McHenry County Blog

 

This tyke is a younger brother of McHenry Marlins swim team members. 

Since you will be able to read elsewhere which Republican gubernatorial candidates have spent and have in the bank, this article attempts to identify the largest contributors outside of the candidate himself.

This could be important, based on who Jim Ryan’s largest contributor in 2002.

Remember who that was?

It was Jim Ryan’s law school study buddy Stuart Levine. You remember, the guy who has been indicted multiple times by U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald because of alleged kickbacks for the approval of Mercy’s Crystal Lake hospital and for getting Downstate Teachers Retirement Pension System investments.

And, that was as a result of appointments made by Democrat Governor Rod Blagojevich. In July, the Governor re-gifted $4,267 to the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation that appointee Stuart Levine had given his campaign.

So, here are the heaviest unrelated hitters for this year’s GOP candidates:

Bill Brady - Kimball Hill Homes - $100,000
Ron Gidwitz – None over $5,000 found without the last name of Gidwitz [Opps- My eyes must have been glazing over last night. Today a reader pointed out the $50,000 contribution from Molex CEO Federick Krehbiel.]
Andy Martin – Not reported electronically.
Jim Oberweis – $175,100 from Jack Roeser’s Family Taxpayers Network
Judy Topinka – $25,000 from both Jim Edgar’s and Cong. Ray LaHood’s PACs

When Illinois politicians get in trouble with the U.S. Attorney’s Office, they pay for legal fees out of their campaign funds.

The last half of 2005, Governor Rod Blagojevich joined the crowd of Republicans who done so…to the tune of $47,038. And most went to the same people now defending former Governor George Ryan on corruption charges—Winston & Strawn.

How many pages of photo copies will $6,930.12 buy?

That’s how much was paid Monico Pavich & Spevack, Attorneys at Law, in July for copies of a lot of something.

The law firm of Robbins Schwartz Nicholas Lifton & Tay received $6,040 in August, September and October. That’s really not very much, but could be the tip of an iceburg.

The biggest check, however, when to Jim Thompson’s and Dan Webb’s law firm on the very last day of 2005. It received $34,068.38.

Here’s the press release just received from State Rep. Robert Churchill, one of now six candidates for the 8th congressional district GOP nomination:

Churchill Introduces School Safety Legislation

SPRINGFIELD – State Representative Robert W. Churchill is seeking to provide greater safety to children, teachers and school administrators by prohibiting BB guns on school property. House Bill 4391 creates a Class A misdemeanor for bringing or possessing a BB gun on school property. “Guns have no place at school,” Churchill said. “We have long outlawed firearms on school property and I believe we need to enhance school safety by prohibiting BB guns from schools.”

To read the rest of the press release, click here.

Teresa Bartels, who, with her husband Chuck, built a thriving personnel placement through Manpower franchises in Lake and McHenry Counties, has announced her withdrawal from the 8th congressional district Republican primary.

According to her press release, Bartels is doing so because of her inability to compete with her opponents’ money and well-known political names. She also said she had a desire to be fair and considerate to her 350 volunteers and nearly 1,000 donors.

Bartels says she does “not feel it is practical to compete with the $1 million or more some of the other candidates are willing to spend.” But she added,

Let me be clear that I am not criticizing my opponents for spending their own money to pursue elected office. This is America, and our laws protect free speech-including the right to spend personal funds for political speech. But I have told my family that putting up to a million dollars into this race just isn’t right for me at this time.

Already, opponent Barrington Hills resident David McSweeney reported putting just under $1 million in his campaign, as of the beginning of 2006. Kathy Salvi has indicated a willingness to spend a similar amount, if necessary.

State Representative Robert Churchill has strong name identification running as far back to his 1980 candidacy for Republican National Convention Delegate pledged to John B. Anderson, plus his ten terms in the Illinois General Assembly and his run for the GOP nomination for Secretary of State against former State Rep. Al Salvi.

Salvi’s wife Kathy has benefited from his name identification, as well as that of her brothers-in-law Tom Salvi, who got 48% running against incumbent State Rep. Jack Franks in 2000, and Mike Salvi, who unsuccessfully faced off against State Rep. Verna Clayton in the late 1990’s GOP primary.

Salvi, issued the following reaction statement:
Teresa waged a strong campaign for the values we share - lower taxes, reduced spending and commitment to pro-life and pro-family values. I was honored to share the stage with her at public forums where she helped demonstrate how a strong conservative woman can defeat Melissa Bean. I've seen my share of heartbreaks and I know this has been a tough decision. I send my best wishes to Teresa and her family."

Bartels filed a withdrawal of candidacy notice today with the Illinois State Board of Elections. Since the statutory deadline for withdrawal was January 19th, her request will be considered “pending board approval” until the board meets on Feb. 3rd.

An organization statement for the Citizens for District 200 has been filed with the State Board of Elections. That usually is a sign that fund raising has begun for a school referendum committee.

Officers of the new political action committee are Woodstock residents Luke Lohmeyer and Robert W Thurow, both listed as “Chairman.”

Strangely, the following also appears:

There are no Propositions connected to this committee.

When you spent twice as much as you raise in a campaign, odds are good that you cannot win the contest.

That’s what gubernatorial candidate Steve Rauschenberger did the last half of 2006. His spending exceeded his income by so much that Rauschenberger could not continue on his 2006 quest for the Governor’s Mansion.

And, it’s really worse than it looks, because Ron Gidwitz, the man whose candidacy he joined after dropping back to the lieutenant governor position, provided about 10% of Rauschenberger’s total campaign income—over $40,000.

Gubernatorial and, then, lieutenant governor candidate Steve Rauschenberger managed to raise $415,452 during the last half of 2005. He spent $803,580.34. Approximately 11% of that total went to consultant Dan Proft’s firm Urguhart. Starting with $548,000, he ended the year with $148,000.

While not independently wealthy, Rauschenberger did contribute $25,000 to his campaign. It appears to be his largest contributor, except for Gidwitz’.

Sen. Bill Brady, Republican candidate for Governor, today launched the first of his 2006 television campaign commercials with a 30-second ad highlighting his business and legislative background and his pledge to reduce taxes for Illinois citizens and businesses.

Here is the TV ad’s text:

I’m Bill Brady.
I build homes that make it tough on termites. Now, I’m running for governor to make it really tough on taxes.
As a mainstream conservative in the State Senate, I’ve never been afraid to say “no” to taxes and “yes” to families, to schools to safer streets and better roads. We can keep taxes from destroying our lives. What we need is leadership.

Announcer: Bill Brady. Republican. A new generation, a new type of Governor.
Brady is just the second candidate in the Republican gubernatorial primary to air television spots.

The commercial, which will air on television and cable stations throughout Illinois, was produced by veteran campaign communications experts Sandler-Innocenzi of Alexandria, Va. It also is available online at Brady’s campaign website, www.bradyforgovernor2006.com.

Brady has pledged to veto any increase the income or sales tax and to work for property tax relief. He has introduced legislation to repeal the 300 anti-business Blagojevich tax and fee increases and to repeal the state sales tax on motor fuel.

Jim Edgar has over $1 million left in his political action committee. This past six months he gave Judy Topinka and the SIU Foundation $25,000 apiece. SIU got its money the beginning of November, but Topinka had to wait until after Christman.

His only other major expenditure was $10,000 to Frontline Media Strategies.

She’s not the first to have taken massive sums from her campaign fund when she closed it. But the $104,259.68 check written from former Republican Senator Kay Wocjik political action committee on October 30th is a big one.

She was grand-mothered in when the last “ethics” bill was passed in the fall of 2003. The new rules restrict PAC funds from being "cashed out" by candidates up to the amount reported in that particular political fund as of June 30, 1998.

Wojcik had $104,259.68 on that date, according to her State Board of Elections report.

She follows the example of Republican Doris Karpiel, the woman she replaced in the State Senate. After Karpiel resigned to take a post with the Illinois Pollution Control Board, the former state senator wrote a check to herself for $24,153.17, the amount her political action committee had in the bank in mid-1998.

Politicians who take payments from their campaign funds are responsible for paying state and federal income taxes on the money.

8th congressional district Republican candidate Ken Arnold takes on the Chicago Tribune's energy question below.

2. Oil, gasoline and natural gas prices increased last year, largely because of higher demand consider energy legislation next year, with a debate on how to increase consider energy legislation next year, with a debate on how to increase supply and conserve resources. Please give us your ideas.

To be publicly announced the week of January 16th, Ken Arnold already has initiated two, original and creative solutions to this area of our energy security. And he is committed to not only working to bring down the cost due to pinched supplies – but ensuring steady supplies for our economic and national security.

Ken’s first proposal is called The Railroad Right of Way Act of 2007. It is a means of ensuring that the heritage of thousands of miles of abandoned railroad right-of-ways are properly deployed for the public good in not only energy transportation matters – but also communication matters within our country.

Ken’s second proposal is called The Energy and Production Reservation Act of 2007 (EPRA). This proposal is particularly creative in that it marries the need for increasing and enhancing our energy production with the need to provide employment and good paying jobs to our very own American Indian Nations!

Both of these proposals are attached. And they offer insights at how much candidate Ken Arnold has pondered these issues and how creative and unique he can be in solving them.

I continue to be astounded that there have not been major articles revealing that Governor Rod Blagojevich’s new All Kids health care program has children who are in the country illegally as its primary beneficiary.

Today, the Daily Courier-News ran an article yesterday headlined, “Immigrants to get medical help.”

As the Courier-News reports,

Only legal immigrants can receive benefits from most of the agencies governed by the Office of New Americans. But a few offer programs — such as the AllKids state health insurance plan and English language classes in public schools — also serve illegal immigrants, and that fact concerns State Sen. Chris Lauzen, R-Aurora.

The Courier-News also wrote a scathing editorial on the subject early last December.

So far, a similar headline has not appeared in the state’s three largest newspapers, although the information did sneak into an Associated Press article and the Daily Herald last week.

8th district Republican congressional candidate Robert Churchill answers the Chicago Tribune's second question below.

2. Oil, gasoline and natural gas prices increased last year, largely because of higher demand around the world and supply disruptions at home. Congress is likely to consider energy legislation next year, with a debate on how to increase supply and conserve resources. Please give us your ideas.

Allow drilling in ANWR. If Alaska is the size of a football field, then ANWR is the size of a briefcase lying on the field, and the proposed drilling area is the size of a postage stamp. We must be prepared for the future when the world supply of oil begins to decrease. Current law also prevents the exploration for oil in many other areas: eastern Gulf of Mexico, outer continental shelf, and in the Rocky Mountains. Restrictive leases for drilling on government owned land also must be reviewed.

Currently, converting the existing oil to gasoline is a major problem. We have not built a new refinery in this country in decades. When we abandon a large military base in a remote location we should build a new refinery in that area. Modern technology can build a clean, efficient refinery, and the obstacles that are preventing this from happening must be removed.

As a society we consume energy with little regard to the detrimental effect this is having on the world around us. We must learn to conserve energy in our daily lives. Such societal changes are not often solved by more legislation. Smaller, more fuel efficient vehicles that use alternative fuels, weatherization of residential and commercial buildings and increased use of public transportation all are examples of changes that can and should be implemented.

Here is 8th congressional district Republican candidate Kathy Salvi's answer to the third question of the Chicago Tribune questionnaire.

The federal government ran a deficit of about $300 billion last year, and the national debt stands at more than $8 trillion. Leaders in the House and Senate came close to agreement late in 2005 on nearly $40 billion in reductions in federal spending over five years. At that, entitlement spending would still grow at an annual rate of 5.2 percent. How would you move the government closer to a balanced budget? Would you rescind tax cuts? Would you reduce entitlement spending? Please be specific.

My answer

The Bush tax cuts raised revenues to the federal government by reinvigorating the economy. I would not support an attempt to rescind the Bush tax cuts. Raising taxes would harm the economy, throw people out of work and in short be a major mistake.

I would support an across the board limit on the growth in spending for all discretionary matters. The recent spending reduction you highlight is a starting point. I would also support significant reductions of government departments and agencies such as HUD and NEA. These functions can be converted to block grants to the states and could be significantly reduced as well.

I also favor a dramatic curtailing of earmarks which have been the fuel for massive pork barrel spending increases and have contributed to the culture of deal making and challenged ethics that have been such a problem in Washington and Illinois. Over the course of this campaign, each candidate, including myself, will need to outline spending reductions and methods to curtail the growth of the federal government.

I hit the mother lode of “peace” bumper stickers outside Sam’s Club yesterday.

There were eight on the back of a Toyota Highlander.

On the back window, next to a drawing of Einstein, was

Peace Cannot
Be Kept by Force
It Can Only Be Achieved
By Understanding

Beneath it was

The Best Things In
Life Aren’t Things

Next to a dove was

Let Peace
Begin
With Me

To its right was

MAY
PEACE
PREVAIL
ON EARTH

To the right of the license plate was the peace symbol.
Just below the window on the right appeared

Create Peace

A dove was between the two words.

Below that was

Another Family
for Peace

Beneath the license place appeared

MEAN PEOPLE SUCK

And, bottom center was

If you’re not outraged,
you’re not paying attention

# posted by Cal Skinner : 11:28 PM  0 comments

Ken Arnold, one of the candidates for the Republican nomination for Congress in the 8th district has allowed McHenry County Blog to publish his answers to the Chicago Tribune's questionnaire. Here is his answer to the first quesiton on health care, a speciality of his. He is a Certified Employee Benefits Specialist.

1. Health care costs continue to outpace general inflation and millions of Americans go without health insurance, either by choice or out of necessity. How should Congress address the issues of health care access and affordability? Please be specific.

COST and QUALITY are the two keys to both our national healthcare system and the insurance marketplace that is dependent upon it (this includes Medicaid and Medicare, too). If we increase quality (e.g. lower mortality, lesser complications, better coordination between providers, etc.) we lower cost. And if we increase the administrative efficiencies of the system, we lower cost. With materially lower costs in the system, we will thereby greatly enhance the access and affordability of healthcare. More employers and private citizens will be able to participate in such coverages because affordability will be greatly enhanced. And more employers and more insurance companies will offer coverages to a wider market because there will be increased demand by such increase in affordability. But how do we do this?

Candidate Ken Arnold, over a decade ago, showed the way by proposing and submitting to then Congressman Phil Crane his “Consumer Healthcare Information Program” (CHIP). [See attached]. This program FINALLY makes the healthcare system a free market (it has not been previously). It allows consumers to have cost and quality data (via mortality and cost statistics) on every healthcare provider. By having such consumer information, consumers themselves can discipline the marketplace to these desirable ends – rewarding high quality/low cost providers and driving out of the marketplace low quality/high cost providers.

In addition to the above creative initiative developed by Ken, he has also more recently developed the Prescription Equality Act of 2007 (PEA). [See attached] This program simply, and thereby eloquently, well addresses the current high cost of drugs in the U.S. while simultaneously addressing the issues of Canadian drug re-importation and America’s sense of fairness among all countries of the world.

Ken Arnold is the ONLY candidate on both sides of this 8th District race (and for that matter, all of Congress) who is a Certified Employee Benefits Specialist (CEBS) and has designed, administered, and managed both healthcare and retirement income plans. These programs comprise over half of the entire Federal budget. Isn’t it about time we send to Washington SOMEBODY who knows by education and experience what they’re talking about in these areas in current crises?

The biggest news in today’s Tribune article was that there are not two, but three millionaires running for the Republican nomination to opposed Melissa Bean.

It is obvious that David McSweeney has money to burn. He sent out a press release saying that he had spent just short of $1 million, as of the end of the year.

And, given that Al Salvi spent some good bucks from the family till on two statewide races, it stands to reason that there might be more where that came from.

The surprise to me was that Teresa Bartels and her husband have parlayed Manpower franchises into the Millionaires’ Club. (No, I’m not talking about the tacky restaurant that used to…and may still be...just west of Michigan Avenue.)

The other item I found of interest was that the rabidly pro-abortion Emily’s List has provided about 40% of Democratic Party congresswoman Melissa Bean’s campaign cash.

8th congressional district Republican primary candidate Robert Churchill has agreed to allow McHenry County Blog publish his replies to the Chicago Tribune questionnaire. Below is his answer to the health question and points out that illegal immigrants make up the bulk of those who are uninsured.

1. Health care costs continue to outpace general inflation and millions of Americans go without health insurance, either by choice or out of necessity. How should Congress address the issues of health care access and affordability? Please be specific.

Today there are 45 million Americans without health insurance. Over 50% of these individuals are small business owners and their employees and families. While large businesses can use their purchasing power to get better deals from insurance companies, smaller firms often find that coverage is priced beyond their reach. To give small employers and their workers more purchasing power, I support allowing small businesses to band together to form Association Health Plans (AHPs) and negotiate on behalf of their employees and families.

I also support AHP expansion so that people who purchase coverage on their own can buy health insurance from a group other than an employer. This would allow civic and charitable groups, churches, and other types of organizations to offer health insurance to their members.

Today it is easy to use the internet or toll-free numbers to shop for products and services. But different rules apply to health insurance. Consumers can only purchase health insurance in the state in which they live, and cannot shop around for a better deal in another state. I support giving people the freedom to shop across state lines to find the best rates for their health coverage. This would also permit individuals to avoid the high-cost umbrella health plans favored by the Democrats in Illinois and to purchase plans that meet their specific needs.

Of the remaining individuals without health insurance, an overwhelming majority are foreign born. Instead of spending billions of our tax dollars to provide free health coverage to illegal immigrants, we should address the problem of illegal immigration.

McHenry County Blog has submitted Freedom of Information requests asking Carpentersville District 300 to reveal which among a list of companies that have made contributions to its political action committees have been paid for District 300 work.

The purpose was to determine whether evidence of a “pay to play” relationship might exist among those financing campaigns to extract additional property tax dollars from district real estate owners.

Some are obvious:

Burnidge Cassell & Associates, Inc., has photographs of Lincoln Prairie Elementary School in Lake in the Hills, Carpentersville’s Liberty Elementary School,
its Carpentersville Middle School Remodeling,
says Dundee and Algonquin Middle School re-modeling is “coming soon,” and Dundee-Crown and Jacobs High School
Addition & Remodeling of District 300 schools.

Lamp, Inc., lists District 300 as a client.

Turner Construction says it provided construction management services for the following District 300 schools: Eastview, Huntley/Miller, Algonquin Lakes, and Lake in the Hills Elementary.

While requesting that the information be provided without cost, the FOI letter puts it more delicately than what statewide media say about Governor Rod Blagojevich’s receiving contributions from companies who receive state contracts:

Because this request and your response will result in an internet article or articles on McHenry County Blog, I request that any fees be waived in the public interest, that public interest being that citizens should know of any connection between District 300 expenditures and campaign contributions made to committees supporting tax increases or the passage of bond issues prior to the March primary election.

The campaign check writing companies—some of whom reveal the business they do with District 300 on their web sites--follow:

· Burnidge Cassell & Associates, Inc., Elgin (Click here, and here,too. 1/30/02 - $10,000, 2/14/02 - $1,613, 1/21/03 - $5,000
· Carey Electric, McHenry 2/28/02 - $1,000
· Cruise Boiler & Repair, Elmhurst 3/26/02 - $500
· Elgin Roofing, Elgin 3/04/02 - $300
· First American Bank, Elk Grove Village 12/26/03 - $845
· Freund International, Huntley 3/25/02 - $250
· Hawks Auto Parts, Elgin 3/01/02 - $200
· J&E Duff Inc. Mason Contractors, West Chicago 3/04/02 - $1,000
· Kane County Associates LLC, Chicago 3/08/02 - $5,000
· Lamp Inc., Elgin (Click here, too.) 4/29/02 -$725, 4/29/02 - $5,642.56, 4/2/03 - $5,000
· MFB Development, 558 McLean Blvd, Elgin 2/05/02 -$250
· PMA Financial Network, Aurora 3/20/02 - $250
· Rage Management Inc., Elgin 11/20/03 - $200
· Randall Huntley Partners LLC, Elgin 3/06/02 - $1,000
· RWS Inc, Markham 3/18/02 - $200
· Seigle’s, Elgin 2/12/02 - $2,500, 2/06/03 - $2,500
· Taylor Johnson & Assoc., Chicago 11/27/02 - $1,650
· Techstar America Corp, Grayslake 2/07/02 - $850
· Tessendorf Mechanical Industries, Inc., Gilberts 3/21/02 - $1,000
· The Trane Company, Willowbrook 3/12/02 - $1,000
· Turner Construction, Arlington Heights 4/2/03 - $4,000

# posted by Cal Skinner : 9:50 AM  0 comments

The Bill Brady for Governor Campaign has released poll numbers showing Brady has gained ground on Jim Oberweis. The survey also shows Judy Topinka lost ground as a result of the debate.

Since most Chicago-area residents first saw Brady during the debate, it seems logical that Brady could have pulled support from Oberweis. (It was also on TV in Champaign.) And Topinka did not answer a lot of the questions, including the important tax hike one.

Here's the question: If the Republican primary election for Governor of Illinois were to be held today, for whom would you vote?

29% Judy Baar Topinka
17% Jim Oberweis
13% Bill Brady
11% Ron Gidwitz
30% Don’t Know

Undecideds are about the same as those supporting Judy Topinka, whose numbers no longer exceed 30%. Gidwitz is finally in double digits. The poll certainly contradicts Jim Oberweis’ claim that the Republican primary election is a two-way race.

Either next Sunday or the Sunday after, the Tribune will probably run its first poll. (Watch WGN Saturday night.) WBBM-TV may beat the paper to the punch, however. It did last election.

The poll of 600 likely Republican voters was taken on Thursday, January 26th, the day after the first televised debate.

Joliet’s McKeon & Associates conducted the poll. It is accurate ± 4.6%:

Here's 8th congressional district Republican candidate's answer to the Tribune's energy question, taken from her blog:

Tribune question #2

Oil, gasoline and natural gas prices increased last year, largely because of higher demand around the world and supply disruptions at home. Congress is likely to consider energy legislation next year, with the debate on how to increase supply and conserve resources. Please give us your ideas.

My answer:

Some say we need to conserve. Some say we need to expand the use of alternative fuels. Some say we need more nuclear plants. Some say we need to expand refinery capacity. Some say we need to drill more oil, for example, at ANWR. Some say we need to utilize the modernized “scrubber” technology to use our massive coal reserves. I say we should do ALL of these. As soon as possible!

We must increase refinement capabilities and drilling. We also must increase incentives for conservation and make alternatives to using fuel more available and practicable. Finally we must develop alternative and hybrid sources of fuel, for example, E-85 Ethanol and hydrogen fuel cells. Exxon is looking to build a full-scale refinery in Mexico rather than in the United States. It does not serve the United States’ interest to have new refinery capacity directed to another economy. Our national policy should be to challenge the industry to provide incentives for the right investments today for the future. These include but are not limited to environmental friendly drilling, refinement and alternative fuel research and development. The tax credit, for instance, may be made permanent for research and development rather than to be renewed annually as it is now. This would provide more stability to industry taking the risk and making the investment in research and development.

Want to "talk" with a state senator every day?

Aurora State Senator Chris Lauzen is going to be at his blog at 5 PM starting Monday to get your feed back.

Here's the announcement he sent out:
Join Senator Chris Lauzen this Monday, January 30th at 5pm on his LIVE blog (www.lauzen.com/blog/).

The Subject will be: the upcoming Spring Legislative Session, the Issues, the Bills, and much more!

DON'T MISS this exciting opportunity!

Robert Novak reports in the Chicago Sun-Times Sunday that the Teamsters are “furious” for 8th district Congresswoman Melissa Bean’s having told WBBM-TV that she “never made a commitment” to vote against the Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA).

Novak quotes an unidentified union official as having been told twice by Bean that she would oppose the agreement.

“Unions this year are withholding support” from Bean, the column says.

Cary-area village Oakwood Hills is the home of Robert Stewart, a renowned artist who designs and crafts crystal boxes. Like his crystal-cutting colleague Kurt Stobach in Crystal Lake, Stewart uses large wheels to give sharp edges to his work.

Above is a large heart box with cut crystal sides and a mirrored bottom held together with twisted metal. It is seven inches from side to side and front to back at its longest and three inches high. When sunlight hits it, little rainbows fill the room.

Bob designed this at my request to give my wife while we were courting. Speaker Michael Madigan also gave one to his wife Shirley.

A Bowie knife was displayed in one of his crystal boxes, both gifts of Illinois Governor James R. Thompson, outside of President George H. W. Walker’s office,

If you call Bob today at 847-639-3017, he just might be able to finish one by Valentine’s Day. Click here to see a smaller version.

Bob’s email address is Stewartglass@sbcglobal.net

Labels: Cary, Crystal, Robert Stewart, StewArt

In the campaign disclosure report filed on January 27th with the Illinois State Board of Elections, millionaire retired businessman Jack Roeser has reported giving Republican gubernatorial candidate Jim Oberweise $175,100 through his Family Taxpayers Network.

$100,000 of the money was given on December 30th, so there was obviously no attempt to hide it, as it could have been for a while, if given in January.

Other candidates receiving contributions include

· $5,000 - Tony Peraica, running for Cook County Board Chairman
· $2,000 – Chris McNeil, candidate for state representative against incumbent Renee Kosel
· $1,000 – State Senator Chris Lauzen

 


While visiting the Grarden of the Gods at Colorado Springs this summer, our 7-year old son Steven observed,

They should call it "Garden of the God," because there is only one God.

 

The Crystal Lake Rowing Club has proposed that Crystal Lake be used as the rowing venue for the U.S. Olympics, if they come to Chicago.

The Northwest Herald reports this is Mayor Aaron Shepley’s response:

If it even became remotely possible, I'd be tickled to tackle that one. That sounds like the closest thing to reality.

There are some slight catches, however:

· The West End would have to be dredged to 3 meters—about the depth when I was the only early morning fisherman on the lake the summer of 1958, which is doable--and

· The lake would have to be lengthened about 100 meters.

Rowing club president Walt Gary sagely observes, again, according to the Northwest Herald:

They'd need to extend the lake. That could be a knockout.

And, there are some other small matters.

The park district, which owns the bottom of the lake, is angry with the city council for not giving it 100% of the park developer impact fees. Easy enough to fix that problem now that the Vulcan Lake TIF has been approved, the city has no need for that approximately $200,000 per year.

But, would homes on the west end of Crystal Lake or the newly re-modeled Crystal Lake Beach House be sacrificed to lengthen the lake?

"Neither," would be my guess.

Perhaps it would be better to see if Vulcan Lake, which the City of Crystal Lake owns, is long enough. If not long enough, it could be lengthened on the north end. And, grandstands could be set up around most of the main lake, if the roads were temporarily closed. Plenty of time. The Olympics wouldn't be held until 2016.

Here's congressional candidate David McSweeney's latest press release:

8th District Illinois Candidate David McSweeney Sweeps Cook County Republican Township Endorsements:
Hanover Township endorsement makes it 4 for 4


Barrington Township: David McSweeney, candidate for Congress in Illinois' 8th Congressional District, received the endorsement of the Hanover Township Republican Organization. The endorsement session took place on Saturday morning of January 28. The Hanover Township Republican endorsement gives McSweeney a clean sweep of all four Cook County Townships in the 8th Congressional District.

The endorsement by the Hanover Township Republicans is the fifth straight endorsement for McSweeney by Republican organizations. The first endorsement was made by McSweeney's home township of Barrington by a unanimous vote. Recently, McSweeney was endorsed unanimously by the Schaumburg Township Alliance of Republicans and the Township of Palatine, Principled, Energized Republicans. Cuba Township Republicans endorsed McSweeney last Saturday.

"Hanover Township Republicans have a new and reinvigorated organization ready to step up to the plate in support of my Primary campaign and in the effort to unseat Melissa Bean. I am happy to be the recipient of that new enthusiasm," said David McSweeney.

My headline is inspired by today’s editorial in the Bloomington Pantograph endorsing GOP gubernatorial candidate Bill Brady’s idea to impose federal campaign donation limits on Illinois politicians.

What’s would be the effect of limiting individual contributions in Illinois to $2,100 per election?

· It would make those owning and running newspapers and television stations even more powerful than they are today. That’s because only the media would be unlimited in their ability to influence the outcome of campaigns (though editorials and slanted reporting).

· The pool of potential candidates would be lessened, because rich guys and girls would have the advantage of being able to spend time campaigning, instead of “dialing for dollars,” as non-rich candidates have to do to be elected to federal office.

Other rich guys, like my 2002 supporter, the former technology guy who sold his stock before the market tanked, wouldn’t be able to finance an upstart campaign like my Libertarian Party race for governor.

Probably lots of folks would have preferred such a change in campaign law had been enacted prior to my statewide candidacy, but the point is that imposition of such contribution limits help those media moguls and their managers increase their influence…while decreasing the influence of those who made their money or work somewhere else.

Now, limiting or prohibiting contributions from those who get state business and from businesses like gambling and utilities, whose profits are wholly dependent on state regulations…that’s an entirely different matter. (I remember when those owning race tracks and those holding liquor licenses could not make political contributions.)

 

How would you like to wake up to a headline like this if you were the person in District 300 running the campaign to pass a 55 cent tax rate?

The referendum is pretty much a duplicate of the one run by Huntley School District 158 last year…except District 300 does not have someone like Lake in the Hills activist and now Huntley School Board member Larry Snow to mail out thousands of detailed explanations of the money that it has squirreled away.

Read how district officials try to spin the existence of the $38 million reported in its Working Cash Fund—which can be spent any time it is needed--by clicking here.

If you know an Algonquin Rotary Club member, you might want to ask him or her to invite you to Wednesday morning’s meeting, when the District 300’s finance person will speak. 

8th congressional district Republican candidate Kathy Salvi is posting her responses to the Chicago Tribune questionnaire on her blog. I shall also post them here.

After a short introduction, Salvi tackles the health question:
Earlier this week, I was joined by three of my fellow candidates vying for the Republican nomination in Illinois' 8th Congressional District at the Chicago Tribune's Editorial Board interview. Chicago Tribune writer Susan Kuczka wrote an article in yesterday's paper regarding the event if you are interested.

In addition to the interview, the Tribune asked each of us to complete a short questionnaire regarding some of the issues facing the families of our district, state, and nation. I thought it might be of interest to the voters to not only see which questions the Tribune asked but also how I answered. Therefore, today and for the next several days, I will post one question along with my answer until we get through the questionnaire.

Question #1

Health Care costs continue to outpace general inflation and millions of Americans go without health insurance, either by choice or out of necessity. How should Congress address the issue of health care access and affordability?

To read Kathy Salvi's answer about Associated Health Plans, Legal Reform and Medical Savings Accounts, click here.

I wrote the following about how what the followers of Henry George call "site value taxation" could re-vitalize cities a long time ago for the Chicago Tribune.

In a sentence,

American economist Henry George promoted the taxation of land, not buildings, as a way to stimulate the optimal use of land.

Unfortunatley, the system of property taxation was so well established by the time he came up with the idea that very few parts of the country have adopted his idea. I read about him in my first economics class in the "Worldly Philosophers" by Robert Heilbroner. Henry George was the only American in the book.

The late Weld Carter of Fox Lake taught me more about Henry George's theories. Carter was Thomas Edison's mathematician until Edison rejected a finding that did not agree with his preconceived answer. He contacted me when he saw I was interested in proeprty taxation.

My column was re-printed by Chicago Georgists in 2002.

Shift the Property Tax

This guest editorial originally appeared way back in 1979. The politicians did not take the author's advice, so cities such as Chicago have deteriorated. Now the author is running for Governor of Illinois. His recommendations are even more on-target now. See for yourself.

How to Rehabilitate a City with No Tax Cost
by Cal Skinner, Jr.

The primaries are over. Everyone has paid lip service to "the neighborhoods." With Sandburg Village going condo, more people have started talking about rehabilitating existing apartment buildings in Chicago.

The mayor and city council have used municipal bonds to provide lower than market interest mortgages to home and condo purchasers. Of course, we all will help pay for that subsidy through our federal income taxes.

No one but me is likely to suggest that there may be a way to save Chicago's neighborhoods at no cost to the taxpayer: a simple change in the real estate tax.

Right now, the real estate tax encourages apartment owners to let their buildings deteriorate. If an owner invests rent receipts to improve the buildings, the tax assessor is mandated by law to increase the building's tax assessment. That, of course, results in a higher tax bill.

There are even charges that some arson results from apartment owners wanting to collect insurance money and cut real estate taxes.

So what shall we do?

For the rest of the column, click here.

 

Found at Disney World, but appropriate for Sox Fest day. 

In the wake of the first gubernatorial debate, in which Republican underdog Ron Gidwtz did poorly, he has played the "ethics card" on front-running Judy Baar Topinka.

Friday veteran WBBM-TV political reporter Mike Flannery told of Gidwitz’ saying Topinka’s acceptance of money from the Cellini-connected Illinois National Bank is hypocritical.

"I think that the system we have in this state makes a hypocrite out of everybody," Cindy Canary of the Campaign for Political Reform told the CBS station.

Flannery's story said,

"I don't have a relationship with Mr. Cellini and have not had," Topinka said.

But by the time Topinka told us that, she had a tally of $56, 170 of campaign contributions that she'd accepted from the political action committee of a state contractor, Illinois National Bank, which is partly owned by Cellini. Another $56,700 came from officials at the bank, for a total of $112,870. Gubernatorial candidate Ron Gidwitz said he believed this was a problem.

Topinka’s camp said she had not received contributions directly from Cellini and that bank business was put out for bid. Early in her service as State Treasurer, Topinka tried to cut a deal with Cellini's state-subsidized hotel. Then Attorney General Jim Ryan stopped the effort.

No, neither the Daily Herald nor the Associated Press uses the label “illegal alien.” In fact, they don’t even report the people they are talking about are “undocumented immigrants.” But they do give some of the first Left Stream press reports that Governor Rod Blagojevich’s All Kids program was not passed for American citizens or citizens of other countries who are in the United States legally.

To the best of my knowledge, the Associated Press still has not reported that the bulk of Governor Rod Blagojevich’s All Kids program will go to illegal immigrants, but today’s AP article does say a $50,000 study has found

Children least likely to have insurance are those of parents who earn less than $40,000, have less than a high school education and are Latino.

That does sound like a description of the average illegal immigrant family in Illinois, but AP can’t or doesn’t make the connection.
That’s a start at telling at telling the truth but, if my assumption that most of those to receive state-paid health insurance are children who are not legally in the USA is correct, wouldn’t you think this information should have been reported before the bill passed?

The Daily Herald today at least touches on the truth by reporting Ester Lopez, deputy chief of staff for Gov. Rod Blagojevich said

the state provides in-state tuition and affordable health care to all immigrants.

Maybe I should be satisfied that the Left Stream press is taking baby steps at revealing information that should have been front page news before the bill passed. But it certainly seems to me that the beneficiaries of this program should have been made public before the vote was taken.

I would hope both proponents and oppoents of this program to use Illinois tax dollars to pay for health care for those not legally in Illinois could at least agree on that the facts of any program should be on the table for discussion before, rather than after the fact.

Certainly, Peter LaBarbera, executive director of the Illinois Family Institute would consider it a badge of honor.

Of all the people in the country that the leading gay magazine “The Advocate”on its “Enemies List,” one wonders who will savor it most. It might be LaBarbera.

His organization is leading the effort to place an advisory referendum on the fall ballot that asks policy makers to ban gay marriage and civil unions.

The January 31st issue of The Advocate calls LaBabera “The Night Staker.” He is “a married heterosexual who goes underground to gay clubs and events like Chicago’s 2005 International Mr. Leatherman “conference,” which he described as “a veritable cornucopia of the deviant.” IFI is a secular part of the family of Focus on the Family organizations.

Ahead of LaBarbera on the “Enemies List” are Dr. James Dobson, head of Focus on the Family, Dr. Paul Cameron, Family Research Institute President, and the Reverend Lou Sheldon and his daughter Andrea Lafferty, California activists.

Also on the list are Liberty Council attorneys Matt Staver and Jay Sekulow.

On the honorable mention “Enemies List” are

· Maryland State Delegate Dan Dwyer,
· Wisconsin Family Research Institute http://www.fri-wi.org/ Executive Director Juliane Appling,
· Massachusetts Family Institute President Kris Mineau,
· California’s Randy Thornasson, who founded the Campaign for Children and Families,
· Center for Arizona Policy President Len Munsil,
· Michigan American Family Association President Gary Glenn and
· Indiana’s Advance America founder Eric Miller.

 

Here's the RSVP. 

The Sun-Times first question on its questionnaire’s final page asks about the 300 state fees that were raised during Governor Blagojevich’s term. It asks which should be reduced, why and “what programs in the state budget should be eliminated to offset possible revenue losses?”

I’m one who generally believes that anything worth regulating should pay for the regulation. Why should the general taxpayer have to subsidize regulation? Clearly, however, many of the Blagojevich fee increases were strictly for raising revenue to be spent elsewhere.

For the rest of the story, click here.

McHenry County Blog has looked at the developers who have contributed to efforts to raise Carpentersville School District 300’s taxes and taken a look at other communities where they want higher taxes.

What conclusions can one draw? I see these so far:

· If any of the developers listed below come to your town, you can expect tax hikers to get their generous financial assistance.

· If Cambridge, (Isenstein/)Pasquinelli, Kennedy, Lakewood, Neumann, Pulte, Realen or Crown or Zale come knocking, prepare to fight a minimum of a $5,000 campaign.

· Lakewood and Crown are willing to write much larger checks.

· Campaigns against school tax hike and bond referendums have been ratcheted up from the level of volunteers asking people to “do the right thing” and “help the kids.” This kind of money buys excellent professionals. Expect cable TV ads, direct mail, phone campaigns, along with yard signs and maybe billboards. If you don’t organize the opposition, expect your taxes to increase regularly as growth occurs.

· Many of the contributions are made quite late in the campaign. Rest assured this is deliberate. It is so local voters will have little chance to find out who is financing the tax hike campaign before the election. Here’s some campaign advice. If you check the State Board of Elections web site every day here, you might notice when the local tax hike committee is getting an infusion of cash, but your time would probably be better spent getting an opposition campaign under way. (If an opponent is homebound, you could assign him/her to look for such contributions and use the information to get some press about the identity of the real backers of the referendum.)

· Use this information to rebut the argument that “Growth pays its own way.” If growth paid its own way, these homebuilders would not be helping extract more tax dollars from your pocket.

Below is what was found about other tax hike support activity of developers who have been interested in District 300. (The most recent contributions are listed first.)

For the details and links to all of the committees, click here.

Sorry for the editing problem with one builder's name. Can't figure out how to fix it.

 

Forty stamps will be issued May 27th touting the "Land of Superlatives." Illinois did not rate one of these "Wonders of America." Natural and man-made wonders are featured...but none in Illinois.

We didn't get the biggest egg or the tallest building or even the most corrupt state. The biggest rodent is featured, but it is not a Chicago politician.

If Illinois had been awarded a stamp, what would it feature?

For some reason, I can’t get the pane of stamps up here. If you want to see it, click here. 

8th congressional candidate State Rep. Robert Churchill has introduced a bill that would require 65% of all school operating money be spent in the classroom. Now about 60% goes there.

The so-called "65% Solution" was first championed by the Lake County Republican Assembly in Illinois. Now, it is House Bill 4399.

“The four highest performing states in the nation, according to the National Center for Educational Statistics found that these states were spending 65% or more of their educational budget in the classroom,” said Churchill. “I was shocked to learn that Illinois schools districts do not reach the 65% funding level.”

The 65% Solution campaign is being lead by FirstClassEducation.org, which is chaired by Mr. Patrick Byrne, CEO of Overstock.com, Inc. FirstClassEducation.org estimates that should Illinois shift $.05 of every education dollar from non-classroom to classroom expenditures, teachers and students would see an increase of over $900 million. Churchill added that such a reform will take some time to implement but “during a time when the state and local school districts are struggling financially, we can put more money into classrooms without a tax increase.”

“School districts in Illinois don’t necessarily have a funding problem,” Churchill concluded. “There is a disconnect between dollars and classrooms. It is my hope that HB 4399 will provide increased funding for teachers and classroom instruction.”

State Representative Robert W. Churchill served in the Illinois House of Representatives from 1983-1999 and has served the 62nd District since 2003.

If the abortion debate were decided on money in Illinois, those who call themselves pro-choice will win. Three pro-abortion political action committees can outspend the three pro-life PACs by 24-1.

The almost always effective pro-abortion Personal PAC has reported $531,043.84 in the bank as of the first of the year. It raised $556,485.10 during the last six months.

Planned Parenthood Victory Fund has $3,950.70, while Planned Parenthood Votes Illinois has $12,510.95.

A small PAC dedicated to electing Republican pro-choice women—The Wish List-Illinois—has $587.75. Another, Emily’s List – Illinios, is but a shell, containing nothing.

On the other side of the issue, the Illinois Citizens for Life PAC started off the year with $1,276.22, while the state PAC of the Illinois Federation Right to Life had $15,847.49.

The Pro Life Victory Committee, based in McHenry County, has $6,599.62.

The Sun-Times first question on its questionnaire’s final page asks about the 300 state fees that were raised during Governor Blagojevich’s term. It asks which should be reduced, why and “what programs in the state budget should be eliminated to offset possible revenue losses?”

I’m one who generally believes that anything worth regulating should pay for the regulation. Why should the general taxpayer have to subsidize regulation? Clearly, however, many of the Blagojevich fee increases were strictly for raising revenue to be spent elsewhere.

For the rest of the story, click here.

McHenry County Blog has looked at all campaign contributions for all District 300 referendum support political action committees that could be found. The following home builders and companies that are closely associated with the home building industry have been identified as having made contributions.

This is the kind of list that will be available after the March primary…except the contributions will have to be larger, if the referendum’s proponents intend to raise $153,000, as the Northwest Herald reporter Allison Smith discovered.

DRH Cambridge Homes Inc., Libertyville
$5,000 2/28/03
Centex Homes
$5,000 10/19/00
Kennedy Homes Limited Partnership, East Dundee
$1,000 2/15/03
The Kirk Corporation, Streamwood
$500 2/12/03
Isenstein/Pasquinelli L.L.C., Burr Ridge
$5,000 1/25/03
Lakewood Homes, Hoffman Estates
$5,000 1/25/03
Neumann Homes Inc., Warrenville
$2,000 1/24/03
Pulte Home Corporation Illinois Division, Elgin
$10,000 3/12/02
$5,000 2/11/03
Realen Homes LP Chicago Division, Inverness
$2,000 3/12/02
$2,500 2/11/03
Ryland Homes Chicago Division, Schaumburg
$1,500 3/12/02
$2,500 2/07/03
Seigle’s, Elgin
$2,500 2/06/03
Taylor Johnson & Assoc., Chicago
$1,650 11/27/02
Town & Country Homes A Division of Pinnacle Corporation, Lombard
$1,000 1/25/03
Venture, An Affiliate of Crown Community Development, Aurora
$10,000 1/25/03
Wynwood Builders, Algonquin
$1,000 3/12/02
Zale Equities II L.L.C., Buffalo Grove
$5,000 1/25/03

Of course, all of the money that will be solicited will not come from developers. Plenty will come from those who do business with District 300.

Jim Oberweis in the CBS Channel Two debate among four of the five Republican candidates for governor:

We’ve had four former governors during my lifetime who have either been indicted or served time. Two Republicans and two Democrats.

And, I think Mr. Blagojevich is out to break the tie, by the way

This past week Northwest Herald reporter Allison Smith had an excellent story concerning who has promised to contribute to the political action committee trying to raise taxes in District 300.

Area home builders, the District 300 architect and real estate agents, the article says, will raise $153,000, presumably the amount that St. Louis tax hike consultant Unicom.ARC has said is needed to have a chance of passing the tax hike referendums.

The pubic usually never learns who has so much to gain from the passage of a school referendum until right before the election or even afterward when it is too late to see the selfish motives involved.

Not this time, though, thanks to Allison Smith. Somehow she got to attend the solicitation meeting of Advance 300-the newly re-named tax hike political action committee. Formerly known as Schools Now for District 300 Committee, it had $33,687 in the bank at the end of last June. Expect the report for the last half of 2005 to be filed before the Jan. 31st deadline.

Labels: Advance 300, Campaign Contributions, District 300, Ken Arndt, Nancy Zettler, School Vendors, Unicom