The City Must Pick a New Investigator!
Posted by Eric Scheidler on Friday, August 31st, 2007
Update: Mayor Weisner agreed late this afternoon to allow the City Council to choose who should investigate Planned Parenthood's dealings with the City. Democracy lives! Of course, this means we'll have to watch very closely how things develop. Be prepared to visit the City Council again when they next meet, September 11.
Early Wednesday morning, Mayor Thomas Weisner assured the assembled pro-life citizens of Aurora and surrounding communities that an open, independent, thorough investigation would be conducted into Planned Parenthood's dealings with the City.
Unfortunately, the attorney chosen by the mayor to conduct this investigation, Richard Martens, is unsuitable. Moreover, the mayor has informed the City Council that the investigation will be completed by September 13.
Today's Aurora Beacon reports that 3rd Ward Alderman Stephanie Kifowit has already written the mayor to say that she does not believe Martens can conduct and independent investigation because of his close ties to a law firm that represents the City in the very planning and development issues under investigation.
We also have word that objections to Martens have been sent to the Mayor by Aldermen Rick Lawrence (4th Ward), Stephanie Kifowit (3rd Ward), Richard Irvin (Alderman-at-Large) and Chris Beykirch (8th Ward).
Moments ago I likewise wrote the mayor and aldermen to ask for a different investigator, approved by the unanimous City Council, with no deadline on the investigation.
The text of my letter follows, as well as the text of a letter to me from my attorney, Thomas Brejcha, which I enclosed with my letter. PDFs of my letter, Mr. Brejcha's are Alderman Lawrence's available too.
August 31, 2007
To the Honorable Thomas Weisner and Aldermen of the City of Aurora,
On behalf of Fox Valley Families Against Planned Parenthood, I wish to thank you all for your diligent attention to the concerns of the citizens of Aurora and surrounding communities during Tuesday’s City Council meeting.
I was encouraged to see that the Mayor and the City Council take those concerns seriously, and to receive assurances from the Mayor that the investigation into Planned Parenthood’s dealings with the City would be independent and open.
However, I cannot conclude that the attorney chosen by the Mayor to conduct this investigation, Richard Martens, is a suitable choice.
As a former partner in the law firm of Klein, Thorpe and Jenkins, which regularly represents the City in the very planning and development issues which will be under investigation—as well as the negotiations surrounding the ongoing prayer vigil and protest at the Planned Parenthood site—Mr. Martens has a clear conflict of interest.
Moreover, he shares an address with said firm at 20 N. Wacker Drive, Suite 1660 in Chicago, and evidently rents office space from them.
I also understand that Mr. Martens’ investigation is set to conclude by September 13. I cannot reconcile this with the Mayor’s assurances to me personally, before the assembled crowd of citizens early Wednesday morning, that there would be no deadline set on the investigation.
I know you all agree that this investigation must be conducted in the most independent manner possible. The slightest doubt as to the independence of the investigator—and our doubts are far from slight—will cast a cloud of controversy on the entire process.
Therefore, on behalf of the hundreds of Aurora residents who attended the City Council meeting Tuesday, and the thousands who have protested, prayed, called and written in opposition to Planned Parenthood’s activities here, I must respectfully request that a different investigator be chosen and no deadlines be imposed on the investigation.
Moreover, I request that any proposed investigator be approved by a unanimous vote of the City Council. This approval should take place at a City Council meeting where the matter has been legally placed on the agenda. Aurora citizens deserve to know how their Aldermen vote on this issue.
This alone will assure the public that a truly independent, thorough, open investigation has been conducted, and that the City of Aurora is a place where honesty and integrity are cherished.
Yours sincerely,
Eric J. Scheidler
Pro-Life Action League
Families Against Planned Parenthoodcc: Aurora Beacon News
Here's attorney Tom Brejcha's letter to the City's attorney, which I enclosed with my letter:
August 31, 2007
Dear Mr. Lance Malina:
I am writing you to express the profound concern of my clients, Fox Valley Families Against Planned Parenthood, et al, over the alleged "independence" of the investigator whom your client, the Mayor of Aurora, plans to appoint to look into the apparent fraud perpetrated by Planned Parenthood and its subsidiary, Gemini Development, on Aurora's citizens in applying for an occupancy permit.
We have found that the proposed appointee, Mr. Richard Martens, occupies a law office within the same suite of offices occupied by your law firm. As we are currently in an adversarial position with your law firm in the federal district court, there is no way that a lawyer who offices down the hallway from you and Mr. Barnicle who are defending the lawsuit we brought for our clients to redress flagrant violations of their First Amendment rights could even remotely be deemed "independent."
Moreover, as your law firm is Aurora's general outside counsel responsible for defending the city in connection with entitlement proceedings, such as zoning and licensure disputes, how could someone so closely related to your law firm be expected to take a neutral viewpoint when the very integrity of Aurora's entitlement process — as pursued in this instance — is now being questioned and challenged.
The issues to be addressed in the city's investigation require a thorough, fully objective examination of their entire process by which Gemini Development sought its certificate of occupancy — a process during which applicants are routinely asked about expected users of the facility in question. Here, it's vital that the investigation include thorough questioning of all persons involved as to whether, by whom, and to whom such questions were asked here, and what, if any, responses were made. The responses so far disclosed that were made in written form are patently false and misleading.
Sincerely,
Thomas Brejcha,
President and Chief Counsel,
Thomas More Society
Spirited protest is an American tradition, but I feel that by protesting the Planned Parenthood operation, you're doing nothing but blowing steam. Do you really think Roe v. Wade will ever be overturned? It hasn't happened under Bush, even with two of his conservative Supreme Court appointees — it's not going to happen, period.
So why waste your time? Why is it that Christian groups protest abortion so heavily, leaving the issues of a floundering public education system, the environment, the health care system and others silent?
If you're pro-life, I respect that. I just wish that the vigor you show toward getting rid of a 30-year-old ruling that clearly will not change was as strong for other, more pertinent issues facing our country today.
August 31st, 2007 at 1:24 pm
Dear Mike —
I'm afraid you're missing the point here. We're not trying to overturn Roe v. Wade here in Aurora. We're trying to keep the biggest abortion clinic in the country from opening up here and ruining our city.
As for education, the environment and health care, we are not silent on those issues. Our coalition has been joined by many community activists who have worked for years, right here on the ground in Aurora, on those issues and others, like homelessness and violence.
This is a true pro-life, grass-roots coalition.
August 31st, 2007 at 1:31 pm
Well, Mike, the civil rights activists in the '60s were told the same thing by the culture of the time. They were fighting an institution much with much greater duration than 30 years, and yet look what their spirited protesting accomplished. This is the same fight, the fight for human dignity and civil rights for the unborn.
Christians are involved in every aspect of our culture, working to improve education, health care and have been in the forefront in providing these services, especially in underprivileged areas. Christianity has always taught to be good stewards of our environment.
The protesting you are seeing is important, because abortion is the largest human rights violation of our times. Mass killings of human beings, regardless of what the law says, must be protested. We owe it to our descendants to stand up for life.
August 31st, 2007 at 1:33 pm
Bravo Eric, for staying on top of what Mayor Weisner is doing. I was there at the City Council meeting on Tuesday when he stated there would be an independent investigation with no deadline as to when it would be completed. Is he lying through his teeth or what?
Aurora residents, PLEASE, do not stop now. You all need to be contacting the mayor and the aldermen and demand that an absolutely independent investigation be conducted by an attorney that has no ties whatsoever to the government of the city of Aurora or any of its associates. CALL, E-MAIL, WRITE LETTERS, AND DO IT TODAY before you get busy with holiday weekend activities!!
August 31st, 2007 at 3:33 pm
Mike,
"…more pertinent issues facing our country today."
With all due respect, what issues can be more pertinent than protecting the sanctity of human life?
August 31st, 2007 at 9:01 pm
Mike,
You pose the rhetorical question: Do you think Roe v. Wade will ever be overturned? My reply is "yes", just as was the infamous Dred Scott decision. I will add that it MUST be overturned if we wish to survive well into the future. Any society that kills a large portion of its future generations is not long for the history books, except perhaps as an example of what not to do.
August 31st, 2007 at 10:10 pm
“…more pertinent issues facing our country today.”
Mike,
I'm not the same Mike. I'm Pro-Life Mike! Here's a question for you Mike. Please name me any issue or combination of issues which have killed over 45 millions babies in the United States? There are none!
Abortion is by far the most pertinent issue of our day. It's time you wake up and smell the coffee.
Mike
September 1st, 2007 at 5:23 am
Our lead story today reviews the change of investigator and we strongly support a truly INDEPENDENT investigation into the approval process of the clinic, but urge everyone to continue to ask questions of city officials of who knew what and when did they know it.
Jason
OpenlineBlog.com
September 1st, 2007 at 6:48 am
Excellent Dialogue—everyone—we need more, much more of it to get the education out on this topic.
Bottom line—Life is taken and destroyed from those who cannot speak for themselves and that is why it is our HUMANLY duty not just Christian –to cease the KILLINGS!
I am in this for LIFE til the Dear Lord take me from this Earth!!!
Please join us in this WORLD_WIDE fight!
Thank you YOUTHS FOR TRUTH! What an UNBELIEVABLE showing of respect, dignity, hornor for human life and Chirstian (Golden Rule) VALUES! Thank you again–as noted by several people I spoke with–OBSERVATION: PP had no on opposing us today on the OTHER SIDE–because they have no YOUTH—they believe in KILLING their YOUTH!!!!!!!!
Laurie Meisch-Paulson
September 1st, 2007 at 8:26 pm
I don't know if this is the right place to put my comment but here it is:
I am a single parent at the age of 20. Once I heard about this horrible place, I haven't stopped thinking about it. The other night I was up for 2 hours rocking my son to sleep and crying trying to think of why and how a person could do such a thing to the most precious creation by God.
After another day of thinking, I believe it is my call to do something about it. I would like to organize something to petition the mayor. I NEED VOLUUNTEERS and ideas.
The whole idea of abortion never pricked my heart in such a way before. Maybe because I had been faced with the same perdicament as many young people. Please respond if you are interested.
Marie
September 4th, 2007 at 8:20 am
Marie,
God bless you for your sensitivity to this most important crisis facing the residents of Aurora, of Illinois and the entire country.
You have come to the right place to get involved. I suggest you find others like you or just friends and acquaintances and sign up to speak at the Aurora City Council meeting on September 11. You must call the clerk ahead of time. See the phone number below.
The Fox Valley Families Against Planned Parenthood are already organized. You do not have to start something new, but rather join in this effort. We all need to be united. You can certainly bring your ideas to the attention of others. Here are suggestions to get involved:
1. Pray! Sign up on this website under "Join the Vigil" and join with others in prayer at the site of the PP facility.
2. Write Mayor Tom Weisner as suggested below. Tell him of your own crisis pregnancy and how you kept your son and what he means to you.
Eric Scheidler is asking us to do the following:
1. Call Mayor Weisner at 630-264-4636 and e-mail him at mayorsoffice at aurora-il dot org to respectfully but firmly request that the September 12 deadline be lifted. (See the front page of the blog for the full details on this.)
2. Call the City Clerk at 630-844-3615 and sign up to speak at the September 11 City Council Meeting about the investigation into PP. Do it today: we want the Mayor to realize by the end of the day today that we’re coming back.
God bless you.
September 4th, 2007 at 2:04 pm
I plan on doing most of the above. HOwever, my sister and I dont think it is enough. We are going to area high schools and I am going to Waubonsee CC to gather 5,000 YOUTH signitures to show the huge number of babies being aborted in a given week. More obviously would be preferable but 5,000 minimum.
September 4th, 2007 at 8:58 pm