McHenry County Blog

A press release from Patriots United explains what happened last Thursday night at its McHenry County forum on education:

Patriots United Education Forum Attracts Concerned Local Citizens
All Sides of Important Issue Discussed with Experts on Each Perspective

WOODSTOCK, IL – Patriots United hosted an Education Forum last night at McHenry County College Conference Center with nearly 60 concerned citizens in attendance.

The event included excerpts from the Cartel Movie followed by a panel discussion.

The Cartel Movie documented serious problems within our public education system as well as proven solutions.

Filmed in New Jersey, the movie showcased the sheer power of teachers unions where as little as 10% of education funding goes into the classroom; most of the funding goes toward administration and pensions for too many administrators.

The Cartel movie also offered compelling evidence to support alternatives such as charter schools as more public education choices ultimately improve the entire public education system.

Following the movie, a panel of local experts answered questions, consisting of

• Bruno Behrend from the Heartland Institute,
• local education reform activist Lennie Jarratt, and
• local [Cary] School Board Member Chris Jenner.

Bruno Behren makes a point as Lennie Jarrett and Chris Jenner listen.

Illinois children rank 37th in education, and some of the problems in our public education system mirror those in New Jersey.

Parents and teachers alike voiced their frustration for over an hour, focusing in on the lack choice in education and the need for more parent involvement in their children’s education.

Although the questions were generally aimed at recurring problems in the system at large, panel members fielded several questions regarding highly contentious issues in local school districts.

Patriots United is thankful to the esteemed panel members and to all those who attended the informative event. Several similar events are being planned for neighboring counties, and will be announced shortly.

About Patriots United:

Patriots United is a conservative organization founded on five pillars:

• pro-family,
• limited government,
• free market economy,
• national defense, and
• choice in education.

Dedicated to uniting all like-minded citizens in order to change public policy, Patriots United is renewing America by changing the present course of government, one community at a time, to one that the founding fathers were divinely inspired to create.

Besides being able to view the movie about education entitled “The Cartel,” there will be air conditioning at McHenry County College this Thursday night.

What’s up?

The following message from Patriots United explains the event:

This Thursday, July 21st, there will be a private viewing of The Cartel at McHenry County College starting at 6:30pm.

As part of the event, Patriots United will be hosting a panel discussion with experts from every side of the issue discussing what can be done to improve education in our country. The attached flier has more details.

We hope you can make it out Thursday. Pass the word along to anyone you think might be interested!

The panelists will be

Bruno Behrend, J.D., is director of the Center for School Reform at The Heartland Institute, where he is advocating the transformation of America’s education system.

Mr. Behrend has a background in public policy research, database consulting (specialist in fund raising software), and corporate seminar and training development. Mr. Behrend is a graduate of University of Illinois (1983) with a degree in finance and a graduate of IIT-Kent College of Law (1990), and is licensed to practice law in the state of Illinois.

Lennie Jarratt – A business internet consulting company (OODAStrategies.com) owner, Lennie Jarratt became an education watchdog/researcher in Grayslake School District 46 in 2005. As a founder and supporter of the Lake County Tea Party, Mr. Jarratt remains a strong advocate for local government transparency as well as the education funding system known as “Fund the Child” (FundTheChild.com)

Chris Jenner – A resident of Cary, Illinois, Chris Jenner has served on the Cary Elementary District 26 Board for seven years. Avidly following education and public school curriculum for the past decade, Mr. Jenner has been employed in private industry for 33 years in both leadership and individual contributor roles. He holds a BS from the University of Illinois, an MBA from Illinois Institute of Technology and an MS from DePaul University.

On Saturday October 2nd, 2010 Elemental Ministries, an evangelical ministry based in Northern Illinois, will be hosting a Free Health Fair at St. Margaret Mary Elementary School at 110 South Hubbard Algonquin Illinois from 10 am til 5  pm.

There will be speakers, booths and health testing as well as a Health Forum.

The Health Forum will have experts who have read the law discuss Obamacare from a medical, insurance and legislative point of view to educate people and businesses of its potential effects and will be held from 1 pm til 3 pm.

The schedule (subject to change) is:

• 10 am Open Doors
• 11 am Bruno Behrend of the Heartland Institute
• 12 pm Lunch
• 1 pm-3pm Health Forum on Obamacare with Dr. Arie Friedman, Dr. James Brown, Steve Tucker and Joe Walsh with some surprise invitees.
• 3 pm Joe Calomino of Americans for Prosperity

Please join us for this free event sponsored by Elemental Ministries.

For information please call us at 847 915 5065.

Brett Leifer
Director of Elemental Ministries
LBICorp@owc.net
847-915-5065

Here’s the press release explaining what is planned. You can register here.  The price is $15.

ECONOMIC SUMMIT EVENT – What is the government doing with YOUR MONEY? We have a better idea!

Patriots United is pleased to announce that we will be conducting a Forum on September 29, 2010 at McHenry County Community College.  The Forum will start at 7 pm.  Please put this event on your schedule and invite your friends, neighbors and colleagues to join us.

Register for the Event

Recently we have seen a surge by the Current Government to take over out banking system and auto industry and generally run rough shod over businesses.  Meanwhile they are passing legislation without giving legislators or the voters an opportunity to do a thorough review.  They are suing states who are trying to protect their citizens and being sued by states that object to their Healthcare Mandates. At the same time the State of Illinois one of the countries’ leaders in unemployment and State Deficits. Our economy is crumbling with no solutions in sight.

We are very fortunate to have a panel of Experts to guide us through:

• An Overview of Illinois Fiscal Crisis
• Factors contributing to this Crisis
• Solutions – that will last

Mr. Behrend will open this session by explaining the extent of the deficit problem in Illinois and the Federal Government. He will discuss the impact of the political parties “patronage model,” the impact of state and federal mandates, and the urgency of drastically reforming the programs before going after initiatives such as ethanol and wind power.

Joining our Panel will be:

Bruno Behrend

Bruno Behrend, J.D. is the Director of the Heartland Center for School Choice.  He comes to Heartland with a strong

In 2008, Mr. Behrend co-authored Illinois Deserves Better – The Ironclad Case for an Illinois Constitutional Convention, which coincided with a campaign to pass a referendum calling for a Constitutional Convention.  He also served as an adviser various groups seeking to rewrite the Legislative article of the Illinois Constitution, an effort which may be voted on in the 2010 election.

In 2009, Mr. Behrend served as the Policy Director/Strategist to a Gubernatorial Candidate in the Illinois Primary election.

From 2006 through 2008, Mr. Behrend hosted a radio show in the Northern Chicago Metropolitan area.  The show showcased various authors and policy specialists, ranging from publisher, Steve Forbes, Phoenix University Founder John Sperling, columnist Mark Steyn, author Shelby Steele, and Heartland Senior Fellow Jay Lehr.

He is a graduate of the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana, where he earned his degree in Finance. He earned his J.D. from IIT-Kent College of Law in 1990, and is licensed to practice law in the state of Illinois.

Dr. Gary Wolfram

Dr. Gary L. Wolfram, an adjunct scholar at the Mackinac Center for Public Policy, is the George Munson Professor of political economy at Hillsdale College in Hillsdale, Michigan, and president of the Hillsdale Policy Group, a consulting firm specializing in taxation and public policy analysis. He earned his Ph.D. at the University of California-Berkeley, and he has taught at several colleges and universities, including Mt. Holyoke College, The University of Michigan, and Washington State University.

His government experience includes a stint as Washington chief of staff for Michigan Congressman Nick Smith, being senior economist for the Michigan State Republican policy staff.

Dirk Beveridge

Author, educator, consultant, and owner of four growing businesses, Dirk Beveridge is an experienced proven business executive whose international consulting firm serves clients such as General Motors, Continental Grain, Haagan Daz, W.R. Grace, Union Oil, Spacesaver, John Deere and others. He lectures at the Management Institute School of Business, University of Wisconsin, and is ad-hoc faculty at several other universities.

Grafton Township Trustee Betty Zirk extolls the virtue of a new town hall to electors at last year's annual town meeting.

Really.

That’s what Bruno Behrend, Illinois Review calls the $3.5 million ($5million including interest) new administrative building that Grafton Township Trustees yearn for so badly in his comment on my article about the Thursday night Grafton Township Board meeting.

You can leave a comment on McHenry County Blog about the situation herehere.

Posted by: RketeK-2A | Friday, February 12, 2010 at 09:55 AM

Are the Townships still viable in this age?

I know Bremen went through the same issue of building monuments and slush funds.

Maybe its for future Section 8 housing, for the future unemployed in that Twp.

Posted by: X None of the Above | Friday, February 12, 2010 at 10:17 AM

Kind of like Palatine Township using the Road and Bridge fund to finance the townships senior citizen bus.

It costs $200K a year to operate, so what tax levy do they use?

TOWN FUND….. NO
ROAD and BRIDGE……YES

Problem: antiquated IL law requires 1/2 of a Township-wide Road and Bridge property tax levy that is collected within a municipality, to be RETURNED to that municipality; in Palatine Township — with a tiny unincorporated area of less than 7% of the population — that works out to about 48% of the property tax levy being returned to 8 municipalities.

So to raise $200K they have to levy a tax on all property in the amount of about $400,000.

STUPID?………YES.

Particularly, when they could levy $200K through the Town Fund and receive 100% of that money — because there is no such provision governing that levy.

And these officials like to say they are “fiscal conservatives”?

Posted by: Phil Collins | Friday, February 12, 2010 at 10:38 AM

I hope that some conservative mayors and town trustees are preparing to run for township trustee, in that township, in 2013.

Posted by: John Bambenek | Friday, February 12, 2010 at 11:29 AM

Even better, start a petition to abolish the township altogether.

Posted by: B Honest | Friday, February 12, 2010 at 03:42 PM

As a former Township Supervisor who attempted to cut his own salary, I have come to the conclusion that Townships must be abolished.
Posted by: HKruse | Friday, February 12, 2010 at 12:18 PM

Let’s face it. If you were in office, you would try to bring in those who were on your side of an argument, like Mr. LaPorta did with Ms. Fender. Don’t say you wouldn’t? So what’s your point in this blog, to side with Ms. Moore? Even your blog has an agenda, just face it.

Posted by: X None of the Above | Friday, February 12, 2010 at 03:51 PM

Shameless mishandling of tax policy such as this only lends credibility to the argument to abolish them.

Townships are best positioned to give taxpayers the best return on their tax dollars — but not with policy-making idiots like we have in Palatine Township.

Posted by: Bruno Behrend | Friday, February 12, 2010 at 05:34 PM

B Honest,

Well Duh! I can’t speak for this blog, but most who comment here DO have an agenda, and it’s to keep taxes and debt low, government small, and more of our income in their pockets.

The agenda of those opposing Ms. Moore seems to be building yet another unnecessary monument to bond dealers and debt-churners that make up the Illinois Political class.

All over Illinois, people are considering leaving the state because of their obscene property taxes. The state is spending itself into oblivion, and Cal reports on another “building to nowhere” promoted by local hacks who don’t give a damn about taxpayers as long as a few of their friends get a bond and building spliff.

Your arrogance mirrors those in the R party who can’t get it through their heads that the state is careening toward bankruptcy.

An official who creates an unnecessary paid position for the purpose of gaining political power is the worst kind of public official, and a poster boy for an effective Recall Process.

Stop pretending it’s only about patronage positions. A moral person would have accepted political defeat and moved on. The antic(s) outlined in this post are the reason the Republican Party is dying in Illinois.

Don’t forget, you can comment here or here or both places.

No, I’m not going to attempt that.

But I am going to encourage you to read the bottom of the following. It was posted over two years ago after a confrontation over ACT performance by Huntley High School students.

9/15/6 – Different people on different web sites read my Wednesday article on the ACT confrontation between Huntley School District 158 board member Larry Snow and Huntley High School principal Dave Johnson.

Bruno Behrend (Extreme Wisdom) read it on Illinois Review and decided to reply to someone identified as NW Suburbs. Below is the exchange so far:

NW Burbs

This is North West suburbs. Where are you?

Posted by: Truthful James | Wednesday, September 13, 2006 at 02:22 PM
= = = = =
I’m working, where are you Untruthful?
–
Cal, don’t let Bruno see this … it might shatter his carefully constructed house of canards when it comes to education.

This is democracy at work. Good for Mr. Snow. Give people facts (not distortions of facts) and let them decide — rather than some nebulous, ill-defined ‘charter management group’.

Posted by: NW burbs | Wednesday, September 13, 2006 at 03:15 PM
= = = = =
PS – by definition and by law, all the members of every school board are taxpayers (citizens, residents, constituents) of that very school district.

Under Bruno’s plans, that would no longer necessarily hold true.

Posted by: NW burbs | Wednesday, September 13, 2006 at 03:26 PM
= = = = =
NW,

Of course, most reading Cal’s post realize that the saga of Mr. Snow proves my point elegantly.

1. His acendency to the board did nothing to prevent the other 6 rubber-stamp board members from showering their unemployed collegue with a $101,000/yr district pork position.

2. In exchange for his efforts at reform, he has been attacked and ridiculed.

3. His focus on curriculum, though laudable, will amount to exactly nothing, as the impervious education industry will continue to foist some substandard contentless drivel on the district.

4. When re-election time rolls around, Mr. Snow will be forced to decide whether he wants to engage in a grueling battle with a well-funded Industry drone in the hopes that he can spend another 4 years of 6-1 or 5-2 votes against an ossified and corrupt cadre of tax-eating pigs.

5. In the unlikely event that Mr. Snow could recruit 3 more like him, and in the even more unlikely event that they could all get elected, the new “reform board” would find that the “education industry” is well-prepared to prevent any real reform or spending restraint, based upon the massive weight of teacher’s union contracts, State mandates, and the eventual community pressure (sobbing soccer moms).

It wouldn’t take long for one of the board to capitulate, join forces with the corrupt industry (possibly sweetened by the chance to eat at the $101,000/yr. pig trough).
____
Not having met Mr. Snow, but knowing of him through acquaintences, I’m guessing he may take a dim view of my scenario above.

The fact remains that I’ve spoken with 5 separate IL “conservatives” who have sat on (or are sitting on) boards in attempts to improve schools.

I’ve considered running for boards myself, and determined that it is a waste of time and effort. The system is corrupt beyond repair, and the fake “district” model is specifically designed to create the appearance and pretense of control.

I have the utmost respect for Mr. Snow. But the corrupt system will likely chew him up and spit him out in due course, and the bureaucracy will remain in the over-funded, under-performing state that it fight so hard to remain in.
____
Under my plan, we would fund children, not corrupt bureaucracies. This puts fear into the heart of people who feed off this system, leading them to disparage any idea that would lead to real reform.

How does it feel to be standing next to George Wallace (circa 1950s) doing his work for him, NW? Is it worth the money?

Posted by: Bruno | Friday, September 15, 2006 at 09:08 AM

I was doing some shopping and between stores happened onto Bruce DuMont’s “Beyond the Beltway” radio talk show on WLS-Radio last night.

DuMont was talking about Governor Rod Blagojevich’s refusal to resign, which I predicted the Friday before last.

I’ll get to what McHenry County’s Democrat State Representative had to say in a minute, but, before I do, let me try to quote what host DuMont said Democratic political consultant James Carville said on some TV show Sunday morning:

Republican Bruno Behrend had previously given the same advice on DuMont’s show:

“The faster you get rid of this guy, the faster you stop the bleeding (of the Democratic Party).”

Indeed, although I was otherwise occupied Saturday night, it would seem to me there would have been a follow-up to December 13th’s opening skit about Blagojevich’s and his wife’s “bleeping” language.

Especially since Blagojevich made his

“I am not a crook”

speech on Friday and was all over the national news because of it.

But, back to Franks.

“I think it could be wrapped up pretty quickly…shortly after the first of the year,” Franks, a member of the impeachment committee told DuMont.

He said that the committee will “continue to get evidence and hear from other witnesses…(expecting to decide) on what to put in articles of impeachment.

Any new evidence that might be involved in the U.S. Attorney’s criminal investigation will depend on what Fitzgerald allows, Franks indicated.

He specifically mentioned he would like to know the details of the woman who gave Blagojevich’s daughter $1,500 for a birthday present, then got a job in Whiteside County and next was transferred to her home county of Cook.

“The potential to do damage is his only trump card,” Franks said suggesting he did not think the governor would resign.

In a discussion about Jesse Jackson, Jr.’s having worked with the U.S. Attorney’s Office prior to becoming Candidate 5 in the criminal complaint against Blagojevich, Franks revealed,

“I’ve never worn a wire.”

Franks stuck to his position that the replacement for President-elect Barack Obama should be elected.

= = = = =
That’s Bruno Behrend hold the bumper sticker urging a “Yes” vote on Con-Con at the Decatur Republican State Convention in June. Governor Rod Blagojevich is seen on national ABC news in the center. State Rep. Jack Franks is shown on the WTTW Chicago Tonight show the night the Governor was arrested.

I was doing some shopping and between stores happened onto Bruce DuMont’s “Beyond the Beltway” radio talk show on WLS-Radio last night.

DuMont was talking about Governor Rod Blagojevich’s refusal to resign, which I predicted the Friday before last.

I’ll get to what McHenry County’s Democrat State Representative had to say in a minute, but, before I do, let me try to quote what host DuMont said Democratic political consultant James Carville said on some TV show Sunday morning:

Republican Bruno Behrend had previously given the same advice on DuMont’s show:

“The faster you get rid of this guy, the faster you stop the bleeding (of the Democratic Party).”

Indeed, although I was otherwise occupied Saturday night, it would seem to me there would have been a follow-up to December 13th’s opening skit about Blagojevich’s and his wife’s “bleeping” language.

Especially since Blagojevich made his

“I am not a crook”

speech on Friday and was all over the national news because of it.

But, back to Franks.

“I think it could be wrapped up pretty quickly…shortly after the first of the year,” Franks, a member of the impeachment committee told DuMont.

He said that the committee will “continue to get evidence and hear from other witnesses…(expecting to decide) on what to put in articles of impeachment.

Any new evidence that might be involved in the U.S. Attorney’s criminal investigation will depend on what Fitzgerald allows, Franks indicated.

He specifically mentioned he would like to know the details of the woman who gave Blagojevich’s daughter $1,500 for a birthday present, then got a job in Whiteside County and next was transferred to her home county of Cook.

“The potential to do damage is his only trump card,” Franks said suggesting he did not think the governor would resign.

In a discussion about Jesse Jackson, Jr.’s having worked with the U.S. Attorney’s Office prior to becoming Candidate 5 in the criminal complaint against Blagojevich, Franks revealed,

“I’ve never worn a wire.”

Franks stuck to his position that the replacement for President-elect Barack Obama should be elected.

= = = = =
That’s Bruno Behrend hold the bumper sticker urging a “Yes” vote on Con-Con at the Decatur Republican State Convention in June. Governor Rod Blagojevich is seen on national ABC news in the center. State Rep. Jack Franks is shown on the WTTW Chicago Tonight show the night the Governor was arrested.

My wife and arrived in Decatur for the Republican State Convention later than we intended—about 6:30 Friday night.

You know, I actually went thinking I might be able to vote like you see in national conventions.

But, none of the decisions made in committee before we arrived were overturned in what passed for democracy on the floor of the convention.

I would characterize the convention as “an administered one.”

It was pretty tightly controlled, in other words. Delegates couldn’t even bring in signs that were not pre-approved.

Since the decision-making process was over before we arrived, I decided to play photo bug.

Here’s what I found.

Bruno Behrend, who is a talk show host on Waukegan’s WKRS, promoting a constitutional convention. Although I think the chances of conservatives controlling a constitutional convention in a state where the legislature, all statewide elected officials and the supreme court are all controlled by Democrats is zero, I brought a bumper sticker home. I shall be happy to give to anyone for whom hope springs eternal.

Stu Umholtz, the Tazewell County State’s Attorney, the only one with guts enough to run against incumbent Democrat Lisa Madigan for Attorney General in 2006. Note the sign next to Umholtz, produced by the state central committee. It says,

My wife said it should say,

In the hotel registration area, we bumped into Cook County Commissioner Tony Peraica, who is running for Cook County State’s Attorney, along with Lemont Township Supervisor Steven Rosendahl.

We decided to go over to State Senator Kirk Dillard’s reception at the mansion of Lincoln intimate Richard Oglesby.

State Senator Dan Rutherford was in what looked like the dining room. You can see him hugging a fellow delegate.

More notables tomorrow.

My wife and arrived in Decatur for the Republican State Convention later than we intended—about 6:30 Friday night.

You know, I actually went thinking I might be able to vote like you see in national conventions.

But, none of the decisions made in committee before we arrived were overturned in what passed for democracy on the floor of the convention.

I would characterize the convention as “an administered one.”

It was pretty tightly controlled, in other words. Delegates couldn’t even bring in signs that were not pre-approved.

Since the decision-making process was over before we arrived, I decided to play photo bug.

Here’s what I found.

Bruno Behrend, who is a talk show host on Waukegan’s WKRS, promoting a constitutional convention. Although I think the chances of conservatives controlling a constitutional convention in a state where the legislature, all statewide elected officials and the supreme court are all controlled by Democrats is zero, I brought a bumper sticker home. I shall be happy to give to anyone for whom hope springs eternal.

Stu Umholtz, the Tazewell County State’s Attorney, the only one with guts enough to run against incumbent Democrat Lisa Madigan for Attorney General in 2006. Note the sign next to Umholtz, produced by the state central committee. It says,

My wife said it should say,

In the hotel registration area, we bumped into Cook County Commissioner Tony Peraica, who is running for Cook County State’s Attorney, along with Lemont Township Supervisor Steven Rosendahl.

We decided to go over to State Senator Kirk Dillard’s reception at the mansion of Lincoln intimate Richard Oglesby.

State Senator Dan Rutherford was in what looked like the dining room. You can see him hugging a fellow delegate.

More notables tomorrow.