The Forest Preserve has been publically called-out on their practice of awarding no-bid contracts for quite sometime...Hundreds of thousand of dollars in no-bid contracts annually!
http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20110617/news/706179945/

Forest Preserve Commissioners accept campaign contributions from no-bid contractor ...
http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20101026/news/710279741/

Forest Preserve fights to decrease transparency ...
http://triblocal.com/elmhurst/2011/02/14/forest-preserve-district-may-seek-foia-laws-changes/

Forest Preserve gets an "F" in transparency....
http://triblocal.com/hinsdale/2011/02/18/local-governments-receive-failing-grade-in-transparency/

How clever to pull a reverse spin!!...Forest Preserve comes up with this plan to make it about 2 employees when the issue of no-bid contracts is pervasive and likely involves way more than two people... Afer all, it is the Board of Commissioners that makes the rules, approves the contracts, sets contract policy and has looked the other way after repeated requests to install an independant ethics commission. FP has no oversight.

Kinds reminds me of the Metra scandal.... Metra hired out some no-bid paid reverse spin help, too...

Jane, great links to news. I never have given abuse at the Forest Preserve District much thought because I always thought their facilities were very nice. Reading those links and this article has piqued my interest and will now be paying attention.

No one paid attention to the DuPage Water Commission or the DuPage Housing Authority either!

While watching the Forest Preserve make sure you also watch the DuPage Election Commission at the same time. Both governmental agencies hired the same PR/political spin hack to control media backlash to elected officials...

Story fails to mention that the Forest Preserve Board hired PR-Crisis Mgmt-media spin control on Nov 15 in another no-bid contract (no-bid, no qualifications, no-hourly rates,...) for $48,000 so they can lie to the public and reverse spin the story and create political cover for the board.

Want to know who they hired? Here's the Nov 15, 2011 agenda:
http://www.dupageforest.com/AboutUs/Commission/Meetings/Agendas/2011_Meeting_Agendas.html

And here's a link to an excellent blog full of background on the "game changer" consultant hired by the Forest Preserve. Notice the political campaign work, the work for various gov't agencies and then the work for the Paris businessman... by the time you finish reading the entire blog, you will be convinced that the depth of corruption at the FP is much deeper than this press release. Why hire this guy? Its a big read flag.

http://countyleaks.blogspot.com/

Interesting how they don't release the names like they do for DUI's and everything else!

Wow. Just checked to see where a surge of hits was coming from today to http://countyleaks.blogspot.com/ .

To my horror, I see that Reverse Spin has received yet another government contract. These political operatives employ techniques used in the political arena to the public arena. No wonder they were ushered in under the radar!

They already have a $3,000 monthly contract with the DuPage County Election Commission. Now they'll be making another $4,000 per month of tax dollars from DuPage citizens. Ironically, the proprietors of Reverse Spin promote small government and low taxes. As long as it doesn't include them, right?

The firm's Twitter site defines Reverse Spin as: an Illinois political and public affairs company that helps rid the planet of corruption, faulty logic and misguided philosophy.

Their slogan sums it all up: Reverse Spin, Control the News.

It's time for the voters to show their displeasure with shady dealings in DuPage County government, including even now the forest preserves feeling the need to hire a shadowy pr company that also works for person's of interest in the Rhoades murders from Paris, Illinois. What's going on at the forest preserve that they need this type of damage control? See ya at the next board meeting to ask some hard questions of the board members.
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I went to that website mentioned above. It is anonymous. Why should I listen to someone harping about transparency when they aren't transparent themselves?

The website is anonymous for a reason. If the information was meaningful, the author would stand behind it. As it is, it is a bunch of documents with a muddled explanation for what they mean. To be more blunt, the point the anonymous author makes doesn't make any sense, if there is a point at all. No wonder they don't want to take "credit" for it. No name, no point=weak smear.

Why would the Forest Preserve Board vote to spend thousands of dollars to hire aPR/media spin control? Doesn't the FP have a whole department devoted to Public Affairs? They have a detailed website, Facebook, Twitter, issue their own press releases...

Why do DuPage citizens have to pay to be lied to?

what a surprise , time to look into the architecture firm the district uses for all projects , time to look into why the district can build what ever they want in any forest preserve . would you be surprised to learn of a 50 foot high metal truck repair building is being built in blackwell forest preserve ? nobody can deface the district land except the district . things smell very bad and it is not compost . chaz

There were tens of thousands of dollars spent right before the last election for an outside PR firm on a no-bid contract, another waste of tax payer dollars, but free campaign dollars for the incumbents, and approved by them You can already hear the Commissioners say it was just a few bad eggs and they have been removed from the organization - don't let them get away with that rationalization. Voters, wake up and turn the tide with the 2012. election.

DPCFPD has been corrupt for as long as I can remember. The sad part is that typically DPCFPD been able to fly under the radar of the big news media because they are always so busy watching Cook County. I was the president of CHASE... Citizens for a Healthy and Safe Environment back in the 80's/90's. We were eventually successfull in shutting down the landfills on FPD (public land). The things we uncovered then were mind boggling but most people don't want to believe it about their government. Well, believe it DuPage County citizens because every word and some is true!!!

A bit more background info on the PR - Spin Control firm (self described "political operatives") just last week hired by the Commissioners of the DuPage Forest Preserve...see link.

http://secureandprosperous.com/obamablago.shtml

Holy Cow Jane, thanks for posting.

Why does the Forest Preserve need game changers? Why should tax payers fund game changers?

http://countyleaks.blogspot.com/2011/05/illinois-office-of-state-attorneys.html

More recent news on the Forest Preserves new PR-Spin-Crisis mgmt firm...

http://edgarcountywatchdogs.com/2011/12/more-on-the-isp-settlement-and-reverse-spin/

I'll bet if you call Mr. Pierotti for an update, you'll have another birthday before your call gets answered.

They must be lining their pockets with something, since they are not taking care of horses they own at Danada either. There have been inquiries about that as well, and some of the wistle blowers have been told to leave.

Chaz
The FP district is the most arrogant stone walling government unit I have ever encountered . Will they ever disclose who these administrative people were ? I thought public employees that abused their positions were made public as a warning to our other government employees.
Oh, I forgot the FP district of Du Page is exempt from all laws that the rest of us have to live by . Time to vote out all the incumbents in November . They have fattened enough at the public trough .

The sad fact about the forest preserve and other public entities is that very few people attend these meetings and even fewer ask questions . Therefore they feel that they can hire their friends , steal taxpayer funds and abuse the taxpayers . Why does the fp need a publicity firm , the trees should speak for themselves . If the fp is not able to buy any more land in du page ( that is worthwhile for use as forest preserve lands) should not the fp pay off the bonds and return any money left to the taxpayers ? Oh, sorry i forgot that once any government unit has your money it automatically becomes public ( government) money and is never returned no matter what . While the middle class is being decimated the government class is eating first class and enjoying a rich life style and retirement at age 55 at our expense . sad but true , the pigs are enjoying your efforts... chaz

To Chaz's points it is simple one political party in control equals abuse.
Like in Cook County where it is controlled by the Dems the DuPage County problems are caused by one political party in total control. The Republican control of the Forest Preserve District with the 6 weak Commissioners (really 5 since Commissioner Joe Cantore District 2 rarely attends) is a lot like the Cook County Board when Todd Stroger was in control! Sad but true.

Since the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County was separated from the DuPage County Board they have allowed these questionable practices:
$ Annual salaries of more than $53,000 with a taxpayer subsidized pension and full time benefits for a part time job.
$ Hiring of family members for well paying jobs.
$ Award of millions of our tax dollars in non-competitive contracts.
$ Accepted unlimited campaign donations from companies doing business with the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County.

We need a better Forest Preserve District in DuPage County! Please tell any like minded voter you know in DuPage County about these abuses! It can change with new Commissioners elected on 11/6/12

Pierotti talks a big game but his actions should be a big shame!
Thank you to Adam Morgan of Chicagoland Outdoors http://www.chicagonow.com/chicagoland-outdoors/2012/09/trouble-in-the-forest-fbi-looks-into-dupage-preserve-scandal-district-president-goes-on-angry-tirade/#comment-5 for taking the time to cover this important story. The FBI's investigation of the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County, the closed door meeting the President of the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County had with the Chairman of DuPage County and the big bonuses paid to the former Executive Director are excellent reasons why we should ask questions. If we (concerned citizens) don't ask questions no one will because the Commissioners have not asked one. Let President Pierotti yell, make false accusations and insult the concerned citizens but at the very least please answer our questions. Please pass this along!