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Post by scarbroughknight on Dec 14, 2007 8:17:39 GMT -6
Parting local leader urges 'demand more'
Officials hit with farewell criticism
December 14, 2007
By Tim Waldorf Staff writer
Another Naperville leader has issued his final thoughts and parting shots.
During a Rotary Club of Naperville weekly lunch meeting Thursday at Key Wester Fish and Pasta House, Mike Skarr, departing president and CEO of the Naperville Area Chamber of Commerce, delivered a speech chock full of choice words for all of Naperville's elected officials.
"First of all, we need to demand more, we need to demand better," he said. "If we're unhappy with some of the goings on in this community relative to governance, we need to start speaking out about it. We cannot just sit back and tolerate some of this craziness, and just turn the other way. That is not how we made Naperville great. That is not how we became the community we are, and we deserve much better."
Skarr also said "issues of trust" plague the boards of Naperville School District 203 and Indian Prairie School District 204. He stood up for District 203's implementation of the 2002 tax rate increase, saying, "they have done nothing in District 203 that the law did not allow," and that any accusation to the contrary "borders on slander."
However, he added, District 203 "has its work cut out" for it with its Feb. 5 referendum proposal.
"I think the school district has done a good job, but the issue that will be voted on ... is trust and integrity," Skarr said.
The situation is the same in District 204, Skarr added.
"I think they are rightfully, in my opinion, being criticized for a very poorly managed land acquisition plan, and now, unfortunately, we're revisiting the whole issue of 'Do we really need a third high school? Where should it go? Do we need to adjust school boundaries?'" he said. "That is not exactly creating a warm and fuzzy feeling that we've got the best possible governance in place, and I find that troubling."
Skarr lamented the fact that he will leave his chamber post without ever having met District 204's new superintendent, Stephen Daeschner.
"I think that sends a message as to perhaps his vision of the role of business, and I think that's unfortunate," Skarr said. "I think we've learned from our past that when business and education partner up, great things can happen."
Finally, Skarr focused his attention on a Naperville Park District board he described as "basically dysfunctional."
"They're all responsible," he said of the board members. "There isn't any one of them that are without sin. I'm just praying and hoping that the new person that they're going to bring in is going to be able to do something about that, because it's going to take some outside intervention for that group to be able to kind of get their act together."
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Post by scarbroughknight on Dec 14, 2007 8:21:44 GMT -6
This says it all. Incomptance all around.
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Post by bob on Dec 14, 2007 8:43:30 GMT -6
Skarr's phone only receives calls?
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Post by doctorwho on Dec 14, 2007 9:10:53 GMT -6
Skarr's phone only receives calls? The strong wording seems to hint at possibly more to this story, but yes we only have one side, and that is no way to make a judgement. However I hope we have reached out to business leaders in the communities of Aurora & Naperville to see if they can help at all. If I remember one of the major pluses on the resume of our new super was getting large chunks of money to support projects ( a green project comes to mind without bringing up the articles )- for the Louisville schools, that one was in the millions again IIRC. So we know he has done that in the past. Something in the story doesn't add up - I would love to see some local businesses here help us try and close the $$ gap. |
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Post by momof3 on Dec 14, 2007 9:14:30 GMT -6
I agree with everything Skarr has to say.
Our park district is a joke. Some of the current members and several former members of the park board are to blame. They are so dysfunctional they can't accomplish anything. That's why Macom is so problematic imo. Even if the majority of the board agrees to get something done they can't ever get their act together to accomplish it.
Witness a rec center and the purchase of the Ponds of Hobson West. Kristen Jungles states in a meeting that the park district is moving forward with the purchase. Later that same week I ran into Ron Ory and Andrew Schaffner and I told them good job on the purchase. They looked at me like I had two heads and went on to tell me how it was in no way a done deal. This has been over a year in the making. How can the board members be on such different pages?
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Post by wvhsparent on Dec 14, 2007 9:21:10 GMT -6
Skarr's phone only receives calls? Geez...give the new super a little time too.....It's not like there is nothing else going on in the dist. If he was that concerned he should have brought over a Chamber of Commerce welcome basket to the Dash..... |
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Post by doctorwho on Dec 14, 2007 9:23:48 GMT -6
Skarr's phone only receives calls? Geez...give the new super a little time too.....It's not like there is nothing else going on in the dist. If he was that concerned he should have brought over a Chamber of Commerce welcome basket to the Dash..... And in that basket maybe $10M or so in 'donations' from local businesses -- that would help.... we're not as fortunate to have someone ( Mitchell Estate) leave us the land for our schools like Central has.....add another $30M to that ticket and let's see how much more progress they will have made. |
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Post by momof3 on Dec 14, 2007 9:24:06 GMT -6
Skarr's phone only receives calls? Geez...give the new super a little time too.....It's not like there is nothing else going on in the dist. If he was that concerned he should have brought over a Chamber of Commerce welcome basket to the Dash..... I think it is our superintendent's job to reach out to the business community not vice-versa. But like DrW says there are 2 sides to every story so I will reserve judgement until we get the whole story. |
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Post by wvhsparent on Dec 14, 2007 9:33:10 GMT -6
Geez...give the new super a little time too.....It's not like there is nothing else going on in the dist. If he was that concerned he should have brought over a Chamber of Commerce welcome basket to the Dash..... I think it is our superintendent's job to reach out to the business community not vice-versa. But like DrW says there are 2 sides to every story so I will reserve judgement until we get the whole story. Oh I totally agree, I am just stating he has had a full plate up to now. Not a real good excuse, probably. He is getting paid well and should be able to multi-task. |
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Post by momof3 on Dec 14, 2007 11:46:39 GMT -6
"They're all responsible," he said of the board members. "There isn't any one of them that are without sin. I'm just praying and hoping that the new person that they're going to bring in is going to be able to do something about that, because it's going to take some outside intervention for that group to be able to kind of get their act together." How is the new director supposed to fix the dysfunctional board, who they will be reporting to? Doesn't make any sense. Our last director tried to get some great things accomplished but Ron Ory, with the help of Tim West at the Sun, had her tarred & feathered & run out of town. Doesn't give me much hope for the future but Skarr is a fine one to talk about the park board. The Chamber of Commerce always opposes the Park District, or any governmental body, providing any service that a business could be making a profit on. |
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Post by slp on Dec 14, 2007 19:43:00 GMT -6
Skarr's phone only receives calls? Geez...give the new super a little time too.....It's not like there is nothing else going on in the dist. If he was that concerned he should have brought over a Chamber of Commerce welcome basket to the Dash..... Exactly! Cut the guy some slack. I would be more concerned if a principal of one our schools made this statement, but that is not the case. In light of some very pressing issues within our district : 3rd highschool, A/C issue , all-day K, I think Dr. D. has had his plate full since he has been here. I do agree with Dr. Who though that Dr. D should reach out to the business community for financial help if that is needed to make the 3rd high school project proceed more quickly. |
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