Party Pooper

That special time of the year -- those days and nights betwixt Thanksgiving and New Years -- is nigh upon thee. And your LakeCountyEye has a helpful checklist:

	Seasonal Decorations
	Holiday Gifts
	File Your Nominating Petitions

Haha, the deadline to file for office in the 2018 election is December 4, next Monday. While there are many requirements to file, the most important is your Loyalty Oath:

Illinois Loyalty Oath

Sharpeyed operatives will note that you are being asked to swear that you are not a Communist:

... and furthermore, will note that an arguably Communist Party does not exist any more -- at least not outside the territorial boundaries of North Korea.

An embarrassing oversight, to be sure. To rectify the situation, your LakeCountyEye has compiled the names of suitable, alternative extremist political parties, against which Illinois candidates can swear their dis-allegiance. Ten by last count:

10 Political Parties More Appropriate for the Illinois Loyalty Oath

Guns and Dope Party United States Pirate Party Silly Party Very Silly Party STAG Party Surprise Party Objectivist Party Sovereign Citizens Oath Keepers Republican Party

Look for your LakeCountyEye crashing a party near you.

Turf War

Lake County may be the unlawful conviction capitol of Illinois. But if some township assessors get their way, Lake County could become the unlawful contravention capitol as well:

A lawsuit filed Thursday claims policies enacted by Lake County's appointed assessment supervisor are unfairly inflating property tax bills for thousands of residents. The suit filed by the Lake County Assessors Association and several residents argues Lake County Chief Assessment Officer Marty Paulson is ignoring annual revaluations by some township assessors and instead applying a blanket increase on all properties in a township. The suit also names the county as a defendant, since the county board hired Paulson.
Assessors claim Lake County is unfairly taxing thousands

One spokesman who knows a thing or two about township officials said: "If we win this suit then everyone will be able to afford a house in Lake County. And not just these $300-per-hour trial lawyers."

Your LakeCountyEye will keep you apprised when further developments warrant.

Water/Lead Testing Results: Round Lake High School

This is part of an e-mail sent to parents of Round Lake High School students last week.

Sent: Wednesday, November 22, 2017 9:32 PM
Subject: Water/Lead Testing Results: RLHS

Dear Round Lake High School Parents/Guardians:

The purpose of this letter is to provide you with results of recent water testing that was conducted at Round Lake High School on November 4, 2017. In January 2017, a bill that required Pre-K through 5th grade schools to test drinking water for lead was approved in the State of Illinois. Water is being tested at all schools within the District.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) requires corrective action for water samples that contain lead levels above 15 parts per billion (ppb). The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) is administering the law and the requires direct parental notification for any water samples with lead levels above 5 parts per billion.

Testing was completed by DSH&SC. The complete report for RLHS can be located on the District website http://www.rlas-116.org/Content2/41274 .

Of the 296 samples taken at RLHS, 41 sample tested above the 5 parts per billion notification level. The list below details the location of each sample.

Location	First Draw	Second Draw		Location	First Draw	Second Draw
Classroom L203	207 ppb	<2.0 ppb		Classroom B305	5.38 ppb	8.39 ppb
Classroom L203	28.3 ppb	<2.0 ppb		Classroom B301	6.63 ppb	<2.0 ppb
Classroom G301	26.3 ppb	3.48 ppb		Classroom C304	7.89 ppb	<2.0 ppb
Classroom G301	20.5 ppb	12.0 ppb		Classroom C304	6.17 ppb	<2.0 ppb
Classroom G301	13.8 ppb	3.15 ppb		Classroom C304	7.63 ppb	<2.0 ppb
Classroom G302	22.7 ppb	2.36 ppb		Classroom C304	7.61 ppb	<2.0 ppb
Classroom G303	6.83 ppb	4.72 ppb		Classroom C304	5.68 ppb	<2.0 ppb
Classroom G303	110 ppb	76.1 ppb		Classroom C303	7.64 ppb	<2.0 ppb
Classroom G305	5.00 ppb	2.78 ppb		Classroom C303	5.65 ppb	<2.0 ppb
Greenhouse	9.74 ppb	<2.0 ppb		Classroom C303	5.87 ppb	<2.0 ppb
Classroom D301	6.47 ppb	5.57 ppb		Classroom C303	6.54 ppb	<2.0 ppb
Classroom B300	11.0 ppb	5.47 ppb		Classroom C302	6.14 ppb	<2.0 ppb
Classroom B300	7.33 ppb	<2.0 ppb		Classroom C302	6.63 ppb	<2.0 ppb
Classroom B304	10.1 ppb	<2.0 ppb		Classroom C302	5.62 ppb	<2.0 ppb
Classroom B310	5.89 ppb	<2.0 ppb		Classroom C302	9.59 ppb	<2.0 ppb
Classroom B310	6.62 ppb	<2.0 ppb		Classroom C302	7.10 ppb	<2.0 ppb
Classroom B307	5.40 ppb	<2.0 ppb		Classroom K223	5.28 ppb	3.48 ppb
Classroom B305	10.5 ppb	23.4 ppb

Upon receiving results, the identified areas were immediately taken out of commission. Remedies for these areas will include filtration systems and replacement of fountain and any necessary plumbing which may be causing the higher than acceptable levels of lead. These areas will be retested once remedies are complete. Follow up results will be communicated to you once available.

For additional information about lead testing, please visit:

IDPH www.dph.illinois.gov

EPA www.epa.gov

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention www.cdc.gov

After seeing the effects of lead contamination in Flint Michigan, it is disturbing to know that this can also occur in Lake County.

Stick to Your Gunsels

It has come to your LakeCountyEye's attention that we're saying Merry Christmas again. So as a consequence, this year's holiday quiz will test your vocabulary.

The News-Sun wants to know ...

what word is best to characterize those who commit crimes, engage in criminal activity and terrorize neighborhoods and residents. "Hoodlums" used to be an all-around catch-all phrase cops once employed. "Perps" is another police-friendly phrase. "Gunsels" is quite dated.
Words can hurt, but then so can thugs and gunsels

• Hoodlum
• Perp
• Gunsel

Now, your LakeCountyEye can tell you what a hoodlum is. And what a perp is. But -- huh -- what's a gunsel?

gunsel

Pronunciation
/ˈɡʌnsəl/

Etymology
From Yiddish גענדזל‏ (gendzl, "gosling")

Noun

1. A young man kept for homosexual purposes; a catamite.

Wiktionary

Operatives are reminded, don't overdo it this Thanksgiving weekend. Go easy on the stuffing.

Rub-a-Dub-Dub

Does anyone know who Denise Rotheimer is? Not your LakeCountyEye.

But the sources say Rotheimer is a candidate for State Rep in Grayslake. And it appears that three men are running against her:

A financial adviser from Grayslake is the fourth Republican to declare his candidacy in the 62nd District state House race.
Grayslake businessman to seek GOP nomination for 62nd House seat

Do you really need this many men to challenge someone in a Primary?

1. Bob Bednar
2. Ken Idstein
3. Adam Solano

Your LakeCountyEye doesn't think so.

Now, your LakeCountyEye visits the job websites every couple hours. And while jobs are out there calling for three men, none are for ballot candidates.

Ten, for those who are counting:

10 Three-Man Jobs

Stunt Double for the 3 Stooges Waukegan Casino 3-Card Monte Dealer Grease the Skids on a 4-Man Bobsled Correctly Spell Triumvirate McDonald's Triple Thick Shake Q/A Tester A Full Cast for Two and a Half Men (Plus an Understudy) Out-Rush the Chicago Bears Mayor of Third Lake Give the Three Finger Salute One to Hold the Light Bulb and Two to Turn the Ladder

Look for your LakeCountyEye touching the third rail of politics near you.

Three's a Crowd

Rule #1 in politics:

You campaign in poetry. And you govern in prose.

Take for instance Hillary Clinton. In 2016 she campaigned in prose. And now today her book is available on Amazon for just $17.09 (hardcover):

What Happened
by Hillary Rodham Clinton

Now that Ms Clinton has shown the glass ceiling can be broken, women everywhere are stepping up to the plate to run for office. Like for instance ...

Wauconda Trustee Linda Starkey announced Wednesday she'll run for the Lake County Board in 2018. Starkey, whose political resume includes two terms as North Barrington's mayor, is seeking the Republican nomination for the county's 17th District seat.
Wauconda trustee to run for Lake County Board

And no sooner was the ink dry, another woman announced a week later.

A third Republican candidate has entered the race for the Lake County Board's 17th District seat. North Barrington resident Eleanor Sweet McDonnell has announced she wants the job.
Third GOP candidate running for 17th District Lake County Board seat

Both ladies are challenging Michael Danforth, who in February was appointed to fill a vacancy in County Board District 17. This contest is widely considered an open seat.

Your LakeCountyEye did the math: At the current rate of one per week, Michael Danforth could end up with a dozen women candidates competing against him on the Primary ballot. Which means the voters in Danforth's district will have plenty of female candidates to choose from. A win-win-win for everyone.

Your LakeCountyEye doesn't know what Michael Danforth's secret is -- but he should bottle and sell it!

A Word to the Ives

The GOP has a new battle cry:

You can't have a Party without some women!

And it should be no surprise the Lake County GOP last month threw a fundraiser Celebrating Women Republican Leaders.

One of those leaders is surely Gubernatorial candidate Jeanne Ives. Ives will be challenging Governor Bruce Rauner in the 2018 Primary. Ives is running on a platform of conservative values and keeping promises.

Operatives hoping to find Ives-for-Governor nominating petitions on the Lake County GOP website, however, had to wait. Rauner-for-Governor petitions are available there, but nothing for Jeanne Ives.

That is, until now:

Lake County Republican Petition Download

Sharpeyed Operatives will spy another Gubernatorial candidate on the Lake County GOP website, William J. Kelly:

Who is William J. Kelly? Your LakeCountyEye has no idea either. But one thing is for certain. If you're in a mood to stick it to the man, and you want to stand behind someone with conservative values who will keep their promises, then next March be sure to vote for William J. Kelly for Governor.

The Trump Administration's Attack on Sanctuary Cities

Adlai Stevenson Center on Democracy

Sanctuary Cities are those that have their own policies on how to deal with undocumented immigrants in their communities. Edwin C. Yohnka, the Director of Communications and Public Policy for the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois, will outline the efforts of the Trump Administration to deny federal funds to municipalities designated as Sanctuary Cities.

• Sunday
  November 19, 2017
  2:00 pm
• The Stevenson Center on Democracy
  25200 N St Mary's Rd
  Mettawa (Libertyville), IL 60048
  773-281-0378
• $15
  (Students Free)

The Proft Motive

At the risk of sounding redundant, McHenry County has its own fake news source, the McHenry Times. Like the Lake County Gazette (Lake County's #1 fake news source), the McHenry Times is one of many freeshopper tabloids published by conservative talk show host Dan Proft.

As if to flaunt their fake news bona fides, the McHenry Times incorrectly reported that Craig Wilcox is challenging Pam Althoff for State Senate.

None of this escaped the attention of the McHenryCountyBlog:

Take a look at this screen shot from McHenry Times, a publication financed by Dan Proft: Other than getting Wilcox' opponent wrong, the article gives favorable treatment to Wilcox.
Dan Proft’s McHenry Times Screws Up

Note to Dan Proft Ops: You're not even fooling the McHenryCountyBlog any more.

Taxed Out of House & Home

It should be no surprise that this week's surprise quiz is about the new GOP tax bill. The News-Sun observes that ...

Among the residents of Zion are 60 percent renters, 40 percent overtaxed homeowners and one tenant city officials have been struggling to evict for nearly 20 years.
Gamma radiation detectors: just one reminder of Zion's nuclear legacy

Now answer these questions:

By eliminating the property tax deduction, will the new GOP Cut Cut Cut Act drive these Zion homeowners out of their homes and into rented apartments? And who is that tenant they've been unable to evict for 20 years?  Is he the author of the Cut Cut Cut Act -- Lake County's vestigial Congressman Peter Roskam?

If you answered YES to any of these, give yourself an attaboy.

But the correct answer is still the Zion Nuclear Plant:

Those statistics can be attributed to the storage of spent nuclear rods on the property of the closed Zion Nuclear Power Station
Gamma radiation detectors: just one reminder of Zion's nuclear legacy

Note to Ops: As Zion goes, so goes the nation.

Sleight of Hand

There is no truth to the rumor that the Lake County Republican Party is holding a fundraiser to pay for the new GOP tax plan. So you will have to pay for the Cut Cut Cut Act out of your own pocket:

The Illinois congressman who's one of the major authors of the big new GOP tax plan says he's solidly behind it and intends to vote to enact it—even though local tax authorities say tens of thousands of homeowners in his district would be affected by a new cap on property-tax deductions, potentially cutting into and maybe eliminating any overall tax cut they would enjoy under the rewritten rules.
Roskam lauds GOP tax plan that could hit thousands of constituents

That Illinois Congressman is Lake County vestigial Congressman Peter Roskam. According to the Daily Herald:

"Most people in my district are interested in tax relief, not interested in the equation," Roskam said.
Roskam says new Republican tax plan is good for middle class

Here Roskam demonstrates how he worked out that equation by hand:

"Nothing Up My Sleeve"	PRESTO
How about a big hand for another hilarious LakeCountyEye Double Vision™!

The big beneficiaries of Roskam's tax bill were unavailable for comment.

Dot Your Ts and Cross Your Is

An actual unretouched screencap from the invitation card to the Lake County Republican's Celebration of Women Republican Leaders:

A Celebration of Women Republican Leaders
Featuring Lieutenant Governor
Evelyn "Sanguinettti"

One informed source told your LakeCountyEye: "Once again the Lake County GOP missed a bet. With that many Ts to play with, we could've thrown a golf outing."

Fabled in Story and Song

An actual unretouched screencap from the Lake County Republican's GOP fundraiser to honor women:

"In a world where Republicans are stereotyped as being old, white, and male, we were proud to showcase our diversity and fabulous women leaders and trailblazers," said Lake County Federation President Larry Falbe.
Lake County Republican Federation Pleased with Success of
"A Celebration of Women Republican Leaders"

Note to Ops: More adjectives to be found at Team America's 10th District Blog.

[h/t: s/a]