Clay's Letters to the Editor

Save the Courthouse

The Daily Chronicle, (DeKalb, IL) Friday, October 9, 2009

To the editor:

There is an old photograph hanging on the wall of the clerk's office in our courthouse which should be required viewing by the members of our county board. It depicts a celebration of sorts that occurred on the courthouse lawn in Sycamore many years ago. Something important is happening in the photograph; perhaps the end of World War I or a post-election festivity, for the crowd is dressed in suits and dresses and a giant American flag is proudly displayed. You can even see people in the windows of the courthouse looking down on the gathering. You can almost feel the excitement and solemnity of the moment. It is a wonderful photograph, a window to our past.

What is most striking about this photograph is that the courthouse in the picture is the same courthouse that stands majestically in downtown Sycamore today. It is a reminder that generations before us were wise enough to maintain this architectural treasure for their posterity to enjoy. Us. No such wisdom is being displayed by our county board as it moves hell-bent toward this building's destruction. This mindless desecration must not be allowed to happen.

Perhaps I am a little biased since I have worked at the courthouse for nearly 20 years. Perhaps I am a little naive to believe that our local power structure might actually decide to not take our county further in debt with this disastrous decision. You might feel the same way as me if you look at this old photograph. You might feel, as I do, that some things in life are too precious to destroy for the sake of the endless expansion of our bloated legal system.

First it was a casino complex to bring more gambling to our citizens, then it was a wind farm that dealt a blow to the open vistas of our agricultural heritage, and now our historic courthouse is being defaced. It makes one wonder who the county board actually represents.

Clay Campbell

Sycamore

We should protect, preserve the Courthouse

The Daily Chronicle, (DeKalb, IL) September 15, 2009

To the editor:

As our county board once again endeavors to finance an expansion of our courthouse and jail, I would like to offer a few thoughts. Over the years, I have publicly voiced my opposition to the past proposals presented to the public, and have felt some kinship with the voters who have twice rejected a tax increase to pay for this project. This latest proposal makes even less sense than the first two.

The latest proposal involves borrowing $42 million dollars through a combination of low interest bonds and federal rebates. The rationale to borrow such a colossal sum at this dismal economic time is that the money is cheap and it will save us from paying to house prisoners in Boone County. In another words, we are going to save some money by spending a lot more money. Hint: Higher future taxes. Wouldn’t it make more sense to incarcerate fewer people by limiting said punishment to violent criminals and sex offenders? Isn’t this the trend across the country? Wouldn’t moving the cases through the system faster alleviate the overcrowding problem? Isn’t innovation far cheaper than taxation?

And assuming that we borrow the $42 million dollars and decide to proceed with this expansion, has the public, particularly in Sycamore, been informed that this expansion will involve a drastic alteration to our historic courthouse? I have practiced law in this magnificent structure for nearly two decades. It is arguably the most impressive building in the county and the most beautiful courthouse in the state. Surely, a solution to this problem can be found without desecrating the DeKalb County Courthouse and the gorgeous public square surrounding it.

I encourage everyone to speak up on this issue. With so many families hurting and with our county already running a huge deficit, it makes no sense to go further in debt. And when we do decide to spend $42 million dollars, let’s not destroy an architectural jewel in the process. The courthouse got passed down to our generation. It should get passed down to the next.

Clay Campbell

Sycamore

County Board Resists Clout on State’s Attorney Decision

The Daily Chronicle, (DeKalb, IL) June 30, 2009

To the editor:

It should not go unnoticed that our county board courageously resisted intense pressure to allow clout to decide our next state’s attorney. A majority of board members, Republican and Democrat alike, selected John Farrell to be our next top prosecutor. Farrell is a good man and deserves our support in his difficult task of taking over this important office in midstream, so to speak. He is one of those unsung public servants who toils daily for the public good without much fanfare. It is good to see hard work be rewarded.

Apparently, numerous members of the board did not agree with this decision. In fact, five board members abstained. One of the abstainers, Michael Haines, thought his candidate did not get the opportunity she deserved. I wish he had been more specific. A little more transparency in this process was certainly warranted. It would have been nice to have the candidates and their respective credentials laid out before the public so comparisons could be drawn. Instead we got vague abstentions.

I have never really figured out what it means to abstain. I think it means you can’t decide, or maybe it means you are unwilling to take a stand. I have a feeling it means that clout got in the way of making an honest decision on an important issue. I bet as time goes by, as the primary season approaches, we will gain more insight into this seeming indecisiveness. It’s funny how elections reveal true loyalties.

In the meantime, let us celebrate a small victory in our ongoing battle to bring good government to Illinois. Every time clout is resisted we get closer to again becoming a government by the people, of the people, and for the people. Every time someone like John Farrell gets promoted for working hard, we all win.

Clay Campbell

Sycamore

Issue of new State’s Attorney has been on back burner

The Daily Chronicle, (DeKalb, IL) May 27, 2009

To the editor:

While your newspaper has provided extensive coverage on the proposed wind farm, it has provided scant attention to the arguably more important issue of who will be our next state’s attorney. Our county board is deciding who shall be our next top prosecutor until elections next year. This decision will have a vast impact on the citizens of our county. The state’s attorney has the awesome responsibility of deciding who will or will not be charged with crimes. This person decides whether to seek the imprisonment of an individual, or in some cases, even their death. This selection process should be transparent and above reproach.

I write this letter to encourage our county board to ensure that this decision is made without nepotism or cronyism, or any other undue influence. Allowing this process to be degraded by harmful elements will further destroy the reputation of public officials in the minds of our citizens. It will place an enormous amount of power in the hands of a person chosen for motives beyond the proper ones of character and experience. This would be an abrogation of the responsibility of the board chairperson and all of the board members.

The ideal candidate would be one who has practiced law in this community for a sufficient time to have gained the respect of his or her peers and fellow citizens. An independent mind might also be a useful criteria. Public and private pressures are often bought to bear on prosecutors. It takes a stout disposition to resist such pressures and do the right thing. Another type of independence would seemingly be desirable: a person without an obvious connection to the current power structure in our local legal system. Allowing a small group of friends and family and professional colleagues to dominate positions of authority is anathema to democracy and creates an appearance of impropriety. Halls of justice should be halls of propriety. Picking the best lawyer through a fair and open process helps perpetuate this tradition.

We teach our children to emulate Abraham Lincoln. We adults must do the same. This is an opportunity to strike a blow for good government. This is a perfect time to show that we in the Land of Lincoln are capable of resisting the forces of corruption. Every decision made by every public body should be miles above reproach. As taxpayers, we have the right to nothing less.

Calvin Clay Campbell

Sycamore