Lake County Podcast #3

Lake County Podcast #3 — 31 Mar 2006

History of Immigration in US
Main Source: Backfire at the Border by Douglas S. Massey

Promos: Lip Gloss and Laptops and Derek K. Miller

Immigration Concerns and the Fix
Main Source: Willing Workers by Daniel T. Griswold

Reconnecting With Round Lake Voters

Maybe some don’t understand just what a big deal this was for Round Lake to pass the building bonds referendum, and at such a comfortable margin, let’s put it into perspective for some folks.

• Round Lake voters just had their taxes raised 10% when the State Finance Authority took away tax cap protection that every other taxpayer in Illinois (outside of Chicago) has.
• That 10% increase was without their consent or approval.
• Their taxes could still go up, without referendum, at any time, and for any reason the State Finance Authority sees fit if it elects to bond the district.

Still, a clear majority of nearly 56% supported that increase. Let’s put that into local perspective, a history of Round Lake Area Schools that many are familiar with:

• 60% of the community voted “no” in 2002 to extend the debt service extension base to address the short term debt issue.
• 52% of the community voted “no” in 2001 to levy a tax to pay for health insurance premiums of district employees.
• Only 51% , a mere 112 votes, voted to raise the education fund tax rate when asked again in 2000, 60% approved $14.5mil in building bonds.
• 67% of the community voted “no” in the 1999 question to increase the education fund tax rate.

Let’s put that into a broader perspective from just last night:

• A lower 55% majority of Fox Lake District 114 voters approved their building bond question.
• A slightly larger 57% majority approved Kildeer Countyside District 96’s tax rate increase.
• 71% of Fremont District 79 voters approved their building bond question.

They were the lucky ones though….

• 53% in affluent Linconshire-Prairie View District 103 said no to their tax rate increase.
• 51% in Mundelein HS District 120 said no to their tax rate increase for the second time.
• 54% in Winthrop Harbor District 1 said no to their tax rate increase despite the threat of state intervention by their superintendent (sound familiar?).
• 54% in affluent Barrington Unit District 220 said no to their building bond question and 57% said no to their education fund tax increase request.
• 59% in Antioch Grade School District 34 said no to their building bond question.

So of 10 school-related referenda in Lake County, Round Lake’s was one of only 4 to pass and we’re worried about a 55% margin? With a non-existent community referendum committee? With no mailings, signs, door to doors or other campaigning? In fact, we have to thank the Daily Herald for endorsing the referendum and the story on what could happen if it didn’t pass.

The fact is, the working class people in Round Lake, the folks who scrape by every week just to make ends meet voted in a sizable majority to raise their own taxes despite escalating taxes in virtually every segment of government, high gas prices, and after just having their taxes raised without their consent. While some folks may be getting raises and increased health benefits, resident upon resident in Round Lake is faced with either no health insurance at all, limited single insurance through their employer or ever increasing employee contribution costs for their health insurance that come out of each and every paycheck. Yet those residents still voted yes.

To those who came out and voted no, I completely understand, times are tough and you probably can’t afford it. I assure you I think the Board sought the most reasonable way to address this need and will issue these bonds, and pay them back, in a responsible manner that will hopefully see the impact on you quickly decrease over the life of the bonds. You didn’t approve of the referendum but I think the Board heard your voice and will be responsible with your tax dollars. I know I did.

The School Board heard from a full house of concerned Hispanic parents on Monday for the better part of three hours, until the crowd no longer had any questions, and one of their concerns was the overcrowding and climate conditions in the buildings — both issues to be addressed by this referendum. Many came up and said they would support it. I think the community saw there was an obvious need for this referendum and that by passing this question the district would have to operate within certain parameters to use this new bonding authority. For those reasons they voted for this referendum and for that the district should be unqualifiedly grateful.

Thank You District 116 Voters

I can’t tell you how pleased I am that the voters in District 116 saw the need in our district for space. This referendum will see to it that we can alleviate some of the overcrowding that we have in our buildings now and better prepare us for future needs. I think it also demonstrates again that the people of our district support the schools and will support the schools without outside mandates. Things are much different in our district now than they were five years ago when I was elected to the board. The district has turned completely around with solid financial accountability, a comprehensive plan developed by the community and now another successful referendum showing the community’s support for the schools. We have the ability to keep moving in the right direction and return to normalcy in the district very soon.

Now that the referendum has passed the Board will be considering options for this process and will need to move quickly. A recent plan to add some temporary space at Indian Hill did not pan out as planned so we need to address our space shortage quickly and decisively. I’m certain the Board will work with the Administration and the Finance Authority in making those decisions as quick as practicable. The Board is the voice of you, the community, the folks who just volunteered to raise your taxes to do this, so I invite you to provide us with your feedback as we proceed. I’m available to you any time via this site, you can email me and I also invite you to come to a board meeting during the 1st and 3rd Thursdays of each month and learn more.

Thank you again and I look forward to doing some podcasts soon (when my voice isn’t shot from being sick) and speak with you more on these matters.

–Guy

You’ll Be Missed Ila

The first time I met Ila Bauer I was at the high school and I was trying to get out of one of her classes. Ila was a fixture in the Business Department at Round Lake High School for decades and I didn’t want to take Home Economics so I decided to take the proficiency test to get out of it. I was a fool for taking that test and passing up my chance to learn then from her.

Fast forward to 2000 and I heard of a group of concerned citizens that Ila was fostering meeting over at the Round Lake Park Village Hall. She had always had an interest in the administration of our schools after she left and even tried to run under a slate of candidates that were kicked off the ballot for not numbering petitions. The District had just gotten the Financial Oversight Panel and there was no sign that anything was really changing. There were probably about 20 folks there or so and I quietly sat a few rows back because I didn’t know anyone.

About halfway through I stood up and I said “My name’s Guy Finley and I’ve heard you all talk about how frustrated you are and there’s only one way it’s going to change — electing a new school board in March and that’s what I’m here for.” A few heads nodded. “I intend to run and I don’t want to run alone, we need to run a slate of candidates if we’re going to make a difference.” From there the “Round Lake Community Group” would be born and “Clean Slate”, a name I coined, came not long after.

I came up with the name and a lot of the plans but the advice and counsel of Ila will never be forgotten by me. She was there to provide support and advice for dealing with those who would gore us ruthlessly in the community and do anything possible to keep us off the ballot. We devised a plan to gather so many signatures and be so meticulous with their collection that there would be no way we could be challenged. We turned in triple the signatures needed and we weren’t challenged.

Once I was on the board Ila was still there to offer support and advice. We didn’t always see eye to eye — in fact many times we disagreed. But there was an unspoken level of respect for each other. “You know Guy, you shouldn’t be so doom and gloom all he time” she said to me once after a Round Lake CUBE meeting going over the Downstate Finance Authority Act. I certainly would be “doom and gloom” to Ila because she is someone I will forever remember as positive. Her village had development plans at their southern boundary fall apart so many times but she was still adamant that she would push through a plan that would get that done. I hope the Village of Round Lake Park will be able to follow through on that dream.

After I resigned from the Board to move to Lindenhurst she put a good word in for me with Mayor Betustak there in a frank and colorful email (that I wish I still had three computer changes later). Thanks in part to her I was appointed to the Lindenhurst Sanitary District. When I resigned from my job with my previous employer and was looking for work I asked her to serve as one of my personal references and she immediately said yes and offered to help more if needed. Ila was always looking to help folks in any way she could.

This community has lost one of its greatest contributors — whether it’s the decades she served the Round Lake Area Schools as a teacher, or her terms as Mayor of Round Lake Park she was a bastion of respect for this community. It is because of people like Ila Bauer that the Round Lake Area can no longer be readily dismissed as a “bedroom community” or “that nasty town next to Grayslake”. She did it by being a straight shooter, true to her word and her principles and setting an example of what it meant to be a representative of her community. I can only hope what I learned from her will be put to good use continuing to contribute to the community, I certainly can only dream about having as much of an impact as she did.

She impacted the lives of thousands of Round Lake High School graduates and has impacted many thousands more in the Round Lake Area. She worked together with her neighboring mayors in getting thing done, this in a town where that was well known to rarely happen. But she knew, she knew that if we were to grow up and move forward we needed to do it together. My only regret is that she won’t be here to see it.

We have her legacy though and it is an endearing one. We have two relatively new schools that were not named and I will be presenting a resolution to the Board of Education to have the Early Education Center or Round Lake Middle School renamed in her honor. I can think of no greater tribute to her legacy of contributions to this community and Round Lake Area Schools and am hopeful my fellow board members and the Finance Authority will agree. I encourage your thoughts, feel free to email me with your support: board@wguyfinley.com.