News and Announcements
Tuesday, March 14, 2006
Saturday night, Judi & Russ Vaughn hosted a wonderful wine and cheese reception for my campaign at What's Cookin' restaurant. I must thank them for their generosity and willingness to allow me to introduce my ideas for making Coles County a better place. People like them reinforce my resolve that folks care passionately about their community, which is why I seek to give back. Thanks Russ and Judi!
Read Full Post posted by Funkhouser! at 3:00 PM
Tuesday, February 28, 2006
As a candidate for Coles County Clerk who is promoting ethical government through openness and accountability, I thought it would of interest to you to read some of my concerns/observations from attending County Board meetings. I must say from the onset, the process is quite disappointing, but illuminates many of my concerns regarding local government.
If you did not know, the county board meetings are held in the Coles County Courthouse. As you approach the courthouse, there is no visible sign marking the whereabouts of the meetings, which could be intimidating for any resident seeking to attend the meeting.
As you walk into the courthouse, you are greeted by an officer who informs you the meeting is on the third floor.
I arrived five minutes early. The usual suspects were there including local county officials, Dave Fopay from the JG/TC newspaper, and a couple of other community activist.
I was struck that there were only seven people in the crowd to observe twelve people who get to make significant decisions and direct public policy on key issues in Coles County.
Only Seven! It's important that we have more awareness of the issues addressed in the board meetings. That's why its twice as important that the County Clerk, who is responsible for taking minutes, is proactive about posting these minutes and actions of the board in multiple formats and in a timely manner in order to reach as many people as possible throughout the county. And this is not being done by the current administration.
These are our tax dollars and our elected officials. We have only one reporter and six other citizens in attendance to kep these officials in check. The most our government did to inform the citizenry of the business of the County Board was to write an account of the minutes which are not even posted as of today on the County website.
That is why I am running for County Clerk. I refuse to allow this to happen. As County Clerk, I will bring video cameras into board meetings. I will seek larger venues, allowing more citizens to attend and keep our officials in check. Furthermore, I will make the video recordings and records of the meetings available as soon as possible after each meeting.
This is your county and your government. I will work for you to ensure an open, accessible, and responsive government as we seek a higher ethic of public service.
Read Full Post posted by Keith Taylor at 8:26 PM
Monday, February 27, 2006
I'm just taking a quick minute from the campaign trail to thank Nora Pat Small for hosting a candidate's coffee for me recently.
Nora lives in a wonderful area near Lerna and her home is a nicely restored farm house (complete with geo thermal heating.)
Nora put together a wonderful event together for me. In between generous servings of coffee and homemade banana bread, I had the opportunity to meet and speak with more concerned citizens from around the county.
Many of the guests were colleagues of Nora's at Eastern Illinois University. They had concerns ranging from economic development and rural telecommunications to local agriculture. For me though, the most important concern was what we perceive as a lack of dialogue in our community.
So I expressed to them what drives me to want to serve as their next County Clerk. Open government and dialogue is a value I cherish. When I'm County Clerk, I will ensure video and paper transcripts of all County Board meetings are posted so concerned citizens can judge for themselves if their County Board is living up to their expectations and representing the best interests of the county.
The ability to improve our government is the core of democracy. People in Coles County must know who their officials are, must be able to see how they operate, and then fairly assess if they are worthy of their support.
Nora's candidate coffee left me with a great feeling! Here was a group of people who embodied the notion of citizen democracy. Everyone strongly believes we shouldn't work for our local government, it should work for us. These folks truly believe this is "your county, your government."
Read Full Post posted by Keith Taylor at 10:39 PM
Saturday, February 25, 2006
The next Keith Taylor for County Clerk event is set! I will be at the home of Martin and Madeline Ignazito on March 5th to discuss my campaign, my experience, and my platform. I look forward to a good turn out again and meeting more people from around the county who are supporting my campaign. I want to expressly thank the Ignazitos for hosting this event and I appreciate their kindness and support!
Read Full Post posted by Keith Taylor at 3:51 PM
Wednesday, February 01, 2006
I will be attending the Coles County Democrats Annual Steak-Fry, Wednesday, February 8th, 6 PM at the American Legion in Mattoon.
Read Full Post posted by Keith Taylor at 8:00 PM
Monday, January 30, 2006
I will be attending the Mid-Eastern Illinois Labor Council Monday, February 6th, 6:30 PM @ the Carpenter's Hall in Mattoon.
Read Full Post posted by Keith Taylor at 5:00 PM
Sunday, January 29, 2006
Transcript from a speech I gave at the Chili Jam for future Congressman, Dr David Gill:
I hope you all are having a good time, enjoying some great music, and eating lots of hearty Chili.
Thank you for coming out and showing your support.
We all believe in the power of government. We all believe that with the correct people (notice I didn’t say “right”) in office, Government CAN work.
That’s why we are here today—to support Dr. Gill. Because we believe he is the correct person to represent us.
Well, I’d like to ask for your support, also. I’m Keith Taylor and I’m running for Coles County Clerk.
I want to represent you because I believe this is your county and your government and I can bring back an open and accessible government to the county level.
Let me tell you real quick two things I strongly believe in.
First, As your county clerk, I promise an open government.
We all want a government which works for the citizens of Coles County. Nowadays, we are working harder and longer to support ourselves. It’s not easy to get involved with local government. Keeping informed is difficult. But that should not allow those in power a free pass. When I am the new County Clerk, I will post all county meetings, minutes and agendas in a format that is accessible to everyone. We must not only use the power of technology to reach citizens but also maximize old-fashioned town meetings and posters to reach those with limited resources.
I will settle for nothing less than open government, but making government open is only the first step.
The second thing I strongly believe in is accessible government. Once elected to County Clerk, I will make voter registration a priority. I will advocate for the voting rights of everyone.
Last week, there was a notice in the newspaper informing the elderly and disabled of the need to register for the primaries and the use of absentee balloting. A notice in the newspaper isn’t enough. The county clerk’s office must fully reach out to the people. The county clerk must do more than what is required in order to get people involved. The county clerk must be proactive in identifying who needs assistance in voting and reach out to them where they live.
The year 2005 marked the 40th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Parts of that act are to be reviewed this year and Republicans are looking to roll back key components as unnecessary.
In Coles County, we’ve already lost 17 polling places.
This is why I need your support as I run for County Clerk. We can’t promote open government if we don’t have adequate access to voting. I pledge as county clerk to reopen those 17 polling places.
This is your county. This is your government and you should have full access to voting.
Government has the ability to improve the lives of people. That is why it is important to have the correct people in office. That’s why I support Dr. Gill. And that’s why I need your support. We are running to set an example that normal people can make a change.
Government is about public service. We should serve the needs of the people we represent. Public service is about meeting the needs of people in the community.
Let me ask you this…Does your local government meet your needs?
Is it providing a service to you?
Are you getting your money’s worth?
I don’t think so either.
I believe this is your county. This is your government. It should be open and accessible. It should meet your needs. I’m Keith Taylor and I’m here to serve you!
Thank you.
Read Full Post posted by Keith Taylor at 10:36 PM
Not paid for at taxpayers' expense. Paid for by Friends of Keith Taylor. A copy of our report is (or will be) available for purchase from the State Board of Elections, Springfield, IL. Political contributions are not tax deductible.
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