McHenry County Blog

McHenry County Republican Party Chairman (and State Rep.) Mike Tryon formed a political action committee separate from the Central Committee.

I thought you might find the contributors and expenditures of interest. They are included in the PAC’s campaign disclosure filing this month.

The price to join the group of inside advisors seems to be $500, although more seems to be welcome.

Here are the contributors:

• Algonquin Township Highway Commisisoner Bob Miller’s PAC – $500
• State Rep. Mark Beaubien’s PAC – $500
• Alliance Contractors Inc – $1,000
• Robert Boncosky – $500
• Randy Donley – $395.20
• Blake Hobson – a $500
• Howard Green Company, Cedar Rapids, IA (John Smith’s Smith Engineering was acquired by HR Green) – $500
• Human Resource Techniques Inc, Algonquin Karla Dobbeck is its president) – $500
• Innovative Component Sales Inc, Huntley (Mike Skala is its president) – $2,500
• Kathleen Kuchta – $500
• Donald Lewis – $500
• Madsen Sugden and Gottemoller – $500
• Marc Munaretto – $500
• Gary Overbay – $500
• Tom Zanck – $500

About $3,500 of the money raised has been spent on “Roundtable Breakfast Meetings” at Crystal Lake’s 1776 restaurant and Richard Walkers Pancake House. I’ve been told candidates were “vetted” at some such meetings.

Richard Walkers Pancake House

• 8/12/2009
• 8/12/2009
• 9/15/2009
• 10/23/2009

1776

• 8/30/2009
• 9/8/2009
• 9/14/2009
• 10/12/2009
• 10/23/2009
• 12/2/2009
• 12/9/2009

In addition utilities have been paid at the campaign office and a camcorder purchased for the Young Republicans.

The fund has $11,800 in the bank.

State Senator and now candidate for the GOP nomination for lieutenant governor Matt Murphy while speaking against the Democrats 67% income tax hike proposal earlier this year.

The following press release has been received from the campaign of State Senator Matt Murphy (R-Palatine). He is running for the lieutenant governor spot on the Republican ticket in the February 2nd primary. He has endorsed gubernatorial candidate Andy McKenna.  You may remember I was favorably impressed with his comments on the Senate floor during the debate on the Democrats’ attempt to hike income taxes 67%.

Radogno Endorses Murphy for Lt. Governor

Murphy secures both House & Senate GOP Leader’s Endorsements

CHICAGO – Senate Republican Leader Christine Radogno today endorsed State Senator Matt Murphy for Lieutenant Governor.

“I am supporting Matt Murphy for Lieutenant Governor because I believe he is the right candidate with new ideas to help Illinois through the current financial crisis,” said Radogno.

“Matt Murphy has a proven track record of leadership and accomplishment in the state senate and I know he will take those same qualities to the Lieutenant Governor’s Office.”

Radogno also noted that it was Senator Murphy who authored legislation to cut both the income and corporate tax rate and, as a member of the Deficit Reduction Committee, led the charge to cut $3 billion in wasteful spending from the state budget to avoid a tax hike.

Murphy has also secured House Republican Leader Tom Cross’ endorsement along with over twenty members of Illinois’ General Assembly, including Senator’s Brad Burzynski, John O. Jones and Dale Righter, and State Representatives Mark Beaubien and JoAnn Osmond who are both members of Republican House leadership.

Lake County Republican Chairman Dan Venturi and Northfield Township Republican Chairwoman June O’Donoghue have also personally endorsed Murphy’s campaign. The Republican Township Organizations of Addison, Barrington, Cuba, Evanston, Palatine and Schaumburg have also voted to give Murphy their endorsement.

“I am honored to receive the support of my good friend, Christine Radogno and with her help, we will win the primary in February and we will continue this momentum through November,” said Murphy. “As I travel around Illinois, I am proud of the support we are receiving from all corners. I am running for Lieutenant Governor because I believe we can do better for Illinois.”

Matt is a member of the Illinois General Assembly representing the 27th Senatorial District, a graduate of The John Marshall Law School and is a practicing attorney in Chicago.  He and his wife, Julie, have four children and live in Palatine.

Joe Walsh participating in the Patriots United-McHenry County Young Republican 8th Congressional District Debate.

The Daily Herald blog by Joe Ryan and John Patterson reports that 8th District Republican congressional candidate Joe Walsh has replaced campaign manager Keith Liscio with McHenry County resident Jim Thacker and Sheila Morgan.

Thacker made his reputation managing 16th District Congressman Don Manzullo’s 1992 campaign and the primary victory of State Rep. Al Salvi (R-Mundelein) over Lt. Gov. Bob Kustra in 1996.

More recently, he has managed Rockford’s independent mayor’s successful campaigns.

Although I did not get a chance to attend the 8th District candidates night the Friday before Thanksgiving, jointly sponsored by Patriots United and the McHenry County Young Republicans, reports were that Walsh did quite well.

Other GOP candidates are Dirk Beveridge, John Dawson, Chris Geissler, Greg Jacobs, and Maria Rodriguez.

Besides the acclaimed Manzullo and Salvi campaigns, Thacker managed a less than successful campaign covering a good part of the district. Back in 2002, he managed the campaign of Pete Michling (R-Woodstock) , who ran against incumbent State Rep. Mark Beaubien (R-Barrington Hills) in the Republican primary. It was a reapportionment year and State Rep. Jack Franks (D-then Bull Valley) made sure the Michling’s part of McHenry was not in his district.

Michling lost the primary to Beaubien by a vote of 9448 to 4285, even losing McHenry County 3-2.

When I wrote the story about the Citizens for Life pro-life endorsements yesterday, there was an omission that deserves noting.

Instead of taking a dive this year, the Republican Party has put up a candidate to challenge veteran Democratic Party State Representative Jack Franks.

His name is John O’Neill and he holds three elective offices in the McHenry area.  I left him out of the original (but now modified) post.

He is on the grade school board, the library board and is a GOP precinct committeeman.

I left him out of the article.

So you can see the differences on the abortion issue among those in legislative office and those running in McHenry County, a summary of the local ratings follows:

“Fully Pro-Life”

• Mike Tryon (R-Crystal Lake)
• John O’Neill (R-McHenry)

“Unknown (Did not answer or complete survey)”

• Jack Franks (D-Marengo)
• Bob Kaempfe (R-Crystal Lake)
• Mark Beaubien (R-Barrington Hills)

= = = = =
John O’Neill is top left. On the right is Mike Tryon. From left to right on the bottom are Bob Kaempfe, Mark Beaubien and Jack Franks.

Illinois Citizens for Life, a statewide pro-life group, has endorsed Zane Seipler for McHenry County Sheriff.

Seipler is challenging incumbent Sheriff Keith Nygren in the February 2nd Republican primary election.

The organization is also endorsing candidates for county board.

In District 1, ICF is endorsing the only man and only non-incumbent running for one of the two spots. His name is Robert Nowak. He is a Cary resident, as are the two incumbents he is challenging—Anna May Miller and Yvonne Barnes.

In District 2, McHenry County Board Chairman Ken Koehler and challenger Sandra DePaul are the two getting the group’s nod. Both are from Crystal Lake. Other candidates are incumbent Lyn Orphal and challengers Donna Kurtz, a McHenry County College board member and Crystal Lake City Councilwoman Ellen Brady Mueller.

In District 3 the only incumbent running for re-election, Barbara Wheeler is endorsed. Former county board member Nick Provenzano also won the group’s support. The opponents are Karen J Tynis, Veronica Armstrong and Craig Steagall.

In District 5, newcomer Dave Frederick and former county board member John Jung received the pro-life endorsement. Also running is incumbent Tina Hill.

There is no endorsement in District 4, where there is no GOP primary election, or in District 6, where five candidates are vying for the two places on the fall ballot.

State legislative candidates are ranked as well.

Mike Tryon (R-Crystsl Lake) is deemed to be “Fully Pro-Life.” His Democratic Part opponent Bob Kaempfe merited an “Unknown (Did not answer or complete survey).” State Reps. Jack Franks (D-Marengo) and Mark Beaubien (R-Barrington Hills) are rated the same as Kaempfe.

Franks’ Republican opponent, on the other hand, was characterized as “Fully Pro-Life.”

The only other state candidate endorsed is for the 2nd Appellate Court. Mary S. Schostok is endorsed for the Barbara Gilleran-Johnson vacancy.

Leaves are still waiting to be raked this last week that my Village of Lakewood picks them up, so I won’t be in Woodstock for the McHenry County Board meeting vote on video slot machines.

Little casino next to Wisconsin's Happy Trails Restaurant

Proponents, of course, will describe the devices as video poker machines.

With all the poker tournaments on TV, it sounds more like a game of skill, rather than a carefully devised program to induce one to gamble more and more.

In any event, only the final vote counts.

If you want my prediction, it’s that the resolution which would ban video slot machines in unincorporated areas will fail.

That, even though a Chicago Tribune poll showed suburban residents in opposition.

After all, all three Republican state legislators—State Senator Pam Althoff, State Representative Mike Tryon and State Representative Mark Beaubien—voted for this massive expansion of gambling.

Tryon has been particularly active in promoting approval of video slot machines, but Althoff also made a pitch for approval at last month’s county board meeting when a resolution. (Articles about that meeting: Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3.)

McHenry County Board Chairman Ken Koehler, a close ally of Tryon, has consistently supported the gambling devices.

McHenry County State Rep. Jack Franks is the only Democrat who made the “Taxpayer Friends” list of National Taxpayers United of Illinois.

He scored 69% on NTU’s Tax Survey, tying with Republicans Sandy Cole, Bill Mitchell,  Ruth Munson, Dennis Reboletti, David Reis, Keith Sommer and Jill Tracy.

The rankings were based on 2007-2008 legislative votes.

Two GOP state senators got the same score:  Gary Dahl and John O. Jones.

The brainchild of founder Jim Tobin, who used to give Governor Jim Thompson fits, the rating of legislators is regularly used in political campaigns.  And, in the interest of full disclosure, Tobin was my lieutenant governor candidate when I ran for governor on the Libertarian Party ticket against Rod Blagojevich and Jim Ryan in 2002.  We also worked together to kill Lee Daniels’ and Pate Philip’s 1993 bill to allow tax districts to sell bonds without a referendum.  We won in the first time, but lost when Daniels became House Speaker.

[Trivia question:  What 2002 gubernatorial candidate's fund raiser(s) has still not been convicted--or even charged--with a Federal felony?

[Hint:  It's not one of the power party candidate's.]

This year, National Taxpayers United of Illinois has selected thirteen bills on which to judge state senators.  I’ll list below, just in case you want to look them up here (the descriptions provided are from NTU; if not provided, you’ll have to look up the bill for yourself):

• House Bill 664, a property tax cut increasing tax exemptions for seniors, vets, the disabled, etc.
• SJR Constitutional Amendment 92, graduated income tax



• House Bill 656, doubling CTA (I usually call it the RTA) sales tax hike, but as the Sun-Times headline clearly shows, Tobin is correct
• House Bill 656 with amendatory veto to provide free rides for seniors
• House Bill 405, allowing increase in park district taxes for aquarium, park and museum maintenance with referendum
• Senate Bill 345 allows counties to raise sales taxes for public safety and roads (Senate sponsor Bill Peterson)
• House Bill 1562 allows school boards to raise taxes without a referendum to pay lawyers
• House Bill 1921 imposes a 25 cent tax on every disposable lighter (Jack Franks co-sponsor)
• House Bill 556 increases the cigarette tax by 75 cents a pack
• Senate Bill 837 doubles Chicago’s 911 tax
• Senate Bill 835 allows 101 counties to raise local sales taxes to pay for school construction and maintenance, referendum required
• Senate Bill 835, veto override vote
• House Bill 3866, legislative pay raise

In the House, the legislation used to judge state representatives was the same as the senate with these two exceptions:

• HJR Constitutional Amendment 42, a 100% income tax hike that would have doubled the personal income tax on those with over $250,000 in income
• House Resolution 402, which condemned the Gross Receipts Tax

So,if Franks received a 69% rating, how did the other local legislators stack up?

State Senator Pam Althoff got a 54% score.

Senate colleague Dan Duffy is not ranked because the ratings only considered 2007-2008 bills, but the man he replaced Republican Bill Peterson came out with 46%.

State Rep. Mike Tryon received a 54% rating, the same as his state senator.

State Rep. Mark Beaubien got 31%.

= = = = =
Local legislators ranked are seen above.  Jack Franks is on the top of the story.

Grouped together at the bottom are State Senator Pam Althoff, State Rep. Mark Beaubien and State Rep. Mike Tryon.

From now on, every time I buy a bottle of my liquor of choice, Kahlua, I’ll think of the McHenry County state legislators who voted to hike the cost of my bottle by about $6.

It cost about just under $30 before their September 1st tax hike.  Now it’s 36.22.

I noticed that the shelf was pretty empty, so I guess others were smarter than I was.

So, thanks to Pam Althoff, Mark Beaubien and Mike Tryon.

Want to see how much taxers on alcoholic beverages increased.  Look here.

Certainly it will be hard for some readers to grasp, but three of the four Republican legislators representing McHenry County voted for the tax increases on beer, wine, liquor, candy, soft drinks, etc., not to mention putting slot machines in every location with a liquor license.

The tax hikers and gambling expansion supporters are State Senator Pam Althoff and State Representatives Mark Beaubien and Mike Tryon (seen above from left to right).

All three voted to hike taxes on alcoholic beverages.

But, not to worry, at the same time they gave the liquor license holders the right to put five slot machines in their stores and taverns to make up for the inevitable lost revenue, at least that’s my take.

Here are the tax increases:

• 23 cents a gallon for beer
• $1.39 a gallon for wine
• $8.55 a gallon for liquor

And, as the media has been concentrating on, candy without flour will be subject to the full sales tax now.

Not to mention soft drinks.

That will include Mayor Aaron Shepley’s 75% Crystal Lake City sales tax increase.

They will all argue (Althoff, Tryon) the tax dollars and slot machine money will go for a good cause–roads, bridges, schools, Chicago State University’s $40 million new West Side of Chicago campus, etc.

No, come to think of it, they probably will not defend the $40 million in pork for State Senator Rickey Hendon.

When the Candy Mom came home from Sam’s Club last night with a big box of KitKat, I looked at the ingredients and saw “flour.”

That meant she did not have to buy it before the new tax on candy went up.

She should have bought the almost pure sugar candy you see in the First Methodist Church of Crystal Lake’s Vacation Bible School-purchased paper mache bowl.

The other two legislators, one a Republican and one a Democrat, voted, “No.”

The Democrat, of course, is State Rep. Jack Franks.

The Republican is newly-elected State Senator Dan Duffy.

Incidentally, the Northwest Herald article on the tax hikes today, did not reveal who voted how, but some commenters did.

Don’t know why, but when Google’s Blogger hosting system went into its second version, folks started finding it difficult to post comments.

My article on the second $25 Melissa Bean not-at-all a Town Hall meeting at the McHenry Country Club elicited the following comments:

From Blogger Liberty Watchman:

“Bean’s a real profile in courage, isn’t she? Sure she likes pod-casts; voters can’t give feedback via a pod cast.

I’ve written on her (Lake Zurich) Town Hall cowardice.

From Jes:

“Bean, Durbin and the rest of those ‘representatives’ of WE THE PEOPLE, the PEOPLE who voted them into office, deserve some answers from them. They are COWARDS, plain and simple.

“Keep contacting them. Fax them, call them, and most of all walk into their office. [Do not send mail. Bean told one constituent it takes 90 or more days to get through the anthrax check.]

“I’ve done that with my rep Beaubian, and got a phone call a week later from his wife! She tried to convince me that his pro-choice votes were good for the community he represents.

“I don’t think so, and I’ll campaign for anyone who runs against him, who follows the Republican Platform, or conservative values. We can’t continue being in the middle of the road .. and getting run over.

“I’m sorry I put a Beaubien sign in my yard. Never again!

“WE HAVE AWAKENED!!!”

I don’t know whether the two commenters are planning to run for Republican precinct committeeman, but they should.

Here’s how:

Filing dates are different from those in the 2007 article. October 26 – November 2, 2009, are the dates.

If you are not currently a precinct committeeman, I recommend you file during the afternoon of the November 2nd.

As I have written previously, the Establishment prefer to have as many empty precincts as possible, so they can be filled with friends who may or may not do anything during election time. Filing early gives the powers that be the opportunity to find someone to run against a newcomer.

More information, including which precincts currently have no precinct committeeman (both Republican and Democrat) and which ones have appointed committeemen, who, most likely, do not live in their precincts (making the precinct effectively an empty precinct for filing purposes because one has to live in a precinct to run in it), can be found here.

Any questions, email me. The address is way down on the right hand side of the page.