Incumbent Trustees Patty Meroni and Karen Selman, along with newcomer Mary Naumann, have wasted no time in their filing with the Illinois State Board of Elections for the April 2015 Village elections. Their filing occurred on the last day for filing candidate petition packets at Village Hall on December 22nd.
Tossing aside the often used “Save 5 Acres” committee moniker, the name chosen for their 2015 committee is the “Save Open Space – Barrington Hills NFP” or “SOS” party as we will refer to them throughout the campaign. A copy of their SOS committee filing can be viewed here.
Former Village Trustee Steve Knoop is serving as Committee Chairman. Knoop is no stranger to Village political campaigns, as he played a role in the 2009 campaign to reelect Bob Abboud for a second term, and was involved in the “Dark Sky” fiasco for Barrington Hills leading to the controversial Exterior Lighting Ordinance. He was also mentioned as a political supporter in the Riding Club (Rosene) white paper, which was the subject of another recent editorial (click here to read).
Leslie Coolidge, who ran unsuccessfully to unseat incumbent Peter Roskam in a 2012 campaign for US Congress, was named as the Treasurer for the SOS party.
Despite Coolidge’s position as committee treasurer, however, the first financial disclosure of campaign donations to the SOS party, filed on January 2nd, was submitted by political and election law attorney Laura Jacksack. It appears the SOS party is off to a fast start in amassing their political war chest.
According to their first “A-1” filing (seen here), two residents have already donated over $20,000 to the SOS campaign, and they are:
- Thomas Fitch – $10,500 on December 30, 2014
- Mike Harrington – $10,000 on December 30, 2014
Some readers may question the donation amounts as they relate to limits, but there’s a simple explanation. The SOS candidates filed as a “Political Action Committee” and not as a traditional “Candidate Political Committee.” There’s a distinct difference in campaign contribution limits, essentially doubling one over the other, and those details can be viewed here.
We’ll keep readers updated on all the candidate developments between now and the April 7th, 2015 election.
Seems Mr. Harrington would like to perpetuate the “Abboud” legacy with his generous donation of $10,000 to Mr. Knoop’s latest creation (Mr. Knoop created the “Save5Acres” name) “Save Open Spaces”. In the tradition of Saul Alinsky’s “Rules for Radicals”, Mr. Knoop is once again attempting to create an issue where none exists.
Harrington put his name to an endorsement letter of Bob Abboud in the last election that reads as follows:
“Thanks to Abboud, We are Better Off Now Than Before
A question commonly asked during political campaigns is: Are you better off now than you were before? Thanks to the leadership of village President Bob Abboud, the answer for residents of Barrington Hills is a resounding “Yes!”
First and foremost, Mr. Abboud has been a tireless defender of the 5 acre zoning and equestrian lifestyle that make Barrington Hills unique. He has made it clear that BH has no intention of allowing greedy developers to maximize profits by ignoring zoning laws and exploiting our open space. He has communicated a clear message to developers, pursued cost-effective legal remedies, overhauled the comprehensive development plan, and improved relations with surrounding municipalities.
Second, Mr. Abboud has provided responsible stewardship of Village finances. During this age of runaway government deficits it is refreshing to know that the Village budget is balanced and no new debt was incurred during his term as President.
Third, Village roads have been vastly improved as has the quality of our police force. Our police department is now recognized as one of the best in the country. Finally, Mr. Abboud has greatly improved communications between the Village government and residents by introducing a web site and newsletter and instituting open board meetings.
This transparent approach to governing keeps residents fully informed. Barrington Hills is better off because of Mr. Abboud’s leadership and we owe it to ourselves to assure a sound future for the Village by reelecting Bob Abboud as Village President.”
Mike Harrington
Barrington Hills
If Village Residents wish to turn the clock back, then they should vote for Mary Naumann, Patty Meroni and Karen Selman, all of whom are inextricably tied to the defeated ex-President Robert G. Abboud.
Cost effective Legal remedies?
Responsible Stewardship of Village finances?
Village Roads vastly improved?
Greatly Improved communications with residents?
Open Board Meetings?
Overhauled the Comprehensive Development Plan?
Such a mess………….
Meroni and Selman have no record of accomplishments to run on. Naumann’s fifteen minutes of fame came and went when she and Abboud launched an anti-bike website full of half-truths and lies slamming McLaughlin and Hannigan in an attempt to shield Meroni.
These candidates clearly have no option but to try to buy the election with huge campaign donations but like anything, money don’t fix dumb and that’s what they clearly are clearly by in the shadow of the phantom.
Save Open Spaces, (“SOS”) really stands for the “[S]ame [O]le [S]h#T” and here is why?
Knoop (incorporator of Save 5 Acres) = “Save 5 Acres”
Knoop (Chairman of Save Open Spaces) = “Save Open Spaces”
Thus, Knoop = Save 5 Acres = Save Open Spaces
Abboud = “Save 5 Acres”
Gohl, Harrington and Mazeski = “Save 5 Acres”
Messer, Meroni and Selman = “Save 5 Acres”
Meroni, Selman [Save 5 Acres] + Naumann = “Save Open Spaces”
Save 5 Acres + Naumann = Save Open Spaces
If Meroni and Selman =Save 5 Acres and Meroni, Selman and Naumann = Save open Spaces then but for Naumann, Save 5 Acres and Save Open Spaces are one and the same.
Then only Naumann = “Save Open Spaces” because Meroni and Selman cancel each other from “Save Open Spaces” because they are “Save 5 Acres”.
Question: How do you form a political slate with candidate (Naumann) whose single issue is her objection to change in VBH road designation with BOT candidate (“Meroni) who actually changed VBH road designations which Naumann objects too?
Answer: Robt. G. Abboud. Abboud believes if you create a “false issue” and find a puppet like Naumann as a tool to tarnish your political opposition with this falsity you will “win”. This Saul Alinsky play has been successful for Knoop, Abboud and Save 5 Acres cronies in the past.
If you look at Naumann’s website regarding No Bike Lanes in VBH you see it is hosted by none other than former VBH Pres.Abboud through his home occupation company RGA Labs.
Thus,
Naumann = Abboud = “Save 5 Acres”
and therefore,
“Save 5 Acres” = “Save Open Spaces”
It logicall follows no matter how much money Save 5 Acres BOT member Harrington throws into the Save Open Spaces pot, VBH voters are being treated to the
[S]ame [O]le [S]ong!
I would venture that the last word is not Song but something that rhymes with …..
After reading the SOS article, the phrase, “FOOLS rush in where ANGELS fear to tread.” Steve Knoop, is a former re-tread from a previous BOT. He has surfaced again to create havoc by allying up with the Save Open Spaces folks.
Saldy, the “two desperate housewives” Trustees Selman and Meroni continue their egoistic high of running again for another four years. Thankfully, Messer had the common sense to remove himself!
Neither has any experience in Finance or Roads. Both are huge liability candidates and need to be retired this April. They have cleverly managed to recruit Mary Naumann, a trustee wannabe as one of their evangelistic believers of preservation of the open spaces doctrine. She along with her band of three were brainwashed listening to Abboud preach from his Country Oaks pulpit and were charmed by Meroni’s empathetic, outright lies about her involvement in the Haeger’s Bend bike lane/ widening scandal.
Former President Abboud launched and financed a libelous website in the shadows which was a cleverly disguised ploy under the “dontchangearringtonhills bike website In it, they accuse President McLaughlin of directly working behind the scenes to sell residents out in lieu of development and supporting a bike trail system throughout our region. These are personal and unsubstantiated claims and attacks which are patently false. Repeat, FALSE!! Residents need to smarten up, the sad reality now is that folks like Mr. Fitch’s who are well-intentioned residents are now campaign contributors to the wrong party!! A party with a specific agenda for a certain segment of residents .Not only will the SOS party mislead to win, but they will empty the coiffures of good folks along the way for their personal benefits. Make no mistake The Rosene white paper is their campaign mantra. People who support them also support this goal.
CAUTION: Read the fine-print, inform yourselves on the factual issues and then make a smart unbiased decision. We can change the dialogue and discourse of this campaign one resident at a time. Let’s do this.
The horse “dividers” lie about McLaughlin being against 5 acre zoning. Seriously? That just proves how ignorant they truly are. There isn’t one shred of truth to validate that ridiculous claim, yet these puppets repeat it ad nauseam. I’m sorry, but I do not feel sorry for residents like Fitch: he’s old enough to read/understand the situation. Unless he and others like him live under a rock, how could you not see the horrific changes since Jim Kempe left office? Does he not look at his property tax bill and compare that to his current home value? Does he not drive the village streets and see the For Sale signs? The childish behavior of the current VBOT has got to end; it’s killing the desirability of our village. To maliciously pit neighbor against neighbor, the mud slinging and slanderous talk has a disastrous end game. Steve Knoop? Really? He’s Abboud’s bagman, so you know it’s a desperate situation. And Naumann is a question of intelligence and the ability to lead: after the bike situation was officially dropped and there was record of that, she told her minions to keep the signs up because we are against ANYTHING Marty McLaughlin stands for and eventually he will do something else that we are against. Mary Naumann is more of the same: obstructionist and opportunistic. No thank you.