The State Journal-Register
Dan Petrella
Two Springfield aldermen took to the local airwaves Monday morning to defend their positions on the role of union money in local campaigns.
The flare-up began Thursday when Ward 7 Ald. Joe McMenamin, who speaks frequently about what he sees as the city’s need to rein in pay and benefits for workers, criticized fellow aldermen and Mayor Mike Houston for taking campaign contributions from unions that represent city employees.
“There’s a real divide between myself and the other aldermen, and even Mayor Houston, on a very key issue, and it has to do with, Who do you take money from?,” McMenamin told WMAY-AM 970’s Greg Bishop. (You can listen to the full interview here. The conversation starts around the 6:00 mark.) “I’ve taken a real maverick stand, and it’s in response to the fiscal condition of the city,” he added.
McMenamin said he wants to see other candidates for city offices follow his lead and not take contributions from unions that have contracts with the city. Because the city has to negotiate contracts with these unions and aldermen have to vote on them, taking campaign donations creates a conflict of interest, he said.
“This is going to antagonize the other nine aldermen,” McMenamin said. “They might start taking shots at me at the next city meeting. I’m just sticking to my convictions. They can stick to their convictions.” McMenamin repeated similar themes in an interview early Monday morning with Sam Madonia on “AM Springfield” on WFMB-AM 1450.
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Those criticisms didn’t sit well with Ward 6 Ald. Cory Jobe, who spoke with WMAY’s Jim Leach later Monday morning. Jobe said McMenamin’s latest criticisms are yet another example of why “he’s had very few successes this past three years.”
“Joe still hasn’t learned his lesson in working with other aldermen,” Jobe said. “You wonder why Joe doesn’t get many of his things accomplished on the city council: Because it’s always the constant public attacks he makes on aldermen and the mayor.”
McMenamin then came on with Leach to state his case again, extending his criticisms to include Ward 3 Ald. Doris Turner’s role as chairwoman of the local Democratic Party, among other issues. (City offices are official nonpartisan.)
Read the full article at sj-r.com…
Joe McMenamin for Ward 7 