McHenry County Blog

The following is on the main page of the Lake in the Hills web site:

Local Government Distributive Fund

The state is faced with a $13 billion budget deficit. This budget deficit has been allowed to grow over several years while local governments have been reducing their budgets to align spending with lower revenue projections.

Despite several years of hard decisions and painful sacrifice, local governments are in danger of losing even more scarce revenue. These losses would not come from natural revenue declines, but by any act of the General Assembly.

 

Policymakers in Springfield are discussing ideas to reduce the massive state budget deficit. Two proposals in particular advocate for reductions in state-collected local government revenues. These revenues are used in funding social services, public safety, transportation and infrastructure.

“We are proposing that the governor’s proposed budget needs to be reduced,” Senator Althoff said. “Would I consider that 5 percent reduction as a possibility? Yes. Do I want it to be at the top of my priority list? No. But at this particular juncture, what we’re trying to do is share in the pain and do it as reasonably and responsibly as possible, meaning there are no sacred cows. Everyone will feel the pain.”

Some have called for $300 million in cuts from revenue that is collected by the state on behalf of local governments. This kind of revenue diversion would amount to a loss of $23.40 per municipal resident. The revenue loss for the Village of Lake in the Hills would be $677,781.

The loss of these critical revenues would jeopardize the Village’s ability to maintain current service levels. The Village has already pushed its limits with the cuts endured.

Losing any state-collected local government revenue could affect the Village’s ability to fund priorities like public safety, social services, and basic infrastructure. The Village has already eliminated any excess and would be forced to cut core and essential community services.

Residents would absolutely notice the cuts.

What you can do:

Contact Senator Althoff to express your concerns:

Springfield Office:
Senator 32nd District
M103E Capitol Building
Springfield, IL 62706
217-782-8000

District Office:
1 North Virginia St.
Crystal Lake, IL 60014
815-455-6330
= = = = =

If you want to make contact, I would suggest calling Springfield. That’s where legislators are.

Here’s the information about the event and the group:

Guest Speakers For Transparency Kick-off this Saturday

On February 5th, this Saturday, at our Transparency Kick-off, one of our own, Congressman Joe Walsh along with Illinois State Senator Dan Duffy, Gubernatorial Candidate Adam Andrzejewski (For The Good of Illinois) and Leader of Palatine TeaParty, Craig Mijares, will be joining us to share their experience in and explain the importance of Government Transparency.

When: February 5th, 2011, 12:00-2:00PM

Where: Living Waters Assembly of God, 525 N. Atkinson Road, Grayslake

Check Out Our Beginning Transparency Pages

Local Transparency Illinois Transparency

Welcome to Lake County Illinois!

Where our property taxes help to rank us as the 17th most expensive County to live in in the United States and #1 in Illinois!

That’s not bad I guess….except when you look at the 3,124 counties across the United States that are cheaper!

Forbes estimates as of 2007 tax records that the average household in Lake County pays 6.7% of their income on property tax alone.

Personally I think this is low as many people I know have had massive property tax increases in the past few years, some as high as $1,000 per year.

We also have that 6.25% State sales tax to add on top of our local sales taxes. The average family in Lake County pays 25% Federal income Tax.

Not to mention what it costs to run Government Locally!

American Legislative Exchange Council ranks Illinois 38th in education based partially on 68% of low income fourth graders who did not test proficient in reading!

Nation wide according to the National Assessment of Educational Progress who gives a nation wide test, 35% of our High school students scored proficient in Reading and only 23% in Mathematics.

In the 2006 PISA exam according to the US Department of Education the performance of US 15 year old students in Math and Science Literacy, scored lower than 23 other countries and lower than the average scored by other industrialized Nations, such as Poland, Slovak Republic, Hungary, Norway and Spain.

Just by looking at one local public school financial report card you can take the per pupil operating expense plus the instructional expenditures per pupil and multiply that times and average of 21 students per class and I come up with a cost per classroom of…..are you ready?

$451,248.

Have you ever wondered where all this money goes?

We need your help to find out!

Our new agenda………Transparency in Local Government!

If they can’t hear us in Springfield maybe they can hear us at home!

Dorian and Tom

About The 912 Patriots

You’re invited to join like minds in preserving what our founding fathers established in the Constitution. If you’re unsettled, uneasy or just disgusted with the direction our country is headed…we’re here for you. 9/12 stands for the day after Sept. 11, 2001 when we as a country came together putting aside our political affiliations for the betterment of the United States of America. It also represents the following…

THE 9 PRINCIPLES

1. America is good.
2. I believe in God and He is the center of my life.
3. I must always try to be a more honest person than I was yesterday.
4. The family is sacred. My spouse and I are the ultimate authority, not the government.
5. If you break the law you pay the penalty. Justice is blind and no one is above it.
6. I have a right to life, liberty and pursuit of happiness, but there is no guarantee of equal results.
7. I work hard for what I have and I will share it with whomever I want. Government cannot force me to be charitable.
8. It is not un-American for me to disagree with authority or to share my personal opinion.
9. The government works for me. I do not answer to them, they answer to me.

THE 12 VALUES
Honest – Thrift – Sincerity – Courage – Reverence – Humility – Moderation – Hope – Personal Responsibility – Charity – Hard Work – Gratitude

If you agree with 7 out of the 9 principles, please join us in gathering our voices to be heard by Washington. Looking forward to hearing from you.

Public Warning!

Predators Claiming to be From the Tea Party

Lake & McHenry County, Illinois – Nov. 18, 2010 – Predators Discovered Claiming to be from “The Tea Party!

At a residence where I was present in McHenry on Nov. 17, 2 Men saw a Gadsen Flag in front of the residence and stopped.

They came to the front door of this older gentleman’s home and claimed they were from the Tea Party and are driving around looking for people in financial trouble or foreclosure to help.

They seemed nice enough and proceeded to explain how they knew the process and could guarantee if we knew of anyone that were in need of assistance.

I took the men’s phone numbers and went on my way.

Today I found out the men’s phone numbers were given to a friend of the man who lived there and they had went to meet him.

The men came on foot with napsacks on their back.

They claimed they could keep this person in their home even if foreclosed on but it would cost $800 dollars cash. The 2nd man then said for $1,000 they could even repair the damage to their credit.

I cannot verify that any illegal activity took place at that time however the Police have been notified and from what I was told the men were followed to a empty home which was foreclosed on and had been empty.

These men were dirty looking and one claimed to be a ex-Cook County Sherrif and that’s how he knew the system.

This is mostly second hand but it’s what I gathered from speaking with those who possibly could have been a victim of a scam and my own interaction from them.

It is entirely possible these men were on the level however I cannot imagine any Tea Party people trying to help and then requesting money.

I only want to inform you so you can spread the word to those friends and family who may be in need to be very weary of those stopping by randomly to help!

God Bless,  Tom

= = = = =

About The912Patriots

You’re invited to join like minds in preserving what our founding fathers established in the Constitution.

If you’re unsettled, uneasy or just disgusted with the direction our country is headed…we’re here for you. 9/12 stands for the day after Sept. 11, 2001 when we as a country came together putting aside our political affiliations for the betterment of the United States of America.

It also represents the following…

THE 9 PRINCIPLES

1. America is good.
2. I believe in God and He is the center of my life.
3. I must always try to be a more honest person than I was yesterday.
4. The family is sacred. My spouse and I are the ultimate authority, not the government.
5. If you break the law you pay the penalty. Justice is blind and no one is above it.
6. I have a right to life, liberty and pursuit of happiness, but there is no guarantee of equal results.
7. I work hard for what I have and I will share it with whomever I want. Government cannot force me to be charitable.
8. It is not un-American for me to disagree with authority or to share my personal opinion.
9. The government works for me. I do not answer to them, they answer to me.

THE 12 VALUES

Honest – Thrift – Sincerity – Courage – Reverence – Humility – Moderation – Hope – Personal Responsibility – Charity – Hard Work – Gratitude

If you agree with 7 out of the 9 principles, please join us in gathering our voices to be heard by Washington. Looking forward to hearing from you.