McHenry County Blog

A note from District 300′s Allison Strupeck:

This is a reminder that the D300 Legislative Reception is tonight (Jan. 22) in the commons area of Jacobs High School (2601 Bunker Hill Dr, Algonquin), as hosted by the D300 Board Legislative Committee.

Please park on the side of the school and walk into the main/front entrance.

A meet-and-greet with the legislators and village officials is 5:30 to 6 p.m., and the agenda (albeit informal) starts at 6 p.m.

The public forum portion will begin roughly around 6:45 p.m. and everything should conclude by about 7:30 p.m.

My office is continuing to receive RSVP’s.

Currently, yes’s and maybe’s include

• Senator Karen McConnaughay,
• Representative Keith Farnham,
• Representative Tim Schmitz,
• Senator Dan Duffy, and
• Representative Mike Tryon, plus
• a representative of Rep. David McSweeney’s Office.

We also anticipate having community leaders from Algonquin, West Dundee, Sleepy Hollow, and others. Additionally, one of the co-sponsors of pension reform legislation is planning to attend who had heard about our event through the grapevine. See you tonight.

I have written how reformer State Rep. Jeanne Hurley got snookered into sponsoring a bill in 1957 to prohibit reporters like Jack Mabley from using tape recordings of legislative corruption.

Hurley married Paul Simon and is Lt. Gov. Sheila Simon’s mother.

The retired State Representative who told me the story was Roland Libonatii.  After taking a busman’s holiday to the Illinois House Chambers, we were in the Amtrak Station waiting for the train back to Chicago.

Marvelous story of how those close to the Currency Exchange scandal took steps to try to prevent others from getting similar evidence of corruption.

So, now people have cell phones and record everything imaginable, even police making arrests.

And the policemen don’t like being held accountable.

You can see that from this recent YouTube taken by professionals across the street from a Chicago Hospital where a little girl had been taken after having been shot by a gang banger.  (Thanks to Illinois Review for pointing me to it.)

So, why is House Republican Leader Tom Cross leading the way to coverup wrongdoing?

You tell me. I didn’t hear the debate.

Here’s the 45-59-1 roll call vote on House Bill 1944:

Here’s how the synopsis describes the bill:

“Provides that a person who is not a law enforcement officer nor acting at the direction of a law enforcement officer may record the conversation of a law enforcement officer who is performing a public duty in a public place and any other person who is having a conversation with that law enforcement officer if the conversation is at a volume audible to the unassisted ear of the person who is making the recording.”

Here are the latest details of tonight’s event at the Huntley Park District Building, where both candidates for the 14th District congressional seat–Randy Hultgren and Joe Walsh–will be courting Republican primary voters, as will State Senate candidate Karen McConnauhay and State Rep. Tim Schmitz, who represents the Kane County part of the Huntley area now.

Public Forum on the 2nd Amendment and Conceal Carry

Note: Since the original Announcement we are proud to tell you that Congressman Joe Walsh will be joining our Panel.

In addition, Congressional Representative Randy Hultgren, State Representative Tim Schmitz and Kane County Board President Karen McConnauhay will also be joining us.

The Huntley Area Tea Party will present a Public Forum on Tuesday September 27th on the Subject of the 2nd Amendment and the Right of Citizens to Conceal Carry. This will be held in the Willow Room at the Cosman Cultural Center in Huntley, Illinois, starting at 6:30pm.

Featured Panel members will be:

• State Representative Mike Tryon (co-sponsor) of the bill to enable Conceal Carry in Illinois
• Bill and Jennifer Jenkins from the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence
• Richard Pearson the Executive Director of the Illinois State Rifle Association (ISRA)

 

Each panel member will present their views on these issues along with specific reasons and facts supporting their views. The panel will then take questions from the audience.

By presenting both sides of this controversial issue we hope to provide the public with factual information and stimulate meaningful and respectful discussion.

Speaker Bio

• Bill Jenkins is the father of 16 year old William Jenkins, a murder victim, killed during the robbery of a fast food restaurant in Richmond, VA in 1997. A Professor at Dominican University, Bill is the author of the acclaimed book What To Do When The Police Leave: A Guide To The First Days of Traumatic Loss (WBJ Press). Bill is a nationally recognized expert on gun violence statistics and victimization by firearms.
• Jennifer Bishop Jenkins is the sister of Nancy Bishop Langert, who along with her husband Richard and their unborn child, were murdered in Winnetka, Illinois in 1990. They were killed by a teen who reported doing it for the “thrill” of it who “just wanted to see what it would feel like to shoot someone.” Inspired by her sister Nancy’s dying words of love, Jennifer spent the last two decades advocating for violence prevention and to support crime victims. Together Bill and Jennifer speak all over the nation on victim issues and violence prevention. Jennifer retired from a 25 year teaching career in 2005 to become the National Program Director for Victims and Survivors for the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence. She now runs a statewide victim’ rights campaign in Illinois and advises the US Congress and US Sentencing Commission on victims’ issues. Jennifer and Bill live in Northfield, Illinois with their two daughters.

Last minute modifications to the Democrats’ remap lines have allowed State Rep. Tim Schmitz to stay in his home and run for re-election in much of what is his current district.

State Rep. Mike Tryon lives in House District 66 and Schmitz lives in District 65.

Even though we have not yet seen the final map that Illinois Democrats are poised to impose upon their arch enemies, the Republicans, reaction and analysis from those intensely interested in politics are coming in.

Below is what a northern Kane County observer sees in the map:

I saw your write up on the Blog concerning the proposed/draft districts for McHenry County.

Here is some additional information you may find useful starting with the poposed 33rd senate district. Given how these districts involve Kane County, a little insight from south of the county line from this Friend of the Blog may become an ongoing occurrence, over time.

The dividing line within the 33rd Senate district between the 2 House districts (65th, 66th) runs along a line from the western border of the 33rd senate along Marengo Road, then east-west along Main St. in Huntley right to the border with Lake in the Hills, with the 65th district to the south and 66th to the north. From there, the line turns south, crossing into Kane County and following the precinct boundary line between Rutland precincts 8 in the 65th to the west and precinct 1 in the 66th on the east side. After crossing the Jane Addams Tollway [I-90], the precinct boundary on the district lines becomes Precinct 6 in District 66 and precinct 2 in District 65 all the way to Big Timber Road. Then, Big Timber Road, east into Precinct 6 becomes the dividing line, splitting Rutland Precinct 5 continuing east into the Elgin area.

 

While the 33rd Senate district and the 2 House districts are compact, these boundaries split several municipalities.

Within the proposed 66th House District, the entire villages of Gilberts, West Dundee and Sleepy Hollow are included.

Additionally, portions of the cities of Crystal Lake and Elgin, and portions of the villages of Algonquin, Carpentersville, East Dundee, Huntley, Lake in the Hills, Lakewood, and unincorporated Algonquin and Grafton Townships in McHenry County, and Dundee and Rutland townships in Kane County.

The 65th House District includes the entire villages of Hampshire, Pingree Grove and South Elgin, and portions of the cities of Elgin, St. Charles, and portions of the villages of Bartlett, Huntley (all of Sun City), Wayne, and unincorporated Grafton Township in McHenry County, and unincorporated Hampshire, Plato, Rutland, Elgin townships in Kane County, and a portion of Hanover Township in Cook County.

Concerning State Representative Tim Schmitz, who currently represents northern Kane County, including Algonquin and Huntley, his 49th district was drawn by the Democrats to include State Representative Michael Fortner of West Chicago.

As you’re aware, legally, Schmitz could run for re-election in either the 66th district, or the 65th district, or even the 52nd district, since his current district includes territory within those 3 districts. Of course, if he wins, he’d have to move into the district, which includes taking his family out of Batavia. I believe Schmitz’s kids are still in Batavia schools, so Schmitz moving to represent either the 65th or 66th district is likely, not going to happen.

There is rumor State Senator Chris Lauzen may run for Kane County Board Chairman in next year’s at-large county board chairman’s race, which means Chris would have to give up his safe 25th senate district, and will make Tim Schmitz/Michael Fortner problem go away, since Schmitz would likely move to run for senate to replace Lauzen, and Fortner would run for re-election in the 49th.

The 26th senate district/52nd Senate district within Kane County is quite interesting.

The dividing line between the 26th and 33rd proposed map in Kane County is Sleepy Hollow Road, following the original Sleepy Hollow Road alignment in Carpentersville. At Huntley Road, the boundary shifts to the east, with 26th on the north and 33rd on the south. At the Fox River, the boundary stays on Main Street, turns north slightly, and divides old town Carpentersville along Maple Avenue, effectively splitting old town. At the east end of Carpenter Park, Michael Noland’s 22nd senate district is the boundary, and the 26th district turns north, and includes old town Carpentersville, Lake Marian, and the Kane County portions Algonquin, as well as Carpentersville following the precinct lines of Dundee 24 and 35.

As for prospective candidates for these races involving the districts which cross county lines, particularly the open seats, some of them could be very intriguing. I agree with you, let’s wait until a map is formally approved before names begin to be floated, and to help you document on the blog,

What has happened in Crystal Lake is pretty incredible.

The lines the Democrats have drawn will give Crystal Lake three state representatives and three state senators.

Four state representatives, if you want to count the one Dorr Township precinct on Crystal Lake’s far northwest side, which will continue to be represented by State Rep. Jack Franks, the local Democrat who had his district least affected by the remap.  That is, unless he decides to run for Congress.

The new lines drawn by the Democrats do not follow township lines.

Pam Althoff’s district, for instance, coming in from the north, dips below the east-west northern line where Algonquin and Grafton Townships meet Nunda and Dorr Townships to pick up the Algonquin and Grafton Township precincts which surround Crystal Lake. Mine is one of those.

Look at the northern senate and house district line, which is Franklin Street, right in front of Crystal Lake Central High School. It splits Algonquin Township Precinct 10. Both Mayor Aaron Shepley and County Board member Donna Kurtz live north of Franklin Street.

But, even more curious, Shepley and Kurtz both live on South Walkup Avenue, but on opposite sides of the street.

Shepley ended up in Althoff’s state senate district, while Kurtz will reside in State Senator Dan Duffy’s district.  State Rep. Mark Beaubien will also represent that eastern part of Crystal Lake.

At least the legislative district line which separates my precinct just south of the Crystal Lake follows State Rep. Mike Tryon’s and my precinct boundary.

Below is the district State Rep. Mike Tryon lives in now. He could decided to more a couple of blocks north into a district dominated by McHenry County voters.

It dips into northern Kane County into precincts I found friendly when I represented them in the 1970′s.

The district that runs north from Crystal Lake also includes part of Antioch.  The state representative for Antioch is JoAnn Osmund.

There is a gerrymandered district that runs from Zion to Round Lake around central Lake County numbered 61.  I don’t know enough about Lake County politics to know what Democratic Party Chairman Terry Link is trying to do there.

That district running north from Crystal Lake, numbered 64, looks like this:

There’s another state representative district besides the four mentioned above (Jack Franks’, the two splitting Crystal Lake Mike Tryon might run in and the one where Mark Beaubien lives).

It takes the heavily-voting Sun City part of Huntley, plus some more, and runs south around the 65th District in which Tryon lives to St. Charles.  I figured this was a natural for Tim Schmitz.  He represents the Kane County part of Sun City now.

The 65th District’s lines can be seen below:

This story would not be complete without showing the other two state representative districts. The one where Mark Beaubien lives is numbered 52. It looks like this:

Finally, let’s look at Democrat Jack Franks’ district:

Jack Franks brought colleagues to his home town of Marengo Saturday to the hard-to-find new Marengo High School for a reapportionment hearing whose process will be completely controlled by Democrats in the General Assembly and Governor’s Mansion.

To reach the high school, one had to take Franks Road, observed State Rep. Mike Tryon.  (He wondered if that “is s a sign that this will be the center of the 63rd (Franks’) District.”)

Not mentioned was that when one enters the auditorium, one walks past a placard saying the performing and fine arts programs are supported by financial contributions of the Franks family.

State Rep. Lou Lang chaired the meeting, which was attended not only by McHenry County residents but people from as far away as Plainfield and Sycamore.

Tryon took the microphone to point out that McHenry County was “fortunate to have two House districts that (were entirely within McHenry County).”

The Republican Party Chairman said he was “hoping that we will have three House seats that will substantially, if not wholly, in McHenry County.”

He asked that county and city boundaries be considered.

He also asked for an ability to see the map, as well as what it is based upon, for a two to three week period prior to passage.

Judy Szilak, President of the McHenry County League of Women Voters testified first, calling for openness and echoing Tryon’s wish for several weeks to contemplate the maps before passage.

Former State Rep. Rosemary Kurtz (R-Crystal Lake) took the microphone in support of a less partisan approach to reapportionment.

McHenry County Board Chairman Ken Koehler was second to speak.   He asked a series of questions about whether the public would have two weeks to analyze and comment on the suggested maps, how they will be shown to the public and whether the transcripts would be posted on the internet.

He pointed out that the county had not grown as much as had been expected, but how it was now the sixth largest county in Illinois.

“I would hope that  103,000 (McHenry County residents) would be represented in each of these (three) districts,” Koehler said.

 

Tryon asked if Lang would answer Koehler’s questions.

“I have no intention of doing that today,” Lang replied.

Just after Janet Silosky, a Republican Precinct Committeeman from Plainfield introduced herself, the lights went out in the auditorium, indeed, in the whole school.

“If this doesn’t tell us something about the process, I don’t know what would,” State Rep. Tim Schmitz (R-St.Charles) observed.  [I wonder if that will make it on the transcript.]

The Will County precinct committeeman expressed distrust in the reapportionment process.

 

“How are we going to get this done in an equitable process?” she asked.  “Gerrymandering that goes on will not create a map that is contiguous and compact.

“What difference does it make?”

“It’s already decided,” she continued, mentioning House Speaker Mike Madigan.

“I’ve lived in this state for 50 years and the Democrats have been in control since I was knee high to a grasshopper.”

She commented on the unfairness of Democrats who are going to be running for office knowing what their districts will be already, while challengers are left in the dark.

“I’d like to hear some input from you gentlemen.”

There was none.

McHenry County Board member Mary Donner came next.  She read a statement from an indisposed colleague, Tina Hill.

Donner said that the new 2030 County Land Use Plan had growth occurring next to areas that were already populated.

A DeKalb County band teacher from Sycamore, Ken Goodman, asked that his community be put in one congressional district.  His area now has two congressmen, Randy Hutlgren and Don Manzullo.

Stephen Polep, a retired teacher who lives in Cary, asked that Cary and Crystal Lake be kept in the same district [as they were until 2002, which this plus parts of eastern McHenry County further norther were included in a Lake County House district].

Algonquin’s Jim Carlin, a Republican Precinct Committeeman who said he was in the leadership of the Huntley Tea Party, pointed to the huge growth west of Randall Road, said that Tryon had represented it well and asked that it continue to be in his district. Carlin is a former Huntley School District Board member.

Noting the “communities of interest” mentioned in the meeting’s introduction, he asked that both the Kane and McHenry County portions of Sun City be included in the same legislative district.

He was effusive of his praise of Tryon.

“I like this,” the represented interjected.

“You’re kicking me out of Huntley,” Schmitz asked.

“Once we get a state government and federal government that encourages jobs, we’re going to take off.”

He said he was talking about taxes.

That was the end of those who signed up to speak. Then Lang asked if there was anyone else who wanted to talk.

Yours truly couldn’t resist criticizing the district boundaries included in “Currie II.”

I called it “Currie 2.”

I argued that McHenry County had little in common with the tract subdivision east of the Fox River in Carpentersville. It’s mainly Meadowdale, one of the first post-World War II housing developments.

Following me was MaryMargaret Maule, who ran a hard campaign for McHenry Count Board in District 4. She suggested that legislative districts try to have as much as McHenry County College in them as possible, rather than crossing the Lake County line. She complained about part of the eastern part of McHenry County being used to complete State Rep. Mark Beaubien’s Lake County district.  She manages MCC’s Shah Center in McHenry, which is an area split between two legislative districts.

Kathy Bergan Schmitt, another Democrat, one who got elected to the County Board from District 3

and who used to be Chair of the McHenry County Democratic Party, also complained about being the tag end of a Lake County district.

“I often feel in the orphan part of the county,” she said.  “There is an overabundance of the disease known as ‘incumbent protection.’”

She agreed that it would always be a factor, but “it doesn’t have to be (the main) factor.”

Without it, she said, “Civil life would be ever so much better.”

Bill Jordan of Woodstock also spoke up.

He talked about having “a certain amount of skepticism about the process.  Iowa has a (computerized) system of drawing districts.”

Jordan pointed out that we were “moving toward a government that can be audited.”

He suggested that the process used by both the Greek and Venetians–random selection of public officials–might be better than what we have in Illinois.

Not speaking from the microphone was Cary resident Raymond Scheff (at least that’s what my notes say).

He had suggested reapportionment maps that he had prepared for Tryon.

Lang asked if he wished to share them with the committee.

The reply was that was up to Rep. Tryon.

I’ve been watching the Democrats irresponsible budget actions since 2002, when Rod Blagojevich beat Jim Ryan and me for Governor.

Look at State Rep. Tim Schmitz’ comment to Daily Herald reporter John Patterson (or maybe reporter Timothy Macgaw) in today’s Daily Herald:

“We’ve been telling you since 2002 we don’t have enough money. Wake up.”

The article says there’s a $13 billion deficit. (I’m not following budget things closely enough to know how that grew from last year’s $11 billion.)

Since 2002, the Democrats have put in an extra billion dollars a year in the state budget.

When Blagojevich took office, he asserted there was a $5 billion deficit.

Maybe it was a two-year deficit. In any event, it certainly could have been worked off over time, if a billion dollars a year in new spending had not been added to the budget.

Now, let’s do some simple math.

It’s been seven years since the Democrats took control of every part of state government in 2003. (Although the election victory was in 2002, they took office in January, 2003.)

$5 billion, plus seven times $1 billion equals $12 billion.

Close enough to $13 billion for government math, I figure.

So, who’s fault is this fiscal mess?

Would you think I’m too partisan to suggest the Democrats in control for the last seven years are responsible for the mess?

My attitude is pretty much:

The Democrats caused the mess; it’s up to them to solve it.

With the primary election coming up in about five weeks, active citizens are starting to think more seriously about narrowing down their choices for contested offices.

At Zane Seipler’s fund raiser Wednesday night, for example, one person concluded that Andy McKenna was the most likely to be able to win the November election. Not a perfect candidate, but considering one needs three elements to win a campaign—issues, money and a candidate—his opponents don’t seem likely to put it together as well.

Now, National Taxpayers United of Illinois’ campaign arm, Tax Accountability, has put out its recommendations, I listed the ones that will be on area ballots.

U.S. Senate

• John Arrington – R
• Robert Marshall – D

U.S. Congress

• 8th District (McHenry, Lake and Cook) – Joe Walsh
• 14th District (Kane, DuPage and points west) – Randy Hultgren

Governor

• Adam Andrzejewski

Lt. Governor

• Dennis Cook – R
• Jason Plummer – R
• Randy White – R

State Senate

• Chris Lauzen – R (Northern Kane County)

State Representative

• Tim Schmirtz – R (Northern Kane County)
• John O’Neill – R (Jack Franks’ district)

That’s what the United Republican Fund rack-up says about Crystal Lake’s Mike Tryon.

And his colleague from the east, Republican Mark Beaubien came in at 88%.

South of the McHenry-Kane County line, Tim Schmitz received a 87.5% rating.

You can see the legislation included in the scoring here.

Democratic Party State Representative Jack Franks got 75%.

In the State Senate, McHenry County’s Pam Althoff received a 66% favorable rating, while Kane County’s Chris Lauzen came in at 50%. Lauzen’s low score seems to be the result of having missed three of the six issues selected.

= = = = =
State Rep. Mark Beaubien (R-Barrington Hills) can be seen to the left of State Rep. Mike Tryon (R-Crystal Lake).