The mayoral candidate will find out next week if her name will remain on the ballot.
Shawn Good’s bid for mayor may come to an abrupt end when the Evergreen Park Municipal Officers Electoral Board meets next Thursday, Jan. 17, in the Council Chambers.
Good’s petitions are being challenged by Geoffrey Layne and Anthony Yukich for not being securely bound when turned in to the village and for lacking the proper number of valid signatures.
After the initial meeting, Good called the challenge “typical Chicago politics” and said she would be vindicated in the end.
The Electoral Board met Thursday morning where attorney Burton Odelson, founding partner of Odelson and Sterk in Evergreen Park, represented the two objectors. Shawn Good represented herself.
Odelson, to prove his point about securely bound petitions, picked up the stack of petitions held together by a paper clip and the petitions came apart and scattered on the board members’ desk.
Good said later that they should have been in a 75-cent binder, but that they were all legal petitions.
The next step in the process will take place Friday morning at 9:30 a.m. on the fifth floor of Cook County Clerk David Orr’s office. Good’s petitions will be evaluated by the records examiner.
The examiner will be looking at individual signatures to make sure the proper person signed the petition and verifying that they are registered voters, explained Joseph Cainkar, village attorney.
Good is the only challenger to incumbent Mayor James Sexton.
CQ
9:08 am on Friday, January 11, 2013
So the founding partner of Odelson and Sterk is incapable of keeping a paperclip on a stack of paperwork? How does he manage the voluminous amounts of paper generated by his law firm! This says more about Odelson than Ms. Good. Layne and Yuchich should be embarrassed. .The candidate process is clear as mud, designed I'm sure to make it difficult for anyone to challenge the good old boys. Don't give up Ms. Good.
EB
11:31 am on Friday, January 11, 2013
I think Mayor Sexton has been a great mayor, and would certainly vote for him. However, I think it's fantastic that someone has the courage to run against him. What are the so worried about? Let the people decide for crying out loud and stop being such bullies.Let the people decide. Isn't this the same Burt Odelson that challenged Rahm Emanuel's eligibility to become mayor of the city of Chicago due to residency issues? Seems like it's just another reason why people are turned off about the whole democratic process and voter turn out is always low.
Dan Good
11:35 am on Friday, January 11, 2013
The incumbent brings in lawyers to drop papers on the floor at $600/hr ? Is this what serving your community comes down to, petty paper clips?
Good Luck, Shawn !!
Kay
12:36 pm on Friday, January 11, 2013
First and foremost every citizen has the right to run for an elected office if they meet the criteria for the position. That is our right under the Constitution. That being said I for one would not like to represented by an individual that cannot follow instructions. How difficult is it bind an official document when turning in to the state of Illinois. It is unfortunate that as a society we blame others for our mistakes and expect others to right our wrongs. It is not Mr.Oldeson or anyone in their offices obligation to provide office supplies that are clearly required through the process. Furthermore I would like to know the person who plans to represent me. Often attend board meetings and like to take my family to Village events. I can't say that I have seen Ms. Good at either of these venues. As I said in the beginning everyone has the right to run for office but clearly not everyone should.
CQ
1:48 pm on Friday, January 11, 2013
The Village is the election authority for the candidates' submissions. The Cook County Board of Elections releases a candidates guide on line. The Cook County Board of Elections advises the use of an attorney throughout the process, which is a sad statement right there. Neither the State of Illinois, Cook County Board of Elections, nor the Village rejects the petitions. A challenger has to come forward....in this case over a paper clip. Seems, Kay, your not so clear on following instructions yourself. The political process has been reduced to lawyering. It is no longer a representative government, where any citizen can become involved. Not if you need to lawyer up first.
Butterflycb
12:18 am on Saturday, January 12, 2013
hey kay up there... you forgot a word in one of your sentences...looks as though you clearly can't put a sentence together.. so.. where in the constitution does is say "paperclip".. or "no paperclip" "binder" or "no.. or no binder" ha! actually we are all binded by undubious politicians. Know your facts Ms Kay .. and question for you Ms Kay... how many events did Mayor Sexton attend before he became Mayor??? I'll bet you don't have a clue????
Sincerely,
The Butterfly <<yes it is "I"... yes.. those who know me.. know me well.. those who don't can go to ...
OakLawn1966
1:03 pm on Friday, January 11, 2013
Odelson will always be a hero in my book for fighting to save Chicago (and indirectly, the rest of us) from Rahm Emanuel. Beyond that and for the sake of choice, I hope that Ms. Good stays on the ballot. I think Mayor Sexton is doing a good job, but I also like a healthy debate on the issues---which never occurs when candidates run unopposed.
Concerned
1:28 pm on Friday, January 11, 2013
I'm always pleased to see someone challenging an incumbent, and the mayor in particular. I'm further pleased that it's Ms. Good. I only know her from the community, and met her initially at the MHR carnival a few years back. I frequently see her with her family at functions in town. What the lack of a binder tells me is that Ms. Good is not a career politician. How refreshing! Keep up the fight, Shawn... I'm looking forward to having a choice come election day.
Helen Cuprisin
11:34 am on Saturday, January 12, 2013
Phil Kadner had a good column in the SouthtownStar, 1/9/13, where he explained that candidates' petitions are challenged by an election board that is made up of the mayor, clerk and trustee, usually all members of the same political party. This is hardly an impartial board to be hearing challenges. Mayor Sexton has done a good job, but he should be able to debate the issues with a challenger. As Kadner said, it should be a fair and unbiased process.
OakLawn1966
12:31 pm on Saturday, January 12, 2013
Kadner. Thanks for the chuckle. He's as biased as they come. At least he was last time I read his column, years ago.
CQ
3:35 pm on Saturday, January 12, 2013
Ol1966...you also think Odelson is a "hero". He's a moron. His challenge on Emanuel was second rate lawyering. Helen, you got it right...whether the info is from Kadner or somewhere else. The voters should have choices and those community members that put themselves out there with honest and the best of intentions should not be eliminated by these ridiculous antics. I'm sure many intelligent, well qualified citizens are turned off by this crap and we as voters lose out on these potential candidates. OL1966, 100% agree as to importance of a healthy debate and problems posed by candidates running unopposed, however.
EP Parent
9:44 am on Sunday, January 13, 2013
I strongly agree that Shawn Good should be allowed on the ballot. It is heartening to have a choice. I like Mayor sexton but Illinois politics have gotten so bad... A candidate should not be disqualified by nit picking. A binder would have made since, but the content is what is truly important.
kp
1:55 pm on Wednesday, January 16, 2013
This is the mayor's bullying once again. I often go to village board meetings and he (Sexton) is always on the bully pulpit. I think it is time for a change. He has not been fully running this town for over six months anyways. I think it is time for some new young blood. He has given way to Walmart, Menard's, and Meijer without mandating they higher EP residents first. His response, "There will be a job fair." In other words, I gave EP away to the big box stores and could care less if they hire EP residents.
evergreenlove13
2:15 pm on Wednesday, January 16, 2013
Kells, please elaborate on this "bullying" for me so I can understand your point of view better. The way I see it is that he isn't on a "bully pulpit" he is the Mayor and does what is in the best interest of this village.
I personally don't want some new young blood who might potentially screw up this town. Look at all aspects of this town and tell me what is wrong. Village Departments, Police Departments, Fire Department, Recreation Dept. Ect.
I see nothing major wrong at all!
TM
3:41 pm on Wednesday, January 16, 2013
Hire EP residents not higher EP residents. I am glad you are not the one running
ep concerned
1:45 am on Tuesday, January 22, 2013
The Village depts are a travesty. They bounced all those jobs to part time while they work full time? Of course the Mayor gets a full salary as do his dept heads and the head of the REC DEPT,,,,,,,Makes you wonder where the loyalty lies....
kp
1:56 pm on Wednesday, January 16, 2013
I also meant to add, if they do not let her on the ballot let's start a write in campaign. Don't give up Shawn!
Nancy Prior
5:29 am on Thursday, January 17, 2013
I know for a fact Mayor Sexton is a bully! You haven't seen anything until you've met him in his office behind closed doors.
My parents have owned the "Nail Spa" building since 1969 - (3138-3140 W. 95th street). The Mayor never offered my parents any money for the building -----he just threatened my 78 year old Disabled WWII Veteran dad back in 2004 (my dad passed away 4 months after the meeting with the Mayor) and now Sexton is abusing my 86 year old mom by deliberately keeping the building vacant and without heat since January 13, 2011 to STEAL it!
Nail Spa was a tenant for 8 years and when we evicted him he left us with a cracked furnace and fried the electric panel. Both fall under "building maintenance", but I'm not allowed to repair anything because the Mayor's sidekick, Geoffrey Layhe, hit me with a bogus stop work order. So please do not write about "Rules" in EP because, for me, they change daily - in fact the rules that I am suppose to follow are not written down anywhere.
Nancy Prior
5:30 am on Thursday, January 17, 2013
It is a travesty what Mayor Sexton has done to my senior citizen mom. Chase Bank was built from the ground up and landscaped, Famous Dave's built a complete kitchen in the building, the nun's retirement on 99th street is practically finished, BUT I am still fighting to repair the damage from Nail Spa and get 2 new businesses opened!
I found out last month I now need to hire a mechanical engineer to replace the furnace because the building code requirements for ventilation are changed ----Shame on you Mayor!
Hang in there Shawn Good