Letter to the Editor: Poynton’s Response to Jim Johnson Letter

 

I read with interest, Mr. Jim Johnson’s so-called “endorsements”.  I’ve always cast a wary eye toward personal political “endorsements”. I have no quarrel with his ELA First endorsement. But it should be noted this is not a dis-interested endorsement.  His spouse is a long time Ela Township Trustee and candidate.

He said of me “I can’t support Poynton. He doesn’t have the skill to work well with others”  Mr. Johnson is entitled to his opinion but I disagree with it. I’ve worked very well with the residents, with local businesses, with staff and with my fellow Trustees. I am responsible to the voters and have never shirked from that responsibility. His comments about me come from a man who supported previous senior staff members who ineptly put forward budgets laced with significant errors, who wouldn’t follow the expressed will of the majority of the board and made worse an already deep financial crisis. Mr. Johnson also supported a Village President who uttered that she didn’t do numbers.

OK. Mr. Johnson didn’t want to do the work. But, shouldn’t criticize those of us who take on the task of doing the due diligence required, not accepting the status quo and who actually try to make this community better. The facts are that I am willing to do the work … as I have done it and continue to do it. I am proactive not reactive. I don’t blindly follow because that’s the easy way to go. I question the establishment. I work to get things done. I don’t wait and hope for them to just happen.  I have worked to clean up the processes. My willingness to work to make improvements and effect change has conflicted with Mr. Johnson’s contentment to keep with the status quo. 

I suppose I should be offended by the personal attack … since I was once aligned with Mr. Johnson; but I’m used to that strategy that he, and certain of those he supports, employs. Our relationship strained when I wanted to strive for accountability, transparency, improvement and fiscal responsibility … terms unfamiliar to him and the current office holder.

Referencing “working well with others” Mr. Johnson forgets that  my opponent has had 3 clerks in four years, 3 sets of Village attorneys and is running with her fourth set of political playmates. And Johnson says that I “don’t have the skill to work well with others”??

He also said of me “his emotional nature gets him in trouble when he speaks first and thinks later.”  You know, I can’t disagree with that. I am “emotional”; and I am direct and occasionally that will get anyone, including me in trouble. I am “emotional” when I see lazy politicians not doing the job that they said they would do when elected. I am “emotional” when I continue to hear weak excuses for not getting things done. I am “emotional” when I see a stagnant downtown further rotting daily; I am “emotional”  when I consider that in almost 12 years of a TIF the core downtown area still is a blank canvass; I am “emotional” when I pay taxes and see my hard earned money being wasted; I am “emotional” when I watch small minded local politicians gum up the works with their ineptness, petty power politics and self-interests;  I am “emotional” when I drive by garbage laying in the street and wonder why somebody threw it there and why nobody picked it up;  I am “emotional” when I witness continued political incompetence. I am “emotional when I continue to have smoke being blown up my pant leg.

YES! I am “emotional” and I am passionate about this community and I am fiery, and I am EXACTLY what this community needs to get its collective butt moving to make this a better community. I do not apologize for that “emotion”

Had I thought for one nano-second that this great community would be better off with the current village presidents I would not be seeking election.

Tom Poynton

Village of Lake Zurich Trustee and

Candidate for the office of Lake Zurich Village President