Take this Job and Duff It

If the Illinois Senate is a two-way street, then State Senator Dan Duffy just blew his last red light.

Haha, the lameduck District 26 Senator says he will resign early.  According to the Northwest Herald ...

Duffy, R-Lake Barrington, announced the day after Tuesday's election that he would resign his 26th Illinois Senate District seat effective April 3 to take a job as president and CEO of Prevent Child Abuse America, a Chicago-based nonprofit with chapters in all 50 states, most of which do home visitations to ensure the healthy development of children.
Illinois Sen. Dan Duffy to step down early to lead nonprofit

Note to Ops: Nostradamus has nothing on your LakeCountyEye. Not to brag but, it was as far back as 2011 that this blog predicted Dan Duffy would resign from his Senate seat:

Freakout Punch

(To put this feat in perspective, Nostradamus was still alive in 2011.)

Duffy's announcement came one day after the election -- where Dan McConchie won a closely contested GOP primary in Senate District 26. It was probably no coincidence that Duffy waited until after a winner was called in his Senate district.

Republican Party insiders have been tasked with appointing someone to serve the remainder of Duffy's term, which expires at the end of the year. And your LakeCountyEye can now predict with great certainty that those insiders will select Casey Urlacher. The current Mayor of Mettawa, Urlacher finished a close second behind McConchie in the primary.

Haha, j/k. You don't need to be Nostradamus to know that the GOP insiders will appoint McConchie -- a pro-life lobbyist and activist -- to fill Duffy's vacant seat.

Well, duh.

The Monkeyshines in Mundelein

As heavyweight matchups go, this one may rival the Rumble in the Jungle and even the Thrilla in Manila. In one corner sits the defending champ and 6-time incumbent, Ed Sullivan Jr. And in the other corner is his challenger, past treasurer of the Lake County Republican Party, Bob Bednar. At stake is who will be the next undisputed State Representative of Lake County's 51st District.

Bob Bednar vows to uphold the 2012 Illinois Republican platform which calls for a constitutional amendment to preserve traditional marriage. Not surprisingly, right off the heels of Ed Sullivan's vote to legalize same-sex marriage in Illinois, some heavy hitters have entered the ring for Bednar. According to the Illinois Review ...

Fallout from passage of the gay marriage bill is being felt in Lake County where an email from Lake County GOP Vice Chair Jack Koenig states that he and Chairman Bob Cook are backing Bob Bednar in his attempt to unseat Republican State Rep. Ed Sullivan who voted for the bill (SB10) to redefine marriage in the state of Illinois.
Lake County GOP chair backs opponent of Republican State Rep. Ed Sullivan

Predictably, Keith Brin -- rumored next GOP Chair of Lake County -- is none too pleased. Brin thinks it is inappropriate for current GOP Chair Bob Cook to take sides in a Republican Primary, and said so in writing. According to the CapitolFaxBlog, Brin warns Cook that ...

if you will not disavow these series of events tagged with your name as Chairman, I would ask you to resign your official position until such time as a replacement may named.
Court clerk wants disavowall or resignation
Candidate: Lake County GOP chairman supports Sullivan ouster

The 51st District that Sullivan represents is paired with State Rep David McSweeney's 52nd District. The two districts -- 51 & 52 -- comprise Senate District 26, which is represented by Dan Duffy.

It is known that both Duffy and McSweeney voted against the marriage equality bill that Sullivan supported. It is not known whether Dan Duffy plans to support Ed Sullivan or Bob Bednar. Nor is it known whether David McSweeney will support Ed Sullivan or Bob Bednar.

Anyone?

Bueller?

Dumby and Dumber

It is unknown whether Lake County State Senator Dan Duffy ever uttered a sentence that did not contain a noun, a verb, and a flat tax. Haha, is there anyone in Lake County who does not believe in tax fairness? Poor people think a graduated income tax is fair -- one that makes rich people pay their fair share. While rich people favor a flat tax, where they are taxed at the same rate as poor people.

Duffy recently mailed a tax fairness survey to his constituents:

The survey begins with a personal greeting ...

Dear Friends,
In 400 BC the great philosopher, Plato, is credited with saying, "those who are too smart to engage in politics are punished by being governed by those who are dumber."

So true, so true.

Duffy governs represents communities including South Barrington, Lake Barrington, North Barrington, Barrington Hills, Inverness, Tower Lakes.

Bad Signs

According to their eponymous website ...

Starting Spring 2012, the Bettendorf Castle will be hosting private group tours. We invite you to take a tour of the exterior of the beautiful, historic Castle grounds.
The Bettendorf Castle

The castle is easy to find: just look for the Dan Duffy yardsigns. Your LakeCountyEye has learned that there are no less than four Duffy for Senate yardsigns waiting to greet visitors at the Bettendorf Castle.

While those signs may earn Duffy some votes out of the next tourbus from Racine, they may have the opposite effect on voters from the neighborhood. According to the Daily Herald ...

To the dismay of its neighbors, public tours of Bettendorf Castle in Fox River Grove could resume soon after a ruling by a McHenry County judge on Wednesday morning. Fox River Grove officials had argued the village code does not allow bus tours in residential areas, and the matter ended up in court after castle owner Michael Strohl was issued a zoning ordinance violation notice in August.
Judge OKs tours of Bettendorf Castle

There is an art to placing a yardsign. A yardsign in a Lake County roundabout, for instance, will get your campaign scores of repeat views from confused motorists as they drive in circles. But just about anyone who knows which end goes into the ground can plant a yardsign where it will get seen. The art is in placing that sign where it doesn't goad others into voting for your opponent.

To get you started, your LakeCountyEye has identified ten toxic locations to avoid:

Ten Places in Lake County Where Not to Put a Yardsign

Land & Lakes Landfill In Front of a Red Light Camera Blarney Island At a SWALCO Collection Event Along the Route 53 Extension Blocking an Awesome Outdoor Display of a Homeowner Against Lighting Ordinances On the Mundelein Free-Range Chicken Ranch The DiMucci Property In Front of an Ed Sullivan Yardsign Gracing the Frontlawn of a Lake County Sheriff Foreclosure Eviction

Look for your LakeCountyEye -- where else? -- stealing your yardsign.

Old Yeller

Dan Duffy, Lake County's inconsequential Senator in Springfield, has a new yellow jacket under bee in his bonnet. Recently seen on this blog driving through some red lights ...

Caught Red Handed

Duffy has spent a good part of his political career seeking to get his Bills -- those that would abolish Illinois's red light cameras -- out of committee. It seems that Duffy is now aiming his sights a bit lower, at the yellow light instead. According to the Daily Herald ...

A plan to extend yellow lights by one second at intersections with red-light cameras has been placed in political purgatory. The proposal, sponsored by state Sen. Dan Duffy, a Republican from Lake Barrington, and Rep. Ed Sullivan, a Republican from Mundelein, was approved by the Senate in March. But House Speaker Michael Madigan hasn't released it from the House's Rules Committee, so it won't be debated.
Duffy yellow light plan stalls

Your LakeCountyEye had a couple more Duffy jokes in the hopper, but frankly is dumbstruck by that Daily Herald headline ...

Duffy yellow light plan stalls

Is that the best the Daily Herald can do for a sitting State Senator? Are they outsourcing their headline writing chores to non-English-speaking minimum-wage contractors? In Wisconsin? Or something?

Erm, why not just let your LakeCountyEye donate these 10 crappy, but at least better, headlines into the Public Domain, no questions asked?

Ten Headlines to Use with a Story on Dan Duffy's Yellow Light Proposal

Duffy Yellow-Light Plan Gets the Red Light Duffy Yellow-Light Plan Gets the Green Light ... NOT! Duffy Yellow-Light Plan Gets the Lake County Roundabout It's Lights Out for the Duffy Yellow-Light Plan No Light at End of Tunnel for Duffy Yellow-Light Plan Duffy Yellow-Light Plan Sent Down the Route 53 Extension Illinois House Blackballs Duffy Yellow-Light Plan There's Nothing in the Middle of the Road but Yellow Stripes and Duffy's Dead Yellow-Light Plan If the Duffy Yellow-Light Plan was One of the Avengers it would be Yellow-Light-Plan-Man Duffy Yellow-Light Plan T-Boned at the Intersection of Screw You and The Horse You Rode In On

Look for your LakeCountyEye on a horse at a roundabout near you.

Rebuffing with Faint Praise?

An operative from Mettawa received a Campaign Mailer Legislative Update in the mail from State Senator Dan Duffy. The op forwarded a scan from the Duffy newsletter to your LakeCountyEye, along with a question:

I recognize Sen Duffy in the photo. Who is the fellow (posed like Jack LaLanne) standing next to him?

Operatives are invited to search high and low throughout the mailer for some mention of the unidentified fellow's name. But if you are anything like your LakeCountyEye you too will be coming home with neither hide nor hair to show for your efforts.

In desperation your LakeCountyEye made a call to the archivist. The LakeCountyEye archivist does have compelling evidence to think the man of mystery is actually Duffy's co-host at the Children's Health and Safety Fair, State Rep Ed Sullivan:

Safety Blitz

If Sullivan was indeed co-host of the Fair, there is no mention of that, either, in Duffy's mailer.

Freakout Punch

As readers of this blog are abundantly aware ...

Freak Out

the discrete art of freak-show politics flourishes, brimming with pith and vinegar, and one of its uncompromising habitués is Lake County's very own State Senator Dan Duffy. Its latest breakout, according to FOX Chicago News, occurred when ...

Two state senators had to be separated by their colleagues Thursday during an ugly argument over a nominee for a political post, trading insults in a spat that escalated until they stood nose to nose in a committee room bickering at one other. The argument between Democratic Sen. Antonio Munoz and Republican Sen. Dan Duffy was over Gov. Pat Quinn's nomination of Terry Cosgrove to serve on the Illinois Human Rights Commission. Cosgrove runs Personal PAC, a group that advocates for abortion rights
Quinn Nomination of Terry Cosgrove Ignites Ill. Senate Dispute

The bare-knuckled Duffy picked a fight with the stringbean Cosgrove over some direct marketing spam Personal PAC sent to mailboxes in Duffy's 26th Senate District. So mean!

Duffy has been no stranger to either to this blog or the local MSM, generously providing both over the years with an abundance of weapons-grade reportage materiel. Regarding his tenure in Springfield, Duffy told the Pioneer Press (proudly reproduced on his website) ...

"I'm not down there to make friends," Duffy said.
Duffy submits bill restricting red-light cameras

Duffy apparently a man of his word, the remark appears to be no idle boast or threat. The CapitolFaxBlog got a taste of Senator Duffy's famous fists of fury after attempting to investigate his Facebook page:

The Senator has apparently blocked me from accessing his FB site. He reportedly suggested in a caucus meeting the other day that no Senate Republicans should ever speak to me. Yes, he has quite the little temper.
Temper, temper

What's on the horizon for the State Senate's homegrown Chuck Norris? Duffy told the Daily Herald he ...

expects to see the boundaries of his district change and is aware he could even be "mapped out" of his district. "I know I'm a target because I've been outspoken regarding a lack of transparency and a lack of ethics guidelines in Illinois," Duffy said. "I know being vocal has been put a target on my back ... but I'm not concerned about it. I can't do anything about it."
Suburban redistricting committee members outline priorities

Not to mention he may be a target because he has no friends -- on either side of the aisle.

Your LakeCountyEye suspects that Duffy secretly hopes to be mapped out of his district, for the opportunity to resign his Senate seat in a blaze of righteous indignation. Your LakeCountyEye, naturally hopes otherwise and wishes Duffy many years of public service to come. There's a Woody Allen joke ...

this guy goes to his psychiatrist and says, "Doc, my brother's crazy. He thinks he's a chicken." And the doctor says, "Well why don't you turn him in?" The guy says, "I would, but I need the eggs."
Annie Hall

Senator Dan Duffy is certainly nobody's chicken. But your LakeCountyEye still needs the eggs.

Freak Out

Reports of the demise of freak-show politics are greatly exaggerated -- at least in Lake County. As reported on this blog, the April 5 election sent a signal that Lake County wasn't in a mood to vote for the sort of single-issue, extremist, fringe candidates that they favored in 2010:

Low Votage Voters

All of which is unwelcome news to satirical political bloggers, especially those who churn their bread and butter satirizing politics, on the Internet.

However aid & sustenance has arrived in the form of an unlikely white-knight, State Senator Dan Duffy (Fightin'26th). Often affectionately dubbed the Ted Nugent of the Illinois Senate, Duffy's latest altercation occurred during a committee hearing over the appointment of some abortion-rights libtard to some phony human-rights commission. The Daily Herald has the blow-by-blow ...

At one point, committee chair Sen. Tony Munoz, a Chicago Democrat, cut Duffy off. "Do not attack someone," Munoz said loudly. "You're attacking me right now," Duffy replied. Later, Munoz and Duffy had what appeared to be a heated exchange in a corner of the meeting room, even as the hearing continued. "Let's hope we don't have to get boxing gloves out," said Sen. Dale Righter, a Republican from downstate Mattoon.
Duffy has heated exchange in hearing

Your LakeCountyEye understands that threats to bring in a security detail had to be acted upon. In fact the fracas grew so loud that Speaker Michael Madigan adjourned the House session to get a ringside seat on the action.

If anyone could be counted on to ignore the wishes of the electorate, that would be Sen Dan Duffy. Despite what the voters may have said, freak-show politics is alive and kicking in Lake County. Hang in there Dan -- your LakeCountyEye needs the easy material!

Divided Interest?

It's an immutable law of supply & demand: voters demand smaller government & lower taxes and (prior to elections) politicians supply promises to make it happen. Of course, immutable laws are made to be broken, and this one was broke big-time by Senate Bill 3010. This bill gives Illinois townships the authority buy or build new township halls without requiring approval from their voters. Big expansion of government powers. And it passed easily last week -- voted for enthusiastically by both Democrats and small-government Republicans. The McHenryCountyBlog took note of this anomaly ...

Legislators Dissing Voters

blessing Libertarian Senator Dan Duffy for voting against the bill, while blasting just about every other local legislator for supporting SB3010.

Among those other legislators voting YEA was Rep. Ed Sullivan Jr. of Mundelein. Which seems unexpected, given that Sullivan can be counted on to promise his voters smaller government & lower taxes every election cycle. Unexpected, until you factor in that Sullivan is also the Fremont Assessor. Fremont as in Fremont Township. Could it be that Sullivan's focus on smaller government is clouded by divided loyalties -- loyalty to his district voters versus loyalty to the Fremont Township board?

It is obvious, we think, that Sullivan, as Fremont Assessor, could benefit from a Bill that would make it easier for a Township to obtain lavish office space. And there is a trend in that direction. Ela Township just billed taxpayers nearly $3 million for a new 11,000 sq/ft Hall. The voters in Grafton Township in McHenry County are fighting a proposed $5 million Hall. Does Fremont Township need/want a new Hall? Shouldn't have Sullivan recused himself from voting on SB3010 -- a clear conflict of interest?

Seal of Approval

Some local Senators were mixing it up Friday on the Senate floor; the Daily Herald provided the blow-by-blow ... Lawmaker's fundraising letter prompts criticism It was a case of Dan the Torpedoes, Full Speed Ahead -- as Senator Dan Kotowski charged Senator Dan Duffy with a campaign impropriety. The State of Illinois Seal was prominent on a Duffy campaign fundraising letter mailed out to donors. (The charge is apparent payback for an earlier criticism levelled at Senator Michael Noland, who sent a letter to lawmakers and lobbyists on Senate stationery.) It is old news but bears repeating: to be a targeted scapegoat, like this, and from the Senate floor, means Duffy has no friends -- on either side of the aisle. Now the merits of this particular charge are open to debate. Absolutely, the State Seal is for official State of Illinois documents, and shouldn't be ever seen on campaign lit. And absolutely, they all do it anyways, so what's the big deal? Personally, your LakeCountyEye sees nothing untoward with the practice.

Caught Red Handed

Lake County's lead-foot State Senator, Dan Duffy, got his 15 seconds of fame this week. And not once but twice, yielding a total of 30 seconds. And in the way that no elected official ever wants to get their 15 seconds, courtesy of the YouTubes. Duffy was caught double-timing it through some intersections by his bête noire -- the municipal red light camera. In Illinois a right turn is permitted at a red light. However only after a full stop. The devil is in the details!

Duffy's is the second car through the intersection ...

YouTube

Another smooth Barrington Stop observed at the same intersection a couple days later ...

YouTube

A note to LakeCountyEye Ops: consider a Toyota Prius for these occasions. When nabbed blowing a red-light, your LakeCountyEye always pleads that the Toyota's gas pedal was stuck. Plus the Prius is economical, reduces your carbon footprint, and is one sweet ride. A win-win for everyone. For those LakeCountyEye Ops who happen to also be a local state senator, the Toyota Lexus may be substituted for a Prius.

If Duffy is in the habit of texting his email while behind the wheel, he may not have seen the red-lights. That may also account for this email Your LakeCountyEye received from Senator Duffy a while back ...

Have you had enough of Red Light Cameras?
If you want them removed, I need your help!

My bill, SB2466 calls for the repeal of all red light cameras in Illinois. The bill does NOT repeal cameras at construction sites or railroad crossings. To view complete details of this and other bills, please always refer to www.ilga.gov. This is the same web site the legislators use to research bills and all information is available to the public.

SB2466 has been filed and is currently sitting in “assignments”. Once it assigned it will be moved to a committee. It must pass out of committee to go to the senate floor for a vote. It will not pass without your HELP! The bill will have to pass both the House and Senate to become law. We need to build as much support as possible for SB2466. If you support this bill, please send an email to every legislator in the General Assembly (please see email list below for every legislators email address). Legislators read their emails and gauge the priority they put on bills based on the number of emails and calls they receive. The more emails, the more support for SB2466 there will be.

Here is a sample email you can use. Please feel free to “cut and paste” this sample email and send…or write whatever you would like. The emails should not be too long. Main point to highlight is that you SUPPORT SB2466 and will hold all legislators accountable who do not support the bill. Always list “SUPPORT SB2466 – Repeal Red Light Cameras” in the subject heading of your email. Cut and paste all email addresses and re-send to all legislators at LEAST once a week.

Please forward this email to family, friends and associates who will help us in our effort!

Sample email:

I strongly support Senator Duffy’s bill, SB2466 – Repeal of all Red Light Cameras. Ohio and Minnesota have already repealed these cameras and Illinois must do the same. These cameras have proven to be all about REVENUE and not about safety. Since the cameras have been installed, studies have shown that accidents have actually INCREASED in the intersections where cameras are located.

Over 90% of tickets issued by these cameras are from turning Right on Red. If that is a problem in certain intersections, shouldn't towns first install “No Turn On Red” signs at troubled intersections?

Corruption is a serious problem in Illinois and these cameras are making a bad situation worse. Elected officials (legislators, mayors, village administrators) are making deals with camera companies without consulting their constituents. Politicians are receiving large campaign contributions, towns / villages are receiving piles of cash from these cameras AND camera companies are receiving 30-50% of every ticket issued! That is a clear "conflict of interest". Camera companies are making millions of dollars a month from hard working Illinois citizens.

We all are Innocent Until Proven Guilty. However these automatic tickets make us Guilty Until We Prove We Are Innocent. For a $100 ticket citizens must pay over a thousand dollars to hire a lawyer, take time off work and go fight a camera. There is also NO uniformity in the law as to how these tickets are issued. Every town sets their own criteria regarding “how” and “when” red light tickets are issued. That “inconsistency” from town to town is a violation of Illinois state law.

Please join me in SUPPORTING SB2466. I will be watching to see how you vote.

Thank You,

Dan

Dan Duffy
State Senator
26th District

Support SB 2466 - Repeal Red Light Cameras

Duffy, that day, apparently was in a mood to take no prisoners. His request to ...

please send an email to every legislator in the General Assembly

was augmented by the email addresses of all 118 House members and 59 Senators attached to the message. And with easy to follow instructions ...

Cut and paste all email addresses and re-send to all legislators at LEAST once a week

Needless to say all 177 legislator's email addresses wound up being reproduced at various libertarian and anti-red-light-camera websites. Like, for instance, this one ...

The smallest minority

This, by the way, is how professional spammers build up their email databases. Spammers don't copy-and-paste email addresses by hand, but they use computer programs to harvest email addresses from websites. Any website with a posted email address is fair game.

Your LakeCountyEye surmises that the Senate Transportation Committee -- which holds hearings on SB 2466 this week -- must've quickly found out who was watching to see how they voted. (Or whom amongst them could benefit from some low-cost over-the-counter Viagra.) Because they returned the favor by FOIAing Duffy's red-light-camera arrest record. Which by now is all over the Interwebs, courtesy of the YouTubes.

Punk't!!1!!

Red Lights for Greenbacks

It's lights out for State Senator Dan Duffy's plan to flip the switch on Illinois's red light cameras. Duffy's bill, SB2466, would have outright banned the familiar red light cameras from all but a few traffic intersections. But SB2466 has for all intents and purposes been tabled, having been sent to an ad hoc Transportation Subcommittee with a promise the subcommittee would take "genuine action". According to the Daily Herald ...

Traditionally, sending legislation to a subcommittee that would never meet was a way to kill legislation without ever taking a vote.
Red-light camera debate delayed

Anyone reading the LakeCountyChai tealeaves knows that Duffy's bill had to be killed for the simple reason that fines levied by red light cameras are the only source of revenue currently funding State of Illinois day to day operations. Illinois has found itself in this unusual and precarious state of affairs on account of opportunistic politicians who have gotten themselves elected by sweet talking their electorate with promises of draconian tax cuts.

Were this red light revenue stream to dry up, Springfield would not be able to pay its bills. As your LakeCountyEye reported this week ...

Q the Eye/02.14.10

Illinois State government would shut down, nonessential services like libraries would be shuttered, while legislators would be evicted from their lavish State of Illinois subsidized district offices and have to go home. The Daily Herald underscored this very nightmare scenario when it reported that the State of Illinois, as of last October, has not paid rent on Duffy's spacious Barrington digs.

State senator threatened with eviction from Barrington office

Coincidentally it was last October that Duffy originally filed SB2466:

VEH CD-AUTOMATED TRAFFIC LAW

Of course where some see a coincidence, those with the LakeCountyEye of discernment see a red flag.

Q the Eye/02.14.10

Dear LakeCountyEye,

Help! I'm being thrown out of my government subsidized housing in Barrington.

Eviction of Circumstance

Dear Thrown Out on Your Duff,

Your LakeCountyEye feels your pain knowing the ignominy of being unceremoniously tossed out of one's crib. The check was in the mail, your LakeCountyEye swears! But, with the State budget 13 trillion dollars in debt, the less fortunate ones among us living off Springfield's largess will have to, for the foreseeable future, tighten the onions on their belts. The State of Illinois, no different that any governing entity, is in a hole because its voters like it when they are provided goods and services but don't like to pay for them.

Voters are in this ungovernable mood because their elected leaders encourage it:

Dan Duffy is the new leader Lake County needs. Dan has built a successful business and understands that more government "tax and spend" programs are not an effective solution for the economy or individual empowerment.
Willard Helander, Lake County Clerk

In short, I support Dan Duffy because he knows a better job, not a bigger government, is the way to provide good things for Illinois citizens.
Ed Sullivan, Mundelein Trustee

It's tough talk like that this that puts the elected in elected-leader. Of course these same tough talking leaders are feign to show any leadership when it comes to deciding which entitlements get cut, or how revenue is raised. The only revenue generating programs we've gotten so far are video poker & red light cameras.

Pass the buck like this enough times and sooner or later the State of Illinois will not be able to pay its bills. Which is exactly what one State Senator, who has gotten to like his government subsidy, found out the hard way. According to the Daily Herald, the State Senator (who will remain nameless by your LakeCountyEye) is being evicted from his government office for non-payment of rent. The landlord ...

sent a notice to Duffy's office Wednesday demanding substantial payment if basic services are to continue for his third-floor space on Main Street. The document states there may be "consequences" for Duffy, who received an eviction notice in June, if at least partial payment on four months of back rent is not made soon. "If this guy evicts me, I'll completely understand and move," said Duffy, a Lake Barrington Republican. "He's completely getting the shaft by the state of Illinois."
State senator threatened with eviction from Barrington office

Barrington & Main St & 3rd Floor? Way to go, Senator! Of course the Senator is well within his rights to blame his problems all on his dead-beat employer. But this is the same Senator who thinks that business, not government, holds the key to solving all our problems. Since this Senator is a successful entrepreneur, your LakeCountyEye wonders why he doesn't locate his government office on the premises of his business. This is a solution that has worked out well for JoAnn Osmond all these years. Just sayin!

So even though your LakeCountyEye feels your eviction pain, there isn't much spare room to share with your LakeCountyEye, down in the parental unit's basement. The solution to your problem is simple -- get a job. Your State Senator is a job-creating businessman and no doubt will be happy to accommodate. He may be in need of someone to answer the phone in his relocated government office.

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

Chew-the-Fat Tuesday!

It used to be that Springfield legislators were in session only 6 months of the year. Now it seems like the Thanksgiving/New Year's break is the only free time remaining for our legislators. Naturally your LakeCoutyEye wonders how they make use of this interval. An informative e-mail sent by one LakeCountyEye operative:



The operative, high within the ranks of the grammar-police, notes there are far too many apostrophes in ...

Senator Dan Duffy Announces Talk 2 Me Tuesday's!

Your LakeCountyEye suspects there are too many exclamation points as well.

Other noticeable faux pas's include:

After the legislature reconvenes in February, Senator Duffy will continue his policy of meeting anyone who would like to see him.

If the Illinois General Assembly website is to be believed, the Senate will be convening on January 12, 2010 ...

Illinois General Assembly
Possibly Sen Duffy anticipates being delayed by the expanse of red-light cameras between Lake County and Springfield?

Finally, Duffy's gnomic message ...

If you are unable to read this, click here

was obviously not intended for any of the sharp-eyed LakeCountyEye operatives. Being no less than your LakeCountyEye, your LakeCountyEye is able to read it quite clearly. But one defining trait of your LakeCountyEye is an implacable curiosity. Any not-so-sharp-eyed op who is unable to read Duffy's message, is asked to please click and send your intel back to ...

LakeCountyEye@gmail.com

A terrific prize awaits the first to respond: some face time with a local Senator.
Identity of Senator to be announced at a later date.

Safety Blitz

Frequent commenter State Representative Ed Sullivan Jr & State Senator Dan Duffy are throwing a family health and safety fair.

When
Saturday, Sept. 19
9am to Noon

Where
Highland Middle School
310 W. Rockland Road
Libertyville

According to the Daily Herald ...

Participants can learn about bicycle safety, child safety seat checks, flu prevention, college savings programs and more.

The flu season is starting and the media has everyone worried that swine-flu-shots may not be available. Rep Sullivan's wife is a nurse practitioner, so it won't hurt to ask. Rep Sullivan gained some notoriety a few years back as the candidate who campaigned on his bicycle. He should be knowledgeable on bike safety. Sen Duffy will also be there. Finally, Illinois State Representatives and Senators grant free college scholarships to their constituents, don't forget to ask about the program.

Some noteworthy September 19 events ...

• Adam "Batman" West was born in 1928
• Nikita Khruschev in 1959 was not allowed in Disneyland
• Sept 19 is Rosh Hashanah

Bill Gentes running for third term.

Got a press release from Mayor Bill Gentes today announcing his run for his third term. Gentes ran for State Senator Bill Peterson's open senate seat last fall and got beat quite handily by republican newcomer and now State Senator Dan Duffy.

Scuttlebutt has it that Gentes is toast in this election, but looking at the County Clerks website from the November election you can see Gentes won the Round Lake precincts pretty consistently (looks like he lost 1 of 10). There is a slate already announced (posted here on December 27) so its a two way race for the Round Lake Mayor's seat (for now). My guess is that Gentes wins. Plus I have been hearing from Republican sources that there is a third slate gearing up to run as well.

Two term Round Lake Mayor Bill Gentes announced his intention today to seek a third term as Mayor of Round Lake. Mayor Gentes is running on his record of improving management of the village, professionalizing the police department, and building a surplus in reserves from $5 million dollars to well over $16 million today. In addition Mayor Gentes serves on numerous boards and committee’s including Chairman of the 120 Corridor Planning Council, which hopes to build the 11 mile road across the county to solve many of our transportation problems.

Running with Bill on the United Round Lake Party is current Village Clerk Jeanne Kristan, Village Trustee Brian Brubaker, current Round Lake Police Commissioner Al Villasenor and Cynthia Purim Haran. “I am pleased to say this slate balances and represent all the areas of the village from the older sections of towns, to some of our larger less represented developments. I am very excited to be running with this fine group,” says Bill. “The village has become a much more complex entity in the last years, as the vast amount of development approved by my predecessor was built during my first term. We had to manage explosive growth and increased service demands with little in the way of management structure in place. I am proud to say that we have done quite a bit of this, but more needs to be done, which is why I am seeking a third term as Mayor,” says Gentes.

“My running mates are professionals who have either helped the village progress over the last 8 years, or will help going forward. The two newcomers to elected office are Al Villasenor a small business owner who runs a Financial Services Company and Cynthia Purim-Haran an Attorney with senior management experience as well. I think the village will be well served by this slate of candidates,” says Gentes.

Round Lake has grown from 5,400 people in the 2000 census to just fewer than 17,000 according to recent projections.

Macgillis files to run for Round Lake Mayor

The Waukegan News Sun has this announcement today about a former Mayors of Round Lake's son running for Mayor. The current Mayor is Bill Gentes who lost a nasty state senate race to Dan Duffy last November. Round Lake politics is known for Gentes fighting with the old guard of Round Lake with his firing of the old Police Chief, and throwing some light on the shady dealing of the past.

What is it with family members running for office in this state?

NOTE: I tried to find pictures of anyone in this newly formed group, but was unable to find much that did not include the current Mayor which seemed inappropriate, send a pic here if you read this.

ROUND LAKE -- Dan MacGills, the son of a former mayor, has announced he will seek to unseat incumbent Bill Gentes in the April 7 election.

"People have had enough of the present administration under our current mayor," said MacGillis, who will lead a slate of candidates in the newly formed Community Connection Party.

MacGillis, a 50-year Round Lake resident, is a member of a pioneer Round Lake family and previous owner and director of the MacGillis Funeral Home. His father, Douglas MacGillis, was elected mayor of Round Lake in 1961.

"My father's vision was to see the population of Round Lake grow along with business opportunities," he said. "We now have enough roof tops -- growing Round Lake as an economy is next."

Besides MacGillis, other slate candidates include Nancy Piscitello for village clerk, and trustee hopefuls Don Newby, Laura Frye and Susan Triphahn.

Newby is an incumbent and has a long record of community involvement; Frye is an attorney who resides in the Parkview area; Susan Triphahn is the current president of the Lakewood Grove Homeowners Association; Piscitello is a 10-year resident living in Bright Meadows.