McHenry County Blog

Have fun at your New Year's Eve party! Photo taken at Disney World.

Crystal Lake Sam’s Club employees used to bring carts into the store on rainy and snowy days.

Just like Walmart employees do year round. That way customers didn’t have to freeze their hands and get their merchandise wet.

Now, folks from above have ordered them to leave the carts out in the cold. Maybe that wouldn’t be too bad, if the storage area were protected from the cold. But it isn’t.

The plastic strips have broken off in more than one place and not replaced this past summer.

What a shame that such local initiative, the results of which actually improve customer service, is forbidden.

Next, Personal PAC moves on to “Emergency Contraceptives,” more commonly know as RU-486, which it insists is not “an abortion drug” and “is safe, effective, FDA approved (underlining in the original) method of preventing pregnancy after unprotected intercourse.” It “must be taken within a limited time period to be effective, and because the sooner the better it is taken the more effective it is, it is imperative that women have quick access to the medication.

Read the proposed legislative remedies and how a Personal PAC endorsee is supposed to treat his legislative leaders here.

From chimp to blogger?

Seen at McHenry West High School pool, where a swim meet between the Woodstock Dolphins and McHenry Marlins was taking place. 

In my piece on Crystal Lake's master crystal cutter Kurt Strobach, I mentioned that I had bought one of his one-of-a-kind master pieces for her Christmas present. Here is the stunning vase. 

This is unusual.

Huntley School Board member Larry Snow—the man who blew the whistle on supporters of the last tax hike referendum—is talking about Carpentersville/Algonquin/Lake in the Hills District 300’s proposal.

It is exceedingly rare that an elected official comments on another governmental entity’s affairs. District 300 will call it "meddling." It won't matter than Snow probably knows more about the district's referendum proposal than do district officials.

Here’s what he has to say:

Many well-meaning D-158 residents emotionally advocated voting Yes for their referendum.

Residents believed leaders, administrators and board members who said their children’s education will be ruined if the referendum wasn’t approved. Residents were told they should believe “their facts,” and that an Oh-my-God financial crisis existed.

I encourage D-300’s leaders to disclose voluntarily all important financial facts and use realistic enrollment and financial projections.

To read about Snow's concerns, click here.

Blogger Bill Barr found this gem, and posted it on Illinoize, the aggregator of Illinois political blogs to which I contribute.

He points people toward the Weekly Standard article entitled, “A Congress of Mayors.”

Within the article is the following on the 8th congressional district:

The most vulnerable Democratic seat? That belongs to Melissa Bean, whose Illinois district is adjacent to Kirk’s. She defeated Republican Phil Crane with 52% of the vote in a district Bush won with 56 percent. A dozen House Democrats represent suburban districts captured by Bush last year.

Kirk believes that the outer suburbs, which he calls the “exurbs” are heavily populated by “entrepreneurs and managers who run family-owned businesses or are in sales,” Weekly Standard Executive Editor Fred Barnes writes in his January 2, 2006, issue. These folks know the frustration with dealing regularly with government regulations.

For the rest of Kirk's take on issues it will take to bring suburbs back to the GOP, click here.

Tribune columnist Eric Zorn, leading Big Media blogger in Illinois, has posted what he calls, “Bloggapalooz: 2005 The Year in Review.”

He summarized mine thusly,

Cal Skinner’s McHenry County Blog awards “The Mostests” for 2005, including the most significant story, the most over-reported and unreported stories and the “most stunning example of left-stream media bias by a reporter.”

There’s lots to ponder here from bloggers of all political stripes.

Under the heading “Preventing Unintended Pregnancy,” come the next seven questions.
The first is straight out of McHenry County.

“Reproductive freedom means that individuals must be free from governmental interference to decide for themselves when or whether to have children,” Personal PAC states to preface its question

“Do you SUPPORT the availability and accessibility of family planning services for everyone in Illinois regardless of age?”

Sounds harmless, doesn’t it?

Read about the McHenry County uproar that led to this line of questions here.

Seen on a Taylor Street pizza delivery car parked at Sam's Club in Crystal Lake:

Not all men are fools.
Some are single.

The bar where scenes for the movie "Groundhog Day," starring Bill Murray is saying, "Lights Out!" after New Year Eve's celebration. The freezer must have known what was coming, because it broke down earlier this week.

That bar is located in the basement where my Address-o-Graph machine room was when I was McHenry County Treasurer from 1966-70.

Just to the south were two old cells with dirt floors from the original 1857 McHenry County Courthouse. We used them for dead storage. Today, they contain tables.

Before it closed, I wanted to show my 8-year old the jail cells in the "new" 1887 addition, where people have been eating since the 1970's when Cliff & Bev Ganschow saved the City of Woodstock from itself by buying the old courthouse.

City officials wanted to tear it down and put up a parking lot. (Sounds like a good line for a song.)

If you are nostalgic, you can read the official history of the building, page 2 ("Pre-Trial Starters"), page 3 ("Jury Selections"), page 4 ("From Miss Demeanor's Garden"), page 5 ("Maximum Sentences"), page 6 ("Speciality Jailhouse Pizzas"), and page 7 ("Closing Arguments"). Click on the images until they become large enough to read.

If you go far enough down, you will find my pre-Christmas analysis of both the Republican and Democratic Party filings for precinct committeeman.

Bull Valley's Patrick Ouimet, who ran a race that scared $700,000 of dollars out of the pockets of supporters of appointed State Senator Pam Althoff, former McHenry Mayor, made the following comment on my Democratic Party committeeman article:

Always enjoy reading the McHenry County Blog. I was especially interested in your piece "Democratic Precinct Committeeman Filings" and the anaysis that accompaned the blog.

With repsect to the Democratic Party filings, I believe the real story is the upward trend.

To read the rest of Patrick Ouimet's insightful analysis, click here.

The next topic in the Personal PAC questionnaire is who shall pay for abortions?

The 1977 Illinois law prohibiting taxpayer-financed abortions is explained, as is the 1994 Federal court decision that required “Illinois begin paying for abortions that are medically necessary to protest a woman’s health.” (There’s that term “health” again.)

And, here’s the cost-benefit argument, part of which I once used to support abortion:

“Delaying Medicaid funding for abortion costs both taxpayers and families.”

Read more about financing abortions for the poor here.

State Treasurer and Republican gubernatorial candidate Judy Baar Topinka's Christmas card wishes, "Happy Holidays," just as does that of President George W. Bush. To see the inside, click here. "Not paid for at taxpayers' expense," appears on the back, along with "Printed with soy ink" and a recycling symbol.

From Dennis Bryne's Monday Chicago Tribune column:

At least from Democrats we now hope that some candidates recognize that Illinois needs a good scrubbing with the wire brush of citizen outrage, if there’s any left. Every day, there’s another story—or two, or three—about new cases, in both political parties, of corruption, graft, dishonesty, favoritism, abuse, cynicism, bossism and various creative felonious behaviors. More than school finance reform or a balanced budget, Illinois’ No. 1 issue is graft and corruption. It steals our money, creates flawed public policy and puts the squeeze on worthy government programs. Only in this climate would the oxymoron of “honest graft" be confused with wisdom…

Fortunately, in Illinois, we’ve got a good way to tell if it is true: Only trust candidates that disavow the bipartisan political establishment that runs this state: The Reublican and Democratic “leadership,” big business, big labor, big lawyers, big doctors and the rest of “the bigs.”

The Personal PAC questionnaire notes that 41 states—“including Illinois”—outlaw abortions after viability, except to protect the life and health of the woman.

It does not note that Doe v. Bolton, a decision handed down the same day (after reporters rushed out to report on Roe v. Wade) allows abortions until the child is born because of physical, emotional, psychological, familial and the woman’s age reasons. Doe v. Bolton is so loose that an abortion can be committed in Illinois after viability, regardless what Personal PAC asserts.

For the rest of the story, click here.

Social Conservatives Present Unified Questionnaire

It is often said that conservatives like to stand in a circle and shoot at each other.

Today, many Illinois social conservatives announced a unified questionnaire for candidates running for state office.

Included in the coalition are
· Concerned Women of America (Kathy Valente and Jill Stanek),
· Illinois Family Institute (Paul LaBarbera),
· Illinois Right To Life Committee (Mary Ann Hackett & Bill Beckman),
· Eagle Forum (Penny Pullen),
· Family-Taxpayers Foundation (Jack Roeser),
· Catholic Citizens of Illinois (Mary Anne Hackett),
· Culture Campaign (Sandy Rios & Sonja Dalton),
· Challenge Consulting (Fran Eaton), and
· One Nation Under God Foundation (Paul Caprio).

A liberal might suggest that they are the “usual suspects.”

To read a summary of the questions, click here. To read the questionnaire, click here. (Remember to click twice on the questionnaire's images so that they will be big enough to read.)

Most significant story: U.S. Attorney’s Office moving up the food chain in Mayor Richard Daley’s administration.

Second most significant story: U.S. Attorney’s Office sniffing at Governor Rod Blagojevich’s administration “business as usual.”

Story with the most impact on the General Assembly: Diane Rado’s May 18th Chicago Tribune 2,215 word front page story on the costs and benefits of SB 750, entitled “Tax proposal shifts pain.” The accompanying internet tax calculator, from which one could determine the average tax impact for any zip code in Illinois, spooked state senators enough to prevent a vote on the bill that would have increased income tax rates by 40%, providing some real estate tax relief and lots more money to schools.

Most impact on Springfield by bloggers: Spreading Diane Rado’s SB 750 tax calculator throughout Illinois.

Most over-reported Illinois story: All Kids, which plowed no new ground for children of poor families--except those here illegally--but which was given days of headline coverage.

Most unreported Illinois story: the fact that Governor Rod Blagojevich’s All Kids health care program will include illegal aliens. This is not something that should be debated after the bill becomes law. Illinois already has its Healthy Kids program for poor children legally in this country, but who are not poor enough for Medicaid. Under current federal law, people here illegally do not qualify for the 50% financial match. Thus far, I haven’t seen the Tribune, Sun-Times, Daily Herald or Associated Press cover this part of the story. My complaint is that the illegal alien aspect of the program should have been reported before the bill passed the legislature. The only papers that did so (that I can find) were the Northwest Herald out of Crystal Lake and the Quincy Herald-Whig.

Most blatant defense of a future felon: Chicago Sun-Times columnist Carol Marin’s July 31st puff piece on former Democratic Party National Committee Finance Chairman Joe Cari two days before he copped a plea on August 2nd to helping Stuart Levine in his alleged “pay to play” Downstate Teachers Retirement Fund scandal. A free link to the column is no longer available at the Sun-Times web site.

Most stunning example of Left Stream Media bias by a reporter: WTTW’s Elizabeth Brackett’s reply to Edwin Eisendrath when he said that he would not take a “no tax” hike pledge: “That would make some sense.”

“…there is little question that someone could win a breach of promise suit against Blagojevich over that ‘end business as usual’ pledge, if such lawsuits were allowed.

“You just have to wonder if voters are jaded about pledges to clean up corruption in state government. The current guy said he would and he didn’t. Now another candidate (referring to Edwin Eisendrath) steps forward and says he will do the job."

From Statehouse Insider, a Sunday column by Doug Finke of Springfield’s State Journal Register.

There are no crossing gates where the McHenry spur crosses Route 176 in Crystal Lake.

McHenry County Blog started with this question:

So, why are there railroad crossing gates for Metra’s north spur out of Crystal Lake in McHenry on Bull Valley Road but not in Crystal Lake on State Route 176?

Why do drivers on a county road get protection from the
commuter trains, while those on a state route do not?

Posted 1-1-6: Read no more. I somehow read the numbers wrong. Read this correction.

Original story follows: 484 McHenry County women had abortions last year. The year before it was 452, so abortions are up 7%.

The 2004 statistics were gathered by the Illinois Department of Public Health.

Throughout Illinois, abortions decreased from 42,228 in 2003 to 41,577 this year, a 1.5% reduction.

Statewide 3,341 women—8.75% of the total--came from out-of-state to obtain an abortion, about the same number as 2003’s 3,497 (just over 9% of the total).

The number of abortions on McHenry County is about 100 less than the number in Winnebago County, where the Northern Illinois Women's Center, operated by Dr. Richard Ragsdale until his death last year, is located. the similarity in numbers may indicate that McHenry County could be a target for a future abortion clinic.

A charter meeting of the McHenry County Young Republicans will be held Wednesday night at 7 at the Pizza Hut in Woodstock.

As a former President of the YR’s in the late1960’s, I urge young people aged 18 to 39 to attend. Before he was McHenry County Auditor and State Senator, Jack Schaffer passed me the baton when he went to Germany to serve in the Armed Forces.

This gathering was called by Republican State Central Committeeman Bill Dam, who told McHenry County Blog,
“The future of the Republican Party depends on active involvement of young leaders.”
Dr. Dam said that he wanted to leave the party in good shape when he left office next spring after the primary.

To read the thoughts of some of the organizers of the new YR group and why Dr. Dam is not running for re-election as State Central Committeeman, click here.

“…it is nearly certain that Roe v. Wade will be overturned prior to June 2006…” Terry Cosgrove, President & CEO of the effective pro-abortion Personal PAC, predicts in his cover letter to this year’s legislative questionnaire.

“It’s the same message the abortion lobby is giving out to its fund raising list. Rumors of the death of Roe v. Wade are regrettably premature, but useful for building hysteria among the edict’s devotees,” observed former State Rep. Penny Pullen, whom was beaten by Personal PAC in the 1992 primary election and now runs the pro-life organization Life Advocacy.

Personal PAC’s questionnaire, due today, is nothing, if not comprehensive. It is reproduced here and multi-part analysis begins below.

The first paragraph of the pro-abortion Personal PAC’s questionnaire’s cover letter sets the stage for the surface agenda of the political action committee:

“Personal PAC, a non-partisan statewide political action committee, is dedicated to supporting candidates for state, county, and local office who believe that decisions about birth control and abortion are profoundly private and personal matters. These decisions must be made by women, I consultation with their physicians, in accordance with their own religious and personal beliefs without government interference.”

For more about questions Personal PAC under the heading, “Protecting the Lives and Health of Illinois Women,” click here.

This being the day after Christmas, some of you grinches probably think this message is about yesterday. It's not. It's on the back of my brother-in-law's Disney World Tower of Terror tee shirt. He said he went once and that was enough.

There might be a fourth museum in McHenry County’s Union, Illinois.

Already located there are the
· Illinois Railroad Museum,
· McHenry County Historical Museum, and
· Seven Acres Antique Village and Museum.

Now, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports that one possible site for the Kenosha Military Museum founded by Mark Sonday of Antioch in 1986 is 30 acres next to the Railroad Museum in Union.

The other possibilities are Yorkville, Wisconsin, and an undisclosed Illinois site.

15,000 to 20,000 visit the current museum, mainly in the summer.

The museum is being forced to relocate because of a 2003 Tax Increment Financing (TIF) district condemnation of its property by local Pleasant Prairie officials

Most people in the private sector no longer have “defined benefit” retirement programs. Those in the public sector in Illinois do. In a “defined benefit” program, one gets a pension that is predicted before one retires.

Most in the private sector have a “defined contribution” plan. In it, the employer does not promise to give you so much money each month after your retire. The reporter gives you so much per pay period while you are working and you are on your own after you retire. Often, such “defined contribution” plans are combined with employer-matched retirement plans, such as, a 401(k) plan.

Read what the SEIU thinks of defined contribution plans here.

“This list reads like a Who’s Who of shady Illinois politics.”

What a lead Wisconsin State Journal reporter Phil Brinkman has written for his article detailing some of the flow of campaign contributions from Illinois residents to Wisconsin politicians. In an Illinois context, the $23,000 since 2003 is not big money, but it was big enough to be the front page story in the Madison paper on Christmas Eve day.

McHenry County Blog wrote of this flow and listed every contributor almost a month ago.

Of ten identified by the Wisconsin Democracy Group, only four are the featured by the paper:

· Multi-indictee Stuart Levine, Illinois Democratic Governor Rod Blagojevich appointee to the Illinois Health Facilities Board and the Downstate Teachers Retirement Fund,
· indictee Nick Hurtgen, former Wisconsin Republican Governor Tommy Thompson assistant, indicted with Levine for alleged participating in hospital shake-downs,
· admitted felon and National Democratic Party finance chairman Joe Cari, and
· Republican National Committeeman Bob Kjellander, who has not been accused of any wrong-doing, but is a favorite whipping boy because he received a commission of over $900,000 out of Blagojevich’s $10 billion bond borrowing for a role his employer told regulating authorities did not include contacting the Blagojevich administration, plus several million dollars commission for introducing those wishing investments to the Downstate Teachers Retirement Fund.

“These are really some creepy people,” the paper quotes Mike McCabe, executive director of Wisconsin Democracy Group. “They obviously think Wisconsin is ripe for the picking.”

Alexandra in a Christmas stocking, Thanksgiving, 1985.

Did you ever get a message from God?

This fall, I did.

I was preparing to participate in a four-day interdenominational religious retreat at Woodstock's Resurrection Center called the “Walk to Emmaus.” I was to give a talk on the “priesthood of all believers,” the concept that all Christians are to be the hands and feet of Jesus.

After team members heard my first version of the talk, they told me that I needed more examples of how those attending could perform such service, plus some background about the my divorce.

So, on the next Monday I was sitting at the computer revising my talk. I had fleshed out the beginning so that folks might be able to tell that I was in contentious divorce proceedings. I was sitting there searching my brain for examples of how anyone could be a priest to others.

And, the door bell rang.

For the rest of the story, click here.

There is a Christmas angle, but this is really an Easter film.

The fawn Thomas first notes to Lucy that Christmas has not been celebrated for a hundred years, ever since the White Witch has been in ascendency.

Although not by name, Father Christmas makes an appearance. He gives the four children in "Narnia" presents, noting that now that the evil White Witch was on the defensive, Christmas can return.

But it is the resurrection of Aslan, after which he leads his followers to victory over the forces of evil, is the highlight of the movie.

This movie affected me more emotionally than did the "Passion of the Christ." My bride found that strange, but, when one considers that Jesus makes his most powerful points telling stories, perhaps it is not as strange as she thinks.

Worn by a woman at the McHenry West High School pool watching a swim meet between the McHenry Marlins and the Woodstock Dolphins.

And, now for our 22,000 home care workers in Local 880, “…many of them have no health insurance coverage.”

“Would you join with SEIU” to pay for “affordable, quality health insurance for home care and their families?”

Currently, the annual cost of insurance for a $20,000 state employees is $6,876, according to Department of Central Management Services spokesman, according to an email from Office of Management & Budget spokeswoman Becky Carroll.

See cost estimates for some of the SEIU legislative initiatives here.

Seen on a child during a two hour wait to see Santa at Spring Hill Mall in West Dundee.

Before my parents died, there were never any boy grandchildren. All were girls.

For as long as I can remember, Dad lobbied for one of the granddaughters to be named “Calvina.”

It was obvious that Dad did not like the name “Calvin.” He always went by “Cal.” Same with me.

But, every time one of my sisters got pregnant, out came the “Calvina” naming request.

For the rest of the story, click here.

With a salutation of "Dear Cal Skinner," gubernatorial candidate Bill Brady emailed Christmas grettings to his list. Here it is:

Christmas is a joyous season, a time of celebrating with friends and family, a time for renewal and reflection. It is an opportunity to once again remember the Christmas message of Peace on Earth and Good Will Toward Men.

For the rest of the story, click here.

While the dominant Republican Party managed to find precinct committeeman candidates for only 64.5% of the McHenry County’s 200 precincts, Democrats success in recruiting candidates was less than half as successful--26.5%.

For the precincts, names and address of the Democratic Party candidates, plus some analysis and thoughts on why there are so many empty precincts in both parties, click here.

While other candidates for congress were spending campaign money to reach 8th congressional district voters, Congresswoman Melissa Bean let the voters pay for her mailing.

If this looks like a campaign piece, maybe it's because it is.

Members of Congress are allowed to "frank" mailings to their constituents. "Franking" means that U.S. Postage is free because she has signed her name where the postage would otherwise be.

Those of us in Congressman Donald Manzullo's district remember his pledge not send taxpayer-financed newsletters to constituents, if he were elected. He has kept that pledge.Newsletters at that time were pretty plain.

They were black and white or blue and white and looked like a newsletter, not a campaign piece.This one went to at least Republicans, a subgroup some of whose support she must have to win re-election.To see the rest of Congresswoman Bean's mailing, click here. 

This is Teresa Bartels "introduction" piece. She labels herself an "independent conservative," an "independent Republican"and says that she is "The STRONGEST Republican to DEFEAT Democrat Melissa Bean."

For the rest of the content of this 17 by 11 inch piece, click here.

Just got a copy of this 17 by 8 inch tri-fold. (The white in President Reagan's hair is misplaced White Out. For the rest of the pamphlet, click here.

This piece is designed to associate congressional candidate Dave McSweeney with former President Ronald Reagan and former U.S. Senator Peter Fitzgerald. A Mike Ditka endorsement is included.

The SEIU must have some members at state universities because the next question, on page 3, notes that this year’s state budget did not include an increase in the higher education portions. (Of course, Governor Rod Blagojevich’s name is not mentioned as approving that budget. Neither is it pointed out that the Democrats control both houses of the General Assembly. Details. Details. Irrelevant, inconvenient details.)

Obviously, the union has members working for the tollway. It asks whether legislators would support House Bill 610, which would provide 870 employees for “the ‘alternative’ state pension formula.” That’s because of the “extremely high (rate of injuries and fatalities) due to their performance of their job duties in the high speed traffic areas around the toll booths.”

Note that the fiscal implications or even an understandable explanation of the bill is missing.

To find out how much some of the SEIU proposals would cost, click here.

So, I’m in the parking lot at the Crystal Lake Jewell and see this little blue Ford station wagon with Wisconsin plates.

First I notice the center bumper sticker:

Militant Agnostic
I don’t know and you don’t either

Next I spot the one, appropriately on the left side of the bumper:

Kerry Edwards
A Stronger America

On the right is one that says

Peace Monger

with a peace symbol in the “O.”

And there was also an oval sticker with a “GB” in it on the back window. I think that means the owner has some affinity with Great Britain.

And the license plate?

QIK SLVR

It appears that the internet is going to be the communications tool of choice this year.

An indication of that is requests from both the Kathy Salvi and Jim Oberweis campaigns for email addresses of friends, both of which arrived today.

That’s undoubtedly because the internet is certainly the cheapest way to communicate.

I think of the days when my father published the Public Affairs Review and its successor, The Star Reporter. Whether monthly or weekly, such printed publications took so much more time that it takes to type and post an internet story.

For the rest of the story on Oberweis, click here.

In a Christmas letter to those for whom she has email addresses, congressional candidate Kathy Salvi sent the following. She encourages people to utilize her web site's "Ask Kathy" feature.

December 22, 2005

Dear Friends and fellow Republicans,

I want to take this time before the holidays to introduce myself and wish all of you and yours a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

To read the rest of the letter, click here.

Here is a press release from the congressional campaign of State Rep. Bob Churchill:

Grayslake, IL (Dec. 22, 2005) – Robert W. Churchill, Republican candidate for Congress in Illinois’ eighth district announced today that he has retained BrabenderCox, a nationally-recognized GOP media firm from Washington, DC.

BrabenderCox, who will handle Churchill’s media campaign, including television, direct mail, radio and web advertising, has gained national exposure for their unconventional approach to political advertising, earning a reputation for developing cutting-edge creative work. During the last four election cycles, BrabenderCox has been honored with more awards for creative excellence than any other political media firm in the country, and has made winning some of the toughest races in the country their specialty.

For the rest of the press release, click here.

Linked to this article are the precincts, names and addresses of those who have filed for Republican precinct committeeman in McHenry County. The Democrats will be posted tomorrow.

35.5% of the county’s precincts have no Republican candidates. 64.5% filing is certainly better than the 41% on the ballot as of the Wednesday before last, but it certainly is a poor showing.

Read where party activity is most sparse and what the three precincts with contests by clicking here.

Besides the cover letter and a page for candidate contact information, there are nine pages in the Service Employees International Union questionnaire for state legislative candidates.

The first part of the SEIU questionnaire starts with a hot-button issue for public employees—privatization.

For the details about this subject's question, plus organizing hospitals and tax hikes, click here. Remember, if you click on the images of the questionnaire pages, they will get larger, even large enough to read.

“I think for the moment she’s safe.”

From ABC Channel 7’s political reporter Andy Shaw during a discussion Tuesday of U.S. Representative Melissa Bean’s chances of winning a second term.

Shaw had explained on WBEZ-FM, Chicago’s public radio station, that national Democrats had allowed Bean to vote with Republicans on key issues.

The only Republican whose name was mentioned was Kathy Salvi—as the wife of former state legislator Al Salvi.

Republican gubernatorial candidate Ron Gidwitz and his choice for lieutenant governor weighed in with a December 12th letter, which reached my mailbox today.

The letter from both of them asserts, “This move dramatically alters the dynamics of the Republican Governor’s race. We will challenge the status quo with a platform for renewal and reform in the state Republican Party and Illinois state government.

“We are the ticket of leadership, the ticket for change and our Party’s best hope for victory in November,” it continues.

For the rest of the story, click here.

Nine pages, plus a cover letter. From a union claiming 160,000 members and maybe tens of thousands to come (day care workers) because of a stroke of Governor Rod Blagojevich's pen.

We’re big and we’re tough and, especially, if you’re a Democrat, you &#*XXX-well! better answer our questionnaire with replies we want to see.

Instead of all the questions, the union just could ask:

Are you willing to become a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Service Employees International Union?

Oh, by the way. Send your first born for security.

If you want to see the kind of torture that Democratic Party candidates have to endure from Governor Rod Blagojevich’s largest contributor, you can find the whole questionnaire here. Remember that you can make the images larger by clicking on them.

For the rest of the story, click here.

On Monday's Chicago Tonight, newly announced Democratic Party gubernatorial candidate Edwin Eisendrath was interviewed.

Among his comments were the following:

Noting the trial of former Republican Party Governor George Ryan was taking place, he said, "...and now the Republicans are running to clean up corruption. That shows you how bad it is (with current Governor Rod Blagojevich)".

"I won't take a 'No Tax' pledge."

Interviewer Elizabeth Brackett added, "That would make some sense."

And, on Blagojevich's All Kids health care plan, "The bill was shorter than the press release."

There was no question about its illegal alien eligibility aspect.

Citizens to Elect Aaron Shepley was on the agenda of the Illinois State Board of Elections today in Chicago.

The committee filed a Statement of Nonparticipation on March 12 last year, but made a $250 contribution to Nick Kachiroubas, who ran unsuccessfully for re-election to the McHenry County College Board.

Crystal Lake’s Mayor was cited for the infraction and fined $100. Committee treasurer Dennis Adams appealed, pointing that he didn’t realize that the pre-election report had to be filed if a contribution were made to a candidate.

Hearing officer Sharon Steward recommendation:

I recommend that the appeal be denied for lack of an adequate defense. As a first violation, the penalty is stayed.

The Board of Elections concurred with its hearing officer.

A press release from the Salvi campaign:

Mundelein, Illinois- Kathy Salvi, Republican candidate for Illinois' 8th Congressional District questions why current Democratic Congresswoman Melissa Bean voted against the deficit reduction bill that will claim savings of $39.7 billion, or 2.5% of our current US deficit.

"Congresswoman Bean claims to be a moderate who accurately represents the 8th district yet time and again she has proven to be a big spending liberal. She continues to vote against the interests of the families of the 8th District with wasteful spending."

"One of the problems the people of Illinois ' 8th Congressional District have with the government is that there is too much of it. We want taxing and spending to be reduced. This bill is a great start to future cuts that should be put in place and that I hope to actively lead the fight for in Congress."

Kathy Salvi is an attorney and conservative activist who lives in Mundelein with her husband, Al, and their six children. She will focus on issues that are important to the families of Illinois ' 8th District including fighting taxes, controlling spending, traffic gridlock, the war on terror, and upholding conservative values.

Democratic Party gubernatorial challenger Edwin Esiendrath wants to debate the incumbent.

That’s what he told Springfield’s State Journal-Register.

“Doug Scofield, spokesman for the (Rod) Blagojevich campaign, said debates before the primary are ‘something that we would consider’ but added the governor is ‘focusing on keeping his promises to working families,’” the Journal-Register reports.

Don’t get your hopes up, Mr. Eisendrath.

When I met the conditions set by the Illinois League of Women Voters, Blagojevich and Jim Ryan conspired to accept other debates where the sponsors would not include a Libertarian Party candidate who had gotten the L of WV-required 5% in an independent poll (the Daily Southtown’s).

Perhaps you should think of rolling out a Chicken costume like my campaign did. Of course, yours can’t be as colorful because it won’t have two heads.

The Illinois State Board of Elections fined the campaign fund of State Rep. Jack Franks $860 for campaign reporting violations today.

The fine could have been ten times that amount, but the Board decided to exercise its discretion and lower it by 90%, the maximum reduction allowed by law.

The recommended $8,600 fine would have been for the entire amount of the contributions for which public disclosure was late.

The contributions reported in an untimely fashion follow:

Reported late are contributions from

· Local 504 Lake County Federation of Teachers-COPE - $1,000 ($21,000 since 1999.)
· Illinois Pipe Trades Advancement & Promotion - $1,000
· Exelon PAC - $1,000
· Fred Eychaner (President of Newsweb Corp, who had given politicians $2.9 million since 1994) - $600 and
· Comcast - $1,000

Franks has reported raising over $1.6 million since he began his political career in 1997.

Franks probably is not too unhappy today. Not only was the fine substantially lower than the amount recommended by the Board’s staff, but he has no Republican opponent.

The McHenry County Republican Party could not find anyone to challenge him this year. While the GOP could put someone on the ballot later, not having an opponent at this point in the political cycle is likely to have brought a smile to Franks’ face.

At the pre-Thanksgiving Illinois Libertarian Party convention in Springfield, there were three seminars that may be a precursor to a more grass roots’ approach to politics. I attended one, spoke at another, but missed a third on building coalitions.

Deciding not to run a statewide slate of candidates, the three seminars nevertheless offered advice on how to make Libertarians (or anyone else) more dangerous.

The notes that I took from the session featuring Julie Fox, who recently resigned from the Dundee Township Library Board to move to Wisconsin, Rockford School Board member David Kelley and his wife, Rock Valley College Board member Kathy Kelley can be found here.

From Sunday’s Chicago Sun-Times:

…State Rep. Monique Davis (D-Chicago)(‘s) crusad(e) to keep a $300,000 program open at Chicago State looks to be…a politician’s blatant abuse of power."

It complains about the “…11^th hour funding for the “Student Financial Assistance Outreach Center…headed by Arnold Jordan, whom Davis has publicly identified as her love interest...that…provides the same services as the financial aid office…at…Chicago State.

“After all of the recent hiring and contact scandals, Davis should know better.”

Associated Press reporter Mike Robinson reports today that former chief of staff Mike Tristano is cooperating with the U.S. Attorney’s office.

Tristano served as Daniel’s head man during most of the 1990’s, steppi