BY DAN CAMPANA
This just in from Mayor Tom Weisner's campaign.
For Immediate Release
3/17/2009
Weisner Campaign Calls on "Latino Citizens in Action" to Stop Spreading Misleading Information
Mayor Weisner to Stick to Three Debates
Aurora, IL - Today, Friends of Tom Weisner Campaign Chairman, Dick Hawks called on representatives from Latino Citizens in Action to stop advertising that Mayor Weisner would be attending a debate sponsored by the group on Thursday, March 19, 2009.
"Unfortunately, Mayor Weisner has a previously scheduled commitment on the date this event was scheduled," said Hawks. "While Mayor Weisner wishes he could participate that just isn't possible and we have asked Eric Burgos to stop advertising that the Mayor will be in attendance."
The campaign first became aware of the details of the debate through a media call on Friday, March 6, 2009 after Latino Citizens in Action issued a press release indicating that Mayor Tom Weisner would be in attendance. Eric Burgos stopped by the campaign office a day later, on Saturday, March 7, to request Mayor Weisner's attendance.
"I spoke personally with Mr. Burgos after we found out about the event and let him know that Mayor Weisner had a long-standing commitment on his official city calendar," said Hawks. "This is unfair to both Mayor Weisner and members of the Latino community who are expecting him to be at an event he never confirmed."
Back on January 22, 2009, Mayor Weisner accepted an invitation by the American Philhellenes Society to attend a celebration on Thursday, March 19, 2009 at 6:00 p.m. Mayor Weisner is a sponsor of the event. A number of state and foreign dignitaries are expected to be in attendance including: Ambassador Anastassios Petrovas of Greece and Mrs. Elsa Papadimitrious, Vice President of the Hellenic Parliament.
"Mayor Weisner agreed up front to three debates," said Hawks. "The campaign became aware of this debate and one other within the past two weeks, but between the Mayor's official duties and his campaign schedule, it simply is not possible for him to attend any additional debates or forums."
-end-
Leaders make it happen. If I was running for Mayor I would have immediately negotiated a day and time appropriate for all parties. The press release (a complaint-not a negotiation) is dated 11 days after they supposedly were first informed about the event.
I also think addressing a third of the Aurora population would be my priority, whether they represent a third of all voters or not.
It seems like the list of "events" disappeared from the Mayor's campaign site. It makes me think they didn't want the forum organizers to know what days he had available to reschedule the forum.
Let's be honest. It's a greek event and they have money. This is another event where money is the real reason Weisner is there. He doesn't care about the hispanic community.
what? about the greeks having money? if this was scheduled in january and the mayor was not informed about the forum until march.. then why would anyone comment as to this conflict. even if the latino citizens in action had notified the mayor in february which they couldn't have because it wasn't slated yet, but even if they did, the mayor had already had this other event on his calander. do you actually want a mayor who makes a commitment to something (in this case, the event with the ambassador) and then bails to go to something else because of who is there. pick and choose. a person cannot be two places at once. sometimes one has to decide where to be and i would assume that the easy way to decide is by deciding to go to what you commited to first. it isn't like he committed to show up at his neighbors cousins neighbors brothers soft ball game. this is an "official" event that the mayor will attend tonight. it does not matter that anyone saying anything negative has decided FOR the mayor which place he should go.. he is going to what he committed to. if the mayor had bailed on this other event to go to the latino event, then how many bloggers would say that the mayor does not honor his prior commitments.. goodness. hasn't anyone ever had a conflict in their schedule before in their life. why is this such a big deal? mayors have official calanders. the previous event was on the calander. if the mayors office had told the latino group from the beginning that he was unable to attend, then is it possible that they could have chosen a date that would work for all three candidates prior to booking la sierra. this is the incumbant, if it was important that he attend, which in a mayoral forum i would assume it would be, then the date chosen should have been based on a date that would have worked for all three. i think this was a simple case of poor planning, of assuming that the mayor would come. it is stated in the article today that mr. burgos said that he felt that by putting out all these fliers that the mayor would have to come. that is bullying to say the least. i have not lived in aurora even long enough to know much about the mayor, his politics, the other candidates etc, but this isn't even about that.. this is me looking at this from an overview perspective of people bantering back an forth about a man who could not change his adgenda because he is honoring a commitment already in place. shame on anyone who is attacking for that.
I clearly stated that a leader would negotiate a date and time appropriate for all parties, if it was a priority of his.
So did Juany actually say the mayor would be at the forum, or did she say that he would not? That's what I want to know. There is certainly some manipulation going on here.