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3 Sections197725 Cents Per CopyVolume 2 No fioBurke*Scathing Attacks in LiteratureDra ws Raday Response: ‘ Get a Bit Sick.Campaign literature written by Midloth ian mayoral candidate Richard Burke charges his opponent, Mayor Harry Ra day, with being “crafty, slippery, and “a tough and very dangerous man ” Burke said Friday he wrote the two con troversial campaign booklets which weredistributed last week to some parts of the village Burke. Raday and Robert Leska are competing for the mayoral post in the April 19 election “Don’t jump into Mayor Raday’s trap. one of the brochures states. “If you do. he will proclaim himself Caesar and God Hehas already built his throne Anyone can see it It's shined and polished, with all its royal trapping It is set up high and with the type of lighting that will scare the pants off anyone The new village board chamber contains his throne.”In both pieces of literature, BurkeRichard BurkeHarry Radayblasts Raday and his administration methods He stated that most of our present trustees are good, decent, honora ble men who are handcuffed and kept from speaking out or sincerely question ing Mayor Raday’s absolute rule of the village ”#BURKE HAS been a resident of Midlothian for 20 years He. his wife and their 12 children have been active in St Chris topher's parish, scouting organizations and community activities He is employed as a traetor-trailer truck driver Burke has served on the Midlothian park board for 16 years, most recently as vice president and chairman of the fi nance committee He takes credit for se curing the pending grant to obtain proper ty at Kostner and 150th to 151st streets fora park.Burke has pledged to provide better benefits and job security to all village employees, especially policemen and fire men At the present time, they do as or dered or else, Burke stated “Harry Ra day is the only one that tells them what they can do or not Rumor has it he can be just as vicious as Hitler “I promise in my campaign to attempt to find out how Harry Raday went from a carpenter subcontractor to a ‘millionaire.’”DURING A PREST conference called Thursday to answer Burke’s charges, Ra day called the literature pathetic “It’s sort of sad, really, the mayor said. “I get a little bit sick when 1 readsome of this stuff.You know what loses elections, he said, referring the allegations against him “And when you try to fight back, you make it sound worse.Raday has been Midlothian’s village president for 15 years He leads the Inde pendent Tax Elimination party slate of candidates, all incumbents seeking re electionJames Yueuis is running on the party slate as the clerk candidate, with trustee candidates James Dolan, Roger Bleck and George Kberhardt The independent candidates for trustee are Kathleen Dickover and Fred HoferRADAY TUOK special exception to Burke’s description of his feelings about senior citizens Burke stated that Raday considered senior citizens and handi capped persons as a bunch of cry babiesthat want everything free and that they resort to filling the village board meetingswith sob sisters and do-gooders to help them obtain their own way Raday said the nearly two-year-old MASH (Midlothian Area Short Hops) bus, instituted to provide transportation for senior citizens and others during the day, has been very well received “That bus has traveled about 4K.IHH1 inm fless than two years,” Raday said “Calling the bus is like calling a friend So many senior citizens use it to go shopping, to the bank and to just get out of the house during the day.A group of them meet every week to play cards on the bus They just ride around town and they don’t care where it stops. It’s a fantastic help to senior citizens and housewives, and that’s who it was meant for.Raday also defended himself against Burke’s contentions that he has played “switcheroo with property taxes and that “Midlothian’s village treasury coffers became filled and wealthy in spite of itself and Mayor Raday’s reckless spend ing ”Raday said the village coffers contain $1.5 million, which is pledged to pay off bonds and other budgeted expenditures He listed his own assets at $18 million If re-elected, Raday said he will ask that the mayoral position become a fulltime post. The village board recently raised the mayor’s annual compensationfrom $5,004 to $7,000.“We live in the shadow of Chicago and there’s no way we can operate on a part-time basis. If I go back into office again. I’m going to ask that Midlothian have a full-time mayor.”
Newspaper Details
Midlothian Star Herald
Midlothian, Illinois, US
Sun, Apr 10, 1977
Page 1
Full Page
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Anonymous
IL, USA 23 Jan 2022
Other Publications Near Midlothian, Illinois
Midlothian Bremen Messenger
Midlothian Bremen Township News Record
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Midlothian Star
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