McHenry County Blog

People sometimes wonder how the gigantic mortgage mess got created in the first place?

My CPA gave me a article in October, 2008, pinning, to my satisfaction, the responsibility on the Bill Clinton administration.

People say no Congressman or Congresswoman would want to keep in place a self-destructive mess?

Oh, really?

Maybe they think, the tooth fairy is to blame for driving Illinois broke for years.

Not leaving enough money under the pillow?

Dems like Jack Franks and Melissa Bean knew who they were getting for governor when they twice supported Rod Blagojevich’s running Illinois government.

Melissa Bean receiving an award at the March 2008 McHenry County Economic Development Commission banquet from McHenry County College President Walt Packard.

Bean is on the U.S. House Financial Services Committee.

That’s the one Barney Frank chairs.

She could have done something about the mortgage crisis.

She was in the right place at the right time.

But how was Melissa Bean influenced after she took office and got that plum fund raising appointment?

Was she looking the other way and supporting a disastrous housing financing plan for the country that encouraged people to get mortgages they couldn’t possibly repay?

It’s easy to briefly sum it up.

All you do is have to look at who was paying for keeping the mortgage spigot open for no income verification, no down payment mortgages.

Some evidence is on the Federal Election Commission website under political contributions:

NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE 10/11/2006 – $191,700

NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE 10/13/2006 – $272,968

These two add up to $464,668. They were “independent expenditures” on behalf of Bean’s election.

Should supporters of Bean’s GOP foe Joe Walsh expect a similar onslaught?

It’s a way around the severe limits on campaign contributions made directly to a candidate.

The purpose is the same:

Get Bean elected.

No one should be surprised that the “financial reform” ballyhooed about by Bean and President Obama omitted any reforms of Freddie Mac or Fannie Mae.

None.

Zero.

Zilch.

Bean’s receiving $465,000 of support for 2006 her election against David McSweeney was simply huge.

At that point if Bean wasn’t being bought and paid for, she was up for a long-term rental.

Those on the inside of mortgage banking knew what it meant when banks weren’t allowed to verify that each borrower had a valid social security number.

Think about it.

What group of people don’t have valid social security numbers?

Then thank Melissa I’m-so-caring Bean for letting abuses continue to happen in the mortgage market.

Bean’s been on the job for six years.

The mortgage meltdown was on her watch, even if she was looking the other way or just keeping her eyes closed.

You can expect Bean to apologize for the mortgage housing debacle about as soon as Blago is going to apologize for being lower than snail slime.

He proclaims “innocence” and Bean pretends to accept no blame pretending to be Miss Innocent Eyes.

Her political advisers should be telling her how “Yes, Dear,” husband might accept that kind of blameless bull, but it’s a bad bet that voters will.

My CPA sent me an article from September 30, 1999. It was written by Steven A. Holmes and entitled,

“Fannie Mae Eases Credit to Aid Mortgage Lending”

I have copied two parts which seem to tell the story:

. . . . .

Click to enlarge the reprinted part of the article.

My CPA sent me an article from September 30, 1999. It was written by Steven A. Holmes and entitled,

“Fannie Mae Eases Credit to Aid Mortgage Lending”

I have copied two parts which seem to tell the story:

. . . . .

Click to enlarge the reprinted part of the article.

read the bumper sticker as were heading west on Route 62 after eating at Port Edward on Mother’s Day.

Beneath in teeny tiny print is “Thank you Bill.”

It reminded me of the 1964 buttons that read,

read the bumper sticker as were heading west on Route 62 after eating at Port Edward on Mother’s Day.

Beneath in teeny tiny print is “Thank you Bill.”

It reminded me of the 1964 buttons that read,

Four years ago Lori Keller gave Crystal Lake-Lake in the Hills Republicans a run for their money for the McHenry County Board.

I met her at Crystal Lake’s Main Beach while our kids were playing at the Leathers Park. While the youngsters were running over the bridge, she told me she had worked with President Bill Clinton’s Secretary of Commerce, Ron Brown, before moving here.

When I was writing my article about why the Democrats should slate candidates in District 2, her 2004 candidacy was in my head along with Ron Sloan’s 2006 effort.

I wanted a photo of her, so I stopped over at her house after church.

There was a “For Sale” sign on the corner. If you in the market for a colonial revival home built in 1928 from which you can see Crystal Lake, listed for $585,000, give Tyler Lewke a call at 815-459-5900.

I knocked on the door and discovered that she is working in Washington, D.C., during the week, commuting home on weekends.

What’s the draw?

The Democracy Alliance.

Here’s what the web site writes about her:

Lori Keller – Assistant to the Managing Director

Lori Keller joined the Alliance from the field of education, where she taught college philosophy, English composition and music in the Chicago area.

She served the first five years of the Clinton Administration, 1992-1997, in the Department of Commerce under Secretary Ronald H. Brown, and in the White House Office of Cabinet Affairs during the 1996 campaign.

Lori recently served as a precinct committeeperson in McHenry County, Illinois, was a Democratic candidate for County Board in 2004, and was Treasurer for the McHenry County Democratic Central Committee.

She holds a masters degree from St. John’s College in Annapolis, and undergraduate degrees in English composition and Business from the University of Washington in Seattle. Lori is married to Greg Keller and they have three daughters.

Here’s a short description of what her organization wants to accomplish:

The Alliance seeks to maximize the impact of Partner financial contributions by recommending a portfolio of groups that work together through new collaborations, networks, and productive alliances. The Alliance is committed to supporting groups that advance the progressive agenda through idea generation and development on core issues, train new progressive leaders, engage and mobilize citizens in advancing the progressive agenda at all levels, and use new technologies and approaches to communicate progressive values, policies and messages.

Keller pointed me to Matt Bai’s New York Times article. I hope I found the right one to link to.

The family is planning to live in Annapolis.

Bad luck for McHenry County Democrats.

Good fortune for the Republican District 1 candidates.

Even so, McHenry County Democrats promised in a Monday press release that they would slate two candidates in District 2.

The unveiling of the names and first stump speeches will come Wednesday night at the McHenry County Farm Bureau Building in Woodstock at 7. The public is invited.

Four years ago Lori Keller gave Crystal Lake-Lake in the Hills Republicans a run for their money for the McHenry County Board.

I met her at Crystal Lake’s Main Beach while our kids were playing at the Leathers Park. While the youngsters were running over the bridge, she told me she had worked with President Bill Clinton’s Secretary of Commerce, Ron Brown, before moving here.

When I was writing my article about why the Democrats should slate candidates in District 2, her 2004 candidacy was in my head along with Ron Sloan’s 2006 effort.

I wanted a photo of her, so I stopped over at her house after church.

There was a “For Sale” sign on the corner. If you in the market for a colonial revival home built in 1928 from which you can see Crystal Lake, listed for $585,000, give Tyler Lewke a call at 815-459-5900.

I knocked on the door and discovered that she is working in Washington, D.C., during the week, commuting home on weekends.

What’s the draw?

The Democracy Alliance.

Here’s what the web site writes about her:

Lori Keller – Assistant to the Managing Director

Lori Keller joined the Alliance from the field of education, where she taught college philosophy, English composition and music in the Chicago area.

She served the first five years of the Clinton Administration, 1992-1997, in the Department of Commerce under Secretary Ronald H. Brown, and in the White House Office of Cabinet Affairs during the 1996 campaign.

Lori recently served as a precinct committeeperson in McHenry County, Illinois, was a Democratic candidate for County Board in 2004, and was Treasurer for the McHenry County Democratic Central Committee.

She holds a masters degree from St. John’s College in Annapolis, and undergraduate degrees in English composition and Business from the University of Washington in Seattle. Lori is married to Greg Keller and they have three daughters.

Here’s a short description of what her organization wants to accomplish:

The Alliance seeks to maximize the impact of Partner financial contributions by recommending a portfolio of groups that work together through new collaborations, networks, and productive alliances. The Alliance is committed to supporting groups that advance the progressive agenda through idea generation and development on core issues, train new progressive leaders, engage and mobilize citizens in advancing the progressive agenda at all levels, and use new technologies and approaches to communicate progressive values, policies and messages.

Keller pointed me to Matt Bai’s New York Times article. I hope I found the right one to link to.

The family is planning to live in Annapolis.

Bad luck for McHenry County Democrats.

Good fortune for the Republican District 1 candidates.

Even so, McHenry County Democrats promised in a Monday press release that they would slate two candidates in District 2.

The unveiling of the names and first stump speeches will come Wednesday night at the McHenry County Farm Bureau Building in Woodstock at 7. The public is invited.