McHenry County Blog

This is the one week in the legislative session to keep alert.

The taxeaters are after your money and those with ideas that need to be snuch by in order to have a chance of passing are using parliamentary shortcuts to avoid full public scrutiny of their proposals.

And, in a modernization of what community organizer Barack Obama did on the streets of Chicago, citizen activist and community internet organizer Elsie Bouc is trying to activate citizens all over Illinois by sending out this email last night:

“It doesn’t get much stranger than this in the legislative realm.

“Tonight, the House Youth and Families Committee took a senate bill regarding legal procedures for court action after the defendant has died, and replaced the bill’s entire language with the Civil Union language of HB2234.

“The number of the Senate bill (SB1716) remains the same, but the entire nature of the bill has changed since the Senate voted on it.

“Now the bill will be voted on by the House to determine if the legislators will support civil unions.

“If it passes in the House, it will go back to the Senate for another vote, and if they pass it, it goes before the Governor for his approval.

“Why are they doing it like this?

“Because they were running out of time to pass their bill in the House.

“If they stuck with the original HB2234, it would have had to be read on 3 separate days in the Senate before they could vote on it, and they could possibly run out of time since the legislative session ends May 31st.

“So, with no time left, they conveniently emptied out a senate bill that had already been read three times, and filled it up (presto change-o) with new language to legalize civil unions.

“If the House passes it, they only have to place it before the Senate for a vote (not three readings), and they have met their time deadline.

“This stinks of corruption and manipulation.

“It strikes me that the standard requirement for 3 separate readings was originally designed to ensure full time for legislators to understand the bill and to provide the public with ample time to understand the issue and contact their legislators with their views.

“This new approach completely violates the principle of democracy and is dishonest to its very core.

“Any legislator who votes for this new bill is voting to retain the corruption for which Illinois is famous.

“If you have a legislator who has said they support civil unions, please contact them and tell them they can not use a dishonest method to force this issue upon the citizens of Illinois.

“To do so, will incriminate them in the dirty politics they unitedly claimed they would reform.

“We can stand up to such dishonesty and protect our traditional values.

“Please contact both your state senator and state representative to let them know that this latest maneuver is a dishonest outrage.

“Encourage them to vote no on civil unions by any name or number.

“And, ask them to be honest in their treatment of Illinois legislative procedures. If you have a liberal legislator, now is the time to demand that they act honestly with integrity and respect for democracy and the procedures that govern it in Illinois.

“Please pass this on to others so that they too might know the dishonest means that are being attempted in Springfield.

“I have again included below information to help you identify your legislators and their contact information.

“Thank you for all you do.

“Right is still right for those who are honest at heart.

You can use the following link to identify your state legislators and their contact information: http://www.elections.il.gov/DistrictLocator/SelectSearchType.aspx?NavLink=1 (and enter your 9 digit zip code).

If this link doesn’t work, you can use the general link www.ilga.gov and then click on ” legislator lookup” near the bottom of the page, then click on “by zip+4″. Type in your zip code, and you’ll see a list of your legislators. (Or click here.)

You want your state representative and state senator as they will be the ones voting on the bill. (Many people confuse their US senator and US Congressman with their state representative and state senator).

Sincerely,
Elise Bouc

And a post script, posted on Illinois Review this morning:

“I’ve since been informed that normally the bill (HB2234) after it passed the House would have been required to be posted in a Senate committee with an advance notice of 6 days before committee vote.

“Once voted out of committee, it would then require two more readings (beyond the 1st reading when it was initially placed in the Senate).

“All this to allow due time for the legislators and public to understand the bill and make their thoughts known before the actual vote by the full Senate.

“This corrupt maneuver with SB1716 has dishonestly skipped that whole process deemed so necessary by the crafters of our state constitution.

“If a bill really has merit, the sponsors shouldn’t fear due process or clear public debate.

“Obviously this bill doesn’t have sufficient public support, and that is why it’s being dishonestly maneuvered through shifty means.”

= = = = =
The building on top is, of course, the Illinois State Capitol. There are two shots from last night’s Chicago TV coverage of the gay marriage, opps, civil union debate. Peter LaBarbera is seen commenting and a Halstead Street demonstration is pictured.

First the Crystal Lake Holiday Inn decided that the Illinois Minuteman Project couldn’t hold a private meeting on immigration.

Protesters, you know.

Now the Naperville Holiday Inn has canceled an Americans for Truth banquet out of fear of protest from homosexual activists.

The group’s leader Peter LaBarbera wrote the Holiday Inn “dropped our reservation due to the possibility of a ‘gay’ protest against us.”

“It seems that there is now a sort of politically correct homosexual ‘heckler’s veto’ that’s forcing or persuading businesses to do things to decent people that they wouldn’t normally do.” LaBarbera told OneNewsNow.com reporter Jim Brown.

According to Brown’s article on the AFT web site,

The pro-family group was well into planning a fundraising banquet at that facility for October 6, when the Inn’s General Manager Dennis Igoe cancelled the group’s reservation, citing safety issues for the hotel’s patrons.

Those concerns stemmed from the possibility that homosexual activists would protest the event and resulting negative publicity for the hotel, not from AFT’s planned activities.

Igoe’s actions were upheld by the Holiday Inn corporate offices, leaving AFT to scramble for alternate accommodations.

Now there are two reasons not to patronize Holiday Inns.

The banquet has been re-scheduled for Friday, October 5th.

First the Crystal Lake Holiday Inn decided that the Illinois Minuteman Project couldn’t hold a private meeting on immigration.

Protesters, you know.

Now the Naperville Holiday Inn has canceled an Americans for Truth banquet out of fear of protest from homosexual activists.

The group’s leader Peter LaBarbera wrote the Holiday Inn “dropped our reservation due to the possibility of a ‘gay’ protest against us.”

“It seems that there is now a sort of politically correct homosexual ‘heckler’s veto’ that’s forcing or persuading businesses to do things to decent people that they wouldn’t normally do.” LaBarbera told OneNewsNow.com reporter Jim Brown.

According to Brown’s article on the AFT web site,

The pro-family group was well into planning a fundraising banquet at that facility for October 6, when the Inn’s General Manager Dennis Igoe cancelled the group’s reservation, citing safety issues for the hotel’s patrons.

Those concerns stemmed from the possibility that homosexual activists would protest the event and resulting negative publicity for the hotel, not from AFT’s planned activities.

Igoe’s actions were upheld by the Holiday Inn corporate offices, leaving AFT to scramble for alternate accommodations.

Now there are two reasons not to patronize Holiday Inns.

The banquet has been re-scheduled for Friday, October 5th.

It’s probably because Bob Kjellander and Paul Caprio go back to Young Republican days.

That’s where I first met Caprio.

I was talking the National Republican Party folks about a mock convention manual I had written, based on my experience of being chairman of Oberlin College’ Mock Convention.

In any event, I was still surprised to see Illinois’ Republican National Committeeman on the boat.

I took a picture of him and Tom Roeser and, then, Kjellander got Libertyville’s Jack Martin to take one of Bob and me.

Kjellander was one of Jim Thompson’s campaign managers when I ran for state comptroller in 1982.

But, I’m ahead of my story.

We left Algonquin at 4 in the afternoon, knowing that traffic had been bad the year before.

Everything was fine until we got to the toll booths. Gene Brown, who almost never goes to Chicago didn’t have an I-Pass transponder, so we got into the cash section. It was rush hour, of course, but all of the booths were not manned.

It took us one hour and fifteen minutes to get through the Rod Blagojevich bottleneck.

And the congestion continued until past the merge.

I wonder if Blagojevich will switch the express lanes so Chicagoans returning home from their jobs at night will be able to get home faster. Of course, that would begin a movement by Chicago executives who want to get to work faster, rather than slower, and vice versa, would start moving their headquarters closer to home.

We noticed that Blagojevich didn’t have one of those expensive signs over the cash lanes.

We made is to close to when the cruise was supposed to start that we vowed to leave at 3:30 next summer.

But, Sandy Rios came to the rescue. Her broadcast on WYLL-FM does end until 5 PM and since she was doing announcing duties, Caprio decided to wait.

And we waited.

Finally, he asked for a show of hands of who wanted to sail right away and who was willing to wait some more.

Rios, who heads the Culture Campaign, won a further reprieve. I got this great wind-swept Sandy shot once we got out on Lake Michigan.

The first candidate I discovered was Michael Younan, who is running against 9th district Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky. This photo is of him and Joe Hedrick, Niles Township Republican Committeeman.

Cook County Commissioner Tony Peraica made the rounds before the boat left dock. This was the day before Democratic Party Cook County State’s Attorney Dick Devine decided to announce his retirement.

Jim Nalepa was onboard. He wants to run for U.S. Senate and later was given the microphone to make his pitch.

I got a picture of Nalepa in discussion with Terry Kennedy.

Vernon Township Republican Committeeman Don Castella was talking with Paul Sengpiehf. I knew Paul from his days with the Department of Local Governmental Affairs. Governor Richard B. Ogilvie created the department and Paul was the lawyer I often death with on property tax assessment matters.

Americans for Truth head Peter LaBarbera was caught talking to Kane County’s Chad Koppie and Elder John Tyler, who runs the African American Family Association.

I talked for a while with Rod Drobinski, as assistant state’s attorney in Lake County, who is thinking about running for the State Senate to replace retiring Senator Bill Peterson.

Fortunately, they did not develop into rain. Otherwise, the lower deck would have been quite crowded.

Besides Nalepa, Steve Greenberg, one of the two candidates announced for the Republican nomination to run against Melissa Bean, the woman who knocked off Phil Crane, spoke.

He used his Jewish religion to present his pro-life views as no Christian could.

Greenberg pointed out that he had relatives who had been killed in the Holocaust, so had a different approach to the issue. I can’t remember his word—only that they worked quite well.

He also came up with a term I have not heard before to describe bureaucrats. He talked about the “idiocracy.”

Expect to hear more about that.

Cook County Commissioner and Republican Party Chairman Liz Gorman was seated near our table, so I was able to get this shot of her before the cruise ended.

Earlier, below decks, David McAloon, his wife and I also had a conversation.

One of the last pictures I got before we disembarked was of Pro-Life Action League’s Joe Schidler’s bright red cap. You can see it here. I should have taken his picture, too, but you know my fixation is on messages.

Of course, there were many others on the cruise, Mary Ann Hackett and her husband, Jim Finnegan, who serves on the Illinois Family Institute Board and who is spearheading the Choose Life license plates, and Dave Smith, Executive Director of IFI.

But, missing, with a broken toe, was my friend Penny Pullen.

Her friend Lisa Smith, a regular McHenry County Blog reader from the Wheeling Township Republican Organization, was there to explain why.

The sun set was stark behind the Chicago skyline.

While we were on Lake Michigan, storm clouds threatened the city big time.

= = = = =
Tom Roeser poses with Illinois Republican National Committeeman Bob Kjellander.

Below is Gene and Nancy Brown, my wife, Barrington Township Supervisor Gene Dawson and his wife.

The congestion shot comes after the toll booths, but before the final lane of merging traffic. The congestion continued to where the Edens merges with the Kennedy.

Sandy Rios’ photograph appears above that of Tony Peraica.

Michael Younan, who is running against 9th district Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky can be seen to the left of Rios. He is posing with Joe Hedrick, Niles Township Republican Committeeman.

To Peraica’s left one can see Jim Nalepa, a possible U.S. Senate challenger for Dick Durbin, talking with Terry Kennedy.

Immediately below, one can see Vernon Township Republican Committeeman Don Castella with Paul Sengpiehf.

Below to the right is Peter LaBarbera in discussion with Chad Koppie and Elder John Tyler.

The head shot down a bit to the left is Rod Drobinski, a potential candidate to replace retiring State Senator Bill Peterson.

With arm extended to make a point is 8th congressional district candidate for the Republican nomination Jeff Greenberg to challenge Melissa Bean.

Liz Gorman, Cook County Republican Party Chairman and Cook County Commissioner, can be seen to the right of a standing David McAloon. McAloon is planning to challenge Democratic State Rep. Careen Gordon. He unsuccessfully sought the GOP nomination last year. This year he is alone in the race to challenge the incumbent Democrat.

Finally, the sunset and storm clouds along the Chicago skyline.

It’s probably because Bob Kjellander and Paul Caprio go back to Young Republican days.

That’s where I first met Caprio.

I was talking the National Republican Party folks about a mock convention manual I had written, based on my experience of being chairman of Oberlin College’ Mock Convention.

In any event, I was still surprised to see Illinois’ Republican National Committeeman on the boat.

I took a picture of him and Tom Roeser and, then, Kjellander got Libertyville’s Jack Martin to take one of Bob and me.

Kjellander was one of Jim Thompson’s campaign managers when I ran for state comptroller in 1982.

But, I’m ahead of my story.

We left Algonquin at 4 in the afternoon, knowing that traffic had been bad the year before.

Everything was fine until we got to the toll booths. Gene Brown, who almost never goes to Chicago didn’t have an I-Pass transponder, so we got into the cash section. It was rush hour, of course, but all of the booths were not manned.

It took us one hour and fifteen minutes to get through the Rod Blagojevich bottleneck.

And the congestion continued until past the merge.

I wonder if Blagojevich will switch the express lanes so Chicagoans returning home from their jobs at night will be able to get home faster. Of course, that would begin a movement by Chicago executives who want to get to work faster, rather than slower, and vice versa, would start moving their headquarters closer to home.

We noticed that Blagojevich didn’t have one of those expensive signs over the cash lanes.

We made is to close to when the cruise was supposed to start that we vowed to leave at 3:30 next summer.

But, Sandy Rios came to the rescue. Her broadcast on WYLL-FM does end until 5 PM and since she was doing announcing duties, Caprio decided to wait.

And we waited.

Finally, he asked for a show of hands of who wanted to sail right away and who was willing to wait some more.

Rios, who heads the Culture Campaign, won a further reprieve. I got this great wind-swept Sandy shot once we got out on Lake Michigan.

The first candidate I discovered was Michael Younan, who is running against 9th district Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky. This photo is of him and Joe Hedrick, Niles Township Republican Committeeman.

Cook County Commissioner Tony Peraica made the rounds before the boat left dock. This was the day before Democratic Party Cook County State’s Attorney Dick Devine decided to announce his retirement.

Jim Nalepa was onboard. He wants to run for U.S. Senate and later was given the microphone to make his pitch.

I got a picture of Nalepa in discussion with Terry Kennedy.

Vernon Township Republican Committeeman Don Castella was talking with Paul Sengpiehf. I knew Paul from his days with the Department of Local Governmental Affairs. Governor Richard B. Ogilvie created the department and Paul was the lawyer I often death with on property tax assessment matters.

Americans for Truth head Peter LaBarbera was caught talking to Kane County’s Chad Koppie and Elder John Tyler, who runs the African American Family Association.

I talked for a while with Rod Drobinski, as assistant state’s attorney in Lake County, who is thinking about running for the State Senate to replace retiring Senator Bill Peterson.

Fortunately, they did not develop into rain. Otherwise, the lower deck would have been quite crowded.

Besides Nalepa, Steve Greenberg, one of the two candidates announced for the Republican nomination to run against Melissa Bean, the woman who knocked off Phil Crane, spoke.

He used his Jewish religion to present his pro-life views as no Christian could.

Greenberg pointed out that he had relatives who had been killed in the Holocaust, so had a different approach to the issue. I can’t remember his word—only that they worked quite well.

He also came up with a term I have not heard before to describe bureaucrats. He talked about the “idiocracy.”

Expect to hear more about that.

Cook County Commissioner and Republican Party Chairman Liz Gorman was seated near our table, so I was able to get this shot of her before the cruise ended.

Earlier, below decks, David McAloon, his wife and I also had a conversation.

One of the last pictures I got before we disembarked was of Pro-Life Action League’s Joe Schidler’s bright red cap. You can see it here. I should have taken his picture, too, but you know my fixation is on messages.

Of course, there were many others on the cruise, Mary Ann Hackett and her husband, Jim Finnegan, who serves on the Illinois Family Institute Board and who is spearheading the Choose Life license plates, and Dave Smith, Executive Director of IFI.

But, missing, with a broken toe, was my friend Penny Pullen.

Her friend Lisa Smith, a regular McHenry County Blog reader from the Wheeling Township Republican Organization, was there to explain why.

The sun set was stark behind the Chicago skyline.

While we were on Lake Michigan, storm clouds threatened the city big time.

= = = = =
Tom Roeser poses with Illinois Republican National Committeeman Bob Kjellander.

Below is Gene and Nancy Brown, my wife, Barrington Township Supervisor Gene Dawson and his wife.

The congestion shot comes after the toll booths, but before the final lane of merging traffic. The congestion continued to where the Edens merges with the Kennedy.

Sandy Rios’ photograph appears above that of Tony Peraica.

Michael Younan, who is running against 9th district Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky can be seen to the left of Rios. He is posing with Joe Hedrick, Niles Township Republican Committeeman.

To Peraica’s left one can see Jim Nalepa, a possible U.S. Senate challenger for Dick Durbin, talking with Terry Kennedy.

Immediately below, one can see Vernon Township Republican Committeeman Don Castella with Paul Sengpiehf.

Below to the right is Peter LaBarbera in discussion with Chad Koppie and Elder John Tyler.

The head shot down a bit to the left is Rod Drobinski, a potential candidate to replace retiring State Senator Bill Peterson.

With arm extended to make a point is 8th congressional district candidate for the Republican nomination Jeff Greenberg to challenge Melissa Bean.

Liz Gorman, Cook County Republican Party Chairman and Cook County Commissioner, can be seen to the right of a standing David McAloon. McAloon is planning to challenge Democratic State Rep. Careen Gordon. He unsuccessfully sought the GOP nomination last year. This year he is alone in the race to challenge the incumbent Democrat.

Finally, the sunset and storm clouds along the Chicago skyline.