The Republican County Board member and Homer Township supervisor is in the center of controversy for flying the American flag flown upside down at the township office after former President Donald Trump was found guilty of falsifying business records to hide a hush money payment scheme orchestrated to keep voters deciding the 2016 election from learning that he had an affair with a porn star.
On the Homer Township Web site, Steve Balich explained his reason.
“I would like to address some of the most recent events in our country, from the guilty verdict of our 45th president to my temporary flying of the American flag upside down at the Township office yesterday (5/31/24),” said Balich.
“Our country is in peril, and we, my friends, are at a crossroads,” continued Balich, who is a Trump delegate to the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee in July.
“Yesterday, I temporarily flew our nation’s flag upside down. Flying the flag upside down represents distress, and I truly believe that our country is in distress and our Constitution is under attack. I hold in utmost esteem those who have served and died for our country and the flag.
“Choosing to fly our symbol of liberty upside down for that limited time was one of the hardest decisions I have ever made in my life,” Balich further explained. “I love this country, and I love that flag. By making this statement, I wanted us as Homer Township residents to see the threat before us, reach out to our neighbors, and initiate peaceful discussions about what is occurring in our country. Like I stated previously, this is bigger than Republican versus Democrat. We, as a community, need to peacefully engage with each other and stand strong together against this unlawfulness before us.
“As you well know, I am a Republican, but first and foremost, I am an American, and as your township Supervisor, I will continue to fight for all Homer Township residents, no matter your political party affiliation. We are all in this together.”
But officials with the Village of Homer Township took to social media this week to stress that they do not condone Balich’s actions.
“The actions have angered and disrespected not only those who have proudly served our country, but also those critical of the use of a government property to push their own political agenda,” the social media post states.
Jacqueline Traynere of Bolingbrook, who represents District 11 on Will County Board and serves as Democratic leader, described Balich as an “embarrassment” to the board.
“Steve represents a very small minority in our country,” said Traynere. “HIs views are not those of mainstream Americans. He follows and supports a man who has proven time and time again to be dishonest as evidenced by the 34 felony convictions.”
As the nation anxiously await Trump’s sentencing on Thursday, July 11, George Santos of Joliet worries about possible violence if the former president is given a prison sentence.
“Everyone seems to be in their own corners when it comes to politics,” said Santos. “I think what the township supervisor did was completely wrong.
“He is a public figure who could speak out about the verdict. He didn’t need to do something so drastic as to fly the flag upside down at a government office. That is completely wrong.”
Kathy Michelda of Shorewood agrees with Santos. She, too, feels the country is too polarized. Michelda said the former president has no one to blame but himself after the Jan. 6 insurrection in Washington.
“That is why the Homer Township supervisor’s conduct was horrible,” she added. “It is hard to have serious conversations about politics when we have people who are so right and so left. It seems the days of compromising are gone. Just look at Congress.”
