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Some Joliet Township residents publicly rage about botched migrant grant

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* 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The Joliet Park District rescinded a pending lease with the township for its Hartman Recreation Center located at 511 Collins St. after learning last week that the building had been proposed as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…

posted by Rich Miller
Wednesday, Oct 11, 23 @ 12:21 pm

Comments

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.

Comment by Oswego Willy Wednesday, Oct 11, 23 @ 12:34 pm
“who was coming into our neighborhoods”

Leave it to a deacon to be welcoming to all…

Comment by NIU Grad Wednesday, Oct 11, 23 @ 12:44 pm
===Leave it to a deacon to be welcoming to all…===

Maybe an “Old Testament” deacon.

No words anymore for clergy ignoring biblical teachings

Comment by Oswego Willy Wednesday, Oct 11, 23 @ 12:48 pm
Be a good time for a referendum on abolishing township government down Joliet way

Comment by DuPage Saint Wednesday, Oct 11, 23 @ 12:57 pm
Unbelievable. They’re making the Fifth floor look like statesmen.

Comment by JoanP Wednesday, Oct 11, 23 @ 12:58 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.

Comment by Candy Dogood Wednesday, Oct 11, 23 @ 1:16 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.”

Comment by Dysfunction Junction Wednesday, Oct 11, 23 @ 1:19 pm
Not hate quite like Christian love.

Comment by Too cute by half Wednesday, Oct 11, 23 @ 1:19 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?

Comment by levivotedforjudy Wednesday, Oct 11, 23 @ 2:18 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.

Comment by ARepublicIfUCanKeepIt Wednesday, Oct 11, 23 @ 3:09 pm
Keep Strong Joliet(bp) /s

Comment by Lurker Wednesday, Oct 11, 23 @ 3:20 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?

Comment by Jocko Wednesday, Oct 11, 23 @ 4:00 pm
Transparency and communication are key.

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

Comment by Perrid Wednesday, Oct 11, 23 @ 4:07 pm