Ober and Ober Again

Did Jim Oberweis wish for Christmas that the partial vote recount would be sending him to Congress?  If so he should find himself a nice pair of loose shoes. That's because he got a lump of coal in his stocking instead.

HaHa, apocryphal Congressman Jim Oberweis will not be bivouacking in Washington DC any time in the foreseeable future:

Recounts in Underwood-Oberweis, DuPage auditor and 2 other races don’t change election results

Note to Ops: If you want Santa to be nice, you might try leaving him some cookies & ice-cream. Just Sayin!

How the Grinch Stole Xmas

Note to Ops: Does lockdown have your New Year's options limited to a night of swapping pics on Snapchat? How about enrolling in a LakeCountyEye Master Class™ instead?

The end-of-year 2020 Master Class is:

How to Make a Chicago Tribune Creepy Political Cartoon
Just Like the Creepy Tribune Cartoonist™

Why the Creepy Tribune Cartoonist™ you ask? Um, because it's 2020?

Step #1
Start with a suitable stock image from Getty or some other media website:

Three Wise Men (Photographed Silhouette) - stock photo

Step #2
Flip the image along the vertical:

Step #3
Stretch the image to comical proportions:

Step #4
And voila, you've made your very own Creepy Tribune Cartoon™:

Taxable gifts

Don't miss your next LakeCountyEye Master Class™:

Make Fun of the McHenry County Blog in 60 Seconds or Less

I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas

The Scrooges at the Chicago Tribune sent the Creepy Tribune Cartoonist™ to work on Xmas:

Taxable gifts

In the drawing a short, squat dybbuk called JB is shown extorting three noble and lanky wise men, presumably on their way down from the Caucasus.

JB (who may be the ancient Judea tax collector) wants their frankincense and myrrh.  This shadowy shylock nodoubt already knows about their gold.

Note to Ops: What does JB stand for? Hoo Boy!

Christmas in October

'Tis the season of giving. And for a certain Lake County Republican Maga-Donor, the season started back in October:

Richard Uihlein donated $5,600 to Republican Dick Barr's election campaign committee, Citizens to Elect Dick Barr, on Oct. 6, according to records obtained from the Illinois State Board of Elections (ISBE). In addition to this contribution of $5,600 to Dick Barr, records show that Richard Uihlein has made 100 other contributions of $1,000 or more in the past five years.
Richard Uihlein donates $5,600 to Dick Barr's election campaign

Confirmed Lake County Board Commissioner, Dick Barr did not need to spend the $5600 donation on an election campaign this year. That's because he was not up for election in November. Barr's term does not expire until November of 2022.

Note to Ops: Live like every day is election day.

Collegiality

White House sources are now saying that President Trump lost in the Electoral College because he couldn't get Dr Fauci or Vladimir Putin to take the SAT exam for him.

HaHa, legitimate businessman and Ex-President Donald J Trump is batting 0 for 2 -- he failed to win another election this week, this time the Electoral College.

What is the Electoral College? Nobody knows. What is known is, in Illinois, the Republican Party slated 20 Presidential Electors -- who will all be going to Washington to give President-Reject-Elect Trump 4 more years:

Even as President-elect Joe Biden's victory was affirmed by the Electoral College on Monday, Republican electors supporting President Donald Trump met in a handful of battleground states won by Biden and tried to appoint themselves as "alternate electors" that could keep the president in office.
Why Trump's latest Electoral College ploy is doomed to fail

Like the Spanish Inquisition, the two chief weapons of these Republican alternate electors are fear, surprise and ruthless efficiency. So don't expect to find their names anywhere on the Internet.

No, really.

The Republican Party, like the Democrats, are statutorily required to field a slate of Presidential Electors. But unlike their Democratic counterparts, the 2020 Illinois Republican electors are nowhere to be found on the Internet. Anywhere. It's as if they never existed.

Operatives take note: This year's Internet Challenge directs you to find the identities of the Illinois Republican 2020 Presidential Electors. Who are these people? The first Op to name all 20 electors will take home an Xmas stocking stuffed with a fine holiday assortment of plaudits and kudos, enough to make even Santa blush.

Wooster Lake Update

From your comments in my last post, Wooster Lake in Consideration, I read about the difficulty with filing a civil suit. Nobody I'm sure ever wants to spend time in court looking to recover monetary damages. You have to hire an attorney, and even if you win there is no guarantee that you will ever be compensated.

Having said that, if I bought a house that was misrepresented to me, and those misrepresentations were in writing, I would think hard about seeking a legal remedy.  Especially if the sale was negotiated by a realtor.

A lawsuit against any realtor could be damaging to that realtor, not only monetarily but to their reputation.

I'm surprised that any reputable realtor would partner with some organization or association that would leave it exposed to any sort of legal action like this.

WTF*

Are you like your LakeCountyEye?  Are you waiting for December 24 to buy those last-minute Christmas gifts? Well wait no more.

Why not get that special COVID cohabitant of yours Joe Walsh's book?

Lake County favorite son and Former-One-Term-Congressman Joe Walsh has a new book:

F*ck Silence
Calling Trump Out for the Cultish, Moronic, Authoritarian Con Man He Is

The book came out  last February, around the same time Walsh failed to win the Presidential nomination in the 2020 Republican primary.

Now, you may have heard it here first ...

Joe Bananas

but this confirms it: Joe Walsh is running for President again.

How does your LakeCountyEye know?

It's elementary ...

No one ever writes a book to run for President. HaHa, of course not. You run for President to sell your book.

Take that to the bank!

Joe Bananas

Santa must be making a list, checking it twice, gonna find out who's naughty and nice. Why else would Joe Walsh vote for Joe Biden?

I will vote against Donald Trump and do something I've never ever done before: vote for a Democrat for president.
Hannity, Tucker, and Me

HaHa, Lake County favorite son and Ex-One-Term-Congressman Joe Walsh is nodoubt testing the waters for a 2024 presidential run.

No stranger to presidential politics, Walsh beat Donald Trump in the 2020 Republican primary. Walsh, in fact, would be President today if that election had not been rigged and a fraud.

Walsh, who is nobody's fool, knows that very few have won higher office without winning lower office first. 2022 is coming up fast. Do not be surprised if you see the name Joe Walsh on your 2022 ballot, across from Lieutenant Governor.

You heard it here first!

The Great Weis Hope

You heard it here first ...

Thanksgiving Countdown

apocryphal Congressman Jim Oberweis wants a recount:

Jim Oberweis launches discovery recount effort in election that has Rep. Lauren Underwood winning by just 5,374 votes

Oberweis, despite failing to win in the 14th Congressional District, is not ready to throw in the towel. Why? Because the perennial candidate gonna do what the perennial candidates gonna do.

Government employees from DuPage, DeKalb, Kane, Kendall, Lake, McHenry and Will Counties may expect to spend their holidays recounting votes in a contest that Oberweis lost by more than 5,000 votes.

Note to election workers:  Make sure President-Elect Jim Oberweis is wearing a mask while he is breathing over your shoulder.

Wooster Lake in Consideration

I posted a story here about a Wooster Lake homeowners association, Wooster Lake, and the story attracted many comments. Some of the commenters used the word "fraud".

I can see if a homeowners association does not have the legal authorization (whatever that may be) to call it one, then it would be easy to call it fraudulent. But does this rise to the level of criminal fraud?

The homeowners association has documents posted on a website. Is this cause for a criminal prosecution for fraud? If anyone who ever posted a lie on the on the Internet broke the law, then everyone would be in jail.

I think there would have to be an actual monetary loss for a fraud to have been committed.  If someone bought a house and was falsely led to believe their home was bound by the rules of a homeowners covenant, I think they would be the victim of fraud.  Has this happened to anyone?  Did they press charges?

A Blue Streak

That protracted rumble you hear is not some Amazon Prime truck idling in the road ahead of you. No, it is the sound of the paper shredders running overtime in Waukegan. HaHa, your LakeCountyEye loves that joke.

On the quite reasonable assumption that the Regional Superintendent of Schools falls between the cracks, then the Republicans were swept out of every the Countywide office this month. And since Lake County doesn't have an Electoral College, the County Officers will be sworn in this week.

A spokesman for Ex-President Donald J Trump responded by tweeting: "This election was a fraud. It was a rigged election."

Note to Ops: If you are between jobs, try looking at waste-paper disposal. Their business is picking up!

Wooster Lake

We're at the end of 2020 finally and what a year it was. But one thing hasn't changed that I know of, and hasn't changed since this blog has been active, which is more than 10 years now.

In Wooster Lake there is a homeowner's association. I have their covenant, which is available on their website ...

WOOSTER LAKE
DECLARATION OF COVENANTS, CONDITIONS, AND RESTRICTIONS

Over the years we've seen many complaints about the legitimacy of this particular homeowners association.

I don't belong to a homeowners association and don't know how they operate. Are these restrictions enforceable?  Did they overstep their authority by claiming any of these restrictions?

For that matter, is this a legitimate homeowner's association at all? I'm not up on the law in this regard and would like to know.

If this is not a legitimate homeowner's association, are there laws being broken?

Thanksgiving Countdown

2020 may have been a year unlike any other. But as 2020 winds down, it is good to remember that this moment marks a special time of the year -- and ever it will -- past, present or future.

The last week of November will always be reserved as a period to pause and be thankful, and to count your ballots.

Note to Ops: Watch for the discovery recount.

And Happy Thanksgiving!

Vaporware

Are you in municipal government? Then remember this life hack: Do not zone a marijuana dispensary across a highway from a Taco Bell. Your constituents are going to get run over.

HaHa, it goes without saying that people will even cross state lines for legal marijuana.  So it should be no surprise that in the Village of Deer Park the philosophy is:

If we don't build it, they will come.

There isn't a marijuana dispensary in Deer Park, but the Village is collecting the sales tax anyways:

Deer Park to tax pot sales -- even though there are no dispensaries yet

Deer Park is a bedroom community that bet the barn on brick-and-mortar retail.  But given that retail is now broke -- like the Village of Deer Park -- they are eager to scare up new revenue. One person who is knowledgeable said: "We are confident that none of our cannabis consumers will object to paying a Deer Park sales tax on a product they didn't buy in Deer Park. What they don't know won't hurt them."

Your LakeCountyEye will keep you apprised when further developments warrant.

Ober the Re-Counter

Like Monty Python's Black Knight who, despite losing four limbs in battle, refuses to concede defeat, perennial candidate Jim Oberweis is a glutton for punishment.

Even though he declared victory on election night and flew to Washington DC for a new-Congressman orientation, Oberweis now wants a recount in the 14th Congressional District. Why? Because he lost by 5,356 votes:

Illinois election results: Oberweis asks for 'discovery recount' after Underwood's projected win in 14th District race
'Mr. Oberweis falsely declared victory with more than 20,000 votes outstanding. Now that he's officially lost, he wants a recount,' Underwood for Congress spokeswoman said

A dyed-in-the-wool spokesman for Ex-President Donald J Trump said: "Be sure to also steal some votes for Trump while you're at it!"

Your LakeCountyEye will keep you apprised when further developments warrant.

Fudge Bar

This week's Golden McHenry County Blog Fractured Syntax Award™ goes to Lake County Board member Dick Barr. Lamenting the election night "blue wave" that swept over Lake County, Barr said:

"I'm stunningly surprised," he said. "There seems to be disconnect between politicians and issues. The values represent Republican ideas, but they voted for Democratic candidates who do not."
Final election tally confirms Lake County riding crest of a ‘blue wave’

What did Dick Barr mean? No one knows.

To find out, your LakeCountyEye ran the text through the Elmer Fudd Translator:

"I'm stunningwy suwpwised," he said. "Dewe seems to be disconnect between powiticians and issues. De vawues wepwesent Wepubwican ideos, but dey voted fow Democwatic candidates who do not."
ELMER FUDD TALK

Didn't help.

Illin'

There is no truth to the rumor that Republican maga-donors Liz and Dick Uihlein did not test positive for COVID-19:

Liz and Dick Uihlein, the Lake Forest couple who are mega-donor players in Illinois and national conservative and Republican politics who downplayed the impact of the COVID-19, have tested positive for the coronavirus, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported on Thursday.
Liz, Dick Uihlein, Lake Forest mega-donors and COVID-19 skeptics test positive for coronavirus

Were the Uihleins exposed to the coronavirus while in the office?

In March, the New York Times reported that Uline was requiring its workforce to stay on the job despite complaints from employees, including those crowded into its call centers. One Uline manager sent a note to employees urging them to downplay the illness. "If you, or family members, are under the weather with cold/allergies — or anything aside from Covid-19," it read, "Please do NOT tell your peers about the symptoms & your assumptions. By doing so, you are causing unnecessary panic in the office."
Uline founders Liz and Dick Uihlein test positive for COVID-19. She has criticized coronavirus restrictions.

No, the office is undoubtedly coronavirus-free, because ,,,

Sources said that Liz Uihlein had been in the Uline offices recently and did not wear a mask while there.
Uline founders Liz and Dick Uihlein test positive for COVID-19. She has criticized coronavirus restrictions.

Note to Ops: Why not chip in a couple bucks and buy the Uihlein's some face masks? They're only $12/carton from ULINE:

ULINE SURGICAL MASKS

It's for a good cause!

It's All Ober but the Shouting

It may not be cheap, but you can attend Fantasy Congressman-Elect Camp this year:

Jim Oberweis Friday posted a photo of himself at the Capitol for new member orientation, but he is not the projected winner of the race in Illinois' 14th District.
Jim Oberweis Attends House New Member Orientation Despite Projected Loss In Illinois’ 14th District

According to the Fantasy Congressman-Elect Camp brochure, perennial candidates can indulge in their fantasies of being a Congressman or Senator, if only for a day …

• Sit Where Davy Crockett Sat
  
  
• Earmark a Bill
  
  
• Observe a Congressional Liaison
  
  
• Four-Star Dining in the Congressional Cafeteria
  
  
• Visit that Congressional Budget Office that You've Read About
  
  
• Take a Congressional Recess
  
  
• Share a Beer with Justice Kavanaugh
  
  
• Two Days and One Night in Cosmopolitan Washington DC
  
  
• Trump Hotel Accommodations
  
  
• Masks Optional
  
  
• 2 Complimentary Tickets to the Jan 20 2021 Trump Inauguration
  
  
• Not Available to Actual Elected Congressmen
  
  
• Must be 18 or Older

Note to Ops: If you can afford it … Why Not?

Ober and Out

It's official. Perennial candidate Jim Oberweis has kept alive his perenniality streak. Oberweis failed to get elected to the 14th Congressional District:

AP declares Democrat US Rep. Lauren Underwood winner in Illinois’ 14th District over Republican Jim Oberweis

Typical of a perennial candidate, Oberweis prematurely declared victory on election night:

GOP Candidate Jim Oberweis Declares Victory, But Democrat Lauren Underwood Does Not Concede In Tight 14th Congressional District Race

And he refuses to concede, even after after losing:

AP projects Underwood to win 14th District, but Oberweis vows to fight on

One spokesman said: "Jim Oberweis has the qualities to be President!"

Your LakeCountyEye will keep you apprised when further developments warrant.

Halloween Nut Bar

An actual unretouched screencap fron Dick Barr's Facebook page:

Barr is the Lake County Commissioner representing District 3. His term expires in 2022.

It's safe to say Dick Barr has Kyle Rittenhouse's vote on ice.

It Ain't Ober Til it's Ober

Note to Ops: OK, men, everyone who defeated Lauren Underwood in the 2020 election take one step forward.

Not so fast, there, Oberweis.

HaHa, perennial candidate Jim Oberweis says he is the winner in the 14th Congressional District:

Illinois State Sen. Jim Oberweis, owner of Oberweis Dairy, declared victory Wednesday in his quest to unseat Rep. Lauren Underwood (D-Illinois) in the 14th Congressional District.
GOP Candidate Jim Oberweis Declares Victory, But Democrat Lauren Underwood Does Not Concede In Tight 14th Congressional District Race

The numbers say otherwise. New vote-by-mail results released in Lake County give Underwood a 584 1,137 3,524 4,288 4,604 vote advantage over Oberweis. There are still more vote-by-mail ballots that have not been counted and Underwood's lead should be expected to grow.

It remains conceivable that Jim Oberweis could win in the 14th Congressional District. If not, Oberweis may take a job with the Trump administration. Where Donald Trump has declared victory over Joe Biden.

Your LakeCountyEye will keep you apprised when further developments warrant.

The Most Democracy Money Can Buy

Who is the PEOTUS -- the President-Elect of the United States? To find out, your LakeCountyEye asked Dr. I.M. Bhatschidtkhrazzi, visiting Trump University Professor at the College of Lake County.

"Ya", said Dr. Bhatschidtkhrazzi. "This election is tighter than a strip-mall scalp reduction job."

It seemed to your LakeCountyEye that things are looking up for Joe Biden.

"Donald Trump may be down", sniffed Dr. Bhatschidtkhrazzi, "but don't count him out."

Your LakeCountyEye noted the red flag.  Would Trump order the Supreme Court to throw the election in his favor?

"Don't make me laugh." chortled Dr. Bhatschidtkhrazzi. "They ran that crude trick back in 2000. No, Trump is going to win in the Electoral College."

The Electoral College?

"The Electoral College." replied Dr. Bhatschidtkhrazzi. "The voters don't vote for the President. State electors vote for the President."

Your LakeCountyEye did not follow.  Won't the electors vote for Biden?

"Yes, under ordinary circumstances. But this is an unordinary President." smiled Dr. Bhatschidtkhrazzi. "In most states, Presdential electors can vote for any candidate they want. Regardless of how their state voted. If enough electors flip for Trump, then Trump wins."

Why would any presidential elector do that? Your LakeCountyEye wanted to know.

"If you have to ask, you'll never know. You know," whispered Dr. Bhatschidtkhrazzi. "there are very wealthy people who want Trump to win."

Your LakeCountyEye was not sure where this was going.

"Some of these wealthy plutocrats wouldn't mind having a presidential elector or two in his vest pocket." explained Dr. Bhatschidtkhrazzi. "You don't have to look far to find rich people who have given tens, even hundreds of millions to political causes. Even here in Lake County."

Bribery? Your LakeCountyEye was agog. Isn't bribing a presidential elector illegal?

"Show me in the Constitution where it is illegal to buy off a Presidential elector." chuckled Dr. Bhatschidtkhrazzi. "Let's suppose Biden wins the minimum 270 electoral votes.  Then Trump only needs to flip two electors.  How much would that cost one of these Trump Maga-donors? $2 million? $20 million?"

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

"Tell your Operatives not to terminate their Mar-a-Lago memberships just yet."

Vote Like There's No Tomorrow

It has come to your LakeCountyEye's attention that there is an election tomorrow. And for President of the United States.

Who knew? Not your LakeCountyEye.

Does anyone have plans to vote? Your LakeCountyEye has been told that a lot of time, money and effort goes into holding an election. And it would be embarrassing if no one showed up to vote.

Just Sayin!

The Costume Party

Halloween Life Hack: Put the kiddos in their hazmat suits before they go trick-or-treating. Then they will return germ-free -- and as an added bonus, you don't have to buy any costumes.

HaHa, there were some awful scary little devils working your LakeCountyEye's neighborhood today. These are the best costumes of 2020:


Third Place:
He says he is a doctor but he is actually a dentist. Doctor Howard Cooper may have a job waiting for him on the next Trump administration Coronavirus Task Force.

Second Place:
Mark Curran hasn't been Sheriff since 2018. But it never hurts to wear the uniform. Especially when making citizen's arrests on people violating social distance rules.

The Winner:
"If you were a tree, what kind of tree would you be?"

Boo!

Spread the Love

Do you crave herd immunity? Are you looking for the next Lake County GOP super-spreader fundraiser where you can flaunt your anti-masker street cred? Well wait no more. The Lake County GOP super-spreader has come to you:

Lake County residents will no longer be able to dine indoors at a restaurant, gather inside at a bar or congregate in groups of more than 25 as of 12:01 a.m. Saturday because of surging cases of COVID-19 in Lake and McHenry counties.
COVID numbers prompt stoppage of indoor restaurant and bar service in Lake, McHenry counties; ‘We simply need to stay in'

COVID-19 positivity rates now exceed 8% in Lake County.  One spin doctor said: "Why go to the trouble of attending a GOP super-spreader event at some crowded restaurant when you can now catch COVID from the comfort of your home?"

Your LakeCountyEye will keep you apprised when further developments warrant.

Camouflage Uniform

If there is a super-spreader fundraiser nearby, then sure as shootin' you will find someone from the Lake County GOP there. Last week, the super-spreader event was a Trump rally in Janesville Wisconsin. And the someone was Lake County Ex-Sheriff Mark Curran:

Despite campaigning in a jurisdiction where he is not on the ballot, did you know that Mark Curran is a candidate for US Senate in Illinois? Your LakeCountyEye did not.

Of course, Curran has campaign yardsigns planted illegally by the public roads:

But is Curran really running for US Senate? Sharpeyed operatives will observe that is the uniform of the Lake County Sheriff. And that Curran has not been Sheriff since 2018.

It should be obvious that Curran would not be campaigning under blatantly false pretenses. No, that must be Mark Curran in his Halloween costume and the signs are a promotion for a haunted house.

Scary!

Cheese Spreader

Stricken by the after-effects of their super-spreader fundraiser in Lake Forest, the Lake County Republicans held their next one in Wisconsin. Lake County GOP favorite son Mark Curran was observed in Janesville not wearing a mask, disregarding social distancing norms and in close proximity to P∅TUS -- the Patient Zero of the United States:

When asked what Curran -- an Illinois candidate for US Senate -- was doing north of the border so close to the election, a spokesman said: "There is scarcely a soul anywhere who did not vote early already. Our candidate had to go up to Wisconsin to find voters who haven't cast a ballot in Illinois."

Your LakeCountyEye will keep you apprised when further developments warrant.

The Road to Hell is Paved with Good Intentions

Lame Duck legislator David McSweeney can add something new to his resume: Sitting Duck. That's because the sharpies at Ela Township had McSweeney's number.

Intending to eliminate redundant units of government, McSweeney sponsored a bill that ...

requires the abolishment of road districts in McHenry and Lake counties that maintain fewer than 15 miles of road. Voters would be allowed to submit a petition of signatures – including at least 5% of the number of voters in a previous comparable election – requesting a referendum. Trustees of any township in the county also would be allowed to pass a resolution calling for a referendum asking whether the township should be dissolved under the measure.
State Rep. McSweeney's township consolidation bill passes in House

But if David McSweeney thought his bill would eliminate unneeded Township road districts, he has another thunk coming.  His bill will bring to pass an exact opposite outcome in Ela Township:

Road District Referendum | Ela Township

The Trustees of Ela Township wasted no time in passing their own ballot referendum, one that does not eliminate the Ela Township Road Dept.  Instead, it will transfer control of the Road District over to the Ela Township board. Where it would be beyond the reach of any legitimate voter referendum.

Since he is not running for re-election, the voters will not have a chance to tell David McSweeney to hit the road. Likewise, the voters in Ela Township will not be telling their highway department to hit the road, either, no matter which way they vote.

Rummel & Danforth & Barr, Oh My!

The Lake County GOP made a video of their super-spreader fundraiser in Lake Forest which they want everyone to see. And the video went viral:

"TRIGGER WARNING:" "SOME VIEWERS MAY BE OFFENDED OR EVEN OUTRAGED BY PEOPLE LAUGHING, SMILING AND HAVING A GOOD TIME. AND WHO SUPPORT THE GREAT PRESIDENT TRUMP!" "WITHOUT FEAR AND WITHOUT MASKS!"

RNC Chair Ronna McDaniel: Superspreader Fundraiser in Lake Forest

County Commissioners Mike Rummel, Michael Danforth and Dick Barr were caught dead to rights in the video, and now the commenters are all throwing shade:

residents criticized Republican board members Mike Rummel, Michael Danforth and Dick Barr for attending the September event, saying their job as elected officials is to follow county health guidelines, like social distancing, no large gatherings and wearing face masks. Some suggested they step down, or that something be done about their actions.
Criticism of Lake County Board members who attended GOP fundraiser may lead to changes in public comment rules

Rather than make amends, the Lake County GOP wants to know why everyone is being so mean.

Well, it's because haters gonna hate, son.

Note to Ops: Next time you're at a Lake County GOP super-spreader fundraiser, wear a mask. Then no one will recognize you.

Q the Eye/10.18.20

Dear LakeCountyEye,

Help! The voters want to eliminate my Township Highway Dept.

How do I stop them?

The Colossus of Roads

Dear Highwayman,

So those pesky do-gooders want to eliminate your redundant unit of government?

Well don't do like they do in McHenry County (where everyone is lawsuit-happy) and file a nuisance-suit:

McHenry County road districts name Pritzker as defendant in township elimination lawsuit

No, do like they do in Lake County where everyone, instead, is smart. Get a voter referendum on the ballot to eliminate your Township Highway Department:

Ela Township Board votes to put Road District consolidation on the November 2020 ballot

You heard right. Put that Road District Referendum on your ballot, but make sure it is worded correctly. Like they did in Ela Township:

Shall the Road District of the Township of Ela be abolished with all the rights, powers, duties, assets, property, liabilities, obligations, and responsibilities being assumed by the Township of Ela?

Road District Referendum | ELA Township

If you include the legal-mumbo-jumbo about rights and responsibilities, then your voters will think they are voting to dissolve your Highway Dept. But in reality all they will be doing is transferring control over to the Township proper. Where your Highway Dept will be safely immunized against any further voter meddling.

Wicked smart.

Send your questions to Q the Eye c/o ... LakeCountyEye@gMail.com

Chi Town Rumble

Don't you just hate when this happens?

Exploiting a loophole in Illinois election law, your political campaign takes in lots more contribution dollars than your opponent is allowed:

A Lake County power couple has allegedly been breaking state campaign finance laws for years, allowing the pair — who sit on the Lake County Board and Lake Forest City Council — to take in more campaign contributions than legally allowed, including from Republican mega donors Dick and Liz Uihlein.
Complaint Filed Over Lake County Couple’s Alleged Campaign Violations, Which Spent 3 Years Unnoticed

But wouldn't you know it, some do-gooders have to come along and blow the whistle on you:

Reform for Illinois, a government watchdog group, filed a complaint against Mike Rummel Sept. 29, claiming he was attempting to bypass existing campaign finance contribution limits by using a political action committee instead of a candidate committee. Political action committees, or PACs, allow for higher contributions.
State Board of Elections to hear complaint against Lake County Board member Mike Rummel’s campaign finance structure

And now they're hauling your case into court:

The Illinois State Board of Elections is scheduled to hear a complaint filed by a public advocacy group regarding the campaign finance structure of Lake County Board member Mike Rummel.
State Board of Elections to hear complaint against Lake County Board member Mike Rummel’s campaign finance structure

If this has happened to you, fret not. You've already raised plenty of money from your wealthy maga donors:

The Rummel PACs major donors have been Lake Forest residents Dick and Liz Uihlein, prominent conservative activists who have given large sums to President Donald Trump and other statewide candidates and causes. The Uihleins have donated more than $47,000 to the Rummels since August of 2018, according to campaign finance records. The amounts are above what would be allowed through an individual candidate committee, according to Reform for Illinois.
State Board of Elections to hear complaint against Lake County Board member Mike Rummel’s campaign finance structure

Lawyer Up!

The Bread Line

How many times has this happened to you?

You file to run for office in Lake County, and set up your Candidate Committee with the State Board of Elections. But instead of hearing those golden ka-ching ka-ching sounds, all you hear are crickets. And by crickets your LakeCountyEye means cheep cheep cheep.

Well, do not despair. The Uline Corporation may have pulled up stakes and moved out of Lake County, but that doesn't mean that Uihlein family members still don't live in Lake County. Nor does it mean they do not donate to Illinois political committees. And by donate your LakeCountyEye means nearly $30,000,000.

That's right, individuals named Uihlein have donated an eye-popping $29,574,150 to Illinois recipients over the past 20 or so years:

Contributions List :: Contributed By: Uihlein

Now, if you're an enterprising candidate then it goes without saying that you will make it your business to know what your top donors want:

Lake Forest Billionaires Oppose Coronavirus Shutdown Extension
Liz Uihlein, who last month said "the media is overblowing COVID-19," reportedly urged her employees to recall the governor of Wisconsin.

Outrage after billionaire Trump donor allowed to avoid Canadian quarantine rules
Uline president Liz Uihlein has also been critical of coronavirus restrictions

Note to Ops: KA-CHING!

Sly Finance

How many times has this happened to you?

You plan to run for office in Lake County. But after you set up your Candidate Committee with the State Board of Elections, you discover there is a ceiling on how much money your rich friends can donate.

Well, do not despair. Do instead what these two Lake County public servants did. A complaint filed with the SBE says take a close look at ...

Lake County Board member Mike Rummel and his wife, Lake Forest Alderman Melanie Rummel, who have been sharing a political action committee since 2017, using it in roughly the same manner as candidate committees. However, the distinction has allowed them to take in more political contributions than they should be allowed.
Complaint Filed Over Lake County Couple’s Alleged Campaign Violations, Which Spent 3 Years Unnoticed

How much more? Republican-Mega-Donor more:

A Lake County power couple has allegedly been breaking state campaign finance laws for years, allowing the pair — who sit on the Lake County Board and Lake Forest City Council — to take in more campaign contributions than legally allowed, including from Republican mega donors Dick and Liz Uihlein.
Complaint Filed Over Lake County Couple’s Alleged Campaign Violations, Which Spent 3 Years Unnoticed

The Uihleins, who own Uline Inc., donated nearly $70,000 over a 9 year period. And more than $25,000 was reported in 2020, so far.

Contributions List
Contributed By: Uihlein
Received By: Citizens for Lake County Board & Lake Forest Alderman

Note to Ops: $25,000 buys a lot of bubblewrap.

Orange is the New Blue

Lake County is seeing orange. And it's not pumpkins:

Today, Lake County again moved from blue to orange on the Illinois Department of Public Health County Level Risk Metrics Map. Being at the 'orange' level means that there are warning signs of increased COVID-19 risk.
Lake County Enters Warning Level

Lake County has been upgraded downgraded to Warning Level Orange on the State Coronavirus scale.

This occurs in the wake of a Lake Forest GOP fundraiser where masks and social distancing norms were purposely flouted, and the keynote speaker tested positive for COVID:

RNC Chair Ronna McDaniel: Superspreader Fundraiser in Lake Forest

Coincidence?

One regional epidemiologist said: "A couple more fundraisers like that one and your County will go from blue to orange to red faster than you can sneeze."

Note to Ops: An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

Face the Music

How many times has this happened to you?

You are a musician and just trying to make a living. You record some Sousa Marches and upload these to Spotify. Only later, you find out that someone has pirated your work, made a music video with your recording, and posted it to Facebook.

Well, don't get mad -- get even. Here's what you do:

Upload that pirated video of your Sousa March to YouTube:

RNC Chair Ronna McDaniel: Superspreader Fundraiser in Lake Forest

Within 24 hours, YouTube's anti-piracy algorithms will tag the recording and identify the legal owner of the music:

Song The Washington Post Artist John Philip Sousa, The CJ Orchestra, Classical Jockey Licensed to YouTube by TuneCore (on behalf of Viscount Instrumentals); PEDL, Warner Chappell, UMPG Publishing, Hexacorp (music publishing), and 1 Music Rights Societies

If you are the legal owner of this music then you may be entitled to compensation. Contact:

The Lake County Republican Central Committee
15 Commerce Drive
Suite 109
Grayslake, Illinois 60030

... and make your claim!

Spread the News

Your LakeCountyEye has the viral video:

RNC Chair Ronna McDaniel: Superspreader Fundraiser in Lake Forest

Last month Lake County Republicans circulated with RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel at a fundraiser in Lake Forest. McDaniel later tested positive for COVID-19.

Story at 11:

Concerns Mount About Lake Forest GOP Event Attended By RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel, Who Later Tested Positive For COVID-19

When asked how they felt after the fundraiser, attendees were all 100% positive!

I'm Not a Doctor But I Play One on TV

With the Election only 4 weeks away, Doctor Howard Cooper is doubtless looking down in the mouth. That's because Cooper, the Lake County Coroner, is not a medical doctor -- he is a dentist.

HaHa.

Sharpeyed Operatives will note that Cooper has the word DOCTOR printed with his name on yardsigns, campaign material, social media.

This Doctor Howard Cooper however is arguably in good company. Your LakeCountyEye can think of more than 10 other "Doctors" who did quite well for themselves despite not being medical doctors:

Some Noteworthy "Doctors" Who Do Not Have a Medical Degree
1.	Dr. Hunter S. Thompson	Gonzo Journalist
2.	Dr. Dre	Rap Star
3.	Dr. Who	Time Lord
4.	Dr. Seuss	Children's Author
5.	Dr. Phil	Television Personality
6.	Dr. J	Basketball Player
7.	Dr. Science	He Knows More Than You Do
8.	Dr. John	The Night Tripper
9.	Dr. Ruth Westheimer	Sex Therapist
10.	Dr. Pepper	Soda Pop
11.	Dr. No	Bond Villan
12.	Dr. Demento	Disk Jockey
13.	Dr. Howard Cooper	Dentist

Look for your LakeCountyEye at a doc-in-a-box near you.

Spin Doctor

Did you know the Lake County Coroner is a Doctor? Your LakeCountyEye did not.

This is no secret --  Howard Cooper, the Lake County Coroner, has the word DOCTOR conspicuously on his yardsigns, website, social media:

Despite being ignorant of Cooper's medical credentials, your LakeCountyEye is in good company. Not a single board member who issued Howard Cooper his License to practice Medicine in Illinois knows that he is a doctor, either. That's because Howard Cooper does not have a license to practice medicine in Illinois.  He is a dentist.

Is there a law against claiming you are a Doctor on campaign material, when you are not one?

Why yes there is. It's called the Law of ... PSYCH!

Next Week: Is the coroner a psychoanalyst?

Approve by Contradiction

Voters in the United States are asked to bear two burdens every four years: Presidential debates and down-ballot candidates.

Will you recognize any of those other names on your 2020 Election ballot? Your LakeCountyEye certainly will not.

As luck would have it, the Chicago Tribune knows who all these other people are. And the Tribune has taken the trouble to evaluate your down-ballot candidates and to tell you which ones to vote for.  So you don't have to.

The Tribune is notorious for using any excuse to endorse an R over a D. And this cycle they did not disappoint. The Tribune declined to endorse one candidate because he does not support the Green New Deal or a single-payer health care option. This unlucky candidate ...

doesn’t support the progressive Green New Deal. He wants to expand Obamacare but does not support a single, government provider of health care.
Editorial: For the U.S. House: Ives, Kelly, Fricilone, Garcia, Quigley

While in the same story, the Tribune blackballed another candidate because she does support the Green New Deal and a single-payer health care option. This unlucky candidate ...

supports the left’s big-scale agenda, including a switch to government-run health insurance and the so-called Green New Deal environmental agenda. Those are not ideas we support.
Editorial: For the U.S. House: Ives, Kelly, Fricilone, Garcia, Quigley

Note to Tribune Ops: If your newsroom is illuminated by gaslight lamps, try not to breathe in too much methane.

Knock Knock. Who's There? Cthulhu.

The Chicago Tribune Creepy Cartoonist™ aims to make everyone out to be suckers:

Many tentacles

It goes without saying that Tribune readers expect original content from their political cartoonist. And not warmed-over Cartoon Network characters:

I squid you not, you're looking at another hilarious LakeCountyEye Double Vision®!

Note to Ops: If you must steal, by all means steal from the best. But when you steal from Disney, make sure your lawyers know how to argue Federal copyright law:

Disney and Lucasfilm sue Winter Garden company over copyright infringement

Just Sayin!

All Hat and No Flagpole

It has come to your LakeCountyEye's attention that Autumnal Equinox is not a strain of the Winter flu. And while the flag may be going down on Summer in Lake County, the flag is rising in Grayslake.

The Village of Grayslake has a new flag:

Opportunity, solidarity and stability represented in Grayslake’s new village flag

A number of designs were solicited from local artists. Grayslake residents voted for this one.


It is not known when the new flags will be available. But you can make one of your own:

East Coast Mommy: Alphabet Crafts

NEXT WEEK ...
Dog Owners: That new flag is not a chew toy!

{H/T] East Coast Mommy

Message in a Bloggle

Is the McHenry County Blog transitioning to a creole diet? If not then why are they dishing up mumbo jumbo?

Does anyone know what that means? Not your LakeCountyEye.

Now, even those with enviable reading comprehension skills should have a backup system in case of failure. Your LakeCountyEye's backup system is Google:

Note to Ops: If you obtain your content from Russian disinformation trolls, make sure yours speaks English. Just Sayin!

The Missing Link

Caption Contest!

Note to Ops: Sharpen up your Instagram Caption Pencils. You are challenged to paste your captions over the former celebrities in the image below.

Who are these guys? Your LakeCountyEye does not know. Which is the point of the contest. Big prizes go to the lucky winner.

Area representatives address state, local issues

One thing is known, those look like good times.

The Ives Don't Have It

A moment of silence please, to observe the end of an era in Lake County. For thirty years one name has dominated Lake County political circles more than any other. Not really a name -- more an institution -- sadly, this institution is departing the Lake County political arena.

Your LakeCountyEye of course refers to the Lake County Republican Party.

The GOP has discontinued its political brand in Lake County.

Can you tell which political party this Lake County candidate caucuses with? Your LakeCountyEye cannot:

One bona fide spokesman said: "Normally, party branding is guaranteed to increase vote totals by a certain amount.  However, this cycle it has been estimated that the Republican Party brand will yield, in the aggregate, a negative number of votes. Henceforth, the GOP will be referred to as the Party Formerly Known As Republican ."

Your LakeCountyEye will keep you apprised when further developments warrant.

Tales from the Darkside

The Lake County GOP has gone dark.

Do you see any of these letters -- R-E-P-U-B-L-I-C-A-N -- on this yardsign? Your LakeCountyEye does not:

Is the Lake County Republican Party squelching their brand? One spokesman said: "You will not see the word REPUBLICAN on any of our signs.  We want to make them harder for the Democrats to steal."

A reporter asked him why he thought the Democrats would want to steal Republican yardsigns. The spokesman said: "You don't believe the Democrats are stealing signs?"

The reporter said: "No."

The spokesman said: "Would you believe if I said it was the Libertarians?"

Your LakeCountyEye will keep you apprised when further developments warrant.