McHenry County Blog

Crystal Lake State Rep. Mike Tryon passed House Bill 4765 this week.

118-0.

That's everybody voting for it.

That probably means it's not objectionable, but, considering the Democrats control everything, what bill sponsored by a Republican that is controversial is likely to pass?

What's the bill do?

It requires the Department of Central Management Services to maintain a web site called the “Illinois Accountability Portal.”

It's a short bill, so I'll just reprint it below:

AN ACT concerning State government.

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
represented in the General Assembly:

Section 5. The Department of Central Management Services Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois is amended by adding Section 405-335 as follows:

(20 ILCS 405/405-335 new)

Sec. 405-335. Illinois Accountability Portal. To establish and maintain a website, known as the Illinois Accountability Portal, with a full-time webmaster. The website shall provide direct access to each of the following:

(1) A database of all current State employees and individual consultants, sorted separately by name, agency, and position title, listing for each their current pay rate and year-to-date pay.

(2) A database of all current State expenditures, sorted separately by agency, category, customer, and Representative District.

(3) A database of all current State tax credits, sorted separately by tax credit category, customer, and Representative District.

(4) A database of all revocations and suspensions of State occupation and use tax certificates of registration and all revocations and suspensions of State professional licenses, sorted separately by name, geographic location, and certificate of registration number or license number, as applicable. Professional license revocations and suspensions shall be posted only if resulting from a failure to pay taxes, license fees, or child support.

(5) A database of all current State contracts, sorted separately by contractor name, awarding officer or agency, contract value, and goods or services provided.

It sounds a bit like Republican United States Senator Tom Coburn's bill which Barack Obama got passed in Washington to track pork.

On, almost forgot. They call such line items “earmarks” in Washington.

In Springfield they are called “member initiatives”...like the $250,000 I got for Home of the Sparrow in the late 1990's to buy a home in Crystal Lake. (So, Crystal Lakers, you can help out without even leaving home.)

Locally, State Rep. Jack Franks (D-Marengo) jointly sponsored the bill. Mark Beaubien (R-Barrington Hills) and Ron Wait (R-Belvidere) were among the co-sponsors.

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The photo of State Rep. Jack Franks on the left talking to State Rep. Mike Tryon on the right was taken at the budget hearing the two, plus State Senator Pam Althoff, held at McHenry County College on March 19th. The pig's snout was taken south of the Wisconsin border town where House Speaker Mike Madigan sometimes takes his granddaughter to lunch. The waitresses refer to him as "that Illinois state representative," not "Speaker."

Labels: Barack Obama, Earmark, Jack Franks, Member Initiative, Mike Tryon, Pam Althoff, Pork, Tom Coburn

One of former State Rep. Doug Hoeft’s pet causes was PADS.

Helping the least of God's people, as Jesus admonished us all to do.

The Elgin legislator got significant money put in the budget for a facility.

He died before it could be built.

Earlier this month, I noticed an article about the budget item, but with the name of a new state senator, Michael Nolan, attached to it.

Somehow, I doubt that Hoeft cares, but I imagine the lack of inclusion of his name in the article caused some pain for his family.

Doug, by the way, told one of my supporters who lived in his district that I was “the most influential and the least influential” state representative in Springfield.

I wonder if he was thinking of the attack piece that I presented to our House GOP caucus the day we discussed Governor Jim Edgar’s proposed income tax hike (a variation of the tax swap that he savaged Dawn Clark Netsch for proposing in 1990) for the first half of his characterization.

I can imagine his thinking of my being the last Republican to pass a bill in 1995, after we had taken control of the Illinois House for only the second term of my service in Springfield.

That was the spring Maureen Murphy and I tried our hardest to pass a bill that would require testing of mothers for HIV. With such a test, the infection rate for babies with an HIV-mother could be cut dramatically.

We lost because we took the Republicans on the committee for granted.

We assumed that they would follow the facts.

Too many did not.

Labels: Doug Hoeft, Earmark, Elgin, Member Initiative, PADS, Pork

I didn't make it to Bill Dwyer's road rally next to the old Algonquin Village Hall at the intersection of Routes 31 and 62. The folks taking my son to the Brookfield Zoo were later than expected.

But, 16th district Congressman Don Manzullo did. And, so, I see, did the Chicago Tribune's Carolyn Starks. Here's Chuck Keeshan's Daily Herald article. Here's Tom Musick's Northwest Herald article.

She says Manzullo said,

"All the governor has to do is get in his helicopter, fly over this intersection and see how it is jammed."

And, his press secretary Rich Carter got the first press release out, which you will find below.

You will notice that Manzullo takes the opportunity to detail the money he has earmarked in the Federal budget over the years.

The last time Manzullo was at the little park, he faced off with to-be Democratic Party opponent Robert Abboud. A picture of that appears here.

Abboud was at today's press conference, too, but the Tribune did not mention that he was running for congress in its Friday online article on the event.

In addition, one person who attended emailed me,

there were more than 100 others, including Rep. Melissa Bean, Sen. Pam Althoff, Reps. Mike Tryon and Mark Beaubien, County Board Chaiman Ken Koehler, many county board members, several mayors, other local officials and interested citizens and business owners. It was quite a rally.

Here's the press release:

Manzullo Joins New Coalition in Pushing Governor for McHenry County's Fair Share of Road Funds

[ALGONQUIN] Congressman Don Manzullo today joined other elected officials, business leaders and residents in calling on Governor Rod Blagojevich and Illinois legislative leaders to start investing in McHenry County road improvements so we can end the extreme traffic congestion that plagues area motorists each day.

At the inaugural "McHenry County Road Rally" at the gridlocked Routes 31 and 62 intersection in downtown Algonquin, Manzullo praised the efforts of the new McHenry County Better Roads Coalition to promote the need for road improvements and lobby the state for McHenry County's fair share of road funds.

Working with U.S. Senators Dick Durbin and Barack Obama, Manzullo has secured more than $32 million in federal funds for specific road projects in McHenry County, including:

• $19 million to help build the Western Bypass of Algonquin and widen Route 31 north to Rakow Road.
• $6.7 million to widen Route 47 to five lanes from Reed Road to Kreutzer Road through Huntley.
• $5.7 million to widen Rakow Road to four lanes between Route 31 and Ackman Road in Crystal Lake.
• $1 million for an intersection improvement at Crystal Lake Avenue and Pingree Road in Crystal Lake.
• $250,000 just this year to help extend Algonquin Road west of Route 47.

In addition to the specific earmarks, the Illinois Congressional Delegation worked together two years ago to secure $6 billion over the next 5 years in federal road formula money for the State of Illinois, a 30 percent increase over the last bill. In fact, Illinois received the third largest increase in funding of all the states.

Despite the unprecedented federal investment in McHenry County's roads and the record amount of federal road funding in Illinois' coffers, Governor Blagojevich has refused to spend any of the federal money or any of the state's gas tax receipts in McHenry County. In fact, in the ultimate slap in the face to McHenry County residents, the Governor actually eliminated tens of millions of dollars in the state road program allocated under the previous governor for the Western Bypass project.

"I believe the Governor's theft of the Western Bypass money awakened a sleeping giant in McHenry County, one who said we are no longer going to stand by and be taken advantage of by a state government that ignores McHenry County's needs," Manzullo said. "I wholeheartedly support the efforts of the McHenry County Better Roads Coalition and I look forward to working with their members in the future to ease the gridlock McHenry County motorists face each day."

I wish I had had similar support when I got $7 million in the state budget to widen Algonquin Road.

When Mike Tryon was McHenry County board chairman, the county board wouldn't even ask IDOT for the money.

No use crying over wasted asphalt, I guess.

Labels: Bill Dwyer, Don Manzullo, Earmark, Robert Abboud, Rod Blagojevich

With Governor Rod Blagojevich promising to excise what he considers “pork” from the state budget, Republican legislators and Democrat state representatives may only be able to get credit for good intentions.

Earlier, McHenry County Blog listed every line item that could be found in the budget with a McHenry County connection. These were grouped into social service agencies, municipalities, townships, libraries and miscellaneous.

In the first articles, I did not know that Republican state senators had included their earmarks in the budget. I thought they had just been put in a lump sum appropriation along with those of Democratic Party senators.

That’s the reason that the earlier articles featured State Representatives Mike Tryon, Jack Franks and Mark Beaubien and ignored the two state senators who represent McHenry County—Pam Althoff and Bill Peterson.

Now, Senator Althoff has shared her list of member initiatives. It totals $1.2 million.

News reports said that each state representative got $650,000 and each state senator $1.3 million.

Apparently, House Republican Leader Tom Cross reserved $50,000 from each of his member’s share and it sure looks like Senate Republican Leader Frank Watson took $100,000 from each of his member’s allocation.

Here is where she allocated her share of the district money:

• $250,000 to Crystal Lake for regional 911 Communications Dispatch
• $100,000 to Hebron for Police Station addition
• $250,000 to Algonquin for (Ted)Spella park design, engineering and construction
• $200,000 to Marengo for computer hardware and software upgrades/networking and backup
• $200,000 to Family Services for building and equipment costs
• $200,000 to Family Health Partnership for dental and medical equipment, prescription drug costs and laboratory testing costs

House Speaker Mike Madigan seems likely to call any motions filed to override gubernatorial vetoes, but Senator President Emil Jones has said he will not.

Such is the dictatorial power of Illinois’ legislative leaders.

Labels: Earmark, Family Health Partnership, Family Services, Member Initiative, Pam Althoff, Pork, Ted Spella

$600,000 worth of projects and grants are detailed in a list of member initiatives received from State Representative Mike Tryon’s office.

Governor Rod Blagojevich has announced he will veto the money, which he calls pork, and divert it to his health care play for illegal aliens, among others, but has not filed the necessary paperwork.

I thought it was supposed to be $650,000, but House Republican Leader Tom Cross apparently took $50,000 from each member's share. It will be interesting to see where that shows up, if the governor's vetoes are overridden.

These are items inserted in the Illinois state budget for the current budget year.

Some call them “pork.” Congress calls them “earmarks.” In Illinois, General Assembly members call them “member initiatives.”

Whatever they are called, I’ll bet the recipient governments and agencies are grateful.

STATE REP. MICHAEL W. TRYON
MEMBER INITIATIVE GRANTS

$ 75,000 – Grafton Township Building Relocation program

$ 50,000 – Nunda Township Non-dedicated road fund

$ 75,000 – Algonquin Township Non-dedicated road fund

$ 20,000 – Crystal Lake Library District - technology and software

$ 5,000 – Cary Library District technology and software

$ 12,500 – Huntley Library District – technology and software

$100,000 – The Advantage Group – Drug and Alcohol rehab

$ 45,000 – Lake in the Hills Parks Dept. – Sunset Park expansion and completion

$ 12,500 – Algonquin Library District technology and software

$ 75,000 – Lakeside Legacy Foundation - building renovation for historic preservation

$ 10,000 – McHenry County Senior Services

$ 10,000 – Turning Point - domestic violence agency

$100,000 – Pioneer Center for Human Services - 2 vans and senior care program

$ 10,000 – Family Alliance, Inc. - senior mental health programs

TOTAL: $600,000

Cross match these against the McHenry County budget items I found in the state budget and you can guess that either Jack Franks, Mark Beaubien, Pam Althoff or Bill Peterson is responsible for the other line items.

The only other legislator who has published his line items or allowed them to be published is Chicago's State Rep. John Fritchey. He did it on Illinoize and his blog, which he calls " Rep. John Fritchey's Open House."

Fritchey, incidentally, has a convoluted theory of how Blagojevich could reorganize state government and somehow take the money legislators earmarked.
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This January 7th picture is of Crystal Lake's Dole Mansion, which is owned by the Lakeside Legacy Foundation. It will receive $75,000 for building rehabilitation and preservation.

Labels: Earmark, Member Initiative, Mike Tryon, Pork, Rod Blagojevich, Tom Cross

Since the Governor’s Office stopped sending me press releases, I haven’t printed any.

I’ll make an exception today because he vetoed the pork-member initiatives-earmarks, whatever you want to call it, out of the budget bill and is trying to allocate the $463 million to get his health program off the ground.

That will, of course, build a big hole in the budget for next year, and, if demand is greater than expected, a gap that needs to be filled before next July 1st.

The legislators can override his line item vetoes with a bare majority vote. I would not assume that won't happen.

I well remember what the veto session was called under the last Democratic Party governor, a populist with fewer big spending ideas named Dan Walker.

We all called it the "veto override" session.

I have read the press release and no where does he mention his goal is to force Illinois taxpayers to pay for the health care of illegal aliens.

Little wonder why, because if that were known the idea would sink like a millstone.

The governor is removing the $500 million, presumably with his line item veto power, but, as is typical with this chief executive, no paperwork but a press release has been filed.

Take a look at the press release. Use my perceptual screen and you can see where the illegal aliens will obtain health care.

You can, of course, sense my frustration that the real motivation behind the governor's health care initiative is never mentioned in news stories.

If a politician is trying to accomplish a major change in public policy, he or she should be forthright. That is not an attribute of the governor in his health care proposal.

The press release can be found here.

The chart can be enlarge by clicking on it.

Labels: Earmark, illegal aliens, Member Initiative, Pork, Rod Blagojevich

It won't be just not-for-profit organizations and cities and villages that will get checks from state government, if McHenry County State Representatives Mark Beaubien, Jack Franks and Mike Tryon get their way.

Of course, Governor Rod Blagojevich doesn't have to release the money, even if the budget sent to the governor becomes law.

Even so, here's what five township governments in McHenry County are in line to receive:

Algonquin Township

- $75,000 for non-dedicated roads
- $50,000 for operations and capital costs
- $100,000 for operations and infrastructure improvements

Grafton Township

- $75,000 for the relocation of a building

McHenry Township

- $50,000 for operations and infrastructure improvements

Nunda Township

- $100,000 for operations and infrastructure improvements
- $50,000 for non-dedicate township road funds
- $50,000 for operations and capital costs

Richmond Township Highway Department

- $20,000 for road and building improvements

There are 17 townships in McHenry County.

Want to guess which townships' officials are considered more politically powerful?

And, what's your favorite name for this money?

Pork, earmark or member initiative.

Labels: Algonquin Township, Earmark, Grafton Township, Jack Franks, Mark Beaubien, McHenry Township, Member Initiative, Mike Tryon, Nunda Township, Pork, Richmond Township

Each state representative is said to have received $670,000 to distribute anyway he or she desires. Each state senator’s share of the pork pot is supposed to be twice as much--$1.3 million.

House Speaker Mike Madigan decided to put all the money in the budget on a recipient-by-recipient basis.

Of course, Governor Rod Blagojevich has said he won't sign the budget because it doesn't raise taxes enough.

State Reps. Mike Tryon (R-Crystal Lake), Jack Franks (D-Bull Valley) have districts contained entirely within McHenry County. Mark Beaubien (R-Barrington Hills) has a district that runs from north Crystal Lake up west to the Woodstock area and back to Lake County through southern McHenry.

McHenry County Blog searched the budget passed by the House and found local social service agencies would receive $615,000 from local state representatives. Local governments would get most of the rest. Tomorrow that money will be detailed. None of the budget line items have the sponsoring legislator's name identified.

In alphabetical order, here is who received how much:

• Adult and Child Rehab Center - $20,000 for equipment and operations
• The Advantage Group (also known as TAG) - $100,000 for drug and alcohol rehabilitation services
• Family Alliance -$20,000 for equipment and operations
• Family Health Partnership - $200,000 for purchase of medical, lab, and computer equipment and dental, pharmaceutical and lab supplies
• Family Services of McHenry County - $200,000 for costs associated with the purchase of a building, furnishings and computer equipment
• Hospice of Northeastern Illinois - $20,000 for patient room
• McHenry County Senior Services - $10,000 for services
• NISRA (Northern Illinois Special Recreation Association) - $20,000 for equipment and operations
• Senior Services Associates, Inc. - $25,000 for equipment and operations
• Youth Service Bureau - $20,000 for equipment and operations
• Hospice of Northeastern Illinois - $20,000 for patient room
• Hospice of Northeastern Illinois - $20,000 for patient room

In addition two not-for-profits that own historic buildings received a total of $125,000:

• (Crystal Lake’s ) Lakeside Legacy Foundation, which owns the Dole Mansion - $75,000 for costs associated with the purchase of historic structure in Crystal Lake
• (Woodstock’s) Opera House - $50,000 for a grant

Franks and Tryon were sent emails asking which earmarks were theirs on Friday afternoon. There was no reply by the time this article was posted.

Labels: Earmark, Jack Franks, Mark Beaubien, Member Initiative, Mike Tryon, Pork

As I was about to head beddy-bye, a press release arrived from United States Representative Don Manzullo. It follows up on the earmarking of $250,000 to help a bit with extending Algonquin Road west of Huntley. I will point out again that $250,000 is not big money in highway projects, as you can see from the prior projects

The press release follows:

U.S. House Approves $250,000 Manzullo Secured to Help Extend Algonquin Road West of Huntley

(CRYSTAL LAKE) The U.S. House of Representatives tonight approved $250,000 in federal funds to help relieve traffic congestion in McHenry County by extending Algonquin Road west of Route 47 to the western side of Huntley.

The funding, secured by Congressman Don Manzullo (R-Egan) is included in the 2008 Transportation-Treasury-Housing and Urban Development appropriations bill the House approved tonight. The funds must still be approved by the Senate and signed into law by the President. Manzullo will work with U.S. Senators Dick Durbin and Barack Obama, both of Illinois, to make sure the funding is protected throughout the process.

The 2.7-mile-long project will extend Algonquin Road west from Route 47, cross Marengo Road and intersect with Harmony Road at Brier Hill Road just west of the Huntley High School campus. The federal funds would be used to design a grade-separated highway structure over the Union Pacific Railroad as part of the road project.

"This is a critical project that will ease traffic congestion in one of the fastest growing areas of McHenry County," Manzullo said. "Algonquin Road is a vital east-west artery for motorists in the southern part of McHenry County. The extension will allow motorists a faster way to get to the west side of Huntley and westbound Interstate 90 by bypassing congested Route 47. I was happy to seek and secure federal funds for this important project."

Transportation funding has always been Congressman Manzullo's #1 priority for McHenry County. Over the last several years, he has secured more than $31 million in federal funds to relieve severe traffic congestion in McHenry County, including:

• $19 million ($9 million in 1998 and $10 million in 2005) for a new western bypass road around clogged Routes 31/62 intersection in Algonquin.
• $6.72 million ($1 million in 2004 and $5.72 million in 2005) to widen Route 47 to 5 lanes from Kreutzer to Reed roads in Huntley.
• $5.72 million in 2005 to widen Rakow Road from Randall Road to Route 31 in Crystal Lake and Lake in the Hills.
• $1 million in 2004 for intersection improvement at Crystal Lake Avenue and Pingree Road in Crystal Lake.

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The photograph is from Congressman Don Manzullo’s press conference near the corner of Routes 62 (Algonquin Road) and 31 in which he and other called for Governor Rod Blagojevich to put Algonquin’s Western Bypass back into the state budget.

Labels: Algonquin Road, Don Manzullo, Earmark, Huntley