McHenry County Blog

So far, McHenry County Blog has published four articles on Paul Caprio’s August Family PAC cruise.

The first was about U.S. Senator and Dr. Tom Coburn’s take on the health care debate. The rest are full of pictures of participants:

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Below is Part 4.

As I continued wondering around the boat, I found Peter Breen and Chris Sullivan near the bow on the upper deck. Sullivan is one of Kathleen Sullivan’s sons. Breen is one aspirant to replace State Rep. Bob Biggins. Breen is Executive Director & Legal Counsel of the Thomas Moore Society, which bills itself as the “Pro-Life Law Center.” He is currently working on the Aurora Planned Parenthood case. Breen has a good button/sticker on his web site, but he wasn’t wearing it. I always preferred to have a really large button announcing to the world that I was a candidate.

The last time I saw my former and now deceased colleague’s twin sons was in San Diego at an ALEC (American Legislative Exchange Council) conference. That was at the Hotel del Coronado beach over ten years ago when my son was mainly interested in looking at the turtles and fish on the first floor of our hotel. My Matthew has grown. I never met former Cook County Board of Review Murphy’s oldest son, but he was on the cruise, too. 29-year old Shaun, on the right, is running for the post his mother held. They were talking to Chris Sullivan.

Maureen almost always made me laugh. I wish I could repeat her interactions with her arch-foe House Speaker Michael Madigan, who lived in Lincoln Towers, where she stayed during legislative sessions. They apparently had similar morning schedules. Some of the conversations, started usually, I gathered by Maureen, were bizarre. If you would like to sample her how she could make little piggies and blueberries hilarious, click here.

I didn’t get a great shot of Cook County Commissioner Liz Gorman talking to Peter Breen, but I guarantee she would like this one better than the one I took on the lower deck, which included her mother.

Politicians I have come in contact with almost always want to pose for a picture. I tell them I don’t do posed pictures. David McAloon gave me so much grief about the photo I published of him last year, though, I relented and took this one. Note the corn cob architecture on the Chicago River in the background. It’s pretty obviously designed by the same architect who did Marina Towers.

As I was wondering downstairs to get some food, catered by Harry Carey’s, I got this shot of State Senator and gubernatorial candidate Kirk Dillard and State Senator Chris Lauzen.

More pictures and commentary tomorrow in Part 5.

This is a delayed third part of my view of Paul Caprio’s August 11th Family PAC cruise.

Part 1 is here. Part 2 is here. A story about guest of honor Oklahoma U.S. Senator and Dr. Tom Coburn’s views on the health care debate is here.

Asking Senator Coburn if the health care debate could include end of life protocols on hydration and sustenance was former Republican Party gubernatorial aspirant Steve Baer. He’s the man in the picture’s center.

After the speech, attendees greeted friends and acquaintances. Here State Representative Bob Biggins, who just announced his retirement, chats with State Representative Ron Wait’s Legislative Assistant Verna Rightnowar and Wait.

State Senator Chris Lauzen, who again had about 900 at his Porky Picnic last Saturday was talking with Larry Therianit.

In good campaign style, Schaumburg resident Ryan Higgins came up to introduce himself to me. The 28-year old is running for the GOP state representative slot to replace State Rep. Paul Froelich, the man who switched parties before last year’s election. He has been endorsed by the Schaumburg Township GOP organization.

The next people I got a shot of are campaign consultant Jon Zahm and State Representative Randy Ramey. Ramey told me he tried to leave a message on McHenry County Blog after I posted a picture of a car with a Ramey bumper sticker and state rep. license plate 105 saying that it was his car.

Part 4 is next up.

This is the second in a series of posting about the folks I saw on Family PAC’s summer cruise on the Chicago River. You can find the first here. Here’s U.S. Senator Thomas Coburn’s thoughts on health care reform.

Vernon Township Republican Committeeman Don Castella was among those greeted by Senator Tom Coburn as he boarded for the cruise.

Here State Representative Bob Biggins (on the left) visits with State Representative Ron Wait’s Legislative Assistant Verna Rightnowar and Wait (on the right).

In order to get home from the Senate session earlier, Senator Coburn addressed the crowd before the boat left the dock.

He explained that those without health coverage include 16 million eligible for Medicaid, 11 million illegals, 11 million who earn more than $75,000 a year and 11 million who can’t get or afford health insurance. (More here.)

After finishing his summary of the legislation that passed out of the committee on which he serves on a straight party vote, Coburn took some questions from the audience.

More pictures tomorrow.

Yesterday, I wrote an article about what guest of honor United States Senator Tom Coburn (R-Oklahoma) had to say about the health care bill that Democrats just voted out of committee on a party line vote on the Family PAC cruise Tuesday night.

Today, I’ll start a multi-part series showing some of the politicians and McHenry County folks who attended the fund raising event.

The August 11, 2009, Family PAC cruise had a goodly number of people on this non-election year. You see folks milling around the gang plank above.

Contributors to the political action committee like McHenry County’s Gene Brown, seen above, got to visit with Oklahoma’s United States Senator Tom Coburn before boarding.

Chicago’s 32nd Ward GOP Committeeman John Curry was among those taking the opportunity to talk with the Senator.

Family PAC’s Director Paul Caprio took the opportunity to talk with Senator Coburn as well.

Dr. Steve Sauerberg, the Republican opponent to U.S. Senator Dick Durbin last year, conversed with Coburn, too.

Part 2 tomorrow.

Oklahoma United States Senator Tom Coburn was in Chicago Tuesday night as the featured speaker for Paul Caprio’s Family PAC’s annual cruise.

Having heard people senior to myself question whether the real purpose of the bill was to withhold expensive end-of-life services from people, my ears perked up when he said the bill is about

“abandonment of life at the end…about the very ethics of being human.

“There isn’t a life that doesn’t have value,” Coburn continued.

He reported only two amendments had been accepted by the Democratic Party majority:

1 – “a conscience clause for assisted suicide” and

2 – “making sure members of Congress are in any plan we pass”

During the question and answer session on deck of the boat, Coburn declared,

“First of all, it’s will not pass.”

Asked about the political consequences of passage, he said that

“next year’s elections will be impacted, but not nearly as much as 3-4 years from now.”

The doctor described the bill as giving “you access to a waiting line” and predicted that 15% of doctors will retire to work in other countries or do mission work, if it does pass.

Asked about the Democratic agenda, the obstetrician said he it his

“hope and prayer is that they keep overreaching.”

“They actually believe in a nanny state. You don’t have the ability to look after yourself and your family.”

A later observation about politicians:

“Politicians routinely give what they don’t have.”

Encouraging people to follow him into elective politics, Coburn observed,

“I’ve seen liberty diminished in my adult life.”

A final analytical comment on who will pay for the $1.7 billion the Democrats health care plan will cost over the next seven years:

“50% will come from small business tax increases.”

= = = = =
In the bottom photo, U.S. Senator Thomas Coburn indicates the size of a baby which any doctor could recognize as a human being.

Crystal Lake State Rep. Mike Tryon passed House Bill 4765 this week.

118-0.

That’s everybody voting for it.

That probably means it’s not objectionable, but, considering the Democrats control everything, what bill sponsored by a Republican that is controversial is likely to pass?

What’s the bill do?

It requires the Department of Central Management Services to maintain a web site called the “Illinois Accountability Portal.”

It’s a short bill, so I’ll just reprint it below:

AN ACT concerning State government.

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
represented in the General Assembly:

Section 5. The Department of Central Management Services Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois is amended by adding Section 405-335 as follows:

(20 ILCS 405/405-335 new)

Sec. 405-335. Illinois Accountability Portal. To establish and maintain a website, known as the Illinois Accountability Portal, with a full-time webmaster. The website shall provide direct access to each of the following:

(1) A database of all current State employees and individual consultants, sorted separately by name, agency, and position title, listing for each their current pay rate and year-to-date pay.

(2) A database of all current State expenditures, sorted separately by agency, category, customer, and Representative District.

(3) A database of all current State tax credits, sorted separately by tax credit category, customer, and Representative District.

(4) A database of all revocations and suspensions of State occupation and use tax certificates of registration and all revocations and suspensions of State professional licenses, sorted separately by name, geographic location, and certificate of registration number or license number, as applicable. Professional license revocations and suspensions shall be posted only if resulting from a failure to pay taxes, license fees, or child support.

(5) A database of all current State contracts, sorted separately by contractor name, awarding officer or agency, contract value, and goods or services provided.

It sounds a bit like Republican United States Senator Tom Coburn’s bill which Barack Obama got passed in Washington to track pork.

On, almost forgot. They call such line items “earmarks” in Washington.

In Springfield they are called “member initiatives”…like the $250,000 I got for Home of the Sparrow in the late 1990’s to buy a home in Crystal Lake. (So, Crystal Lakers, you can help out without even leaving home.)

Locally, State Rep. Jack Franks (D-Marengo) jointly sponsored the bill. Mark Beaubien (R-Barrington Hills) and Ron Wait (R-Belvidere) were among the co-sponsors.

= = = = =
The photo of State Rep. Jack Franks on the left talking to State Rep. Mike Tryon on the right was taken at the budget hearing the two, plus State Senator Pam Althoff, held at McHenry County College on March 19th. The pig’s snout was taken south of the Wisconsin border town where House Speaker Mike Madigan sometimes takes his granddaughter to lunch. The waitresses refer to him as “that Illinois state representative,” not “Speaker.”

Crystal Lake State Rep. Mike Tryon passed House Bill 4765 this week.

118-0.

That’s everybody voting for it.

That probably means it’s not objectionable, but, considering the Democrats control everything, what bill sponsored by a Republican that is controversial is likely to pass?

What’s the bill do?

It requires the Department of Central Management Services to maintain a web site called the “Illinois Accountability Portal.”

It’s a short bill, so I’ll just reprint it below:

AN ACT concerning State government.

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
represented in the General Assembly:

Section 5. The Department of Central Management Services Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois is amended by adding Section 405-335 as follows:

(20 ILCS 405/405-335 new)

Sec. 405-335. Illinois Accountability Portal. To establish and maintain a website, known as the Illinois Accountability Portal, with a full-time webmaster. The website shall provide direct access to each of the following:

(1) A database of all current State employees and individual consultants, sorted separately by name, agency, and position title, listing for each their current pay rate and year-to-date pay.

(2) A database of all current State expenditures, sorted separately by agency, category, customer, and Representative District.

(3) A database of all current State tax credits, sorted separately by tax credit category, customer, and Representative District.

(4) A database of all revocations and suspensions of State occupation and use tax certificates of registration and all revocations and suspensions of State professional licenses, sorted separately by name, geographic location, and certificate of registration number or license number, as applicable. Professional license revocations and suspensions shall be posted only if resulting from a failure to pay taxes, license fees, or child support.

(5) A database of all current State contracts, sorted separately by contractor name, awarding officer or agency, contract value, and goods or services provided.

It sounds a bit like Republican United States Senator Tom Coburn’s bill which Barack Obama got passed in Washington to track pork.

On, almost forgot. They call such line items “earmarks” in Washington.

In Springfield they are called “member initiatives”…like the $250,000 I got for Home of the Sparrow in the late 1990’s to buy a home in Crystal Lake. (So, Crystal Lakers, you can help out without even leaving home.)

Locally, State Rep. Jack Franks (D-Marengo) jointly sponsored the bill. Mark Beaubien (R-Barrington Hills) and Ron Wait (R-Belvidere) were among the co-sponsors.

= = = = =
The photo of State Rep. Jack Franks on the left talking to State Rep. Mike Tryon on the right was taken at the budget hearing the two, plus State Senator Pam Althoff, held at McHenry County College on March 19th. The pig’s snout was taken south of the Wisconsin border town where House Speaker Mike Madigan sometimes takes his granddaughter to lunch. The waitresses refer to him as “that Illinois state representative,” not “Speaker.”