Capitol Fax.com - Your Illinois News Radar » Some Joliet Township residents publicly rage about botched migrant grant
SUBSCRIBE to Capitol Fax      Advertise Here      About     Exclusive Subscriber Content     Updated Posts    Contact Rich Miller
CapitolFax.com
To subscribe to Capitol Fax, click here.
Some Joliet Township residents publicly rage about botched migrant grant

Wednesday, Oct 11, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Chicago’s constant flailing is quite evident to anyone half paying attention, so people see that and understandably fear that it will happen to their communities. But there are ways of getting things done and there are ways that make things worse. Joliet Township’s leadership essentially killed what could’ve been a decent idea

Residents of Joliet Township packed Tuesday night’s board meeting after the township received the State of Illinois Asylum Seeker Grant.

Some of the residents were outraged and angered over what some said was a lack of involvement.

The $8.6 million grant issued to Joliet Township helps fund municipalities that are welcoming asylum seekers.

* If this truly was about helping people who were already there, then the township should’ve made that clear from the get-go. Instead, they tried to sneak it into existence and spectacularly failed

Attendees did not mince words as they addressed concerns over the money.

“I don’t believe you’re fixing a problem, you’re creating a problem,” one speaker said.

“We need to take care of our own. We have issues here. We need to strengthen our foundation,” said another.

“The purpose of this grant was to help our community partners who serve individuals beyond the county township and city boundaries,” said Supervisor Angel Contreras. “This is a reactive request grant to address current issues, it was not intended to bring more people to our areas.”

* Rarely do you see such a total botch

Some speakers supported the township on the grant and supported assistance for asylum seekers.

“Give them a chance to be part of your community, and you’d be surprised,” one said.

Another was virtually booed away from the microphone as she spoke in support of the grant. […]

The Joliet Park District rescinded a pending lease with the township for its Hartman Recreation Center located at 511 Collins St. after learning last week that the building had been proposed as a welcome center. A park official said the township had indicated it planned to use the space for office space and community activities.

Likewise, a spokeswoman for Duly Health & Care said the medical group did not know that its medical office building had been included as a potential welcome center or clinic in the grant application.

* Yeah, this is how to speak to people. Right

Township Clerk Alicia Morales has claimed “the process was handled in the appropriate manner, nothing was violated.”

“People just don’t understand how government works,” Morales added.

*Facepalm*

* But some of the comments were just so over the top

During nearly three hours of public comment, hundreds of people showed up both in support and opposition to the proposal, with township officials warning people would be asked to leave if they were disruptive during the meeting.

“We are seeking asylum from crime, from drugs, from gang activity, from homelessness. We have been asylum seekers,” one woman said. […]

The controversy has become so intense, a Joliet City Council member said there has been a threat made against a local social service agency that supports migrants.

And

Joliet resident Brian Beck said that if the township wanted to come up with solutions, it needed to find solutions of “how to move these people out of here.” […]

Other residents said township officials had gone “out of their bounds” to invite asylum-seekers to Joliet and said that township trustees have no right to dictate where taxpayer money is spent.

Rev. Larry Ellis, a retired deacon from St. Mark CME Church, told trustees that residents were misled about the intentions surrounding the purchase of the Peter Claver Center. He said that he understood the meeting was for community outreach programs but that the “whispers in the neighborhood” said it was instead being used by asylum seekers.

“I’m upset, I’m p*ssed off simply because we have not been told – first of all, we weren’t told about the grant,” he said. “Second of all, we weren’t told about who was coming into our neighborhoods, and I think that’s disgraceful.”

Thanks, reverend.

…Adding… A buddy of mine took a photo outside the event yesterday…

       

13 Comments
  1. - Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Oct 11, 23 @ 12:34 pm:

    Trying to think of a more ridiculous way to have buy-in when you are seen as being sneaky to your want.

    I can’t.

    So much of what the supervisor and others did in this from the application to the messaging after, how can others NOT push back even if they are in agreement with the premise.

    This is so botched that the city and mayor apparently look like they stopped a bunch of folks pulling “a fast one”

    Horrifically awful politics to policy.


  2. - NIU Grad - Wednesday, Oct 11, 23 @ 12:44 pm:

    “who was coming into our neighborhoods”

    Leave it to a deacon to be welcoming to all…


  3. - Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Oct 11, 23 @ 12:48 pm:

    ===Leave it to a deacon to be welcoming to all…===

    Maybe an “Old Testament” deacon.

    No words anymore for clergy ignoring biblical teachings


  4. - DuPage Saint - Wednesday, Oct 11, 23 @ 12:57 pm:

    Be a good time for a referendum on abolishing township government down Joliet way


  5. - JoanP - Wednesday, Oct 11, 23 @ 12:58 pm:

    Unbelievable. They’re making the Fifth floor look like statesmen.


  6. - Candy Dogood - Wednesday, Oct 11, 23 @ 1:16 pm:

    I am not used to seeing a NIMBY position being so openly racist or xenophobic. Usually they use coded language a bit better, but maybe that’s just a sign of the times. Maybe in a post Trump American political sphere no one is really paying attention to or getting paid to come up with language that’s a little better at the quiet part.

    “Those people” and “who was coming” rather than an appeal to public safety or a suggestion that a neighborhood doesn’t have the resources to address the needs of the immigrants.

    But thanks, Larry Ellis, for illustrating the best example of someone who needs a lot more Jesus that I’ve seen this month. Hope as a Deacon you didn’t have a role in religious education.


  7. - Dysfunction Junction - Wednesday, Oct 11, 23 @ 1:19 pm:

    “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

    “The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.”


  8. - Too cute by half - Wednesday, Oct 11, 23 @ 1:19 pm:

    Not hate quite like Christian love.


  9. - levivotedforjudy - Wednesday, Oct 11, 23 @ 2:18 pm:

    So, like the other post in CapFax today on libraries and schools, threats of violence on this too (and on election volunteers)? What have we become?


  10. - ARepublicIfUCanKeepIt - Wednesday, Oct 11, 23 @ 3:09 pm:

    While Supervisor Contreras handled this about as poorly as could be imagined, I also fault the Pritzker Administration for having so explicitly, and, one might argue, exclusively, targeted this program to aid asylum seekers, rather than more generally to aid communities whose existing problems of poverty and social disintegration the recent arrival of many poor people has exacerbated. This is a question both of marketing / publicity and of the substance of what is to be funded. I suspect that a program of aid that would comparably benefit asylum seekers and also other disadvantaged members of the community would have enjoyed much stronger support in the Joliet area and would not have so surfaced divisions, concerning both priorities for social assistance and how to balance intentions to treat everyone humanely with legitimate concerns about vicious-cycle consequences for struggling communities.


  11. - Lurker - Wednesday, Oct 11, 23 @ 3:20 pm:

    Keep Strong Joliet(bp) /s


  12. - Jocko - Wednesday, Oct 11, 23 @ 4:00 pm:

    ==Second of all, we weren’t told about who was coming into our neighborhoods, and I think that’s disgraceful.”==

    Unless you’re Native American, I’m curious who you think this ‘who’ is?


  13. - Perrid - Wednesday, Oct 11, 23 @ 4:07 pm:

    Transparency and communication are key.

    And it’s incredible how selfish and hate-filled some people are.


Sorry, comments for this post are now closed.


* Reader comments closed for the weekend
* Isabel’s afternoon roundup
* The Waukegan City Clerk was railroaded
* Whatever happened, the city has a $40 million budget hole it didn't disclose until now
* Manar gives state agencies budget guidance: Cut, cut, cut
* Roundup: Ex-Chicago Ald. Danny Solis testifies in Madigan corruption trial
* Open thread
* Isabel’s morning briefing
* SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Today's edition of Capitol Fax (use all CAPS in password)
* Live coverage
* Selected press releases (Live updates)
* Yesterday's stories

Support CapitolFax.com
Visit our advertisers...

...............

...............

...............

...............

...............

...............


Loading


Main Menu
Home
Illinois
YouTube
Pundit rankings
Obama
Subscriber Content
Durbin
Burris
Blagojevich Trial
Advertising
Updated Posts
Polls

Archives
November 2024
October 2024
September 2024
August 2024
July 2024
June 2024
May 2024
April 2024
March 2024
February 2024
January 2024
December 2023
November 2023
October 2023
September 2023
August 2023
July 2023
June 2023
May 2023
April 2023
March 2023
February 2023
January 2023
December 2022
November 2022
October 2022
September 2022
August 2022
July 2022
June 2022
May 2022
April 2022
March 2022
February 2022
January 2022
December 2021
November 2021
October 2021
September 2021
August 2021
July 2021
June 2021
May 2021
April 2021
March 2021
February 2021
January 2021
December 2020
November 2020
October 2020
September 2020
August 2020
July 2020
June 2020
May 2020
April 2020
March 2020
February 2020
January 2020
December 2019
November 2019
October 2019
September 2019
August 2019
July 2019
June 2019
May 2019
April 2019
March 2019
February 2019
January 2019
December 2018
November 2018
October 2018
September 2018
August 2018
July 2018
June 2018
May 2018
April 2018
March 2018
February 2018
January 2018
December 2017
November 2017
October 2017
September 2017
August 2017
July 2017
June 2017
May 2017
April 2017
March 2017
February 2017
January 2017
December 2016
November 2016
October 2016
September 2016
August 2016
July 2016
June 2016
May 2016
April 2016
March 2016
February 2016
January 2016
December 2015
November 2015
October 2015
September 2015
August 2015
July 2015
June 2015
May 2015
April 2015
March 2015
February 2015
January 2015
December 2014
November 2014
October 2014
September 2014
August 2014
July 2014
June 2014
May 2014
April 2014
March 2014
February 2014
January 2014
December 2013
November 2013
October 2013
September 2013
August 2013
July 2013
June 2013
May 2013
April 2013
March 2013
February 2013
January 2013
December 2012
November 2012
October 2012
September 2012
August 2012
July 2012
June 2012
May 2012
April 2012
March 2012
February 2012
January 2012
December 2011
November 2011
October 2011
September 2011
August 2011
July 2011
June 2011
May 2011
April 2011
March 2011
February 2011
January 2011
December 2010
November 2010
October 2010
September 2010
August 2010
July 2010
June 2010
May 2010
April 2010
March 2010
February 2010
January 2010
December 2009
November 2009
October 2009
September 2009
August 2009
July 2009
June 2009
May 2009
April 2009
March 2009
February 2009
January 2009
December 2008
November 2008
October 2008
September 2008
August 2008
July 2008
June 2008
May 2008
April 2008
March 2008
February 2008
January 2008
December 2007
November 2007
October 2007
September 2007
August 2007
July 2007
June 2007
May 2007
April 2007
March 2007
February 2007
January 2007
December 2006
November 2006
October 2006
September 2006
August 2006
July 2006
June 2006
May 2006
April 2006
March 2006
February 2006
January 2006
December 2005
April 2005
March 2005
February 2005
January 2005
December 2004
November 2004
October 2004

Blog*Spot Archives
November 2005
October 2005
September 2005
August 2005
July 2005
June 2005
May 2005

Syndication

RSS Feed 2.0
Comments RSS 2.0




Hosted by MCS SUBSCRIBE to Capitol Fax Advertise Here Mobile Version Contact Rich Miller