AFP: Attention All DuPage County Members!

From Americans for Prosperity…

Americans for Prosperity Launches Grassroots Effort Against Schillerstrom’s Proposal to Borrow $70 million From DuPage County Taxpayers.

-A mobile billboard critical of Schillerstrom’s proposal runs TODAY–

CHICAGO – While concerns about rising public debt and out of control spending is at an all-time high, you’d expect elected officials to give pause before approving any plans to increase the debt obligation of government and further burden taxpayers.

This unfortunately does not appear to be the case with the DuPage County government. DuPage County Board Chairman Bob Schillerstrom is once again pushing his board to approve a massive capital plan that will ultimately cost DuPage taxpayers nearly $125 million. Out of nearly two-dozen projects, only five are road projects that will actually improve the county’s infrastructure.

As part of Americans for Prosperity’s mission to educate and empower citizens, Americans for Prosperity is engaging in a grassroots effort to oppose Schillerstrom’s proposal to borrow $70 million for capital improvements. Today, Americans for Prosperity has notified Chairman Schillerstrom and his county board members of our opposition to this massive borrowing and spending plan.

“It’s hard to believe that a fiscally conservative county government would consider approving this massive spending plan. You would think they would’ve have learned from the mistakes of our failing state government and federal government’s borrow and spend policies. We must force our elected officials to be responsible and stop using taxpayer dollars as their own personal credit cards” said Joe Calomino, state director of Americans for Prosperity- Illinois.

Please contact your DuPage County Board member today and tell them to vote NO on the $70 million bond proposal or attend the next DuPage County Board meeting:

Vote on Bonding Proposal:
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
11:30 AM
421 N. County Farm Road
Third floor
Wheaton, Illinois

Sincerely,

Joe Calomino
State Director AFP-IL

Video: Deficit of Hope

“The American people have seen who is benefiting from Obama’s economy and it isn’t them. Barack Obama’s looming tax hikes on small businesses, job-killing regulations, and big government takeovers have created an economic climate saturated with uncertainty that is keeping employers from hiring. As a result, unemployment remains near 10 percent, nearly one in five Americans cannot find adequate work, and more people are losing their homes. In the meantime, President Obama has insisted upon leaving behind a mountain of debt and record deficits for future generations to pay. If Obama’s economy is all Democrats have to offer, the American people will vote to fire Nancy Pelosi and put this Democratic Congress out of business.” – RNC Chairman Michael Steele

Not bad. The only thing I can say is that the lettering on the chryon should have been a tad larger to fill up the screen better. They get a little lost when you have to downsize the video to 400 pixels. Still, it’ll work.

Of course, there is one more aspect to this campaign season that is amazing if you think about it. Did you ever think that the GOP would be able to campaign against Obama himself? When he won that great election victory in 2008 and as he campaigned how the Old Media destroyed anyone that spoke against him as a “racist,” I’d have thought then that the GOP would never be able to run against Obama himself. But with the socialist direction he’s taken, with his tone deaf left-wingism, with his utter failure on the economic front — nearly a constant 10% unemployment rate — with his massive failures overseas with foreign policy, with his failure to even satisfy his extremist left-wing voting base by putting all their pet policies into place… the guy is a major disaster.

So, after one of the biggest electoral victories in decades, now he’s done so poorly in just a year and a half that the GOP has no fear at all of actually running against the president himself. Instead of merely alluding to him, they can level a finger directly in his face.

If nothing else, this fact alone shows what a failure Obama’s been. He’s utterly squandered his near total authority as the right man for the job. He’s fallen so far that his opponents no longer fear invoking his name as an example of failure.

Roskam Gives Republicans Weekly Address

From Roskam’s Office…

Rep. Peter Roskam (R-IL) Delivers Weekly Republican Address

Rep. Roskam: “Back in Illinois and around the country, the situation has reached a boiling point. Americans are asking ‘where are the jobs?’ and – forget about getting answers – they can’t even get President Obama and Washington Democrats to listen to their concerns.”

WASHINGTON, D.C. – In the Weekly Republican Address, Rep. Peter Roskam (R-IL) says President Obama needs to listen to the American people, who are asking ‘where are the jobs?,’ and abandon his failing ’stimulus’ policies in favor of common-sense solutions that will promote private sector job creation. Republicans are listening to the American people through America Speaking Out and offering better solutions to cut spending now and help small businesses get people working again. Now in his second term in Congress, Rep. Roskam represents Illinois’ Sixth Congressional District and serves as job-creation policy director for America Speaking Out. Text of the address follows; audio of the address is available here and video of the address will be available here once the embargo is lifted.

Transcript

“Hello, I’m Peter Roskam, and I work for the people of Illinois’ Sixth Congressional District.

“Yesterday, Americans woke up to learn that our economy lost another 131,000 jobs in the month of July. Here in the president’s home state of Illinois, where the unemployment rate is well over 10 percent, families are wondering why Washington is spending money we don’t have and piling up a mountain of debt only to have the economy sputter and job losses continue. Businesses are afraid to invest in the economy when Washington continues to hand down mandates and tax increases that make it harder to succeed and to grow.

“Unfortunately, instead of taking decisive action to provide small and medium sized businesses with the tax and regulatory relief they need to flourish and hire new workers, Speaker Pelosi and Democrat Leaders in Congress are coming back to Washington next week to double down on their ’stimulus’ agenda that has led to fewer jobs and more debt.

“This latest round of ’stimulus’ spending comes in the form of a political season payoff to union bosses, and even worse, it’ll be financed with a job-killing tax hike on America’s job-creators.

“Under Democratic Leaders in Congress spending has gotten completely out of control. It reminds me of when Mom and Dad go away for the weekend. The teenagers say, ‘leave us home alone, we’re responsible, what can go wrong?’ Except Mom and Dad come home a day early only to find the house is trashed, the police are parked outside and everything is a mess. At this outrageous rate of spending, the Obama Administration and Congress are on track to triple the national debt over the next 10 years.

“Back in Illinois and around the country, the situation has reached a boiling point. Americans are asking ‘where are the jobs?’ and – forget about getting answers – they can’t even get President Obama and Washington Democrats to listen to their concerns.

“Well, Republicans are listening. This spring, we launched the America Speaking Out project to transform the way people interact with their elected representatives. Every day, whether it’s online or at town hall meetings, Americans are sharing ideas and engaging in a constructive dialogue about the future of our country. It’s time to put the American people back in the driver’s seat. As the great Illinois President Abraham Lincoln once said, ours should be a government ‘of the people, by the people, and for the people.’

“One of the best and most popular ideas on AmericaSpeakingOut.com right now is stopping Washington Democrats’ job-killing tax hikes on families and small businesses. At a time of serious economic challenges, massive new tax increases are a surefire way to stall growth and prevent businesses from creating jobs.

“That’s because every dollar in new taxes owed is a dollar that can’t be used to pay current employees or hire new workers. Hobbling the small businesses that are the backbone of our economy will further delay a robust recovery. According to an analysis by the non-partisan Joint Committee on Taxation – that’s Congress’s official tax scorekeeper – half of all new taxes collected under President Obama’s plan would come from America’s small businesses.

“Now, many economists agree that raising taxes on small businesses is the wrong approach. Among them is Mark Zandi, a favorite economist of the Obama administration. Mr. Zandi wrote this week that ‘raising taxes on anyone now’ would be a ‘mistake.’

“I served in the state Senate with President Obama, and I know that he has the ability to work across party lines when the moment demands it. And after 18 months of spending sprees, backroom deals, and government takeovers, this is the moment. We need a real economic agenda for growth and job creation, one that moves beyond partisan politics and puts our nation’s economic health front and center.

“For bipartisan economic solutions that can help all Americans, I hope President Obama will take another look at the ‘No-Cost Jobs Plan’ that House Republican leaders presented to him last December. The ‘No-Cost Jobs Plan’ lays out several common-sense ideas that are designed to move us away from government ’stimulus’ spending that hasn’t worked, and towards responsible policies that free up the nation’s entrepreneurs and job creators to create jobs.

“Ultimately, the key to improving our nation’s struggling economy depends on the strength and innovation of America’s private sector. By engaging the small and growing businesses that fuel our economy, we can get our country back on the right track. That’s why Republicans are listening to the American people and offering better solutions to cut wasteful spending and get people working again.

“Visit AmericaSpeakingOut.com to learn more and to share your ideas. We look forward to hearing your solutions.”

Despite Lean Times, We Must Protect our Resources

My campaign launched a household battery recycling program that will make it easier for constituents to personally be good stewards of our planet. Many kinds of batteries contain heavy metals and other toxic chemicals that, left to rot in a landfill, will one day contaminate our soil and pollute our water. By providing a place where household batteries with hazardous waste material can be properly disposed, we are doing a small part to leave our planet in better shape for our kids and our grandkids.

Roskam Launches Innovative Environmental Program

DuPage County Could Take Over Water Commission

Gov’t Waste: $250,000 For Green Roof For DuPage County Bldg

Dillard Blames Schillerstrom and Ryan for Loss

Kirk Dillard told  Pioneer Local reporter Amy Deis that he lost because Bob Schillerstrom dropped out too late and Ryan came in too late, both, he said, took thousands of votes from him leading to a bare primary edge-out by Bill Brady.

He especially pinpoints Schillerstrom for the loss.

“His 7,000 votes would have made the race; I was very much hindered by them,” Dillard said.

It may sound like sour grapes on Dillard’s part, but I cannot dispute that the thought rests on solid ground.

After all, Bill Brady hardly showed up at all in Cook County, DuPage County and the immediate collar counties. On the other hand, Schillerstrom didn’t show up at all south of Interstate 80! And north of that east/west tollway was Dillard country, as well as Schillerstrom’s.

It is very likely that most of Schillerstrom and Ryan’s votes would have gone Dillard’s way since both candidates had their base in the same area from which Dillard hails. The same areas that Brady was very, very weak.

But, that’s the way the primary crumbles, if you will.

Olson Fires Back At Water Commission Critics

Debra Olson, candidate for DuPage County Chairman, emailed an eleventh hour counter to claims she was to blame for the mismanagement of  19 million dollars in DuPage County Water Commission funds.

The following is from Olson’s campaign:

The Water Commission is funded through a countywide sales tax since its inception.  It has the ability to raise a property tax as well, but has abated that property tax and relied solely on the sales tax funds and the funds from member water purchasing.  The members of the water commission purchase water from the Water Commission at a rate set by the Water Commission Board.

The Finances of the Water Commission are controlled by the Chief Financial Officer, the Finance Committee, and the Board of the Water Commission.

DuPageCounty government has no authority over the funds of the Water Commission, and does not have authority to approve or disapprove the Water Commission budget.  It has been alleged that the DuPage County Public Works Department has authority over, or responsibility for, the Water Commission and its finances.  That claim is completely false.

The DuPage Water Commission has undertaken an investigation of the improper accounting of funds that led to a revelation that the Water Commission budget had a $19million deficit.  Though preliminary reports from Water Commission Board meetings indicate that the money is not missing, but instead was used to pay bills and not appropriately accounted for, the final outcome of the investigation is still forthcoming.

DuPage County was given $15 million annually (of the approximately $30 million received by the Water Commission) for five years from the countywide quarter cent sales tax collected by the Water Commission.  That transaction required state legislative action, which was in fact authored by State Senator Dan Cronin. Cronin was one of only three DuPageCounty legislators to vote in favor of that legislation.  The other two were State Senators John Millner and Kirk Dillard.

At the end of those 5 years, the Water Commission member municipalities then took a one-time $40 million lump sum from Commission funds and distributed it among the member municipalities.  No further funds were distributed toDuPage County Government.

The accounting problem was identified in the fall of 2009, which is approximately two years after the $40 million distribution was made.  It is unclear as of yet how far back the accounting errors/omissions go.

The Water Commission Board voted in December to approve a $30 million short-term borrowing plan to be able to continue to abate the property tax.  The long-term budget impacts are still to be determine.

At this time, the Water Commission is conducting an investigation, and until that report is presented to the Commission, it is premature to hold hearings or speculate on the impact to unincorporated residents on Lake Michigan water.

Debra Olson, DuPage County Board Member and candidate for County Board Chairman, has stated in interviews over the past three months that she believes it is appropriate to relieve the Executive Director of his duties once the investigation is final (the CFO has already left the Commission).  Anyone found culpable or derelect in duty should also be relieved of their position. Debra has spoken to Water Commission commissioners, and believes the Water Commission should adopt better safeguards, accounting and reporting procedures, and checks and balances to insure all funds are properly accounted for and transparency is paramount.

“It is unfortunate that my opponents have sought to distort the truth and my statements on this issue, as they have done with so many issues in this campaign.  I encourage voters to become thoroughly informed on this issue through the Water Commission members and website, and to learn my positions on issues from me, rather than my opponents.”

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