Mike Heltsley – Proud to be a Good Ole Boy –

PARIS, IL. (ECWd) –

Next in his “letter” to the so-called editors of the Prairie Press, he talks about getting the work of the people done:

Their agenda is to harass and destroy what is commonly referred to as the “Good Ole Boys”.

Well, he finally got one right. Yes, we mean to destroy the “Good Ole Boy” system in play in Edgar County and across the State.

A “Good Ole Boy” system is the antithesis of good government. They are not compatible, which is clearly evident when watching Mike Heltsley as a county board member. His real name is actually Charles Michael Heltsley.

Good Ole Boy systems give rise to corruption, nepotism, and the entire range of unethical acts. Local examples include hiring relatives, giving special deals to local companies by ignoring laws requiring bidding, participating in bid-rigging, ignoring conflicts of interest, allowing employees to lie on job applications, providing for free storage space in public buildings, assisting in receipt of excess compensation, allowing employees to work two county jobs during the same hours and get paid for both, ignoring theft of credit card funds in ETSB, refusing to collect on a $100,000 debt to the county, refusing to prosecute former elected officials who destroy public property and computers on their way out the door,  just to name a few.

The “connections and relationships”, that Heltsley talks about have given rise to these things in Edgar County. When he talks about this being a way of life and how things get done (that’s the way we’ve always done it). Yes, he is talking about the corrupt Good Ole Boy system in Edgar County.

“What part of getting the work of the people done in an efficient, lawful and just plain common sense manner don’t these guys understand?”

The real problem, as with all Good Ole Boy systems, is they believe “the way they’ve always done it” is the way it should always be done. What we have pointed out in the past is not a lawful way of getting the work of the people done.

Take one of the most recent examples, liability and workman’s compensation insurance. The law REQUIRES it be bid out, but since it was too hard to do the right thing, the County Board chose to violate the law.

It was not efficient, it was not lawful, and it was not just plain common sense – it was violation of law. They are now having to defend their action in Court – and they had plenty of prior warning.

Another example is our trying to get financial records out of the airport. We had to file a lawsuit, and the case has been weaving its way thru the court system for over two years. We will eventually get the records, but it is shameful that the Good Ole Boy system Heltsley is so proud of has taken the stance that they do not have to comply with the Freedom of Information Act – all to cover up for fellow Good Ole Boys’ past actions – because that is his “way of life” in Edgar County.

“Public refusal to remain silent and its refusal to accept corruption is the first line of defense against it.”
Mr. Patrick Fitzgerald, Former United States Attorney, Northern District of Illinois

More coming up…