Sunday, September 27, 2015

Speaker for Yourself

There is no truth to the rumor that Lake County Sheriff Mark Curran resigned last week as Speaker of the US House of Representatives. Point in fact, it was Speaker of the House John Boehner who resigned.

Haha, as readers of this blog are unexpectedly aware ...
The Schock of the New
the last time the US Congress was sucked into a galeforce power vacuum, Peter Roskam, Lake County's vestigial Congressman, got swept out of his Majority Whip leadership post.

The stakes are higher this time, by an order of magnitude. For his part, Roskam says picking a Speaker of the House should be more like choosing a mate and less like booking an Uber ride:
I'm going to work hard to make sure we get the leadership we need, not just settle on the fastest, easiest choice.
Roskam: Don't settle on 'fastest, easiest' speaker choice
Roskam, a old fixture in the US House leadership pool, wants to school his less experienced colleagues on the do's and don'ts of picking their first Speaker.  The Sun-Times observed ...
Before electing a replacement for House Speaker John Boehner, Rep. Peter Roskam, R-Illinois, gained the support of enough colleagues Saturday to force a meeting to "confront the underlying issues" that led to Boehner's resignation. Though Roskam wasn't announcing a bid for a leadership spot, the move by the Wheaton lawmaker sets the stage for a possible run in the wake of the shuffle triggered by Boehner's surprise announcement Friday he'll leave Congress at the end of October.
Rep. Peter Roskam setting stage to move up after Boehner departure
Your LakeCountyEye obtained a copy of the memo:


Attn Colleague:

It is not every day a sitting speaker of the House of Representatives steps down because of divisions within a deeply conflicted Republican majority. If we launch headfirst into leadership elections like this is a typical succession, without ever taking the time to diagnose our current ailments, we won't heal the fractures in a conference that has thus far proved unleadable.

Meeting with a new leader candidate can be difficult, I know. Here are some commonsense Do's and Don'ts that have guided me throughout my tenure in the House:
  • Do make eye contact.
  • Do clean up; make hygiene a priority.
  • Do smile.
  • Don't talk about your Ex-Speaker.
  • Don't get drunk.
  • Do be on time.
  • Do not be judgmental if he has bad hair.
  • Don't tell political jokes.
  • Don't overdo the cologne.
  • Do offer to pay the bill.
Finally, there are plenty of fish in the sea, I know. If the choices are overwhelming, my door is always open. I'm here to help you.

Peter Roskam
Your LakeCountyEye will keep you apprised when further developments warrant.

Thursday, September 24, 2015

Goof of the Week

on the fritz As readers of this blog are as likely as not aware ...
Up Against the Walsh
last week the Daily Herald reported that Congressman-emeritus Joe Walsh will be challenging Randy Hultgren in the 2016 GOP Primary.

Well, nothing could be further from the truth. The Illinois Review straight-out asked Walsh ...
"Are you, or someone on your behalf, circulating petitions to challenge Hultgren in the 14th CD?" Walsh's response via text was four letters: "Nope."
WALSH UNDECIDED ABOUT CHALLENGING HULTGREN
Your LakeCountyEye regrets the error, and in the future will refrain from repeating unsubstantiated campaign rumors.

In related news, fresh on the heels of dropping out of the race for Lake County State's Attorney, Lake County Sheriff Mark Curran announced that he will be suspending his campaign to challenge Randy Hultgren the 14th Congressional District.

Tuesday, September 22, 2015

A Legal Vacuum?

when the going gets tough the tough get going Fresh on the heels of Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker dropping out of the race for Lake County State's Attorney, Mark Curran announced he would do the same. The Daily Herald said ...
Lake County Sheriff Mark Curran has ended his run for state's attorney, just weeks after announcing plans to challenge incumbent Mike Nerheim in the 2016 Republican primary.
Curran drops out of state's attorney race
Curran's announcement, for one, came as a surprise. As readers of this blog are aware, Sheriff Curran launched his hail-mary-pass campaign for State's Attorney only six weeks ago, declaring in a press release that ...
Mike Nerheim has done nothing to raise the caliber of the office. Today I made an opening statement, but I will be presenting evidence throughout the campaign that change is needed.
Throwing Good Money After Bad?
Those readers overcome by a sense of deja-vu may recall that Curran performed a similar flip-flop in 2013, on a decision to run for Illinois Attorney General:
Flippertigibbets
With Mark Curran now the last man out, there is no one left running for Lake County State's Attorney. One keen observer noted this could benefit the County in the long run: "If we quitclaim the State's Attorney office, Lake County will see considerably fewer wrongful conviction suits in the future."

Your LakeCountyEye will keep you apprised when further developments warrant.

Monday, September 21, 2015

Melissa Flynn and Elizabeth Richter:
Chicago's Green City Market


Adlai Stevenson Center on Democracy
Chicago's Green City Market has been honored as one of America's Top 10 Farmers' Markets by USA Today. Located in Lincoln Park, the independent nonprofit market was founded in 1998 by the late chef, author, and entrepreneur Abby Mandel to encourage local, sustainable agriculture. Board member Elizabeth Richter and Executive Director Melissa Flynn will share the story and mission of the market, and the contribution the market and its vendor-farmers make to ensure Chicagoans access to locally produced, healthy food. The market is dedicated to connect local farmers and producers to chefs, restaurateurs, food organizations and the public.
  • Sunday
    September 27, 2015
    2:00 pm
  • The Stevenson Center on Democracy
    25200 N St Mary's Rd
    Mettawa (Libertyville), IL 60048
    773- 281-0378
  • Coffee and conversation will follow the presentation
  • $15

Sunday, September 20, 2015

Monkey Out of Whack?

If your spider-sense is tingling that may be because you have been randomly selected by Lake County. The News-Sun says ...
The Live Well Lake County Steering Committee and Lake County Health Department and Community Health Center are sending invitations for a health status survey to 5,000 households in the county during the first week of September. These randomly selected Lake County residents will provide vital health information that will help guide the Department's and partners' community health improvement plans, supporting better health outcomes for all in Lake County.
New Survey Launched to Collect Data on Lake County Health Conditions and Challenges
Of course if your spider-sense is tingling, that could also be a sign of an underlying health problem. Those who did not receive an invitation from the Lake County Health Department can take heart -- your LakeCountyEye has obtained a copy and you can participate in the program anyways:
This postcard from the Lake County Health Department arrived in the mail on Saturday, Sep 19 -- and was paid for by the Lake County taxpayer.  So if you live in Lake County, just go over to Survey Monkey ...
www.SurveyMonkey.com/LakeHealthSurvey
... and answer all the questions:
www.SurveyMonkey.com/LakeHealthSurvey
Note to Ops: Your results may vary.

Saturday, September 19, 2015

A Force to Reckon

Powered by great big fans. Did you know that Illinois has two Springfields? There is the State Capital down somewhere in southern Illinois. And there is unincorporated Springfield up here in Lake County.

Few people know about Lake County's Springfield. Too small to appear on the map, its population is even dwarfed by its police force. To prove it, your LakeCountyEye met for donuts with Clancy Wiggum, Chief of Police in unincorporated Springfield.

"Ya." said Chief Wiggum. "There aren't any taxpayers here in Springfield. Our Department is totally self-funded. By the way, do you know how fast you were going?"

Your LakeCountyEye checked the Fitbit to find out.

"The entire force is now equipped with body cameras." boasted Chief Wiggum. "Those little badboys aren't cheap, but they're worth every nickel. Next time we get sued, we'll have our own video to show the jury!"

Aren't most lawsuits against Lake County law enforcement a result of DNA evidence?

"Got that covered." chuckled Chief Wiggum. "Our state-of-the-art mobile crimelab has a 12-month stockpile of DNA evidence."

State-of-the Art?

"Got the lab at a fire-sale with a six-to-one matching grant -- thankyou Homeland Security." beamed Chief Wiggum. "We also got body armor, assault weapons, night vision goggles, mine-resistant-ambush-protected vehicles, helicopters."

Quite an arsenal.

"Washington provides the tools. We provide the security." deadpanned Chief Wiggum. "I have a message for everyone. Badguys: you are not welcome in Springfield. Break the law here, and in one heartbeat we will come down on you harder than Custer on the Indians."

Word to the wise. Did Chief Wiggum have any parting advice?

"Be a good guy and remind your operatives that it is fall color season in Springfield. Why not make it into a long weekend? Springfield B&Bs honor all major credit cards!"

Wednesday, September 16, 2015

Up Against the Walsh

hot button The only Republican not running for Lake County State's Attorney may be Joe Walsh.

Haha, as readers of this blog should know ...
Walshed Up?
Joe Walsh, Lake County Congressman of yore, shot the Illinois GOP a male-ego sized head-fake with declarations to run against Mark Kirk for US Senate. Now he is making moves to challenge, instead, Lake County's boreal Congressman, Randy Hultgren. The Daily Herald says ...
Hultgren's staff is actively preparing for the scenario, and campaign workers for both Walsh and Hultgren were reportedly collecting petition signatures at a McHenry County Republican Party fundraiser last week.
The rundown on Joe Walsh's potential bid for Congress
No incumbent wants a Primary.  Threats of this nature are usually made to coerce concessions out of Party bigshots and donors -- in return the Primary challenge is quietly dropped.

Sources tell your LakeCountyEye, however, that Walsh has read the tea-leaves and they are Donald Trump orange pekoe.  2016 promises to be the year of the Trump, and Joe Walsh wins big if he can compel voters to fire the low-energy Randy Hultgren.

Hultgren's Congressional district overlaps the corner of Lake County that borders Wisconsin and McHenry County -- a naturally occurring sink for Walsh voters.

Your LakeCountyEye will be watching the 14th Congressional District. This one is undeniably huge.

Monday, September 14, 2015

Q the Eye/09.14.15

Dear LakeCountyEye,

I'm a J-School grad who just flew up from Metropolis. How do you get your scoops?

Clark Kent
Dear Man of Steel,Ὥρος Hōros

Super question. The answer, in a nutgraf, is your LakeCountyEye steals the stories published on this blog. If someone else has already done the research, why reinvent the wheel?

This is all you need to do:

First go to Patch.com -- a good source of local stories, plus no one ever reads the Patch. Find something more than a few months old to cadge. And look for a byline of someone you never heard of. Like Tim Moran for instance.

This one looks to be low-hanging fruit:
Rauner's Racing Board Appointment Has Ties to Corrupt Loan Firm
By TIM MORAN (Patch Staff)
June 7, 2015
Extract this paragraph ...
A Lake Forest man recently appointed by Gov. Bruce Rauner as chair of the Illinois Racing Board has close ties to a car loan firm that cost investors some $2 billion in the 1990s.
Rauner's Racing Board Appointment Has Ties to Corrupt Loan Firm
And rework it into this LakeCountyEye story ...
Gov Rauner Names Payday Loan CEO to Chair Racing Board
LakeCountyEye
Sunday, March 8, 2015
Then extract this paragraph ...
In the 1990s, Brincat served as a vice president of administration and assistant vice president for Mercury Finance Co., a Lake Forest-based subprime car loan firm in which leaders have admitted to manipulating earnings, failing to charge off unprofitable loans and creating phony financial figures for years, according to a 2007 article in the Chicago Tribune.
Rauner's Racing Board Appointment Has Ties to Corrupt Loan Firm
And turn that one into this LakeCountyEye story ...
Loan Shark Hosts Dold Funder
LakeCountyEye
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Last but not least, extract this image from the Patch ...
And use it to illustrate this LakeCountyEye story ...
Jumping the Shark
LakeCountyEye
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Finally, don't forget to backdate your stories. That way it looks like Mr Moran lifted his story from this blog -- not the other way around.

And that's how it is done, son.

If you are an elected official, or a previously elected official, or just a private citizen under indictment, send your political questions to Q the Eye c/o ... LakeCountyEye@gMail.com

Friday, September 11, 2015

Duffy: Gone in a Huff?

red light, green lightYour LakeCountyEye won't have Dan Duffy to kick around any more. The Daily Herald says ...
State Sen. Dan Duffy isn't running for re-election in 2016, ending the Lake Barrington Republican's tenure in Springfield after two terms.
State Sen. Dan Duffy won't run in 2016
Minutes after Duffy's surprise announcement, Dan McConchie announced that he would run for Duffy's seat. According to the Daily Herald ...
Minutes after Duffy made his announcement, Republican Dan McConchie announced he'd run for the seat. Previously, McConchie had announced he'd run for the seat Ed Sullivan is vacating against Lake County Board member Nick Sauer.
State Sen. Dan Duffy won't run in 2016
Informed sources say "quick-draw" McConchie will be keeping a close watch on Michael Nerheim -- and has not ruled out a run for Lake County State's Attorney instead. Your LakeCountyEye will keep you apprised when further developments warrant.

Wednesday, September 9, 2015

Don't Leave it to Clancy

Having subsisted for years on a blogger's diet of Cheetos and Mountain Dew, your LakeCountyEye took a close look at Chief Wiggum's Wiki ...
Clancy Wiggum -- Simpsons Wiki
Scared straight!

Monday, September 7, 2015

Walshed Up?

His rise was meteoric and brief. When he spoke people turned to listen. And he parlayed his 15 minutes of fame into a lucrative radio job.

Does your LakeCountyEye mean Joe Walsh?
Haha, nope -- it's Ted Williams, that homeless guy with the golden voice:
Haha, j/k. Your LakeCountyEye, of course, refers to Lake County's Ex-Congressman Joe Walsh:
The McHenryCountyBlog observed that Walsh is endorsing conservative Don McConchie over Republican party insider Ed Sullivan Jr in State Rep District 51:
Don McConchie spekes to Saturday afternoon crowd at Joe Walsh's barn.
McConchie Rally at Walsh Barn
Does this signal that Joe Walsh has taken the role of king-maker -- or would he rather be king? Your LakeCountyEye asked Dr. I.M. Bhatschidtkhrazzi, Éminence Grise Professor at the College of Lake County.

"Ya," said Dr. Bhatschidtkhrazzi "our Joe Walsh is the Donald Trump of Illinois politics. The man everyone loves to hate."

Mr Trump isn't doing too poorly this election cycle.

"Have you noticed?" chuckled Dr. Bhatschidtkhrazzi. "I'll bet Mr Walsh has noticed. He would be a shoo-in if he ran in the Primary alongside Trump. Who's next after President on the Primary ballot ... Senator?"

Joe Walsh will run for US Senate?

"Just imagine Trump and Walsh topping the ballot in 2016." smiled Dr. Bhatschidtkhrazzi. "There's your exploding oil-train wreck. They can't do anything about Trump -- but the Illinois GOP can keep Walsh off the ballot if Mark Kirk runs for re-election."

But what if US Senator Mark Kirk has plans to retire?

"Not a problem." replied Dr. Bhatschidtkhrazzi. "Kirk gets re-nominated to the Senate, and then a month or two after the Primary he resigns. Says he wants to spend more time with his family. Or something to that effect."

If Kirk resigns from the ballot, does the GOP appoint a replacement?

"Exactly." grinned Dr. Bhatschidtkhrazzi. "And don't expect him to be Joe Walsh."

Who -- Robert Dold?

"Not likely." grimaced Dr. Bhatschidtkhrazzi. "The word on Dold is he can't win in a Presidential year."

Then Randy Hultgren?

"Ha ha." laughed Dr. Bhatschidtkhrazzi.

Your LakeCountyEye couldn't resist that joke.

"Mark Kirk always wins because the women vote for him." confided Dr. Bhatschidtkhrazzi. "The GOP needs someone good with the ladies, like Kirk."

Congressman Peter Roskam?

"Bingo!" shouted Dr. Bhatschidtkhrazzi. "Despite being the face of the Party at war against women, women love to vote for Roskam. He hasn't had a close election since he ran against Tammy Duckworth."

Does that mean a Duckworth v Roskam rematch in 2016?  Too crazy!  Did Dr. Bhatschidtkhrazzi have any parting advice?

"Tell your operatives that the Illinois GOP is looking for someone to take-over for Peter Roskam in Congress. Be sure to send a photo!"

Friday, September 4, 2015

Q the Eye/09.04.15

Dear LakeCountyEye,

I've read your site lakecountyeye.com and saw you've written about art in the past. I thought you might be interested in writing about a really cool exhibit that's popping up in our office.

We've turned one of our a meeting rooms at the Soho-based Fueled Collective into a twisted, dystopian version of an Apple Store. On first blush, it looks like a place where you'd buy an iPhone: it has all the same furniture and style, but the strangest and most fascinating objects for sale. The exhibit is a stinging commentary on how we're all addicted to gadgets, tech, and startup culture.

If you're in New York, feel free to drop by our office to check it out. If you can't make it to the office, we'd still love for you to write about it! Below are some links with information about both the artist and Fueled Collective. We've recently had a photoshoot, so if you are interested I'd be happy to send some pictures your way.

Artist Creates A Fake Apple Store Filled With Crazy, Dystopian Tech
Artist Evan Desmond Yee's Website
Business Insider: "Take A Tour Of The Coolest NYC Office We've Ever Seen"
Forbes: "Fine Clothes, Killer Apps; An Office That's Cooler Than Yours: The Rise Of Fueled Collective"
Fueled Blog: A Twisted Apple Store Comes to the Collective


Best,
Dane Kragness
Content
Fueled
568 Broadway, 11th Fl | NYC
800.962.4587 | fueled.com
Dear Dane Kragness,Ὥρος Hōros

Thank you for your submission. After careful consideration, your proposal does not suit the current needs of this publication.

You may wish to note that Lake County currently has it's own twisted, dystopian version of an Apple Store:
iTunes : Lake County, IL: County Board Meeting Video Audio Podcast
You are encouraged to submit more story ideas for future consideration.

If you are an elected official, or a previously elected official, or just a private citizen under indictment, send your political questions to Q the Eye c/o ... LakeCountyEye@gMail.com