McHenry County Blog

The Illinois Campaign for Political Reform has released a report on lobbying expenses by units of local government.

I’ve extracted those from McHenry County and present them below:

Carpentersville School District 300
2006-07 $28,347 (Hinshaw & Culbertson)

Elgin Community College
2006-07 $47,500 (Advanced Practical Solutions)
2007-08 $60,000 (Advanced Practical Solutions)

Harper College
2006-07 $84,000 (Advanced Practical Solutions)
2007-08 $126,000 (Advanced Practical Solutions – $60,000; Alfred G. Ronan Ltd – $50,000; Michelle Teresa Olson – $6,000; Zack Stamp Ltd – $10,000)

Huntley
2006-07 $45,000 (Morreale Public Affairs Group)
2007-08 $65,507 (Morreale Public Affairs Group)

Johnsburg
2006-07 N.A. (Advanced Practical Solutions)
2007-08 $35,000 (Advanced Practical Solutions)

And who are these lobbying firms?

Advanced Practical Solutions
Milan Petrovic, Shqipe “Sheri” Osmani, and Matthew R. Pickering were the exclusive lobbyists; the firm also reported contractual relationships with All-Circo, Government Navigation Group, Roger Marquardt, and two other firms. The firm also reported Dan Shomon, Fidelity Consulting Group, Illinois Governmental Consulting Group, and Roger Marquardt, as clients.

Morreale Public Affairs Group
Kim Morreale was the exclusive lobbyist.

Olson, Michelle Teresa
Michelle Teresa Olson is the exclusive lobbyist. The firm also listed Cullen & Assoc as a client.

Ronan, Alfred G., Ltd.
Alfred G. Ronan and Cheryl Axley were the exclusive lobbyists. The firm listed Miguel Santiago and Thomas J. Walsh as clients

Stamp, Zack LTD
Zack Stamp, Kevin McFadden and Steve W. Kinion were the exclusive lobbyists. The firm also reported contractual relationships with B-P Consultants, Cullen & Assoc., Zack Stamp Consulting, and one other.

When we last looked at the tax hike committee known as Citizens for Harper, it had just snagged $100,000.

Now there’s some new money reported, which you can see below:

$12,500 – Gilbane, Chicago
$10,000 – Robbins Schwartz Nicholas Lifton & Taylor LTD, Chicago
$10,000 – Willis North America Inc., Nashville, TN
$5,000 – Cook County College Teachers Union-Cope, Chicago
$2,000 – Gilfillan Callahan Nelson Architects
$1,000 – Seyfarth Shaw LLP, Chicago

$40,500 more money to spend.

And, doesn’t some of it look as if it comes from vendors?

Don’t you wonder why a Nashville firm would give $10,000? Maybe someone in the Chicago office made it possible.

When we last looked at the tax hike committee known as Citizens for Harper, it had just snagged $100,000.

Now there’s some new money reported, which you can see below:

$12,500 – Gilbane, Chicago
$10,000 – Robbins Schwartz Nicholas Lifton & Taylor LTD, Chicago
$10,000 – Willis North America Inc., Nashville, TN
$5,000 – Cook County College Teachers Union-Cope, Chicago
$2,000 – Gilfillan Callahan Nelson Architects
$1,000 – Seyfarth Shaw LLP, Chicago

$40,500 more money to spend.

And, doesn’t some of it look as if it comes from vendors?

Don’t you wonder why a Nashville firm would give $10,000? Maybe someone in the Chicago office made it possible.

Donating $1,000 today is Seyfarth Shaw LLP.

Here’s where you can find out who gave the rest to Citizens for Harper, including the $100,000 benefactor.

$104,350 now available to convince folks it’s in their best interest to vote “Yes.”

Donating $1,000 today is Seyfarth Shaw LLP.

Here’s where you can find out who gave the rest to Citizens for Harper, including the $100,000 benefactor.

$104,350 now available to convince folks it’s in their best interest to vote “Yes.”

The pop-up PAC called Citizen for Harper got a $100,000 loan from Rita Canning of Inverness on September 25th.

Contrast that with the relatively paltry $3,200 raised from other donors.

The other tax hike committee contributors follow:

$2,000 – Elk Grove Graphics
$500 – Phillip Burdick, Northbrook
$500 – Diane Hill, Barrington
$200 – Laurie Stone, Elk Grove Village

$50 came from a more ordinary citizen.

Get ready for a barrage.

The banner ad appeared on the Daily Herald web site September 29th. There is more information about the PAC’s campaign in that story.

That part of the Barrington School District in McHenry County is included in the Harper College District.

The pop-up PAC called Citizen for Harper got a $100,000 loan from Rita Canning of Inverness on September 25th.

Contrast that with the relatively paltry $3,200 raised from other donors.

The other tax hike committee contributors follow:

$2,000 – Elk Grove Graphics
$500 – Phillip Burdick, Northbrook
$500 – Diane Hill, Barrington
$200 – Laurie Stone, Elk Grove Village

$50 came from a more ordinary citizen.

Get ready for a barrage.

The banner ad appeared on the Daily Herald web site September 29th. There is more information about the PAC’s campaign in that story.

That part of the Barrington School District in McHenry County is included in the Harper College District.

With almost $4,900 in the bank at the beginning of July, the tax hike committee calling itself Citizens for Harper has new leadership.

Chairman is Kris Howard Jensen of Inverness. Co-Chairman is Dr Richard Kolze of Palatine. Treasurer Helen Shumate is from Barrington.

A tiny bit of the Harper College district is in Fox River Grove and Barrington Hills, that part which is in the Barrington School District.

The campaign is off an running, with internet advertising on the Daily Herald web site.

The pitch is that the Harper tax rate will not increase or specifically,

In red ink appears the following on the pitch page:

“Because the College is retiring debt on existing bonds, passing this referendum will not increase the tax rate.“

For those of you not into tax hike speak, please note that the pitch does not say that taxes won’t be raised.

All that is promised is that the tax rate won’t rise.

It is not abundantly evident that the tax rate would fall, if the referendum is not passed.

In short, a vote in favor of the referendum is a vote against a tax cut.

So, a “Yes” vote would mean a tax hike.

Is everything clear?

= = = = =
You really have to click on the internet ad to be able to read it. Sorry about that.

With almost $4,900 in the bank at the beginning of July, the tax hike committee calling itself Citizens for Harper has new leadership.

Chairman is Kris Howard Jensen of Inverness. Co-Chairman is Dr Richard Kolze of Palatine. Treasurer Helen Shumate is from Barrington.

A tiny bit of the Harper College district is in Fox River Grove and Barrington Hills, that part which is in the Barrington School District.

The campaign is off an running, with internet advertising on the Daily Herald web site.

The pitch is that the Harper tax rate will not increase or specifically,

In red ink appears the following on the pitch page:

“Because the College is retiring debt on existing bonds, passing this referendum will not increase the tax rate.“

For those of you not into tax hike speak, please note that the pitch does not say that taxes won’t be raised.

All that is promised is that the tax rate won’t rise.

It is not abundantly evident that the tax rate would fall, if the referendum is not passed.

In short, a vote in favor of the referendum is a vote against a tax cut.

So, a “Yes” vote would mean a tax hike.

Is everything clear?

= = = = =
You really have to click on the internet ad to be able to read it. Sorry about that.