Nick Allen, John Willard, Dave Causer, myself and Bruce Harrison at the Grand Opening Ceremony for the Democratic Headquarters Tuesday night. Representative Lisa Dugan, Senator Debbie Halvorson, Congressional Candidate John Pavich, County Sheriff Candidate Hank Williams, Jr. and countless others were all in attendance. Thanks to everyone for making the event a huge success.

Cole and new baby sister McKenna.

The following comment was posted (on LiberIL View see link bottom right) in reference to my letter regarding the housing of Cook County inmates in the Taj Mahal of jails.

I like this guys' background look at the diary connected to his ad on the left. He works for a recycling company that has a zero tolerance policy for landfills. I hope he reads the diary on the Georgia landfill. If that's doable and he get elected to County Board, and others like him on County Boards across the country, maybe we can make some progress on environmental issues.by: Hattori Hanzo Chiba @ Sat Aug 12, 2006 at 13:06:18 PM CDT

Just wanted to thank he or she for the kind words and let everyone know I not only work for a company with a zero-landfill policy, but I oppose the uneccesary expansion of landfills. The simple fact is 60% of what is put in a landfill can "easily"be recyled. That's right I said 60%. If each of us would do our part the landfill debate wouldn't be necessary nearly as often. This is from Kane County's website in reference to there County-led recycling program:

How Much Are We Recycling?In 2003, Kane County residents and businesses combined to recycle 267,000 tons of material – 1,187 pounds for every person in the County. This amount equals 42% of the 636,000 tons of garbage we generated last year. Our efforts have helped eliminate the need for 8 new landfills in Illinois over the past 15 years, saving more than 1,400 acres of land from becoming permanent dumping grounds for our garbage.

Recycling can make a difference. We can save ourselves a great deal of aggrevation by simply decreasing the need for landfills. We can't depend on government or big corporations to make responsible decisions for us involving the environment we first have to be responsible enough as individuals to make the right decisions. With that said I can guarantee once elected I will fight to make our County Board environmentally responsible.

Wanted to take the time to thank everyone that made the Gladiolus Festival a huge success. I was very happy to have Debbie Halvorson, John Pavich, Lisa Dugan, Hank Williams Jr. and all committeemen and volunteers at my home to kick things off. The parade was great fun and very encouraging. To be loudly cheered on several occasions was a great feeling. I don't think I can remember being cheered since high school basketball. Which was more years ago than I care to remember! So again thanks to everyone especially all the people of Momence and beyond that filled the town.

As a citizen and taxpayer and, hopefully, the future Kankakee County Board Member in District 2, I believe it is my responsibility to inform the public about the recent approval of a contract to bring Cook County prisoners to the Kankakee County jail.

The biggest concern, aside from the fact that our current District 2 Board member voted “yes” to the contract, is that the contract was actually signed 20 days before getting the required board approval. Sheriff Tim Bukowski and Kankakee County Board Chairman Karl Kruse signed the contract July 19, and began importing these criminals, yet the board did not see the contract until August 8, when it was approved by a narrow 11-10 margin.
Our District 2 Board Member apparently had no problem with the sheriff and board chairman ignoring the rules to force the housing of these hardened criminals upon the citizens of Kankakee County.

As if this is not farcical enough, this whole episode makes a mockery of the board and the rules governing our county. That our Board Member was so willing to abdicate his responsibility to the people and go along with this leads one to wonder who he represents.

With a one-vote winning margin, our Board Member’s vote opened the doors wide to this risky program. It is apparent that he has more allegiance to the free-spending sheriff and a county board chairman who choose to ignore the state’s attorney’s advice, and to ignore what is in the best interests of the people of District 2 and Kankakee County.

We will be forced to deal with these prisoners. Not in our community, of course, because the bad guys and gals will be behind very thick, (and very expensive) walls, but we will be forced to deal with those who visit them. The accompanying crowd of gang bangers and drug dealers are not the sort of visitors our community needs, nor wants.

Our Board Member helped put the county in this position when he voted last year to add a $17 million addition to a brand-new jail that the state gave us. The taxpayers of this county voted down three sales tax referendums to build a new jail. Apparently a $24 million new jail was not enough for the sheriff and our board member, paint was barely dry on the new jail when Our Board Member voted to put Kankakee County $17 million in debt for many years to come. Now, we’re told we need to import these Cook County criminals to help pay off the debt.

In closing, has it ever occurred to the fiscally loose county board, that Cook County, with whom the contract is binding, has trouble enough paying their bills? Cook County has had to take out an “emergency” $200 million loan to pay its bills, and faces a $130 million budget deficit. And now we expect a check from them?

I, for one, believe that the county board needs to rein in the sheriff and his expensive spending habits, and instead make it a priority to serve the people of Kankakee County first. It is this reckless spending – done with Mr. Vickery’s approval - that now has left the county importing Cook County inmates.

Sincerely,
Travis J. Griggs