I am standing for election to represent residents of District 9 on the Champaign County Board.

As a resident of Champaign County for over 30 years, I have been active in a broad array of notable local community organizing efforts, including coordinating the Living Wage campaign, assisting in organizing the Urbana-Champaign Independent Media Center, founding WRFU-LP 104.5 Urbana, and serving as the Grievance Officer of the Graduate Employees' Organization, IFT/AFT Local 6300 at the University of Illinois. Before I returned to academia to pursue my doctorate in history, I worked 23 years for Supervalu, where I picked groceries in the warehouse and loaded trailers and then managed the truck parts inventory to help ensure lowest cost per mile of operation.

If elected to office, I will work relentlessly to ensure transparency in county government accounting and operations, while ensuring that equitable hiring and contracting practices are followed for all those doing business with and working for the people of Champaign County. The current crisis at the nursing home is one that did not have to happen, but did so because long-term problems were hidden from the public and even from many members of the county board itself. Major failures in operating decisions and questionable accounting practices were buried from view by the current county board leadership. It's not rocket science to run a nursing home efficiently, effectively, and with the kindness those in the twilight of their lives deserve. The struggles of recent years are a disservice to the excellent reputation that the Champaign County Nursing Home has deservedly earned and still rates. The nursing home is both an economically viable project and an essential county service on par with every other county service that is provided to the public. Other than effective management, a very modest tax increase is all that is needed to ensure it will continue to serve the residents of the county for another century.

A particular concern of mine is investing in productive justice system practices, while limiting wasting resources in programs that are demonstrably ineffective. As a historian, I can appreciate the curb appeal of the restoration of court house's clock tower, but I also recognize how hollow that promise rings if real justice for all is not available within its walls.

While I have concerns about its regressive nature, in the absence of a better solution from the current bi-partisan train-wreck of state government in Springfield the proposed county-wide sales tax to support educational construction spending is the best short term solution. I feel the only responsible option is to support the ballot proposal for it this November. It is needed to meet long-standing building deficiencies, provide property tax relief, and provide energy efficiencies in a time of rapidly escalating energy costs so that the children of Champaign County have the same educational opportunities as others have. Once adequate funding is provided - as is constitutionally required from the state level - I would then support repeal of the county educational sales tax.

As a member of the Green Party, I feel that empowering citizens to become more involved is the most important factor there is in building the grass roots democracy that is necessary to achieve better performance from government. I ask not just for your vote this November, but for your continued advice and help to make county government more responsive, more efficient, and more just for every one it serves over the next four years.