SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — Illinois state Rep. Ron Stephens, R-Highland, issued the following written statement through the House Republican staff minutes ago:

“Early on Monday evening, I was stopped by the Macon County Sheriff’s police and received citations for improper lane usage and driving under the influence. I cooperated fully with the police officers, was ticketed and released later that evening.

“I exercised poor judgment that evening, and I am truly sorry for my actions. I also regret having disappointed my family, friends and those I represent. I take full responsibility and stand ready to face the consequences of my actions.”

According to the House Republican office, Stephens’ breathalizer test showed a blood-alcohol content of .101 percent. The legal limit in Illinois is .08.

The office says the incident happened after Stephens had dinner with his family, and that they were driving in separate cars. Stephens isn’t currently commenting further.

His court date has been set for May 23.

Stephen is an assistant minority leader in the House, where he has served over most of the past 25 years. He is an East St. Louis native, a pharmacist, and a decorated Vietnam War veteran. He’s known in the Legislature for stressing veterans’ issues, and as one of the more emphatic conservative voices on many social issues.

Here are a few things which came up just this year concerning local government that relate to not using common sense in decision making which many residents besides myself think

1. Vandalia officials will be asking city employees to agree to wage freezes for six months. Seems funny that the City Administrator and Director of Economic Development and Tourism slipped their large raises in just a few months before it was announced we were broke. Wouldn't the City Administrator have the common sense to have known at the beginning of the year that Federal and State government were broke, people were not spending, and because of this, it would trickle down to the local level? I guess not because city government kept spending and spending until we had nothing left.

I can not see a raise given to the City Administrator when the United States was coming close to a depreciation and there would be no money handed out to us from the State as we have been used to. People are not spending as much thus lower sales tax.

I can not see a raise given to the Economic Development and Tourism Director when all I heard were excuses as to why she could not bring in businesses and even lost a major employer. Motown has turned into a fiasco which most of the town knew would happen except her and now we have shelled out over $100,000.00 for nothing. She does not know what to do now about this stating on the radio that she can not contact them.

2. When giving new businesses money in grants and loans, shouldn't some investigation and research be done to make sure what they tell you is the truth? I can find out a lot about a company by their finacial records and the internet. Here are a few new businesses that have taken us for a ride;

Letters and Logos - Recieved a loan and stills owes the city around $90,000.00. Can not locate the owners! Also promised to hire additional employees by a certain time and never did.

Mamma Antonia's II - I was told they recieved around $40,000.00 in TIF grants. Lasted about 6 months and closed. I was then told they closed because the street was closed and would reopen when the street was open. Well Gallatin St., where they are located, has been open for months and they still are not open.

Motown - This was the most stupid venture I have seen Vandalia do in all my years of living here. It took me less than 1/2 hour on the internet to figure out Motown was a pipe dream of Bardwell and would never be built in Vandalia. As I have read, the city has invested over $100,000.00 in this.

3. A city alderman illegally in position - The city should have known this years ago and taken action because many people have told me they knew about him being on the Park Board for years.

4. The City Administrator not following the Municipal Code - The one instance that really gets to me is the latest water rate increase.

5. The City Administrator replacing qualified contracted businesses with some one they know. This has happened to my business concerning the city's website replacing me with some one else.

6. The City not following the Municipal Code and not awarding contracts to qualified businesses with the lowest bid.

At the Dec. 21, 2009 City Council meeting I presented the fact to the Council and City Admin. that the proposed water rate increase was in violation of the Municipal Code. The City Admin. tried to explain how it was legal but not to my or many other people's satisfaction but it was passed.

We then contacted the Attorney General's office about this infraction of the law and were told to contact our States Attorney. I have the thinking that he may not listen to a few concerned citizens but if our request came from many concerned citizens, an investigation might occur.

I have got an electronic petition almost ready to go for our Vandalia citizens to sign for an investigation in the legality of the last water bill increase. If we get a reasonable amount of signatures, we will then present it to our States Attorney. I will try to get it on the website by early next week.

Again we have been lied to and deceived by Motown and this time the City Of Vandalia has tried to cover it up. First of all we should thank the Leader Union for the article in the Jan. 14th newspaper with its investigative story about Motown and the check. If it wasn't for the Illinois Freedom Of Information Act and the Leader Union using it to request a copy of the bounced check, you and I would still be in the dark about Motown's latest antics. The City has known about the bad check since Dec. 11, 2009, four days after Bardwell presented it to the City Council with two closed meetings to discuss it.

Our elected and hired officials are in their offices to run the day by day operations and obligations of the city and act as representatives of its citizens needs and concerns when voting on such issues as ordinances and money being spent without having personal motives for the outcome of the vote. Using closed sessions to hide Motown's bounced check from the public until our elected and hired officials can figure a way to cover their "you know what" is deceitful and should not be tolerated. You can see from the Leader Union article that city officials were not prepared and in this writers mind, have lame excuses. Let's analyze some of the remarks our city officials and Motown representatives presented to the Leader Union;

1. Emmett Traylor, representative of Motown, stated that even though the check was returned being stamped "not sufficient funds", this was not the case. It was returned because of not being properly authorized.

Not sufficient funds stamped on the check means there is a reason for dishonoring or returning a check to its depositor, because the amount available in check-writer's (drawer's) account is less than the check's amount. Usually both the depositor and the drawer of the returned check have to pay a penalty to their respective banks.

In the Leader Union article, it is stated that Bardwell did not have authorization to write the check until the extension agreement was approved by the city and and also approved by the Motown project shareholders. This check has been owed to the city for months and should have had nothing to do with an agreement of the extension. This check should have been authorized long before any extension was discussed. I was at the council meeting and from what I saw, Bardwell used this check to influence the extension vote.

2. Givens said she talked to a Bank Of America representative where the check was issued and was told the account requires $250,000.00 balance and used the "not sufficient funds" stamp on a majority of returned checks. He also told her the account could have been frozen for some other reason.

Most checks returned from any bank are for "not sufficient funds", "account closed" or "stop payment". This check not being authorized and with at least $250,000.00 in the account should have been returned with a "stop payment" stamp or something similar. If the account has been frozen, I would think you would get a "not sufficient funds" stamp because the money has been frozen and can not be withdrawn.

3. Givens said she has been in regular contact with Bardwell and he assured her that he is working with shareholders to get authorization to write the check but some shareholders have been traveling over the holidays.

Again, this check should have been authorized before any extension agreement and he is making more excuses to pospone progress on the project.

I have heard time and time again that the citizens of Vandalia would not spend any money for this project. Seems we have been deceived because to date Vandalia has spent $102,628.18. This amount does not count the wages and expenditures of work our hired employees have done on the project.

I like this; City officials say if the project does not become a reality, Vandalia will benefit from some of the preparatory work done for the project. Givens said the city learned lessons of what goes into a business district. Pretty expensive lessons that the taxpayer has to burden.

She goes on to say that the city now has an appraisal on the 120 acres of land Motown plans to build on. Again, pretty expensive appraisal don't you think?

She also says the traffic study could be used for all other projects. This traffic study is geared for a huge complex which has a huge amount of traffic being on the roads. I am sure any other type of industry would not require such expensive roads.

It has always been my belief that Kenneth Bardwell is chairman and CEO of Motown Technology. He being in charge of the corporation should have some knowledge of the workings of a corporation and the aquiring of funds for the project. This is the second time they have "jumped the gun", with the first not having a feasibility study which is required for state funds and investor funds, and now the bounced check. From what has happened in the last year you would think we are discussing hundreds of millions of dollars with a bunch of people who have no idea of what they are doing. Or maybe they have some other motive?

This time I am hoping that our city leaders finally learn this lesson. IF IT IS TO GOOD TO BE TRUE, DON'T DO IT!! This lesson though will come from a great expense to the taxpayer which our city funds these ridiculous projects!!