our lives. We all mourn. We all have responsibilities that keep us moving forward. Public officials are people with responsibilities too. We can all extend our sympathies and if it was my family who experienced a loss I would mourn appropriately and then get back to work. I expect no less from a Peru elected official. That's life and life is sometimes very tough.
5:51, where do you come up with this stuff, He is a citizen who his part of small town politics, he has a right to privacy, just as you have. People like you and other conspiracy seekers might want to look in the mirror sometime. He has rights elected or private.
We really need to start treating politicians like employees.
The Mayor and Aldermen are not the Rulers of Peru. They are the Employees of Peru. Simple as that - either they do what we tell them to do - and ONLY what we tell them to do - or we FIRE THEM.
They are simple employees charged with simple tasks.
My sympathies go out to the alderman and his family but I do not believe that that is the only reason that he has missed so many meetings. The paper indicated that his mother was with the alderman's brother in Bloomington. I also don't understand why it had to be kept such a secret. It could just have been presented as family business. He did manage to attend several meetings (one of which he did not need to attend) and I wonder how many days of work he missed. I guess my point is that rumors or partial truths would have been avoided with a simple explanation of his absence from the public eye.
8:20, what a stupid comment, we have the right to fire them, we vote to put them in office or like the last couple of elections "fire" them. We put them in office to make sound judgements for all the people, not just the disgruntled on the blog
10:39 PM, August 13, 2015
So you are saying an Alderman can't miss a meeting to help a family member with a medical problem? I mentioned absolutely nothing about the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA). I simply stated that he should have said "hey public, I got some medical issues in my family that need my attention, I'll be on leave for a few meetings." Leave being a common synonym for "vacation" or "time off". My statement had nothing to do with FMLA.
Why should this conversation be dropped? Our local government is set up to have a council meeting EVERY week along with multiple committee meetings. I expect all of the members to show up to the meetings. I understand that things come up and it is perfectly acceptable to miss some meetings. However, I also expect that these people act like professionals and report a reason for missing them. Even a vague one like - "Personal Issues" is acceptable. This should also be recorded in the meeting minutes - Alderman So and So, absent for health reasons. Alderman So and So absent for family matters. Alderman So and So, absent for vacation.
Can't you get it that these people are public servants and they owe it to the People to explain their absence from required meeting?
8:17 AM, August 14, 2015 - He gave up his right to complete privacy when he submitted his petition to run for office.
9:40 AM, August 14, 2015 - My point precisely.
10:03 AM, August 14, 2015 - When we vote them out of office, we FIRE them.
If his mother's failing health was the reason for his absentees then why did he schedule "serious knee surgery" at the same time? Things just don't add up and if it's all on the up and up why the secrecy? I extend my sympathies to the Waldorf family on their loss.
No one should have to disclose medical information to anyone if someone is going to be out for a while do be it. If they will be gone for an extended length of time then perhaps they need to give up their post. In regards to elected officials if we could only fire them-the whole lot in Peru need to go and go fast such a sad state of affairs try are
6:13. Stating you cannot come to work because of a medical issue or a family member's medical issue is not disclosing medical information. And it should absolutely be required for someone that works for the government or is an elected government official.
Everyone should offer their condolences to the Waldorf Family and drop the comments. No further explanations are needed.
2:04, yes. Further explanation is needed. He should tell his employers why he did not show up for work.
I have no interest in why Waldorf has been absent. I only hope the trend continues for the sake of all the citizens of Peru. Hey, is anybody going down to the Centennial Park today to drink warm beer in the sweltering heat and humidity to support the CSO and their "many" worthwhile causes and contributions to the community? They need some extra bucks for seed money to fund next year's Beer Garden at the Fourth of July floodworks, I mean fireworks. Did you know that CSO stands for "Cronies Supporting Ourselves". BTW, where are the "meat-heads" (dead from the neck up) going to meet for watered down coffee, stale donuts, and planning the future of Peru now that the Deli has finally faded away, thank goodness?
I cannot believe that anyone would be low enough to directly attack someone whose Mother has passed away. My God people where is your decency? Are a few city council meetings of such value to you?
Residents of the 3rd ward recently reelected Dave to his 3rd or 4th term in office which shows their feelings towards him and his political life. The reason for his absence from meetings is not questionable and the true fault lies in the attitude of a few citizens whose overall way of looking at things is solely a embarrassment to themselves which it appears they do not recognize.
OK I was at the car show and the CSO picnic yesterday. The food was good the cars were amazing and the beer was cold. There was big bouncy things for the kids, and I saw a lot of them there.
As for the issue of Mr. Waldorf informing his "employers" what was happening with his mother. I am sure ( I asked my alderman ) he said anything about being gone and he did. The Mayor, Clerk and all the Alderman knew, That is who he had to tell since as elected officials they represent the general public.
So for all you who think there should be a public notice you are WRONG. He did do what he was required to do.
SO please let the family grieve for the loss of their mother.
8:04, he does not work for the Mayor, Clerk, and all the other Aldermen. But, those individuals could have noted in the record that he was "absent due to [insert reason here]." It can be a vague reason. Anything that is reasonable and true.
That is one of the issues in Peru. The powers that be like to play "I got a secret." They think it will diminish their "standing" if everyone else knows their secret.
I suggest that a change be made to the council rules (and yes, they can make their own rules) that when anyone that is normally required to be in attendance at ANY meeting, a reason be given and have it noted in the roll call section of the meeting minutes.
So there was beer at the CSO event yesterday? I thought it was a family event?
8:42 AM
You are SO right but the current administration plays the I've Got A Secret very well and enjoy it to the utmost. They also like and protect all those that go along to get along.
Proper government administration would have politely made a comment about the reason for the absence since it was the hot topic at the coffee shop. It is always good business practice to squelch rumors when they start dropping off the lips of many residents. Common sense, how I wish this city administration had just a bit. And in return they would get some respect from the residents and yes even the bloggers.
Yes 9:10 there was beer and water and soda,
There were no wild drunk people wandering around.
There were families and kids enjoying the event.
SO sorry that you think if there is beer then it is not a family event.
On the out side chance you are in recovery then i understand you concern but I assure you this was a great event more people should attend.
I am surprised to read that many are upset about a privacy issue. You and I and even Alderman have family and medical issues that they wish to keep private. They are protected by law to keep any medical issues private, and in family issues we a compassionate society understand this. We all know that rumors are not controlled by responding to a blog. Governmental practices are never in danger with one missing official. Alderman Waldorf has missed a few meetings. That is hardly a extended absence.
We all know that squelching rumors on this blog is impossible. The main intent of most of the postings it to create rumors, lies and conspiracy around those who currently hold office. And we call that protected by law because those brave souls are elected to office?
How would anybody feel about your medical issues or family illnesses be discussed? Give those elected the same privacy that everyone else has.
11:36 AM
No one and I have repeatly said said that I and no one I keep in touch with is interested in the medical issues of any of the aldermen unless it is a problem interefering with his responsibilties.
What we have said is we expect some courtesy from our government when rumors start in this little bitty town that spread like wildfire. They do have a responsiblity to publicly put it to rest otherwise they are just as big a problem as the rumors. As I have said more than once that a municipal government has a responsiblity to care enough about the city they represent to take a hold of the issue and put it to rest. A simple public statement could have been made at a public council mtg. Surprisingly yes the Municipality and the people who are elected are responsible for INEGRITY. So please take the Goody 2 shoes off, it is not responsible to have said nothing.
Many of us have expressed sympathy to the Waldorf family and even though the alderman does not speak to me, he and his brother Jim whom I have know for many years have my sympathy in the loss of their mother. There was no need for the alderman to make an announcement but the city he represents could have done a much better job than they did.
Lois
I suppose if your boy Rodney was on the council he would have made that statement. it seems your bloggers are looking for anything that you can to complain about,should you be notified if one of them have a hang nail?
How about some praise for all the work being done in the city?
12:16- it is the nature of the beast. Government should never be trusted. The minute you do, it will turn on you.
Sort of like our official City of Peru Lobbyist showing up at the funerals of state official's family members and asking them to send more "grants" to Peru.
Integrity has nothing to do with sharing personal family matters or medical issues. If your trying to tie the word INTERGRITY with a Alderman not providing the blog with information on his health or his mother's health your on the wrong platform. Did anyone demand that the Mayor give reason on missing meetings? Does anyone care? And why such a demand for Alderman Waldorf to give a explanation for a few missed meetings? Because we have someone who is very upset about the Alderman winning a recent election in a very convincing manner.
Its over and time to move on from these personal comments like comparing INTEGRITY to missing a few meetings.
The reason so little attention is paid to the blog is that it is taking non issues which have been community practices and trying to enforce them as laws.
For years I had attended local church events which always had a beer tent and tickets being pushed. Never have I heard of this being mentioned on the blog before but let the first can of beer pop its top and it is on the blog.
What is worse than a church to publically sin? Especially when its leadership is aware?
Beer tents are fine. Drunken brawls are not. Fine line I guess. I have no problem with beer gardens, as long as the undesirable element is kept out. One way to do this is charge more. $7.50 a beer would keep most of the riff-raff out. $1.00 a beer encourages the binge drinkers.
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