McHenry County Blog

Andrew Palomo

Another candidate has surfaced in the Republican primary for the 8th Congressional District, where Joe Walsh is the incumbent, but is disinclined to run.   His name is Andrew Palomo and he joins Crystal Lake resident Richard Evansin seeking to represent the GOP in the newly-configured district.

Here is Palomo’s press release:

GOP CANDIDATE ANNOUNCES RUN IN NEW 8TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT.

Andrew Palomo from South Barrington is formally announcing his run for U.S. Congress in the New 8th District in Illinois.

Barrington, Illinois, August 7, 2011: Andrew Palomo, businessman from South Barrington, is officially announcing his campaign to become the first Congressman in the new 8th Congressional District of Illinois.

Andrew Palomo has decided to run for congress as a result of his concerns over the future of our
country.

Especially troubling are current government policies and their impact on our economy. Andrew wants to see our nation return to the place where freedom reigns opportunity for all exists.

Here is Palomo’s biography:

Andrew Palomo was born at Mt. Sinai hospital in Chicago in 1970.  His mother is the daughter of  Russian-Jewish immigrants. Andrew’s father, George Palomo, was the son of Mexican immigrants who served this country as a Marine in the Vietnam War.  Andrew spent his early childhood living in the Pilsen and Little Village areas of Chicago.

The family moved out of the city into Cicero and then Berwyn.

At the age of 13, Andrew went to live with his aunt in Oak Park where he attended Hawthorne Jr. High and Oak Park River Forest High School.

After graduating in 1988, Andrew enrolled in the Loyola University Chicago, School of Business.  He received a B.B.A. upon graduating in 1992, with a coursework emphasis in finance, economics and accounting.

Working his way through college was a valuable time of growth for Andrew.

A few of his jobs included positions at McCord Travel Group, Sadler & Associates (management consulting firm) and Encyclopaedia Britannica.

Andrew’s first job, after graduating from Loyola, was with First Residential Mortgage in Rolling Meadows.  It was at this company that his career in mortgage planning began.

As the youngest member of the sales team, Andrew consistently led the company in new business.  He quickly moved into management, where he helped recruit, mentor and develop new team members.

In 1997, Andrew co-founded Pillar Financial, LLC.   As a Certified Mortgage Planning Specialist, Andrew has helped thousands realize the dream of home ownership.  His straightforward, analytical approach with his clients has earned him trust and long-lasting customer relationships.

He holds the distinction of CRMS, CMC and CMPS and has maintained a dedication to lifelong learning and professional development.  In the spring of 2009, Andrew left Pillar Financial to concentrate on the financial planning aspect of his business.  He became a CFP in June of 2010 and enjoys a growing practice in  Oak Park.

Currently, Andrew continues his work on a master’s degree in personal financial planning, which he will complete in March of 2012.

Andrew believes in giving back to his community.

He has led a volunteer team to New Orleans following the Hurricane Katrina disaster of 2005.

With the help of two close friends, Andrew delivered a truckload of food, water and supplies to families in need.

In his business community, Andrew is giving back as well.  He has given hours of complimentary debt counseling and debt management advice to families and individuals.

He volunteered at the Financial Planning Day at the Harold Washington Library, giving free financial advice.

The Palomo family.

In his free time, Andrew loves spending time outdoors, annual fishing trips with his family and lifelong friends.

He is a member of the St. Charles Gun Club and is also a founding member of the Autobahn Country Club in Joliet, Illinois.

Andrew and his wife Karen, are the proud parents of four children and the proud owner of their German Shepherd, Puccini.

They have lived in South Barrington since 2000.

Illinois’ legislative Democrats have re-drawn Joe Walsh’s 8th congressional district so that the right Democrat could pick it up.

Republican Congressman Peter Roskam's 6th District wraps around the newly re-draw 8th District where Tammy Duckworth might run. Some have said it looks like a Pac Man game.

The name floated from the beginning was Tammy Duckworth, whose specially designed home is located in the Hoffman Estates part of the district.

In 2006, when she ran against Peter Roskam in the 6th District, she couldn’t vote for herself. Not a big deal constitutionally, because the Federal constitution only specifies residence in the state, a pretty loose definition as Alan Keyes’ candidacy showed.

Tammy Duckworth being interviewd on Fox News by Chris Wallace

Chicago Sun-Times Washington reporter Lynn Sweet reports that Duckworth resigned from her Veterans Administration post, one she took after serving as Illinois Director of Veterans Affairs under Governor Rod Blagojevich.

Did you know that each congressional district but two in Illinois have 712,813 people?

The other two have 712,812.

The newly-approved congressional map, awaiting Governor Pat Quinn's signature.

So, as far as making them of equal size, Illinois Democrats did a superb job.

The current congressional map for Illinois.

Although the ethnic concentration requirements, which have never held much interest for me, even though they will be the basis of any challenge by Republicans, how the electorate was rearranged does pique my curiosity.

The following table shows this information for each of Illinois’ congressional districts:

Where people were under the 2002 Illinois congressional districts and where they will be starting ni 2012. Click to enlarge.

Let’s take a closer look at the three districts into which McHenry County is or will be.

First, Don Manzullo’s 16th congressional district.  Here’s where the 718,791 people in the current 16th District ended up.

Most remained in the 16th District.

314,072, to be exact.

209,889 were placed in the 17th District.

That’s a district that goes to the Mississippi River hooking around the new 16th District’s north-south portion as it pretty much rings the collar counties from the Wisconsin border on its way to the Indiana border south of Kankakee.

It also hooks around the upper part of the 18th District like a cloud forming into a tornado.

The vast majority live in the City of Rockford.

106,441 were from Alden, Chemung, Coral, Dunham, Grafton,Hartland, Marengo, Nunda, Riley and Seneca Townships in McHenry County.

Basically, the western half of McHenry County, plus Grafton Township and the Crystal Lake part of Nunda Township.

88,389 gave been assigned to the 6th congressional district.

That is the Algonquin Township part of the current 16th District.

They will presumably be represented by Congressman Peter Roskam after the next election.

Congressman Joe Walsh’s current 8th District is split asunder.

104,825 go into the District numbered 6.

That’s the one where House Republican Deputy Whip Peter Roskam now resides.

Most of that population comes from McHenry County’s Algonquin Township, but some is from the lower tiers of townships in southwestern Lake County.

185,195 of the most Democratic parts of the 8th District that could be found were kept in the new 8th District, which is based in Schaumburg, which is no longer the solid Republican territory it was when Don Totten was Republican Township Committeeman.

So the new 8th is less than one-third of the old 8th.

233,771 people in the 8th were assigned to the 10th district.  That’s the part in the upper part of Lake County.  It actually contains Joe Walsh’s Fox Lake congressional office.

Almost as many people–215,049–ended up in the new vertical McHenry-Kane-DuPage County district.  Incumbent 14th District Congressman Randy Hultgren resides just inside its eastern border in DuPage County.  Joe Walsh lives near its northern border–the Wisconsin-Illinois state line, in McHenry.

With more of Joe Walsh’s district’s population going to the new 10th District, which has no resident incumbent, it occurs to me that Walsh might decide to run there, instead of in the 14th.  (The 6th with GOP Leader Peter Roskam in it, is pretty much out of the question, although Walsh has significant connections in the Barrington portion.  That’s where he grew up.)

But, 60% of the voters in the new 10th District were in the old 10th District, which Robert Dold took over from now-U.S. Senator Mark Kirk.

The 431,609 people being carried over from the old 10th District are pretty far from Dold’s home.

As you can see, 1,508 people are shunted to the 14th District.

Finally, let’s take a look at the 14th District.

Randy Hultgren is its congressman and it now butts up against the McHenry-Kane County line.

Similar havoc can be expected in states controlled by Republicans.  See if you can pick them out from the map below, which shows which states got extra congressional seats and which, like Illinois, lost one or more.

The largest portion–293,306 people–are still in the same numbered district.

But 293,306 out of 712,813 is only a bit over 40%.

The next largest contributor of constituents to the 14th District is number 11.   There are 184, 335 from there.

That’s fellow freshman Adam Kinzinger.

The 8th contributes 93,602 from McHenry County.

88,879 come from Congressman Don Manzullo’s district, also primarily from McHenry County.

Finally, 33,641 are now represented by freshman Bobby Schilling.

States who won and lost the population game.

Joe Walsh answering a question at his McHenry West High School Town Hall Meeting.

Joe Walsh spoke of the committees he wished to have starting next month at his Town Hall Meeting in McHenry last Monday. Now he has a press release announcing them, which you can read below:

WALSH LANDS THREE COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENTS

Washington, DC. – Congressman-elect Joe Walsh (R, Illinois-8) will be a busy man during committee time in the 112th Congress that begins in January.

The Republican Steering Committee of the U.S. House of Representatives has assigned Walsh to three committees:

• Homeland Security,
• Small Business, and
• Oversight and Government Reform.

“I am proud to accept these positions, and I thank the Steering Committee for entrusting me with these responsibilities. I believe that these committees will allow me to advocate for the issues that I campaigned on and those issues which are important to my constituents in the eighth district,” Walsh said.

The Committee on Homeland Security, which will be chaired by Congressman Peter King (R, New York-3), has jurisdiction over the Department of Homeland Security and its functions, including transportation, border, and port security.

“I am pleased to have Joe Walsh join the Committee on Homeland Security so we can work together to protect our homeland from the terrorists who continue to plot and execute attacks against our nation,” King announced.

Newly seated Senator Mark Kirk (R, Illinois) welcomed the selection, adding, “I want to congratulate Congressman-elect Walsh for his appointment to the critical Homeland Security Committee. From this position he will be in a unique opportunity to ensure the safe operation and expansion of O’Hare Airport and its growing economic engine.”

As a member of the Small Business Committee under incoming Chairman Sam Graves (R, Missouri-6), Walsh already knows where his focus will be.

“The Obamacare legislation rammed through Congress earlier this year has left employers in my district worried about its costs and confused about its implementation,” he said. “We must work to alleviate the concerns for small businesses, which are the job-creating engine for the economy.”

Walsh’s other committee, Oversight and Government Reform, oversees government management and accounting. Its incoming chairman is Congressman Darrell Issa (R, California-49).

“I would like to welcome Congressman-elect Joe Walsh to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform,” Issa said. “There is no question that we will look to Joe to help lead our effort to help reduce government waste and fraud and increase transparency. I know that Joe will be a great conservative ally as we move forward.”

= = = = =

At the Town Hall meeting Walsh said he most wanted to serve on the Oversight and Government Reform and Small Business Committees.

Here’s his press release:

Manzullo Will Vote Tonight to Prevent Huge
Tax Hikes and More Job Losses for Americans

(WASHINGTON) Congressman Don Manzullo (R-Egan) will vote later tonight for bipartisan legislation to avert a pending economic disaster that would have cost the average family in northern Illinois thousands of dollars in extra taxes next year.

The legislation, which passed the Senate and is supported by the President, will be considered later tonight in the House.

It extends all current income tax rates for two years, preventing huge tax hikes on all Americans.

The bill also preserves marriage penalty relief and the $1,000 per child tax credit.

It also provides a two-year fix that would ensure 21 million households will not be hit by the Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT), a tax that was originally designed to cover only 200 individuals.

The legislation also provides a temporary (one-year) 2 percentage points payroll tax cut for all Americans who pay Social Security taxes.

The bill also funds unemployment compensation.

Don Manzullo

“In these very difficult times, a massive tax increase on Americans, including small employers, would have devastated family budgets and put more Americans on the unemployment lines,” Manzullo said.

“This bill is not perfect. I would have preferred permanent extensions of the tax rates and cuts in federal spending to pay for the unemployment extension. But it could have been much worse.

“In the end, this bill is better than the alternative – a massive tax increase starting on January 1st that would have harmed American families and destroyed our economy.”

In addition, the bill allows businesses to write off new equipment more quickly, making them more competitive.

The legislation will also protect more family farmers and small business owners by reducing the death tax to 35 percent (down from 55 percent next year) and increasing the exemption to $5 million per spouse (up from $1 million next year).

Finally, the bill allows more than 70 existing tax subsidies to expire as a first step in the effort to simplify the tax code.

For more details about the legislation, click here.

National Journal columnist Josh Kraushaar made “Against the Grain Awards.”

Joe Walsh conversing with a constituent who asked a question at his McHenry Town Hall meeting.

8th Congressional District Congressman Joe Walsh won a mention for “Most Bang for the Buck.”

Most Bang for the Buck Award

Rep.-elect Joe Walsh, R-Ill., who eked out a 290-vote victory over Rep. Melissa Bean, D-Ill., after spending just $563,000 in a district where buying broadcast ads costs millions.

He can thank Democrats for overlooking him, not airing ads attacking him, and buying expensive air time blasting GOP nominees in neighboring districts.

Of course, Kraushaar wasn’t watching Melissa Bean’s vicious ads on Chicago television.

Mark Kirk merited two awards.

Congressman-Elect Joe Walsh calling on a questionner at his McHenry West High School Town Hall meeting.

The “news” at Congressman-Elect Joe Walsh’s first post-election Town Hall meeting in McHenry County was that he would not vote for the compromise tax bill being considered in Congress.

But the take-away message was that constituents should expect a lot of opportunities to ask their Federal Representative tough questions and have dialogue on issues than has been the case with the woman he beat, Melissa Bean.

“There’s nothing more important than your Representative getting in front of the people all of the time answering any question without any aides around me,” he said at the beginning of the meeting.

“I intend to do this more than you’ll ever believe.”

Walsh intends not to settle in in Washington.

Upwards of 80 people turned out at McHenry West High School on the coldest night of this winter.

“I’m sleeping on my couch in my House office.”

The McHenry resident (he lives near the Drive-In) observed,

“Look, there’s a lot about Melissa Bean that bugged me and a lot about Phil Crane that bugged her.”

Walsh seemed to be referring to the lack of face-to-face contact that both Members of Congress had with their constituents.

“You can do telephone town halls and think that’s good enough.

"I can't compete against people with multiple families living in one house," compalined unemployed electrician/truck driver Andrew Stewart, seen on the right. His message to employers: "Hire legal people. We need the jobs." Joe Walsh picked up on his description of himself as "a simple guy." Walsh replied, "We need a hell of a lot more people like you in Washington." Beginning his words on immigration with the observation that America is the most compassionate country in the world, Walsh got passionate. "Damn it, secure the borders. Enforce the immigration laws. Hold business as accountable as we can." Stewart's number is 847-721-4962, if anyone has work.

“If I can’t stand before Republicans and Democrats and answer any question, I don’t deserved to be re-elected.”

Walsh said he purposely robo-called independents and Democrats.

“I want to hear what they say.”

“I don’t ever want to be in a meeting where people (all) agree with me,” were his last words.

In early June, this tee shirt was found in front of old St. Thomas Church in Crystal Lake the day of the march from Chicago to the Woodstock ICE Dentention Center at the McHenry County Jail refers to the Dream Act.

Using her lame duck status to the max, 8th District Congresswoman Melissa Bean voted for the Dream Act, a bill opponents claimed was a form of amnesty.

Other Illinois Democrats voting for the bill were

• Lame Duck Bill Foster
• Luis Gutierrez
• Lame Duck Phil Hare
• Lame Duck Deb Halvorson
• Jesse Jackson Jr.
• Mike Quigley
• Bobby Rush
• Jan Schakowsky.

Voting against the bill from Illinois were

• Judy Biggert (R)
• Jerry Costello (D)
• Tim Johnson (R)
• Dan Lipinski (D)
• Donald Manzullo (R)
• Peter Roskam (R)
• Aaron Schock (R)
• John Shimkus (R)

The bill passed the U.S. House 216-198.

An email from 8th District Democrats:

Eighth District Democrats & Independents
Joe Walsh Town Halls, starting Sunday

Will University of Chicago Public Policy Grad School Graduate Joe Walsh have even more fun with hostile questions at his Town Hall meetings than he did at parades llike this one in Johnsburg?

Our accidental Congressman, Joe Walsh, will be holding a series of “listening tour” town halls this month. I suggest we all go and give him an earful. That is, let him know that he doesn’t just represent the Tea Party by asking him some reasonable questions he will have a hard time answering in a way that isn’t alarming to anybody other than his base. The press is very likely to be there and will be quite interested in his answers.

Some questions you might want to ask (or any burning question you have):

1. How will you bring jobs and businesses to the Eighth District?
2. What is your plan for getting banks to lend to small businesses in the Eighth District?
3. What do you think your win over Melissa Bean has given you a mandate to do in Congress?
4. What do you mean by the revolution you talked about during the campaign and how do you plan to accomplish it in Washington?
5. How will you vote when Congress is asked to raise the debt ceiling after you take office? (If they don’t vote to do it, the government will shut down, as it did in 1994.)
6. Will you vote to repeal Obamacare and why? (Yes, call it that to get an honest answer.)
7. Do you think we should add $700 billion to the deficit over the next ten years just to give tax cuts to people making more than $250,000 per year? Since you are a deficit hawk, will you vote against such tax cuts even if Republican leadership asks you to vote for them?

The town halls are scheduled for:

Lake Zurich
Sunday December 12
Noon-1:30 p.m.
Lake Zurich Police Department
200 Mohawk Trail (across from Ela Library)
Lake Zurich

McHenry
Monday December 13
7-8:30 p.m.
McHenry West High School
4724 W. Crystal Lake Road
McHenry

Schaumburg
Tuesday December 14
7-8:30 p.m.
Prairie Center for the Arts
201 Schaumburg Ct.
Schaumburg

Gurnee
Tuesday December 16
7-8:30 p.m.
Gurnee Village Hall
325 N. O’Plaine Rd.
Gurnee

Now is not the time to be silent!

Sincerely,

Eighth District Democrats & Independents (EDDI) Executive Board
Nancy Shepherdson, Chair
Wendy M. Warden, 1st Vice Chair
Anne F. Gueringer Johnson, 2nd Vice Chair
Gail Specht, Secretary
Kathryn Hausman, Treasurer

Illinois Review had comments under an article by former State Senator Mark Rhoads Saturday suggesting that Metro East Congressman John Shimkus (R) would be put in the same district with Democrat Jerry Costello.

Don Manzullo applauded Joe Walsh's comments at the McHenry County Tea Party co-sponsored candidates' night at McHenry County College.

Commenter “The Oncoming Storm” disagrees with emphasis on the two congressional districts covering McHenry County.

The scenario I believe will be in motion will be to target Congressman Don Manzullo of the 16th district. Manzullo won his 10th term last month and is the dean among Republican House members from Illinois.

I see the Democrats drawing Walsh’s new district to combine him with Congressman Manzullo, which will quickly force the retirement question on Manzullo, who will complete his 20th year of congressional service in 2012. [Walsh did speak to a Tea Party function in Rockford, which is way out of his 8th congressional district.]

If Manzullo decides not to retire, then Manzullo and Walsh fight for the Republican nomination in the primary. If Manzullo retires, then Walsh will be nominee.

Jack Franks, but not from the Tea Party candidates' night, which he ducked, as did Melissa Bean.

Enter State Representative Jack Franks (D, Marengo) into the congressional race in 2012 against Walsh. Franks has won 7 terms as state representative in northern and western “Republican” McHenry County, is a proven fundraiser in state campaigns, was one of the most vocal Democratic critics throughout Governor Blagojevich’s tenure, and has consistently brought state funding into projects across McHenry County.Combine the new Walsh district with the McHenry County, Boone County, and heavily union Rockford/Winnebago area with the Cook County, heavily minority populations of Elgin, as well as Aurora and Carpentersville in Kane County, and you have a Democratic fertile congressional district for Franks to unseat Walsh.

Phil Collins added this:

The most conservative Illinois congressman is Manzullo, so the Democrats will probably give parts of his district to the districts of Walsh, Hultgren, and Schilling.

Manzullo would probably retire, and Democrats will think that they would defeat at least two of those other three Republicans, since all of them will be in their first terms.

There is also another comment from Pete Speer which perceptively addresses the Lake County part of Walsh’s district.