Jason "my finances are none of your business" Plummer, in the Lieutenant Governor debate, when asked about assault weapons, offers this brilliant insight:

Anything that's illegal ought to be banned.

Thanks for clearing that up.

If their behavior is any indication, DuPage Republicans such as Forest Preserve Commissioner Joe Cantore would just as soon the general public didn't know they exist. Their job is to be rubber stamps to people like "D." Dewey Pierotti, for which they're paid handsomely out of our money.

But every few years, these guys have to run for re-election, which requires them do a certain amount of going out and meeting the public.

So, I happened to run into good old Joe at the Villa Park Metra station this morning as he was handing out campaign flyers for himself and County Board member Jeff Redick. Our brief conversation went roughly something like this:

JOE: Have you been to the forest preserves?

ME: Yeah. Say, I saw in the papers recently how the forest preserve president has declared the preserves off-limits to signs with candidates' names on them. Yet "D." Dewey Pierotti's own name is on big signs in every preserve.

JOE: Yeah, that is a little odd.

ME: But you're a commissioner. Wouldn't you be able to do something about that?

JOE: Um, yeah, well, I do try to take a stand, but when it's about saving money.

ME: But not putting up all those signs would've saved money.

JOE: I talked to people about it.

ME: [Thinks: Sure you did, Joe.]

JOE: But nothing came of it. It just fell on deaf ears.

ME: Then maybe we need some new ears.

Thanks, Joe, for giving us good reasons to vote for Dennis Clark and Hilary Denk.

(Cross-posted from the official Democratic Party of DuPage County blog:

Incumbent Forest Preserve President "D." Dewey Pierotti is very serious about keeping candidates from using our forest preserves for their own self-promotion:

As the general election nears, the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County would like to remind candidates and their supporters that its General Use Regulation Ordinance prohibits displaying, posting or distributing signs or promotional materials of any kind on District property without the written permission of its executive director, who, due to fairness issues and District policy, cannot authorize the placement of political signs.

All well and good. But there's a candidate out there who is blatantly disregarding "D." Dewey's policy and has his own name on signs at forest preserves throughout DuPage County.



"D." Dewey really ought to speak with the person whose name appears on that sign.

DuPage Republicans: Spending your own money to do things that we don't allow you to do.