McHenry County Blog

This is the second part of my reflections on the Appellate Court’s finding the prohibition against carrying guns to protect oneself outside the home to be unconstitutional.  The first part is here.

“Controversial” could be used to describe the 2002 campaign gubernatorial radio ad about my Personal Protection proposal. It was modeled off an NRA TV ad I saw in 1992 Traverse City at an American Legislative Exchange Council convention.

It featured a woman calling 911 saying, “Someone’s breaking into my home.”

The 911 operator asks typical questions as the woman shouts, “He’s in the house.”

She hangs up the phone and the listener hears her running upstairs.

He goes into her bedroom, slams the door and pushes some furniture in front of it.

She calls 911 again.

“He’s coming up the stairs. Help!

The 911 operator asks the same questions again.

“He’s breaking down the door.”

Then a shot rings out.

The announcer says, “When the police can’t get there soon enough, you need Cal Skinner’s Personal Protection Plan.” Then, “Cal Skinner for Governor. Change you can believe in.”

WGN-radio hosts apologized prior to running the ad, saying it was inappropriate.

Now, Alderman Howard Brookins, Chairman of the City Council’s Black Caucus is quoted in the Sun-Times as saying he is not at all concerned concealed carry would turn inner-city neighborhoods into shooting galleries.

“Those people have a gun now. They’ve just been made criminals because they can’t legally have it. And the gang-bangers and thugs are gonna have a guy regardless.”

Now, let me tell you about Chicago two dinner companions I had at the Annual Conference of the Northern Illinois Conference of the Methodist Church.  Before the speaker at the Northern Illinois Conference Evangelical Association, I asked our African-American brothers if I could ask them a political question.

Having receive permission, I asked their opinion of concealed carry.

The first to answer was a retired Chicago Policeman who revealed that President George W. Bush had signed a bill that allowed him to carry his weapon. He said the Federal statute required him to take training, but that was no problem

The second man was an attorney. He was at least six feet tall.

He said he carried a gun.

He related seeing some “punks” coming down the sidewalk toward him.

He said he put his hand in his pocket and they crossed the street in order to avoid walking by him.

Yesterday afternoon, WBEZ’ afternoon interview program discussed the decision with a young upwardly mobile professional who lived in Bronzeville. The purpose of her being on the show was to preview the NPR story she had done, which was to be aired this morning.”

She said she didn’t know anyone who carried a gun.

Let me reveal one other interaction with a representative of the black community.

And, by “representative,” I mean State Representative.

We were voting on a bill to restrict gun rights in the Illinois House.

As the roll call was being taken a black representative walked across the aisle and told he he/she had to vote in favor of the bill, but hoped I would vote against it.

I wonder if that legislator will have more courage now that the Appellate Court decision has been rendered.

“Concealed carry.”

What a public relations disaster that label has been.

When I ran for Governor on the Libertarian ticket in 2002, I certainly supported the concept, but I knew it was a kiss of death for those advancing the right for people to protect themselves with guns outside the home.

I referred to the concept as being a “personal protection” measure.

In 2001, Michigan had approved such legislation.

Similar state, similar problems, but no experience by the time I was running.

I remember reading that the Sheriff of Wayne County predicted shoot-outs on the streets of Detroit.

A year later, he admitted he had been wrong.

Ten years later, the Detroit Free Press ran an article entitled,

10 years after concealed weapons law, unclear why many in state were gun-shy

Another article is here.

If you are a liberal who believes approval of this concept of personal protection is the beginning of the ending of your world, please read the article.

Only about 4% of adults have licenses in Michigan. 2% of them have been sanctioned for misbehavior by law enforcement officials.

My argument eleven years ago was that a very small percentage of individuals could act as a deterrent to crime.

Let me give you my theoretical argument first and then a real life example from the streets of Chicago.

While I was running for Governor, there was a serial rapist on the North Side.

I argued that rapists are basically chickens.  They are too afraid of women to ask them for a date.

So, if even a small, but well-publicized percentage of women in an area were able to protect themselves with guns, I figure that there would be less instances of sexual assault.

That approach would work on college campuses, too, but my guess is that the Illinois General Assembly will continue to make them “Protection Free Zones.”   (Think back to the Northern Illinois University massacre. There was a woman killed sitting in the second row of the auditorium.  She was a former member of the Armed Forces.  Although she served in a supporting role, she would have been trained and capable of taking out the gunman on stage, had Illinois allowed her to carry a weapon.)

More tomorrow.

From the Way Back Machine comes a 1968 envelope and real estate tax bill that I mailed in 1968 when I was McHenry County Treasurer.

Next to the six cent metered postage is the following message:

Here’s what the envelop looked like:

And, just in case you are more interested in the tax bill than the envelop, here it is:

Thought some might be interested in the letter I have written to my Crystal Lake-Lakewood precinct. It is below:

Dear Algonquin Township Precinct 7 Voters:

You can cast early votes at the Crystal Lake City Hall or the Algonquin Township Hall on Rt. 14 if you wish, but, if you are a traditionalist, our polling place is still the Main Beach House.

Besides the Presidential election, which the media says is a walkaway for Pres. Obama in Illinois, there’s not a lot going on. (Not that I’m not voting for Romney or want you to skip voting.)

No other statewide races, no state legislative contests, no Democrats running for countywide office.

My friend Peter Roskam is running for Congress for the first time in our area. He is the 4th ranking Republican in Washington and well positioned to assist our area.

I believe the most important vote is on the Jack Franks-initiated County Executive Referendum.

Philosophically, I am opposed to concentration of power.

A County Executive form of government will put more power into one person’s hands than exists today.

A County Executive will be able to give out contracts of up to $25,000 without board approval, as well as hire and fire those who report to him. Neither is the case now.

Checks and balances are good. That exits now and was what the Federalist Papers were all about.

There is a contest for County Board members.

The four Republicans who survived this spring’s GOP primary are, in ballot order:

• Donna Kurtz
• Jim Heisler
• Ken Koehler
• Carolyn Schoefield

All have solid public service records. They are opposed by two Democrats.

Three judges are on the ballot seeking another 6 years on the bench. None merits a “No” vote.

The final item is the Mike Madigan-pension Constitutional Amendment. He’s the reason we have a pension problem. No one thinks the proposal to increase the majority needed to pass pension bills will do anything. As a 16-year State Rep., I can’t remember a pension bill vote that was even close.

More political info on my McHenry County Blog. Please call 459-3506 if you have questions.

Cal

First promoted over ten years ago in my Libertarian Party campaign for Illinois Governor against Rod Blagojevich and Jim Ryan, my proposal for Term Limits for Legislative Leaders made the Chicago Tribune editorial endorsementof State Senator Dan Duffy.

Here’s the part about him:

26th District: Republican Sen. Dan Duffy, of Lake Barrington, has been calling out his colleagues since the first time he rose to speak on the Senate floor, when he accused leaders in both parties of enabling the crimes of Gov. Rod Blagojevich. Duffy says Senate leadership has “punished” him — moving his parking space, shutting off his microphone while he’s speaking, that sort of thing — but he won’t muzzle himself. Duffy says a lot of the right things: about pension reform, school choice, workers’ comp, the need to repair the state’s business climate and ethics reforms — including, not surprisingly, term limits on legislative leaders. He might make more friends (and pass more bills) if he toned it down a bit, but he is who he is, and taxpayers are lucky to have him on their side [emphasis added].

It’s Thanksgiving Week and I’m remembering one lesson I learned in my first semester of my sophomore year at Oberlin College.

And it’s more significant than what I figured the first Thanksgiving Vacation. That year (1960), I discovered that taking the Party Train from Elyria, Ohio, to Chicago was a lot of fun, even I had an allergic rash around my waist from having drunk 3.2 beer for the first time the night before.

The all-nighter learning experience trip down memory lane was stimulated by a summer finding that students who pull all-nighters before a test do not do better than those who don’t.

In my sophomore year I had my first profession with whom I really clicked.

Thomas LeDuc was his name and he taught American history, a subject I took two years in junior high (because of transferring school districts) and one year at Crystal Lake Central High School.

For LeDuc’s first test, I pulled an all-nighter in the Wilder Hall lounge.

I got an A-.

When the second test came around, I figured I’d experiment and get a decent night’s sleep.

I got an A.

Never again was I tempted to stay up all night before a test.

I don’t know how you read the above letter, but it sounds to me as if Democrat Jack Franks is threatening to sue Republican Cal Skinner because of the critical articles I have posted on McHenry County Blog.

It seems to me that he is, as was McHenry County Sheriff Keith Nygren’s clone and endorsed successor Andy Zinke last week, trying to eliminate pretty much the only criticism he receives from anyone whose stories can be found on the internet.

No, I forgot the Northwest Herald criticized him for eliminating himself and judges from his meaningless Gubernatorial Recall Amendment to the Illinois Constitution and the Drano registration bill, a hint as to how much of a regulation mentality lies right under the surface of his public persona.

And the Chicago Tribune tore him apart for his bill to allow Com Ed to chop down any tree within 20-feet of a power line.

But, on the whole, headline-seeker Franks gets good press.

Franks says I’m not welcome at any of his personal or political events.

Pretty strange statement since I have never been closer to his home than the video tour his real estate agent posted when he was trying to sell his Bull Valley home to move to Marengo.

Pretty strange since I am not one of the Republicans who comes to his political fund raisers–not the cheap ones in McHenry County nor the big ticket ones in Chicago.  And I’m not a Republican who allows my name to be used as part of his “Host Committee.”

Franks says I don’t have his permission to post his picture or that of his family.

Come on.

For starters, I have no interest in his family.

I’m interested in what Jack Franks does in the public arena.

And I think I have taken every picture I have posted of Franks on McHenry County Blog in a public meeting or somewhere he showed himself in public trying to get publicity.

Those of us with long memories can remember the populist Jack Franks of the early days.

The guy who said he was “Pro-Choice,” but was not  Pro-Choice enough for Personal PAC, the pro-abortion Political Action Committeen to endorse him.  (In 2008 and 2010, Franks was endorsed by Personal PAC.)

Franks says I’m not a journalist and have “no right to any access.”

No credentials, don’t you know.

Guess I have no right to go to a parade or the Marengo re-apportionment committee meeting.

I’ll bet that those folks who wrote broadsides during the American Revolution didn’t have credentials either.

And lots of them didn’t use their own names as I do.

The folks who smeared Franks’ 2010 opponent John O’Neill right before the election weren’t brave enough to use their names either.

Although anonymous, the Founding Fathers who criticized King George fought for my right to criticize those who rule us.

One would think an attorney and seven-term Illinois State Representative would understand that.

The man who introduced a bill during the first part of his Springfield career to stop SLAPP suits filed by developers (think Richmond where the developer sued Village Trustees) is long gone.

(SLAPP, by the way, stands for “Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation.”)

When the Northwest Herald sued me, we used Franks’ law as part of our defense.

The article in question was about public policy.

So are my articles about Jack Franks.

I’m not an attorney like Franks, but I believe that political speech under the First Amendment has the highest protection.

If I wanted to distribute one of my posts, complete with photos, as a campaign piece in opposition to Franks’ re-election, or put it on the radio or television, I sincerely doubt anyone would take the complaints expressed in the above letter seriously.

Franks, like every candidate and public office holder, would love to get a free ride.

Franks has enjoyed that most of his career.

But the “populist” of the early days is long gone.

The “baggage” gets heavier as he seeks more power.

Now, instead of promoting an end to SLAPP suits, Jack Franks voted for the Commonwealth Edison rate increase bill.  The Illinois Commerce Commission in a most convenient recent decision put off that electric rate increase of $3 a month until January.

That’s after the election, not that the timing makes any difference to the three legislators from McHenry County who supported the bill.

None of them have opposition.

Franks last sentence says, “I trust that I have made myself clear.”

You have,”Chainsaw Jack.”

Your bill to allow Com Ed to chop down every tree within 20-feet of a power line shows how out of touch you are with McHenry County.  Even having been out of office almost twelve years, I can tell you that introducing that idea was about as far from representing McHenry County residents as one can go.

It’s clear you can’t stand the heat.

The inequity of the Illinois real estate tax system hit home again last Thursday as I read Chicago Sun-Times columnist Mark Brown’s piece.

In it, he points out that Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas has her Water Tower Place condo up for sale for $2.9 million.

That, in itself, didn’t raise my eyebrows.

Her reported tax bill of $16,955 did.

That’s about twice my last tax bill of $8,873.66.

Guarantee you that our two houses off Crystal Lake on the busiest road in Lakewood (6,500 vehicle a day when measured about ten years ago–more than some four-lane Interstates in Western Illinois), is not worth $1.45 million, half of Pappas’ asking price.

Then, Sunday in the Sun-Times I read Governor Pat Quinn paid only $3,938 to the Cook County tax collector last year.

Zillow estimates the Governor’s digs are worth $182,500.

Let’s do some division on the percentage each of these Cook County politicians pay in property taxes each year.

Pappas first.

$16,955 divided by $2.9 million is .0058. That looks like just a tad below 6/10 of one percent.

Even accounting for the asking price being higher that what Pappas’ place is worth, that’s a really, really low property tax bill.

Now, Quinn.

$3,938 divided by $182,500 is .022 or 2.2%.

Those percentages are called “effective tax rates.”

They are the only way to cut through the complexities of property tax jargon anywhere in the world.

Divide the tax bill by the property value and you can compare property tax burdens anywhere.

If I were Pat Quinn, I’d be disturbed at the higher tax burden that he was bearing, compared to Pappas.

The Skinner household had an appraisal done and found our home was worth $305,000 on January 1, 2011. (Zillow says it’s worth $313,600.)

While it is not quite apples to apples, dividing our tax bill of $8,873.66 by that numbers indicates we paid about 2.9% of our home’s value last year (2.8%, if using Zillow’s price).

So we are paying almost one-third more for the taxes on our McHenry County home than the Governor is.

And we are paying about 500% more than Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas.

Somehow I don’t think I would have gotten that big a break were I still McHenry County Treasurer.

And if you think real estate tax inequities are just an Illinois problem for politicians, consider this (which seems to have been dropped from the most version) from a Chicago Tribune article about the Greek parliamentary elections:

“My vote was a protest vote because they cut my pension,” said 75-year-old pensioner Kalliopi, her fists clenched in anger.

“I live in a basement but pay the same (property) tax as someone who lives in a penthouse,” said Kalliopi after voting (emphasis added).

An informal discussion was held Tuesday night by the Crystal Lake City Council about whether to allow slot machines (“video poker,” if you favor the idea) in town

After presentations by two gambling machine purveyors, City Council members expressed a 6-1 margin against turning Crystal Lake into “Potterville,” to put it in Mayor Aaron Shepley’s words.

“I’ll bet if we wanted to make Crystal Lake the mecca of adult entertainment, we could do that,” Shepley said.

“Just because we could do it doesn’t mean we should do it,” he said just before referring to “one of my favorite movies, ‘It’s a Wonderful Life.’”

Comparing the scenes of Bedford Falls and Pottersville, he said, “If you don’t look at the extreme examples, you’re not looking at the whole picture.”

Presentations were made by representatives of two slot machine companies.

One, Stepanie Drougas, from Triple 7 Illinois, based in Lake in the Hills, told of the split of profits from the money gambled:

• 30% to the state
• 35% to the liquor licensee
• 35% to the machine owners (the ones at the meeting)

As I understand it, 5 percentage points of the state’s share goes to the local city or county (if unincorporated).

The Triple 7 Illinois woman estimated that each machine would generate $1,000 for the city each year.

“Your bars and restaurants are struggling.  This will give them a little shot in the arm,” she said.

Councilwoman Ellen Brady Mueller confirmed that the machines to be installed would not be the ones “sitting in bars now.”

“[Is it] basically equivalent to Vegas as to the speed it would spin?” Councilman Ralph Dawson inquired.

Jeff Thorsen calculated that $17 million could be gambled in Crystal Lake machines with $3.4 million going to the state.

“That’s a lot of money you’re pulling out of pockets,” he said.

Yours truly spoke in opposition on behalf of  the First United Methodist Church of Crystal Lake

I pointed out that each machine could be expected to pull $20,000 out of money now spent in local businesses on goods and services.

I explained that Methodists were holding a once-every-four-year General Conference in Tampa about which stories would surface later this week.

However, I explained the fights between liberals and orthodox Methodists that would end up in the stories would not be about gambling.

I told the Council that both liberal and conservative Methodists opposed gambling.

After the two gambling machine company representatives and I spoke, Shepley said,

“Let’s call it what it is. It’s gambling, period.  This is not Crystal Point Mall and pinball.”

Then he asked his colleagues how whether or not they favored allowing the machines in Crystal Lake:

• “Not,” said Brett Hopkins forcefully.  “I’m not going to open the door now.
• “I don’t really see the need,” Carolyn Schofield said.
• “I have a problem of introducing a sin so we can tax it.  Are those the revenues I really want to chase down and create,  I’m in the ‘No’ [column].”
• “Absolutely in the ‘No’ column,” said Cathy Ferguson.  She told of working with youth at the Arlington Park Race Track.  “I can tell you horror stories about people [there].  I do not want to have any part of that.”  Ferguson later told of visiting South Dakota.  “You cannot go anywhere for breakfast without gambling.  Those towns are dead.  It’s not doing what they wanted it to.”
• Ralph Dawson also spoke in opposition.  He pointed out that the gambling machines might “very well drive customers out of establishments.”
• “It’s not my job to decide what is or isn’t a sin,” Ellen Brady Mueller said.  “Got to bars and [you]see the same people sitting on the same stools [day after day].”  She indicated that a number are probably alcoholics, but suggested, “If that’s your addiction, you’ll find a machine.

“I think I’m probably in the same boat as the majority of the Council.

“I think it’s a fair thing to compare it to the pawn shop.  Those types of organizations tend to prey on the weak or people who are down on their luck.

“Do I find it somewhat disappointing bordering on disgusting that Illinois turns to gambling?” he asked rhetorically.

He characterized selling gambling as the answer to public financing problems as “snake oil.”

In the Illinois General Assembly, State Senator Pam Althoff voted for the authorization bill, while State Senate Dan Duffy voted, “No.”  That Roll Call is here.

In the House of Representatives Mike Tryon and Mark Beaubien voted in favor of the slot machine bill.  Jack Franks opposed it.  Here’s the House Roll Call.

= = = = =
Tim Kane wrote a story on the council consideration of gambling for Crystal Lake Patch. He pointed out that I began my presentation with my “telling City Council members that the Devil will come as an attractive salesman with a tempting offer. That offer, Skinner added, would be ‘hard-core slot machines.’”

In the Northwest Herald, Brett Rowland also referenced what I said:

“‘I’m sure it would help downtown,’ he said. ‘But I’m not sure downtown needs help. You built a nice downtown district without gambling.’

“He also said that if the City Council doesn’t want pawn shops, he couldn’t understand why it would allow gambling. The council decided last month not to create an ordinance that would have allowed pawnbrokers to operate in the city.”

There is a Federal requirement that campaign mail be treated just like First Class mail during the last three weeks or so before an election.

All a candidate has to do is put a special red tag on his or her bulk mail.

So, will either State Rep. Kent Gaffney or his opponent or County Board members Donna Kurtz or Ken Koehler file a formal complaint  against the delivery person who must have deliberately delayed their campaign mailings?

Kurtz and Koehler have nothing to complain about.

How much better can it be to get your campaign pieces delivered the day before the election.

Gaffney, however, has a complaint.

Three of his mailings got delivered today.

And, McSweeney, if I were he, I would be pitching a fit.

Seven, I counted them, seven of his direct mail pieces got delivered today!

The mailings probably didn’t make any difference to this voter.  He told me that McSweeney himself called and spent a half an hour answering questions.

Now, that’s high touch.

There was worse Postal service prior to my last election.

A delivery person in Lake in the Hills stuck 14 pieces of my campaign mail in boxes the day of the election.

I still remember the anguished call from a woman who voted before she read that I was Pro-Life and Rosemary Kurtz was Pro-Choice.

“But she told me that you and she agreed on the issue,” was the comment I still remember.

The third candidate for State Rep. in the district is Danielle Rowe.