Shadow Congressman

Your LakeCountyEye has been up all night, generating fake Trump Tweets:

Did Crooked Hillary help disgusting (check out sex tape and past) Alicia M become a U.S. citizen so she could use her in the debate?

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 30, 2016

But your LakeCountyEye only got the attention of the Daily Herald when Peter Roskam refused to participate in a League of Women Voters debate. Impersonating a League representative, your LakeCountyEye sent this Tweet to Roskam:

The Daily Herald printed this story the next day:

Could there be a debate between 6th District U.S. Rep. Peter Roskam and his Democratic opponent for the first time in eight years? A coalition of suburban League of Women Voters groups is pushing hard for one.
Lester: Will Roskam debate for first time in 8 years?

Those who do not know what Peter Roskam looks like, and care to see him in the flesh, should reserve a seat at the Oct. 16 League of Women Voters debate in Glen Ellyn.

Haha, j/k. Lake County's vestigial Congressman Peter Roskam has not debated a Democratic opponent since 2008. This is what a Roskam spokesman told the Daily Herald:

"As you know, he is regularly available to his constituents on the telephone, at town halls, at meetings around the district, and at his local office," spokesman David Pasch wrote in an emailed statement.
Lester: Will Roskam debate for first time in 8 years?

Sources say that Peter Roskam will accept the League's invitation provided he is allowed to debate via speakerphone. The same source told your LakeCountyEye that Roskam looks a little like Charlie's Angels ...

Big Peter is Watching You

This is not a good week for GOP debate participants. Peter Roskam, Lake County's vestigial Congressman, told the League of Women Voters that he would not participate in their Oct 16 debate, in Glen Ellyn. A League representative responded to Roskam on Twitter:

#You Can Run But You Can't Hide!

Haha, j/k.

You Can Run But You Can't Hide however is the subliminal message of this Roskam campaign mailer:

Absolutely, your LakeCountyEye wishes to hit the red DECLINE button whenever contacted by a candidate. But when Peter Roskam calls he doesn't take No for an answer:

"Sorry I missed you on my telephone townhall.
I hope you can join next time."

True enough. Having had used up all the minutes on the flipphone, your LakeCountyEye did not respond to the Roskam telephone townhall. But it was nice of them to keep tabs, anyways. Doubtless a lot of time and expense goes into monitoring who answers the phone, and who does not.

Your LakeCountyEye asked a source at the Roskam campaign. This source denied that the NSA was providing them with warrantless telecom surveillance data. The same source, however, did confirm that Peter Roskam voted to maintain the Patriot Act in 2011, and extend the government's roving wiretap program:

Peter Roskam on Homeland Security

Voted YES on extending the PATRIOT Act's roving wiretaps

Note to Ops: Intelligence gathering is mostly a matter of connecting the dots.

Rumdum

Around this time of the year, the two most important words in the English Language are ...

PRESIDENTIAL DEBATES

Just ask any drinking game player.

The first presidential debate begins Monday, September 26, at 8pm CST. And the rules for debate drinking are simple:

1. Select a Candidate.
2. Wait for the candidate to voice a keyword or catchphrase.
3. Take a drink!

Official debate drinking game rules are posted on the Illinois Republican Party website:

Make America Great Again

Bottoms up!

A Sign of the Apocalypse?

Even though 16 out of every 1000 McHenry County residents carry concealed weapons, the County is in the jaws of a crime wave. According to the tireless tax fighters at the McHenryCountyBlog, their Donald Trump yardsigns are being stolen:

Yesterday, on my way back from church, I notice that my Donald Trump sign was missing.
Trump Sign Stolen

The second yard sign supporting Donald Trump for President has disappeared from in front of our home.
Message of the Day – Sign Gone

Finding a replacement sign is easier said than done. Trump badly trails in statewide polls, and his campaign is not expected to be sharing their yardsigns with Illinois any time soon.

According to the Illinois Republican Party ...

WANT TO SHOW YOUR SUPPORT FOR TRUMP WITH A YARD SIGN?

You can show your support for Mr. Trump and Governor Pence by purchasing a yard sign through the campaign by clicking here. The Illinois campaign has a limited number of yard signs as well. Please contact Mitchell Bence at il_Trump_Pence_signs@yahoo.com. The campaign will likely not be able to meet the extraordinary demand for yard signs. To ensure a sign is delivered to your neighborhood, you can purchase a sign by clicking here.

Make America Great Again

$20 gets you an Official Trump-Pence 2016 Yard Sign (Set of 2), from Donald J. Trump for President, Inc.

Note to Operatives: Your LakeCountyEye knows where there is a reliable supply of FREE Trump signs. But you have to go to McHenry County.

Not Open to Debate

Hell hath no fury like a League of Women Voters scorned.

The League sponsors debates every election cycle, inviting incumbent officeholders to defend their records. And every year those incumbents don't show up.

Well, wise guys, this year is going to be different. The Shaw Media talked to LWV member Gail Kalinich and ...

the leagues representing Glen Ellyn, Wheaton, Naperville, Elmhurst, Palatine, Downers Grove, Woodridge, Lisle, McHenry County and central Kane County decided they would use their collective clout to accumulate as many candidates as possible to speak Oct. 16 to the public at a joint forum in Glen Ellyn. So far, Kalinich said, it has been a success, gaining RSVPs from the vast majority of candidates in contested seats in the districts in their area.
League of Women Voters groups join forces to press candidates into forum participation

One candidate NOT-RSVPing is Lake County's vestigial Congressman, Peter Roskam. Your LakeCountyEye has learned that Roskam will not be attending, and sends his regrets. If this one is like any of the past ten or so debates that Roskam has dodged, he had plenty of regrets to choose from:

Peter Roskam's 10 Most Often Used Excuses for Declining an Invitation to Debate

He does not support the 19th Amendment. Important Hair Club for Men meeting scheduled same night. ... Keynote Speaker: Donald Trump Does not believe the voters have a right to choose. Can't cross a CTU picket line. Inadvertently typed BENGHAZI into the GPS. Sorry I missed you on my telephone town hall. I hope you can join me next time. Can we relocate the debate to Taiwan? No? How about Myanmar? Will debate only after tax audit is complete. "Oh, absolutely. My people will call your people."

Look for your LakeCountyEye at the LWV candidate's debate, Glen Ellyn, Oct 16 ... haha, j/k.

A Big Map Attack

Alongside press releases from GOP candidates made to look like real news stories, the 100% independent Lake County Gazette printed a piece about the Independent Map Amendment:

This week, Illinois Republican Party spokesman Steven Yaffe blasted Democrats in the Assembly for their failure to stand up for the Independent Map Amendment ballot measure.
State GOP lashes out at Dems for silence as 'machine' blocks fair-maps measure

Not coincidentally, your LakeCountyEye set the GPS to chart a beeline for Dr. I.M. Bhatschidtkhrazzi, Professor of Creative Cartography at the College of Lake County.

"Gerrymandering is a tradition that dates back to the earliest days of the Republic." observed Dr. Bhatschidtkhrazzi. "Do you know which animal the original gerrymander map looked like?"

A salamander?

"Wrong!" barked Dr. Bhatschidtkhrazzi. "The correct answer is a beaver."

A beaver?

"Correct." repeated Dr. Bhatschidtkhrazzi. "The practice was named for Gerry Manders, as the Beaver."

Your LakeCountyEye did not know that.

"Ya, the spoilsports in the Illinois Supreme Court will not let the spoilsports in the Governor's mansion redraw the legislative maps." explained Dr. Bhatschidtkhrazzi. "Can you think of any other way that the Republicans can possibly raise their numbers in Springfield?"

Other than wholesale voter suppression, your LakeCountyEye could not.

"Well the people will not take this lying down." stated Dr. Bhatschidtkhrazzi. "Governor Rauner appointed me to chair a blueribbon commission. And we advised him that if it is illegal to move the map lines, then why not move the people instead?"

Your LakeCountyEye did not follow.

"We can achieve the same goals of a Fair Map Amendment either by changing how the legislative district lines are drawn -- or instead by relocating voters into the districts where they are supposed to be." explained Dr. Bhatschidtkhrazzi.

Your LakeCountyEye was nonplussed. By force?

"Granted when Donald Trump is President there will be plenty of INS agents available with skills and experience to remove people from their homes." replied Dr. Bhatschidtkhrazzi. "But we do not want to attempt anything that untoward. Did you know the Illinois Turnaround Agenda is sitting on top of a ton of unspent Rauner-dollars? These funds can be leveraged into buyout opportunities."

You're going to pay everyone to move?

Dr. Bhatschidtkhrazzi shook his head. "Not everyone -- only targeted households. We want to marshal the voters in high-diversity neighborhoods, and move them into moderate-to-low-diversity neighborhoods. The goal is to disperse the electorate in the fair and balanced way envisioned by a Fair Map Agenda."

High-diversity neighborhoods?

"I think you know what I mean." winked Dr. Bhatschidtkhrazzi.

Your LakeCountyEye wanted to know where these high-diversity voters would be sent. Downstate?

"Nothing that draconian." answered Dr. Bhatschidtkhrazzi. "We have reciprocal diversity exchange deals set up with nearby, less-diverse states. Wisconsin, Indiana, Iowa, for instance."

Your LakeCountyEye heard enough. Did Dr. Bhatschidtkhrazzi have any parting advice?

"Tell your Operatives that the first 1,000,000 participants get a free cheesehead!"

Lawyered Up?

Q:	How many lawyers does it take to screw a lightbulb?
A:	None. Lawyers only screw people.

Haha.

Robert Dold, Lake County's serial Congressman, hopes to turn up the legal heat on his opponents. According to the Daily Herald ...

U.S. Rep. Bob Dold's attorneys are demanding that a Democratic political action committee stop linking the Kenilworth Republican to Donald Trump's presidential campaign.
Dold demands PAC stop linking him to Trump

The Trump campaign was quick to issue a strongly worded statement: "Only a total moron would send his attorneys out to file a nuisance suit, and just so as to direct some cheap media attention toward their boss. This completely illustrates the huge difference between Donald Trump and Robert Dold. Loser."

Your LakeCountyEye will keep you apprised when further developments warrant.

The Case for the Independent Maps Amendment

Adlai Stevenson Center on Democracy

Lori Lightfoot, an attorney supporting the Independent Map Supreme Court Appeal, will speak on the need for reform of the rules and process for drawing Illinois legislative districts in a transparent, fair and impartial manner.

• Sunday
  September 18, 2016
  2:00 pm
• The Stevenson Center on Democracy
  25200 N St Mary's Rd
  Mettawa (Libertyville), IL 60048
  773- 281-0378
• $15
  No Charge for Students
• Coffee and Conversation Afterwards

Comparison Shopping

Your home is your best investment. Take that from no less an authority than your Township Assessor. The County, by now, has cashed that check you wrote to cover your property tax bill -- and is no doubt spending it all on stupid stuff. So now may be the time to (haha) assess the damages and form an action plan for the future.

As reported on this blog ...

Q the Eye/09.01.16

you can reduce your property taxes by appealing your assessment. This tactic requires no legal representation, is quite effective, and can be executed in three easy steps:

1. Collect the addresses of homes that are assessed below yours.
2. Forward those addresses to your Township Assessor, along with a WTF? postit attached.
3. Watch your assessment crater faster than a Route 12 pothole.

Of course the devil is in the details. Accordingly, your LakeCountyEye will provide some comparable properties that you can start off with:

Pin:	05-23-116-001
Street Address:	26585 W WOOSTER LAKE DR
City:	INGLESIDE
Land Amount:	$3
Building Amount:	$0
Total Amount:	$3

PIN 05-23-116-001

Pin:	05-23-111-061
Street Address:	0 BLUE SPRINGS DR
City:	FOX LAKE
Land Amount:	$3
Building Amount:	$0
Total Amount:	$3

PIN 05-23-111-061

Pin:	05-23-202-012
Street Address:	34650 N PARK AVE
City:	INGLESIDE
Land Amount:	$3
Building Amount:	$0
Total Amount:	$3

PIN 05-23-202-012

Pin:	05-23-200-018
Street Address:	34530 N PARK AVE
City:	INGLESIDE
Land Amount:	$3
Building Amount:	$0
Total Amount:	$3

PIN 05-23-200-018

h/t Wooster Lake Fish Tales

Note to Ops: Your LakeCountyEye knows where there is some cheap land in Lake County.

Swift Boats

As if to confirm that Donald Trump's financial empire is under water, the GOP presidential nominee was represented this weekend at the Cardboard Boat Race in Wauconda. The annual Labor Day boat race is held on Bangs Lake. Contestants are challenged to race with boats made out of cardboard and duct tape. The News-Sun talked to ...

Frank Rychlik, who was captain of the Team Trump boat. Rychlik said he entered the race so he could show his support for the Republican candidate. "I work in the construction industry, and things have taken a dump recently," Rychlik said.
Annual cardboard boat race in Wauconda gets political

Operatives with weakened immune systems are advised not to swim in Bangs Lake.

That's all your LakeCountyEye has. Weigh anchor.

Q the Eye/09.01.16

Dear LakeCountyEye,

So if everyone stopped paying their taxes they would have to shut down all the jails. And then they couldn't jail anyone for not paying their taxes.

Are you on board?

Taxed Enough Already

Dear Teed Off,

Absolutely no one hates to pay taxes more than your LakeCountyEye. The property tax bill is due this week in Lake County, and you could express your displeasure like one particular group of trumbolones did ...

A small group of suburban residents protested their rising property taxes Tuesday at the Lake County treasurer's office by paying with stacks of one-dollar bills. Ten people participated in the orderly protest, organized by a group called Illinois Tax Revolution.
Protesters pay Lake County taxes with dollar bills

Note to Ops: If you do pay your taxes in one-dollar bills, be sure to count each bill individually, out loud. And don't forget to get your receipt!

Now, anyone who has ever carpooled with circus folk will have heard that some trained animals are smarter than others. Most animals bite the stick when you beat them. The smarter animals bite you.

Haha, so if you're a low-information taxpayer, don't make the mistake of biting the stick. Do the smart thing and reduce your tax bill, instead. Either by challenging your assessment. Or by voting-in a Township Assessor who promises to under-value your home. Or even by petitioning to dissolve your local taxing bodies -- your Library District, for instance. C'mon, who reads books any more?

Or you could follow the lead of the Illinois Tax Revolution, instead -- an organization that (your LakeCountyEye notes) has a steering committee manned solely by McHenry County operatives.

Nuff said!

If you are an elected official, or a previously elected official, or just a private citizen under indictment, send your political questions to Q the Eye c/o ... LakeCountyEye@gMail.com