McHenry County Blog

Yesterday McHenry County Blog concentrated on the fun kids had at Crystal Lake’s Nunda Township Republican Picnic. Today, we’ll look at political activities.

Going toward the food and drink, one could not miss Brent Smith. He was collecting petition signatures for all sorts of candidates. Here Christian Kwasigroch affixes his signature.

Not only politicians were in evidence, so were the bureaucrats. Here’s a permit required by the McHenry County Health Department. I guess it protects people from being poisoned by Republicans.

Chicago’s 11th Ward Republican Committeeman Carl Segvich, in Crystal Lake in support of Adam Andrezejewski’s gubernatorial campaign, can be seen at the food along with Bob and Veronica Armstrong.

The bratwurst and hamburgers were wonderful. Here you see the grilling area. Joe Wheeler can be seen on the left talking with Bloomington’s State Senator Bill Brady, who is running for the GOP nomination for governor for the second time.

Will Brady introduced himself on behalf of Senator Brady. I took him to be Bill’s brother, but it turns out he is Bill and Nancy’s son.

I saw GOP gubernatorial aspirant Adam Andrzejewski talking with Nick Provenzano, who is running for the GOP nomination for county board.

Two county board members, Mary Donner and Barb Wheeler, were looking at the table where a silent auction was being held. That’s Nunda Township Highway Commissioner Don Kopsell in the background.

I bumped into a face from my 1970’s past, former Dundee Township and now Barrington Township Trustee Ron Szymanski. Here he is being approached by DuPage County’s Appellate Court Justice Ann Jorgensen. Being from Cook County now, Szymanski can’t vote for her.

Jennifer Gibson, Nunda Township GOP Chairwoman, was the next person approached by Jorgensen.

Nearby, former Nunda Township Republican Chairman and precinct committeeman Blake Hobson (now a resident of and precinct committeeman in the Grafton Township portion of Lakewood) was talking to McHenry County State’s Attorney Lou Bianchi. When Hobson commented on his carnation, Bianchi credited his wife.

I turned around and the second Appellate Court Justice in attendance, Lake County’s Mary S. Schostok, was chatting up Will Brady.

His father and mother were working the tent. Here Bill Brady is seen talking with Don Kopsell and Bob Armstrong.

State Rep. Mark Beaubien arrived and talked to Nunda Township Supervisor John Heisler, among others. I praised him and other House Republicans for forcing Democrats to cast the votes for any income tax those Democrats think they require. Beaubien is on the right.

(A parentheses about why Republicans should not vote for an income tax hike:

When Ron Blagojevich took office, he said he discovered a $5 billion budget deficit. Funny how he couldn’t find it before the election, but, assuming he was correct, I figured it was a two-year deficit that could easily be worked off…if Blagojevich made cuts similar to those proposed by Governor George Ryan, which Blagojevich campaigned against.

Blagojevich and the Democrats controlling the General Assembly did not cut the budget.

They raised it about $1 billion a year. Health insurance for illegal aliens, etc.

After six years, Blagojevich’s replacement, Pat Quinn, announced that there was an $11 billion deficit.

Let’s see.

$5 billion, plus $1 billion a year, equals $11 billion.

So, I conclude that the Democrats created any financial mess the state is in and the Democrats should have to provide any votes needed to raise taxes they think are needed.)

Now, back to Nunda Township’s Picnic.

2000 GOP state representative nominee Tom Salvi is seen with former Nunda Township Trustee James Schlader and Appellate Justice Ann Jorgensen.

Gubernatorial and other candidates spoke next.

I missed getting Adam Andrzejewski’s picture, but got shots of

• State Senator Bill Brady and
• Dan Proft,

all running for the Republican nomination for governor.

Brady, who can be seen on the left, is believed to be the runaway favorite in the contest so far.

After the speechifying, at least Brady was off to the McHenry County Fair.

All three were undoubtedly planning to visit the Young Republican picnic in Barrington later Saturday afternoon.

On the way out, Brady stopped to talk with State Rep. Beaubien. That the back of Nancy Brady’s head.

McHenry County Republican Central Committee Chairman and State Rep. Mike Tryon arrived. I caught him talking with McHenry County Auditor Pam Palmer, who isn’t even up for election this year. (Of course, neither is Bianchi.)

I really don’t like posed shots, but who could resist Tryon’s standing between two Appellate Court Justices? Amy B. Jorgensen is on Tryon’s left. Mary Seminara Schostok is on his right.

Before I left, McHenry County Young Republican President Bryan Jayor was arriving. You see Tom Salvi on the left and Appellate Justice Mary Schostok in the center.

As I was leaving, Pat Morris was signing her name to petitions being held by Brent Smith. Pat has been a community activist since at least the early 1970’s. I remember her song about our money never returning from the RTA (written to tune of the “MTA.” More recently, she offered opposition to McHenry County College’s proposed taxpayer-subsidized baseball stadium before the Crystal Lake City Council. She also wrote piraty lyrics about Mayor Aaron Shepley’s 75% Crystal Lake sales tax hike to the tune of the “Lincoln Park Pirates.”

I had come full circle.

A 50% income tax hike was not high enough. Slot machines in every convenience store and tavern wouldn’t tempt enough people.

Senate Democrats caved into the Rev. and Senator James Meeks’ goal and voted 31-27-1 to raise income tax rates 67%, plus putting sales taxes on 39 services, including internet service providers, cable television, photocopying, private clubs, dating services, oil exchange and goodness knows what else, except sponsor Senator John Cullerton told the Senate that barbers had been left alone.

I guess they talk so much they are dangerous.

Speaking against the bill were

• Lake Barrington’s Dan Duffy
• DuPage County’s Kirk Dillard
• LaSalle’s County’s Gary Dahl
• Okawville ’s David Luechtefeld
• Dixon’s Tim Bivens
• Bloomington’s Bill Brady
• Chenoa’s Dan Rutherford
• Palatine’s Matt Murphy

Silent was Republican Senate Leader Christine Radogno.

By far the most effective was Matt Murphy.

He is in the Ronald Reagan of disagreeing without being disagreeable.

His best line was,

“To me this is a prescription to win the race with Michigan to the economic bottom of this nation.”

Murphy began by asking that people disagree agreeably, that they not take the debate personally.

Next he moved onto the fact that Illinois is “one of 7 states with fewer jobs than we had ten years ago.

“That means $4,000 in lost taxes for every job we don’t have.

“The people in this state are leaving. They are assessing the value of the American Dream and are sadly finding it someplace else.

He said the proposal was “the highest tax increase in Illinois history.

Then, he compared Illinois with Michigan.

Murphy warned Democrats that the promise of property tax relief held out by Senator Meeks and others in promoting Senate Bill 750 would backfire, just as the lottery did.

People heard Zeke Giorgi tell them that the lottery would solve the problem of funding education and were surprised when it did not. (In fact, the lottery was passed to fund the Regional Transportation Authority in 1974, which Murphy apparently did not know or his point would have stronger. The lottery was not earmarked for education until the mic-1980’s when the next generation of legislators got tried of complaints that it wasn’t going to education.)

Murphy was referring to the so-called “tax swap” part of the bill.

People will think,

“My property tax bill is finally going down.

“It’s not.

“It’s going up.”

Had Murphy (or anyone else) a longer perspective, they might have pointed out that (and I’m virtually certain I am correct here) have pointed out that the property tax credit used to be 10%, but was cut back to 5% in order to use the money for something else in the budget.

“Be careful. Be careful,” he said.

He again assuaged the feelings of the bill’s supporters.

“I appreciate the Senate, the intentions of the (supporters of the bill).

“If you look at Governor Quinn’s budget, it balances.”

“You can come up with cuts (to balance the budget).

“I did my homework. I didn’t share it, Mr. President. I didn’t share it,” referring to Senate President John Cullerton’s chiding of Republicans for not coming up with suggested cuts.

“You can make the cuts.

“You don’t have to raise taxes.

“To fund the pension, you may have to short term borrow.

Referring to the bill, Murphy concluded by saying,

“This is a dagger hanging over the head of everyone in Illinois.”

There were so many other good arguments by Republican senators.

But it’s late and I’m tired. Maybe I’ll find time to give some of the other speeches justice tomorrow.

If the House doesn’t decide to follow the Senate Democrats’ lead and try to mortally wound Illinois.

I do want to tell you that Murphy’s demeanor and presentation impressed me the most.

Is he running for governor?

Oh, yes.

With Rockford Republican Dave Syverson leading the way for the GOP, Lake County’s Terry Link managed to pass his bill to put casinos in Waukegan, Rockford, Danville and Chicago. The vote was 30-28-0. It failed the first time up.

State Senator Brad Burzynski (R-Rochelle), who represents part of the Rockford area, verified the vote, that is, made sure the 30 votes necessary to pass a bill in the Senate really were on the floor.

The Senate lists the bill being debated on its web site as it broadcasts debates. Senate Bill 174 was the 67% income tax hike and service sales tax imposition bill. Senate Bill 744 was the casino bill. Murphy has a photo with the casino bill’s number under his name because he spoke against that bill.

April 14th, a pollster called one of McHenry County Blog’s friends in Algonquin.

Here’s my contact’s description of the phone call:

She said she was located in Asia and representing Western Wats. I tried to jot down her questions, not word for word, for you;

1. Will you vote in the Republican primary for IL governor?

2. Is IL heading in the wrong or right direction?

3. Approve or disapprove of the job state legislature is doing?

4. Who would you likely vote for governor? This was her list to choose from;

• Joe Birkett
• health care
• Kirk Dillard
• Bill Brady
• Doug Whitley
• Dan Proft
• Tom Cross
• Bob Schillerstrom
• Ron Gidwitz

5. What issue(s) concern you or you think legislature should focus? She
quickly read off this list;

• abortion
• lowering taxes
• reform and ethics
• improving education
• reducing crime
• family values
• wasteful state spending
• Second Amendment rights
• protecting the environment
• creating jobs/improve state economy

6. Do you subscribe to cable or satellite TV?

7. Who is your provider?

8. How often do you watch:
MSNBC; daily, few times a week, once a month, etc.,
Fox News; daily, few times a week, once a month, etc.,
CNBC; daily, few times a week, once a month, etc.

9. Do you listen to the radio?
How often do you listen to Hannity?
Limbaugh?

10. What year were you born?

11. Are you Evangelical or born-again Christian?

12. Support or oppose abortion?

You can pretty well guess that the person paying for the survey research is listed among the names read.

If anyone else gets a political polling call, please make notes and let me share them with McHenry County Blog readers.

= = = = =
Seen on top are Joe Birkett on the left and Kirk Dillard to his left. Next comes Bill Brady. Under him is a photo of Ron Gidwitz. Dan Proft is to the left. Below him is Tom Cross.

Freshman State Senator Dan Duffy, a businessman from Lake Barrington in Lake County, was touted for governor in Chicago Sun-Times columnist Steven Huntley’s column yesterday.

In an piece entitled,

Duffy’s name pops up in the middle of the column, right after the self-dismissals of

• Illinois Supreme Court Justice Bob Thomas,
• Bush HUD Secretary Steve Preston (who?),
• Chicago equity fund chairman Bruce Rauner,
• Congressmen Mark Kirk and
• Peter Roskam, and
• U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald.

Here’s what Huntley wrote:

“State Sen. Dan Duffy of Barrington, a Legislative newcomer, impresses many in the party. He acknowledges hearing suggestions he run, but no one in the party leadership has approached him.

“The party is now evaluating a lot of people and that’s a good thing,” he says. “If party leaders aid, ‘You’re that person,’ I’d have to have a serious conversation with my family and find out if this is the right time for me. Bit we’re not there yet.”

“A jump from newly minted legislator to governor in just two years would be quite a challenge.”

The column continues with former candidates for governor, State Senator Bill Brady, who ran third in the 2006 gubernatorial primary, Ron Gidwitz (4th) and Jim Oberweis, who ran second.

DuPage County Board Republicans, Chairman Bob Schillerstrom and State’s Attorney Joe Birkett, they of the tripling of the RTA sales tax.

Doug Whitley is also mentioned…more favorably than others actively seeking the office.

Yesterday, I put up an article about Phyllis Schlafly’s receiving a Lifetime Achievement Award on Paul Caprio’s Family PAC cruise.

It was pretty late when I finished it and I promised to do a piece on the candidates working the crowd on the cruise.

There were plenty there.

Schlafly said they were the generation who would reform the Illinois Republican Party.

I know I won’t do them justice, but here goes.

There were two congressional candidates.

Jim Oberweis gave me hope that he might reverse the special election results. He did that by pointing out the extremely low turn out this spring, compared with the numbers who will vote this fall.

Oberweis explained that 100,000 people voted in the special election, while 300,000 will troop to the polls in this traditionally Republican 14th congressional district at this fall’s presidential election.

That is reason for optimism, it seems to me.

Antoine Members, the Republican Party candidate opposing 1st congressional district Congressman Bobby Rush

Republican Cook County State’s Attorney candidate Tony Peraica also was on the cruise, as he has been before.

There were two incumbent state senators, Bill Brady and Randy Hultgen. You can see Brady below, but, unfortunately, my best shot of Hultgren has his tongue out. (No, not like my son likes to do when I take his picture; more a indication of concentration, I think.)

Brady and Oberweis spent a lot of time talking to each other. You’ll remember that they were opponents during the 2006 GOP gubernatorial primary election. (Charlie Watts can be seen standing between the two.)

There were three Republican state senators, if you count Carol Pankau, who isn’t a big boat person.

She mingled with people before the Lake Michigan cruise.

As I’m told did former Republican gubernatorial candidate Ron Gidwitz did as well.

More tomorrow.

Yesterday, I put up an article about Phyllis Schlafly’s receiving a Lifetime Achievement Award on Paul Caprio’s Family PAC cruise.

It was pretty late when I finished it and I promised to do a piece on the candidates working the crowd on the cruise.

There were plenty there.

Schlafly said they were the generation who would reform the Illinois Republican Party.

I know I won’t do them justice, but here goes.

There were two congressional candidates.

Jim Oberweis gave me hope that he might reverse the special election results. He did that by pointing out the extremely low turn out this spring, compared with the numbers who will vote this fall.

Oberweis explained that 100,000 people voted in the special election, while 300,000 will troop to the polls in this traditionally Republican 14th congressional district at this fall’s presidential election.

That is reason for optimism, it seems to me.

Antoine Members, the Republican Party candidate opposing 1st congressional district Congressman Bobby Rush

Republican Cook County State’s Attorney candidate Tony Peraica also was on the cruise, as he has been before.

There were two incumbent state senators, Bill Brady and Randy Hultgen. You can see Brady below, but, unfortunately, my best shot of Hultgren has his tongue out. (No, not like my son likes to do when I take his picture; more a indication of concentration, I think.)

Brady and Oberweis spent a lot of time talking to each other. You’ll remember that they were opponents during the 2006 GOP gubernatorial primary election. (Charlie Watts can be seen standing between the two.)

There were three Republican state senators, if you count Carol Pankau, who isn’t a big boat person.

She mingled with people before the Lake Michigan cruise.

As I’m told did former Republican gubernatorial candidate Ron Gidwitz did as well.

More tomorrow.

Here’s the fifth installment of my photos of Republican notables I found at the 2008 Illinois Republican Party Convention in Decatur.

After taking some pictures of a relative empty front of the convention floor before the convention started, I walked to the back of the room, where the McHenry County delegation was relegated.

I saw State Rep. Raymond Poe, who sought the Lt. Governor nod in 2006. It turns out he was talking for former gubernatorial candidate Ron Gidwitz. Gidwitz was bold enough to suggest that a ticket of Gidwitz and Poe would have been better than the candidates who lost to Governor Rod Blagojevich.

8th congressional district Republican Party candidate for congress was the next in my view finder. Here Steve Greenberg shakes hands with Michael Livshutz with Dr Michael Menis looking on.

Looks like State Senator Bill Brady gets a twofer. Here he is talking to Senate Minority Leader Frank Watson. In the Democratic Party’s reapportionment effort to defeat Watson, he was given the least Republican part of the Decatur area, while Brady got the Republican part. Watson is on the right, Brady on the left.

State Representative and State Central Committeeman Skip Saviano was also standing in line waiting to be introduced to the convention.

16th congressional district State Central Committeeman and State Senator Dave Syverson was talking to Saviano, so I got his picture, too.

More Republican Convention notables tomorrow.

Here’s the fifth installment of my photos of Republican notables I found at the 2008 Illinois Republican Party Convention in Decatur.

After taking some pictures of a relative empty front of the convention floor before the convention started, I walked to the back of the room, where the McHenry County delegation was relegated.

I saw State Rep. Raymond Poe, who sought the Lt. Governor nod in 2006. It turns out he was talking for former gubernatorial candidate Ron Gidwitz. Gidwitz was bold enough to suggest that a ticket of Gidwitz and Poe would have been better than the candidates who lost to Governor Rod Blagojevich.

8th congressional district Republican Party candidate for congress was the next in my view finder. Here Steve Greenberg shakes hands with Michael Livshutz with Dr Michael Menis looking on.

Looks like State Senator Bill Brady gets a twofer. Here he is talking to Senate Minority Leader Frank Watson. In the Democratic Party’s reapportionment effort to defeat Watson, he was given the least Republican part of the Decatur area, while Brady got the Republican part. Watson is on the right, Brady on the left.

State Representative and State Central Committeeman Skip Saviano was also standing in line waiting to be introduced to the convention.

16th congressional district State Central Committeeman and State Senator Dave Syverson was talking to Saviano, so I got his picture, too.

More Republican Convention notables tomorrow.

This is the fourth part of how I occupied my time at the 2008 Illinois Republican Party Convention in Decatur the end of last week.

Right after we left the McHenry County Republican Party caucus, we spotted the head of the John McCain campaign in 2002 and 2008, Jim Durkin, in the hall. I got this shot.

We went looking for more food that we got at the Comfort Inn and found the brunch was sponsored by State Senator Bill Brady. I figure if he was going to pop for some good scrambled eggs, I should take his photo. Here he is talking to two men whose names I would be happy to put in the article, if anyone will identify them.

Although like most newspaper reporters, former Chicago Tribune Springfield reporter, who handled Bill Brady’s press for his gubernatorial campaign in 2006 was found talking to Lee Newspapers report Ken Law.

Afterwards, we found Kathy Salvi again, this time talking to a woman who turned out to be Demetra DeMonte. I prevailed upon them for a photo.

The Rev. Bob VandenBosch from the Quentin Road Baptist Church in Lake County was present to give the invocation. Would you believe he was bold enough to invoke the name of Jesus Christ? Of course, if you knew him, you would know he would be that bold.

More 2008 Republican State Convention notables tomorrow.

This is the fourth part of how I occupied my time at the 2008 Illinois Republican Party Convention in Decatur the end of last week.

Right after we left the McHenry County Republican Party caucus, we spotted the head of the John McCain campaign in 2002 and 2008, Jim Durkin, in the hall. I got this shot.

We went looking for more food that we got at the Comfort Inn and found the brunch was sponsored by State Senator Bill Brady. I figure if he was going to pop for some good scrambled eggs, I should take his photo. Here he is talking to two men whose names I would be happy to put in the article, if anyone will identify them.

Although like most newspaper reporters, former Chicago Tribune Springfield reporter, who handled Bill Brady’s press for his gubernatorial campaign in 2006 was found talking to Lee Newspapers report Ken Law.

Afterwards, we found Kathy Salvi again, this time talking to a woman who turned out to be Demetra DeMonte. I prevailed upon them for a photo.

The Rev. Bob VandenBosch from the Quentin Road Baptist Church in Lake County was present to give the invocation. Would you believe he was bold enough to invoke the name of Jesus Christ? Of course, if you knew him, you would know he would be that bold.

More 2008 Republican State Convention notables tomorrow.