OpEd: Attorney General Candidate Tom Devore in Dolton Discussing Mayoral Corruption Against Businesses in the Southland

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OpEd: Attorney General Candidate Tom Devore in Dolton Discussing Mayoral Corruption Against Businesses in the Southland (Dolton, IL) —Tom Devore, candidate for Illinois Attorney General, joined the Southland Black Chamber of Commerce today to discuss some of the issues Southland businesses are facing with capriciousness in local government.

Local Business Faces Discrimination

Devore talked a little bit about one particular area businessman, De’Andre Rucker, who has faced outright discrimination by Dolton Mayor Tiffany Henyard. According to Rucker, Mayor Henyard rescinded his previously-issued building permit, only offering to reinstate it if Rucker fired an employee, who also happens to be serving as a Dolton trustee. “If in fact she’s trying to threaten his building permit because of political retribution with one of the trustees, that’s something that should be taken very seriously…It’s sad that the Attorney General’s office doesn’t spend enough time dealing with public corruption. Public corruption is one of the biggest issues we’ve got in this state, and to me, it’s something that the AG’s office should be doing.”

Devore said that if elected, he will create a task force that specifically deals with corruption in municipal governments. “We need these businesses to be able to thrive and be able to develop their businesses without being concerned about political retribution.”

Advocacy by the Southland Black Chamber of Commerce

As the Chairman of the board of the Southland Black Chamber of Commerce, I know all too well the issues that our members and other Southland businesses face; especially black businesses. I’ve personally been to several city and village council meetings, advocating for Southland businesses who have been discriminated against in the Southland. Our businesses are being capriciously denied building permits, business licenses, etc. These acts are illegal. Some towns and mayors are worse than others. Some towns are great and amazing. But the towns where this type of corruption runs rampant are what give the Southland as a whole a bad name.

The Southland Black Chamber of Commerce has been the vanguard of businesses over the last few years, and a handful of Mayors have fought us tooth and nail. Even going so far as to try and bribe Southland business owners with money and TIF funds to convince them to not join the black chamber. As a black chamber, we are too familiar with a desire by many to try to hamper the efforts of black people to participate in the capitalist fabric in America. It’s just a shame that the people that we grew up with are now the ones that are doing it. Some of these mayors are open and hostile criminals. They exhibit criminal behavior week in and week out.

Making Improvements

The Southland is traditionally seen as dilapidated; suffering from a lack of investment. “Disinvestment” is the term generally used. However, it’s these criminal Mayors, and elected officials who interlope themselves into positions and end up being what’s blocking our Southland economy from thriving. Southland businesses and entrepreneurs are resilient. We continue to open up businesses left and right. We continue to find innovative ways to make money and to provide jobs for others, thus expanding our economy. We have to call out these bad apples who are hurting the Southland and the business community. It’s time for it to stop. We should see our communities getting better in the Southland. Not worse.

I am consistently under attack from some of these rogue Mayors. I’ve had many threats to myself and my family from these people. We’ve had lies and rumors spread by these corrupt Mayors against the Chamber and myself personally. These handful of Mayors have even threatened to team up against me and the Chamber for speaking out against them harming our businesses in the Southland. I believe that thousands of residents and voters across the Southland will read this and understand exactly what I’m talking about. This is why being careful in who we choose to lead our local, state, and federal governments is extremely important. We must do better here in the Southland.

OpEd: Attorney General Candidate Tom Devore in Dolton Discussing Mayoral Corruption Against Businesses in the Southland

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