The Lauzen for County Board sign.
No way to sneak past Sarah and Chris Lauzen at Chris’ fund raiser in Aurora Saturday.
All the guests were funneled through one door.
Outside was Sarah greeting everyone.
Just inside was Chris greeting them again and posing for a photo.
In line just before me for the reknown Fay’s Pork Chops was 14th District Congressman Randy Hultgren.
Fay’s Pork Chops were served in four lines at Chris Lauzen’s fund raiser.
The wait was not long because four lines were set up to serve the food.
Former State Senator Ed Petka, his wife Phyllis and State Senator candidate Peter Hertado pose for the camera.
I discovered that former Will County State’s Attorney, State Senator and Circuit Court Judge Ed Petka (R-Plainfield) and his wife Phyllis were standing behind me.
I asked him about the County Executive form of government which Democratic Party State Rep. Jack Franks is trying to impose on McHenry County and which now exists in Will County.
Former State Senator Ed Petka chats with State Senator Dave Syverson.
It’s worse than a I thought.
The Will County Board has essentially been neutered.
Every employee not under an independently elected official is appointed by the County Executive or someone he has appointed.
Sounds like a patronage bonanza for whoever wins the office.
And, the County Executive even proposes the re-apportionment map.
I’ve never heard of the head of an Executive Branch being able to reapportion the Legislative Branch.
Although not posing as an expert in the County Executive form of government, he told me the County Board can veto the County Executive’s redistricting suggestion, but, then the County Executive just offers another map.
“Would it be fair to characterize the County Executive a czar?” I asked.
“Czars have less power than a County Executive,” Petka replied.
There were lots of notables in attendance, but I noted that Illinois Republican Party Chairman Pat Brady, who inexplicably endorsed Lauzen’s opponent in the primary election, was not among them.
There’s an underground group of Donald Duck fans.
I was wearing one of my Donald Duck tee shirts. (None of which have I purchased. For some reason, my wife keeps giving them to me. I do admit to be one of the ones who yelled “Donald Duck” during the Mickey Mouse Club song…and Micky Mouse is so, well, Establishment.) I made contact with the young man you see above. I think that’s a cell phone with Donald’s face on it.
Each year supporters of Chris Lauzen decorate pigs, which are raffled off. This one is branded “Lauzen 2012” on its ham.
Looking the pigs over were former State Rep. Deloris Doederlein (R-East Dundee) and her friend Sue Ollman of Elgin.
Sue Ollman and Deloris Doederlein take a look at the Silent Auction items and decorated pigs. Doederlein represented the area where Sears headquarters was built. She voted against the Sears Tax Increment Financing District.
I got a photo of Kane County Recorder of Deeds Sandy Wegman, whom I had not met until Saturday.
I took a couple of posed photos of her and Kane County Board member T.R. Smith, but Wegman would not be pleased if I published them. So, apologies to Smith.
Bob Russell, the GOP candidate for Coroner, and Terry Hunt, running for County Auditor were at Chris Lauzen’s affair.
I got close enough to take some photos of Lauzen giving his speech.
He was preceded by Congressman Hultgren. who sang the praises of Paul Ryan as the person chosen as Mitt Romney’s running mate.
As he was winding down, someone told me that I would not believe how Kane County government would change under Lauzen’s leadership.
Chris Lauzen waves while his wife Sarah claps.
Lauzen stress that he would
- freeze the county property tax levy
- treat people respectfully
- have an honest, competent administration through innovation and austerity
He also said he would “end the perception of pay to play.”
Lauzen said he would be approaching Kane County employers asking them what it would take for them to increase employment 25% in four years.
You write “The Will County Board has essentially been neutered. Every employee not under an independently elected official is appointed by the County Executive or someone he has appointed. Sounds like a patronage bonanza for whoever wins the office.”
So what you’re really saying is that instead of the county board members getting their friends and relatives a job at the county, they no longer will be able to do so and only the county executive will hire his friends and relatives? It’s little wonder the county board members don’t want this to come to pass. Tough! The elected clods will still have their patronage positions, correct?
Seems to me at least we voters will only have one person to blame when we see nepotism and patronage at the county building.
Watching some of the antics of the board members makes me wonder if they are smart enough to pour water out of a bucket if the instructions were on the bottom!
As always, your position on this just depends on whose ox is being gored.
no big deal, but it’s FAY’s BBQ….good to see you again….
Correction made.
A pig is the perfect symbol for Lauzen’s yearly event where corporate and special interest PACs fill the trough for Chris at the same time he’s riding his high horse pretending he’s different from other politicians.
What a phony.