From a press release:
JEHAN GORDON GETS A “F” FOR ATTENDANCEGordon a no show at two debates in two days but comes late to one in between
Jehan Gordon would be classified as a
CHRONIC TRUANT
if she were a student instead of a school board member on the Pleasant Hill School Board because of her abysmal attendance at school board meetings(PEORIA) As a candidate for 92nd District State Representative, Jehan Gordon is living up to her abysmal attendance record on the Pleasant Hill School Board.
Gordon has missed an astonishing 40% of the Pleasant Hill School Board meetings where she serves as a board member. In addition, board minutes show that she arrived late to one-third of the meetings she did attend.
If Jehan Gordon were a student at Pleasant Hill School instead of a school board member, she would be classified as a CHRONIC TRUANT with that kind of abysmal attendance record.
That kind of attendance record proves that she obviously doesn’t care much about her duties on the Pleasant Hill School Board. It seems clear that she wanted to get onto a school board simply to be able to use that platform to launch her bid for State Representative. Otherwise she would have taken her responsibilities more seriously.
Such an attendance record is a horrible example to the students of Pleasant Hill.
Now, true to that poor attendance record, yesterday Gordon cancelled her participation at the last minute for the Peoria Medical Society’s Candidate Forum which she had formally accepted. Her opponent, Joan Krupa attended as did Congressional candidates Aaron Schock and Colleen Callahan.
This morning Gordon did attend the Chamber of Commerce debate in Peoria—but true to form, she arrived late.
Inexplicably, only hours later Jehan Gordon stood up the Downtown Kiwanis Club for their 92nd District Debate at the Lariat Club in Peoria. Kiwanis leaders had Gordon’s formal acceptance to participate in writing and were furious. Gordon did not even call to cancel, she just didn’t show up for the full blown debate between her and her opponent, Joan Krupa who was there.
So within 18 hours, Gordon skipped a debate she had agreed to attend, then arrived late at a second one and then did not show up at a third debate.
That disturbing pattern exactly mirrors Gordon’s horrible attendance record on the Pleasant Hill School Board.
In recent mailings to voters Gordon says she “has learned from her mistakes.” But she obviously hasn’t changed her ways.
Jehan Gordon’s campaign slogan is: Listen-Learn-Lead. But a Representative CANNOT listen if she doesn’t show up. She CANNOT learn if she doesn’t show up. And she CANNOT lead if she doesn’t show up.
It has been said before: “Some officials vote their conscience, some vote their constituents and some don’t vote at all.” The latter behavior doesn’t solve problems, it makes them worse.
With the legendary dysfunction in Springfield that our state already suffers from, voters ought to be wary about adding to that dysfunction with yet another person who has proven herself unfit to serve.
I was at the debate today. Yes, she was a bit late-I don’t know if it warrants a line in a press release though.
Ummm, escuse me Ian, I think this was about more than one debate.
PRICELESS. If this isn’t further proof of damaged character, I don’t know what is.
Gordon had to pull a TV ad in the primary because it falsely said she had a degree, which she did not. She shoplifted at age 19 but didn’t pay the fines for 8 years, which was only two weeks before the primary election this year.
Gordon also didn’t pay for years for driving “unlicensed” and on separate occasions for driving with no insurance and no registration. These were in 2004 and 2005 but not paid until she began running for State Representative.
Character is defined by what you do when no one is looking. When Jehan Gordon knows people are looking she turns on the charm. But whenever she thinks no one is paying attention, she has a left trail of episodes of bad character. And in Springfield it will only get worse.
rex: Very well said.
Yes Diane…I know it was about several events/cancellations.
I think most of the press release makes a valid point-the late part sounded a bit nit-picky though.
I will take you down Vespa! haha 🙂
This is all very enlightening.
Of course we must now prepare for the Gordon camp to fire back. I can’t wait to see just how squeaky-clean Krupa turns out to be.
Is there any contention of the facts here? If not, then this is rather damning. Krupa’s release does a good job of showing a disturbing pattern of behavior that’s unlikely to change if Gordon reaches office.
I mostly side with Democrats on major issues, but Gordon is not prepared to be a state representative … just like Sarah Palin isn’t prepared to be VPOTUS and certainly not POTUS. We really have to get past this “anything goes as long as ‘our team’ wins” mentality.
I agree with Knight. I am now voting Green Party across the board [almost].
Yeah Gordan has pretty much lost any chance of me voting for her. Hopefully the crowing conservatives are as critical about their own candidate with attendance issues, Aaron Strangelove Schock.
Green is looking more attractive at the state level. The national candidates are a train wreck. Cynthia McKinny for President? Are you kidding me?!?!
Rex pretty well sums it up. Gordon has no business running for state rep. Only a mindless democrat robot would vote for her. The people who put her up for this office(Koehler/Shadid) should pull the rug out before she becomes even more of an embarassment.
The silence from the Gordon campaign on the facts is defeaning.
Mahkno,
I did say ALMOST!
Yes, local candidates for state/fed offices just don’t cut the mustard. Maybe if we mold them all into one person we could come up with a ‘usable’ politician.
One last,
It does scare me to think of Peoria’s little circle of monied-elites running for office, and gaining that kind of [state/fed] political power.
The next thing you know…they will be pushing TWO museums down our throats!
So instead you want to elect a two bit thief to represent us and make policy. Scary.
Amen there Mouse.
I gave her the benefit of the doubt for the primaries, but that’s it for her.
We have a rich, white Republican and a black candidate who comes from a markedly different background. Personally, I know what to expect from the likes of Krupa. She will vote with the Republicans. She will support the wealthy and protect her own interests and the interests of her friends. I cannot say that Jehan Gordon is an ideal candidate, but I believe that, as our Democratic candidate, she is someone who will vote our Democratic ideals. She is probably our best choice for change.
Tulip,
your comment is a blatant trolling post to excite people. JK isn’t anymore “rich” than JG is a crumb-bum, but even a 5th grader with any brains could figure out who to vote for.
Tulip, you see things in a most convoluted way.
Change??? By electing Jehan Gordon???? She will simply add to the corruption and dysfunction there already is in Springfield. That’s strengthening the status quo, not change.
Jehan Gordon is a world class opportunist though in grasping for the politically popular change mantra right now. The facts just show her election would be the opposite.
Change??? If Gordon is elected, Speaker Madigan will TELL her how to vote on every bill because he is either donating or directing every dollar she will get for her campaign fund. Not so with Krupa, who has raised the bulk of her funds right here in Peoria from people who believe in her and have seen what she has done for this community.
Krupa is someone who worked as a teacher in the Peoria County Jail teaching inmates herself. She led United Way. Was one of the founders of the Bright Futures progam for at-risk kids and worked there herself. She was an elementary school teacher. She has always been exceptionally active in her church. And leading the Heartland Community Health Clinic she expanded service from 850 patients to 18,000. She has a lifetime of working for the poor and underprivileged in Peoria. That’s not talk, it’s having walked the walk–which changed many underprivileged lives for the better. Real change. Enduring change. Honest change.
Jehan doesn’t care about serving, just the prestige. That’s why she doesn’t show up at school board meetings. Sounds nice to her that she can say she is a school board member as she tries to be a state representative, but she isn’t going to be bothered by school personnel matters or budgets. That’s too tedious and boring for Jehan.
This may sound funny, but “without malice” brings up an interesting point. Krupa may not be rich [depending upon your definition of ‘rich’], but she is definitely cozy with Peoria’s little group of power-brokers. Tulip may be a little “blatant,” but I think she has the right of it.
I for one, have been tired of LaHood politics for years. Now here comes round two.
I dare anyone to tell me [with a straight face] that Schock is really in this race for the people of Peoria [18th Dist]! Aaron Schock’s only motivation is to skip up the ladder.
ANONYMOUS,
“Two bit thief?” Are you talking about LaHooD?
Real change. Enduring change. Honest change.
Sounds like I’m reading a press release.
Tulip Buster,
“…doesn’t care about serving, just the prestige.”
Are you talking about Gordon or Schock?
I would consider Krupa, but if she is such a swell guy, why the association with Schock and LaHood? There is no doubt Krupa is a community contributor, but so is every other Rotary Club member in Peoria. Peoria has been kicked down the wrong road by all of these ‘well-wishing’ community leaders before. IS Krupa sincere?
I don’t know. Party politics stinks in Peoria anyway. Why stink it up even more by adding another Republican to the list?
PS. – Did anyone get Larry his signs????
Ian, I’ve never seen a news anchor in blogs before being a shill for a candidate before. Now we can interpret your reporting from the obvious partisan perspective that you have demonstrated. That unprofessional partisan advocacy doesn’t say much for HOI but hey, you gotta do what’s in your heart.
Pretty lame report you did last night on the 92nd District race. Gordon lied to you and you let her get away with saying the charge that she missed 40% of her school board meetings was false. Then you let her change the subject.
What about a follow up question: Ms. Gordon, what percentage of Pleasant Hill School Board meetings did you attend? Are you really saying that official school records will prove these charges wrong? If we go to the school to look at the records, are you saying they will show good attendance by you at the meetings? Huh?
Ian, did you ever try real reporting and verifying a candidate’s claims in the middle of a dispute? How about acting like a true reporter and calling the Pleasant Hill School and asking for Gordon’s attendance report at the school board meetings she is a member of??
If you do that you will receive proof that Jehan Gordon flat out lied to you. Are you not insulted that a candidate would lie to you like that?
Or do you just intend to keep apologizing for Jehan Gordon’s bad behavior. Bad behavior now compounded by lying to the media on your report last night.
Jehan Gordon thought school records to the contrary were irrelevant when she said in the primary she graduated the U of I. Now she thinks she can say the opposite of what official Pleasant Hill School records show. Wow, what a pattern of deceit–and stupidity.
Ian Schwartz? Some dubious impartiality and credibility at best. From reading him posting many times I would question what it is he had to say about the weather on a rainy, cloudy day. Is he against the wind or only just supporting the rain and clouds?
My comments here are more of a reflection on the political process.
If the Gordon camp had a press release, with some of it harping on the fact a candidate was 2-5 minutes late, I would have said the same thing on this blog.
If you have seen my work before, you would know I am not a shill for any campaign, company or cause.
This is a repeat of my comments on PeoriaRocks–but I decided to throw them in here as well. Someone on this blog questioned Joan’s sincerity and postulated that her loyalty would be only to her rich friends, etc. Those speculations about Joan did not resemble the person that I know.
Yesterday I spent over an hour, maybe two, with Joan Krupa and four other West Peorians who are supporting her run for office. I haven’t spent that much time with Joan since twenty plus years ago when we were in the same Sunday class, a very interactive discussion group where we often talked—among many other topics–about our faith with relationship to our political views. For several weeks, I was also in a Bethel Bible series class that Joan taught. Since her return from China, our paths have only crossed in the hallways of our church. So it was very good to spend time with her yesterday—and my decision to vote for her in this election was reinforced.
I do not say all that to give either Joan’s or my “religious” credentials, but rather to tell you that I believe I became “acquainted” with Joan’s heart and mind because of the nature of our relationship. In a political year of so much divisiveness, I find Joan’s own humility and acceptance of others’ views to be a refreshing change—not to mention great qualifications for political office.
In the past and now, Joan has been able to accept my often “not so Republican” views that I have often “shared” with those around me. Frankly, all my conversations with her have proven to me that she will be very able to “reach across the aisle” in our state legislature—an asset that should be very apparent to those who are following the chaos that exists in Springfield right now. I believe she will be able to work with her fellow legislators—Democrat and Republican—to work for the best interests of downstate Illinois.
Most of all, I appreciate the career choices Joan has made throughout her lifetime. If you look at her resume, you will notice that she has spent much of her life serving youth and the underserved of our society. As a family, the Krupas (Ted, Joan, and their children) have exemplified this same kind of desire to help others. Certainly, in our world that has become so cosmopolitan, Joan’s own experiences in China and that of two of her children who now live overseas prepare her in a unique way for political service.