Referendee and Referendum

Historians cite a couple of facts about this well-known saying ...

The two things you don't want to watch being made are laws and sausages.

They will tell you that the sausages in question are links. And if anyone had ever said it, he was not Aaron Lawlor. That's because the Lake County Board passed a law (sponsored by Board Chair Lawlor), to change a law currently working its way through Springfield that would change how the Lake County Board Chairman is selected:

Lawlor's proposed amendment could ask voters in 2018 if they want to change how the chairman is chosen, as well as if the board should shrink and redraw boundaries using a nonpartisan system.
Lake County Board supports plan to ask voters if they want to pick chairman

Confused? Rather than try to work it out with a pencil, your LakeCountyEye looked up Dr. I.M. Bhatschidtkhrazzi, Enigmatology Professor at the College of Lake County.

"Ya, Aaron Lawlor is as mad as an old wet hen." chuckled Dr Bhatschidtkhrazzi. "They want to pass a bill in Springfield that will force Lawlor to campaign if he wants to be the Lake County Chair any more."

Your LakeCountyEye did not follow. Then why does Lawlor want a ballot referendum that will ask the voters if they want to elect their County Chair?

"Are you familiar with the Dr Bhatschidtkhrazzi three stages of Lokal Realpolitik?"

Stage 1: Your idea is crazy.
Stage 2: OK your idea may not be crazy, but it will be more trouble than it's worth.
Stage 3: Great idea! Glad I thought of it.

"When the unthinkable becomes a political reality" continued Dr Bhatschidtkhrazzi, "the way out is to claim it was your idea all along. Lawlor's referendum is a message to the voters that when they get to vote for their County Board Chair, be sure to vote for the person who made that possible: Aaron Lawlor"

Then why is Lawlor also asking for a second referendum, to reduce the County Board from 21 to 17 members?

"To cut back on budget expenses?" deadpanned Dr Bhatschidtkhrazzi.

Your LakeCountyEye was all like: Haha, you're too funny.

"Haha. Haha." snorted Dr Bhatschidtkhrazzi. "I cracked myself up with that one. Board member salaries aren't even a decimal point out of the total County budget. But voters don't know that. They just love to vote for these free-lunch referendums. Look at how many of them voted for the Route 53 Referendum in 2009."

But what is the payoff behind reducing the Board to 17 members?

"If you reduce the size of the Board" sighed Dr Bhatschidtkhrazzi, "you increase your chances to get re-elected."

How so?

"What every incumbent fears" confided Dr Bhatschidtkhrazzi, "is someone unknown to you, walking your district, knocking on every door, talking to your voters, stealing your election. But if you make your district big enough, then you make it impossible for that opponent to talk to all your voters. And you never have to worry about ever campaigning again."

Your LakeCountyEye was chagrinned. Then why not reduce the County Board to 15 or maybe even 11 districts?"

"Don't tell anyone" whispered Dr Bhatschidtkhrazzi, "but there is a plan in the works to reduce the County Board to one district."

Too much crazy. Did Dr Bhatschidtkhrazzi have any parting advice?

"Tell your operatives that if they like the idea of President-for-Life Donald Trump, then they will love County-Board-Chairman-for-Life Aaron Lawlor!"