Posted in 220, Community Alerts, School Districts on October 2, 2023| Leave a Comment »
“In coordination with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), FEMA will conduct a national test of the Integrated Public Alert and Warning System on Wednesday, Oct. 4 at 1:20pm.
All major U.S. wireless providers participate in Wireless Emergency Alerts and will transmit the national test to their subscribers. The test will help to ensure that the Emergency Alert System continues to be an effective way to warn the public about emergencies, particularly those on the national level (D220).”
Posted in Community Alerts, VBHPD on September 27, 2023| Leave a Comment »
The Barrington Hills Police Department would like to advise you that Route 62 will be temporarily closed between Old Sutton Road and Longmeadow Parkway due to a serious traffic crash investigation. Please avoid this area until further notice. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.
Posted in BACOG, Clown Car, One Barrington Hills, OP/Ed, Organizations, Politics, Village President on September 24, 2023| Leave a Comment »
Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., walks on Capitol Hill in Washington on Sept. 21, 2023. (Mark Schiefelbein/AP)
Stop the presses!
Or whatever other device to which you turn for news.
Georgia U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Green, hard-line Republican loudmouth from the South, finally has said something with which — gasp! — I agree.
This unusual moment of comity came on the heels of a directive from Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer. The New York Democrat directed the chamber’s sergeant-at-arms to stop enforcing the body’s unwritten yet faithfully followed dress code, which is coats and ties for men and business attire for women.
Although Greene is not a senator, she still poked her nose into the social network chatter on X, formerly Twitter. “Disgraceful,” she tweeted. “Dress code is one of society’s standards that set etiquette and respect for our institutions,” she tweeted. “Stop lowering the bar!”
Yeah! Amazingly, I agreed with her. That’s probably because, well, I’m old. I appreciate the enduring niceties from more courteous and respectful times.
I was raised to believe you should show your respect for important institutions, jobs and events by dressing in a way that won’t be mistaken for a visiting high school tour group. With that in mind, I was encouraged to see Greene calling for maintaining the dress code because of “etiquette and respect for our institutions.”
Read more here.
Editorial note: We wholeheartedly agree. Dressing inappropriately shows lack of respect for the office one is elected to and the officials one serves with…
At the June meeting of BACOG (Barrington Area Council of Governments), Barrington Hills Village President Brian Cecola (pictured at right) was named Board Chair of that body for FY2023-24.
Posted in Barrington Area Library, Community Alerts, Ethics, Politics, Property Taxes, Taxes on September 16, 2023| Leave a Comment »
Barrington Area Library
“ORDINANCE NO. 2023-4 ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING LEVY OF AN ADDITIONAL TAX FOR THE PURCHASE OF SITES AND BUILDINGS, FOR THE CONSTRUCTION AND EQUIPMENT OF BUILDINGS, FOR THE RENTAL OF BUILDINGS REQUIRED FOR LIBRARY PURPOSES AND FOR THE MAINTENANCE, REPAIRS AND ALTERATIONS OF THE LIBRARY BUILDING AND EQUIPMENT WHEREAS, Section 35-5 of the Illinois Public Library District Act of 1991, (75 ILCS 16/35-5), authorized the levy of an additional tax of .02% of the value of all the taxable property in the District, as equalized or assessed by the Department of Revenue, for the purchase of sites and buildings, for the construction and equipment of buildings, for the rental of buildings required for library purposes and for the maintenance, repairs and alterations of the library building and equipment: NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED by the Board of Library Trustees of the BARRINGTON PUBLIC LIBRARY DISTRICT, Lake, Cook, Kane and McHenry Counties, Illinois, that they hereby determine to levy an additional tax of .02% of the value of all the taxable property in the District, as equalized or assessed by the Department of Revenue, for the purchase of sites and buildings, for the construction and equipment of buildings, for the rental of buildings required for library purposes and for the maintenance, repairs and alterations of the library building and equipment.
ADOPTED this 11th day of September, 2023, pursuant to a roll call vote as follows: AYES: Carr, Cunningham, Lucas, McGrath, Miller, Ordway, Prigge NAYS: None ABSENT: None APPROVED by me this 11th day of September, 2023. ATTEST: /s/ Carrie Carr President /s/ Anne Ordway Secretary Published in Daily Herald September 15, 2023 (4605392), posted 09/15/2023”
Posted in BOHICA, Commodius Maximus, Deception, Ethics, Look For The Union Label, OP/Ed, Politics, Pritzker’s Rules of Order, Springfield, Taxes, Unions on September 14, 2023| Leave a Comment »
State of Illinois tax incentives exceeding half a billion dollars are a comparatively small part of taxpayer money that will go to Gotion, Inc. for an electric vehicle (EV) battery factory in Illinois.
Through federal tax credits alone, which so far are going mostly unreported, Gotion will be paid billions more than its construction costs.
In other words, taxpayers will be paying many times over the cost of a new factory they will not own.
It will be owned, instead, by Gotion, and Gotion is widely reported to have close connections to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
Here are the details:
Governor JB Pritzker announced the state’s deal with Gotion on Friday for construction of the project in Manteno, southwest of Chicago. The plant is expected to cost $2 billion and employ 2,600 workers. Gotion’s total incentive package from the State of Illinois is valued at $536 million, according to Pritzker’s announcement. In addition, Kankakee County agreed to cap property taxes paid on the approximately 150-acre property at $2 million per year for the next 30 years.
The state incentive package alone, exceeding $206,000 per worker, is exceptionally high in comparison to typical plant-siting location incentives around the nation other than battery factories. “The average incentive deal in the U.S. might be around US$50,000 per job,” although it’s not unusual for highly capital-intensive projects to receive incentives of over US$100,000 per job.” That’s according to senior economist at the WE Upjohn Institute for Employment Research, quoted in the Financial Times.
However, those subsidies are dwarfed by huge federal tax credits now being lavished on new battery producers under the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, which devoted $783 billion to global warming and green energy spending. President Biden recently admitted that the act was not about inflation reduction. It has been heavily criticized as climate extremism.
Under that law, owners of new EV battery plants get tax credits based on the production capacity of the plant, and those credits have been massive, often in the billions of dollars per plant.
One group closely researching the subsidies is GJF, Good Jobs First, a worker-oriented policy group in Washington, D.C. Their July report details the credits for recent battery plant announcements.
The tax “credit alone is large enough to cover each facility’s initial capital investment cost and wage bill for the first several years of production,” the group found.
Read much more here.
Related: “Illinois lands Chinese EV battery plant as Pritzker, Duckworth seek more deals with Asian companies,” “Hefty Illinois tax incentive package helps lure Chinese EV battery plant”
Posted in Community Alerts, Press Release, Springfield on September 14, 2023| Leave a Comment »
Check your mailbox: More than 60,000 people in Illinois are in line to automatically receive checks for as much as $5,000 in unclaimed property. Are you one of them?
Illinois’ Unclaimed Property Program, or I-Cash — one of several ways Illinois residents can find unclaimed money owed to them — previously required that residents file a claim in order to collect any outstanding funds. However, new enhancements to the program allowed the state to mail a check out with no claim needed, a recent release from State Treasurer Michael W. Frerichs said.
According to the release, checks worth up to $5,000 will automatically be mailed to more than 66,000 people who are owed money but have not claimed it. Prior to the changes, the automatic payment cap was $2,000.
The enhancement, part of the state’s “Money Match” program, crossmatches state data with the treasurer’s unclaimed property database, the release said.
“When a matching name and mailing address is identified and confirmed, the unclaimed property owner will receive a letter from the Treasurer’s Office that describes the amount and source of the money,” the release continued.
After an additionally security step is completed, Frerichs’ office will then issue a check to the owner, the release said.
“All they have have to do is watch for the mail,” the release added.
More here.
Posted in Cook, County, John Kass, OP/Ed, Politics on September 13, 2023| Leave a Comment »
By John Kass
Sept.13, 2023
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson is consumed by the color of his skin. It seems that his black skin is all he wants to talk about.
Someone close to him might want to tell the poor fellow to simmer down, grow up and act like a man—and inform him he is not the first black mayor of Chicago.
But why talk of the color of his skin? Instead, let’s talk about the thinness of it.
I’ve been covering Chicago politics for decades—since the 1980s—and never has there been a politician with skin as thin as his. It’s not merely rice paper thin, it is so thin that it makes rice paper resemble cardboard. Brandon Johnson’s skin is so thin it must have been made by the faeries, ephemeral and disappearing, as light as a cherub baby’s breath.
I knew the first black mayor, who came up the hard way, slugging it out with his opponents like Fast Eddie Vrdolyak. Harold Washington played the race card when it meant something, as a means to intimidate white liberal journalists into obedience. There is no creature as malleable as a liberal white journo petrified that he’ll be accused of racism.
But they’re all trained now. They’re all obedient now. Politicians can even pet them, at least in Chicago without fear of being bitten.
Harold Washington knew how to play broken knuckle politics. His father—a soldier in the Chicago Machine—was repeatedly passed over for promotion up the ranks, and this fueled Washington’s revenge for a time.
But Harold didn’t have time to hold a grudge against the white Daley faction of the old machine. He had a city to run. He had people to protect. He had a downtown to nourish and safeguard, because it kept the rest of the city alive and the taxman off the backs of the neighborhoods.
Brandon Johnson knows nothing of this. He was not prepared to deal with the details of government. He thinks he’s something of a charisma man. He knows how to scream race and more race, which becomes tiring when violent street crime destroys downtown and the value of commercial real estate leases.
Read on here.
Related: “Editorial: Brandon Johnson uses race to try to preempt legitimate criticism. That won’t work well for Chicago.” – Chicago Tribune, “Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson whips out race card to dismiss his ‘slow start’ and other criticisms” – Wirepoints Quickpoint, “‘Microaggressions’ and the Mayor” – Wall Street Journal
Posted in Community Alerts on September 10, 2023| Leave a Comment »
Communities across the suburbs will observe the anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks with remembrance ceremonies.
Hoffman Estates
Hoffman Estates Celebrations Commission is hosting a memorial ceremony to remember and honor all those who tragically lost their lives as a result of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in New York City, Washington, D.C., and Shanksville, Penn. All are welcome to attend the Patriot Day ceremony at 5 p.m. Monday, Sept. 11, at the village hall, 1900 Hassell Road. Visit hoffmanestates.org.
Palatine
Palatine will host a memorial ceremony to honor those who lost their lives in the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001.
The approximately 30-minute ceremony will begin at 9 a.m. Monday, Sept. 11, at the Palatine Firefighters Memorial at North Brockway and West Slade streets in downtown Palatine.
Palatine Fire Department members and retirees will march to the memorial site from Fire Station 85 at 39 E. Colfax St.
They will be accompanied by the Palatine Fire Department honor guard.
Members of the Palatine fire and police departments will lower the flag, place a wreath at the memorial and perform a ceremonial ringing of the bell to signify a firefighter’s last call of duty.
For information, visit palatine.il.us.
Note: These are the two closest locations to our Village. Click here for more.
Posted in Cook, County, Intergovernmental agreements (IGA), Land Disconnection, Land Use, Letters to the Editor, Village Government, Zoning Board on September 1, 2023| 2 Comments »
“Why this petition matters
Started by Eric Kuhn
(1) Infrastructure and Services: Annexing new properties would mean the town would need to provide infrastructure and services like roads, water supply, sewage, emergency services, and schools. If the town isn’t prepared to handle this expansion, it could lead to strains on existing resources and potentially impact the quality of services for current residents.
(2) Zoning and Land Use: If the properties south of Penny Road and Sutton have different zoning regulations or land use plans, annexing them could lead to conflicts in terms of development goals and community planning. Incompatible land use could have a negative impact on the aesthetics and character of the town.
(3) Costs and Taxation: Annexation involves costs, including infrastructure development, maintenance, and increased public services. The town would need to carefully assess whether the potential increase in tax revenue from annexed properties would outweigh these additional costs.
(4) Community Input: It’s important to involve residents and property owners in discussions about annexation, as their views and concerns should be taken into account. If there is strong opposition from either the existing residents or the potential annexed residents, it might be wise to reconsider.
(5) Environmental Impact: New developments can have environmental consequences, including habitat disruption, increased traffic, and strain on natural resources. Consideration should be given to how annexation might affect the local environment.
(6) Long-Term Planning: Any decision about annexation should align with the town’s long-term development goals and plans. It’s crucial to consider whether the proposed annexation fits into the broader vision for the town’s growth and development.
(7) Legal and Regulatory Factors: Annexation might involve legal complexities, including negotiations, paperwork, and adherence to local and state regulations. It’s important to ensure that the annexation process follows all legal requirements.
(8) Economic Considerations: If the properties south of Penny Road and Sutton don’t contribute significantly to the town’s economy, the financial benefits of annexation might not outweigh the costs and potential disruptions.
Ultimately, the decision to annex properties is a complex one that should be based on a thorough analysis of various factors, careful planning, and open communication with all stakeholders involved. For the most up-to-date and accurate information, I recommend reaching out to local officials or consulting recent town documents and meetings.”
View the petition here.
Posted in Barrington United Methodist Church, Deception, Guest Essay, Intergovernmental agreements (IGA), Land Use, Organizations, Politics, Real Estate, South Barrington on August 31, 2023| Leave a Comment »
South Barrington resident Ashley Hosette voices her opposition Wednesday to a proposed land deal awaiting approval by the South Barrington Park District board. (Russell Lissau | Staff Photographer)
By Russell Lissau – Daily Herald
The South Barrington Park District’s sale of undeveloped land to the Plymouth Brethren Christian Church has been halted amid community opposition and legal action.
About 40 protesters, including some kids, waved signs and repeated chants including “Stop the sale” and “No PBCC” for a TV news helicopter that briefly hovered far overhead and for journalists on the ground. Their enthusiasm waned after the cameras left but returned shortly before the board meeting started.
The land deal wasn’t on the agenda, but officials moved the session to a gymnasium in anticipation of a large crowd.
About 100 people comprised the audience, and a dozen or so stood before the board to talk against the plan near the start of the meeting. Speakers included Michael Gentile, who complained about a lack of transparency, and Ashley Hosette, who said she was “extremely disappointed” by how the pending deal unfolded.
Before they spoke, the board approved a motion from Commissioner Shelby Elias to prevent any board discussion on items brought up by the audience. Elias cited the pending legal action for her maneuver.
Later, the board went into closed session to discuss unspecified litigation.
South Barrington voters in April approved a plan to sell the site at auction — but the buyer wasn’t determined at that time. When the auction was held in May, the church was the only bidder.
Read the full Daily Herald story here.
Related: “Why South Barrington Park District has halted land sale to church,” “South Barrington Park District proposed property sale updates include request for support,” “Hearing on controversial church plan canceled in South Barrington, but opponents still have their say,” “Why some South Barrington residents oppose plan for new church, school,” “Nearby South Barrington Park District property sale concerns neighbors”
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