From today's News-Gazette:
Since the southwest district's petition varies from Tapley's only in one paragraph, Leonhard wrote, and because the district did not exist at the time of Tapley's first action, it was reasonable for the two parties to join in one effort now.
Vaughan said "once again Judge Leonhard has demonstrated that he is both a thoughtful and scholarly judge who wants to rule on the matter based on law rather than emotion."
The judge ruled that the cities of Champaign and Urbana cannot yet intervene on behalf of the C-U MTD.
"The court cannot properly determine the viability of the requests for intervention until such time as the C-U MTD has itself answered the amended complaint of Mr. Tapley and the complaint of the CSWMTD," Leonhard wrote.
The next court date is at 1 p.m. Dec. 28 in Leonhard's courtroom.
Discuss.
Congratulations SCOTT....once again you on top of the game.....With all the whining from these CU MTD magpies, it's nice to see that the people of SW CHAMPAIGN acutally get what they want...what a novel idea??
I'd really like to see the PDFs of the grounds that Champaign and especially Urbana think they have to intervene (as opposed to filing an amicus, absurd as it is on this level).
Why are you congratulating Scott? He'd have you believe that he and the CSWMTD are no longer affiliated. And the reasons CU would want to intervene are simple. The existence of the CSWMTD, if ever legitimized, would negatively affect the rights of its citizens by not being able to travel to a particular region of the City. And if anyone is whining, its the elitist SW Champaign residents who want to establish a separate society, free from oppressive transit taxes and those smelly poor and colored people who can't afford cars.
"He'd have you believe that he and the CSWMTD are no longer affiliated."
Other than being co-petitioners in this lawsuit, they're not. Scott does not serve on the CSWMTD Board.
Ah, the race card. I thought Bill Vok drove his car instead of mass transit for the convenience. Now I know, he's doing it because he hates black people.
For cryin' out loud, can't we have a discussion on any topic anymore without someone playing the race card? This kind of statement makes it harder for people to take legitimate claims of discrimination seriously. Not every decision in the universe is based on race.
Say what you like, but I attended some of the annexations meetings and more than one person got up and said they did not want transit in their neighborhood because they didn't want "those people" coming in. This is a direct quote from one woman, "We don't want transit and if you bring it into our neighborhood a lower class of people will move in." Please explain to me why those of us who ride the bus are a "lower class" of people and why you folks do not want us to move to your neighbhood?
Isn't it a giant leap from one speaker making a comment to concluding that everyone who opposes this is racist? Aren't you guilty of the very thing you condemn others for--stereotyping? It isn't as if there aren't plenty of valid, nondiscriminatory reasons to object to the MTD's annexation of land for money and power--unless you really believe there are hundreds of people just waiting to take MTD buses into these areas?
Isn't it a giant leap from one speaker making a comment to concluding that everyone who opposes this is racist? Aren't you guilty of the very thing you condemn others for--stereotyping?
It was not "one speaker" but more than one at two different hearings. Perhaps you should read my post more carefully.
O.K. You have a point--so from a few speakers you have decided that everyone who opposes this is doing so based upon racism--or did I get it wrong again?
Doesn't Tapley work for a bank? If was running the CUMTD, and if the CUMTD had any money at that bank, I would pull every penny out of that bank.
First, I never used the word racism; I just asked why so many of the folks in SW Champaign think us folks riding the bus are lower class? Secondly, I know a lot of people who live in the new transit district that never plans to offer transit who want transit. When I asked them why they did not speak up they said, and this is a quote: "Are you kidding? My neighbors would burn my house down if I said I wanted MTD service."
Mr. Tapley is lucky the folks at MTD are not vindictive or the MTD would move their money out of his bank.
It gets a little boring reading the same "Anonymous" CU MTD supporters posting untruths. I attended six state mandated CU MTD pre-annexation hearings and never heard one comment as this "Anonymous" poster claimed. What I did hear was the uselessness of the hearings because the CU MTD was going to annex regardless of what was stated. Which they did in each and every case. It should be very clear to everyone the CU MTD held those hearings for only one purpose---meet the 'letter of the law' to enable there annexation plan. Hey they are labeled "hearings" not 'listenings".
Take a look at what happend as a result of all those hearings. The CU MTD Board approved all the proposed annexations, filing the proper paperwork supporting the fact they held a public "hearing". Not once, did they not go through with the proposed annexation. In fact with the Champaign SW subdivisions, the Board approved the annexations just a few days after the public hearing.
I challenge any "Anonymous" poster or anyone at all to lay out just how the CU MTD could be stopped from annexating any parcel or area adjacent to their district in the State of Illinois that is not incorporated. I make that challenge knowing their is no way to stop this public entity unless you are incorporated like Savoy. The people who live in SW Champaign are trying but they are waging a up hill battle against mega million dollar, tax payer funded, non accountable, public entity with strong alliances with other mega million dollar, tax payer funded, semi accountable, public entities, namely the cities of Champaign and Urbana. These voters in SW Champaign should be applauded not lied about.
Not all black people smell bad.
MTD not vindictive? What the heck are you smoking?
"I challenge any "Anonymous" poster or anyone at all to lay out just how the CU MTD could be stopped from annexating any parcel or area adjacent to their district in the State of Illinois that is not incorporated. "
One way to stop this activity would be to have the elected bodies representing the areas reverse their policty that calls for MTD to annex the areas. The elected bodies that have adopted the policy include: Champaign County Board, City of Champaign, City of Urbana and Village of Savoy.
The MTD's power to annex is separate from the cities. It's provided for in statute. Many areas of Champaign aren't even in the MTD and haven't been. I know of no agreement with the County regarding MTD annexations, but once again it would be merely advisory. The cities and county can't force the MTD's hand in either way.
"The elected bodies that have adopted the policy include: Champaign County Board, City of Champaign, City of Urbana and Village of Savoy."
More "Anonymous" CU MTD supporters posting untruths.