McHenry County Blog

During the 1970′s State Rep. Harold Washington managed to form a coalition with suburban Republicans like myself over the issue of how Chicago Park District money was spent.

He discovered that more was spent in white than in black areas and introduced legislation to equalize such expenditures.

He got the bill passed the House, but I don’t remember its outcome in the Senate. Probably it failed at least the first time, because I think I remember two House debates.

Now, suburban Republican state senators like Dan Duffy and Matt Murphy have formed a coalition with the Rev. and State Senator James Meeks on the issue of school vouchers.

It is a crime that with all the money taxpayers pour into Chicago schools that so few kids get educated.

After trying his best to raise the state income tax, Meeks decided that taking part of the State Aid to Education and giving it to parents in poorly performing schools might do the job.

The result was a joint effort that succeeded in the Senate, but got shot down in the Illinois House, thanks, in part, to McHenry County State Rep. Jack Franks. (That won’t lose him many votes here, but it will continue his relationship with the state’s teacher unions, who consistently support his candidacy.)

Too bad for poor minority kids in Chicago.

But, the suburban Republican-Chicago Black relationship has been forged at least in the State Senate.

Evidence of that is the YouTube you see here. It features State Senator Dan Duffy, who represents the central eastern part of McHenry County, speaking at the Rev. Meeks’ Chicago church.

Here is how Duffy explains what happened:

There has been a lot of negative talk about Springfield and the extreme partisan politics that is common in Illinois.

State Senators Dan Duffy and James Meeks hug before Duffy speaks. Matt Murphy, to the right, had already faced the same welcome.

However there is also a behind the scenes story of a strong, bi-partisan relationship that is developing between some Republicans and Democrats.

Some Republicans visited Rev. Meeks church early last month in and effort to support his school voucher / opportunity scholarships bill.

Rev. Meeks also discussed red light cameras at the service.  Even though the bills discussed have not passed yet…momentum is growing and support is building on both sides of the aisle.  This is just the beginning of the debate for these issues.

Ed Vrdolyak is pleading guilty

Fast Eddie has slowed down.

Completely.

He’s in his seventies and, like other older pols who have admitted to violating federal law, his run is over.

The Chicago Tribune is reporting that Judge Milton Shadur has told jurors that Ed Vrdolyak will plead guilty. Here is his plea agreement.

As former State Rep. Harry Leinenweber told me on the House floor when we were discussing Vrdolyak one day he was in the news, probably because of his Chicago City Council floor leadership of the opposition to Mayor Harold Washington,

Eddie was the only University of Chicago Law School classmate who successfully defended himself on a murder charge while a student.

Here’s more background:

8-16-6 Anyone Know Any Vrdolyak Stories?

8-18-6 Reformer Bill Singer’s Name Linked to Vrdolyak Probe

5-10-7 Vrdolyak Indicted

8-18-6 Singer Linked to Vrdolyak Probe

5-12-7 John Kass Writes About One of the Vulcan Lake TIF Principals (with connection to two of Mayor Aaron Shepley’s Crystal Lake City Council’s winning TIF developers)

5-15-7 Vrdolyak Comments Reprinted in Chicago Sun-Times

5-16-7 Tribune Quotes from Vrdolyak Article, Too

Ed Vrdolyak is pleading guilty

Fast Eddie has slowed down.

Completely.

He’s in his seventies and, like other older pols who have admitted to violating federal law, his run is over.

The Chicago Tribune is reporting that Judge Milton Shadur has told jurors that Ed Vrdolyak will plead guilty. Here is his plea agreement.

As former State Rep. Harry Leinenweber told me on the House floor when we were discussing Vrdolyak one day he was in the news, probably because of his Chicago City Council floor leadership of the opposition to Mayor Harold Washington,

Eddie was the only University of Chicago Law School classmate who successfully defended himself on a murder charge while a student.

Here’s more background:

8-16-6 Anyone Know Any Vrdolyak Stories?

8-18-6 Reformer Bill Singer’s Name Linked to Vrdolyak Probe

5-10-7 Vrdolyak Indicted

8-18-6 Singer Linked to Vrdolyak Probe

5-12-7 John Kass Writes About One of the Vulcan Lake TIF Principals (with connection to two of Mayor Aaron Shepley’s Crystal Lake City Council’s winning TIF developers)

5-15-7 Vrdolyak Comments Reprinted in Chicago Sun-Times

5-16-7 Tribune Quotes from Vrdolyak Article, Too

A press release from the IVI-IPO endorsing Democrat Bill Genes for state senate in the 26th district has arrived.

The “IVI” stands for “Independent Voters of Illinois.”

It used to be the Illinois affiliate to Americans for Democratic Action, a quite liberal group, but that affiliation seems to have been dropped. It used to endorse some Republicans, such as Bernie Carey for Cook County State’s Attorney. I can’t remember the last time it came out for a GOP candidate.

The “IPO” part is for “Independent Precinct Organization.” This was started by Chicago independent (of the Chicago Democratic Party machine) Alderman Dick Simpson, now head of the Political Science Department at the University of Illinois at Chicago.

My seatmate in the 1970′s was Susan Catania. When I was working legislation on the floor, she often voted my switch. One year she did it so much that I ended up on the honor list of the Independent Voters of Illinois.

Boy, did that surprise me!

When I was running for state comptroller in 1982, I attended an IVI dinner that Harold Washington showed up at.

When he saw me (I think he came over to shake my hand), but he seemed alarmed and immediately went to talk to the group’s leadership.

Suburban Republicans like me had supported his crusade to force the Chicago Park District to distribute its money throughout the city and his efforts to lower fees on the cashing of welfare checks at currency exchanges.

But the thought of the IVI supporting a Republican for statewide office must have been a bit too much for Harold to accept.

The IVI-IPO endorsement press release for Gentes follows:

Today we are proud to announce that Bill Gentes has received the endorsement of the Independent Voters of Illinois Independent Precinct Organization.  The IVI-IPO has been in existence since 1944, and has been dedicated to good government activism and an idealistic vision of open, honest government in Illinois.  The organization’s primary tools are voter registration, voter information, and candidate endorsement. The IVI-IPO also lobbies on behalf of governmental reforms designed to open the system and better inform the public on the political process.  In an era of heightened rhetoric and fierce partisanship in Illinois, the endorsement of independent leaning organizations like the IVI-IPO serves as proof that Mayor Gentes has the bipartisan appeal necessary to get things done in Springfield. 
 
The IVI-IPO is a not-for-profit, multi-partisan, independent political organization. 

I am not aware that the organization has any membership base out in our area.

A press release from the IVI-IPO endorsing Democrat Bill Genes for state senate in the 26th district has arrived.

The “IVI” stands for “Independent Voters of Illinois.”

It used to be the Illinois affiliate to Americans for Democratic Action, a quite liberal group, but that affiliation seems to have been dropped. It used to endorse some Republicans, such as Bernie Carey for Cook County State’s Attorney. I can’t remember the last time it came out for a GOP candidate.

The “IPO” part is for “Independent Precinct Organization.” This was started by Chicago independent (of the Chicago Democratic Party machine) Alderman Dick Simpson, now head of the Political Science Department at the University of Illinois at Chicago.

My seatmate in the 1970′s was Susan Catania. When I was working legislation on the floor, she often voted my switch. One year she did it so much that I ended up on the honor list of the Independent Voters of Illinois.

Boy, did that surprise me!

When I was running for state comptroller in 1982, I attended an IVI dinner that Harold Washington showed up at.

When he saw me (I think he came over to shake my hand), but he seemed alarmed and immediately went to talk to the group’s leadership.

Suburban Republicans like me had supported his crusade to force the Chicago Park District to distribute its money throughout the city and his efforts to lower fees on the cashing of welfare checks at currency exchanges.

But the thought of the IVI supporting a Republican for statewide office must have been a bit too much for Harold to accept.

The IVI-IPO endorsement press release for Gentes follows:

Today we are proud to announce that Bill Gentes has received the endorsement of the Independent Voters of Illinois Independent Precinct Organization.  The IVI-IPO has been in existence since 1944, and has been dedicated to good government activism and an idealistic vision of open, honest government in Illinois.  The organization’s primary tools are voter registration, voter information, and candidate endorsement. The IVI-IPO also lobbies on behalf of governmental reforms designed to open the system and better inform the public on the political process.  In an era of heightened rhetoric and fierce partisanship in Illinois, the endorsement of independent leaning organizations like the IVI-IPO serves as proof that Mayor Gentes has the bipartisan appeal necessary to get things done in Springfield. 
 
The IVI-IPO is a not-for-profit, multi-partisan, independent political organization. 

I am not aware that the organization has any membership base out in our area.