Yorkville Big Band leader responds

My response to Yorkville Alderwoman Rose Spears. She wrote in the local papers: My only intent was to recover over $3,500 in taxpayers monies due to the city...refering to the Yorkville American Legion Big Band using the Beecher Center for rehearsals.
This is my reply to her untrue statement:

Ms. Spears, We don't believe you!!

If you were only interested in recovering rent money from the Yorkville American Legion Big Band, than why did you go into a rampage about the band changing its name?

On April 22, the Yorkville Big Band was to have been honored for its contribution to the City of Yorkville. A resolution " in support for the Yorkville Big Band" states, in part, that the band "has been an emissary of good will" for the city and that the city extends its "appreciation.... for the enjoyment the band has brought to the Yorkville residents" and "thanks for its services." Instead of this occasion being a happy one, it degenerated into a rant by alderman Spears and Joe Besco.

Ms. Spears' statement: "my only intent was to recover taxpayer's monies due to the city" is a lie because the band offered an olive branch to the city council prior to the April 22 meeting. It was agreed upon by both parties that the band would perform two free concerts to resolve the issue. Instead of being honored at the April 22 council meeting, Spears and Besco turned the supposedly happy occasion into a rampage.

Spears' verbal attacks were "Why did you remove the American Legion from the band's name followed up with "This is an insult not only to the city, but also to the entire country and to our nation's armed forces." I attempted to answer her but was not allowed to speak. This letter is my only recourse.

When the band used the Beecher Center the band was still under the sponsorship and umbrella of the Yorkville American Legion, a not-for-profit organization. The band found it was getting harder and harder to being able to use the Yorkville American Legion hall for the band's rehearsals. This is the reason the band left the sponsorship of the legion.

Prior to the March 18th city council meeting, the legion sent a letter to the council stating that the band and the legion had departed on good terms without any animosity whatsoever. The band left the legion as of July 4, 2007 after performing pro-bono for the citizens of Yorkville before the Yorkville evening fireworks.

What does rent have to do with the statement: "un-American" for removing the American Legion from the band's name? The two aldermen who voted nay to the resolution to honor the Yorkville Big Band for its contribution to the city were Spears and Besco.

I have served in the U.S. Army as well as my brother and my two sons. We, as well as many of our fellow comrades who have served their country honorably, resent Ms. Spears' un-American comment. Good people of Yorkville have you had enough of Rose Spears and her ranting? Maybe it's time for a change.

Note: The State of Illinois has classified the Yorkville Big Band as being a not-for-profit entity as of January 2008.