Subject:
745 days and counting . . . will Mark Kirk say "yes" or "no" to announcing town meetings on District 10's website? (See http://illinoispoliticsblog.blogspot.com)
To:
Rep. Mark Kirk
November 2, 2009
"Will Congressman Mark Kirk place public notices of our town meetings on District 10's tax-paid website, a resource Congressionally mandated for district use?"
I know it's hard to believe, Mr. Kirk (and any constituents who may be reading this). I've taken a few minutes, every business day, to call both your Northbrook and D.C. offices, always courteous, always with the same bread-and-butter question.
That's every business day since January 2, 2008, which now extends to 745 calendar days.
Do you remember the starting point of this request? On October 20, 2007 (Winnetka town meeting), you shook my hand and said "Good idea" to my proposal: "Will you put District 10's town meeting notices on District 10's tax-paid website?" Your aide, Richard Goldberg, said "Excellent idea."
Are you managing this well? During 2008 and so far in 2009, Aaron Winters, Deputy Communications Director, has repeatedly stated he is not permitted to reveal if he has ever asked you this question. (Nevertheless, despite what may constitute a restraining order against my inquiry, and as the benchmark of 1,000 phone calls is approached, regretfully this question is being raised to an emergency status.)
Mr. Kirk, it's 745 days and counting. We need public notices on District 10's home page, at the top, ideally two weeks before each town hall meeting. Not targeted notices in e-newsletters to controlled lists of District 10 citizens. And not on "Mark Kirk's Blog" which in your nine-year tenure you've done a single time (a 2/5/09 two-day notice for a 2/7/09 meeting, since transferred to the new July 2009 website's "News Center Blog" as though it were originally a public notice). A new policy should be clearly stated on District 10's website at kirk.house.gov.
Will you give a publicly verifiable "yes" or "no"? While I continue to call for a reply, and for constituents who are following this story, here's one of four letters I'll copy below (a new one each day), sent to the Wilmette Life, exploring other aspects of your management style. (See also " Mark Kirk's honesty may be slipping due to four letters to editor" at my blog, http://illinoispoliticsblog.blogspot.com...
WHAT IT MEANS TO BE INVISIBLE
(Letter to the editor, printed in the Wilmette Life, April 3, 2008, slightly re-edited)
Have an appointment with Congressman Mark Kirk's staff? As I discovered, the journey can be a pain without a car. The public has access to the barest minimum of public transportation to Mr. Kirk's office at 707 Skokie Boulevard.
Representing an area where rail service forms the all-important spine, the office's nearest three stations are Northbrook, 2 miles away, Braeside, 1.5 miles, and Ravinia Park, 1.5 miles. A single bus route, Pace 626, runs on Skokie Boulevard during restricted hours. Northbound is limited to 5:40 a.m. to 9:25 a.m. Southbound to 2:45 p.m. to 6:45 p.m. Neither north nor southbound routes pick up passengers at any of the three train stations.
To confirm this, I called Mark Kirk's staff. An assistant, inquiring internally, could not find any staff member who knew the hours of public transportation by train, bus, or any combination to Mr. Kirk's office. She advised to check the Pace website.
When I arrived (by borrowed car) for my appointment, I found no public sidewalk leads to the building where Mark Kirk represents us. Mr. Kirk, eschewing numerous friendly village centers that populate the North Shore, has located his office in a steel and glass tower in a corporate parking lot. This tower borders, along with six other corporate islands, a major highway. The lot is surrounded by a spaghetti bowl of 6-lane, 5-lane, 4-lane, and 2-lane highways on four sides.
Facing the highway sits a large corporate sign. Absent on its impressive sides are both "District 10" and "Congressman Mark Kirk." Non-existent is any nearby town infrastructure such as restaurants or coffee shops which might draw the inquiring citizen.
Getting a Congressman's attention can be problematic in the 10th District. It's more difficult if its headquarters, like its constituents, is invisible.
Wilmette , IL
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