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Archive for February, 2025

The case for Martin McLaughlin’s appointment to the Illinois State Senate

Posted in Daily Herald, Economy, OP/Ed, Pension Funding, Politics, Property Taxes, Public Safety, Resident Spotlights, Springfield, Taxes, Topics Of Interest on February 25, 2025| 1 Comment »

Rep. Martin McLaughlin, R-Barrington Hills

The 26th Legislative District Committee for the Republican Party is scheduled to meet Friday at 1 PM to vote on filling the vacancy in the State Senate due to the resignation of Dan McConchie, which was effective February 2, 2025.

The committee did appointed a candidate in mid-February, however their appointment had to be put “on hold” due to legal and other matters. At the same time, several issues regarding that candidate surfaced on social media and caused many to pause and reconsider that candidate’s fitness for office.

Before the committee makes their decision, we thought it important for them and our readers to reflect on why State Representative Martin McLaughlin deserves renewed consideration for the seat. The following are just a few of the endorsements from the dozens that we had to choose from that support our case:

Endorsement: McLaughlin in Republican primary for Duffy’s state senate seat (February 17, 2016)

When state Sen. Dan Duffy decided he would retire from the Illinois legislature in 2017, it opened a door for suburban Republicans eager to try their mettle in Springfield.

Three candidates are running for the Republican primary in the 26th state Senate District, 253 square miles that reach from Waukegan, Libertyville and Buffalo Grove on the east to Crystal Lake, Algonquin, Carpentersville and Hoffman Estates on the west and southwest.

Of the three, our choice is Barrington Hills Village President Martin McLaughlin.

Read the full Daily Herald endorsement article here.

Endorsement: McLaughlin for state House Dist. 52 (September 17, 2020)

Martin McLaughlin, left, and Marci Suelzer

The voters in the 52nd Illinois House District have been spoiled by the representation of David McSweeney.

To all those who say individual state representatives are powerless in a General Assembly controlled by legislative leaders, we say look at the performance of the Barrington Hills Republican.

For eight years, McSweeney has served with unmatched energy and tireless efforts at building relationships on both sides of the aisle. and by keenly picking his spots, he’s been uniquely successful at getting things done.

McSweeney will be a tough act to follow, but the voters have two good options to do so — Barrington Hills Village President Martin McLaughlin and Democrat Marci Suelzer of Island Lake, who brings a well-rounded background in legal affairs and mental health.

We recommend McLaughlin, the Republican.

Read the full Daily Herald Editorial Board endorsement here.

Endorsement: McLaughlin for Illinois House Dist. 52 representative (October 14, 2022)

Martin McLaughlin, left, and Mary Morgan are candidates for the 52nd Dist. state House seat in the 2022 general election.

Republican Martin McLaughlin brought eight successful years of experience as Barrington Hills village president when he entered the Illinois House in 2021. Now, he’s seeking a second term in the newly drawn House Dist. 52 and his thoughtful, measured approach to state government makes him the right person for the job.

Dist. 52 stretches from near South Barrington north toward Ivanhoe and Volo with a slight westward dip into McHenry County.

With a background in investment management, McLaughlin is particularly well suited to help address the financial issues facing the state, and his tenure at the helm in Barrington Hills was marked by his success at providing needed services while keeping taxes low. He favors the traditional limited-government positions of his party, yet — on issues including education, crime, government spending and more — he remains thoughtful and independent in working out the details of legislation and examining problems facing the state.

McLaughlin is endorsed.

Read the full Daily Herald endorsement article here.

Endorsement: McLaughlin for Illinois House Dist. 52 (October 13, 2024)

Martin McLaughlin, left, and Maria Peterson

In two previous runs for Illinois House, we have consistently found former Barrington Hills Village President Martin McLaughlin a steadfast voice for controlled spending with an independent mentality that can help him work effectively in the Democratically controlled chamber. We see much of the same as he seeks his third term in the race for Illinois House Dist. 52.

In this campaign, we are particularly impressed with his detailed position on ethics reforms for lawmakers that remain to be addressed. He says lawmakers should lose their state insurance and pension plans if they are found guilty of a crime, and he wants stronger controls on what he calls “the special interest contributing class.” He also wants tighter rules regarding legislators who transition to lobbying, possibly including restricting them or their staffs from lobbying the same government entity they previously worked for.

We also appreciate his resolute stance on controlled government spending, especially as the state gets set to enter a period of complex challenges.

Read the full Daily Herald endorsement article here.

Martin McLaughlin deserves the committee’s vote to appoint him Friday. He has earned it.

Related: “Darby Hills’ appointment to state Senate on hold as Republicans reopen applications for McConchie’s seat,” “26th Legislative District Committee meeting cancelled,” “State Senator seat at any price?,” ”26th Legislative District Committee meeting tomorrow,” “Do Over Scheduled for Meeting to Replace State Senator Dan McConchie,” “Restraining order sought to block 26th Senate appointment amid legal fight,” “Lawsuit challenges legality of GOP appointment to 26th State Senate seat,” “McConchie’s would-be successor isn’t a Republican and can’t serve, lawsuit alleges,” “Darby Hills Appointed as New State Senator for Illinois’ 26th Senate District”

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Beyond the Nazi accusations. What you should know about Gov. Pritzker’s budget address

Posted in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Politics, Pritzker’s Rules of Order, Property Taxes, Springfield, Taxes, Unions, Wirepoints on February 25, 2025| Leave a Comment »

By: Ted Dabrowski and John Klingner | Wirepoints

There were two big takeaways from Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s 2026 combined state of the state and budget address last week.

First was Pritzker’s use of a constitutionally-required speech to frame Trump and, by extension, his 70 million-plus supporters, as Nazis. “I do not invoke the specter of Nazis lightly,” Pritzker said, as he proceeded to equate the MAGA movement with Nazism.

Somebody forgot to tell Pritzker about Godwin’s Law – that when you invoke Nazis in an argument, you automatically lose. Wirepoints detailed Pritzker’s comments in a sister piece, Pritzker says he is fighting against Nazis in astounding speech, so we won’t go into more detail here.

The second big takeaway – and the focus of this piece – is how wide the gap has gotten between what the governor says he’s done for Illinois versus reality on the ground. Look beyond the spin and you’ll see that Illinois’ economic growth since he took office ranks nearly last nationally. Same for private-sector job creation. Educational outcomes have also worsened despite billions more in spending. All the while, Illinoisans’ tax burdens are going up.

This state is increasingly an extreme national outlier on most fiscal, economic and demographic issues that matter. The data is undeniable.

Unstoppable spending

Incessant increases in spending have had all kinds of negative consequences for Illinoisans, which we detail in the following sections. Gov. Pritzker and his Democratic supermajorities have spiked spending dramatically in recent years and their projections show they want to continue that spending into 2030. Just look at the graphic below.

In 2019, Illinois’ budget was just $40 billion. They pumped it up to $50 billion during covid – a whopping 25% increase in just four years. For 2026, Pritzker wants 10% on top of that, to $55 billion. And his budget projections take it to $63 billion by 2030.

Pritzker’s rationale for hiking spending in his first term was pandemic relief, though that much of that was needed due to the governor’s protracted lockdowns and one of the nation’s strictest mitigation regimes.

But covid and his three-year-long rule by executive order are now far in the rearview mirror. That emergency spending should have been reversed two years ago, but it never happened. Instead, Human Services spending in 2026 will be up nearly 100% over 2019. Government Services will be up 50%. The bloat continues.

Massive spending growth means no tax relief

The flip side of all that spending is Illinois’ lost competitiveness. While Illinois was increasing budgets and raising taxes of all kinds – a billion alone just last year – 29 other states were busy cutting their income taxes.

Some states dumped their progressive tax schemes altogether and moved to far lower flat tax rates. Others dropped their top marginal rates, while yet others flattened their progressive schemes and reduced the total number of brackets. That’s especially true of our neighbors. Here’s what they’ve done since 2019:

  • Iowa scrapped its progressive tax scheme and moved to a flat tax in 2025. Its top marginal rate of 8.98% is gone and in its place is a flat tax of 3%.
  • Kentucky, too, ended its progressive tax structure and went to a flat 5% rate in 2019. Since then, it has lowered its rate again to 4%.
  • Indiana cut its already-low flat rate from 3.23% to 3.00%.
  • Missouri’s top marginal tax rate in 2019 was 5.4%. It’s now 4.7% for income above $9,191. For all practical purposes, it’s now a flat tax.

Every one of Illinois’ neighbors now has a lower top rate than Illinois except Wisconsin.

Illinois has also done nothing to address the state’s ballooning property taxes, already the nation’s highest. On the contrary, Illinois lawmakers have added on more mandates and more costs, inflating property tax bills across the state.

When Pritzker took office in 2019, total property tax revenues totaled $32.9 billion. By 2023, they jumped to $38.5 billion. Today, the total is sure to be over $40 billion and they’ll keep going up by $1 to $2 billion for the next few years.

Read more here.

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Barrington Area Council of Governments meet tonight

Posted in BACOG, Deception, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Ethics, Politics, Property Taxes, South Barrington, Transparency, Unions, Village Government on February 25, 2025| Leave a Comment »

The Barrington Area Council of Governments (BACOG) is scheduled to have multiple meetings today beginning at 6:00 PM at Barrington’s Village Hall, 200 South Hough Street. Those meetings include:

  • 6:00 – Legislative
  • 7:00 – Executive Board

Meeting agendas are posted by BACOG, but  their website does state,  “Copies of approved minutes for BACOG committee and executive board meetings are available upon request. Please submit requests by email to bacog@bacog.org.”

Apparently, BACOG’s budget does not allow for agenda posting. Yet they have time to take requests for copies when requested. We agree, this makes no sense.

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McLaughlin’s speech hits home at America First Leadership Dinner

Posted in County, McHenry, Politics, Property Taxes, Resident Spotlights, Taxes on February 24, 2025| Leave a Comment »

Note: Following is a speech given by State Representative Martin McLaughlin at the McHenry County GOPAC dinner Friday:

Good evening, everyone.

It’s an honor to be here with you tonight.

Twelve years ago, an outsider—someone from the business world, with no government experience not welcomed by the establishment—ran for the top job with a little help from his friends. That had never happened before. But once elected, this person got to work, turning things around, reforming government, and lowering taxes.

That outsider was me. Hello, I am Martin McLaughlin, former mayor of Barrington Hills and currently the state representative for the 52nd District of Illinois.

Two years later, another outsider with no prior elected experience did something similar— But to be honest this time on a much, much larger scale and on the world stage. He won the top job, getting elected as the 45th president of the United States. He rolled up his sleeves—and started helping hundreds of millions of Americans from all walks of life rediscover the American dream. His name was Donald J. Trump. He didn’t just talk about change; he delivered it!

Under his leadership, traditional Republican policies FINALLY became a REALITY—cutting taxes, securing our borders, strengthening our economy, and standing up for working-class Americans.

I’ll never forget when he came down the escalator to announce his first campaign. My friend Mike Miller called me and said, “There’s the winner.” He asked me what I thought about Trump, and I told him that when I saw his list of Supreme Court judges. “He had me at hello.”

President Trump proved something that should be obvious…to self-described politicians: The best leaders actually keep their promises. Too many career politicians believe lying, half-truths, and backroom deals are just “how it’s done.” But Trump changed all that, and he and his family paid a heavy price for it.

Like in the movie Moneyball, where Red Sox owner John Henry told Billy Beane, “The first guy through the wall challenging the status quo always gets bloodied,” Trump faced relentless attacks from those desperate to protect their power. The Washington elites, deep state bureaucrats, and legacy media went “batshit crazy” and that may be an understatement. Today when you look at how they’ve responded to the DOGE initiatives & push for accountability. BSC doesn’t really cover it.

President Trump and his family have been attacked relentlessly, not because they failed, but because they succeeded!!!!

And that terrifies the political insiders.

You know, the ones with their hands in the cookie jar. And shame on the mainstream media for protecting them.

The Trumps—especially Lara—have the right stuff: toughness, resilience, grace under pressure and pure determination to prove all the so-called experts wrong and deliver for the American people.

Trump reminded America that power belongs to the people, not the political class. He took the economic principles and philosophies of Milton Friedman and Thomas Sowell, dusted them off, slapped a big gold Trump “T” on them, called them his own put them in play and proved that conservative policies benefit everyone—not just the wealthy or the connected, but the hardworking middle class and working poor.

That is the formula for success that we, as Illinois Republicans, must embrace.

Too many Illinois Republicans treat the Trump movement and his POLICIES like the Heisman Trophy—holding them close while simultaneously pushing them away.

It has been said “We need to be a choice, not an echo.” Yet for too long, Illinois Republicans have tried to echo the Democrats, hoping that being “moderate” would win elections. It hasn’t. It won’t. especially when they have a 5-1 one money advantage. We lose when we fail to provide a clear contrast for voters to choose from.

I know this firsthand. In my last race, my opponent and her allies spent nearly 4 million against me. Every consultant and political insider in Illinois said I couldn’t win my suburban purple district. But I did. A 60 year old make conservative. And we did because independents and moderate Democrats—especially women—joined Republicans and put me over the top.

How? By focusing on the issues that all families care about: Issurs that UNITE us across political divides

  • Affordability – Lower taxes and responsible spending
  • Safety
  • Better schools – Education that puts kids first, supports choice including homeschooling

That is a winning message.

We also need to recognize a huge opportunity right now. Millions of working-class Democrats—especially in Cook County and the suburbs—are fed up with their own party. They’ve watched their tax dollars get wasted on illegal migrants—yes, illegal—while their own communities suffer from crime, bad schools, and skyrocketing costs.

These voters are looking for a new home—and we should welcome them.

Illinois Republicans must stand firm on promoting conservative values—stop running as Democrat-lite.

We must reach out to disillusioned Democrats especially in our inner cities.

Continue the ground game—registering low-propensity Republican voters for vote-by-mail and increasing turnout in every election.

We have a once-in-a-generation chance to realign Illinois politics. But we must have the courage to stand for traditional Republican principles.

Donald Trump ran as an outsider and won against all odds in 2016. He won again with 77 million votes in 2024—perhaps with a little divine providence. If we follow that same formula—be authentic, be genuine, be clear in our message, and bold in our actions—we will honor those we pledge to serve.

With uncompromised, unafraid, unwavering conservative leadership, we can and will win again in Illinois.

God bless each and every one of us. And God help us put Illinois back on the path to success.

Source

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Village Board of Trustees meet tonight

Posted in Agendas, Aunt Blabby, BACOG, Clown Car, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Elections, ePacket Agendas, Ethics, Financial Reports, Goat Rodeo, Going green, Home Occupation Ordinance, Illinois State Board of Elections, Land Use, Legal Expenses, Lighting Ordinance, Minutes, Plan Commission, Police Pension Board, Police Reports, Politics, Privacy, Property Taxes, Public Safety, Real Estate, Roads & Bridges Committee, Taxes, Topics Of Interest, Transparency, Tree Preservation Ordinance, Unions, VBHPD, Village Attorney, Village Board, Village Clerk, Village Code, Village Director of Administration, Village Engineer, Village Government, Village President, Village Treasurer, Zoning Board on February 24, 2025| 1 Comment »

The Village Board of Trustees will be conducting their regular monthly meeting this evening beginning at 6:30 PM. Topics on their agenda include:

A copy of their agenda can be viewed and downloaded here.

Related to 5.4 & 10.1: “Zoning Board delivers third strike to Little Ducky Farm,” “Zoning Board of Appeals Public Hearing (AGAIN) tonight,” “News to us…,” “Village Board of Trustees meets tonight,” “’Agricultural Experience’ application meets a similar fate as ‘Agritourism’ did in August,” “Zoning Board of Appeals Public Hearing tonight,” “Village Board votes down ‘Agritourism as a Special Use’,” “August Board of Trustees meeting recording released,” “Sitting ducks,” “Special Zoning Board of Appeals meeting scheduled Tuesday”

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Barrington wins national recognition for snow removal

Posted in Aunt Blabby, Roads & Bridges Committee on February 23, 2025| Leave a Comment »

Daily Herald report

Barrington has been named a recipient of the prestigious American Public Works Association Excellence in Snow and Ice Control Award for 2025, village leaders announced.

The village is one of only 11 agencies in Illinois and 45 across North America to receive the recognition since the program began in 2008. The award celebrates agencies that demonstrate exceptional management and execution of snow and ice operations, adhering to best practices in snow removal while minimizing environmental impacts.

Barrington’s snow and ice control program covers more than 45 lane miles of Village streets; 5.6 lane miles of highways owned by the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) under a maintenance agreement; 24 parking lots; 44 alleys; 81 cul-de-sacs; 16,000 linear feet of sidewalk; and the Metra Commuter Train Station.

Read more here.

For more information about Barrington’s snow and ice control program, visit www.barrington-il.gov/snow-ice.

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McLaughlin blasts renewed push for progressive tax

Posted in Look For The Union Label, Politics, Pritzker’s Rules of Order, Resident Spotlights, Springfield, Taxes, The Center Square, Unions on February 22, 2025| Leave a Comment »

Illinois state Rep. Martin McLaughlin, R-Barrington Hills | BlueRoomStream

By Glenn Minnis | The Center Square contributor

Democratic state legislators are again pushing a measure to change the state’s flat income tax to one with higher rates for higher earners.

Introduced by state Sen. Robert Martwick, D-Chicago, Senate Joint Resolution Constitutional Amendment 4 would formally replace language in the Illinois Constitution to allow for a so-called graduated tax system.

State Rep. Martin McLaughlin, R-Barrington Hills, didn’t hold back in his criticism of the idea.

“I know the progressive tax push will be as welcome by people in Cook County as another unqualified Bears head coach would be,” McLaughlin told The Center Square. “To revisit a progressive tax when we have half the growth of our surrounding states, it’s exactly the wrong idea at the wrong time.”

Martwick’s proposal comes just four years after voters roundly rejected a similar proposal despite Gov. J.B. Pritzker pumping upwards of $50 million of his own money into a campaign aimed at getting the measure over the finish line.

McLaughlin warned such a measure only sets taxpayers up for more of the kind of abuse he argued Springfield has become too well known for.

“I’m a small business owner,” McLaughlin said. “I employ people. I have to make an actual budget balance. Too many people down here in Springfield don’t have that same experience. They don’t understand that we need to be in a competitive marketplace to make Illinois prosper.”

With the latest version of the proposed amendment currently sitting in the Senate Assignments Committee, McLaughlin said virtually every taxpayer in the state has reason for concern.

“People leaving Illinois on an economic basis are wealthier than people coming to Illinois and there’s a net loss,” he said. “If you’re going to do something like this, you’re going to push business owners, families with means and those that have just decided they can’t take it anymore to move to Tennessee, North Carolina, and Texas. Our friends that have left, all we’ll be doing is sending them their next, new ex-Illinois neighbor.”

More here.

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Hoffman Estates could see third data center campus with sale of Plum Farms property

Posted in 220, Audubon Society, BACOG, Cook, County, Daily Herald, FPDCC, Hoffman Estates, Illinois Tollway, Land Use, Plum Farm development, Politics, Property Taxes, Real Estate, School Districts, Sears, South Barrington, Taxes, Traffic on February 22, 2025| Leave a Comment »

The new owner of the 185-acre property at the northwest corner of routes 59 and 72, just west of the Arboretum of South Barrington, wants to build a third data center campus in Hoffman Estates. | Courtesy Plum Farms

By Eric Peterson | Daily Herald

The recent sale of the 185-acre Plum Farms property at the northwest corner of Route 59 and Higgins Road could lead to a third data center campus in Hoffman Estates, Mayor Bill McLeod announced in his State of the Village address Wednesday.

The undeveloped site lies directly west of The Arboretum of South Barrington shopping center. Until recently, plans centered around residential development.

In his annual update before the Hoffman Estates Chamber of Commerce at the Now Arena, McLeod said no formal plans have been submitted, but the village expressed its openness to the possibility of another data center campus.

Read more here.

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Darby Hills’ appointment to state Senate on hold as Republicans reopen applications for McConchie’s seat

Posted in Appointments, BOHICA, Clown Car, Daily Herald, Deception, Dinky, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Elections, Ethics, Goat Rodeo, Open Meetings Act, Politics, Resident Spotlights, Springfield, The Chicago Way, WTF on February 21, 2025| 4 Comments »

Darby Hills

By Russell Lissau | Daily Herald

Hoping to resolve an intraparty legal challenge, a group of suburban Republican leaders on Friday announced they are reopening applications for the vacant 26th Senate District seat.

The maneuver halts Barrington Hills Trustee Darby Hills’ appointment to the post, which was held by Republican Dan McConchie until his Feb. 2 resignation.

Hills and the other three original applicants will be considered for the seat and won’t have to reapply, said Lake County Republican Party Chair Keith Brin, who leads the legislative committee overseeing the appointment process. Any additional applicants will be interviewed privately before a public vote is taken at 1 p.m. Friday, Feb. 28 at the Palatine Township Republican Organization headquarters, 765 N. Quentin Road, Palatine.

Read more here.

Related: “26th Legislative District Committee meeting cancelled,” “State Senator seat at any price?,” ”26th Legislative District Committee meeting tomorrow,” “Do Over Scheduled for Meeting to Replace State Senator Dan McConchie,” “Restraining order sought to block 26th Senate appointment amid legal fight,” “Lawsuit challenges legality of GOP appointment to 26th State Senate seat,” “McConchie’s would-be successor isn’t a Republican and can’t serve, lawsuit alleges,” “Darby Hills Appointed as New State Senator for Illinois’ 26th Senate District”

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26th Legislative District Committee meeting cancelled

Posted in FUBAR, Politics on February 21, 2025| 3 Comments »

The 26th Legislative District Committee for the Republican Party 1PM meeting scheduled for today has been cancelled. Our understanding is this was do to improper notice.

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