Party Identification

Did you know there are more political parties in Lake County than registered voters? The News-Sun says:

In suburb after suburb, you'll find parties with monikers like People Before Politics, We're in This Together, You Are the Village's Heart, the Common Sense Again Party, the United Party for Progress or, most expansive of all, the Party of the Past, Present and Future.
What’s in a name? A look at the strategies and schemes behind the obscure political parties of Chicago’s suburbs.

So, is it a coincidence that there was a municipal election on Tuesday? Your LakeCountyEye does not think so.

The winners and losers will not be known until that last absentee ballot materializes. But one thing is certain. If you were the standard bearer for one of these independent parties, don't forget to pick up your yardsigns on the way out:

Ten Here-Today-Gone-Tomorrow Parties that Failed to Win, Place or Show in Lake County

Very Silly Party Friends of the the Enemies of Your Enemies Measles Party Every Man for Himself and God Against All Lake County Catawampus You Gotta Fight for Your Right to Party Some People They Got the Guns but We Got the Guns Illinois Unindicted The Republican Party

Look for your LakeCountyEye weeding a sign farm near you.

Nothing is Sure but Death & Taxes

Plan for some extra time on your Tuesday commute. The roads will be jammed with people out to vote on their local referendums:

On the April 6 ballot, little Deer Park is asking voters to increase the village sales tax to 8% for three years beginning in July. Officials say the increase, which should mean more than $700,000 a year in new revenue, is needed because of revenue losses caused by the pandemic.
Voters being asked to increase their property and sales tax bills, in one case to avoid the ‘nuclear option’

Deer Park wants to raise your sales tax to pay Clarke Mosquito to spray the Village with insecticides:

The Village has entered into an agreement with Clarke Mosquito Control
Mosquito Abatement

If it passes, the Deer Park sales tax referendum will trigger a 4-stage action plan:

1. People who stay indoors do not shop in Deer Park.
   
   
2. Deer Park must raise the sales tax to pay Clarke Mosquito to spray the village.
   
   
3. People flee indoors to avoid the insecticide spray.
   
   
4. GOTO #1

Don't forget to cut this out and take to the polls on Tuesday, April 6!

The McLaughlin Goof

State Representative MAGA Martin McLagughlin may have hosted a fundraiser, last month, in a smoke-filled room. But since that smoke-filled room was in a Barrington pub, no one was allowed to smoke. And everyone could see what was going on:

That has not deterred Martin McLagughlin from denying that anything improper happened:

When contacted by the Daily Herald, McLaughlin said that was "completely inaccurate." There were two separate events, "then everybody consolidated into a single room," McLaughlin said. However, McLaughlin's own Facebook event page for the fundraiser said it would feature candidates running for local office, though it did not name them.
League of Women Voters decries party politics in Barrington local elections

That's all your LakeCountyEye has. Nothing to see here. Move along.

Four Heads No Mask

MAGA State Representative Martin McLaughlin was caught on camera in a Barrington pub, for a fundraiser he threw with some MAGA Barrington School Board candidates.

Can you spot the errors in the picture?

No Facemasks
No Social Distance
Republican State Rep Seen Endorsing Non-Partisan School Board Candidates
$15 Decoration Budget

Submit your guesses to the League of Women Voters:

A partisan political group in Barrington has expressed support for candidates in school and library board races, a move criticized by the League of Women Voters, which says party politics has no place in local elections.
League of Women Voters decries party politics in Barrington local elections

Oranges and Oranges

With an election approaching fast, April 6, everyone is asking: Who would Trump vote for?

HaHa, trick question. Donald Trump never voted a day in his life.

Now, you may not know who the MAGA voters want. But it is no secret who the BTRO voters want -- which is all you need to know and more of the same:

A partisan political group in Barrington has expressed support for candidates in school and library board races, a move criticized by the League of Women Voters, which says party politics has no place in local elections. In an email and on Facebook this month, the Barrington Township Republican Organization backed candidates running for the Barrington Area Library, Barrington Area Unit School District 220 and Harper College boards.
League of Women Voters decries party politics in Barrington local elections

Note to MAGA voters: You should remember these names ...

Donald Trump may be gone but his legacy lives on. If your school, library or community college is out of whack, there is nothing this legacy can't whack.

Taylor Made Tracks

Lake County Board Commissioner Craig Taylor is going the way of the Lake Bluff Mosquito Abatement District:

Candidates are being sought to fill the vacant District 19 Lake County Board seat, which covers Lake Zurich, Barrington, Deer Park, Kildeer and portions of Long Grove. The vacancy was created with the recent resignation of Craig Taylor, who is moving out of state to be closer to family.
Candidates sought to fill 19th District Lake County Board seat

Note to Ops: If you are interested in the gig, free yardsigns are available: Contact the Lake County Forest Preserves.
ATTN: Lost and Found Dept.

The Elect Few

Despite the fact that the next election is more than 18 months away -- in November 2022 -- early voting starts this Monday ...

Early voting to expand Monday: Here's where you can cast your ballot

WTF? To find out, your LakeCountyEye Zoomed with Dr. I.M. Bhatschidtkhrazzi, Professor of Electoral Engineering at the College of Lake County.

"Ya," said Dr Bhatschidtkhrazzi, "Don't let all the twos and zeros fool you. 2021 is an odd-year election -- election day is April six."

Your LakeCountyEye texted back: OIC

"Be sure to vote." continued Dr Bhatschidtkhrazzi. "Odd-year elections are the only elections where your vote counts."

Your LakeCountyEye's vote does not count?

"Who did you vote for in 2020?" asked Dr Bhatschidtkhrazzi.

Donald Trump, of course.

"Then you wasted your vote." smiled Dr Bhatschidtkhrazzi.

Your LakeCountyEye begged Dr Bhatschidtkhrazzi's pardon.

"70,000,000 other losers just like you also voted for Donald Trump." explained Dr Bhatschidtkhrazzi. "How much did your one vote count? Your vote contributed toward one seventy millionth of Trump's landslide victory. Statistically speaking, one part out of seventy million is indistinguishable from zero. You would have gotten more mileage staying at home and spreading alternate-facts on social media."

Well, that was unexpected.

"Now, in an odd-year election like 2021" continued Dr Bhatschidtkhrazzi. "Your vote actually does count, and by lots more. By orders of magnitude!"

How so?

"Do the math." smiled Dr Bhatschidtkhrazzi. "Let's say 70 people come out to vote for your Mayor. Then one vote for Mayor packs a million times more wallop than one vote for President."

Wow.

"And not only that." said Dr Bhatschidtkhrazzi. "Let's say your Mayor wins by 7 votes. If you voted for him, then your single vote was one seventh of his total margin of victory."

Your LakeCountyEye heard enough. Did Dr Bhatschidtkhrazzi have any parting advice?

"Tell your Operatives the next time they see their Mayor, remind him that he owes them some favors. Kerching!"

A Poor Third Lake

At long last, should there not be a light at the end of the tunnel? For more than a year now, Lake County has patiently endured hardships and uncertainty. And the Illinois legislature is still only at the start of the redistricting process!

Illinois lawmakers are set to formally begin the once-a-decade task of redrawing the state’s legislative and congressional districts
Illinois legislators begin redistricting process amid census delays that complicate an already raucously partisan event

Residents of Third Lake, however, need not despair.  Your Village is not waiting on Springfield -- Third Lake has been redistricted already. Despite the fact that your lake is not under the Village's jurisdiction, a new ordinance puts Third Lake off-limits to non-residents.  That is, unless they spring for a $55 fee:

F. Non-Resident Fees.
Non-resident guest passes may be purchased for a consecutive three (3) calendar day period for $55.00.


Village of Third Lake Ordinance No. 21-01-01

Note to non-resident Ops: Supplies may be limited.

Q the Eye/03.13.21

Dear LakeCountyEye,

You can't fight city hall -- especially not after the bank forecloses on city hall.

How can I raise enough revenue to keep my village afloat and get re-elected all at the same time?

Paint My Town in the Red

Dear Mayor McSqueeze,

The trick to raising taxes is to do it without raising taxes.  Like with red-light cameras or slot machines.  Just don't make the mistake made over in one Lake County burg. During a pandemic when everyone is broke, stuck indoors and binge-spending all their money on the Internet, this municipality wants to raise their brick-n-mortar sales tax:

Learn why Deer Park officials want to increase the town's sales tax rate

So sad.

Now, here's what you need to do:  Go drive around town. And if it looks like everyone owns a boat, you don't tax the golf courses.  No, you do what this Lake County village did:

Village of Third Lake Registration of Boats & Other Watercraft
ORDINANCE NO. 20-02-02
AN ORDINANCE PROVIDING FOR THE REGISTRATION OF BOATS AND OTHER WATERCRAFT AND ESTABLISHING RULES AND REGULATIONS FOR VILLAGE BOAT LAUNCHES, LAKE USAGE AND WATER-LANDING PLACES

And even if Illinois State Law clearly says that you do not have jurisdiction over these watercraft, haha, go ahead and collect your sticker fees anyways.

Who's gonna know?

Send your questions to Q the Eye c/o ... LakeCountyEye@gMail.com

The Lone Nut Theory

If a college is an institution of learning at the highest level, then why is Robert Joseph Tomei Jr a candidate for College of Lake County Trustee?

More to the point, who is Robert Joseph Tomei Jr? Nobody knows. Except possibly his Facebook friend(s). This screencap from Tomei Jr's private Facebook page was obtained by your LakeCountyEye:

Tomei Jr weighs in on the President Kennedy assassination:

"the official narrative remains the lone-nut theory"

Note to Ops: It seldom hurts to belabor the obvious.

That's News Tomei

Can just anybody run for College of Lake County Trustee? Apparently so, judging from one candidate's Facebook page. The screencap to the right was leaked to your LakeCountyEye. In a Facebook post privy to a select few, Robert Joseph Tomei Jr seems to need to get something off his chest regarding the topic of golden showers. If elected CLC Trustee, will Tomei Jr propose mandatory urine tests for all students? A burning question, to be sure. So, who is Robert Joseph Tomei Jr? By any indication a Trump supporter, it is unknown if Tomei Jr is a graduate of Trump University. If he is, one could say that Robert Joseph Tomei Jr matriculated from a Donald Trump property. At any rate, you wizz-kid graduates of Trump U may be eligible to transfer course credits to CLC. Will Robert Joseph Tomei Jr become a College of Lake County Trustee? Stay tuned until election night, April 6, when the numbers come dribbling in.

You Can't Spell Gazette Without E.T.

An actual unretouched screencap from Lake County's #1 fakenews source, the Lake County Gazette:

Editor's Note: This blog has reported that the Lake County Gazette obtains its content from Russian Troll Farms. The assertion is incorrect. The Lake County Gazette actually obtains its content from Space Aliens:

There is nothing wrong with your television set. You are about to experience the awe and mystery of another hilarious LakeCountyEye Double Vision®!

Your LakeCountyEye regrets the error.

Fog Over

The exploding insecticide truck will not be exploding in Lake Bluff any more.

The Lake Bluff Mosquito Abatement District is destined to go the way of those Earth's species that have gone extinct because of pesticides:

Lake County is preparing to get rid of one of its two mosquito abatement districts, which officials say could save hundreds of thousands of dollars over time.
Lake County officials move to dissolve mosquito district in Lake Bluff

Operatives keen on inhaling chemical laden air are advised to go to the Southlake Mosquito Abatement District or to where Clarke Mosquito Control has been contracted to spray insecticides.

Your LakeCountyEye will keep you apprised when further developments warrant.

Princess Cruz

Note to Ops: Are you looking for a job at Ted Cruz for President 2024? Well, who isn't? The good news is you don't need to fly to some cliché Mexican resort to see the next President of the United States.

That's because failed candidate Jeanne Ives has built an online shrine to Ted Cruz on her website:

Ted Cruz Endorses Jeanne Ives for Congress (IL-06)

In related news, Jim Oberweis declared victory for Jeanne Ives in the 6th Congresional District.

Web 0.0

If Buffalo Grove's village website was a smoker, then last week it went to the store for cigarettes and never came back.

HaHa, the Village of Buffalo Grove's website has gone dark:

Buffalo Grove is negotiating with a new vendor after its website went missing in action more than a week ago.
Buffalo Grove negotiating with new vendor after website crash

It goes without saying, if you can't trust your web vendor who can you trust?

Having said that, is your Village on the lookout for a new web vendor? Then look at what the Village of Old Mill Creek did with their website:

Village of Old Mill Creek

The Village of Old Mill Creek is monetizing their web presence by selling Las Vegas real estate.

Note to Ops: Is the Lake County casino is coming to the Village of Old Mill Creek? You heard it here first!

Trouble in the City of Wood River

Stop the presses! An actual unretouched screencap from the Lake County Gazette, Lake County's #1 fakenews source:

The front-page story on the Lake County Gazette is about the Village of Wood River.  Where is Wood River? Nobody knows. Certainly nowhere near Lake County.

For the record, the Village of Riverwoods is in Lake County. But who is going to mistake Wood River for Riverwoods -- other than the Russian troll-farms that move content into the Lake County Gazette?

Note to Ops: In America, Riverwoods is Lake County destination. In Soviet Lake County Journal, Wood River is figment of imagination!

Third World

OK, everyone who thinks that boating on Third Lake is subject to no municipal zoning restrictions, take one step forward.

Not so fast there, Fill in the Blank.

HaHa, the Village of Third Lake passed an ordinance last month regulating the use of boats on Third Lake:

Village of Third Lake Ordinance No. 21-01-01
An Ordinance Providing for the Registration of Boats and Other Watercraft
and Establishing Rules and Regulations
for Village Boat Launched, Lake Usage and Water-Landing Places

Village Trustees passed the Law in spite of the fact that Illinois State Law says that the Village does not have jurisdiction over Third Lake, because the body of water is not 100% within village borders:

Amends the Illinois Municipal Code. In a Section that grants jurisdiction to municipalities over certain bodies of water within the corporate limits of the municipality and up to three miles beyond the corporate limits, provides that nothing in the Section shall be construed to authorize a municipality to exercise zoning power or otherwise restrict the use of private property outside of the corporate limits of the municipality.
MUNI CD-BOATING RIGHTS : HB3441 : 95th General Assembly

Note to Ops: If you're tasked with writing and enacting village ordinances it's a good idea to have a guy on staff who knows how to look up and interpret State Laws.

Just Sayin!

I Came, I Shaw, I Conked Out

Did Mark Shaw back the Kansas City Chiefs? If he did he's been backing a lot of losers lately.

Undisputed Chairman of the Lake County GOP, Mark Shaw is currently backing Jim Oberweis, as well as acting as his legal representative. Oberweis is still trying to get his 2020 election loss overturned, and filed an objection with the US Congress:

Oberweis' attorney in the matter is Mark Shaw, chairman of the Lake County Republican organization.
Already sworn in, Underwood disregards Oberweis' attempt to toss election results

Shaw also backed his own failed attempt to become the new Chair of the Illinois State GOP. The Chairmanship went to some guy from Springfield, while Shaw gets credit for being ...

a sometimes controversial figure who previously sought the chairmanship. Shaw orchestrated the December effort among hard-liners that led former Cook County Commissioner Tim Schneider to agree to step down as party leader with more than a year left in his term.
Illinois Republicans pick Springfield businessman as new party chairman

One GOP observer observed: "It's too early to count out Mark Shaw. He can still file an appeal with Judge Judy!"

That's all your LakeCountyEye has. You may be excused.

Udder Revolting

Paging Mr DeMille. Jim Oberweis is ready for his close-up:

Action on Jim Oberweis' petition to overturn his Nov. 3 election loss to incumbent 14th District Congresswoman Lauren Underwood, D-Naperville, likely will be taken by the end of the week, his campaign spokesman, Travis Akin, said.
Action expected soon on Oberweis petition to undo Underwood’s successful Nov. 3 reelection
Oberweis: ‘There is no question I won the race for Congress’

Cow-Puncher Jim Oberweis has petitioned the US House of Representatives to overturn his 5,374 vote election loss and send him to Congress.

One DC observer said: "If Oberweis expects to be named the 14th District Congressman, he will need to send a herd of dairy cows stampeding down Pennsylvania Ave to storm the Capitol."

That's all your LakeCountyEye has. Git along little dogies.

Sports Write-Ins

Is it Groundhog Day? Casey Urlacher is back again:

Recently pardoned in a federal gambling case by former President Donald Trump, Mettawa Mayor Casey Urlacher now is seeking reelection as a write-in candidate. Urlacher didn't file nominating petitions with the village clerk in December, keeping his name off the April 6 ballot and seemingly giving up on a third term as Mettawa's top elected official.
Pardoned by Trump, Urlacher launches write-in campaign for reelection as Mettawa mayor

Write-In ballots can be dropped off at any Illinois licensed OTB parlor.

Note to Ops: The pardon does not cover anyone caught stuffing the ballot box.

Grounds for acquittal? Or another hilarious LakeCountyEye Double Vision®?