Thursday, August 30, 2018

A House of Cards

By now the Lake County GOP has become your posterboy for the Culture of Corruption. And now after they have brought sex and drugs to the table, can the money be far behind?

Haha, your Lake County government has been on a spending spree:

An examination of a year's worth of statements from county-issued credit cards shows outlandish spending among some Lake County government employees, including a $2,000 steakhouse dinner. CBS 2 uncovered hundreds of county workers using tax dollars in an unchecked spending spree.
Lake County Employees Spent Thousands Of Taxpayer Dollars On Food And Fun
It was Lake County Administrator Barry Burton who approved all of these P-Card transactions. And it was Lake County Treasurer David Stolman who cut reimbursement checks for all of these P-Card expenses.

All of which invites the obvious question: What is a P-Card?

No one seems to know. If they did, one would think they would be returning your LakeCountyEye's calls.

Well, your LakeCountyEye has a hunch. 10 to be exact:
10 P-Words that the Lake County P-Card
Most Likely Stands For
  1. Paved-with-Gold-Card

  2. Purloin-Card

  3. Pay-an-Arm-and-a-Leg-Card

  4. Patronage-Hire-Card

  5. Pee-Down-Their-Backs-and-Say-it-is-Rain-Card

  6. Princess-Nudelman-is-Watching-Card

  7. Pennies-from-Heaven-Card

  8. Pmisspelled-Card

  9. Put-Yourself-in-the Shoes-of-Kim-Kardashian-Card

  10. Party Hardy
Look for your LakeCountyEye being carded near you.

Wednesday, August 29, 2018

The Culture of Obstruction

blockheads
If resting on your laurels involves neither sex or drugs, the Lake County GOP is not content to rest on their laurels. Not content with simply being the Culture of Corruption ...
What the heck is going on in Lake County?
the Lake County Republican Party is shopping around a new street name:
The Culture of Obstruction
Yesterday, after posting a fakenews story about the Jacksonville shooting on FaceBook, the Lake County GOP then killed any chance that you will get to vote for your County Assessor in November:
Gov. Bruce Rauner has issued an amendatory veto effectively killing legislation that would have let Lake County voters decide how their chief assessment officer is hired.
Rauner effectively kills bill targeting Lake County chief assessment officer
One official spokesman said: "By law the Governor can't veto the whole election. But he can scrub all of the candidates off your ballot."

That's all your LakeCountyEye has. No one to vote for here. Stay home.

Monday, August 27, 2018

The Walsh of Silence

Appearances to the contrary, Joe Walsh has not come out as transgender, changing his name to Helene Miller Walsh.

No, in fact Helene Miller Walsh is Ex-Lake County Congressman Joe Walsh's wife:
Of course you wouldn't know it, just from glancing at the tee-shirt, with the Walsh part of the name buried and rendered in small type:
Note to Ops: If you want to convincingly scrub a name, you're going to have to use a smaller font:
Helene
Miller

Walsh
That's how it's done, son.

Thursday, August 23, 2018

The Sunshine State is the Best Disinfectant

Party Animals
Word of the day is Aloha!

Barry Burton, the Lake County Administrator, is moving to Florida. Burton plans to become the County Administrator in Tampa.

If you don't know who the County Administrator is or what he does, few people do. This is the person hired by the Lake County Board to, among other things, sign off on their county credit card expenditures:
Burton, his staff and the county board face public criticism for how county board expense accounts and credit cards have been managed. That scrutiny was prompted by revelations of financial misuse by county board Chairman Aaron Lawlor. Burton, who was responsible for signing Lawlor's monthly expense invoices, and other officials have since said they intend to change procedures and improve oversight of card usage.
Lake County administrator offered job in Florida
Aaron Lawlor is under investigation by the Illinois State Police for his county credit card expenses.
Burton said the controversy in Lake County was not what prompted him to look at a new job. It was just a matter of the job coming available.
Lake County administrator headed to Florida's Gulf Coast
Florida may not have an extradition treaty with Illinois, but County Administrators down there are paid well:
The Tampa Bay Times listed the new job with a salary range of $212,000 to $275,000 annually.
Lake County administrator headed to Florida's Gulf Coast
Anyone making that kind of money is going to need a pool-boy.

Aaron Lawlor was unavailable for comment.

Wednesday, August 22, 2018

Will He Get the Chair?

... without paying any penalties!
There is no truth to the rumor that the Illinois State Police are distributing milk cartons with Aaron Lawlor's picture.

Haha, in fact the ...
Illinois State Police are investigating Lake County Board Chairman Aaron Lawlor's misuse of public funds and other aspects of his professional and political finances, authorities revealed Tuesday. That includes looking into the bank accounts for Lawlor's political campaign, which state officials say has broken the law by not filing any reports in nearly two years.
State police investigating Lake County Board chairman's finances
One official-sounding spokesman said that Aaron Lawlor is the target of a witchhunt -- and that the former GOP Lake County Board Chairman is weighing a generous offer to join the Trump administration.

That's all your LakeCountyEye has. No collusion here, move along.

Tuesday, August 21, 2018

Helene of Trojans

Today's pop quiz puts your knowledge of testes to the test:
Men's Sperm Counts Are Dropping, and Scientists Don't Know Why
Helene Walsh knows why:
Too many women on birth control who no longer emit pheromones which would normally elicit sperm in men. It's elemental my dear Watson ... birds and bees.

Helene Walsh was selected from more than 20 other candidates to be Lake County's new District 51 State Rep. While Walsh's grasp of reproductive biology may not explain many things, it would explain why she was handed Nick Sauer's legislative seat:
Helene Miller Walsh, the wife of conservative radio host and former GOP U.S. Rep. Joe Walsh, has been picked to fill the state House vacancy of a former Republican lawmaker who stepped down after being accused of sending an ex-girlfriend's nude photos to other men online.
Helene Miller Walsh, wife of former U.S. Rep. Joe Walsh, replaces state rep accused of sharing ex's nude pics

Monday, August 20, 2018

Helene Culpa

It has been brought to your LakeCountyEye's attention that Ex-Lake County Congressman Joe Walsh has not been appointed to Ex-State Rep Nick Sauer's legislative seat:
Caesar's Wife Must Be Above Suspicion
It was Walsh's wife who got the appointment. And not banty rooster Joe Walsh himself, which would have been totally different. Totally.

In contrast to her husband who makes a good living at being a rightwing nutjob, Helene Miller Walsh says ...
she wants to help the black community. Miller Walsh is a five-year advisory board member at Project H.O.O.D., an inner city nonprofit organization started by Pastor Corey Brooks in 2012 to help people become peacemakers, problem solvers, leaders and entrepreneurs in their communities. "We all want the same thing, ultimately," said Miller Walsh, a lifelong Chicago-area resident. "We all want to be able to live our lives with a lot less government interference. And we are responsible for ourselves. We're no different up here in Mundelein than they are on the South Side (of Chicago)."
Ex-congressman's wife appointed to seat of legislator who resigned amid sex scandal
To make amends for the error, your LakeCountyEye can share some of Helene Walsh's bipartisan Tweets:


To say that it's "racist" to call Haiti a shithole is like saying it's "racist" to say Chicago has a violence problem. Haiti is a shithole and it's run by blacks. The violence in Chicago is all black on black. Those aren't racist statements. They're just facts.

Sunday, August 19, 2018

Caesar's Wife Must Be Above Suspicion

date night
Joe Walsh took a big demotion.

Walsh, Lake County's most eligible Ex-Congressman, had been the frontrunner to replace eventual Ex-President Donald J Trump. For inexplicable reasons known to no one however, Lake County GOP Chairman Mark Shaw was able to persuade Walsh to be a State Representative instead.

And by instead, your LakeCountyEye means instead of Ex-State Rep Nick Sauer:
Shaw said Walsh was picked from about 20 contenders to replace Sauer. The process was set off by allegations in the Politico report this month. Sauer resigned hours after it was published. An accuser said she and Sauer met on a dating app and began a long-distance relationship. She moved to Chicago in 2017, but they broke up in March 2018 after she found out he was seeing other women. She said she later discovered an Instagram account with nude photos of her and said Sauer had been using the photos in conversations with other men, the report said.
Helene Miller Walsh, wife of former U.S. Rep. Joe Walsh, replaces state rep accused of sharing ex's nude pics
Note to Ops: Do not be hasty to regard this as a totally unexpected career move. After all, Springfield (when in session) has been described as the "oldest established permanent floating frat party in Illinois".

Mrs Joe Walsh was unavailable for comment.

Saturday, August 18, 2018

The Future of the Electoral College


Adlai Stevenson Center on Democracy
Karen Glennemeier of the League of Women Voters of Wilmette will present a brief history of the Electoral College, a discussion of its impact on our democracy and a plan for change.
  • Sunday
    August 26 2018
    2:00 pm
  • The Stevenson Center on Democracy
    25200 N St Mary's Rd
    Mettawa (Libertyville), IL 60048
    773-281-0378
  • $15
    (Students Free)

Wednesday, August 15, 2018

Q the Eye/08.15.18

Dear LakeCountyEye,

Are you better off now than you were four years ago?

Congressman Randall Hultgren
Dear Congressman Hultgren (if that's your real name),Ὥρος Hōros

Is the pope catachrestic?

Haha, campaigning for high office is a lot like catfishing with Instagram: Never ask a question you don't know the answer to.

So don't make a bonehead rookie error like the one made at a townhall meeting by Lake County's boreal Congressman, Randy Hultgren:
"Are you better off now than you were two to four years ago?" He asked.

"No," responded most of the crowd.

'Are you better off now?' Hultgren asks audience about tax cuts. 'No,' most say.
If this hadn't occurred in McHenry County your LakeCountyEye might be thinking that Hultgren was in danger of losing his Congressional seat.

Things are different in Lake County.  Here the Republican candidates leave nothing to chance when soliciting a voter's opinion.  For instance, they might ask the voters if they favor higher State property taxes.  In particular, if the voter favors a non-existent State property tax -- one fabricated out of thin air.  And worded for a ballot referendum that has no binding authority:
A divided Lake County Board voted Tuesday to put a question on the Nov. 6 ballot asking if the General Assembly should amend Illinois' Constitution and ban a statewide property tax increase. The usefulness of the referendum was questioned by county board members from both sides of the political aisle.
Lake County Board members spar over advisory property tax referendum
Ballot Referendum Question:Do you favor a statewide property tax increase?
Voters:"NOOO!" responded most of the voters.

That's how it's done, son.

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

Tuesday, August 14, 2018

The Stealth Tax

vote early and often
Lake County voters will get their opportunity to stick it to the man in November:
A divided Lake County Board voted Tuesday to put a question on the Nov. 6 ballot asking if the General Assembly should amend Illinois' Constitution and ban a statewide property tax increase. The usefulness of the referendum was questioned by county board members from both sides of the political aisle. The General Assembly is not considering such a statewide tax increase, opponents of the proposal said.
Lake County Board members spar over advisory property tax referendum
At the risk of being a party pooper, your LakeCountyEye has learned that these voters will be voting down a tax that does not exist.

At the risk of stating the obvious, didn't anyone on the Lake County Board know that in Illinois there is no such thing as a State Property Tax? If they did they are not talking. One County Board member did not respond to your LakeCountyEye's queries, citing that he was in drug rehab. Another could not respond because his Instagram account has been shut down.

One County Board member did tell the News-Sun ...
Michael Danforth, District 17, defended the measure saying, "This allows constituents a voice. Let's give them the opportunity to speak to Springfield. This also speaks to the taxing districts. People are paying enough taxes."
Lake County Board members spar over advisory property tax referendum
Another County Board member was all like Amen to That:
Judy Martini, District 5, said she has no problem with putting the referendum on the ballot. "I want to make it clear the County Board is not voting to support. We’re just putting it on the ballot. We are not taking a position on this. “Let the voters decide," she continued.
Lake County Board members spar over advisory property tax referendum
It goes with out saying that you take a big risk when you give the voters an opportunity to speak. Does anyone really know what the voter's decision will be?

Your LakeCountyEye knows. The voters of Lake County are going to vote for higher property taxes by a 20 to 1 margin. Take it to the bank!

Your LakeCountyEye: Predicting the future since Aug 7, 2018.

Monday, August 13, 2018

L'Etat, C'Est Moi

Outside of a Small Circle of Friends
The last time Lake County vestigial Congressman Peter Roskam emerged from his underground bunker, he got demoted to a State Rep.

Haha, as readers of this blog are aware ...
From the Big House to the State House
The Lake County Gazette (Lake County's #1 fake news source) ran a story with this headline:
Chicago businessman lauds state Rep. Peter Roskam for listening to constituents
Since all Lake County Gazette stories are generated by Russian twitterbots, inaccuracies such as these are widespread.

The misleading headline has subsequently been corrected:
Chicago businessman lauds state Roskam for listening to constituents but says business climate is worse
Roskam has not commented on his promotion from a State Representative up to a US State.

Constitutional scholars agree that if Illinois ever got divided into 4 separate States, one could be drawn solely for Peter Roskam. That way Roskam would have no excuse any more for not holding any townhall meetings.

A win-win for all parties by your LakeCountyEye's reckoning.

Saturday, August 11, 2018

Close the Books

A well informed electorate, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and read books, shall not be infringed.
Now the GOP wants to gut your public library:
Townships are not the only public bodies in the crosshairs of Republican leaders scrutinizing their tax bills and looking for taxes to slash.
McHenry County GOP leaders: Want tax cuts? Look at libraries
One Republican leader in particular is Dan McConchie, a State Senator:
The 26th District leader said he had heard an out-of-town visitor once describe an area library as something like the "Taj Mahal."
McHenry County GOP leaders: Want tax cuts? Look at libraries
The science behind an informed electorate is beyond dispute: Ignorance is proportional to your likelihood to vote for rightwing candidates. And all of those rightwing candidates who fear knowledge are going to fear their public libraries.

Dan McConchie's Senate district covers McHenry and Lake Counties. It goes without saying that the McHenry County electorate is functionally illiterate anyways, and that libraries there pose no threat to their Republican candidates.

Lake County, however, is a different story:
McConchie pointed to the "very property-rich southern part" of Lake County, where "every year they take the max they can under the tax caps" and build "massive" facilities. "Sure," McConchie said, "they provide nice services to their folks, but I walk in there, and there's people that are just sitting there on the clock doing absolutely nothing."
McHenry County GOP leaders: Want tax cuts? Look at libraries
Note to Ops: There is an election in three months. Get busy!

Thursday, August 9, 2018

Red Alert!

Do you know how fast you were going?
It has come to your LakeCountyEye's attention that no Lake County Republican candidate has withdrawn from the ballot today.

Your LakeCountyEye will keep you apprised when further developments warrant.

Wednesday, August 8, 2018

The Folding Chair

Double Coupon Day
There is no truth to the rumor that Lake County Board Chair Aaron Lawlor has not withdrawn his candidacy for County Board.

Amid widespread reports of financial mismanagement and misuse of public funds, it was inevitable that someone drop the dime on Lawlor:
In the months before Lake County Board Chairman Aaron Lawlor entered rehab for an undisclosed drug addiction, his county-issued "procurement card" was used to pay nearly $1,500 in hotel bills and almost $500 in ride-hailing charges through Lyft. Documents obtained by the Daily Herald dating back to 2016 show the Vernon Hills Republican frequently used the county card for personal purchases, which is not allowed under county policy.
Lawlor frequently used county card for personal expenses
Lake County State's Attorney Michael Nerheim is on the case:
Nerheim said that shortly after Lawlor's July 30 announcement that he would take a 30-day leave of absence to enter rehabilitation center for drug addiction, the state's attorney's office — along with Lake County Sheriff Mark Curran and acting County Board Chairman Carol Calabresa — "became aware of suggestions that Mr. Lawlor may have been in some personal financial difficulty." "They made initial inquiries, and allegations surfaced that Mr. Lawlor may have been using his county credit card for personal purchases," Nerheim said in a statement.
Authorities probe credit card use of Lake County Board chairman currently in treatment for drug addiction
In Lake County, the dog days of summer are when the long knives come out.

Tuesday, August 7, 2018

Going Going Gone

When the going gets tough the tough get going.
It has come to your LakeCountyEye's attention that former Lake County Board member Nick Sauer has withdrawn his candidacy for the Illinois General Assembly:
Nearly a week after he resigned amidst a sex scandal, former state Rep. Nick Sauer of Lake Barrington formally withdrew Tuesday as the Republican nominee for the state House 51st District seat.
Sauer withdraws as state House candidate after scandal
Who knew?

Not readers of this blog:
One knowledgeable source says Sauer got stampeded into resigning and may not withdraw from the ballot.
A Sauer Note
Your LakeCountyEye never saw it coming -- and flat out missed this call.

To make up for it, your LakeCountyEye can predict with absolute certainty that there will be no other high-profile ballot withdrawals, at least not during this election cycle. Bet the house.

Your LakeCountyEye: Predicting the future with accuracy since Aug 7, 2018!

Monday, August 6, 2018

A Sauer Note

DEWEY DEFEATS TRUMAN
Although it probably pains him to hear this, there is no truth to the rumor that the Lake County Sheriff is putting up wanted posters of Nick Sauer.

The Lake County State's Attorney, however, does have Sauer under investigation:
Lake County prosecutors have launched an investigation into accusations that former state Rep. Nick Sauer posted nude photos of his ex-girlfriend on Instagram.
Lake County prosecutors launch probe into accusations former state Rep. Nick Sauer showed nude photos of ex-girlfriend online
While Sauer has resigned from the Illinois General Assembly, his name remains on the November election ballot. One knowledgeable source says Sauer got stampeded into resigning and may not withdraw from the ballot: "I can see a lot of downside for Nick Sauer to withdraw but not a lot of upside. Suppose he stays on the ballot and leaves his fate to the voters. What is the worst that can happen? Sauer loses. But what if he wins? Sauer goes back to Springfield saying the voters exonerated him."

Note to Ops: In the court of public opinion the decision of the judges are final.

Sunday, August 5, 2018

How Low Will They Go?

May I put you down for a yardsign?
It has come to your LakeCountyEye's attention that you can fight your property tax.

Who knew?

The how-to details are even posted on the Lake County website:
Taxpayers who believe that their assessments are unjust may appeal their assessed value. Taxpayers in Lake County begin the appeal process with the County Board of Review.
What can taxpayers do if they believe their assessments are unfair?
Note to Ops: The Lake County website is TL;DR. Instead just find a house in your neighborhood that is bigger than yours and assessed below yours. Then complain to your assessor.

What can he do? Your assessor will be forced to lower your assessment. Provided of course one of your neighborhood homes is assessed well under yours.

A win-win then for everyone!

Friday, August 3, 2018

Double Trouble

Your LakeCoumtyEye heard a rumor that Ted Nugent has been invited to the next Lake County Republican Central Committee Meeting. This promises to be a night of sex, drugs and rock'n'roll.

Haha -- so which GOP elected official from Lake County has been found-out hiding under an ethical cloud today? It is getting hard for your LakeCoumtyEye to keep up.

If the Lake County GOP can be called an old boy network, then some of those old boys have been badboys. Lake County Board Chair Aaron Lawlor and State Representative Nick Sauer may be poster boys for the old saying that power corrupts. By any measure this has been a bad week for these two career politicians.

Despite their career setbacks, Aaron Lawlor and Nick Sauer both landed on their feet, your LakeCoumtyEye has learned. The two have hooked up and are lifecasting their exploits on YouTube:

IL Route 53 Update
Note to Aaron Lawlor and Nick Sauer campaign Ops: The show is kind of slow -- don't quit your day jobs.

Wednesday, August 1, 2018

Gone Sauer

Does anyone know what Nick Sauer has been up to lately? Your LakeCountyEye has seen neither hide nor hair of Sauer -- Lake County's most eligible State Representative -- either in the press or anywhere else.

In lieu of uncovering the latest skinny on Nick Sauer, Operatives are asked to enjoy this classic Monty Python skit:

Nudge Nudge Monty Python
Eric Idle:Do you have any naked pictures of your wife?
Terry Jones:Certainly not!
Eric Idle:Do you want to buy some?