McHenry County Blog

A tee shirt today saying,

And your point is?

Labels: T-Shirt, Tee Shirt

In a decision that should make political bloggers happy, the Federal Elections Commission denied a request for action for “failure to register and report” from Illinois Republican Party Chairman Andy McKenna against

· Tenth District Blog, www.illinois10.blogspot.com

· The Illinois – 10 General Election Fund, a project of ActBlue, Matthew DeBergalis, treasurer and

· The Committee to Elect Zane Smith, Barry J. Moltz, treasurer.

Here’s what the FEC press release said (more FEC information here):

The complainant alleged that the Tenth District Blog expressly advocated the defeat of Congressman Mark Kirk (IL/10), solicited contributions for the campaigns of potential Democratic opponents, and failed to include a proper disclaimer on these communications.

The Tenth District Blog was established by an anonymous person using Google’s E-blogger software, which is offered free of charge. Both ActBlue and the Smith Committee denied any knowledge or contact with the Blog and stated that they had not received contributions from the Blog or through ActBlue. Based on available information, the Blog did not appear to have made expenditures or received any contributions that would trigger political committee status. The Commission found no reason to believe any of the respondents violated the Act.

Labels: 10th Congressional District, Blog, FEC, Political blog

The grapevine has it that the Crystal Lake Elementary Teachers Association—CLETA, for short—is endorsing two people in School District 47’s school board elections.

Three seats are open, so, who knows, CLETA might have a third candidate.

They are Dave Hubbard, one of the two school board members who voted against changing the schedule, and Nancy Gonsiorek, who is reported to have been active in the campaign to save the now-rejected Encore schedule.

Here's what Hubbard said the night the decision was made:

“I see it both ways. I’m just not there.”

Later: “We all come from different constituencies.”

Hubbard also said,

"I don’t think we should be afraid to go to referendum. I, for one, would be in favor.

Lisa Knoeppel, an incumbent up for re-election who voted for the change said,

“We’re actually giving the children more choices. To me it’s not taking away anything. It’s re-configuring what we’re currently offering."

Besides Hubbard, Gonsiorek and Knoepple, the following have filed for the grade school board as of mid-Wednesday:· Jeff Larkin, an incumbent who voted for the change, and

· Bob Linning, a challenger= = = = =
The top head shot is of District 47 School Board member Dave Hubbard. District 47 Board member Lisa Knoeppel is seen below Hubbard. Incumbent District 47 Board member Jeff Larkin is the bottom picture.

Labels: Bob Linning, CLETA, Crystal Lake, Dave Hubbard, District 47, Jeff Larkin, Lisa Knoeppel, Nancy Gonsiorek

A Tuesday Northwest Herald story by Jenn Wiant about the huge 1,400-acre Thatcher Meadows’ potential impact on local schools quotes Harrison Grade School District 36 Board President Linda Armettis.

She says something that ought to send up warning flares that her Wonder Lake constituents are in big trouble.

"Land and buildings can be paid for with developer impact fees,” Armettis says.

Well, I guess they could be, but I wouldn’t count on it.

It certainly has never happened in McHenry County.

Developers are more likely to kick in tens of thousands of dollars for a local tax hike committee, which will try to convince Wonder Lake voters that “It’s for the kids.”

Developer impact fees pay for the cost of the land needed for the school, assuming the local municipality has an up-to-date ordinance.

Given that the Village of Wonder Lake has lower transition fees than the City of Woodstock and Greenwood, I wouldn’t count on its village trustees protecting local taxpayers from much higher school taxes because of new residents in Thatcher Meadows.

School Board President Wiant does show an understanding that higher taxes will be needed to pay for teachers’ salaries and other costs of operating the new school:

Paying the teachers and operating the schools would be most difficult.

Labels: developer impact fees, Greenwood, Harrison School, transition fees, Wonder Lake, Woodstock

The McHenry County Republican Central Committee raised $54,428 during the last half of 2006, but $3,903.39 is from its chairman’s personal political action committee.

Right before the November election.

And LeFew personally loaned his Citizens for LeFew $1,000 on October 3.

On October 28th the Central Committee paid Woodstock’s LRDS Systems and Forms $2,240.85 for “(McHenry) County Board Election Postcard,” $200 to Giola Yapelli for accounting services and $59.85 to McNet, its internet service provider, $21.27 for Cingular Wireless. Geri Davis was paid $600 and $203.18 for Federal taxes on October 26th.

Adding all of those up gets me $3,325.15. That’s within $578.24 of LeFew’s loan.

Just imagine.

McHenry County’s dominant party having cash flow problems right before the election.

Labels: Bill LeFew, Campaign Disclosure, McHenry County Board. McHenry County Republcian Central Committee

With the uproar about the Elgin School District 46’s prospective bonus being tax-free, I asked Carpentersville School District 300’s Communication Director Director Allison Smith the status of the bonus given after passage of last spring’s refernendums.

Chief Financial Officer Cheryl Crates replied,

I received an HRA and it can only be used to pay insurance premiums. Not sure about Ken.

>Superintendent Ken Arndt ‘s email reads,

My bonus was taxed.

Labels: Cheryl Crates, District 300, Ken Arndt

Today, there are four.

More Trees

Less Bush

COULD YOU DRIVE ANY BETTER

IF I SHOVED THAT THAT CELL PHONE

UP YOUR ASS?

“Normal People”
Worry Me

I don’t think I would hire this individual to be a baby sitter, considering the bumper sticker that says,

Don't
get
caught

= = = = =
Again Blogger will not let me post the photograph. (Or, maybe it will the second time around.)

Labels: Bumper Sticker

Elected Algonquin Republican precinct committeeman John Ryan has filed nominating petitions for the Carpentersville School District 300 Board.

If, as expected, appointed Algonquin Republican precinct committeeman Mary Fioretti, who is now School Board President, runs, too, it could be quite a contest.

Fioretti’s school board has been under attack both for having grossly overestimated enrollment projects and for meeting inappropriately behind closed doors.

Ryan already has a web site up. It notes both weakness--being attacked by local daily newspapers and calls for accountability.

Ryan also pledges to work for two ethics changes:

I will introduce and work to pass an amendment to the Board’s Conflict Of Interest Policy. Specifically, any individuals or firms doing $5,000 or more in business with the District within a fiscal year shall not contribute to any political campaign that directly affects the District while involved in a business relationship with the District or for a period of two years after completion of business with the District. The District will not enter into significant business (in excess of $5,000) with a company or individual that has contributed to a political campaign that directly affects the District within two years prior to commencing a business relationship. Political campaigns that directly affect the District shall be defined as:

1) School Board elections
2) Tax or bond referendums

I will introduce and work to pass an amendment prohibiting any individual who represents a firm presently engaged in a business relationship with the District from serving on any District committee as long as that business relationship exists. Also, any individual serving on a committee will be required to resign their position should they work towards establishing a business relationship with the District while serving on any District committee.

Additional issues can be found here, including the scare tactics used by the district’s tax hike committee, the widely errant enrollment projections, and bonuses after the successful referendums to top administrators.

The way unit school district board election laws are written, if only two people run from Algonquin Township, only one can win, even if they run one-two in the final election returns.

So, if Fioretti and Ryan are the only two candidates from Algonquin Township it could end up being a one-on-one race between the two.

In any event, only one can be elected.

This makes a large assumption and that is that Ryan can be competitive with Fioretti.

He is a local political figure, while she has been active district-wide for such a long time.

This probably explains why Ryan is asking people to cast a bullet vote for him, voting for no one else.

Volunteers are solicited and it appears that in the future there will be a place for people to comment.

And, finally, to my surprise I find a link link to McHenry County Blog, not to mention recent Northwest Herald articles about faulty enrollment projections and inappropriate secret meetings.

Labels: District 300, John Ryan, Mary Fioretti

It’s up a little from June 30th, but that’s probably because of refunds from AT&T and State Farm Insurance premiums.

The treasurer of Advance 300, the tax hike front group for the the Carpentersville-based school district, has reported this income as “individual contributions,” but I figure that’s just because of inexperience.

In the past, this committee’s predecessor committees have not spent money electing school board members.

But, there is no reason they couldn’t.

Labels: Advance 300, District 300, Tax Hike Committee

Most people probably don’t know that Rockford’s Republican State Senator Dave Syverson represents a large part of McHenry County.

Not in the General Assembly, but on the Illinois Republican State Central Committee.

Syverson represents the 16th congressional district, the one that Don Manzullo represents in Congress.<

My impression over the years is that he wants to run for Congress, if Manzullo ever decides to step down.

In a recent interview with blogger Jeff Berkowitz, however, Syverson was asked if he would “pledge not to raise the income or sales tax.”

“No,” was Syverson’s answer.>

…because as a conservative, it doesn’t mean that you’re—it means doing the right thing. Every generation in this country, the leaders have sacrificed so that the next generation could have a better life. This is the first generation we have elected officials who are saying: we don’t care about the next generation.

Syverson’s statement is so far from grassroots Republicans believe that I now think he no longer has congressional ambitions.

You can hear the Public Affairs interview here.

Labels: 16th Congressional District, Dave Syverson, Income Tax

For some reason the title reminds me of a song from my past, but it describes what the Charlotte Observer reporter Ted Mellnik has put together for every county in the United States from IRS data.

Here is an article using the data by LeighDyer.

But for McHenry County, a better title would be

“Rich People Moving In, Rich People Moving Out.”

That’s because in McHenry County the people doing both earn more than the average McHenry County family’s $50,121.

The families moving to McHenry County earn 65% more than those living here.

Maybe that explains the “Starter Mansions,” a term I first heard attributed to McHenry County Board member Virginia Peschke.

Those moving out earn “only” 29% more than average.

Looking at the first five years of this century, the data shows 86,636 folks moved in and 64,445 moved out.

That’s a net gain of 18,191, but “figures include only include people listed as exemptions on returns, so totals will be less than population,” the footnote says.

250,429 McHenry Countians did not migrate.

Of perhaps more interest is that the people moving out earn less money than the people moving in.

The people moving in earn $7,539 more than those moving out.

Are they going to better jobs elsewhere?

Or does that mean that McHenry County is getting too expensive for some residents?

Or is it a combination of both?

The figures are startlingly different for those moving to and from foreign countries.

True, there aren’t many who paid federal taxes who are in this category—only 332 moving in and 387 moving out—but the median household income is starkly different.

Those moving in from other countries had incomes of $19,642. Those moving out earned $3,417 less--$16,225.

Fifty-five more people moved out than moved in, according to these tax statistics.

I certainly have a sense that there is a lot more movement even between Mexico and McHenry County than those figures indicate.

If most are going to and from Mexico, it appears the families don’t earn much. In fact, they earn less after being in McHenry County than they did before.

While the median income of McHenry County families is $50,121, it is $82,636 for those moving into McHenry County and $64,445 for those moving out.

I was alerted to this information by Metro East blogger Respublica.

Click on the images to make them larger.

Labels: McHenry County, migration

The Northwest Herald has a question and answer article on Tax Increment Financing districts by Julian Compton Monday

One answer had Crystal Lake Mayor Aaron Shepley saying that the three properties the city is trying to condemn in the Vulcan Lakes Tax Increment Financing District probably would have had to have been condemned even if they were not in the TIF district.

Here’s what was said about Shepley:

Crystal Lake Mayor Aaron Shepley said the city needed the property to allow access to Vulcan Lakes and probably would have condemned it regardless of whether a TIF district was created.

But the city doesn’t plan to condemn property in the district again, Shepley said.

Considering the deal cut between the City of Crystal Lake and Vulcan Materials did not include access from Route 14, maybe he is right.

But, when I brought up that lack of access at the Vulcan Lakes TIF hearing, Mayor Shepley and the rest of the city council said not one wourd about that possibility.

That’s the first time I heard Shepley say condemnation would not be used.

At the meeting with the prospective consultants this past fall, Shepley again repeated that condemnation would not be used in the Vulcan Lakes TIF project.

Earlier I posted on You-Tube a less than 30-second video of that promise and Shepley’s reference to the city council’s previous promise.

I got to thinking about it and concluded some might think I was taking Shepley’s words out of context, so McHenry County Blog posted more of the discussion, just in case anyone has questions.

The problem, besides the fact that Shepley promised at least twice not to use condemnation in the Vulcan Lakes TIF development, is that at the time of the promise you can hear above on You-Tube, the city council had already voted 6-0 (with Councilman Howie Christensen absent) in favor of filing the three condemnation suits against Vulcan—two months before!(And, yes, I think an exclamation point is justified.)

Maybe I am not the only one who sees a severe disconnect here. Over 40 people have viewed the original You-Tube posting and the new one—without any link from McHenry County Blog—has been seen by 14.

Labels: Aaron Shepley, Tax Increment Financing District, TIF, Vulcan Lakes

# posted by Cal Skinner : 6:24 AM  0 comments

There were so many bumper stickers on this little car parked near the west entrance of Jewell that I won’t put them all up on one day.

This bumper sticker on a window says,

IF IT’S TOO LOUD
YOU’RE TOO OLD

My comment:

If a policeman can hear it more than 75 from your car, you are subject to arrest.

Labels: Bumper Sticker

Folks have long known that they can find out where released sex offenders live.

But, did you know that there is a file of where some of them work?

According to the State Police, “local police agencies provide the information and we print it as submitted.”

Here’s a question for you.

How much restitution does a person arrested of a sex crime have to make?

Should he—and the almost 120 who show up as McHenry County employees are all men—have the right to support himself and not be hassled at work?

Fox News in Chicago found the data first.

Is working at a factory OK?

How about an auto dealership?

What about driving a limo?

Any problem with someone with such a conviction record working for a restaurant?

What about a retail establishment?

A printing company?

How about construction?

Landscaping?

Garbage collection?

A grocery store?

A moving company?

A carnival?

Physical therapy?

I know some of the employers and my guess is that some know the criminal background of the employee in question.

They are clearly giving a guy a second chance.

Labels: Illinois State Police, McHenry County, Sex Offender

The Tribune is in favor of First Amendment free speech rights…unless it is for conservatives.

Friday, it published an editorial entitled,

License to offend,

“oh, mying” the Federal Court decision ordering Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White to issue “Choose Life” license plates, if 800 or so people pony up the cash.

Agreeing with its liberal columnist Eric Zorn, the editorial board pointed out,

the judge acknowledged, this could lead to a dustup over something even more controversial. We're imagining a plate honoring the KKK or Friends of the Aryan Nation. But Coar didn't make the law; he's just interpreting it.

Then, suggested,

The General Assembly can always take another look.

While they're at it, lawmakers should ask themselves if it's necessary to have these tags at all.

They used the “police can’t read them” argument and, by the way provided what I am sure is an unintentional chuckle by pointing out different types of specialty plates, including

six species of wildlife that sportsmen love to shoot.

I’m not aware of fishermen shooting fish.

Then, Saturday comes this editorial which starts,

For quite some time media critics and those on the left have argued that Fox News is an ideologically driven propaganda network.

If one replaced the word “left” with “right” and “Fox News” with “Chicago Tribune,” the shoe would fit.

Labels: Chicago Tribune, Consevative, Eric Zorn

That’s one way to express the sentiments of pro-life commentator Jill Stanek on State Rep. Jack Frank’s comments in Eric Zorn’s column about being proud of having prevented the “Choose Life” license plates from getting out his committee.

But it wasn’t the “Choose Life” plates he was trying to stop.

It was all special plates.

The reason?

It’s hard for the police to read them.

Hold on, she points out Jack voted for all sorts of special license plates, she points out in a biting commentary on Illinois Review, entitled,

CHOOSE HONESTY

Then, Stanek lists the special plates Franks let out of his committee in the previous two years:

Pan Hellenic (yes, that's right), Coal Mining, Union Member, West Point Bicentennial, Chicago and NE IL Dist. Council of Carpenters, Black Fraternity, Lewis & Clark Bicentennial, Hospice, Marine Corps, Army Combat Vet, Paratrooper, Park District Youth Program, Professional Sports Team, September 11, Korean War for Motorcycles, and Pet Friendly.

Franks would have us believe that with…78 different types of Illinois' own specialty plates that have been offered for 67 years (the first one being by the General Assembly for themselves), it was only coincidentally when Choose Life was introduced that he decided it was time to stop the specialty plate madness,” Stanek writes.

Labels: Choose Life, Jack Franks

Carpentersville School District 300 is beginning to look like the gang that can’t shoot straight.

What a change from a year ago when the administration coordinated its enrollment estimates and revenue projections with its tax hike committee.

Then, everyone stayed on message.

The sky would end if $185 million in bonds (really about twice that much when interest is included) and 55 cents more per year in tax rate were not approved.

We'll have 7,200 more students within 5 years.

Etc.

Now, enterprising Northwest Herald reporter David Fitzgerald, who replaced Allison Smith when she went to work for District 300 after covering the referendum quite well, I thought, has unearthed minutes of secret meetings.

Those minutes seem to show things were discussed in secret that should not have been discussed behind closed doors.

My suspicion is that lots of local governments and school districts do this all the time.

To stop it, each district needs one or two elected officials willing to offend their colleagues by walking out of such meetings when the illegal discussion start.

But, I can’t remember that happening. (I do know of one elected official who refuses to discuss illegal matters in private.)

The only one who revealed to a local paper what happened in a secret meeting--Elgin School District 46 Board member Daniel Rich--just resigned. But, since personnel matters can be discussed in secret, what the U46 board decided to do with Rich’s vote was just outrageous, not illegal. I sense that his resignation was because he felt he had made a really bad decision going along with the majority in giving school superintendent Connie Neale a bonus and raise that he estimates brings her up to $400,000 a year in compensation.

Thursday, reporter Fitzgerald reported that Kane County State’s Attorney Jon Barsanit expects a formal written complaint to be filed, based on what Fitzgerald uncovered.

And, it could not come at a worse time for School Board President Mary Fioretti.

She is up for re-election this spring.

Due the really bizarre election laws for school districts like 300, only so many people may be elected from each township. I think it is three.

District 300 has two heavily populated townships, Dundee and Algonquin.

Fioretti is from Algonquin Township, even being an appointed Republican precinct committeeman.

If someone else runs from Algonquin Township, it is likely to be a one-on-one race.

Until now, I would have bet Fioretti would have walked away with another term.

Now, I am not so sure.

She is taking really heavy press flack. This past week, it has almost been carpet bombing.

The lightning rod is Fioretti’s defense of meeting behind closed doors to discuss moving graduation to an indoor venue. Because lightning might strike during graduation.

No lie.

In an attempt at damage control, Fioretti told Fitzgerald,

We always keep the public in mind. We felt we were doing that, and we continue to feel that we are doing that, but we will double our efforts.

But, as Fitzgerald explains,

Even though there are specific matters that might be handled in a closed session based on exceptions to open meeting laws, the board members still have the right to discuss even those kinds of matters in open session if they choose to do so.

And, I would add, there is no legal reason for board members not to tell the public what has happened in executive session. I am thinking specifically about how teacher contracts are coming.

Then, taxpayers would not be blindsided by exorbitant pay raises, learning of them only on the day they are approved.

Yes, it is legal to reveal that, for any of you brave school board members out there who think taxpayers ought to know how much is to be transferred from their take home pay to that of school employees before the deed is done.

= = = = =
Both pictures are of Carpentersville School District Board President Mary Fioretti. At least they would have been if this new version of Blogger would take pictures like the old one did. (Retroposted 1-30-7.)

Labels: District 300, Executive session, Mary Fioretti

Last year, the Lake in the Hills Village Board endorsed Carpentersville School District 300’s tax hike and bond referendums.

When asked to do the same thing, the Village Board in Algonquin said, “No thanks,” that would be illegal.

Now the McHenry County Board has decided to keep its official mouth shut on the proposed Kishwaukee Valley Water Authority, according to Northwest Herald reporter Kevin Craver.

When individually polled, Craver found that 15 out of 22 members of the county board opposed (or are leaning against) creating a water authority.

Naturally, it would take power away from the county board.

After all, consolidation of power is what politics is all about.

In the comment section below the article, Huntley School Board member Larry Snow says,

It is interesting how Ed Plaza was passionate about supporting District 300's referendums. Is it coincidental that his wife worked for District 300 in its fiscal office at the time (and may still)? Does anyone recall Mr. Plaza being so passionate about District 158's two referendums?

Snow also criticizes Lake in the Hills for failure to collect so few lag fees for the Huntley School District.

Labels: Ed Plaza, Lake In the Hills, Larry Snow, McHenry County Board.

How desperate must Kane and McHenry Counties be for additional road capacity. McHenry County has enacted a 4-cent local Motor Fuel Tax.

Kane County levies 2-cents.

Although both counties have experienced incredible growth, state government has been unwilling to step up to plate, so to speak.

That hasn’t stopped state government from making little-used highways, such as Route 67, which runs from East Moline almost to East St. Louis four-lanes.

At some points, the last time I checked there were fewer than 5,000 cars per day.

Usually, 4-lanes are considered merited when the traffic count reaches 20,000 vehicles each day.

So, as with mental health services and schools, if McHenry County is willing to tax it citizens more than other counties, it surely is less deserving of state aid.

To put it bluntly, politicians figure we don’t need help.

So, I guess I should not be surprised that Kane County is considering doubling its county MFT so it matches McHenry County’s.

But, Elgin’s Daily Courier had this shocker Thursday:

Kane County is considering tolls on the bridges it clearly needs.

Do those of us who live in the Fox River counties just look like sheep waiting to be sheared?

Or have we grown so much tax wool for the rest of the state that it is taken for granted that we are stupid enough to build toll bridges across our little river.< href="http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/columnists.nsf/patgauen/story/BB50E1B070CEA4578625726E001564E5?OpenDocument">toll bridge over the Mississippi River in the St. Louis area, but Illinois politicians won’t stand for that.

A semi-rational argument is that would just keep the non-toll bridges overcrowded.

Anyone want to bet that toll bridges over the Fox won’t be used less than nearby non-toll bridges?

Or are we so desperate that we’ll pay them to get home faster?

= = = = =
The drawing of the proposed Stearns Road bridge comes from the Kane County Transportation Department web page. Or it would have if Blogger would take images.

Labels: Kane County, toll bridge, traffic congestion

You can tell it’s McHenry Marlins Swim Team time again when you start to see messages like this swimming cap.

It has a drawing of an alligator and says,

See
You
Later

It’s relatively hard to get decent photos at a swim meet.

Oh, you can get good pictures of splashing water, but of the swimmers, that’s another matter.

I got two fairly good ones of Coach John, who is still young enough to be on the team.

I'm pretty sure this is the breast stroke.

He won it, but he didn't have any opponents.

He was racing against his past times.

High schoolers who are on a swim team are not allowed to compete in the Marlins league.

John gets to take part because he is home schooled.

Labels: McHenry Marlins, Swim Cap

The Northwest Herald has a front page story today that is sure to bring lots of questions.

It seems that off-duty McHenry County Sheriff’s Deputy Donald Anderson totaled his Sheriff’s Department’s car by driving it “into a tree on Buckingham Drive in Crystal Lake.”

“But Crystal Lake Officer Ken Ellinger (a 5-year veteran), whose department had jurisdiction over the crash, said he wouldn’t charge Anderson with DUI.”

What’s that all about?

Isn’t this taking professional courtesy too far?

To his credit, Ellinger’s superior, Crystal Lake Deputy Police Chief Dennis Harris, disagreed with his subordinate’s not issuing a ticket. Five days after the crash, Huntley resident Anderson got a ticket, the NW Herald Regan Foster reports.

McHenry County Sheriff Keith Nygren, a former Crystal Lake Police Chief, fired the errant deputy, who had worked for him less than a year.

“Nygren said deputies were allowed to drive their squad cars off-duty as long as they are alone, armed, have the police radio on and are available to respond in an emergency,” the article says.

The Northwest Herald had to file a Freedom of Information Request to obtain the police reports.

Three Republican County Board members are holding a meeting to discuss water.

It will be held at Woodstock High School from 7-9 on the night of February 8th.

The event is hosted by Woodstock county board member Tina Hill.

County Board Chairman Ken Koehler of Crystal Lake and Woodstock’s John Jung will also attend.

Both Hill and Jung have some of their 5th county board district in the area of the proposed Kishwaukee Water Authority, but few people who will be allowed to vote, if the issue gets on the ballot. All of Woodstock and Grafton Township are excluded from the Water Authority.

Koehler has none in his district that would be included in the proposed new tax district, but has expressed opposition to its formation.

Newly elected County Board member James Kennedy and Virginia Peschke also represent the 5th district.

Woodstock, IL – January 26, 2007 – In spite of the more than 1600 citizens signatures filed with the DeKalb County court, many municipal officials, purporting to represent municipal residents, are requesting that an area 1.5 miles around their municipal limits be excluded from the Kishwaukee Valley Water Authority.

Pat Kennedy, President of the A-LAW, the not-for-profit corporation that organized the citizens initiative to form the water authority, has expressed grave concerns. The municipalities of Cortland, Genoa, Kingston, Lee, Malta, Shabbona, Sycamore, Union and Waterman have all made this request. The village of Maple Park has asked that its FPA boundary also be excluded.

Many of the more than 1600 citizens who signed the petition to form the water authority would be excluded if this request is granted. In effect, these municipalities are attempting to use a planning area outside their territorial boundaries to disenfranchise interested citizens and prevent them from voting on this ballot question. Municipal officials that these citizens did not even elect would be controlling the citizen’s vote.

The 1.5 mile planning area is the most likely location for a municipality to place a new high capacity well, making those citizens the most vulnerable to it’s effects and most in need of protection. There is no entity currently in place to help mitigate the negative impacts if their wells are drained dry.

The boundaries proposed by A-LAW are based on county, township, and municipal boundaries that are well established and easily discernable to election officials. A 1.5 mile additional boundary around municipalities would crate an administrative nightmare for election officials. There is nothing in the Water Authority Act or other State Statutes that mandates any type of exclusion for the municipal planning areas. An exclusion of these planning areas would weaken the authority and greatly diminish its effectiveness in groundwater management.

KVWA supporters include many rural residents along with the McHenry, Boone and DeKalb Farm Bureaus. The Soil and Water Districts of all three counties have also endorsed the effort.

The next hearing on the petition is Tuesday, January 30, at 1:30 before the Hon. Kurt Klein at the DeKalb County Courthouse in Sycamore, Illinois. Retired Judge, John W. Countryman of DeKalb, is representing the petitioners.

Further information can be obtained by visiting www.a-lawonline.org or calling A-LAW at 1-866-649-9049 or e-mailing at A-LAW@onebox.com. We encourage anyone wanting additional information and those willing to assist this effort to call the Alliance.

A water authority is authorized by Illinois law and created by referendum voted on by citizens of the proposed authority area. A water authority has the power to permit new wells for high capacity residential, municipal, industrial and commercial users.

The authority will monitor and manage the use of ground water within the authority’s boundaries. Agricultural uses along with existing wells at current usage levels are not affected. Water authorities currently exist throughout the State of Illinois, most in central Illinois. The Illinois Water Authority Association located in Havana, Illinois represents many of the current authorities. Water authorities work directly with other state and local governmental units and enter into intergovernmental agreements in carrying out its duties. The Alliance calls on all interested residents to contact them to help approve the water authority.

Projecting population trends among the 50 states redistricting consultant Clark Bensen of Polidata Incorporated predicts that Illinois will be among the state that lose representation in the United States Congress.

For all but one decade I have lived in Illinois, its relative share of the country’s population has declined enough for us to lose a congressman.

There were

· 25 during the 1950’s
· 24 during the 1960’s
· 24 during the 1970’s
· 22 during the 1980’s
· 20 during the 1990’s
· 19 during the 2000’s

Other projected losers:

Iowa, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Jersey, New York (-2), Ohio (-2) and Pennsylvania

If the Democrats will just raise our income taxes 67%, maybe we lose two seats.

Winners?

Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Nevada, Texas (+2) and Utah.

Thanks to Paul Richardson at Capitol Fax Blog for the tip pointing me to The Thicket story by Tim Storey.

Labels: Re-apportioment

We don’t see tagging artwork much around Crystal Lake, so when I saw this railroad car on Main Street near Congress, I decided to take a picture.

I thought it might be the typical gang graffiti that we see on Union Pacific cars running through Crystal Lake, but, when I enlarged this shot taken out my car window, it was more.

It says,

LOUIE

in really large letters

Over at the left, however, is

For my Pops

and below

2006

To the right of “Louie” is something that I can’t make out.

Maybe someone reading this can.

That was the question that came to my mind when I saw in the Daily Herald that Feisty the Cat had escaped from its Lake County Cat Tax-ridden home.

Was Feisty trying to make it to McHenry County and live in the wild as a cat who will not be bothered by the McHenry County Republican Cat Tax Collectors, if the Republican county board members do pass a cat tax?

We’ll never know, will we?

Reporter Lee Litas didn’t interview Feisty.

Jan Fisher, Feisty’s owner mounted a search after Feisty’s New Year’s Eve escape and Feisty was found.

Now Fiesty will have to pay the Lake County Republican Cat Tax.

= = = = =
Feisty's picture appeared in the Daily Herald story.

Yesterday, I published an email from Cathy Peschke, who has moved from Harvard, Illinois, to New Hampshire.

(Their $375,000--asking price--home in Harvard is still for sale. See the details here.)

She and her husband Jim have already started a taxpayer web site.

But their old web site, CRAFT, is still being kept current and so is the blog for Citizens for Reasonable and Fair Taxes.

Both have come under attack, she reports.

A bunch of educational tax hikers called the Minnesota Association of School Administrators have put CRAFT on what I would call an enemies' list.

How proud the two must be.

They have worked hard for that recognition.

The Minnesota Association of School Administrators has published a

Rapid Referendum Response Booklet

What to do when your district
is blindsided
by anti-referendum attacks

I find the subtitle almost comical.

If McHenry County’s School Carpentersville District 300’s and Woodstock’s District 200’s campaigns are any indication, it is more likely that taxpayers will be blindsided.

There’s “a new breed of organized opposition,” the pamphlet warns.

And, you know what, these administrators seem to think that opposition to tax hikes starts late deliberately.

What a lack of understanding of how citizens slowly begin to understand that there is an serious attack on their pocketbooks.

The poor superintendents think that there are deliberate “attempts to overwhelm” them with information requests about

contracts with attorneys, financial advisors, construction managers, architects.

Could that be because these folks are a major source of funding to the tax hike committees?

I think so.

I guess getting that information together for taxpayers takes away from the superintendents’ main purpose—to get those taxes hiked.

I think I feel tears coming on.

Who else made the taxpayer protection honor list?

Paul Dorr, a.k.a., Copperhead Consulting Services. COPPERHEAD CONSULTING SERVICES

A blog about Paul Dorr, which does not bring up anything.

Here are more links posted by the Minnesota group:

http://pdsram.com, which supposedly links to

· CRAFT,

· an Indian Prairie, IL, anti-tax group (link does not work),

· The Family Taxpayers (Network) Champion, IL anti-tax group,

· Contra Costa, CA anti-tax group, whose real name is the Alliance of Contra Costa Taxpayers,

· Paul Dorr’s anti-tax group, and

· Alliance for Reform Education Funding, described on the school administrators’ web site as Ohio Christian anti-tax group. It has a home schooling connection.

= = = = =
The sign is from an Ohio referendum, found on the Alliance for Reform Education Funding web site.

The cartoon is from a California group Contra Costa's Alliance of Contra Costa Taxpayers.

It’s pile on time for Carpentersville School District 300.

Thursday, Northwest Herald News Editor Kevin Lyons starts his column like this:

The comment that her school board went into closed session to talk about things as arbitrary as where to hold graduation ceremonies because possible lightning strikes are safety concerns might go down in history as the worst publicly articulated argument to violate open meetings laws in Illinois history.

Lyons hints that Kane County State’s Attorney John Barsanti should get involved and suggests he deliver a trophy for that achievement.

I was thinking about entitling this “Blue State Blues.”

Tuesday, I ran a story about a Federal Judge’s having ruled that Secretary of State Jesse White had to issue “Choose Life” license plates, if 850 people wanted them.

I headlined my story,

Jack Franks Off the “CHOOSE LIFE” License Plate Hook

Thursday, Tribune columnist Eric Zorn writes that he is in favor of getting rid of all specialty plates.

Zorn doesn’t come right out and say, “Regiment them all,” but that would be the result.

No individuality at all.

And, why?

So pro-lifers in Illinois can’t demonstrate their commitment on their license plates.

I would suggest that we have a contest.

Let the pro-choicers pick any slogan they want for a license plate.

How about “Choice!”

Maybe they will give their money to adoption agencies, too.

Let’s see who can sell the most license plates.

But, before ending this article, let me quote Zorn’s the part about State Rep. Jack Franks:

"Law enforcement officials tell me over and over that they don't like [specialty plates]," said state Rep. Jack Franks (D-Woodstock), who says he's proud to be the bottleneck denying applications as chairman of the House State Government Administration Committee. "They're confusing."

I have a related observation.

Have you ever noticed how many cars in Illinois don't have front license plates?

The logical suggestion was made to get rid of them. Lots of states have done that.

That would decrease the cost and increase the net tax take, since license fees surely would not be cut.

The law enforcement community made similar comments about front plates to me that they made to Franks about the specialty plates.

It would be harder to catch crooks.

I asked Algonquin Police Chief Russ Lane, who headed the police chiefs association at the time, I believe, to ask his board members, who favored front and back plates, to tell me how many citations they had issued for failure to have a front plate.

There were very, very few.

I reasoned that if the police thought front plates were important that they would surely write tickets to the large number who didn't have one.

The lack of enforcement led me to decide one back license plate was enough.

Since then, however, I've found a reason for two plates.

I saw a license plate reading device at work in a TV show about a Canadian police force testing it.

The device read the plates of cars on both the highway and in parking lots. While the news camera was on, the policeman found a stolen parked car. Since people park both ways in parking lots, for the device to work best, two plates would be needed.

But, back to the reason for this story--Jack Franks' commnents to Eric Zorn.

Ever since his first campaign in 1998, Franks has said he was “pro-choice.”

Franks has had an almost perfect pro-life voting record, however.

I figure he just wants to polish up his credentials with the pro-choice crowd.

That’s a must if one is ever going to run for statewide office.

Actually, it’s a sign on a window in a Gary Markstein editorial cartoon.

It’s a blustery winter day.

A man, with scarf blowing away from his neck is standing all bundled up in front of a building covered with snow.

There's a sign on the window.

What’s the sign say?

GLOBAL WARMING
MEETING CANCELED
DUE TO WEATHER

I had wondered if Green Party gubernatorial candidate Rich Whitney had made any impact on his natural and well-organized McHenry County constituency—the McHenry County Defenders.

I have often characterized the McHenry County Defenders as the largest and best-organized political organization in McHenry County.

While they do not participate overtly in partisan elections besides running candidates’ forums once in a while, when a local group feels aggrieved, it’s often the Defenders they turn to.

And, the Defenders are capable of giving fits to local and county governmental entities.

Currently, they have taken up the cause of a Burton’s Bridge neighborhood threatened by a building as big as a Jewel store “to serve commercial building businesses and to develop a storage facility for commercial equipment and vehicles,” as an article by neighbor Lori McConville writes.

Nevertheless, I was surprised to see

A Call to Action

by Rich Whitney
2006 Green Party candidate for Governor

on the front page of “Nature Matters,” the quarterly newsletter of the McHenry County Defenders. It goes on for two and one-have pages.

And, I learned its writing was solicited by the Defenders.

I haven’t read it yet, but wonder if Whitney will attend the Saturday, February 10th annual pot luck dinner meeting at Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church in McHenry. (It’s “members only,” so, if you want to attend, get yours dues check in.)

If he came, he might be able to stimulate some members to run for county board in 2008 as Green Party members.

He might even be able to recruit enough precinct committeemen to form a real party in McHenry County.

Bill Baar at Illinoize points out that the St. Louis Post-Dispatch has an article about the opportunities by Adam Jadhay.

It starts,

Wanted: One candidate for the U.S. Senate, 19 for the U.S. House, 118 potential state representatives, dozens more wannabe state senators, hundreds of potential county officials.

And as many as 11,692 precinct committeemen, among other vacancies. Interested applicants should contact the Illinois Green Party.

Phil Huckelberry is the party's candidate recruitment guy.

Whitney received 10,750 votes for governor in McHenry County. In contrast, I got 3,903 in 2002 as the Libertarian Party candidate.

It’s hard to believe that Keely Cat wouldn’t have at least moral support from Conservative Cat.

Conservative Cat was found in cyberspace at a site named after him.

Conservative Cat quotes
“The Thoughts of Chairman Meow:"

Talk nice to your parents. A few kind words now means lots of free babysitting when you really need it.

Respectfully submitted,

Ferdinand T. Cat

I think he would join Keely Cat in his opposition to the McHenry County Republican Cat Tax, don't you?

And, if I were a rabid cat, I wouldn't even get close to Conservative Cat.

Remember how Huntley School Board member Larry Snow blew the whistle on the 55-cent tax rate hike referendum could really bring in a lot more money

Remember when Snow said the same thing could