Chicago Has Stricter Revolving Door Lobbying Rules than General Assembly

It’s hard to believe that Chicago has rules that are more stringent than those that affect Illinois State Representatives and Senators, but they do. Former Alderman Will Burns, from supposedly ethical Hyde Park, agreed to pay a $5,000 fine because … Continue reading

Althoff Called Out by Sun-Times for Sponsoring Bill Favored by Firm that Hired Her as Lobbyist

Here’s a headline no retired legislator would want to see: The story in the Chicago Sun-Times is about then-Senator Pam Althoff having sponsored a bill supported by Enterprise Rent-a-Car during the spring session. It lays that off against the retired … Continue reading

Jack Franks’ Personal Agenda & Secret Legal Opinion Trumps State’s Attorney’s Opinion re Committee Chairman’s Control of Committee Agendas – Part 1

The following was written by a Friend of McHenry County Blog: RE-DIRECTED, STONE WALLED, OBFUSCATED AND IGNORED Describing How County Board Member Concerns Are Addressed By The County Board Chairman As He Continues To Break Board Rules and Waste Taxpayer Money … Continue reading

Does McHenry County Need Paid Lobbyists or Will Our Congressmen & Their Staffs Suffice?

A piece written by for McHenry County Board member Ersel Schuster: Federal Lobbyists Not Needed It is difficult to believe those elected to represent us, at all levels of government, did not get the resounding message of the 2016 election. … Continue reading

Tribune Pins Tail on Teacher Unions

Tuesday, the Chicago Tribune editorial was about the teacher pension problem. Too many claims on too few dollars. As regular readers know, teacher union lobbyists regularly urged legislators to skip making payments for pensions in order to increase State Aid … Continue reading

McHenry County Residents Lobby Springfield on Gun Issues

Mickey Schuch, President of McHenry County Concealed Carry, reports, “We had huge turnout from McHenry County and upwards of 3,000 from around the state “I brought some of our group to meet with Representatives Tryon, Wheeler, Andersson, and Senators Althoff … Continue reading

Report on Community College Springfield Lobby Day

This comes from Elgin Community College Trustee Robert Getz: Each year, the Trustees from Elgin Community College (ECC) travel to Springfield to participate in the Illinois Community College Trustees Association (ICCTA) Lobby Day. This year’s Lobby Day was April 29, … Continue reading

Hammerand Disagrees with County Board Colleagues Direction to Lobby for More Power & Taxes

A press release from McHenry County Board member John Hammerand: McHenry County directs lobbyists to expand authority to tax, and asks for additional authority in all areas At the McHenry County Board meeting on January 21st the County passed the 2014 State Legislative … Continue reading

Hiring DC Lobbyists Gets 4-3 Approval of County Finance Committee

$82,000 will be paid to Ferguson Group, LLC for Federal legislative consultant services. After being previously approved by the McHenry County Board’s Legislative and intergovernmental Affairs Committee, the Finance Committee voted 4-3 to agree to keep the same lobbying firm … Continue reading

The Role of Teacher Union Lobbyists in the Pension Debacle

The Southtown has a Phil Kadner column about the negative effects (more later than soon) of shifting the burden of paying teacher pensions from State government to local school districts. He missed one aspect that some may find significant.  I … Continue reading

The Other Tuesday Night Meetings – Township Annual Meetings & McHenry County Board’s with Vote on Slot Machines in Rural Bars

Besides the 6 PM meeting at McHenry County College at which the lame duck Board seems destined to renew President Vicky Smith’s contract, there are other meetings people might find of interest. Each of McHenry County’s 17 Townships will hold … Continue reading

Jack Franks and the Illinois Federation of Teachers – Follow the Money

Regular readers may remember my extreme disappointment with liberal Democrat Jack Franks’ vote to sentence poorly-educated Chicago children to more of the same. Chicago Pastor and State Senator James Meeks got a bill through the State Senate that would have … Continue reading