McHenry County Blog

Illinois State Capitol

Chicago Sun-Times reporter Dave McKinney was following statewide legislative results while I was looking at the McHenry County Board.

The short of it is that the legislative maps worked as well or better than did the Congressional maps.

Losing Joe Walsh, Bob Dold, Bobby Shilling and Judy Biggert and keeping Jerry Costello’s seat Democrat was pretty much all that Mike Madigan could have wished for. 9Not to mention having Don Manzullo lose to Adam Kinzinger in the GOP primary.)

But United States House of Representatives will still be in Republican hands, so there is something of a brake there.

Not so in Springfield.

Dave McKinney reports that Mike Madigan will have a veto-proof majority.

So will John Cullerton.

Madigan is getting a net gain of seven seats by his calculations.

71-47.

In the Senate the edge will be 40-19.

Can everyone spell “minority?”

For certain our local school taxes will go up as the Democrats shift the pension burden that state legislators in years past spent on increasing teacher salaries (at the urging of the teacher unions, of course), rather than putting the money into the Downstate Teachers Retirement Fund, as it was budgeted by Governors.

That practice delivered a two-fer to the taxpayers.

Obvious is the money could not go both places.

By putting the money budgeted for pensions into higher State Aid to Education, which allowed higher teacher salaries, future pensions, in turn, were increased.

What else will Madigan want to do to us?

Don’t dismiss the possibility that the state income tax may be further increased.

And remember, we haven’t felt it yet because of the Feds having cut the Social Security tax by the exact same amount that the Democrats raised income taxes–two percentage points.

And, as taxes go up on the taxpayers of Illinois, more and more of them will decide to move.

And the downward spiral will continue.

The annual Pro-Life Pig Roast was held again at Irene Napier’s farm on Valley View Road.

Irene Napier surveys the crowd.

There was a goodly crowd of supporters of the Pro-Life position.

Part of the Pro-Life Pig Roast crowd in 2012

Old friends renewed acquaintances.

Republican State Rep. candidate David McSweeney chatted with Fred and Lynn Wickham.

Candidates from Lake courted voters.

Lake County Republican Recorder of Deeds candidate Bob Bednar.

Mundelein GOP State Senate candidate Don Castella.

Lake County Republican Bob Bedar advanced his candidacy for Recorder of Deeds.

30th District GOP State Senate candidate Don Castella was there, too.

I even sat at his table briefly talking to Barrington’s Jim Finnegan about how Democrat State Rep. Jack Franks of Marengo had stymied Chose Life license plates by putting authorization bills in subcommittees to die.

Mary McClellan, running as a Republican for the McHenry County Board.

There were at least three McHenry County Board members and candidates in attendance.

I saw Board members Nick Provenzano and John Hammerand.  Cheryl Hammerand, a Wonder Lake Fire Protection District Board member was there, too.

Mary McClelland, a GOP McHenry County Board candidate in District 3, spoke to the crowd.

State Senator Dan Duffy also spoke to the crowed.

He told of how Illinois Senate President John Cullerton changed his parking space when he would not use an offered Point of Personal Privilege to apologize to his fellow members for having insulted them when he spoke during Governor Rod Blagojevich’s impeachment trial.

Dan Duffy related how John Cullerton moved his parking space after he refused to apologize to colleagues for saying that Rod Blagojevich didn’t do what he did without legislators allowing him to get away with it.

Duffy had said that he didn’t understand how Blagojevich has been allowed to do all the things that had been presented in evidence at the trial by those who had served in the legislature at the same time.

Duffy told Cullerton that if he were granted the floor again, he had more to say in the same vein.

Shortly thereafter Cullerton announced the change in parking space.

Duffy said he thought he was back “in junior high.”

The highest ranking official to address the crowd was Congressman Randy Hultgren.

Illinois Democrats redistricted congressional districts so that all of McHenry County but Algonquin Township will be represented by Randy Hultgren…unless Democrat Dennis Anderson of Gurnee pulls off a bigger upset than Joe Walsh did when he beat Melissa Bean.

Before his talk, Congressman Randy Hultgren chatted with McHenry County Pro-Life “Godmother” Irene Napier.

Joe Edwards made a pitch for tax deductible funds to help finance an ultrasound machine for McHenry County.

Hultgren praised Walsh for not doing what the Democrats hoped would occur–a face-off between Hultgren and Walsh.

He urge the crowd to help Walsh beat Tammy Duckworth.

Peter Roskam will represent the rest of McHenry County, that is, Algonquin Township, unless there is a Democratic landslide of enormous proportions.

Joe Edwards talked of the progress being made to bring an ultrasound machine to McHenry County.

I think I heard that the Lutheran Life League had recently pledged $10,000.

Peter Breen of the Thomas More Law Society addressed the Pro-Life crowd.  Joe Alger, who acted as Master of Ceremonies, stands behind.

The Thomas More Law Society‘s Peter Breen told of his groups defense of Pro-Life video makers and other Pro-Life causes.

He also told of the role that his organization is taking in defending the Defense of Marriage Act, which liberal Cook County officials are refusing to defend.

Below are photos of the two other County Board members I noticed.

Nunda Township Clerk Bridgett Provenzano (left), County Board member Nick Provenzano (center) and family were at the Pig Roast.

There was lots of networking.

Former 8th District Congressional aspirant Rich Evans talks with County Board member John Hammerand and Marengo’s Eric Rukin.

Although Congressman Peter Roskam was absent, campaign worker David Rivera and his fiancee Kelly Baumgart were there to carry the flag…or at least wear the tee shirt.

David Rivera, from Congressman Peter Roskam’s campaign, attended accompanied by his fiancee Kelly Baumgart.

And, how could I pass up Woodstock’s Jim Klocek’s tee shirt of “Umbert?”

Woodstock’s Jim Klocek displays a Pro-Life message on his tee shirt.  It features “Umbert, the Unborn.”

A press release from State Senator Dan Duffy:

On the last night of legislative session in Springfield, when the clock was ticking towards midnight, President Cullerton called his “pension reform” bill for a vote.

President Cullerton’s pension reform bill didn’t address the teacher’s pension problems or other key pension liabilities which are bankrupting the state.

Although Sen. Duffy fully supports pension reforms, he debated the flaws of President Cullerton’s bill on the senate floor.

This brief three minute audio clip illustrates the contentious relationship between President Cullerton and Senator Duffy.

They both have differing opinions regarding how to address the states crippling debt.

Duffy wants to deal with the pension problem now, while Cullerton would like to keep kicking the can down the road.

Below is what Duffy said on the Senate Floor that last night of the session:

Duffy: “Mr. President I haven’t been here as long as some of my esteemed members of the Senate but I’ve been here for four years and I know that things move pretty quickly on the last day of session.

“Is this the only reform, pension reform bill, that we’re going to receive tonight?”

Chair: “President Cullerton.”

Cullerton: “Yes. This is the one I believe, that we have a consensus hopefully of a majority of the Senators.

“The other two systems there still are some very contentious issues that we don’t have an agreement on, so but these two, the General Assembly and the state employees I believe we have an agreement. Hopefully a majority of the Senators would agree.”

Chair: “Senator Duffy.”

Duffy: “To the bill Mr. President.

DanDuffy

“You know, after all the years of people discussing this pension problem.”After all the research, the think tanks, the analysis.

“After all the time and energy that went into pension reforms, and this is it?

“You know, this is like trying to put out a forest fire with a spray bottle. Earlier a member mentioned that he didn’t think someone in the chamber got the memo.

“I don’t think the leadership of the Democratic Party got the memo.

“We’re in debt.

“We have 83 billion dollars in unfunded pension liabilities, and this is all that we get.

“We are never going to get out of debt and we are never going to put our place in the state of Illinois and bring jobs and bring people back to the state of Illinois unless we truly try to take a look at our problems in this state.

“Now you’ve tried with Medicaid, and we’ve taken a step forward.

“Now we’re going to take two steps back with this farce of a bill that we call pension reform.

“We need to implement some fair and constitutionally accurate pension reforms.

“We need to cap pensions.

“We need to reduce COLA’s.

“We need to end the double dipping.

“Why is it that we can’t take a look at these low hanging fruit situations like that and cut those out immediately?

“Why is it that we let people in Illinois on pension systems receive multiple pensions from the state of Illinois?

“How hard is it to say pick one pension and go with it?

“So, you know if we’re not going to take a look at the easiest items and reform those then we’re not serious about pension reform.

“I understand this is a political year, I understand that there is an election coming up, but the people of Illinois are very smart.

“They can’t be fooled.

“To try to take this bill, put this out there, and say that now you’ve tackled pension reform, is a complete joke, and the people understand that it’s a farce.

“This is not going near far enough.

“This isn’t even the tip of the iceberg.

“We’re 85 billion dollars in debt and that’s going to continue to compound every day our bond rating is going to continue to drop and people and companies are going to continue to leave the state of Illinois until the leadership on that side of the aisle grabs a ball grabs a mitt, and decides to get in the game.

“You have the leadership.

“You’re in charge.

“You can pass any bill, anytime you want without one vote from this side of the aisle.

“Well now here’s your chance to do something.

“Here’s your chance to lead and put Illinois back on top.

“And you are failing.

“You are passing up that opportunity and you are kicking that can down the road once again.”

Dan Duffy explained insider deals at a Prairie Grove appearance he called "Springfield 101." He will be at the Algonquin Township Hall for a repeat performance on Saturday afternoon, January 22nd. Perhaps it will be called, "Springfield 101, Version 67."

State Senator Dan Duffy, who spoke forcefully against the Democrats 67% income tax hike bill, has issued the following statement in which he asks people to email House Speaker Mike Madigan and Senate President John Cullerton.

The statement follows:

“In what unfortunately has become ‘typical Illinois politics’ – the Speaker of the House, Mike Madigan, has rammed through the largest tax increase in Illinois history during the final hours of a lame duck session.

“Governor Quinn quickly signed the bill into law.

“Senate Bill 2505 raises the personal income tax rate 67%, from 3 percent to 5 percent.

“The corporate income tax will also go up 45%, from 4.8 percent to 7 percent – giving Illinois the third highest corporate income tax in the nation.

“This is the nuclear bomb of jobs bills,” warned Sen. Dan Duffy, R-Barrington, while debating the bill on the senate floor during the early morning hours.

“If you vote for this bill you are responsible for devastating the state of Illinois.

”I have fought against this bill every step of the way.

“Instead of a tax increase, we must cut wasteful spending, eliminate useless government programs that do not work, freeze all government new spending, reform Medicaid and reform Pension.

“That is the solution.

“At a time when most families and small businesses are CUTTING their budgets and expenses, this 7 billion dollar tax increase locks in spending growth of $5.6 Billion dollars over the next 4 years – a 17 % INCREASE in spending.

“This legislation allows for a 10% increase in spending next year alone – even during a recession.

“At this spending rate the state of Illinois is projected to be right back to an 18 Billion dollar deficit by fiscal year 2016.

“However in 2016 how many companies will there be in Illinois to pay for another tax increase?

Surrounding states are offering incentives to attract Illinois companies.

“The state of Wisconsin has the most publicized offer – No corporate income tax for 2 years for any Illinois company that moves to Wisconsin.

“Please contact our state leaders;

• Speaker Mike Madigan (mmadigan@hds.ilga.gov ) and

• President John Cullerton ((john@senatorcullerton.com)

and tell them how you feel about this new tax increase.”

Dan Duffy
Senator

Illinois Senate President argues for passage of his income tax increase bill.

30-29-0.

That was the vote in the Illinois State Senate at about 1:20 AM.

Senate Bill 2505 passes with the minimum number of votes required.

The bill was sponsored by Senate President John Cullerton.

The roll call is below:

With a bare minimum of 30 votes, Illinois Democrats raised the income tax on individuals by 67%.

From Jack Franks' fundraising invitation last year.

Again State Rep. Jack Franks is asking Republicans from outside his legislative district to add their names to his supporter list.

He seems to have had his people call most, if not all, of McHenry County’s attorneys.

And others.  Even Republicans.

You may remember that he did the same thing last fall.

Franks, of course, is trying to set himself up to run for the United States Congress in 2012.

My guess is a deal was cut with House Speaker Mike Madigan and Senate President John Cullerton while they were on the vacation to Ireland organized by State Rep. Dan Burke. State Senator Pam Althoff was on the trip, too.

Madigan would be only too happy to get Franks out of the House. My sources indicate Madigan doesn’t like Franks.

This was just after the time that Franks was desperately trying to be considered a serious candidate for Governor. But, he was ignored. And, when he dropped out of the race he was never really in, virtually no one noticed but the home county paper that has selected him “McHenry County Political Idol.”

But, back to the fundraiser. Franks undoubtedly wants more sponsors on his invitation than he had last year.

You can find if your acquaintances were listed last fall as supporters in one of the articles below. Will anyone be able to find the person running for countyoffice on the Republican ticket who signed up to support Jack Franks last year?

Apparently my little article on State Senator Dan Duffy’s impeachment speech and parking space relocation found its way to Springfield.

And, from the reaction from Senate President John Cullerton’s office, I guess I didn’t pay enough attention to the coverage of the foregone conclusion of the Senate impeachment of Governor Rod Blagojevich on January 29, 2009.

The reporter working under then-Daily Herald Springfield Bureau Chief John Patterson, Nicole Milstead, wrote a story, the headline of which you see here.

Apparently, newly-sworn-in State Senator Dan Duffy’s speech was noticed in one paper covering his district.

There was even a follow-up blog interview by the same reporter, which is a little over two minutes long.

Patterson, who now works for Cullerton as Assistant Press Secretary, wrote me,

“Attached is a pdf of the Feb. 4, 2009, Senate session transcript, downloaded from the General Assembly’s public website. This is when President Cullerton made the parking assignment comments. The relevant segments are on the bottom of page 14 and top of 15 (the last two pages). This was in open session, broadcast on the speaker system and was days after the Blagojevich vote.

“The parking situation as explained in the transcript and story was this: There are 37 Democrats and 22 Republicans. Spaces were allocated based on seniority within each caucus. The result was Sen. Duffy, the junior most member, had a better spot than more than a dozen veteran Democrats.

“It wasn’t some private threat from the Senate President. He made the announcement regarding parking spot changes on the speaker system during public session of the Illinois Senate. The Duffy line was thrown in as an attempt at humor.

Dan Duffy

“At the time, Duffy took it as such, according to his comments to the Daily Herald in the above stories:

‘The Lake Barrington lawmaker took it in stride, saying he doesn’t think there’ll be any payback for his blunt impeachment trial commentary.

‘I don’t think anyone is that petty here in the Senate,’ Duffy said.

“One final thing, keep in mind that while John Cullerton is a veteran lawmaker, he’s been Senate President the same amount of time Sen. Duffy has been a state Senator. His first action as Senate President was to remove Rod Blagojevich from office.“

The relevant part of the transcript of the Senate’s February 4th’s proceedings follows:

“I understand that both caucuses will be having dinner tonight and get to know the staff better. At least that’s what we’re going to do on the—on the–Democratic side.

“Also I have a–another announcement.

Senate President John Cullerton

“You know the other day during the impeachment trial and my mind, my memory was triggered when Senator Duffy actually was speaking, because Senator Duffy is the youngest member of the Republican side that we made a mistake when we assigned parking spaces.

“And what was—just to explain it—we went Democrat, Republican, Democrat, Republican and then, of course, after we assigned Senator Duffy – he was the last one – we had thirteen more, fourteen more Democrats, who then got spaces further away than Senator Duffy.

“So, what we’re going to do is redo it based on seniority and leadership of all fifty-nine of us.

“And I think that would result in, for example, Senator Duffy, he’ll be in a different parking space than he is now – might a bit further down the driveway than he is now.

“But it’ll be done in a fair way based on seniority and leadership.

“So, just wanted to warn you that’s – we’re going to be correcting that mistake we made.”

I told John that his boss should know that humor almost never works in politics.

Even though his humor on the House floor when we served together often had me in stitches.

Mr. Smith in the U.S. Senate Chambers fighting corruption.

Last night at the Prairie Grove Village Hall, State Senator Dan Duffy talked about Springfield.

The more I heard, the more it reminded me of the principal character in black and white movie “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington.”

Duffy managed to alienate the Democratic Party powers that be right off the bat. It was during his comments on impeaching Governor Rod Blagojevich.

Dan Duffy at the Prairie Grove Village Hall.

“The testimony presented definitely warrants the Governor’s removal from office, but what confuses me is that the testimony shows this abuse of power has been going on for years and that many people in this government and in this chamber had to have known about it.”

Whoa!

Telling the truth on the Senate floor?

You can bet veteran Democrats didn’t want to hear that.

But, it gets better:

“According to the Governor’s speech today, he said that what he did he did in conjunction with the Democratic Senate Leadership. He said he couldn’t have done any of this without their help and support.

“The Auditor General’s testimony yesterday reflects how deep and how widespread the corruption has gone.

“How it is that the majority in this chamber, the same people who have presented this case reflecting years of corruption, are the same people that have praised the Governor by giving him three pay raises over the past two years? Three raises since the 2006 election, increasing the Governor’s salary by almost 18 percent at the same time that all this document corruption was taking place.

“Mr. President, we have just scratched the surface of corruption. The Governor did not and could not have done all this without a lot of help. We must implement clear and concise transparency laws in this state.

“Every single government check written, whether for payroll, bills or expenses, should be posted on the Internet on a website for all to see.

“Voters should have the ability to recall, if necessary, any elected official in the state.

“And we should have a whistle-blowers’ hotline for all legislators, staff and lobbyists to call if they suspect or know of any corruption taking place. This hotline should be maintained by a nonpolitical appointment who will keep names anonymous and offer rewards for convictions.

Senate President John Cullerton speaks in favor of the 67% income tax increase, which passed the Senate, but not the House.

“This is just the beginning, Mr. President, and we have a lot of work to do.”

Join me, if you don’t remember reading anything about this freshman state senator’s remarks.

What happened next puts it into context.

After the debate, Senate President John Cullerton came up to Duffy and said, according to what Duffy said last night,

“Base on your comments, I’ve concluded you’re in the wrong parking space.”

Duffy said he was then assigned a parking space behind those of senate staffers.

Don’t when I found this story from the Illinois Radio Network.

But its headline:

Cullerton Blames GOP For Lack of a Tax Hike

surely is helpful to those who want Republicans to win elections in the Galesburg area.

Cullerton says there will be an income tax hike vote after the November election and the only question is

“…whether there are enough votes to survive a governor’s veto, should State Sen. Bill Brady (R-Bloomington) win the election for governor.”

John Cullerton during his Democrats successful attempt to pass a 67% income tax hike through the Illinois Senate.

Hearing Palatine’s State Senator Matt Murphy question why legislative leaders had state paid vehicles brought back the memory of how the practice started.

Mike Madigan was House Speaker, of course.

He and fellow Democrats were abolishing the quasi-independent Legislative Investigating Commission.

Legislators who controlled realized they could get publicity by uncovering corruption.

That’s the group who revealed the bookie operation out of the Pinemoor Hotel across the street from the First Congregational Church in Crystal Lake.

So, Madigan, et al, decided to get rid of the agency.

But the agency had investigators.

Those investigators had cars.

Who ended up with the cars?

You get one guess.

That’s right.

The legislative leaders.

At first they were used to get leaders to and from the airport.

Heaven forbid that they drive between their homes and Springfield like ordinary legislators.

From reading of Cullerton’s son’s arrest for driving under the influence of alcohol, I see the sedans have been upgraded to a SUV.

Lord Acton’s famous quote, the shorthand of which comes to mind:

“Power corrupts. Absolute power corrupts absolutely.”