Here’s what Republican County Board candidate Diane Evertsen mailed out just before the election.
It’s a yellow post card, almost goldenrod, it appears to me.
Arriving at the end of the campaign season, this post card was well timed.
Evertsen provides her web site address and says,
Commonsence, conservative solutions…
for a better future in McHenry County
Here’s the message side:
Black and yellow, the colors I liked to use on literature and campaign signs.
If it’s important to you
- Smaller government
- Lower taxes
- Preservation of our agricultural land and open spaces
- Protecting our water resources
- Real representation of the voters
It’s important to me!
Evertsen has been campaigning hard. Besides having knocked on about 6,000 doors as of early October, Evertsen has held meet and greets at local restaurants, even one bowling alley.
A rob-call was made on behalf of Democrat Dennis Palys criticizing her activities with the Midwest Minutemen, which she notes is a free standing organization.
The calls came from: 815-788-9540 with the name M. Bisset. Michael Bisset is the Chairman of the McHenry County Democratic Party.
Here’s what was said:
“What is County Board candidate Diane Evertsen hiding from you now. Has she told you she’s married to a Township Supervisor? Are you concerned about politicians double dipping in the public coffers? Diane calls for smaller government as long as it’s all in the family. How can she objectively represent you? What else is Diane hiding from you? Has she told you about her presidency in a radical vigilante group? Check her out, make an informed decision. There are better choices for the County Board. Paid for by citizens for Dennis Palys.”
What wasn’t said is that Palys’ daughter Jessica is an “Organizer at The Center for Faith & Community Health Transformation,” according to this web page. She has also be an
- Organizer at Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights
- Federal Issues Organizer at Citizen Action/Illinois
- Faith Community Organizer at Campaign for Better Health Care
Placard that some immigrant rights' advocates carried to the McHenry County Jail in Woodstock.
While working as an Organizer for the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights from February 2010 — June 2010 (5 months), she
- Mobilized the NW Suburbs to support Comprehensive Immigration Reform in 2010
- Added 9 buses to our Washington Trip, created the Illinois Business Immigration Coalition
- Organized a suburban May Day March and
- Organized a 54-mile Pilgrimage from Chicago to the McHenry County Jail
The marchers crossed North Shore Drive on Route 14 in Crystal Lake.
The younger Palys also was a scheduler for Melissa Bean in 2004 and helped recruit candidates for the radical pro-abortion Personal PAC in 2007. Palys father is endorsed by Personal PAC for the county board.
The start of the daughter’s employment career is described like this on the web page:
In-District Staff
State Rep Jack Franks
(Government Agency; 1-10 employees; Political Organization industry)
September 1999 — November 2002 (3 years 3 months)
I have to admit that I didn’t know legislative staffers were in the “political organization industry. If I had to characterize my legislative assistants’ work, I would say they were in the “helping people” line of work.
In response to an email request about Evertsen’s involvement with Minutemen Midwest (this request was initiated by the Carlos Acosta letter to the editor two weeks ago in the NWH), Evertsen wrote the response below:
Diane Evertsen
I know your standard answer as to why do candidates use border line slander during campaigns is that ‘it works.’
We will not slander other candidates but we do request you publish this on your blog.
We will not participate in the Chicago style politics that it appears the McHenry County Democrats want to bring into McHenry County.
Your prior post on your blog about Franks’ operatives wasting the time of John O’Neill is another classic example of Chicago style politics.
Diane can always be reached at 815-943-3298 if anyone needs further clarification.
Other than that we will let the voters decide who can best SERVE the voters in District 6 on the McHenry County Board.
I am, and have been for the past several years, the President of Minutemen Midwest. Unfortunately, there are those who write Letters to the Editor who are either misinformed or prefer to bastardize the truth for their own purposes.
What letter writers have failed to acknowledge is that there is, in fact, a huge diference between “immigrants” and “illegal aliens”.
Immigrants who have come to our country legally by respecting our processes and abiding by the laws are certainly welcome to be here and assimilate into our culture, becoming Americans.
Those who wish to sneak across our borders or remain as Visa overstays in violation of our immigration laws should be removed back to their country of origin.
The purpose of the organization is to educate the public on immigration issues regarding our borders and ports of entry in order to retain American sovereity, and to keep the election process of our country secure from fraud.
You may also wish to know that Minutemen Midwest is a free-standing organization and not a ‘franchise’ or ‘affiliate’ of any other Minuteman organization.
From the Personal PAC endorsement, we can conclude that Dennis Palys and Diane Evertsen are on opposite sides of the abortion issue.
From the robo-call and Evertsen’s involvement in the immigration issue, we can assume they differ on that issue as well.
Considering the Palys daughter’s extended employment with State Rep. Jack Franks and Franks attempt (successful to some extent) to take over some rural township governments, my guess is that the father’s campaign is Franks’ attempt to get a voice on the McHenry County Board.
Incumbent Republican Mary McCann is Evertsen’s running mate.
Thanks for this information CAL. Very well presented. I did get the robo call from Palys and it rubbed me wrong. Then I went to his website and saw this “radical vigilante group” was the Minutemen.
Now I learn the robo call came from the Democrats.
Based upon your info, myself and my wife will vote for Evertsen and not any other candidate. Correct me if I’m wrong, but foesn’t the ballot say vote for two? if you only vote for one in a three way race, it carries more weght.
People should only vote for one candidate for McHenry County Board it will still count. I don’t have the same beliefs as other party members and Jack Franks. I believe that Cook County has to much control over McHenry County its time to replace those connected.
“My guess is that the father’s campaign is Franks’ attempt to get a voice on the McHenry County Board.” – Well, as usuall Cal your guess would be wrong.
I see board members are claiming they are fiscally conservative.
I want to believe that but I have to say it is BS.
Why?
because how can this board issue checks to pay an attorney when they have not seen the documentation for payment?
we are talking $200,000!
They claim a judge told them it is OK to Pay.
It is the same judge that hired his boating Buddie to do the investigation.
Then something must not look right so the file has been sealed.
Cal sent a Freedom of Information ACT request to get the info.
Cal what ever happen to that it is past due
Honestly, I was glad to hear about the robo-call. Let’s be real. Diane Evertsen has worked to portray herself as a non-radical candidate for McHenry County. But let us be misled no longer.
Diane will no doubt focus her candidacy on immigration as I doubt she will be able to remove that issue from her agenda, despite the fact that it was not listed on her mailer. I mean, this is the woman who equated illegal immigrants to children deserving a scolding at the Jun 06, 2009 Harvard village meeting.
Rather than allow her opponents to “write Letters to the Editor who are either misinformed or prefer to bastardize the truth for their own purposes”, I challenge Diane to be honest about her anti-illegal Mexican agenda.
At least Dennis Palys has been public with his opinions. Running as a Democrat in this county is evidence that he has the integrity and strength to stand on his own, and his long record of public service certainly shows commitment and bi-partisanship.
And why attack his daughter? Wouldn’t the real story be if she chose not to help her father, a father who raised a daughter who apparently devotes her life to reducing human suffering?