McHenry County Blog

The Southtown has a Phil Kadner column about the negative effects (more later than soon) of shifting the burden of paying teacher pensions from State government to local school districts.

He missed one aspect that some may find significant.  I explain that puzzle piece in the following comment I left under his piece:

Phil Kadner writes, “You paid tax money to fund the pensions. But your elected leaders chose to spend the money on something else.”

The Illinois State Capitol where Democrats plan to shift teacher pension costs to local school districts, which will raise property taxes.

But he leaves out who encouraged the legislators to spend the money elsewhere.It was the teacher union lobbyists.

When I was looking at budgets, there was a section for education.

It was divided into three parts:

1. k through 12
2. universities
3. pensions

The pressure was always to increase State Aid to Education.

The reasoning (not stated publicly, I dare say) was that with higher financial assistance, teacher salaries could be raised, which, in turn, would increase teach pensions.

Kadner’s comments about Mike Madigan’s proposed pension shift deserve wider dissemination.

He points out,

“Chicago finances its teachers’ pension system, the argument goes, and Chicago taxpayers also contribute to the system for teachers outside the city.

“What Madigan and the other Chicago politicians don’t say is that Illinois’ education funding system always has been rigged to shift more money to the city.”

He continues his chain of logic:

“The goal is to spread the cost shift over so many years, 10 to 15, that school districts won’t initially object and taxpayers won’t care.

“The cost initially will be a small fraction of your local school district’s budget. But over time those costs will compound and eventually amount to billions of dollars.

“It’s very similar to the scheme the Legislature used to drive the pensions systems to near collapse.

“By the time the financial crisis hits the school districts, the lawmakers today no longer will be in office. No one will remember who is to blame.”

Besides the 6 PM meeting at McHenry County College at which the lame duck Board seems destined to renew President Vicky Smith’s contract, there are other meetings people might find of interest.

Each of McHenry County’s 17 Townships will hold annual meetings. They start at 7.

I’ve attended the Grafton Township Annual Town Meeting for the past four times, all of which were action-packed…often with Huntley Police presence.

It probably will be an interesting meeting, but the McHenry County Board might be more interesting.

It also starts at 7 PM.

The bar owners have retained attorney Tom Zanck to lobby County Board members to vote to reverse their prohibition of the video poker/slot machines from bars and restaurants regulated by the County.

My sources tell me that the proponents have about ten votes.

If all 24 members attend the meeting, thirteen votes will be needed to pass the measure.

The vote was 13-10-1 against legislation in late 2009.

That’s if no one abstains or, as they say in the Illinois General Assembly, someone “takes a walk.”

In any event, the last time around the vote was quite close.

Voting in favor of a ban of the video gambling machines in unincorporated areas in 2009 were the following, who are grouped by county board district (those up for election in 2010 are show in bold face type):

District 1

• Yvonne Barnes

District 2

• Jim Heisler

District 3

• Ed Dvorak (retiring)
• Kathy Bergan Schmidt
• Barbara Wheeler

District 4

• Sue Draffkorn
• John Hammerand
• Sandy Salgado

District 5

• Paula Yensen
• Jim Kennedy
• Virginia Peschke

District 6

• Mary McCann
• Ersel Schuster

Voting against the ban, thus in favor of expanding gambling were the following:

District 1

• Anna May Miller
• Bob Bless
• Marc Munaretto

District 2

• Scott Breeden
• Ken Koehler
• Lyn Orphal

District 3

• Mary Donner

District 4

• Pete Merkel

District 5

• Tina Hill

District 6

• Dan Ryan

I’ve been told that the proponents of repeal have only locked up ten votes and the lobbyist of those seeking to reverse the video gaming prohibition, Tom Zanck, is asking if those inclined to vote “Yes” could abstain to lower the number of affirmative votes needed to win the day.

Those wishing to let their Board members know where they stand can call them at the numbers below:

McHenry County Board Districts

District 1

• Robert “Bob” Nowak – Home: 847-977-5516, email – rcnowak@co.mchenry.il.us
• Anna May Miller – Home: 847-639-5112, Work: 847-639-2700, email – ammiller@co.mchenry.il.us
• Yvonne Barnes – Home: 847-516-2719, email – ymbarnes@co.mchenry.il.us
• Nick Chirikos – Home: 847-658-3434, email -nachirikos@co.mchenry.il.us

District 2

• Carolyn Schofield – Home: 815-455-9550, Work: 815-341-2440, email – cdschofield@co.mchenry.il.us
• James L. Heisler – Home: 815-459-1971, Work: 815-459-0171, email – jlheisler@co.mchenry.il.us
• Kenneth D. Koehler – Home: 815-459-7841, email – kdkoehler@co.mchenry.il.us
• Donna Kurtz – Home: 815-788-0632, Work: 815-353-5972, email – dmkurtz@co.mchenry.il.us

District 3

• Nick Provenzano – Cell: 815-355-8540, email – nxprovenzano@co.mchenry.il.us
• Mary E. McClellan – Home: 815-482-5693, email – memcclellan@co.mchenry.il.us
• Michael J. Walkup – Home: 815-477-8978, Work: 815-459-7090, email – mjwalkup@co.mchenry.il.us
• Joseph Gottemoller – Home: 815-382-9940 (Cell), Work: 815-459-5152, email – jxgottemoller@co.mchenry.il.us

District 4

• Sue Draffkorn – Home: 815-653-6057, email -sxdraffkorn@co.mchenry.il.us
• John D. Hammerand – Home: 815-728-0700, email – jdhammerand@co.mchenry.il.us
• Bob Martens – Home: 815-675-6353, Cell: 815-354-9300, email – rmmartens@co.mchenry.il.us
• Sandra Fay Salgado – Home: 815-276-2317, email – sfsalgado@co.mchenry.il.us

District 5

• Tina Hill – Cell: 815-347-4222, email – trhill@co.mchenry.il.us
• Paula Yensen – Home: 815-404-3918, email – peyensen@co.mchenry.il.us
• John Jung, Jr. – Home: 815-338-6201, email – jpjung@co.mchenry.il.us
• Michael Skala – Home: 847-669-3804, Work: 815-337-5550, email – mjskala@co.mchenry.il.us

District 6

• Michele Aavang – Home: 815-648-4210, email – mraavang@co.mchenry.il.
• Mary T. McCann – Home: 815-568-1061, email – mtmccann@co.mchenry.il.us
• Diane Evertsen – Home: 815-943-3298, Work: 815-943-3298, email – dxevertsen@co.mchenry.il.us
• Ersel Schuster – Home: 815-338-2207, email – ersel@sbcglobal.net

Several new members have said they will vote as their perceived their constituents feel.

A press release from Michael Moore, Anywhere CCW, LLC:

ILLINOIS GUN OWNERS LOBBY DAY (IGOLD) & CONCEAL CARRY TRAINING

A big parade to the State Capitol took place in 2011, Photo credit: Chris Conmy.

Illinois – On March 7, 2012 the annual Illinois Gun Owners Lobby Day, also known to many as IGOLD, will occur in Springfield. This is a phenomenal opportunity to reach out to the state legislature in person! What could make this a unique day is the opportunity to receive concealed carry training while on the bus ride to Springfield.

The Utah Concealed Firearm Permit Course is being targeted to non-Utah residents for several reasons. “As a non-Utah resident the permit is good to carry a concealed firearm in 31 states, including Wisconsin,” said Michael Moore.

There was qute a crowd from all over Illinois. Photo credit: Chris Conmy.

“The Utah Permit is also extremely economical,” he continued, “For an initial issuance fee of $65 you receive a permit that is valid for 5 years, and then only $15 to renew.”

“We’re trying to get as many people involved in exercising their Second Amendment rights as possible, and getting a ‘CCW’ Permit is one excellent way,” he said. “This year our company, Anywhere CCW, LLC, is sponsoring a bus to Springfield from Fox Lake. We will be teaching the course on the bus ride to Springfield, a first of its kind for the event!”

No wonder State Rep. Jack Franks flipped on Concealed Carry. Photo credit: Chris Conmy.

The bus will leave on March 7, 2012 at 6AM from the Fox Lake Police Department, 301S IL Route 59, Fox Lake, IL. If you’d just like to take the bus without the class, the cost is $25. If you’d like to take the bus and the class, the cost is $100. Registration is required and can be made online at www.anywhereccw.com

The Utah Concealed Firearm Permit, as a non-Utah resident is honored in the following 31 states: Alaska, Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, Delaware, Georgia, Iowa, Idaho, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, Montana, North Carolina, North Dakota, Nebraska, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, West Virginia, and Wyoming.

Anywhere CCW, LLC is a concealed firearm instruction company established in 2011. All instructors are National Rifle Association pistol instructors, range safety officers, and Utah Concealed Firearm Permit Instructors. Classes are held in northern Illinois monthly. Check online for the latest class offerings at www.anywhereccw.com.

For more information, contact Michael Moore 815-534-4867.

Stateside Associates is located in Arlington, Virginia.

I’m not sure what this means, but a lobbying firm named Stateside Associates has scoured local blogs in the nation and selected what it considers the best in each state.

For Illinois two were selected. One, “Clout Street,” is run by the Chicago Tribune. The other is McHenry County Blog.

An email from Graham Grossman, Manager, Social Media Services, for the firm, starts with “Congratulations” and reads in part:

McHenry County Blog is a journal of news and opinion designed to bring to light matters of public interest and to encourage public participation in the governmental process.

“At Stateside Associates we have been reviewing blogs that cover local politics for several months to find the very best the web has to offer.

“Your blog was selected for inclusion on the Best Local Politics Blogs list. The list is a comprehensive review of blogs that cover politics and policy issues in cities, towns, counties and regions across the country.

“Stateside Associates’ Best Local Politics Blogs list has been published alongside the Best State Politics Blogs (published in fall 2011) on our website.”

The press release from last Thursday follows:

“ARLINGTON, Va., Jan. 5, 2012 — Today Stateside Associates published a list of the best local politics blogs in the United States. The Best Local Politics Blogs list, formatted to fit neatly into Stateside’s FactPad(TM), highlights bloggers that publish the most insightful content covering municipal, local and/or regional issue politics.

“These blogs have proved to be a valuable asset for Legislative Associates, Regulatory Counsel and other staff working at “Stateside Associates as they track and manage client issues. They provide both real-time

“Stateside is the only firm to offer clients comprehensive local government monitoring services covering more than 4,000 city and county jurisdictions nationwide,” said Stateside President and CEO Constance Campanella.

“‘It seems a natural fit for us to publish this list of what we’ve found to be the most comprehensive municipal and regional blogs. After all, “all politics is local.”‘ [Emphasis added to this quote from former U.S. House Speaker Tip O'Neill.]

“The Best Local Politics Blogs list follows on the heels of the Best State Politics Blogs list published by Stateside Associates in fall of 2011. ‘We received such a positive response to the Best State Politics Blogs list that we knew we had to publish a companion list covering only the best local blogs,’ explained Samantha Holvey, who has been working at Stateside Associates to manage the local government information services.

“FactPad inserts are designed to provide professionals that work in state and local government affairs, public sector sales and regulatory compliance valuable, quick-reference information. FactPads are distributed free to clients. Both the Best Local Politics Blogs and the Best State Politics Blogs FactPad inserts, along with many others, are available at stateside.com/factpad.

“To find out more about receiving a FactPad, or to learn more about the Best Local Politics Blogs FactPad insert, please contact Samantha Holvey at sch@stateside.com or at 703-525-7466.

“Stateside Associates is the proven leader in state and local government relations. Since 1988, Stateside Associates has offered clients state, federal and local Issue Management, Legislative Monitoring, Regulatory Forecasting, Groups Program Management and Lobbyist Management, all of which are grounded in first-hand knowledge and based on serving clients’ unique needs. The firm serves more than 100 active clients ranging from the Fortune 500 to small trade associations.”

I’ve copied and pasted the entire list with links below:

Browsing McHenry County’s web site, I ran across the following page about how much McHenry County spends on lobbyists.

From the McHenry County web site.

Silly me. I thought we had two members of the United States Congress, one U.S. Senator who knows where McHenry County is and has held two Town Hall Meetings here.

Guess they and their staffs aren’t good enough.

The bilboard on Route 47 last fall that sent Jack Franks up the wall.

Regular readers may remember my extreme disappointment with liberal Democrat Jack Franks’ vote to sentence poorly-educated Chicago children to more of the same.

Chicago Pastor and State Senator James Meeks got a bill through the State Senate that would have offering an alternative.  A variation of a voucher system in which parents of kids in failing schools would be able to take some money misspent now and use it to enroll their children in other schools where they hoped the education would be better.

The Chicago Teachers Union (which controls the Illinois Teachers Federation or IFT) didn’t manage to beat the bill in the Senate, but they killed it in the Illinois House…with Jack Franks’ help.

Now, with the announcement of his retiring from politics, Pastor Meeks seems to be saying that he tried the world’s way and it didn’t work.  Maybe he’ll start a private school at his church.

The bill, by the way, would have saved state taxpayers about $240 million a year.

But Jack Franks voted, “No,” anyway.

He went with the Illinois Federation of Teachers union, instead of what he should have  known was the right thing to do.

He got no heat for this disappointed vote from anywhere but McHenry County Blog to the best of my knowledge.

There are some local politicians whom the county’s newspaper of record, the Northwest Herald, make look good.  No doubt about that.

More recently the IFT lobbyists who were undoubtedly whispering in Jack Franks’ ears were caught with their hands in the Downstate Teachers Retirement System Fund.

Pretty indefensible.   One was going to get over a $100,000 a year for having substitute taught ONE day.

Jack Franks got publicity for his efforts to end the pension abuse of the IFT lobbyists whose advice he followed on Sen. James Meeks' school choice bill. The Chicago Federation of Teachers controls the Illinois Federation of Teachers.

So, what does Jack Franks do?

Like a fighter jet under attack, he tossed chaff out to make sure he doesn’t get brought down.

He attacks the IFT’s lobbyists’ pension abuse.

What nobody bothers to ask is,

“Why?”

Could it be because State Representative Jack Franks has gotten a lot of money from teachers’ unions over the years?

Of course not.

There is never any connection between the way a legislator votes and the contributions he or she receives, is there?

But after you look at the campaign contributions that Jack Franks has received over the years, you might want to ask him why he voted to poor mainly black and brown students in the Chicago school system to a continuing subpar education when he could have done something about it that would have saved $200 million a year and not hurt anyone in his legislative district.

$78,150 from the IFT and its local affiliates.

Anybody wonder why Franks sold out Chicago children or why he threw the IFT lobbyists under the bus, so to speak?

The lobbying arm of Illinois Township Officials is urging local members to call their legislators to ask them to oppose two bills.

One takes money from a state subsidy that should have been phased out decades ago. It looks like an income tax to business. Actually, it is an income tax, but it was levied when the hated Personal Property Tax was lifted from business in order to replace the lost local tax.

I wish I had been in office so I could have tried to keep the total amount replaced from increasing. It should have been a tax whose negative impact on business would have decreased over time as the rate needed to raise the lost local tax revenue would have gone down.

In any event, the Township Officials of Illinois object to diverting part of that replacement tax to pay the salaries of Regional Superintendents of Schools.

The lobbying group also opposes Jack Franks’ bill to prevent increasing local governments’ tax take when property values and, hence, real estate assessments are going down.

Here is the email of lobbyist Bryan E. Smith, Executive Director of TOI:

• House Bill 3828 was introduced and would divert money from the Corporate Personal Property Replacement Tax Fund to pay the salaries and benefits of Regional School Superintendents. TOI is OPPOSED to a diversion like this that would take money away from local governments, including townships and road districts. Late yesterday the bill was called in the House Revenue and Finance Committee and was passed out on a strictly party-line vote despite the opposition of virtually all local government groups. WE NEED YOUR HELP NOW! We need to have everyone call their State Representative(s) NOW and ask them to vote NO on House Bill 3828 when it is called for a vote in the House. It is time the State stop diverting money that is designated for local governments.
• Another bill we have been closely following is House Bill 3793. This bill amends the Property Tax Extension Limitation Law (PTELL) to prevent a taxing district (Townships and Road Districts included) from capturing the CPI increase for its extension limitation if the district’s total EAV is less than the previous levy year. TOI OPPOSES this bill because it would reduce available property tax revenues for Townships and Road Districts. PTELL (Tax Caps) already limits (in those counties that have tax caps) the ability of Townships/Road Districts to capture all available growth during good economic times. It would be very unfair to also prevent a township/road district from capturing minimal cost-of-living increases that are available.

Naturally, tax dollars finance the Township Officials of Illinois.

Don’t you wish you could get tax dollars to finance your lobbying of the state legislature?

The sign outside Sears world headquarters.

If the District 300 manage to win the fight not to be forced to subsidize Sears for another couple of decades, I’ll be really surprised.

Although one of the largest school districts in Illinois, the Carpentersville-based tax district is still a tiny part of the state.

Start with two premises:

• State leaders want to keep Sears in Illinois
• The State is broke

The solution 23 years ago was to bet on the come.

Give Sears and Hoffman Estates the tax revenue coming from moving Sears’ headquarters from Sears Tower to nearer the executives’ homes, plus on any real estate development on the property in question.

So, there was subsidized development, much like in a TIF (Tax Increment Financing) District.

This is a tried and true Sears strategy in the Fox River Valley.

I still remember the village board meeting when Sears’ development arm Homart was seeking to build Spring Hill Mall.

Some opponents to the contined subsidy believe Hoffman Estates will use part of it to keep the failing Sears Centre alive.

Everyone knew that four-lane highways would be needed around the regional shopping center.

But both Routes 31 and 72 were only two lanes.

It did not take any foresight to figure out that the mall would kill Downtown Elgin, that a four-lane highway connecting the shopping center to Elgin would be needed.

But, would Sears pay for it?

On, no.

Homart had the gall to ask and one of the villages the stupidity to agree to let sears have half of the sales tax receipts for ten years in order to allow Sears to pay for the extra lane on its side of Route 31.

One of the village trustees ran a drapery shop. As he was voting for this giveaway, I thought at the time he could see his cash register jingling from the drapes he was going to hang in the new stores.

Bet that didn’t happen.

But the ten-year sales tax subsidy did happen.

And state tax dollars paid for the extra lane needed across the street in front of the cemetery.

So, earnest people will travel from the area to Springfield on Monday.

And, sometime next week or the second week of November, legislation will be passed to subsidize the company with the professional and friendly and really nice lobbyists who send Sears checks to legislators near their birthdays.

And, more people who have not been really involved in Illinois government before, will become disenchanted, if not disgusted with the body politic.

= = = = =

I do have one lobbying suggestion:

Those who care intensely about the issue who have friends and family elsewhere in Illinois should call them and ask them to contact their legislators.  People calling state representatives and senators outside their district rarely can influence them.  A constituent calling may make a difference.

The beauty of this strategy is that one does not have to go Springfield.

Thanks to Boone County Watchdog for pointing me to the Illinois Campaign for Political Reform’s report on lobbyists hired by units of local and state government.

I looked at the data base and found Huntley and Johnsburg listed.

Who are the lobbyists?

The report gives no indication of what the lobbyists did for either village.

Huntley retained a company called Morreale Public Affairs Group.  Kim Morreale is its principal.

Johnsburg hired the firm of Advanced Practical Solutions, which lists Sheri Osmani and Milan Petrovic as lobbyists.  Contractual relationships exist with

• Government Navigation Group, and
• Roger C. Marquardt & Company,
• Dan Shamon, Inc.

Or why the villages’ elected state representatives and senators were needed help in accomplishing whatever Huntley and Johnsburg wanted done in Springfield.

Don’t know who this was sent to.

Taxeaters, I would guess.

Dear Friends,

This is a call to action. I am writing to ask you to support Senate Bill 3, a debt restructuring plan to pay Illinois’ bills.

As you know, for too long, the State of Illinois has failed to pay its bills – ‘balancing’ its books on the backs of its vendors, health care organizations, and social service agencies.

As a result of our state’s failure to pay its bills, organizations around the state are unable to make their payroll, have been forced to layoff employees, and some have even had close their doors entirely.

But there is hope – and we need your help.

Senate Bill 3 is a plan to immediately pay down all the bills that Illinois already owes, and is paid for by revenues from the recent tax increase.

Debt restructuring – similar to consolidating credit cards – is the only way for Illinois to pay its bills and save money today, rather than six months or a year later.

Legislators need to hear from you.

Please call, email or write your State Representative and State Senator today and tell them that Illinois must pay what it owes, and it must pay it now. Ask them to vote ‘yes’ on Senate Bill 3, so vendors, health care organizations and social service agencies can continue providing essential services.

This plan means the difference between our state’s essential services functioning – or not.

Please see this fact sheet and visit payourbills.illinois.gov for more information on the restructuring plan and on contacting your legislator. You can use this template to encourage your State Representative and State Senator to support Senate Bill 3 today.

Sincerely,
Pat Quinn

Pat Quinn, Governor

Here’s AP’s take.