McHenry County Blog

The back of Pam Althoff’s parade shirt.

A press release from State Senator Pam Althoff:

Althoff moves to new district office

MCHENRY, IL – State Sen. Pamela Althoff (R-Crystal Lake) announced that her district office has moved from Crystal Lake to McHenry due to the new legislative district map.

Her new district office address is: 5400 West Elm, Suite 103 McHenry, Illinois 60050.

The district office phone number will remain the same at 815-455-6330, but the fax number has been changed to 815-679-6756.

Althoff’s email address also remains the same at pamela@pamelaalthoff.com.

Althoff encourages constituents to contact her at any time with questions and concerns.

The Democrats' map that was upheld today.

So, for McHenry County that means Congressman Randy Hultgren will represent all but Algonquin Township and Congressman Peter Roskam will represent that 100,000-person southeastern corner of the County.

That’s pending some spectacular campaign by a Democrat in overwhelmingly Republican districts.

It also means that the only resident congressman that McHenry County has ever had won’t be representing the County after January, 2013.

Joe Walsh is his name, of course, and he has decided to run for re-election in the 8th Congressional District, none of which is in McHenry County.

Going on 20-year Congressman Don Manzullo has been banished to a ring around Chicago district that runs from the Wisconsin border in Winnebago and Boone Counties to the Indiana border in Iroquois County south of Kankakee.

Read the opinion here.

The Congressional Map will look like this if the Republicans win their challenge to the Democrats' map.

With Congressman Joe Walsh deciding to forego a primary race against Congressman Randy Hultgren in the district where Walsh resides, the turnout can be predicted to be lower in the 14th District drawn by Illinois Democrats.

It can also be surmised that without a primary opponent, Hultgren won’t need as much manpower organizing supporters.

So, not only will Hultgren probable save over a $1 million, perhaps, well over $1 million in TV advertising, his campaign payroll won’t have to be as big either.

Joe Walsh makes his announcement that he will run for re-election in the 8th Diestrict.

Even if the Republican map now being considered by a 2-1 Republican-appointed majority appellate court panel is declared the law of Lincoln Land, there still won’t be a congressional fight in McHenry County.

That’s because all of McHenry County will then be Joe Walsh territory.

All is located in the 8th Congressional District under the proposed Republican map.

Of course, it is possible that the GOP Presidential nomination will not be decided by March 20th, but, if so, that would be contrary to recent March primary experience.

With no countywide contests in the GOP primary, that will leave only Republican primary contests in county board districts 2 through 6..

There is none in District 1, but an already expensive three-way primary election for state representative will occur there and in parts of District 2 and 3.

In the article about President Barack Obama’s declining, but still good poll numbers in Illinois, there were two elements of weakness–the collar counties, about which I wrote, and Downstate.

Let’s look at those numbers again:

Recent poll numbers show President Obama weak in the Collar Counties and Downstate.

• Collar Counties -45-53% unfavorable
• Downstate – 54-44% unfavorable

You may remember that Pat Quinn only carried three counties:

• Cook
• St. Clair across from St. Louis
• Alexander County about as far south in Illinois as one can go

Today Congressman Jerry Costello decided to retire rather than face the voters in an election in an area in which Obama is not expected to do well.

Illinois' 12th Congressional District.

While St. Clair and Alexander Counties are in Costello’s area, they apparently don’t provide enough expected margin to attract a ballot bid from the man who won a special election in the summer of 1988.

When I was running for State Comptroller on the Republican ticket in 1982, I noticed that the Metro East area was looking more and more like Chicago’s suburbia.  Fairview Heights had the big shopping center up on the hill over the Mississippi River.

It didn’t look quite like our suburbs, but the new housing developments popping up foretell a switch to residents who would not be dictated to by old (or new) line Democratic Party bosses, one of whom Costello was as St. Clair County Board Chairman.

When I campaigned in the area again twenty years later (for Governor as a Libertarian), it looked as if suburbanization was well on its way to dominating the area.

I had been down a couple of times during the 1990′s on the way to my sister’s home in Jopoin.

Once, State Rep.Wyvetter Younge (D-East St. Louis) drove me around her hometown, where Senator Dick Durbin was born.

It looked as if it had been bombed. Bricks were everywhere.

The next time I went down was for a legislative hearing on the abuses of “rent to own” house.  As soon as prospective homeowners would get close to ownership, the deed holder would come in and fix something and tack the price onto the outstanding balance.  Those testifying contended that the owners were trying to accumulate large enough parcels, especially near the casino and light rail to St. Louis, for future development purposes with, of course, no regard to the tenants of the small houses.

At her request, I went through the area one more time to tour Park College in Cahokia.  It had a pleasant campus, with an airport, but no students.

By then, the bricks from collapsing building walls had disappeared.  I guessed there must be a market for old bricks.

Now, the Democratic Party base in that southwestern part of Illinois is not as decimated as the houses in East St. Louis, but it must be crumbling if Costello is hanging up his congressional hat.

The taxpayers have dumped tons of money for infrastructure in the area in an attempt to re-vitalize it.

Missouri residents will cross the Mississippi to travel to Chicago, but not to Mid-America Airport

Every year the Mid-America Airport people would some in and tell the Appropriations Committee on which I sat that in just a couple of more years they would have it up and running.

But Missouri residents were unwilling to cross the river, even if Mid-America was more convenient than their own Lambert.  Undoubtedly, the high crime rate near the riverbank was a deterrent, but that doesn’t stop I-55 traffic, so maybe it’s something else.

The Illinois Department of Transportation built a ring road around our side of the St. Louis area.

That spurred lots of growth.   Cahokia, in which I remember no shopping area during 1982 and a side trip to the Mounds in the 1990′s, has a growth-attracting Walmart.

So, many the percentage of tax-dependents has decreased or the Republican Party’s growth, led by Republican pharmacist-legislators Frank Watson and Ron Stephens, has reached congressional critical mass.

Jason Plummer

This is the part of the state from which the 2010 candidate for Lt. Governor came.  Jason Plummer was in his late-20′s, so undoubtedly will be up for another race.

The former mayor of Belleville, Roger Cook, announced his candidacy for the office before Costello announced his retirement.

So, while the reapportionment map seems to be resulting in carnage in Chicago’s suburbs, it may result in the wiping out one Democrat in a traditionally one-party area of Downstate.

In other polling news, former State Rep. Jay Hoffman released an internal poll which showed him running neck and neck (1 percentage point ahead of) Republican Congressman Tim Johnson.

This is the wish fulfillment of most Republican Congressmen in Illinois.

It was filed in Federal Court today.

Here’s the press release that goes with it:

Statement of Republican U.S. House Members from Illinois on
the Proposed Congressional Map Filed Today in Federal Court

“The Fair Map filed in federal court today proves that it is possible to create congressional districts that respect both constitutional and democratic principles.  More importantly, this map stands in stark contrast to the contorted map passed by the Democrats, which is so gerrymandered that it can have no goal but to maximize partisan advantage by disregarding the will of Illinois voters.

“The Fair Map specifically addresses the problems with the Democrats’ map by providing a second district for the state’s growing Latino population, creating district lines that satisfy the tests for compactness, and protecting communities of interest by keeping them wholly within individual districts.

“We look forward to an impartial hearing in court that exposes the fatal flaws in the Democrats’ Illinois congressional redistricting scheme and recognizes the fact that creating fair, compact, and representative congressional districts is not only possible, but necessary.”

Rep. Judy Biggert (Il-13)                    Rep. Peter Roskam (Il-6)

Rep. Robert Dold (Il-10)                    Rep. Bobby Schilling (Il-17)

Rep. Randy Hultgren (Il-14)             Rep. Aaron Schock (Il-18)

Rep. Adam Kinzinger (Il-11)              Rep. John Shimkus (Il-19)

Rep. Don Manzullo (Il-16)                 Rep. Joe Walsh (Il-8)

Here’s a comparison of map lines in Northeastern Illinois:

The Republican map certainly looks more rational than the Democrats'.

McHenry County would be the center of the 8th Congressional District proposed by Republicans. It looks like a better map for State Rep. Jack Franks (D-Marengo) than what Illinois Democrats handed him.

Joe Walsh, a resident between McHenry and Johnsburg, would be the incumbent.
In the Democrats version of the 14th District, both Walsh and 14th District incumbent Randy Hultgren would reside in the same district.

Joe Walsh would be the incumbent in this 8th Congressional District, the Republican Party's version.

It, however, is heavily Republican, including both Boone County, northern Kane County and going east into and perhaps beyond Barrington Township in Cook County.

Just as with the Democrats’ remap, incumbent Congressman Don Manzullo would lose McHenry County. Unlike in the Democrats’ plan, his district would not encircle the Chicago metropolitan area ending up on the Illinois-Indiana line south of Kankakee.

Don Manzullo would be the incumbent in this GOP version of the 16th Congressional District.

Here is a press release from all of Illinois’ members of Congress, except Tim Johnson:

Statement of Republican U.S. House Members from Illinois
on the Federal Lawsuit Challenging
the Democrats’ Congressional Redistricting Map

“In joining this lawsuit, we strongly contest the Democrats’ congressional redistricting map in Illinois. From the beginning, we have said that this map cannot stand, because it disrespects the will of voters, discriminates against the state’s growing Hispanic population, and fails the tests for compactness and protecting communities of interest.

“While we are disappointed that Governor Quinn chose to rubber-stamp this flawed map, we are confident that an impartial review of the facts in court will expose the serious defects in this map and reverse the naked partisan power-grab contemplated by the Democrats.

“We look forward to the restoration of fairness and Constitutional principles in the redistricting process. The creation of a balanced congressional map is necessary to ensure that the people of Illinois have an opportunity to express their will at the ballot box and elect those representatives who best reflect their shared interests.”

Rep. Judy Biggert (Il-13)
Rep. Robert Dold (Il-10)
Rep. Randy Hultgren (Il-14)
Rep. Adam Kinzinger (Il-11)
Rep. Don Manzullo (Il-16)
Rep. Peter Roskam (Il-6)
Rep. Bobby Schilling (Il-17)
Rep. Aaron Schock (Il-18)
Rep. John Shimkus (Il-19)
Rep. Joe Walsh (Il-8)

A press release from State Rep. Mike Tryon:

Republicans and Concerned Citizens File Lawsuit to

Invalidate 2011 Legislative Map

 CHICAGO…..Today in Federal Court, minority leaders from the Illinois House and Senate, along with many concerned citizens, filed a lawsuit challenging the validity of the 2011 General Assembly redistricting map.

Representative Mike Tryon (R-Crystal Lake) said he supports the effort to challenge the validity of the map. “House Minority Leader Tom Cross and Senate Minority Leader Christine Radogno will serve as plaintiffs in the suit,” said Tryon. “The map, drawn by Democrats behind closed doors, protects their party’s grip on Illinois politics for the next 10 years and takes away from many people the most sacred right they have in a democratic society- the right to vote.”

Three state senate and state representative districts meet in Crystal Lake.

According to Tryon, the group who filed the suit believes the new map is in direct violation of the Federal Voting Rights Act of 1965 and other elements of the U.S. and Illinois Constitutions. Specifically, the suit claims that African Americans and Latinos have not been provided a fair opportunity to participate in the political process. It also claims that the map violates the 1^st Amendment to the U.S. Constitution because it dilutes the voting power of Republican voters throughout the state.

“For years we have pushed for a redistricting process that takes the redrawing of legislative maps out of the hands of politicians so that a fair map can be computer-generated,” said Tryon. “That effort was blocked by the Democrats and today we renew our belief in a fair map that protects all residents’ rights for the next decade and beyond.”

If the plaintiffs are successful, the court could direct the General Assembly to redraw the district boundaries of all or parts of the state within a specific deadline, it could direct a “Special Master” to redraw the lines, or it could direct a Legislative Redistricting Commission, as provided by the Constitution, to draw the boundaries with equal appointments made by the four legislative leaders of the Illinois House and Senate.

Now that he has jettisoned the people of Spring Grove from his 63rd District, State Rep. Jack Franks sees no need to participate in their 4th of July Parade. Click to enlarge.

Now that Democrat State Rep. Jack Franks has dumped the Spring Grove precincts he lost to Republican John O’Neill, Franks has no need to press the flesh prior to the next election.

When you’re part of the majority, a representative can keep the parts of his district where he did well and get rid of the precincts he lost.

So, Spring Grove is no longer in Franks’ new 63rd state representative district.

And Franks is skipping the parade.  Nothing else on his schedule on Independence Day.

John O’Neill, however, will be in the parade.

I checked with him and he says he plans to be in the Spring Grove parade on July 4th.

He will be there for Ray Chevrolet in Fox Lake and wants everybody to know that when you are looking for a vehicle,

“If you want a deal, see John O’Neill.” 

Hmm, whom would I rather have represent me in Springfield, a lawyer or a car salesman?

And in Congress, Melissa Bean or Joe Walsh?

And as President, Barack Obama or some Republican?

I’ll keep my John O’Neill bumper sticker.

Candidates, start your engines. The new McHenry County Board district lines have been approved.

In an 18-4 vote, the 24-member McHenry County Board approved a redistricting that was recommended by its Legislative Committee.

In generator-produced lighting, District 1's Anna May Miller from Cary presents her map, which included all of the northeastern part of Algonquin Township in her district.

The four on the minority side of the question were

• Anna May Miller, who presented an amendment to include all of the Algonquin Township part of Cary in her District 1, while shifting other districts in a counter clockwise direction into other districts,
• Bob Bless from Fox River Grove, also from District 1,
• Marc Munaretto of Algonquin, from District 1, and
• Ken Koehler of District 2, who beat Munaretto for McHenry County Board Chairman.

Had the District 1 board members succeeded, the Algonquin Township part of Cary-Grove High School catchment area would have been in that district.  The population lost from those precincts was made up in the Algonquin-Lake in the Hills area west of Randall Road.

Since it wasn’t District 3 remains a Nunda Township-based district.

Discussion ranged from

• the parochial interests of keeping the Cary community more unified to
• dissatisfaction with having no one from Districts 3 and 6 present at the rump meeting when the District 1-initiated changes were discussed to
• dismay at “a very blatant circumvention” of the Open Meetings law, as Donna Kurtz put it.

“No one stood up and said, ‘We may be violating the Open Meetings Act,’” she said, arguing for the amendment’s defeat.

Democrat Kathy Bergan Schmidt was so disgusted with the process, she began by saying,
“Oh, where to begin.”

She pointed out that Miller’s first amendment request was inadequate because it did not make necessary changes in other districts.

And, “if you do that, you create districts that are more unequal in size.”

She said the variance would be 4.3%, when the board had set a guideline of 3%.

Schmidt also was caustic about board members needing “to learn the concept of a walking quorum.”

McHenry County Board members present for the redistricting debate.

Three members of the Legislative Committee, Munaretto, Nick Provenzano and John Jung took part in a meeting which may or may not have violated the Open Meetings Act (the Northwest Herald has filed a complaint with the Public Access Counselor of the Illinois Attorney General’s Office).  While the law is clear that a majority of a committee quorum may not meet without giving public notice, no more than two of those three were in the meeting with Koehler and Miller at one time.

At about this time, Commonwealth Edison started supplying electricity again and the level of lighting in the room went back up.

Provenzano defended the process of allowing non-committee members to have input in the remap process.

“To call that something created in secret is disappointing,” he said.

District 6 member Ersel Schuster and District 4 member John Hammerand weighed in with the view they would have liked to have been included in the meeting.

Kurtz re-entered the debate.

“The culture of this board has to change, if any of you don’t think the Open Meetings Act was seriously violated.

“No, you don’t wish you had been invited to the meeting.  (The committee) was the place to have input.

“I see a real opportunity for us to engage in some serious training and respect each other.  We need to follow the law and not flirt with any violation of it.”

“If Ms. Kurtz thinks we should not have (the opportunity) for two members to talk to each other, (business could not be conducted).”  He explained how members talk to each other all the time out of the view of the public.

“I think Mr. Provenzano didn’t hear my comment,” Kurtz immediately retorted after being recognized for a third time in the debate.

“We all know that three people from any committee have to be talking about an issue for that act to be violated and that’s exactly what happened.”

JoAnn Osmond at work on the House floor.

When Illinois Democrats sliced up McHenry County, giving Crystal Lake parts of three state representative and senate districts, State Rep. Mike Tryon’s home was put in the 66th District.

Osmond served as head of Lake County Republican Central Committee, so she has contacts through the new 61st District.

Antioch State Rep. JoAnn Osmond’s home was assigned to the 64th District. She was the only resident incumbent.

The district is comprised of about 51% Lake County voters and 49% McHenry County.

Osmond had to decide where to run.

Today I received the following answer to my question of where:

I have and I will be running in the 61st which means that I will have to move, but that will be two years off and only subject to my winning again.

She is going to try to retrain the district which she now represents, the 61st.  If she wins, the state constitution says she will have to move into the new district in order to run in 2014.

The 61st District is seen below.  Click to enlarge.

The 61st Illinois state rep. dist. Map prepared by Elgin-based political consultant Drew Veeneman.

That leaves the 64th district without an incumbent.  You see the boundaries below:

The 64 state rep. district. Click to enlarge. Prepared by Elgin-based political consultant Drew Veeneman.