McHenry County Blog

I missed the press release below about Dave McSweeney’s having been appointed to succeed appointed State Rep. Kent Gaffney, who replaced State Rep. Mark Beaubien.

Apparently, Gaffney decided to give McSweeney something of a head start. Seniority doesn’t mean as much in Springfield as it does in Washington, but it will probably get him the lowest license plate number of those elected in November, 2012, a better parking space and, if Tom Scott has broken with the assigned seating practice of his predecessor, Lee Daniels, the seat of his choice after all senior to him have made their selections.

The press release quotes McSweeney saying this:

“Fiscal responsibility with each tax dollar is my priority from day one.”

This is his “day one.”

David McSweeney Appointed to State House

Barrington Hills, IL – Representative elect David McSweeney (R-Barrington Hills) was appointed to the Illinois House of Representatives today to serve the remainder of the term of retiring State Rep. Kent Gaffney (R-Wauconda). McSweeney is set to be officially sworn in on January 6th and will represent the current 52nd district during the 97th General Assembly lame-duck session scheduled from January 6th – 8th.

“I am honored to receive this appointment and now it’s time to get to work and tackle the state’s major fiscal challenges,” said McSweeney.

“The 52nd district has a tradition of honest and responsive leadership in government.

“I will continue that strong tradition and I thank and commend Rep. Gaffney for his service and commitment.

“Kent has served our state well and I’m confident that he will continue to be a leading voice in helping to solve the major issues that we face.

“I also want to acknowledge the longtime service of Mark Beaubien to our community.”

McSweeney has a successful business background in which he has worked as an investment banker, financial consultant and currently as an investment specialist.

McSweeney will lean on that experience and ‘know-how’ and has pledged to take a common sense business approach when drafting and supporting legislation.

“We have a responsibility to act now on key legislation that will significantly impact our state’s fiscal future,” added McSweeney.

“Fiscal responsibility with each tax dollar is my priority from day one.”

The 98th General Assembly will convene on January 9th. McSweeney will then represent the newly mapped 52nd District, which will include parts of Algonquin, Barrington, Carpentersville, Cary, Fox River Grove, Island Lake, Lake in the Hills and Wauconda.

Five, count them.

Five mailings arrived in the David McSweeney (R-Barrington Hills) vs. Dee Beaubien (Ind.-Madigan) campaign on Thursday and Friday.

You can see them below:

Beaubien has a piece from Personal PAC, the pro-abortion organization.  It emphasizes something McSweeney told a now-defunct internet publication.

Let’s look at a Friday piece from McSweeney:

Let’s take a look at another Beaubien end-of-week mailing.  This one asks to be able to carry on her husband Mark’s legacy.

Back to one of McSweeney’s pieces.

McSweeney has a third mailing delivered on Friday liking Beaubien to Mike Madigan and his plan to raise local school property taxes to pay for teacher pension shortfalls.

Dee Beaubien has used her own campaign fund to send a piece that basically makes the pitch that she should be elected to continue her husband’s legacy.

Beaubien, of course, is running against Republican David McSweeney as an Independent.

The back and the address sides have the same message.

Inside are photos of State Rep. Mark Beaubien growing up, plus a letter from his now-candidate wife:

Click to enlarge any image.

David McSweeney spent $354,013 to win the 3-way State Representative race in the 52nd House District.

He beat out appointed State Rep. Kent Gaffney and Tea Party activist Danielle Rowe.

Of that amount, he owes about $53,736 to various vendors, including $5,000 for the March payment to his campaign manager, Jim Thacker.

{When I first put this story up, I added up the wrong column on the campaign disclosure debt page of the State Board of Election. I forgot that the original totals are on the right hand side, while what is currently owed is in the center. I have corrected the headline and the text.]

Thacker says that the debt to venders is now down to “about $40,000.”

In addition, he owes himself $147,500.

The new campaign disclosure law takes a “no limits” approach if one candidate spends more than $100,000 during an election cycle.

Since McSweeney did not top the $100,000 mark prior to the primary election.

Had he done so, his opponents Gaffney or Rowe been able to find contributors willing to spend more than the

• $5,000 limit for individuals or
• $10,000 for business or unions or associations
• $50,000 for individual campaign funds or Political Action Committees

they could have legally done so, the same way they could have before the new campaign limits kicked into effect.

The $100,000 limitation gets re-set for each new election. On March 29th, McSweeney loaned his campaign another $50,000, which counts toward the $100,000 mark for the general election campaign.

So, McSweeney starts from scratch and could loan or give his campaign committee $100,000 before prospective fellow millionaire Dee Beaubien or well-heeled pro-abortion Personal PAC could dump more than the amount limited by state law.

Of course, Beaubien could be the one who exceeds the limit first.

It is not uncommon, however, for wealthy candidates to carry loans on the books of their campaign committees. For example, Mark Beaubien loaned his campaign fund $85,761.38 over the years, which is still on the books of Citizens for Beaubien. That Political Action Committee will presumably be the vehicle used by his widow Dee in her run against McSweeney as either an Independent or a Democrat.

McSweeney is still raising money, reporting a $3,000 contribution from Southern Illinois electric company Ameren on April 14th.

McSweeney took $2,500 and $2,600 polls on March 6th and 13th, respectively.  A $2,300 survey was taken on December 16, 2011.  $2,829 was spent for a baseline poll on September 23, 2011.  An Austin, Texas, firm named Baselice did the work.

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Gaffney’s campaign expenditures can be found here.

Rowe’s are here.

For years, the Illinois General Assembly has been trying to limit the people who could challenge incumbents.

No more write-in votes for people unless they register with the County Clerk sixty days ahead of time.

Even if someone does register, if another’s name is written in, complete with an “X” in the box, it won’t be counted.

Back in 1973 Algonquin Township Assessor Forrest Hare had displeased the Establishment and it put up a school teacher to run against him in the Republican caucus.

The caucus, which had three polling places where people could vote by secret ballot, was completed at the Field House of then-Crystal Lake Community High School.

The counting ended at about 3 AM and Hare lost by a couple of votes. No recount was allowed, even though the judges told Hare they weren’t sure the totals were correct.

Hare ran as a write-in candidate in the general election and won over 60% of the vote, not in small part because Mal Ballairs of Crystal Lake radio station WIVS-AM pounded the local Republican Party precinct committeemen for refusing to allow a recount every weekday until the election was held.

(To prevent such a situation in the future State Senator Jack Schaffer, who supported the effort to remove Hare, and I passed legislation in 1973 allowing township parties to authorized a township primary election, rather than the caucus route. Algonquin Township Republicans have done that ever since.)

Now, state law does not allow someone who has been defeated in a primary to run in the general election, even as a write-in.

The General Assembly struck again when the State Senate passed House Bill 2009 on last Thursday, March 29, 2012.

One day later it was signed by Governor Pat Quinn, so obviously something after the March 21st primary election stimulated quick action.

That, you will note was last Saturday.

I figure someone figured a Democrat had a potential problem.

The bill was introduced February 17, 2011, by Republicans Mike Fortner and five days later co-sponsored by Republican Sidney Mathias.  It passed the House 75-38-1 on March 29, 2011, just one year before it cleared the Senate. where it passed the Senate 53-3 under the sponsorship of Democrat Don Harmon.

Here’s the language of the new law:

“A person

1. who filed a statement of candidacy for a partisan office as a qualified primary voter of an established political party or
2. who voted the ballot of an established political party at a general primary election

may not file a statement of candidacy as a candidate of

• a different established political party or as
• an independent candidate

for a partisan office to be filled at the general election immediately following the general primary for which the person filed the statement or voted the ballot.  A person may file a statement of candidacy for a partisan office as a qualified primary voter of an established political party regardless of any prior filing of candidacy for a partisan office or voting the ballot of an established political party at any prior election.”

While the law probably got its Senate impetus from some perceived threat to a Democratic Party legislator, it probably will prohibit Dee Beaubien, who was calling people Thursday about her goal to run against Dave McSweeney in her deceased husband’s newly-reconfigured 52th State Representative District.

My thanks to commenter “Dave,” who posted the new statute under the story,

Dee Beaubien Running for State Rep against Dave McSweeney

Of course, it is unknown whether Dee Beaubien voted in the Republican primary election last month, but the odds seem good since the candidate she favored, appointed State Rep. Kent Gaffney, was her husband’s budget staffer and she contributed almost $12,400 to his campaign.

And, there was no way she could have known that House Bill 2009 would be enacted right after the primary election, even before the ballots were canvassed by election authorities.

In the Senate only State Senators Shane Cultra, Dan Duffy and Kyle McCarter voted against the legislation. Duffy’s Senate District covers the one in which McSweeney is running for State Rep.

The roll call in the Illinois House had substantially more opposition. It appears below:

Yesterday, McHenry County Blog told you that State Senator Dan Duffy was one of two State Senators who voted 100% of the time with the way the Illinois Policy Institute wanted State Senators to vote

Today, we’ll look at local House members.

Mike Tryon hit the 100% mark. So did Tim Schmitz.

It is little know that Schmitz’ district bumps over the Kane County line into McHenry County for the 2012 elections.

Mark Beaubien and Kent Gaffney’s figures can bee seen below, as can that of State Rep. Jack Franks. He ranked 82%.

One of the final bills that State Rep. Mark Beaubien passed, signed after his death, was one mandating backseat belts.

Kids who are in their teens have been trained to use seat belts in the back seat since birth, so the only problems will arise with us older folk who don’t like being told what to do.

In any event, when I read the article on December 27th about the effective date of the legislation in the Chicago Sun-Times, I noted that Beaubien’s name was not mentioned.

A press release from State Rep. candidate Danielle Rowe:

Danielle Rowe Files Petitions for State Representative

Wauconda – Accompanied by former State Representative and pro-life icon Penny Pullen and small business owner Lori Diversey, Marketing Executive Danielle Rowe of Island Lake filed her petition signatures for State Representative 52nd district in Springfield Monday afternoon.

Rowe, a community leader and small-business champion, submitted 1,000 signatures to the Board of Elections, solidifying her place on the March 20, 2012 Republican primary ballot.

“I am running for state representative because the quality of life issues facing families in McHenry, Lake, Kane and northwest Cook County are not being addressed by the Springfield political class.

“We need new, conservative leadership for our community that does more than empathize with people’s struggles.

“We need leaders with the smarts and commitment to translate common sense conservative principles into sensible policies that reward our small business job creators, reduce the burdens on taxpayers, and restore a belief that if you work hard and play by the rules, you can build a comfortable life for your family in Illinois.

“We can do this. With your help, we will do this,” said Rowe.

The Citizens for Danielle Rowe campaign originally intended to file on November 28, the first day petitions could be submitted.

A common error, according to the Board of Elections, was discovered regarding the wording of unincorporated areas on the petition sheets.

Rowe decided to start the signature process over instead of chancing a challenge to her petitions and wasting taxpayer dollars.

“Republican voters want to know that the campaign they are supporting is organized and capable of winning,” said Rowe.

“My staff put together an incredible petition gathering drive – organized my volunteers – gathering over 1,000 signatures in just over a week. There is no doubt I have the team that will win in March.”

Small business owner Lori Diversey was one of Rowe’s volunteers who spent countless hours over the past week obtaining signatures. She joined Rowe on her journey to Springfield.

“My small business, CaveChick Cookies Inc, may not survive the anti-business climate in Illinois,” said Diversey.

“I need Danielle and her pro-business and pro-jobs ideals in Springfield or I might as well start looking at Wisconsin or Indiana to operate my business.”

Business owners such as Diversey are backing Rowe and her ‘Road Map for Economic Revitalization’ plan, which consists of:

• Repeal the Democrats’ Tax Increase
• Reform Public Sector Pensions
• Reduce Runaway State Spending
• Restore a Business Climate that Respects the Entrepreneur

Lake County GOP Chairman Bob Cook offered his congratulations to Danielle Rowe for getting on the ballot.

“I congratulate Danielle Rowe for getting the required signatures and submitting them in Springfield. The primary process is always best when the voters have options to choose from. Grassroots activists are the backbone of Lake County and I look forward to good spirited campaign for this important seat.”

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Rowe’s opponents are challenger David McSweeney and Kent Gaffney, appointed to serve out State Rep. Mark Beaubien’s term.

Educators know that people don’t notice sales taxes, so they convinced the Illinois General Assembly to enact legislation to allow sales taxes to be raised and designated for schools.

People would be told that property taxes would be cut, but I’ve watched such false promises since the early 1970′s the Resource Equalizer State Aid to Education Formula was passed.

It funneled hundreds of million of dollars into schools.

In return, dual (grade and high school) districts were mandated to lower their property tax rates in a couple of years.

Did that happen?

No.

Instead the school folks came in and repealed the requirement that real estate tax rates be rolled back to compensate for the increase in State Aid.

As I noted when the bill was first passed, as soon as money was borrowed using the stream of sales tax as the repayment mechanism, there would be no way to repeal the tax.

Since all school districts in the county would be in on the bonanza, the tax would never disappear. Some district would always have outstanding building or repair bonds.

There was one saving grace in the original law.

County Boards had to agree to put the referendum on the ballot.

If they did not, the sales tax hike referendum obviously could not pass.

Now, tax hike-minded educators have convinced the Senate and the House to pass Senate Bill 2170.

Locally both State Senator Pam Althoff and Dan Duffy voted for to get rid of this “check and balance.” You see the 35-16 l call below:

In the Illinois House, the overwhelming 78-39 vote was split for State Representatives covering McHenry County.

State Reps. Jack Franks and Mike Tryon voted “No.” State Rep. Mark Beaubien voted for the bill. The roll call follows:

One of the roles McHenry County Blog tries to play is allowing politicians to speak to readers the same way they used to when I started out in 1966.  Then, if one sent a press release to one of the many local papers (Harvard Herald, Richmond’s NuView News, the Marengo Republican, the Woodstock Sentinel, the Fox Lake Press, the Crystal Lake Herald, the Cary-Grove News, the Huntley Farmside, etc.), the odds were good that it would be typed up and printed in the next edition.

No more.

Not enough advertising revenue since Craig’s list took away much of the very lucrative classified ads.

Although I wrote a story about newly-named State Rep. Kent Gaffney based on the photos that were sent by Robin F. Pendergrast Photography, Inc., below you read the press release Gaffney wanted you to see:

Rep. Gaffney Sworn In

Woodstock, IL… At the McHenry County Courthouse, during a special Independence Day ceremony, State Representative Kent Gaffney (R-Lake Barrington) was officially sworn in to serve the people of the 52nd District.

Gaffney was appointed to the position left vacant after the sudden death of State Representative Mark Beaubien.

“Today it is very exciting to begin an new challenge, and to use my experience working in the General Assembly to focus solely on serving the needs of the people and organizations of the 52nd District.

“Although there are many issues to face each year, I believe it is imperative to ensure public safety and to work towards economic growth in this district and the state as a whole.”

Mark Beaubien served on House GOP Leadership as the caucus’s Budget Spokesperson.

Gaffney served as the House GOP’s Appropriations Director, working side by side with Beaubien for over a decade on many budget issues and negotiations.

Both Beaubien and Gaffney played key roles in passing the first responsible budget in Illinois since a Republican was serving as governor.

“It was truly remarkable, serving with Mark in his final days as a legislator,” said Gaffney.

“Mark and I worked diligently with our colleagues on the other side of the aisle in the House, and in historic fashion, we passed a budget that will spend $1 billion less than the state is estimated to receive in revenues for FY12. I hope we can continue to make progress in getting Illinois back on a path to prosperity for businesses and individuals.”

Beaubien died suddenly last month from a heart attack. After a successful fight with pneumonia, Beaubien finished out his last days of the spring session to work out the passage of the responsible budget, along with key legislation including his last bill to require all passengers in a vehicle to wear a safety belt. Governor Quinn signed Beaubien’s last bill into law late last month.

Gaffney will serve the remainder of Beaubien’s term which runs through January of 2013.

He lives in Lake Barrington with his wife, Elizabeth and two sons.

Gaffney served as the House GOP’s Appropriations Director for over a decade and is an expert in all Illinois budgetary matters.