PUBLIC COMMENTS

While the 2006 election is over, these comments during the election still speak to his character and to the issues facing the district.

Accountability Helps Schools, Taxes (Published in the 3/15/05 Examiners)

Dear Editor,
I want to commend State Representative Randy Ramey on his proposal to make school districts put 65% of their total operating budgets into the classroom instead of spending more money on overblown administrative costs. With this proposal, more money gets to the kids and teachers. I'm a senior citizen living in Unit School District U-46, the second largest school district in the state. This bill will help alleviate some of the administrative waste, which helps the school children and my tax bill.

With Unit School District U-46 considering a split-up, it's nice to know that someone is ahead of the curve. Representative Ramey is not only trying to get more dollars into the classroom, he is also trying to get more accountability and cost savings from school administrations, which will help me afford my property tax bill.

Seniors like my wife and I appreciate Representative Ramey's efforts.

Glenn Auble
Bartlett

Protect Our Identity Documents (Published in the 3/15/05 Examiners)

Dear Editor,
I'm glad to see that someone has finally taken a stance on cracking down on our personal information that is not properly destroyed and can fall in the hands of criminals wanting to steal people's identity.

State Representative Randy Ramey has proposed a bill that makes it a criminal offense when a state employee does not properly destroy records before putting them in the trash. I'm glad Representative Ramey took this action after it was discovered that several state agencies were throwing away documents with people's personal information on them and not destroying them first. Keep up the good work Representative Ramey!

John Wood
West Chicago

Not a Fenner fan (Published: 3/16/06 West Chicago Press)

The Chicago White Sox were famous for "winning ugly" on the baseball field. Ugly baseball is one thing, ugly politics is quite another.

Voters in the 55th State Representative district recently received an attack ad in their mailboxes. The sender is candidate Pamela Fenner. Apparently, even she is ashamed of the ad, as her name and picture are noticably absent from the mailer. And, you need a microscope to find the legally required disclosure that her campaign mailed this piece.

The attack centers on State Representative Randy Ramey's family. Rather than talking about real issues, she is focused on bloodlines. Fenner seems unaware that human beings don't choose their relatives.

There are so many issues facing this state and its residents. If Fenner believes "who-is-related-to-whom" is an important issue facing this district, then she is seriously out of touch. Call me crazy, but, my guess is that people care more about their taxes, schools and jobs.

Must the voters be subjected to this kind of political slime at every election? The answer is "No". And, the easiest way to register that view is by voting against those like Fenner who peddle such trash.

Kenneth Spitz
West Chicago

Candidate cares for identity theft victims

Identity theft costs U.S. businesses and citizens over $500 billion a year. Fortunately, we have someone like state Rep. Randy Ramey in Springfield to help protect us from these crimes. If you are the victim of identity theft it can cause you enormous stress and frustration. While you spend your hard-earned time and money restoring your name and credit you may lose job opportunities, be refused loans, education, housing, cars, or even be arrested for a crime you did not commit. Rep. Ramey is committed to protecting us from identity theft. I will be voting for him on Tuesday, I hope you will be too!

Joan Mruk
West Chicago

A reporter comments:

Dear Friend,

When I entered the world of journalism, as a small businessperson and ordinary Joe who was disappointed with the world of journalism, my first assignment was to cover the dreary world of local government in Wayne Township. It was a particularly effective object lesson in the way local government works. While covering Wayne Township, I met Randy Ramey, who was then one of the Township's Trustees. In a very short period of time, I concluded that Randy is everything voters should wish for in a representative. More than anyone, Randy was the voice of reason; articulate, informed and balanced. Randy always tempered his remarks with good humor, acknowledged the opposition with grace and ultimately pushed to do the right thing. He tried to move government to do the best it could reasonably do.

Most significantly, I never knew that Randy was Pate Phillip's stepson until well after I had stopped covering Wayne Township over a year later. He never, ever played that card. Randy always tried to persuade his colleagues to do the right thing, but he did so by the force of his arguments, never by by the power of his relations.

My paper, which I adore deeply, has endorsed Randy's opponent. I respect their right to do so and I remain an unapologetic champion of all that an independent, conservative publication like The Examiner stands for. It provides a tremendous service to the communities it serves. Yet, in this instance, I must respectfully disagree. In my view, Randy Ramey will provide more energy, reason and perspective than either of his opponents. I urge voters to support him in the primary and, if elected, I'm certain that they will not be disappointed.

Sincerely,
Rich Trzupek

More on Randy's position on the U-46 disconnection issue. A response to a letter to the editor:

Dear Kris,

I don't know if you remember me. I met you on several occasions at BSFA and LEARN meetings and the forum that former Senator Kay Wojcik held at Villa Olivia. I am also a friend of Nancy Tomesek. I saw your letter in the Daily Herald and was quite surprised. I am not sure if you attended the candidate forum on February 9th, or if you read the newspaper account of the event. Either way I wanted you to be aware of a mischaracterization of Representative Ramey's position on U-46.

Ramey, who as you are probably aware, was appointed to fill the vacancy when John Millner accepted the appointment to the Senate with Kay Wojcik's retirement in July of last year. Since that time, Randy Ramey has met with Bartlett Elected Officials and has committed to put forth the legislation drafted by the Village to address the disconnection issue (or any other solution they wish to support). Randy fully understands and is committed to serve the will of the people. Randy is willing to champion the cause and is simply waiting for the village to draft the bill. Not living in U-46, he does not know the full history of what we have gone through with the U-46 board, so he deferred to the officials that have been fighting this issue, on behalf of their residents, from the start.

We met Randy and his family not long after my family and I moved to Bartlett in 2000. I know Randy personally. He is a thoughtful, intelligent and committed public servant, husband, father and community leader. He cares deeply about the concerns of ALL the people he now represents, and he further considers it his duty to advocate on their behalf. Simply because a newspaper article failed to properly represent his position, should not eliminate him from your voting choice. I encourage you to call him. He will tell you exactly what I have presented to you here. I further implore you to reconsider your decision and vote for Randy Ramey. The parents of U-46 have been sold of bill of "legislation that we plan to work on" before. Randy is a man of high integrity - he will keep his word to the Village Officials. He represents all the values that the parents have been desperately fighting for in U-46. I also encourage you to send this message on to the p12,000 parents of BSFA and LEARN. They should know the TRUE positions of the candidates so that they too can make an informed decision.

Thank you sincerely for your time and consideration!

Kathleen Flaherty

Legislators Words Taken Out of Context (letter to the editor, Daily Herald )

I read Jack Komperda's article on the Wayne-Winfield candidates forum and was disturbed by it. Not because of what state Rep. Ramey had said. I was there; I heard what he said and it was totally taken out of context in the article.

I'm a retired Illinois state senator. I've seen things taken out of context on a number of occasions, but the follow-up letter to the Fence Post couldn't be more misleading. Mr. Banas was not even at the event. I was, as I stated earlier.

Rep. Ramey said he would do whatever the residents of U-46 that lived in the district wanted him to do, his responsibility is to them. It's interesting to me that Mr. Banas has such a strong opinion on the issue since he doesn't even live in the U-46 school district.

This goes right to Rep. Ramey's point: local control of schools is what matters. Those people's views and opinions are what counts, not someone's who doesn't live in the school district and whose children's education or taxes will not be affected by a disconnection.

Rep. Ramey is representing his constituents well and listens to their issues and concerns, just as he is concerned over the U-46 disconnection issue with the people that it affects.

Doris Karpiel