In the 2010 election the Chicago Tribune endorsed Dennis Clark over the 20 year incumbent President on the Forest Preserve Board because “ he makes a stronger case for transparency and efficiency at the Forest Preserve. Clark has a smart plan to privatize the three golf courses operated by the district. Clark is endorsed."
I am running again in the 2012 election because I care deeply about our forest preserves and better government. By now most people know that the FBI and the Better Government Association have been investigating the forest preserve organization and recently indicted three people. More to come.
Reform is needed!! We need to have a Forest Preserve Board that will lead by example, that will champion environmental initiatives, that will help improve our quality of life, one that will educate the next generation to appreciate open space and the benefits humans receive from a diverse and healthy environment and put the taxpayer and our forest preserves first.
I have a vision of a truly transparent and efficient operation. Over a million dollars can be saved in the existing budget by eliminating the pension and health benefits for Board members, the no-bid contract scheme that allows current Board members to overpay for contracts and then take contributions from those same vendors, the sky high payments to the general counsel, the cost of public relations and the salaries of Board members. With these saved monies, the Forest Preserve can hire 100 seasonal employees and stewards to supervise them and address many neglected land management issues that are the core of the Forest Preserve Mission. This will help bring jobs to DuPage and improve our preserves at the same time….let’s make our tax dollars improve efficiency and put the money into people’s pockets that need it rather than a select few family members and friends as is currently being done.
If you are upset with the results of our current government, then make sure you vote for those other than the incumbents that got us in this mess – the career politicians; those with more than two terms, those that are entitled with familiar family names and those that do not have the appropriate background. We need people with land management, engineering, public works, accounting, zoning, real estate and planning knowledge and contracts to serve on the Forest Preserve Board. My training and certifications as both Woodland Steward and Naturalist received from the Morton Arboretum and the knowledge and resources I have throughout the State as a Board Member on the Illinois Nature Preserve Commission will allow me to work with the DuPage staff, public, other Board members and contractors in a most efficient way.
So, if you believe in common sense and decency, the spirit of collaboration and genuine bipartisanship, and a steadfast conservative resolve on fiscal issues; Vote For Dennis Clark.
I am a fresh face without connections that can look objectively at the issues and not be compromised by family, friends and past deals. I will be reaching out to the community, stressing transparency and making good use of my background in preservation and conservation.
Want Reform - Real Reform? Vote For Dennis Clark
Common Sense Government
As Commissioner of the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County, my top priorities will be:
- Protection of the public's forest preserve lands;
- Focus on Mission; and
- Transparency with the tax-paying public.
The residents of DuPage County are incredibly fortunate to have had the foresight, resources, and the opportunity to acquire more than 26,000 acres of magnificent forest preserve. Rarely has a suburban county so close to a major metropolitan center like Chicago, possessed such a jewel in their midst. I am intensely committed to preserving this very precious gem.
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My Vision for Preserving the Forests
Over the past several years Dennis has been involved with efforts to preserve and protect open spaces and natural areas in DuPage communities. We have all seen first hand the poor leadership and questionable choices of our current elected officials. From the DuPage Water Commission, to the DuPage Housing Authority and the DuPage Election Commission. I am running for Commission to preserve our forests for the future and protect them from further bad choices.
In demostrating leadership of the Du Page Forest Preserve, I will be guided by three tenets:
- Stewardship,
- Honesty, and
- Common sense Government
Transparency and Ethics
Straight forward transparency is an essential component of a truly open and accountable Forest Preserve organization. The model I support includes an integrated public record system; timely posting of agendas; convenient publicly accessible meetings; and complete and accurate record keeping.
It is the job of the Forest Preserve Board to insure that ethical values are upheld through careful attention to the mission of the organization. The use of no bid contracts for services costing hundreds of thousands of dollars and campaign contributions from forest preserve contractors and vendors must be eliminated. The Forest Preserve Board needs to become a government role model of preservation and education for the next generation: one where ethical practices and high standards are the norm.
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Dennis P. Clark
Leadership, Management, and Experience
Meet Dennis
Dennis is an avid runner, tennis player, bicyclist, gardener and scuba diver. Some of the other activities that he often participates in include whitewater kayaking, sea kayaking, horseback riding, swimming, cross-county skiing, sailing and hang gliding. He has completed three horseman education and riding classes at Danada Equestrian Center, holds an Advanced Skipper Ocean Certificate and a Class 2 Hang Glider Rating.
Endorsements
Dennis has received the endorsement of the Sierra Club for the 2012 primary election and in the 2010 general election when he ran for President of the Forest Preserve, he received the endorsement from the Chicago Tribune.