Is VMA a good thing?

By John Hubbuch
According to the Village Manager Association's website, this venerable political juggernaut's candidates have won over 97% of every election in Oak Park since 1952. That success rate rivals the Daley Machine and is only 3% less than Sadaam Hussein's Iraq or Stalin's Russia. (Perhaps a question for another day is why do competing candidates and slates do so poorly?)
You may recall that there is no primary for village offices, so if you get endorsed by VMA you're as good as elected. The VMA Vice-President of Selections picks a Selection Committee who picks the candidates. The VP of Selections can truly make a case that he's the most powerful politico in Oak Park. Basically, ten or twelve people then decide who will run Oak Park government. The actual election is an afterthought given that 97% success rate.
Now Oak Park seems pretty well governed in many ways, and I don't want to hate on VMA. But you've got to ask yourself if this political hegemony is a good thing. I sure hope the VMA Selection Committee takes their job seriously--a lot is riding on their decisions.
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john murtagh from OAK PARK
Posted: October 7th, 2010 12:43 AM
I also have no hate for the VMA or VGA for that matter, but I have serious concerns with the poor turnout at elections resulting from their private selection processes and use of slates. I also am concerned about the pattern of unanimity on the part of the Village Board. I expressed my views on the matter in a Letter to the Wednesday Journal which will probably be printed next week.
John Murtagh from oak park
Posted: October 5th, 2010 12:53 AM
I wrote a reply to your blog re the VMA, but there are a lot more than 500 characters.So if you are interested in my comments, send me an e-mail at murtaghs@yahoo.com and I will send it to you.500 Characters? I am never going to be able to be a Tweeter!John