From Peoria County GOP Chairman Rudy Lewis:
Koehler and Gordon so out of touch they don’t even know where their districts are located
Sen. Koehler leads Jehan Gordon off on the wrong foot as she begins her term
(PEORIA) State Representative Jehan Gordon may be getting off on the wrong foot by holding a town hall meeting with State Senator Dave Koehler outside of both of their districts.
“How can you accurately represent citizens if you invite people to a town hall meeting to voice their opinions but that location is outside of your district?” said Peoria County GOP chairman Rudy Lewis. “I wonder if Koehler and Gordon are just taking people on the South Side, the East Bluff, West Bluff and West Peoria for granted by holding their town hall outside their own districts. In any case spending tax dollars to invite people to a town hall meeting outside of their districts is a slap in the face of those they are paid to represent.”
“Imagine a U.S. Senator from Illinois holding a town hall meeting in Indiana or Missouri,” furthered Lewis. “It defies logic.”
“If these two public officials care not where they hold their town hall meeting, it calls into question their judgment when voting to spend billions of state tax dollars,” concluded Lewis.
Gordon and Koehler recently announced they would be holding a Town Hall Meeting on January 22nd at the Lakeview Branch Library (1137 W. Lake Ave., Peoria). However, the Lakeview Branch Library is not located in either Gordon or Koehler’s legislative districts. The Library is located in the 37th Senate District and the 73rd legislative districts, represented by Sen. Dale Risinger and Rep. David Leitch.
Chairman Lewis confirmed that the Lakeview Branch Library is located in the 73rd legislative district (37th Senate district) and not the 92nd legislative district (46th Senate District) with both the Illinois State Board of Elections and the City of Peoria Election Commission.
For their part, Risinger and Leitch hold a series of more than 10 town hall meetings each summer throughout the four counties in the 73rd District—but each one is inside the district they both represent.
Gee, another mis-step by Gordon, who would have guessed it?
As for Koehler, he knows where is bread is buttered.
Perhaps the point of the meeting will be about the proposals for educational monies to be spent… did I say wasted?… on the library project. In that case, Lakeview would be an ideal place to have the meeting.
Much to do about nothing!! I want to know who the people were on Schocks’ plane trip to Washington for his swearing in. Anyone care to answer that?
I can’t decide what’s more impressive, representatives who don’t know what they represent or a biased press release that only quotes the man who released it?
There are more tactful ways to release information — nothing says hubris quite like quoting yourself over and over.
Not that that excuses the content of the story, of course, if it’s indeed true. Every story is written with a slant one way or another, and it’s important to keep in mind what information you’re getting from where.
Although I believe (truly) that anyone that voted for Gordon is an idiot, this is a non-issue. So freaking what if she holds this outside of her official district? It is Lakeview! It is convenient to many people and may be the only place she could find that could provide the space on a short-term notice.
http://www.illinoiscovered.com/assets/il_legdist_state.pdf
CJ This is a map of the districts. Don’t know how up to date it is. I think the map demonstrates this being a damned if you do, damned if you don’t.
I suspect that the location was chosen because it was 1) available; 2) would be a place that would increase the number of people to come out.
I don’t know if the meeting was at night, but I know that a lot of people are not comfortable with downtown Peoria after dark, and especially the downtown library because of the stigma it carries with the work release center across the street, the bars and the homeless population……all = the perception of crime. And if you look at Dave Koehlers area, his choice for a most central location would have been…..Banner….Trivoli…..?
As someone who has run on a Republican ballot in Peoria County, I am troubled that the (R) leadership is even bringing this up. It is a waste of their time and has nothing to do with the merits of any relevant issue. Far better if the (R) leadership had attended the meeting and reported on the agenda, issues Q and A, etc and offered some counter-posing solutions. This sort of ticky tacking technicalities does nothing to enhance the gravitas of the (R) party, locally or nationally.
Proctor Center is a fine facility with huge meeting rooms.
As Jehan Gordon says “let’s follow President Obama’s example and put the bickering behind us and come together in unity”(not her exact quote but close)
and your point is, point of order? That quote says nothing except that everybody who dares disagree with you is just “bickering”. Nonsense. People disagree. It’s normal. If we disagree respectfully and honestly, then perhaps we arrive at a compromise that works. If we accuse our opponents of “bickering” we accomplish nothing.
Mouse: Amen.
It’s a non issue as far as I’m concerned, but my wife said she heard this being discussed on 1470 this morning.
I wish there were more of these…no matter where they hold them…Thanks for listening Gordon and Koehler.