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TOM HARTZ IS THE NEW MAYOR

The elections are over and the people of Lake Geneva have spoken.  The city decided on Tom Hartz, only limiting his powers by not re-electing Bob Kordus as a city councilor.  Selena Proksa won against the ‘Italian Stallion’ (Tony Valenti) by sixty-four percent to thirty-six.  Tim Dunn beat Bob Kordus by fifty-nine percent to forty-one.  Doug Skates will be the great ally of Tom Hartz, since they have come to identify themselves as a part of the “good old boys” complex, because he beat Mary Jo Fesenmaier by fifty-six to forty-four.

The forces of power are re-adjusted to almost even at the top.  Not necessarily a bad thing, unless you just lost an election.  Charlene Klein is a wonderfully intelligent woman but, in truth, not enough people knew of her to give her enough public exposure to win the city’s top spot.  Utah Blaine, the city’s most excellent city administrator ought to have his resume out though.  Tom Hartz has not spoken of him highly and the good old boys, as a group, hate him.  He is not bendable, pliable and he does not take money under the table or anything else.  He’s hard on employees and he’s a lone gunman.  “Danger Will Robinson, danger!”

Tom Hartz is a “gunfighter” too, and what happens when you have two gunfighters?  Well, most American’s are familiar with the myth and lore of the early western times.  Is Tom smart enough and capable enough to assure that the city has two fighters to defend it, or can there be only one Highlander?  Tom Hartz is a tough businessman and the Geneva Shore Report has opposed much of what he has attempted in the past (like his attempt to get the movie theater as city expense when he was fresh out of city council office).  But the people have spoken and the GSR is fully subject to the democratic wishes of the people.  Tom did not win by one vote or by a recount.  Although it’s a shame that only forty-seven percent of the electorate voted, he won by two hundred and thirteen out of fourteen hundred and fifty-one.  A resounding victory.  The people have spoken.

Can Tom handle the difference between being one of the city’s premier and successful business and being a professional administrator of rather slow-moving and softy-resilient bureaucracies that extend around the throat of any city like the tentacles of an octopus?  Only time will tell.  Will the Hillmoor controversy die down under his ultimate management?  Will Hillmoor become a park or another Cabrini Green?  Will Hummel come into the city like a horde of barbarians because of the huge shift in management philosophy?  Will Pollard be affected.  It would give every appearance that the City of Lake Geneva is about to have a construction and business growth program like it’s never seen before.  Chicago has been waiting.  Lurking like hungry wolves.  Lake Geneva is a sitting virgin, long-waiting in her long white dress.

Is Tom Hartz going to be the prince who sweeps her away onto the back of his great charging steed?  Or, is Tom Hartz going to watch her float atop a chunk of ice with the river’s high waterfalls just ahead?  Only time will tell.  Can Halverson, Dunn, and Proska hold back the waters behind a dam that begins to appear as if it is spider-webbed full of tiny expanding cracks?  Will they be enough?  Will Flowers be a breaking flower in the decision-making or will she continue what looks like her transformation into a prickly thorn bush?  Only time will tell.

In a democracy, as Lake Geneva has certainly demonstrated that it has, the expression “wait until the next election” can mean years of pain before any succor can be expected.

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