Election flyer on candidates wanting to ban books untrue
Thousands of Naperville residents recently received a patently false mailer that wrongfully alleged there are numerous local candidates running for office in Naperville who have designs on banning books and “literary classics.”
Thankfully, there are no such candidates. Exactly zero local candidates have voiced any support for banning books. Our libraries are not being pursued by any local groups or candidates seeking to ban books. There are no book ban controversies now — or known to be coming — before the Naperville Public Library Board, of which I am a member.
This mailer, sent by Naperville Forward (chaired by Naperville City Councilwoman Theresa Sullivan), is a complete fabrication. Every word is a lie.
It is one thing to engage in some puffery during election season. It is something else entirely to outright lie about people. This mailer was an attempt to deceive voters and to incite outrage and angst amongst our residents. It’s the lowest form of campaigning.
The candidates supported by this terrible piece should publicly repudiate it. Hopefully, our community sends a message on Election Day that this kind of campaigning will not be tolerated in Naperville.
Kevin Coyne, Naperville
Proud to cast our votes in favor of Scott Wehrli for mayor
Naperville mayoral candidate Scott Wehrli does not seek any praise for all he has done for both his city and North Central College.
He would not have responded to the 2020 riot in our town in the same fashion as his opponent, Councilman Benny White. Taking a knee in the street (during a protest event earlier that day) did not get the job done.
It is one thing to talk about supporting our downtown businesses while forgetting how much their insurance rates increased because of the looting.
Scott is a proud and successful businessman who grew up in our town. Through the years he has developed so many good contacts with businesses and organizations in Naperville that will serve him and our city well.
We are proud to cast our votes for Scott.
Elaine and Charlie Brown, Naperville
We can trust White to ‘do the right thing’ as mayor
The choice for the next mayor of Naperville is clear. Benny White is the leader we need to guide Naperville’s future.
White gained the experience needed to be the mayor of Illinois’ fourth largest city from his military service in the U.S. Army and his public service while on the Indian Prairie District 204 School Board, as a Naperville fire and police commissioner and as a six-year member of Naperville City Council.
His career has allowed him to develop key leadership qualities needed for the next mayor, two of which are empathy and inclusion. During his first term as councilman, White led the effort to update Naperville’s mission statement by adding inclusion and diversity. Attention to our diverse population will allow Naperville to attract businesses to serve the needs of our growing population, such as the Mall of India on Route 59 has done.
White has also displayed courage on council, both in his actions on and off the dais. Voting on topics that reflect the desires of your constituents while remaining true to your values requires courage to act rather than avoid the issue. One recent example of this was when White diffused tensions that erupted in 2020 by taking a knee to show support of the young protesters’ engagement in their First Amendment rights.
The mayor and council members sometimes have to take difficult votes on contentious issues, such as recreational cannabis, the assault weapons sales ban and development projects. They must respond to criticism, both in private emails and public comments. Benny White has proven he is willing to listen and learn when the answer is not cut-and-dried.
Benny White is a man of integrity we can trust to do the right thing for Naperville, even behind closed doors.
Steve and Nancy Turner, Naperville
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Keeping people healthy does make logical, financial sense
In response to Russell Scott Manthy’s March 19 letter in the Naperville Sun, I disagree with his assessment of the closing of the Naperville Edward-Elmhurst Fitness Center.
I have been a member of the fitness center for 35 years. I believe the pushback by members against the closing has nothing to do with the medical care provided by Edward-Elmhurst Health or the value judgments of aerobics and yoga vs. basketball or children’s programs.
Nor is it Woodridge vs. Naperville. Both facilities accommodate most member needs and the staff at both are kind, competent and dedicated. In fact, both facilities were designed to complement each other.
My point is the original Edward mission regarding the Naperville location seems to have been forgotten — to prioritize wellness in the community.
I would recommend Mr. Manthy and others check out the column titled, “The health of Americans is a big reason for our high COVID-19 death rate,” in the opinion section of March 20 baiduhai written by Dr. Cory Franklin and Dr. Robert Weinstein. It stresses the importance of having facilities to improve overall wellness. The authors state “the dismal outcomes of COVID in the U.S. do not reflect management of the crisis so much as our underlying health as a country.”
The Edward-Elmhurst Naperville location, in particular, provides the type of facility that serves the most vulnerable of its members’ overall wellness. We need to prioritize prevention. We don’t necessarily need more medical facilities to address would-be disasters. What we do need is a physically and mentally healthy population focused on wellness.
Keeping people well does make logical, financial and service sense.
Don Orchard, Naperville
Three candidates win endorsement of teachers union
The Naperville Unit Educational Association (NUEA) represents almost 1,500 dedicated and caring educational professionals working diligently in Naperville School District 203. We recognize that an effective and thoughtful school board has the power to deeply impact the lives of students, families and staff of the district they represent.
After interviewing and reviewing the candidates running for the three open board positions, the NUEA proudly endorses Kristine Gericke, Joseph Kozminski and Melissa Kelley Black.
Gericke has served on the school board for six years and has led with a compassionate and caring voice on several important issues. She has shown a true spirit of collaboration with the local unions and believes it is the foundation for continued success. She will continue to allocate resources to students and staff that need them, as each student, classroom and building has different needs and circumstances.
Kozminski, a physics professor, has served on the school board for four years. His passion for education for all as well as his drive to continue closing the achievement gap is apparent from his actions on the board. Continuing to address the teacher shortage and focusing on creating equity in the classroom and in our schools are challenges that Kozminksi will continue to push for.
Kelley Black, a former educator and current business owner, brings a clear message to her campaign. She believes educators make the biggest impact on students in school. She wants to focus on hiring, supporting and retaining qualified educational professionals. Our students deserve the best educators, and our educators deserve the support they need to maintain their high standards of excellence. Kelley Black is a true advocate for all students receiving a world class education and she wants to provide for the needs of all.
District 203’s success is contingent on the relationship between students, parents, staff and the community. The school board is a unique position to be a conduit of this success and to enact real change that will impact the lives and education of our students.
For the continued success of D203, the NUEA strongly supports Kristine Gericke, Joseph Kozminski and Melissa Kelley Black and we urge you to vote for them.
Rob Lugiai, GPA, IEA Region 39 For Naperville NUEA
McBroom, Janor voted for gov lawsuit during COVID
Do you remember during the pandemic when the Naperville Park District sued Gov. Pritzker? Park Board commissioners Josh McBroom and Rich Janor supported that action and voted for it. They voted to keep going even when the first lawsuit was tossed out of court.
They wasted more than $25,000 on that lawsuit. That was taxpayer money! That money could have been put to far better use in the Naperville Park District.
Now Josh McBroom is running for the Naperville City Council and Rich Janor is running for reelection to the Naperville Park Board. They have proven themselves to be wasteful of taxpayer dollars. Neither of them deserves our vote.
If you care about your tax dollars and want your elected officials to be good stewards of your money, do not support either of these two candidates.
Julie Federico, Naperville
Don’t believe anti-White allegations in opposition flyers
I just received a flyer in the mail from the Coalition for Jobs, Growth & Prosperity PAC in support of Naperville mayoral hopeful Scott Wehrli. To say that there were some misleading claims regarding his opponent, Benny White, would be an understatement!
The mailer claimed that Benny has no law enforcement experience, unlike Scott, who has worked as a sworn Naperville Park District police officer for 32 years. That is true, but Benny is a West Point graduate with 22 years of active duty experience in the U.S. Army, who was selected to be an ROTC (Reserve Officer Training Corps) professor of military science at Wheaton College.
In addition to his degree from West Point, White has multiple degrees, including an MBA and a DBA (Doctor of Business Administration) in Values-Driven Leadership from Benedictine University.
The mailer also claims Benny White voted against giving resources to Naperville police. The documentation for this claim dates back over five years ago to an article in the Oct. 5, 2017, Naperville Sun, in which he voted against using SECA reserve money to fund the police purchase of 30 road security barriers. Two other council members agreed this was an improper use of the funds, which are meant to support nonprofit groups requesting grant money annually for public events and programs being held in the city.
And thirdly, the mailer claims Benny White isn’t concerned about crime in Naperville. I recently attended a meet-and-greet with Benny and heard him talk about his incredible concern about the city’s inability to recruit new police and firefighters and the need to “think outside the box” to attract quality candidates.
Benny served on the Board of Fire and Police Commissioners in Naperville for two years. In fact, he is endorsed by the Naperville Firefighters Union Local 4302. And, yes, he does celebrate the fact that our city was recently named the safest city of our size in America by MoneyGeek.
Benny has served on the Indian Prairie District 204 School Board for five years and the Naperville City Council for six years. He understands the importance of intergovernmental cooperation for the good of all. He has plans to address public safety, economic development and opportunity, strong city services, good governance and mental health. He understands that “yesterday’s successes do not ensure that tomorrow’s challenges will be met.”
So don’t believe everything you read, especially from political action committees, which are attempting to throw shade on worthy candidates perhaps because their own are a bit lacking.
This municipal election is critical. Please remember to vote!
Melea Smith, Naperville
Fearmongering candidates misrepresenting city crime
In recent years, Americans have been subjected to fearmongering by politicians who want to frighten us into voting for them. Unfortunately, several local politicians have brought those scare tactics to Naperville.
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In their print materials and at in-person forums, Naperville City Council candidate Josh McBroom and mayoral candidate Scott Wehrli repeatedly suggest they can “protect” Naperville and make it “safer.” They cite violence from Chicago as threatening to our community. A recent Wehrli mailer splashed the warning, “Crime is a serious issue in Naperville,” in all caps next to out-of-context newspaper clips about local incidents. The point of this rhetoric is to ignite our panic.
Yet Naperville — as recently as February — was named the safest city in America based on FBI crime statistics. In fact, both personal and property crime are down in Naperville compared to 2021. According to the Naperville Police Department, about 95% of Naperville crimes are “assault,” which includes domestic incidents, intimidation and incidents involving physical contact. Naperville had two murders in 2022: in one, the offender committed suicide before officers arrived and in the other, officers quickly arrested the offender.
For a city of nearly 150,000 people, these statistics are quite commendable! Naperville residents are fortunate to have a police department that provides extraordinary services and that continues to receive the support of our city council, which mayoral candidate Benny White has served on for six years. In fact, during his tenure on the council, Benny has voted in favor of every resource law enforcement has requested.
As you evaluate candidates, look at what they offer Naperville in terms of economic opportunity, good governance, fiscal responsibility, sustainability, inclusivity and experience. Every candidate running in this local election believes in the importance of public safety, but a few are sensationalizing it for their own benefit.
Ellen Lanser May, Naperville
Special taxes should benefit everyone, not rich developers
The city of Naperville is moving ahead with a 1% sales tax for the redevelopment of the northeast corner of Route 59 and Aurora Avenue (“Naperville man fighting Block 59 business district sales tax collecting opposition petition signatures” – March 21, 2023).
Brixmor Property Group says it needs the special sales tax to cover the required infrastructure improvements necessary to support the redevelopment. The redevelopment of the property will garner Brixmor an increase in their $10 billion asset inventory and additional revenue from the tenants of their stores. Is the city ready to offer the same benefit to a small business owner who has to modernize their building to increase their sales?
I, as a homeowner, had to pay half the cost to repair the public sidewalk in front of my house. Should I get some type of tax revenue to allow me to recover the expense to the Naperville infrastructure?
Raul Saleme, Naperville
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