EDGAR CO., IL. (ECWd) –
In our continued efforts to provide absolute truth to our readers, we must once again point out inaccuracies in how a certain local publication prints quotes by Farnham, Edgar County Board Member, without fact-checking them.
The quote used was in relation to the Edgar County Airport and its solicitation for bids for fuel. Farnham was quoted as saying that “One company refused to bid…they said the tanks at the airport are too small and they can’t afford to come here for 500 gallons.”
We figured that to be a false statement, so a FOIA was submitted for the vendor response Farnham stated, and…surprise! (not really a surprise) – nothing was found because the “statement was made in jest.”
So here we have more false statements by a county board member in his attempt at garnering support for an unneeded project at the Airport. We say unneeded because the historical fuel sales do not show a need for larger fuel storage tanks.
Another issue was reported ss far as the salary resolution passed at the last county board meeting. The truth is that it did not “clarify” that board members could participate in the county health insurance programs, it “authorized“, as part of their compensation, participation in the county health insurance program. There is a huge difference, the difference between unlawful and lawful compensation.
For some background information, in a December 10, 2015 editorial, the PP called our fact-checking an “abuse of FOIA,” and failed to even get the facts correct in their editorial (read our ‘Kings of Petty Politics” series here). Now, in their most recent edition they want to lecture on the truth and how it is “sometime uncomfortable, embarrassing, and painful” – but nevertheless their duty to report it. We agree – so why not report truth when it comes to public bodies and public officials, or at least qualify statements made by Farnham as not intended to be an accurate representation of the truth?
[gview file=”https://edgarcountywatchdogs.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Jest.pdf”]
The bottom line in this is that when an elected official states something as fact during a meting, the public should be able to accept it as fact – and be able to verify the statements made. If we cannot verify what is stated, how do we develop any trust in our elected officials?
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