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Health & Fitness

With the Candidate Forum, Heilmann's actions speak louder than his words

Heilmann's tough talk about the forum is backed up by little action.

Dear Readers of Oak Lawn Patch:
 
I read with great interest Dave Heilmann’s editorial of March 24th and his call for a Candidate Forum on March 27th. 
 
For the record, individuals from the following organizations have been working diligently to get a Candidate Forum going:  The Oak Lawn Chamber of Commerce, The League of Women Voters, The Oak Lawn Masons, The Oak Lawn Public Library, Oak Lawn Community High School, The Union League, another local school district and a group of concerned citizens.  

They have tried to organize the forum going back to the middle of February.  And all of them offered or suggested multiple dates and times.  I agreed to every one of them promptly and courteously.  The mayor stalled or rejected them, citing additional alleged conflicts, problems with formats, refusals to take unscripted questions, and he even attacked one of the organizers via email and text messages.
 
Now we have Mayor Heilmann calling for a candidate’s forum just days from now.  Were the other candidates given notice or invited? Candidates already had taken off work or rescheduled clients/patients for the March 7th forum.  Has the Mayor confirmed the availability of this date with the VFW and Union League?

All the residents of Oak Lawn were asking for was an hour of the Mayor’s time, and to read his letter you would think that he felt a major conspiracy was afoot.  The Mayor alleges that the March 21st date – the 9th suggested option – was deliberately chosen because the Mayor had a fundraiser that night.
 
There was no information about any fundraiser posted on the Mayor’s website or Facebook page, and I certainly – and understandably – was not invited. The March 21st date was no more or less deliberate than the other many dates proposed, and for the record I had no input in suggesting or picking the date.

I have said from the beginning that I would attend any forum, any time, and at any location.  My only conditions were that I be given sufficient notice, that the forum allow unscripted questions and be facilitated/moderated by a neutral party.


Mr. Heilmann was correct about one thing in his March 24th letter.  I did not reply to his email (last week) when he proposed an alternate forum.  Quite simply, neither Mayor Heilmann nor myself are organizing the event, and nor should we be.

It has been Mayor Heilmann who has repeatedly dodged, delayed and avoided the issue.  I replied promptly and enthusiastically to each and every invitation by the various organizers and hosts, and will continue to do so.  Mayor Heilmann is free to discuss his demands, concerns and conditions with the organizers if there are any left who will tolerate his delays, accusations and bickering.

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