Round Lake Area News

Jarratt Receives Illinois Tea Party Coordinators & Members Support

February 14th, 2012

Gene Carey

PRESS RELEASE
(Schaumburg, IL - February 14, 2012)

Illinois Tea Party Coordinators/Members Support Lennie Jarratt for Senate

The following Tea Party Coordinators/Members personally are proud to support the candidacy of Lennie Jarratt for Senate in the 31^st District.

Aurora Tea Patriots Sherry Pierce Coordinator

Boone County Tea Party Patti Grzybowski Coordinator

Bureau-LaSalle Tea Party Chris Arndt Member

“As a conservative fighting for taxpayers rights I endorse Lennie Jarratt for 31^st State Senate District. He has been a champion for the taxpayers in his district for years through education reform issues.

As a tea party member of the Bureau-LaSalle Tea Party I know that Lennie supports the 3 pillars of smaller government, fiscal responsibility and free markets. He also upholds the Constitution of the United States. He will be a true asset of for the people of his district and through his votes it will impact the lives of all Illinoisans.”

Chain O’Lakes Tea Party Lori White Coordinator Spring Grove

“We need more conservatives like Lennie in the Illinois Senate who will be dedicated to helping expose the fiscal responsibility of our school districts and cutting wasteful spending in the Illinois government agencies.”

Mary Joestgen

Crystal LakeTea Party Mary Alger Coordinator

Janness Abraham

“I support Lennie, and commend him for his diligence and passion for exposing the crooked school districts. He is a hero in my book!” Janness Abraham

Dundee Area Tea Party Allen Skillicorn Coordinator

“I know Lennie and would happily endorse him.”

Henry County Tea Party Jon Zahm Chairman

“Lennie is not only a leader in his community, I consider him a leader in the state of Illinoiswith regard to the conservative movement. His expertise in electronic media and communications, and his commitment to taxpayer concerns, especially in regard to certain school districts being fiscally reckless, is invaluable. As well we can count on Lennie to faithfully support pro-life and pro-family legislation and to vote to repeal civil unions. I strongly endorse his candidacy. We need more people like him in the Illinois Senate,” Jon A. Zahm, Henry County Board Member (R- Osco) and Henry County Tea Party Chairman.

Northern IllinoisPatriots Tony Raymond Director Libertyville

Northern IllinoisPatriots Joan Siefert Coordinator Libertyville

Northern IllinoisTea Party Jane Carroll Coordinator Roscoe

RockfordTea Party David Hale Coordinator

“I want to let everyone know that I believe Lennie Jarrett is the absolutely best candidate for this State Senate. He is a smart. He has been in the trenches for years and worked harder than anyone else to advocate for the taxpayers of his district and of this state. I and the Rockford Tea Party fully Endorse and Support Lennie Jarrett.”

Sauk ValleyTea Party Amanda Norris Coordinator Rock Falls

“The IL Republican Party has been ineffective in stopping the assaults on taxpayers in this state. It is time to send new folks to Springfield who have the fire, passion and conviction to make the tough decisions necessary to improve our economic health and restore faith in Springfield. Illinois has dropped to the bottom in all economic areas, we can’t pay our bills, have raised taxes and chased away businesses and now have the lowest credit rating in the nation!!!

I support Lennie Jarrett for the 31^st District Senate seat.”

Schaumburg Tea Party Carrie Miller Coordinator

“Lennie is a true conservative candidate that we can be proud to support, knowing he is committed to representing families in his district in a way which is best for WE THE PEOPLE and is known as a leader and achiever addressing the most important issues pertaining to our communities, with a focus on education and job creation for Illinois.”

Members

Michael Howard Mike Machlet

Flo Brinacombe Randy Collins

Susie Ejzak Joanne Dawson

Kathy Wenle Sue Panfil

Maureen Falcon Pat Kenny

Mike Van Dyke Barbara Shabino

Richard Gideon Carl Siefert

Tri-City Tea Party Judith McConnell Coordinator St Charles

TRI-County Teas Rick Newton Coordinator Bartlett

“Please add my name in full support of Lennie – he epitomizes not only what the Tea Party represents, but he represents so much of what is missing in the IL General Assembly and the Republican Party in general in terms of commitment, character, honor, and integrity.”

Embattled Cole Finally Withdraws from Unfunded Tuition Program

February 14th, 2012

Gene Carey

MEDIA RELEASE
Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Yingling Credits Petition Drives, Taxpayer Outrage at Hypocrisy

Representative Sandy Cole

Round Lake Beach, IL - It took multiple petition drives, criticism from dozens of elected officials, and a scathing expose’ for Representative Sandy Cole to finally withdraw from the controversial Legislative Scholarship Program that is both an unfunded mandate and the subject of widespread abuse, including ethics violations and FBI inquiries.

Cole had voted to eliminate the program but, for years, had continued doling-out the coveted perk.

Avon Township Supervisor Sam Yingling, Cole’s opponent for State Representative in the new 62nd District, called for Cole to withdraw from the program after local Representatives Gaffney and Sullivan voluntarily did so and Senate Republican Leader Christine Radogno lead her entire caucus to stop offering the tuition waiver.

Cole responded seven days later by quietly adding her name as a co-sponsor of current legislation that seeks to eliminate the program. This prompted Yingling and others to insist she be held accountable, saying her move to co-sponsor without opting-out was “hypocrisy” and that “Cole has a pattern of doing one thing in Springfield and the opposite in the district.”

Yingling started a petition drive urging her immediate withdraw. The Better Government Association (BGA) and the Illinois Policy Institute also launched initiatives calling for immediate withdraw.

But Cole would not respond publicly. Her only known response was an email to District 116.org blogger Gene Carey, who published a series of articles on Cole’s flip-flopping. In the email, she blamed others but never addressed the central issue of her own continued participation in the unfunded mandate. This prompted Carey to do a follow-up piece, exposing years of hypocrisy and detailing Cole’s voting record to eliminate the program in Springfield and then actively promoting it back home. (Carey’s report can be read here) Carey ran the piece on February 7th; the same day the BGA reported Cole finally opted-out.

Cole’s only statement on the issue came via her personal Facebook page, where she attempt to divert blame to Yingling, saying “Seems like my opponent in the November election doesn’t read the Chicago Tribune,” apparently in reference to a January 31st article by Eric Zorn in which he lists legislators as “Opting-Out/ Opposed to.” Cole was on this list. However, on that date neither the State Board of Education, who monitors which legislators are participating in the Scholarship Program, nor the BGA were informed of a withdraw from Cole.

Yingling said in reference to the Facebook post: “This is what Cole does, she tries to fly under the radar, evades directly addressing important issues, then blames others.”

“The whole issue was that she opposed the tuition waivers in Springfield but supported them back home. Of course she was on Zorn’s list, she voted against it! But by saying I don’t read the Tribune means she either doesn’t understand what she’s doing is wrong or she’s intentionally trying to manipulate the public. Either way, it’s tragic. She talks out of both sides of her mouth and thinks she won’t get caught.” said Yingling.

With tuition waivers Cole got caught.

“But ultimately we got what’s best for the taxpayers,” said Yingling. “Her Facebook comment called this a ‘campaign stunt.’ What she fails to recognize is that accountability is not a stunt, it’s what’s missing in politics and the reason taxes in Lake County are among the highest in the Country.”

Dubai Fountains Synchronized With Whitney Houston’s Hit Song

February 14th, 2012

Gene Carey

Whitney Houston

In this video the Dubai Fountains are synchronized with Whitney Houston’s number one single “I Will Always Love You”

The multimillion-selling singer who emerged in the 1980s as one of her generation’s greatest R & B voices, only to deteriorate through years of cocaine use and an abusive marriage, died on Saturday in Beverly Hills, Calif. She was 48.

Click on the video to start and stop it. Total time is slightly over seven minutes.

Hide YouTube Video Controls Code

END code to remove Video Controls

Brad Schneider Supports Same Sex Marriage in Illinois

February 9th, 2012

Gene Carey

Brad Schneider ~ Candidate in Illinois Congressional District 10

From the Brad Schneider Campaign Headquarters
Thursday, February 09, 2012

The fight for equality is already off to a great start in 2012.

Just yesterday, a marriage equality bill was introduced in Illinois, only one year after the state legalized same-sex civil unions.

On Tuesday, the 9th Circuit Court affirmed a previous decision stating, “Proposition 8 serves no purpose, and has no effect, other than to lessen the status and dignity of gays and lesbians in California, and to officially reclassify their relationships and families as inferior to those of opposite-sex couples.”

Last month, Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan announced a new policy to combat housing discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Americans.

And next November, in Illinois’s 10th Congressional District, we have one of the best chances in the country to switch a vote against equality to a vote for equality.

I believe every American should be entitled to the same fundamental rights – regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression. I will not waiver on this position. Not now. Not in Congress.

IL-10 is a new district, the majority of which is presently represented by far right-wing Republicans Congressmen Joe Walsh and Bob Dold. These men represent votes against same-sex marriage, against making our schools safe for LGBT-identified students, and ultimately, against equality.

Now, Rep. Dold will run to represent the 10th. This is a progressive district. It is a seat we can and must turn from red to blue, and you can help. Join me in standing up for the rights of all people.

I will be an outspoken leader for LGBT rights. I support the repeal of DOMA. I support legislation to end discrimination against LGBT individuals in the workplace, in schools, in housing and more.

But there is still so much work to be done. Now is the time to act. Together, we can protect and extend these fundamental rights.

Bill to Protect American Small Businesses Introduced by Rep Walsh

February 8th, 2012

Gene Carey

Rep. Walsh is Chairman of the Small Business Subcommittee on Economic Growth, Tax, and Capital Access

Rep. Joe Walsh - 8th District

WASHINGTON- Today Congressman Joe Walsh (IL-8) and Congressman Gerry Connolly (VA-11) introduced the Small Business Protection Act of 2012. The Small Business Administration (SBA) has recently proposed new group size standards that define what businesses qualify as “small” for taxing and contracting purposes. For the first time, these size standards lump different industries together under one size standard inevitably giving big corporations an unfair advantage over small businesses. Without this bill, small businesses will be driven out of competition for government contracts.

Walsh stated: “Since coming to Congress over a year ago, I have fought tirelessly to protect and defend American small businesses. My bill ensures that small businesses do not have to compete with global corporations to create jobs in our local communities. Size standards assure the viability of Americas biggest job creators—small businesses.

“As Chairman of the Small Business Committee’s Subcommittee on Economic Growth, Tax, and Capital Access, I know small businesses are the backbone of this country, but right now they are struggling under too many burdensome regulations. This bipartisan bill brings Members from both sides of the aisle together to protect small businesses from unfair guidelines. Washington needs to stop penalizing small businesses and get out of the way so that America’s entrepreneurs can create jobs.”

Rep. Connolly said (D-VA), “This bill creates new opportunities for entrepreneurs including small business contractors.”

Highlights of Small Business Protection Act of 2012:

The Small Business Administration (SBA) is creating new group size standards that will define what businesses qualify as “small.” By the SBA’s own analysis, these proposals that lump different industries together are excluding legitimate small businesses from the SBA contracting programs.
The Small Business Protection Act protects legitimate small businesses by requiring that the size standard assigned to each common group is appropriate for each individual North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code that is put in the new group.
For example, SBA’s analysis of the size standards for architectural firms indicated that it should be increased from $4.5 million to $7 million. However, because SBA chose to group architects with engineers for the purposes of the size standard definition, SBA proposed increasing the standard to $19 million – a number which would have included 97.8% of all architecture firms, thereby allowing large businesses to compete as if they were small businesses.

Suburban Mom Offers Free Drug Testing Kits to Parents

February 8th, 2012

Gene Carey

In the wake of the Stevenson High School investigation regarding drugs being marketed via cell phones, the Daily Herald ran a short article about free drug testing kits available to parents.

Nicholas' Gift of Hope Foundation

Columnist, Jamie Sotonoff, reported that free kits are available from a mother who lost her son to a heroin overdose back in 2007. Chrystal O’Halloran mails out free drug testing kits as part of her effort to educate other parents about drug problems. She has teamed up with a California medical supplier and ships out the kits directly so that no information is made available to anyone else but her Foundation, “Nicholas’ Gift of Hope”. She stated in the article

Maybe they’ll (parents) feel more comfortable getting it this way than having to walk into Walgreen’s. No one sees the info but me. It’s mailed and done.

This is a noble cause worth passing along. If you would like more information or would like to donate to the Foundation to help defray costs, please visit her website at: www.NickBeinlich.com

Sandy Cole “Talks the Talk” But Does She …..

February 7th, 2012

Gene Carey

Rep Sandy Cole

“Walk the Walk” when it comes to eliminating the unfunded Legislative Scholarship Program? Back on January 23rd I reported about an online petition campaign initiated by Avon Township Supervisor Sam Yingling. The petition urged Cole to join the growing movement against the unfunded Legislative Scholarship Program as Senator Susan Garret, Representative Elaine Nekrtiz, and Representative Karen May had recently done.

In response to that post being added to my Facebook page, I received a message from Cole as follows:

Thank you for supporting my legislation (as chief co-sponsor) to eliminate the legislative tuition waivers. The Illinois Senate needs to act on the legislation that the House overwhelmingly supported — I suggest a petition drive addressed to Democrat Senate President John Cullerton

I wasn’t aware that Sandy Cole was a “co-sponsor” which sent me searching public records. Below is a timeline showing Cole’s participation on eliminating legislative tuition waivers :

The Illinois General Assembly has introduced nine bills (that we know of) to eliminate the Legislative Scholarship Program. The bills and dates they were introduced are as follows:

Senate Bill 2570
Introduced on January 1st, 2011
Cole had the opportunity to ‘pre-file’ for this bill in the IL House, she did not.
House Bill 0227
Introduced on January 21st, 2011
Cole was not a Sponsor, a Chief Co-Sponsor or a Co-Sponsor
Senate Bill 1317
Introduced on February 8th, 2011
Cole, again, had the opportunity to ‘pre-file for this bill in the IL House and again, did not.
Senate Bill 2233
Introduced on February 15th, 2011
Assuming Cole missed Senate Bill 1317, seven days later she was given the opportunity to ‘pre-file’ for a second bill. She did not.
House Bill 2868
Introduced on February 22nd, 2011
Cole was not a Sponsor, a Chief Co-Sponsor, or a Co-Sponsor
House Bill 3810
Introduced on October 5th, 2011
Cole was not a Sponsor, a Chief Co-Sponsor, or a Co-Sponsor
House Bill 3901
Introduced on December 11th, 2011
Cole signed on as a Chief Co-Sponsor on January 17th. Over a month after the bill was filed and 39 of her colleagues already supported the bill. (see condensed HB3901 bill below)
PLEASE NOTE: Sam Yingling first called for Rep. Cole to end the Legislative Scholarship Program on January 10th.
House Bill 3949
Introduced on January 1st, 2012
Cole is not a Sponsor, a Chief Co-Sponsor, or a Co-Sponsor
House Bill 3941
Introduced on January 10th, 2012
Cole is not a Sponsor, a Chief Co-Sponsor, or a Co-Sponsor

I ask that your attention be directed at House Bill 3901 (condensed) below). What surely must be coincidence is that 7 days after Yingling called on her to end her participation in the Legislative Scholarship Program, she signed onto this bill that had been introduced well over a month before and 39 of her colleagues had already signed on to supporting it

HB3901 which Sandy Cole did NOT sign onto until January 17, 2012

Why this bill (HB3901)? Why now? Cole had 6 other opportunities to take leadership on this issue and yet, signed onto a bill 7 days after Yingling called on her to opt out.

The answer is simple: Cole wants to keep this perk of hers that costs taxpayers millions.

Below are several of Cole’s Press Releases touting the availability and the doling out of such scholarships.

May 12th Press Release

January 28th Press Release

January 31 Press Release

June 28 Press Release

And here’s the real kicker! As of last week, according to the State Board of Education, Representative Sandy Cole has still NOT opted out of the program. Although she has signed onto House Bill 3901 as the 40th Representative to do so, she won’t keep her hand out of the cookie jar.

Cole's Press Releases still offer Legislative Scholarship Program applications

I would be curious to know why she decided that HB3901 was the right bill to sign onto and not the other 6 that passed right under her nose? Did she have a change of heart or was she asleep at the wheel?

The overwhelming theme here is hypocrisy. How does Sandy Cole justify voting against this — even taking the step of co-sponsoring — and then continue spending the money? This is highlighted by the fact that the majority of Lake County legislators have opted-out and Senate Republican leader Christine Rodogno has lead her entire caucus out of the program.