Patrick Kenneally Rolls Out Campaign Leaders: Blazier & Dorion-Gray

A press release from Assistant McHenry County State’s Attorney Patrick Kenneally, who is running for the top spot in the Republican Primary Election:

KENNEALLY ANNOUNCES CAMPAIGN CO-CHAIRMEN

Patrick Kenneally

Patrick Kenneally

Patrick Kenneally, Republican candidate for McHenry County State’s Attorney, is pleased to announce that Bob Blazier (Mr. Crystal Lake) and Paula Dorion Gray will serve as co-chairmen of his campaign.

Bob Blazier brings a wealth of experience in business having served as Superintendent of Crystal Lake Community Consolidated School District 47, Crystal Lake Chamber of Commerce President, Vice President of marketing and education for Northern Illinois Medical Center (Centegra Hospital) and Director of Communications for Home State Bank.

Further he has helped to found the Centegra Foundation, Raue Center for the Arts Foundation and the McHenry County College Foundation.

His dedication and service to the community are unparalleled. Bob Blazier affirms the fundamental values of community and faith.

Paula Dorion-Gray is a Certified Financial Planner and is President of Dorion-Gray Retirement Planning Inc.

She has a demonstrated capacity to continually motivate people from all walks of life from business owners, corporate executives, educators, etc.

Paula’s clients have benefited from her strong leadership and her frequently sought expertise has gained her a reputation for trust, confidence and success.

She is a contributing columnist on personal financial issues for the Northwest Herald, member of Rotary International and Board member of the Greater Chicago Chapter of the International Association for Financial Planning.

The combined skills of Bob Blazier and Paula Dorion-Gray will spearhead the campaign and bring a focus that will help to meet the challenges and opportunities ahead.

It is both an honor and a privilege to have them serve as co-chairmen.


Comments

Patrick Kenneally Rolls Out Campaign Leaders: Blazier & Dorion-Gray — 7 Comments

  1. Robert P Blazier

    Teachers Retirement System of the State of Illinois (TRS)
    aka Downstate/Suburban Teachers pension fund

    Years of Service: 37
    Benefit Start Date: June 29, 1985

    Pension Amount – Data Year
    $108,090 – 2014
    $101,886 – 2012

    Annual Cost of Living Allowance (COLA) is 3%.

    The Better Government Association Pension Database omits pensions for some years.

    http://www.bettergov.org > Pension Database

    Pensions are 75% of the average of the last four years worked.

    +++++++++++

    Let’s compare Mr. Blazier’s pension to the current Superintendent of Crystal Lake Elementary School District 47, Dr. Kathy J Hinz.

    The compensation of most school district employees can be found on the school district website, which in this case is:

    http://www.d47.org > Departments > Business > Salary Compensation Report.

    The Fiscal Year 2016 report is not yet posted.

    Here is the 2014-2015 Certified PA Salary Report (Public Act 96-0434 & Public Act 96-0266).

    The Fiscal Year 2015 base salary is $173,000, plus $23,755 insurance, 12 sick days, and 25 vacation days (Superintendents and some upper level administrators work year round not just the roughly 36 weeks / 180 days teachers work. Teachers and administrators can accumulate up to 2 years – 340 days – of sick leave to exchange for years of service credit to retire earlier or to cash out at ending salary rate at retirement).
    http://www.d47.org/cms/lib8/IL01904560/Centricity/domain/327/business/2014-15%20Certified%20PA%2096-0434%20and%2096-0266.pdf

    Here is the 2014-2015 (Fiscal Year 2015) Administrator and Teacher Salary Report (Public Act 97-0609 aka PA 97-0609) with the same figures.
    http://www.d47.org/cms/lib8/IL01904560/Centricity/domain/327/business/2014-15%20Certified%20PA%2096-0434%20and%2096-0266.pdf

    Here is the 2013-2014 (Fiscal Year 2014) Administrator and Teacher Salary Report (Public Act 97-0609 aka PA 97-0609)
    Superintendent – $86,500
    Assistant Superintendent – $59,734
    Interim Superintendant – $11,834
    Total – $158,068
    http://www.d47.org/cms/lib8/IL01904560/Centricity/Domain/327/Public%20Act%2096-0434%20and%20Public%20Act%2096-0266%20-%202013-2014.pdf

    +++++++

    Now let’s look at Ms. Kathleen J Hinz in the Open the Books Widget.

    Crystal Lake CCSD 47
    2014 – $172,982
    2013 – $123,048
    2012 – $120,937
    2011 – $118,222
    2010 – $115,222
    2009 – $113,480
    2008 – $105,406
    2007 – $101,609
    2006 – $096,042
    2005 – $081,568
    2004 – $079,067
    2003 – $066,675
    2002 – $062,000
    2001 – $058,000

    Special Educ Of McHenry County
    2000 – $041,072

    McHenry County College
    2004 – $002,650
    2003 – $002,500

    http://www.OpenTheBooks.com > widget

    +++++++++++++++++++

    Now let’s look at Ms. Hinz in the Better Government Association (BGA) Salary Database.

    2013 – $120,937
    2012 – $118,222

    Note, “Data Year” in the BGA Salary Database does not necessarily correlate to Fiscal Year.

    Variances in reported income could be due to various factors such as, is all pensionable income included in the reported figure.

    To be thorough when comparing salaries, pensionable and non pensionable income should be obtained and itemized, and identified as pensionable or non-pensionable, which is seldom done.

    ++++++++++++++++++

    Let’s take the last four years of Ms. Hinz’s OpenTheBooks income.

    2014 – $172,982
    2013 – $123,048
    2012 – $120,937
    2011 – $118,222
    Total – $535,189

    Now let’s calculate the average of the last 4 years.

    $535,189 / 4 = $133,797.

    Now let’s multiply the average by .75 (75%).

    $133,797 x .75 = $100,348.

    Starting pension would be $100,348 if Ms. Hinz had 35 years of service at the end of 2014, which may be fiscal year 2015? – hard to tell from the figures.

    ++++++++++++

    A few notes.

    Reported salary figures should include years worked in the pension system, which is why it’s always best to get salary figures from the pension system.

    Without more research we don’t know how many years worked the TRS pension system has recorded for Ms. Hinz.

    Years worked is often less than years of service for final retirement calcualtions, since many teachers and administrators exchange up to 2 years of unused sick days for up to 2 years of service credit to retire up to 2 years earlier than would otherwise be possible.

    Ms. Hinz only became a Superintendent recently.

    The previous Superintendent, Donn Mendoza, stepped down in June of 2013, although his contract was through 2016.

    Per the Better Government Association Salary Database for Donn Mendoza
    2013 – $178,095
    2012 – $165,000

    Donn Mendoza is now the Principal of Round Lake High School in Round Lake CUSD 116, and Assistant Superintendent of Secondary Education for Grades 6 – 12.

    +++++++

    So in that lowball scenario Superintendent Hinz’s starting pension is $100,348.

    Here starting pension will be substantially higher, since she was only recently promoted to Superintendent.

    Let’s hypothetically say she doesn’t get a raise for 4 years and retires in 2017.

    2017 – $172,982
    2016 – $172,982
    2015 – $172,982
    2014 – $172,982
    Total – $691,928 / 4 = $172,982 (obviously) x .75 = $129,736 starting pension.

    Remember above former Superintendent Robert Blazier retired 30 years ago in 1985, and his pension is only up to $108,090 as of 2014.

    Salaries, pensions, and pension benefits have increased dramatically for Superintendents and teachers over the last 45 years, since the pension sentence was added to the Illinois State Constitution on December 15, 1970.

    +++++++++

    Public education salaries, pensions, current benefits, retiree benefits, and legislative pension and retiree healthcare benefit hikes are primary drivers of hiked taxes-+, and taxpayer IOU’s in the form of unfunded pension liabilities.

    +++++++++

    The Illinois TRS public education teacher and administrator pension fund has very large taxpayer IOU’s in the form of unfunded pension liabilities.

    It is the single largest fiscal problem in the State of Illinois.

    There has been gross negligence by State Representatives, State Senators, and Governors in the form of legislative pension benefit hikes since 1970 while pensions were already underfunded.

    45 years, and most Illinois residents still don’t know the story.

    Teachers and administrators and public sector employees and pensioners do not tell this story.

    The press does not tell the story.

    Bill Zettler, the Illinois Policy Institute, the Chicago Tribune, a few others have tried to tell the story but it hasn’t been enough.

    Whether or not taxpayers realize it, there is now a fight between pensions and taxpayers.

    Pension special interests are organized.

    Taxpayer special interest group is not organized.

    Guess which special interest group will come out on top?

    Right now it’s not looking good and each year the problem gets worse.

  2. Open the Books Widget

    Patrick D Kenneally

    Employer Name: McHenry County States Attorneys office

    2014 – $56,926
    2013 – $74,108
    2012 – $71,984
    2011 – $58,617
    2010 – $57,450
    2009 – $53,623
    2008 – $50,180
    2007 – $23,883

    http://www.OpenTheBooks.com > Widget

    ++++++++++++

    Better Government Association
    Salary Database

    Employee: Patrick D Kenneally

    Employer: McHenry County

    Department: States Attorney

    Start Date: June 25, 2007

    Patrick D Kenneally

    2014 – $76,066
    2013 – $74,030

    http://www.bettergov.org/payroll-database
    http://www.bettergov.org > Payroll Database

    ++++++++++++++++++++

    There is a discrepancy between Open the Books and Better Government Association.

    It likely has to do with the particulars with how they obtain the data, for example, is it coming from the employer or the pension fund (pension fund would report pensionable income), is the year the Fiscal Year or the Calendar Year, etc.

    +++++++++++++++++

    Illinois State Board of Elections
    Citizens for Patrick Kenneally
    Purpose: To support the candidacy of Patrick D Kenneally for McHenry County State’s Attorney
    Committee ID 31866
    Treasurer: Bob Rettberg, Barrington
    https://www.elections.il.gov/CampaignDisclosure/CommitteeSearch.aspx
    http://www.elections.il.gov > Committees > Search Options > Committee Search

    +++++++++++++++++++

    McHenry County States Attorneys Office

    https://www.co.mchenry.il.us/county-government/departments-j-z/state-s-attorney-s-office

  3. Patrick Kenneally may possibly make a good State’s Attorney, but his close connection with the Pinocchio Regime makes me too uncomfortable.

  4. Eric C. I don’t care if Kenneally worked out of the same office as the devil himself if the alternative is Dan Regna.

    It doesn’t take much digging to find out what that guy is all about.

  5. Illinois State Board of Elections
    Citizens for Dan Regna
    Purpose: Support election of Daniel Regna for State’s Attorney
    Committee ID – 20761
    Chairman – Michael J Cooper
    Treasurer – Mark R Jacobs
    http://www.elections.il.gov/CampaignDisclosure/CommitteeDetail.aspx?id=20761

    +++++++++++++++++++++++++++

    Northwest Herald
    November 30, 2015
    Election 2016: Assistant State’s Attorney Patrick Kenneally files to run for the top spot

    “Former assistant state’s attorney Dan Regna, who worked under Bianchi’s predecessor and unsuccessfully ran in 2008 against Bianchi’s bid for a second term, also filed to run as a Republican.”

    http://www.nwherald.com/2015/11/30/election-2016-assistant-states-attorney-patrick-kenneally-files-to-run-for-the-top-spot/ap539va

    ++++++++

    Northwest Herald
    December 7, 2015
    McHenry County State’s Attorney Lou Bianchi dropping re-election bid
    – Patrick Kenneally to face Dan Regna in GOP primary challenge
    http://www.nwherald.com/2015/12/07/mchenry-county-states-attorney-lou-bianchi-dropping-re-election-bid/a9b23i5

    ++++++++++

    Illinois Primary election Tuesday March 15, 2016

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *