McHenry County Blog

David McSweeney

Dee Beaubien

Multiple sources have contacted McHenry County Blog with the news that State Rep. Mark Beaubien’s widow Dee is telling people she is running for State Representative against Republican winner Dave McSweeney.

“There’s no doubt that she’s running,” one source who wished to remain anonymous said.

Whether she will run as an independent or a Democrat or on a specially-created third party has not yet been ascertained.

What is known is that Terry Cosgrove’s pro-abortion Political Action Committee, Personal PAC (the one that engineered my defeat in the 2002 GOP primary) will be the force behind Dee Beaubien’s campaign.

McSweeney is strongly Pro-Life.

Ed Sullivan

The incoming Chairman of the House Republican Organization, State Rep. Ed Sullivan, wrote,

“I just wanted you to know on the record coming from the new Chairman of HRO that Tom Cross and HRO will be 100% with David McSweeney.”

Sullivan represents the eastern half of State Senator Dan Duffy’s district, while McSweeney is the Republican candidate in the western half.

Duffy has also drawn a female opponent backed by Personal PAC.

“I completely support David McSweeney, but I’m confused at Dee Beaubien’s entry into the race.

“If Dee Beaubien were interested in the race, why didn’t she run in the Republican primary, unless, of course, she’s not really a Republican as she as portrayed herself to be.”

The 52nd House District where Dave McSweeney won a three-way primary election.

The Beaubien campaign fund had $17,600 in it, as of the end of 2011.

During the last quarter of 2011, the fund made the following contributions:

• McHenry County Chairman’s Circle (controlled by Mike Tryon) – $500.00
• Committee to Elect Michelle Schurman, Mt. Carroll – $500
• Friends of Kay Hatcher (endorsed by Personal PAC) – $250
• Nunda Township Republican Central Committee – $250
• Citizens for Bryan Winter – $200

Since her husband’s death last June the Political Action Committee or Dee personally has made the following contributions:

• 11-7-11 Personal PAC – $600
• 10-14-11 Citizens to Re-Elect Bob Miller – $600
• 9-22-11 Personal PAC – $800
• 8-29-11 Citizens for Kent Gaffney – $8,381.65
• 8-24-11 Citizens for Kent Gaffney – $4,000
• 8-1-11 Personal PAC – $8,000

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:

Besides House Republican Leader Tom Cross, State Reps. representing parts of McHenry County who voted against the reform bill include Kent Gaffney and Tim Schmidt. Democrat Jack Franks was missing from the House floor today. State Rep. Mike Tryon voted in favor of the measure.

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.”

Tom Cross at McHenry County's GOP Play Day last summer.right after Kent Gaffney was appointed State Representative.

You’re Republican House Leader.

One of your close allies dies.

One of your long-time staffers, who has worked on political campaigns across the state, has moved to the area three years or so ago.

He’s caught the political bug.

He spends so much time in Springfield and commuting that he hasn’t gotten deeply involved in the community, however.

You lean on the local Republican Party Chairman, State Rep. Mike Tryon, in this instance, who controls not quite a majority of the votes needed to name your assistant, Kent Gaffney, to replace your friend Mark Beaubien.

Tryon pulls it off.

So your former assistant is now a State Representative running with all the resources of his new office and your political staff for election.

Up pops a millionaire named Dave McSweeney.

Dave McSweeney

He has had the political bug since before meeting President Ronald Reagan.  He’s run for Congress twice after serving on the Palatine Township Board.

He really, really wants to win.

And he is not only capable of writing a $100,000 check (and smart enough to keep his contributions under that threshold, so all campaign limits will be lifted for his opponents), but also capable of tapping corporations for the now-maximum donation of $10,000 and individuals for $5,000.

And, he can convince the former GOP Presidential candidate John McCain to come help him raise funds…which he does.

Then, this conservative, endorsed by all the Pro-Life groups, beats your guy, the moderate, even as he is being attacked from the right by a Tea Party candidate (Danielle Rowe) saying he is a squish because he backed McCain.

So, there will be a new State Representative named David McSweeney, who will be in office as long as he wants to be.

And, he has no reason to have good will toward his Republican Leader Tom Cross, who threw everything he had behind his man, Kent Gaffney.

It’s going to be an interesting adjustment period, wouldn’t you say?

This is the second article on the McHenry County Young Republicans 52nd District State Representative District Candidates’ Forum at Crystal Lake’s McHenry County College.  The first is here.

David McSweeney answers a question while State Rep. Kent Gaffney and Danielle Rowe listen.

Another interesting exchange involved abortion.

Both David McSweeney and Daniele Rowe said they were Pro-Life.

Rowe said it was one of the most asked questions when she knocked on doors.

Kent Gaffney

Appointed incumbent Kent Gaffney’s answer was, “For me the social issues [are] not the focus of my campaign.”  He said they divide the party.

The man he replaced, State Rep. Mark Beaubien was elected and re-elected with the strong and strident support of Personal PAC, an organization I do not hesitate to label as “pro-abortion,” since it favors allowing women to have an abortion up to the day before birth.

I note that Gaffney is not endorsed by Personal PAC.  (The endorsements are here.)

Nevertheless, the Republican  electorate locally is divided about 60-40 in favor of the Pro-Life position  on abortion, so if McSweeney and Rowe each get half, they would tally 30% apiece, while Gaffney’s proportion on this issue would be 40%.

A related issue brought up was civil unions.

Dave McSweeney and Danielle Rowe disagreed with Kent Gaffney on repealing civil unions.

McSweeney said he was “absolutely” in favor of repeal.

Rowe said she “would support repeal,” while Gaffney replied,

“The law is passed.  It’s not on my agenda to repeal the civil unions [legislation].”

All three agreed on the advisability of allowing individuals to carry guns to protect themselves.  Gaffney pointed out that the effort had 68-69 votes in the current House (with 71 needed to withstand an expected veto by Governor Pat Quinn].

An issue on which the three were divided was whether the legislature should be part-time.

McSweeney called for a pay cut, no pensions and meeting only once every two years, as is the case in Texas.

Rowe pointed out she was the first to come out against legislative pensions, doing so at her announcement of candidacy.

She will not take a legislative pension, if elected.  She also aid that the $68,000 salary was “way too much for that part-time position.”

Gaffney, who also opposes legislative pensions, made the case for being a full-time legislator, 24-7.

“It’s not necessarily a bad thing.”

[Having served as a fell-time state rep. for 16 years, I must admit to wondering how one could be an adequate state legislator working part-time.  Government is so inadequate that a legislator's intervention or that of his or her staff is constantly necessary.  I'd go so far as to assert that government just doesn't work.]

Term limits?

McSweeney says he will serve no more than three.

Gaffney also supported term limits, ten years, and told me later he will not serve more than three terms.

I’m pretty sure Rowe did, too, but it didn’t make my notes.

Danielle Rowe held forth on the lack of Fiscal Notes on most legislation advanced in the Illinois general Assembly as David McSweeney and Kent Gaffney waited their turns to speak.

One point Rowe did make the others ignored were the very few Fiscal Notes requested in the General Assembly.

Six Fiscal Notes for 600 bills.

So for the vast, vast majority of the bills legislators had no clue what they would cost.

When I read this story in the Daily Herald, I was astounded.

I remember the 1993-94 session, I filed a Fiscal Note on every Public Aid bill because House Speaker Mike Madigan would not advance one of my welfare reform bills.

The Rules then and now say that Fiscal Notes have to be filed before a bill can received a final vote.

In effect, I had control of all welfare legislation that session.  Sponsors tried to convince me to drop the notes and some even convinced me to do so.  But my requests killed a lot of really bad legislation.

Other years, I’d have a staffer file a Fiscal Note on every bill.

I can’t help but wonder why someone did not step up to that role after I left the house in 2001.

One would think GOP Leader Tom Cross would do that routinely employ that tactic, if only to slow down the Democrats’ legislative agenda.

When questioned about involvement in local government and politics, McSweeney has the biggest resume.  Rowe detailed extensive volunteer activity of local and Wisconsin Republicans.

Gaffney told of having worked statewide with the House Republican Organization.

One question was asked that none of the panel members seemed to understand.

In Illinois, individuals have a $1,000 a person exemption income from taxes.

Corporations used to enjoy a similar $1,000 exemption, but not since the Democrats repealed it.

From the question, it seems that really small businesses not only have to pay taxes on dollar one, but have to make quarterly tax filings.

McSweeney advocated eliminated taxes on businesses earning less that $5,000 a year.

Red Light cameras came in for universal opposition, as did Chicago Mayor Rahm Emmanuel’s Speed Cameras  over almost all parts of the city.  McSweeney labeled as “a new scam.”  Gaffney said he had voted against the bill.

There was a lot more, of course, but this will have to suffice from me.

Tom Cross

Kent Gaffney

The 14th of December, appointed State Rep. Kent Gaffney received a thousand dollar check from Exelon, the parent company of Commonwealth Edison.

That’s more than a little interesting since he did not vote for the electric rate increase bill.

Right before the vote, Gaffney got $1,500 from Ameren, the electric company out of St. Louis that serves Southern Illinois.

The previous contribution of $1,000 or more to Gaffney was from Citizens to Elect Tom Cross.

Gaffney, is, of course, a former long-time staff member for Cross and Cross did vote the the electric rate hike bill.

And it is no big secret that Cross is helping Gaffney’s election effort.

He has Nicholas McNeely as campaign manager. McNeeley told me he was being paid by the House Republican Organization, which is controlled by Cross. He emailed me to tell me of his duties on November 3rd.

Also assisting Graffney in at least a press release writing and distribution.capacity is Garrett Hill.

Looking at fund raising efforts for Gaffney’s challengers, Danielle Rowe has no contributions that meet the $1,000 reporting threshold in December, which David McSweeney has raised $11,000 this month.

Kent Gaffney

In a stunning decision, the committee of Republican Party leaders charged by law with selecting a replacement for State Rep. Mark Beaubien have selected the head of House Republican Leader Tom Cross’ Appropriations Committee staff.

The choice is Lake County resident Kent Gaffney.

Gaffney, who lives in a gated subdivision called Tall Grass in Lake Barrington, beat out the likes of

• Bonnie Carter, a Lake County Board member
• Michael Carbone, Grayslake School District 46 board member
• Karen Darch, Barrington Village President
• John Dawson, who ran in the 2010 8th Congressional District GOP primary
• Chris Geissler, who ran in the 2010 8th Congressional District GOP primary
• Robert Hanaford, former village board member in Fox River Grove
• Nick Sauer, Barrington School District 220 School Board member
• Glenda Swanson, head of Wauconda Township Republicans

Probably others as well, who did not make it to my radar screen.

My political instincts tell me Gaffney will have a primary challenge.

To the best of my knowledge, there was no McHenry County applicant for the post despite about 60% of the voters in the newly-configured district being from McHenry County.

There were those with McHenry Country connections, however.  Bob Hanaford served as Fox River Grove Village Trustee.  I understand that Chris Geissler graduated from Cary-Grove High School.

The Daily Herald, which seems to have been given the scoop on this story, reports that Dee Beaubien, the late Representative’s wife, approves of the choice.  Beaubien used to be the budget point guy for Cross.  (Interestingly, the Daily Herald is not listing the article on its McHenry County page.)

The selection was made a Doc’s Bar and Grill in Wauconda on Thursday night.

Word is that Lake County Republican Bob Cook did not support the selection of Gaffney, but is saying nice things in the Daily Herald article.

“I’m disappointed. In typical Illinois fashion, the job went to a political insider,” State Senator Dan Duffy, half of whose district is Gaffney’s 51st, observed.  “If the Republican Party would ever like to be relevant in Illinois, their leaders must start making better decisions.”

McHenry County Republican Party Chairman Mike Tryon could not be reached for comment.

Gaffney’s press release is below:

Gaffney Named to Succeed Beaubien as State Rep.

Barrington, IL….On Thursday night the 52nd Republican Representatives Committee elected Kent Gaffney of Lake Barrington to fill the vacancy for State Representative of the 52nd District left by the sudden death of Mark Beaubien Jr. earlier this month.

Kent Gaffney

“I am deeply humbled by the Committee’s election of me to the late Rep. Mark Beaubien’s seat. I worked closely with Mark in both his district office and in Springfield in my position on the House Republican staff as Budget Director,” said Gaffney. “I learned a great deal from Mark over the years and will always be grateful to him and his wife, Dee, for their friendship.”

“I am excited about the new challenge and am anxious to continue meeting with local leaders and residents of the 52nd district to hear your suggestions and concerns,” said Gaffney. “

“It is truly an honor to have been selected to follow in the footsteps of my friend, Mark Beaubien. And you can be assured that I will work very hard to represent our families and our communities in Springfield ,” Gaffney concluded.

Kent and his wife Elizabeth have been married 13 years. Together, they are raising two sons in Lake Barrington . Gaffney has work on the House Republican staff for over a decade as Budget Director.

It is highly unlikely that the Senate House Republican reapportionment map that you see below will be enacted into law by the Democratic Party-dominated Illinois General Assembly, but it could end up getting consideration in the Federal courts.

Illinois House Republicans have advanced this map.

Compare the “Iowa-style” approach of letter a computer draw mainly rectangles while respecting county lines with what the Democrats have proposed, which is below:

Illinois Democrats proposed this redistricting map.

The press release that the House Republicans released follows:

Republicans release a Fair Map

Encourages the General Assembly to consider the Fair Map for the residents of Illinois

(Springfield) After years of pushing for a Fair Map for the residents of Illinois, House and Senate Republicans released a legislative map today that includes new districts that

• are equal in population,
• comply with the United States Constitution, the Federal Voting Rights Act, the Illinois Voting Rights Act and the Illinois Constitution in terms of compactness and contiguity, and
• maintain county and municipal boundaries without first considering politicians’ addresses or election data.

“This should be a very simple, transparent process,” said Illinois House Republican Leader Cross.

“We should take the census data every ten years and draw a Fair Map that is indeed fair to the minority groups in Illinois as well as compact, contiguous, and equal in population taking into account, whenever possible municipal and county lines. We kept the politics out of it. We only used election data at the end of the process to test the effectiveness of the majority-minority districts.”

“Our goal throughout this process has been a Fair Map that complies with the Illinois Constitution and the applicable laws, including the federal Voting Rights Act,” Senate Republican Leader Christine Radogno said. “Community organizations and citizens throughout the state have joined us in demanding a legislative district map that complies with the principles of Fair Map – which would lead to fair representation, competitive elections and greater accountability. We are providing that Fair Map.”

Rep. Mike Fortner gave input on the drawing of the Fair Map after attending numerous hearings and listening to hours of testimony from residents around the state.

It does not take into account political data such as constituent voting records or the addresses of current politicians, except when complying with Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act.

State Rep. Mike Fortner

“We took into consideration as much as we could the public’s requests and observations while complying with all of the rules,” said Rep. Mike Fortner (R-West Chicago).

“We worked closely with minority groups such as the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF) to give Latinos in our state a better opportunity to elect candidates of their choice than what was proposed by the democrats. The Latino population grew the most in the last ten years and that should be reflected in the map.”

The Fair Map does creates nine Latino districts with voting age populations (VAP) of 60 percent or more.

That’s in sharp contrast to the Democrat map that created only four districts with VAPs of 60 percent or more.

Compared to the Democrat map, the Fair Map plan also creates an additional majority Latino district and enhances and equalizes Latino voters in other districts.

At the same time, it does not retrogress African-American districts. In fact, it creates two more majority African-American districts than the proposed Democrat map.

“It became clear in analyzing the Democrat map that partisan political advantage was given a higher priority than the rights of Latinos and African-Americans,” said Sen. Dale Righter (R-Mattoon).

“In the Fair Map, as you can see, neither party was spared from the pairings. This is an indication that we did not take into account incumbency when drawing the lines,” said Fortner.

In the Fair Map, 17 incumbent Republicans were paired in the House and 17 Democrats were paired.

The Democrat proposal pairs 19 House Republicans and only 6 House Democrats despite the fact the majority of the population loss occurred in Democrat areas.

In addition, at many of the hearings—community members asked the legislators to respect county and municipal boundaries whenever possible when drawing districts.

The Fair Map maintains the integrity of more counties. The House Democrat plan splits 36% more counties than does the Fair Map.

The map is available for the public on www.ilhousegop.org/themapand www.redistricting.senategop.net which includes accompanying data.

The Chicago Tribune today discusses Democrats (and Republicans, although the GOP has almost no say in the legislative process) are doing to fulfill the legislative pledge of rolling back the 67% income tax hike according to the schedule in the tax hike law.

The analysis reveals that current spending must be cut over the next four years—substantially–in order to be able to pay off debt accumulated under the eight years of Democratic Party rule after Rod Blagojevich was elected in 2002.

Spending up a billion a year.

Tax revenue not.

Illinois, not surprisingly, ended up with billions of dollars in bills that could not be paid.

And, there was also that retired public employee pension payment problem. Promises made (to me, among others) and presumably guaranteed by the 1970 Illinois State Constitution…at least as long as State Supreme Court Justices are in such a pension system.

Jim Tobin talks about public pensions in Christ the King Church in Wonder Lake.

National Taxpayers United of Illinois President Jim Tobin makes a persuasive argument that all of the 67% income tax proceeds will go to pay those pension obligations.

Mark Beaubien

The Tribune article has a quote from local State Rep. Mark Beaubien (R-Barrington Hills). The Republican is a budget negotiator, one step below House Minority Leader Tom Cross. Here’s what he told the Tribune reporter:

“Anybody who believes we are going to ever eliminate that tax (increase) better think again. We’re not going to ever eliminate that tax…We need the money.”

Cross, who appointed Beaubien says this:

“There’s a path there to not continue the tax increase. We feel pretty good about that.”

State representatives are joining together to form a caucus to address diabetes. Here is their press release:

SPRINGFIELD…..House Minority Leader Tom Cross (R-Oswego), along with State Representatives Mike Tryon (R-Crystal Lake) and Jim Durkin (R-LaGrange) announced the formation of a bipartisan legislative Diabetes Caucus on Thursday to bring heightened awareness to the growing diabetes epidemic in Illinois.

Tom Cross in 1995 on swearing in day.

“Diabetes is a disease that affects a growing number of Illinois families each year,” said Cross. “Today almost 10% of Illinoisans suffer from either Type I or Type II diabetes, and this new caucus will bring a bipartisan approach to diabetes prevention, awareness and treatment.”

For most of the eight members of the caucus steering committee, the issue of diabetes is a very personal one. Representative Mike Tryon (R-Crystal Lake) was diagnosed with Type II diabetes in 2006.

Mike Tryon

“Living with diabetes has been life-changing,” said Tryon. “Through my own research I have found that many Illinois families struggle to find sufficient information and resources that can help them manage symptoms and maintain a maximum quality of life.”

For Leader Cross and Representative Jim Durkin (R-LaGrange), diabetes affects family members.

Both have children with Type I diabetes.

Jim Durkin

“The steering committee is off to a great start and we’ve been meeting regularly since January,” said Durkin. “I have no doubt that this caucus will provide many tools to help families manage the symptoms and care of their loved ones.”

Representative Cynthia Soto (D-Chicago) represents District 4, which includes Humboldt Park. According to Soto, Humboldt Park has been identified as the community with the highest percentage of people living with diabetes in the state.

“Along with my colleagues and diabetes caucus members, we are ready to roll up our sleeves and bring clear awareness and education to our state and to the people and families affected by this issue,” she said.

Cross said an invitation will be extended to other legislators to join the caucus. He also said they have been approached by many corporate and non-profit agencies that are willing to help with outreach efforts.

According to Cross, the steering committee’s goals include:

1. Seek needed legislation and evaluate filed legislation that affects people with diabetes.
2. Promote prevention education, available treatments and public programs that assist people with diabetes.
3. Reach out to agencies that assist people with diabetes.
4. Engage in outreach efforts between the caucus, its supporting agencies and people who suffer from diabetes.

Jack Franks

The day after Democrats rammed through their 67% income tax hike, newly-elected legislators were sworn in.

The lame duck tax hikers have now returned to the nests.

Not among them was Marengo’s Jack Franks.

He is one of very few Democrats who voted against the tax increase.

Self-preservation comes to mind as a motive.

Also coming to mind is Franks’ inability to influence one other Democrat to join him so that the bill could be defeated.

He did give a speech though.

With so many Democrats probably having taken votes that will result in their defeat in 2012, it is only mildly surprising that Franks did not decide to risk the wrath of fellow Democrats for at least part of the post-taking office parties.

Know where he showed up?

House Republican Leader Tom Cross’ reception for newly-elected Republican House members.