FORD CO. (ECWd) –
As it relates to Ford County Board Chairman Rick Bowen, I don’t think I have read such a despicable case of lies and disrespect for hard working people in my life as those I read today in the Times Republic.
If I lived in Ford County I would be leading the charge for the resignation of Rick Bowen for clear incompetence. If I were an employee at the Ford-Iroquois Public Health Department right now, I would have to speak up at the next meeting and express my anger over the comments spewing from the mouth of Ford County Board Chairman, Rick Bowen.
Considering I am neither an employee at the health department, nor a Ford County resident, I am left to simply express my view on what is now being reported by the Times Republic, who apparently got Bowen to go on the record.
From the beginning:
“We have been doing our due diligence for the last two or three months”
You are kidding me right? Due Diligence? For two or three months?
Mr. Bowen, you have not lifted a single finger to do your job and assist in fixing this mess. Many hold you responsible for it getting to the point it is at today. Your due diligence would have been to actually read the facts of wrong doing that have been presented since March, and take action to remove those responsible for it, your appointed board members! When exposed to the TRUTH, Iroquois County voted as a board to remove its members for what they were doing, which is no different than your appointments.
They were breaking the law not only by allowing the Administrator to break the law, but they themselves broke the law by paying themselves with our tax dollars and you have done nothing. When do the people get their money back that was taken in direct violation of the law? Board members who approved over $793,000.00 to the spouse of the Grant Administrator, in direct violation of the policies in place for employees. Policies that they are responsible to enforce!
I could go on for hours laying out all the failures of the Ford County appointed members, but the point is, you have done NOTHING to fix this mess.
You claim you have been doing your due diligence for the last two or three months? Hey Rick, wake the hell up! These exposed illegal actions took place over a year ago but I digress. You thought letting them violate the law and go into Indiana with Illinois tax payer money was a great idea. That tells me how stupid you really are! You sat silent and did not lift one finger to hold your appointed members accountable for the illegal solar panel project. Instead, you claimed you have seen no evidence to support their removal. You might have to open your eyes and look in order to see it. Or better yet, sign for the certified mail package of facts sent to you, which it turns out you were the only board member who did not sign for them. Signing for them might mean you have to look at the facts and we wouldn’t want you to have to do that now would we.
If your actions for the last two or three months are to be considered “doing your due diligence”, may I suggest you resign from public office. You either can’t learn your job or are too stupid to learn. Either way you’re a poor example of a leader for a county.
“Bowen said the Ford County Board is “concerned” that the topic of dissolution continues to come from the Iroquois County Board”
Well isn’t that a brilliant statement for a County Board Chairman to make. Hell yes Iroquois County keeps bringing it up, because the Ford County Chairman, that would be you Rick Bowen, is an utter failure when it comes to doing his job and removing his appointed members and replacing them with competent people. May I suggest you just accept some people are just not cut out for public service on a board. It requires due diligence!
“We’re reasonably sure we could survive on our own if that’s what it comes to”
Is that so Rick? Why don’t you tell the good people of Ford County what the numbers are to operate an independent County Health Department.
If you would do your job and replace your appointed board members with people that truly have nothing to hide and nothing to gain, you wouldn’t need to even think about surviving on your own. Besides, a health department should not have to “survive” it should thrive if it’s being ran properly, but I get the feeling you don’t understand much about that, all things considered.
“However it’s not working at this time, it appears the department is imploding from within due to resignations and lack of quality employees left on staff”.
Rick you are either stupid, ignorant (there is a difference), or you need it to be shut down so nobody looks any further into your involvement.
Who has resigned?
Doug Corbett– violated more policies than we can keep track of and violated procurement laws repeatedly, yet you did nothing. The laundry list of proven wrong-doing is enough to make a normal person say two words, You’re Fired, yet you did nothing! From violating FOIA, causing a settlement payment, all while still having to provide the records, to outright fabrications in public meetings. It’s all documented for the public to see, and you sir have ignored it!
Mary Cahoe – Ran home health into a $1.1 Million dollar deficit in just three years.
Julie Clark – Violated HIPPA laws with my last FOIA not to mention was so involved in self serving she forgot that she was suppose to be serving the people not herself.
Amy Corbett – Operated her private business from within the health department, as have other employees.
Cary Hagen – Has not resigned yet, but has said she is done, so we will include her with the list of resignations for the sake of this article. When the accountant informs Mr. Corbett that Cary Hagen is not qualified to do the job, and she still has a job, we have a problem. When routine deposits come to a halt when eyes got focused on the health department, we have a problem. When a bank account is overdrawn by upwards of 20K in one month we have a problem Rick!
Those are the key resignations that have occurred with just a few items off the top of my head that should represent, to any normal person, it is not the resignations that were the problem!
“Lack of Quality Employees”
I suspect you might get some e-mails and phone calls for that kind of statement Rick. The employees that you claim are not quality employees are the very employees that your favorite Administrator had working for him. If they were so bad then why on earth have you not done anything about this lack of quality employees? Employees that have been providing health care services to the good people in these two counties! Please Rick, tell the public why you sat silent all this time, while knowing there was a lack of quality employees taking care of our children and seniors. Please Rick, share that with us. Why would you let this happen?
The truth of the matter is, what is imploding is the circle of self serving employees who are finally being exposed for the crap they have been doing for years. The so called “lack of quality employees” you talk about are actually quite the opposite. They are highly qualified and licensed by the state to perform their jobs, and by all accounts have more education than yourself!
Have you contacted the state to report a problem with these employees who lack quality? No, you haven’t because you know it’s not true. It was just an easy thing for you to say while spewing more lies and deception to a reporter.
What is happening, and has been happening at least since March of this year, is good people are trying to fix this mess by removing the problems. Iroquois County started by accepting there was in fact a problem, and they took action to fix what they had control of. You did nothing! The Ford County appointed members are still part of the problem, yet your pride and stupidity won’t allow you to correct it. God forbid you might have to admit you were wrong.
“Ford County will always support the four members we have on the health board.”
Golly gee willikers Rick, that’s special!
Your quote in the paper says it all! Those very members have been instrumental in the implosion you speak of, yet you claim you support them. Why would you support people that have allowed so many criminal acts to take place while they were in charge? Please Rick, tell your voters why on earth you would support their actions?
To the Quality Employees working in the FIPHD, I want to say Thank You for your service and dedication to the people you serve. Your service is noticed and appreciated. I would like to apologize for Rick Bowen’s comments about you, for he knows not what he says!
To the employees who have resigned, I will be short. Good Riddance!
To the tax payers of Ford and Iroquois Counties, I would like to encourage you to let your voice be heard during your next election. If you have leaders that justify and allow the things we have exposed to go on, those people need removed from office sooner, rather than later. In fact, I suggested Mr. Bowen resign clear back in June in this article, which by the way points to the same inaction by Rick Bowen!
If you would like to give Mr. Bowen a piece of your mind directly, feel free to call him at 217-749-2263 or e-mail him your thoughts at [email protected] or [email protected]
11 Responses
Garbage comments from a garbage politician like Rick Bowen. Bowen is now blaming the innocent people left at county health as he runs for re-election. Instead of replacing the 4 health board members who allowed this festering rats nest to explode, Bowen twiddled his thumbs and proclaimed he “saw no evidence of wrongdoing” even when it was handed to him on a silver platter. (He was the only board member to refuse to sign for a packet of evidence). Now Bowen lies about those left at the department who are doing their jobs admirably under the circumstances. They are the quality employees on the street.
He is a shameful example of Illinois politics and why his board keeps electing him to the chairman ship is a question for each one at election time.
It does not matter how big your house is……………………………………. It does not matter how new your cars are…………………………………….. It does not matter how much money is in your bank account…………..It does not matter because all jail cells are the same size
Shame on you Mr. Bowen!!! You sir owe everyone an apology who continues to get up every workday and walk in the Paxton or Watseka office of FIPHD. We live it every day and your newspaper statements just go to show how clueless you truly are in regards to FIPHD. The people that left are gone for a reason. Since I have never seen you walk in the health department I can only assume you are making a statement regarding something you know nothing about. I have been proud to travel in Ford and Iroquois counties representing this agency. The actions of a few now reflect on the masses. How dare you comment on my work ethic or my co-workers when you could not identify any of the workers in the agency since you have not bothered to become an informed individual in regards to FIPHD. You can continue to stick your head in the sand and think you have done everything possible to save FIPHD. At least the Iroquois county board members have walked through the building and introduced themselves to the employees. I would ask you to explain any of the programs at the health department but that would be a waste of my time and yours. So maybe someday you can explain to the employees of FIPHD why they work on week-ends and evenings to give their all to an agency that thinks of them as lacking quality. I think you have your statements turned around. I think the people that left are the ones that lack quality. I am proud to call the majority of people i work with my co-workers. Ford county just needs to agree to help Iroquois county finish the job they started and finish cleaning house at FIPHD. Us worker bees are not the problem. Mr. Bowen and the 4 Ford members of the BOH are the problem and the word quality could not be used to describe any of them. At least some FIPHD employees have attended the various board meetings before passing judgement on the quality of work of the Ford County Chairman and the Ford BOH members. I don’t think they can say the same. Some of us take our job very seriously and do try to always do our best. You had no right to give an opinion about something you obviously know nothing about. You are talking about people and their careers. YOU sir are treating this as a joke. This has been going on since January on a daily basis. The GOOD employees of FIPHD deserve this to be over. We do not see the fun or humor in this situation. When the Ford county BOH members act like another 2 or 3 months in not a big deal then something is wrong with their thought processes. One more day is too much. It is time to go back to care for the health of the citizens in the counties and if you sir can’t play with others then take your ball and go home. Leave the good people of Iroquois county alone and take care of the people that elected you — as the saying goes —
you get want you paid for so Ford county you can have Rick Bowen.
Well said!
You guys and ladies are not paying attention to Kirk Allen and John Kraft this was written on Sept. 9th 2012….From what I have found in hundreds of hours of research is the answers to our problems in our local government are already out there. We don’t need to create some new fix to an old problem. We just need to know our history and implement the very solutions to the problems that others experienced before us. It takes BOLD leadership and if there is one thing I believe in my heart, that is exactly what is lacking in this county.
Many believe our intentions are to do nothing but tear down this County through our exposing of its engrained corruption but nothing is further from the truth. I just know you can’t fix anything unless you have all the facts. Once you have them you need to share them so that people become educated on the truth, as the Truth Has No Agenda!
Honestly informed people make better decisions in their life. People MUST be informed! As we work to fix things we MUST ensure the people we put in office are going to lead For the People, not for themselves, while at the same time hold those accountable for the misconduct that has infected so many parts of our County Leadership.
We can change the direction of this county but it takes involvement:
Of The People, By The People, For The People!
Step up and help save the positive sides of what this County used to be and still can be!
God Bless this Great Country!
I refust to even attempt to respond to Mr. Bowen’s comments. So I will address my comments to those who have a true responsibility to the taxpayers.
To the Ford County Board Members:
If you condone the words of your county board chairman, you have been sorely misguided, given false information and are unaware of the facts. If you agree that you have been doing your due diligence in regards to what has been happening at FIPHD, you are wrong. If you feel that the quality employees have resigned and there is a lack of quality employees left on staff, you are wrong. If you agree with the unethical and illegal activities that have occured within FIPHD, you are more than wrong.
To the Iroquois County Board Members:
If you feel it is in the best interest of the citizens of Iroquois County to remain in association with the Ford County board chairman, you are wrong. If you feel that Mr. Bowen is making decisions regarding the health department that are in the best interests of the taxpayers, you are wrong. If you believe that the Ford County board has done their due diligence, you are wrong. If you feel that there is a lack of quality employees left on staff, you are wrong. It is time for you to make some tough decisions. I encourage you to dissolve the bi-county partnership and form an Iroquois County Health Department. Do not continue to allow individuals, like the Ford County board chairman, to condone unethical, immoral and illegal activites using our tax dollars. Stand up and take action!
Wow! Rick has now traveled down a path to his own political downfall.
Don’t count on it in Ford County. Remember the clowns on the county board keep electing him as their chairman. What makes you believe the voters are even aware something is wrong with this guy? Sadly, they often say we get the leaders we deserve. This county has a voting base that sleep walks to the polls and doesn’t even remember they voted the next day.
If not for the Watchdogs, this mess would never even come to light much less been exposed. They don’t live in Ford County!
I read the article in the Times newpaper and was sickened by the comments made by Rick Bowen. Anyone who makes comments like that in front of a reporter obviously lacks the intelligence to make appropriate decisions. Until yesterday I had hoped that Ford and Iroquois counties could come to a mutual agreement to keep the health department intact. It is more than clear now that Iroquois County would be much better off breaking away from Ford County. I hope that the Iroquois County Board members have the courage and integrity to separate from Ford County as quickly as possible.
Those of us who voted for Rick Bowen made a BIG mistake. Unlike Rick, I am willing to admit when I am wrong. But rest assured, I won’t be making that mistake again.
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