Red-Light Solutions

Senator Dany Duffy’s bill to put an end to red-light cameras has hit a snag — Illinois legislator’s not ready to do an outright ban on them as reported recently in the Daily Herald. It’s disappointing there’s not enough support for a total ban but I don’t think that should discourage opponents of the cameras or Senator Duffy. It’s clear some compromise legislation is needed. Hopefully that legislation would effectively curtail their current use and abuse — milking taxpayer dollars via unwitting municipalities.

I believe a compromise could be reached that would sound their death knell. It starts with making it much more difficult for them to be approved and thus less enticing to the companies that are selling them. The first solution would require a referendum in order for the municipality to deploy them. If they are that concerned about the public safety, let the public decide if they should be used. I think you would quickly find out who is truly in it for public safety and who is turning to fines to replenish depleted municipal coffers.

If there’s not enough support in Springfield for that, and that would be unfortunate, there are still requirements that could be put in place to deter their abuse:

Aside from the requirements needed to install them their use also needs to be addressed:

Finally, provisions on cameras already in place need to be addressed. While they couldn’t follow all of this process they could follow part of it.

You need to make a difference and speak your mind on this. Don’t just email your legislator or senator, call him or her. Send the message to Springfield that something needs to be done about the abuse of these cameras and they should support Senator Duffy’s effort to do so.

Guy’s Republican Primary Endorsements

You might not care what I think but hey, you’re reading my blog aren’t you?  Here are my endorsements in the Republican Primary tomorrow.

US Senate: John Arrington

Forget this nonsense about only Kirk can win, John Arrington is the real deal.  Mark Kirk has let us down as Republicans, he quite simply doesn’t support what the party should stand for.  The most glaring example was voting for the ridiculous Cap & Trade Bill.  Under no circumstances should such behavior be rewarded!   Enough about Kirk though — John Arrington is a Harvard graduate, former alderman and public servant.  He has strong conviction to his ideals and if you haven’t seen him speak you can see him now:

Governor: Adam Andrzejewski

There’s a lot not to like in this contest and one candidate rises to the top and that is Adam Andrzejewski (And-G-F-Ski).  Virtually every other candidate for the Republicans has some baggage he’s carrying with him, I won’t go into it all.  Adam is a self-made man, speaks from the heart and holds to the ideals of liberty.  Everyone he is running against can’t hold a candle to his qualifications.

Lieutenant Governor: Jason Plummer

Another great candidate with the ideals of liberty and who comes from the private sector.  Jason has sworn off drawing salary should he be elected Lieutenant Governor.  How’s THAT for putting your money where your mouth is?  Jason wants to transform this useless office into one that will cut through the Springfield red tape as an advocate for liberty.

Comptroller: Jim Dodge

As much as I admire much about Judy Baar Topinka the last thing we need is someone who has spent most of their life down there.  Jim Dodge has a solid background in holding local public office and is a great choice for Comptroller.

Illinois 8th Congressional District Representative: Maria Rodriguez

If there’s anyone who can beat Melissa Bean it’s Maria Rodriguez.  With solid credentials in local government Maria is another candidate on my liberty parade — committed to limited government and free markets.  She’s a fantastic candidate and our best chance yet of having a candidate who represents our ideals and won’t go lock step with a party line that doesn’t hold them.  I strongly endorse Maria Rodriguez for the 8th District.

Duffy Landslide!

I knew it was going to be a good night for Dan Duffy when I got the results for the Grant Township precincts I was assigned to collect. One of those precincts was that of Dan’s opponent (although I may have that wrong, one of my posters said he’s in Grant 137 that Dan won) and they were the first results I got — Dan lost by less than 20 votes. After I saw that I knew it was going to be a good night for Dan and it was.

Dan took the other two Grant Township precincts I was a pollwatcher at and with my results phoned in I drove down to the party at 111 Grille (formerly Chessies) in Barrington. The place was totally packed when I arrived — full of enthusiastic Duffy supporters looking forward to a great evening and for our guy and Representative Ed Sullivan, Jr. who was also there, it certainly was.

Outgoing Senator Bill Peterson arrived not too long after I did and I was amazed he remembered me as I hadn’t seen him in probably 6 or 7 years since our troubles in Round Lake Area Schools were coming to a head. We had a good talk about the future of RLAS and how things were turning around and he had a big smile because he knew all the difficulty we had and what a mess it was. Not long after that Dan’s lovely wife Kris arrived with all five of their kids and was just aglow at the turnout and was just so thankful to everyone who was there.

A bit after that Dan arrived, I was just coming back to the front table with some refreshment for the lovely Mel who was one of Dan’s hard working staffers. I had seen Lake County was 65-35 in his favor on my iPhone and I was one of the first to offer my congratulations. About an hour after that Dan was giving his victory speech to the enthusiastic crowd.

It was truly a wonderful night full of folks telling their stories about Dan and how hard he worked on this campaign and what a truly genuine human being he is. If you’ve met Dan, you know what I mean. If you haven’t met Dan, you’re missing out on a special guy who is all about family and community service. We truly are lucky to have someone like Dan to represent us in the quagmire of corruption and bureaucracy that is Springfield. Dan told everyone there that this is just the beginning of the journey now and how he knows he will face many challenges down in Springfield but “I’m ready to take on Blagojevich” he said to huge cheers from the crowd.

The crowd started to dissipate after that of course and mainly family and campaign workers were left. I had many great conversations with folks about Round Lake and how things were going for us and that I was there, despite where Dan’s opponent came from, because I believed in Dan from the moment I sat down with him at Bill’s Pub back in March and I asked him to tell me whey he deserved my support. I was as impressed then as I am now.

I was also impressed and grateful to the voters who looked beyond party in voting for Dan. Dan won a lot of precincts that Obama won so clearly the voters are intelligent, follow what’s going on, and didn’t buy into just voting down party lines because overall, it was an abysmal night for Republicans. Not for those of us who worked for Dan though, it was an incredible night, a hopeful night of greater things to come.

Congratulations Dan Duffy, Tina, and all the hard working staffers. You guys did it and rose above it all to deliver a big win. It was a hard fought campaign and only after you work and fight that hard can you truly comprehend the great victory.

11th Hour Dirty Tricks

It should come as no surprise to anyone that Bill Gentes and his supporters really don’t want to give up on this race even after his admitted lies and the endorsements of Dan Duffy by every newspaper. No, now they have trumped up a completely bogus website (note – now unreachable) to go after Dan Duffy and his credentials. I won’t post the link here because people don’t need to see this garbage, they only want to spread it around in their desperate attempt to drag Dan down to the level of their candidate.

First they post a view of his house from space, what this has to do with the important issues facing this election, I have no idea. Maybe his unemployed opponent thinks that it’s a vice to have a solid business and steady income to afford a nice home for his large family. Most of us would call that the American Dream.

Next the anonymous website creators, since they don’t have the courage to register the site in their own name and instead use a proxy service, tear into Duffy’s abortion position. To all my pro-life friends out there I can assure you of at least one thing — Bill Gentes is adamantly pro-abortion, has taken funds from the pro-abortion group Personal PAC and done nothing to stop their bogus mailings about Dan’s position. Dan acknowledges Roe v Wade as the law of the land but is against state support of abortions and feels that no one should be compelled to be pro-abortion if their beliefs dictate otherwise (i.e. pharmacists).

So on one hand you have Gentes supporters Personal PAC saying that he’s going to throw women in jail for having an abortion and then other supporters throw up a site saying he’s pro-choice. Which is it going to be? They can’t seem to make up their mind on this issue because, ladies and gentlemen, Gentes and his campaign have proven they are very adept at circulating the lies.

So, who are you going to believe? Dan Duffy, endorsed by every newspaper and strong in his positions as indicated in his website from day one? Or are you going to believe the supporters of someone who would say anything, including outright lie, to get elected?

The choice is yours on Tuesday.

Duffy Hits Endorsement Grand Slam

Not just a majority of the newspapers in the Illinois 26th Senate District endorsed Dan Duffy, all of them did. While his opponent continues to try to spin away admitted lies and allows a PAC to send blatant lies on his behalf, Dan and his message to the voters resonated with all the papers that endorsed him. Here’s a few excerpts:

Dan Duffy Endorsed by The Chicago Tribune
- October 23, 2008

26th District (north, northwest suburbs): Round Lake Mayor Bill Gentes, a Democrat, and Republican Dan Duffy of Lake Barrington, a computer consultant, are competing for retiring GOP Sen. Bill Peterson’s seat. Duffy is a smart, solid guy who has excellent real-world experience. He is troubled by the state’s anti-business climate and wants to hold the line on taxes. Gentes has …given voters a reason not to trust him. He said he was on a leave of absence from his job—but later admitted he had been fired. Duffy is endorsed.

Daily Herald Endorses Dan Duffy for State Senate District 26
- October 21, 2008

Dan Duffy earns our support for his advocacy of Illinois businesses and for his grasp of issues facing our state. His ideas for handling finances – a Web site where you could view every check written by state government – add a refreshing voice to widespread calls for reform.

Northwest Herald

- October 24, 2008

We are endorsing Duffy. A 42-year-old Lake Barrington resident, Duffy states that his goal if elected is to reduce spending and taxes. Duffy said another of his top priorities if elected will be to change the anti-business climate in Illinois. Duffy also favors ethics reform and more transparency in government. Duffy is knowledgeable about statewide issues and would be a fine state senator for the 26th District.

DAN DUFFY FOR 26TH DIST. STATE SENATE
- Oct. 9, 2008

As a small business owner, Dan Duffy found out how hard it was to struggle with the costs of taxes and health
care. One of the biggest issues Duffy wants to take on is corruption throughout the state government. Duffy has been successful throughout his business career. He has taken on more responsibility and leadership roles with groups like the Illinois Leadership Council for the National Federation of Independent Business and the Lake and Cook County Area Action Council for Independent Businesses. He continues to fight to resolve the issues facing small businesses and citizens throughout the area. This style would serve the residents of the 26th District well. We endorse Dan Duffy for the 26th District of the Illinois Senate.

Trib: Gentes Regrets Lying – But Stops There

State Senate candidate says he regrets lying about his professional background — chicagotribune.com

Gentes still refuses to discuss leaving his previous employer further:

“I did not disclose this fact because I was embarrassed,” Gentes said. “That’s my statement on it.”

Apparently Gentes doesn’t feel the voters are entitled to any more information on this matter. Again, I think he should come clean with what happened and release his former employer from confidentiality in discussing it. This is not the simple matter of a “tough economy” when his former employer has endorsed Dan Duffy and their PAC has donated to the Duffy campaign. Makes you wonder why they would do that if Gentes left on good terms or was laid off, doesn’t it?

Daily Herald Endorses Duffy For Senate

Photo by Team America.

Today the Daily Herald made it official by endorsing Dan Duffy for State Senate. While his opponent’s lie to their editorial board about his employment status has been much covered here and elsewhere, they instead focused on Dan’s great qualities that he brings to the table and why I endorsed him as well.

Dan’s a successful businessman and is the youngest of eleven children, that’s right, eleven. I don’t know what better way to prepare you for the dog-eat-dog nature of Springfield than growing up with 10 brothers and sisters, especially when you’re the youngest! Seriously though, Dan has survived the tough world of building your own small business and would bring that perspective to Springfield with him.

When I met with him I was instantly at ease with his genuineness, his sincerity and his down to earth nature. Here I was, a school board member and he made time to meet me for lunch for some one-on-one discussion of the issues facing our state. It didn’t take me long to figure out Dan was the man for the job.

The Daily Herald agreed joining the News Sun and the Pioneer press along with myself and a host of others in endorsing Dan. I encourage you to get to know Dan some more if you have not yet decided and I think you’ll find he’s the clear pick to represent you in Springfield.

Gentes Short Of Full Disclosure

Photo by Cal Skinner.

Bill Gentes wrote of contrition in his letter to the editor in the October 17 Daily Herald, however he states the reason why he was not truthful about his employment was that he was embarrassed to be unemployed. Gentes made it a point to tell the Daily Herald editorial board and others during his campaign that he took a leave of absence from his job, yet only after the Daily Herald looked into this claim was it determined he was, in fact, terminated.

The larger issue is that, by his own admission, he was fired, not just out of work. Now we the voters are supposed to assume that it was through no fault of his own that he was terminated and give him a promotion when his previous employer fired him? It’s pretty tough for an average person to get another job after they have been terminated but any good employer will look into it and get both sides. The people are not getting both sides though since Gentes’ former employer is bound by confidentiality.

In the interest of full disclosure not only should Gentes explain why he was fired, he should release his employer from confidentiality in talking about it. Let his employer give their reasons, if they care to, why he was terminated. Mr. Gentes can make his case and then let the voters decide. Normally this would be beyond the scope of what voters are entitled to know, but Gentes opened the door when he lied to the Daily Herald and lied to the people.

It’s The Lie That Gets You

Photo by Cal Skinner.

Richard Nixon learned a cold hard truth of politics and paid the price, Bill Clinton nearly did the same. That truth is, no matter how bad the thing is that you’re trying to cover up, it’s the lie that people remember and the lie gets you every time.

Apparently Bill Gentes, Round Lake village president and candidate for Illinois Senate District 26 didn’t get the memo because he decided to outright lie to the Daily Herald editorial board, on his website, and elsewhere. What was the lie? That he was on a leave of absence from his job when he was actually fired six months ago.

Per the Herald article:

When asked Monday about handling all that goes with running for the open Senate District 26 seat, Gentes responded he’s on a leave of absence from his full-time job as operations director at the Realtor Association of NorthWest Chicagoland.

However, association Chief Executive Officer Peggy Kayser refuted Gentes in a statement issued Tuesday.

“On advice of counsel, I cannot give the terms of his separation, but Bill stating he is on a leave of absence is an outright lie,” Kayser said.

In fact, his former employer has endorsed Dan Duffy, his opponent in the upcoming election.

To be honest with you, I had a lot of respect for Bill Gentes at one point and, like many residents, thought he had done a great job for our village. Then before long I started to look deeper into things and had more personal dealings with him and that opinion changed.

In fact, that opinion did a 180 last summer after a tense meeting at the village hall with myself, district administrators and Bill where he demanded RLAS come to an agreement with a developer to lower our impact fees or he would dictate to us what we would get. We had researched our impact fees before adopting them and they were in line with other school districts. But because the developer had been quoted fees from several years ago and had already negotiated impact fees with other entities they were unwilling to give RLAS what we wanted. Here I thought Bill would step in on our behalf, we’re under state oversight after all and we’re talking about critical funds to help provide infrastructure for the additional kids we would take on, and he was telling me our fees were way out of line.

He then accused me of threatening him when I said I would take my case to the village trustees and said, “Do you know who runs the village, Guy?” I hesitated and replied, “the board of trustees.” Bill leaned forward in his chair towards me at that point and said, “No Guy, the mayor does” as he pointed a finger into his chest looking dead at me. In a matter of a few moments my opinion had totally changed and it was clear to me that Bill was not the person I thought he was. So this latest admission on his part comes as no surprise to me.

Things might be a lot easier for me if I kept my experiences to myself, didn’t work to support candidates I believe in and I know some people think I should step back and be impartial. School board is non-partisan but not un-partisan. I shouldn’t have to forfeit my rights as a citizen to say what I believe in just because I serve on the board.

When the future of our state is at hand and a rare opening of a state senate seat is at stake I think people are entitled to know who they’re voting for. I’m not supporting Dan Duffy simply because he’s not someone with a skewed sense of power like Bill Gentes. I’m supporting him because he’s a down to earth man with a beautiful wife and family who built his own business. He knows what it’s like to struggle just like you and I do from day to day and he knows what an impact the General Assembly has on our everyday lives.

I took my time to get to know him asking to sit down one-on-one which he gladly accepted several months ago. I think if you take the time to get to know Dan you’ll find he has the makings of a great state senator. Elections should be about the candidates and who they are, what they stand for, what standards they embody — not the party banner they carry and most definitely not about who’s running for President of the United States.

Bill forgot the second most important lesson of politics — you don’t run anything, the people do and at the end of the day you will be answerable for what you have done and what you have led people to believe. When you lie to the people to try to get their support they remember, and I think they will remember the first Tuesday in November.

Gentes Needs Some Workin’ On The Railroad

Photo by David McNeary.
In today’s Daily Herald, Bill Gentes, village president of Round Lake and candidate for the Illinois State Senate 26th District is crying foul about his opponent, Dan Duffy, pointing out the numerous real estate ties in Round Lake of Gentes and his wife.

The classic Shakespeare line “thou doth protest too much” instantly popped into my head knowing the nonsense that Gentes’ campaign has been throwing around concerning railroads. Gentes has made it a point to let everyone know the Duffy campaign has taken a $2500 donation from Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway and then linking that to support for the highly controversial issue of Canadian National’s proposed acquisition of EJ&E.

First off, Gentes claims he’s just noting the donation and it has nothing to do with the CN issue — hogwash! The Lake County Democratic Party’s website proudly touts “Bill Gentes is the only state Senate candidate in our area who has pledged to fight against this acquisition, which will be disastrous for our communities.” He has been repeating the allegations in person when meeting with people as one Daily Herald letter writer states. All of this despite clear support from Ela Township Clerk Bill Donnan and one of Barrington Communities Against CN Acquisition’s founders, Dave Nelson. This is a clear case of the candidate saying one thing to the paper (where he is certain to get picked apart with this ridiculous non-issue) and then saying another thing in person to people and having his campaign circulate it as true.

So, I have a lesson for Gentes on railroads because apparently he spent too much time playing Monopoly and not actually understanding how business works with this silly linkage of one railroad to another. BNSF, you know, the modern day equivalent of “the Atchison, Topeka and the Santa Fe” (great tune!) is a completely different railroad company than Canadian National, the operative word being Canadian. Saying that taking money from BNSF shows support for CN is a bit like saying someone taking money from Chevrolet shows their support for Toyota. It’s utter nonsense.

Dan Duffy is from Barrington, he’s been in the lead on the issue of the CN acquisition, he understands how it would impact our community and has been against it from the start. Look through the smoke and mirrors of his opponent’s campaign and you will see that Dan Duffy is the right candidate for the 26th.

Next Page »