Division Signs

Your public easement is a perennial host to a sure indication that Spring has arrived in Lake County: campaign yardsigns. The election is a short week away, and sign farms are sprouting throughout the county faster than the medicinal marijuana seedlings. In Island Lake the situation is more akin to a yardsign agribusiness. Not ordinarily known for its zoning restrictions, Island Lake now allows candidates to plant their yardsigns on public land. And the candidates there have taken full advantage of the windfall. The Daily Herald relates one tale of signs of things to come ...

Village board candidate Joe Ptak is angry other candidates have placed their signs in the easement in front of his house. Accusing opponents Charles Cermak and Allen Murvine of harassment and intimidation, Ptak filed a complaint with police about the signs Sunday. In an e-mail sent to the Daily Herald and village leaders, Ptak said he feels he and his family are "purposefully being harassed, intimidated and threatened" by the other candidates' placement of their signs.
Furor over political signs in Island Lake

Leave Joe Ptak alone! Please. He's a human being -- leave him alone, you operatives!

All kidding aside, Ptak is the burgher who managed, last year, to harass and intimidate a League of Women Voters Congressional Forum by loudly demanding a recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance.

Your LakeCountyEye was scoopin Rte 176 this weekend and can verify Island Lake is beholden to more signs than a prophesy Bible camp. Unfortunately, your LakeCountyEye being a stringer for the McHenryCountyBlog, the LakeCountyEye digital Polaroid was fresh out of film. The LakeCountyEye thumbs, however, did manage to jot down a few yardsigns on the 4G handheld -- until being issued a citation for texting while stealing yardsigns. Anyhow, here are ten signs observed in Island Lake:

Island Lake's Ten Most Popular Campaign Yardsigns

I visited Island Lake and all I got was this lousy yardsign. There is no alternative: Vote the Intelligent Design Slate Dan Duffy for State Senate in 2008 Cash For Gold! Island Lake: A Community of Friendly People I'm with Stupid → Coming Soon at this Location: The Route 53 Extension Your Message Here What's Happening in Island Lake BLOG Now featured on the LakeCountyEye! You can take my yardsign when you pry it from the cold frozen ground.

Look for signs of your LakeCountyEye wherever better votes are sold.

Q the Eye/01.01.11

Dear LakeCountyEye,

I'm on the ballot and running for village trustee. I want to win but I don't want to have to campaign. Can you help?

Political Ptak

Dear Faux Joe,

There are two ways to get elected to public office in Illinois. The first way is to work hard, knock on doors and talk to voters, attend public events and meet civic and political leaders, master the issues that are of vital concern to both the voters and governing bodies, and be a tireless advocate for the policies that will best address these issues while serving the voters in a fair and equitable way.

The second way is to file a petition challenge and get your opponent thrown off the ballot.

You strike your LakeCountyEye as a #2 type of candidate. And you've come to the right place for advice!

There are more loopholes for challenging a nominating petition in Illinois than there will be potholes on the Route 53 extension. You may have already read about some recent clever petition challenges on this blog ...

Extraordinary Petition

Your opponent can be knocked off the ballot on the basis of a petition staple, or for owing money to the board they wish to represent, or to anything in between.

But the go-to guy for a petition challenge is LakeCountyEye operative manque, Joe Ptak. Ptak, some may recall, attained national notoriety for being the guy who demanded a Pledge of Allegiance at the Bean/Walsh debate in Grayslake last October:

The Alleged Allegiance

Ptak has not been shy about why he expects to hear a loyalty oath recited by his fellow citizens; and he has a loyal lockstep following, that includes the McHenryCountyBlog:

There are ignorant people in this land who do not have the slightest idea, nor understand, what it means to be an AMERICAN. Our Liberty, Freedom of Speech and the Press are never guaranteed and we must always fight to maintain them.
Man Who Asked League of Women Voters’ Moderator the Pledge of Allegiance Question Comments

Ptak is now cashing in his political capital, no doubt with hopes of parlaying it into a political career. Now running for Island Lake trustee, Ptak has personally filed a petition challenge against his opponent, Marcy Night. As Ptak personally told the Daily Herald,

"We want to capture all three seats and take control of the board, which is presently dominated Mayor (Debbie) Herrmann and her three allies," Ptak said. "I was raised in Chicago and we don't want our vote split."
Lake candidates face petitions challenges

So when it comes to getting elected to local office, one could do worse than to emulate joltin' Joe Ptak: With liberty and justice for all!

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