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Over $100,000 in Special Interest Funding gifted to 220 Board member’s campaign in failed bid for State Rep job

Posted in 220, AI, Barrington Education Association, Board of Education, Conflict of interest, Data Center, Deception, District 220 referendum, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Education, Elections, Ethics, Guest Essay, Illinois Federation of Teachers, Look For The Union Label, Politics, Pritzker’s Rules of Order, Property Taxes, School Districts, South Barrington, Springfield, Taxes, Unions, What the Ficke (Bradford)? on April 7, 2026| 1 Comment »

“As a resident of Barrington, IL, I am deeply concerned about the actions of one of our School Board members, Erin Chan Ding, who has admitted to violating School Board policy, using her position for personal gain and political leverage. Her recent activities have raised eyebrows in our community, as it seems she is prioritizing her run for the Democratic candidate for State Representative of the 52nd District over her duties and responsibilities to our children and community. The Board has already voted that she has flagrantly violated School Board policy.

School Board members should exemplify unbiased dedication to the educational needs and welfare of our students. However, it has come to light that this individual is leveraging her role for publicity to further her political career, diverting attention from our District’s educational priorities. Our students deserve leaders who are fully committed to their well-being, not those looking for personal advancement or caught in political machinations.

Evidence of this misuse includes multiple occasions where she solicited petition signatures during school events in violation of Board policies. She was warned by the Board President in July of the violations and her need to adhere to Board policies and she agreed to do so. Despite these admonitions and Chan Ding’s agreement to adhere to policy in July, she’s continued to repeatedly violate policy. The Board voted for remedial training as the consequence for her violations. This is not an acceptable response to her conscious decision to repeatedly violate the very policies she presided over as one of the 2 Board members on the Policy Committee; particularly where Chan Ding was warned by Board President Bradford publicly at the July Board meeting of the violations but continued violations despite the public admonitions.

Chan Ding’s interests align more with her political campaigning ambitions than with School Board responsibilities. Furthermore, decisions made on critical educational issues are now being scrutinized for potential conflicts of interest influenced by her political agenda. This is not the kind of behavior we can afford to permit, as it undermines the trust and integrity essential to governing bodies like our Board of Education.

Removing this member will not only help restore the Board’s focus on its core mission but also sends a clear message that our community will not stand for misconduct or exploitation of elected positions for ulterior motives. It’s crucial that our School Board reflects the best interests of our students and maintains an unwavering commitment to their education and growth.

Join me in calling for the removal of Chan Ding to ensure our Board remains a place for sincere, student-centered service. Let’s protect the integrity of Barrington’s educational system and hold our officials accountable. Sign this petition today to take a stand for our schools and community.”

Read more here.

Related: “New Evidence of Chan Ding’s Policy Violations and Conflicts of Interest,” “Candidate Erin Chan Ding’s opinion on Data Centers,” “Barrington area Democrats condemn Chan Ding mailers,” “The D220 Board of Ed gets another ‘F’ in accountability & transparency,” “School district’s parking plan defies logic,” “Zoning change defies village policy,” “The Real Issue in Barrington 220 Isn’t Parking or Levies — It’s Leadership Culture,” “Change.org Petition: ‘For the Resignation of Erin Chan Ding ~ D220 Resources are Not for Political Campaigns’,” “BOARD OF ED VOTES, MEMBER CHAN DING MADE FLAGRANT POLICY VIOLATIONS – Part 2,” “BOARD OF ED VOTES, MEMBER CHAN DING MADE FLAGRANT POLICY VIOLATIONS,” “Erin Chan Ding: The violations just keep piling up…,” “Erin Chan Ding starring in another episode of, ‘Rules For Thee But NOT For Me…’,”  “District 220’s Lack of Transparency (Updated),” “District 220’s Lack of Transparency,” “Ding Politicking on School District Property,” “Dual School Board and State Rep Positions Legally Incompatible,” “D220 Abuses Taxpayer Funds in favor of Partisan Campaign,” “Ding In Her Own Words – CONFLICTED!,” “Ding Doubles Down,” “Ding’s D220 Deception,” “Chan Ding running in Democratic primary in 52nd,” “Three (3) Democratic candidates queued to run for the IL 52nd District House seat in 2026”

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New Evidence of Chan Ding’s Policy Violations and Conflicts of Interest

Posted in 220, AI, Barrington Education Association, Board of Education, Data Center, Deception, District 220 referendum, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Elections, Ethics, Guest Essay, Illinois Federation of Teachers, OP/Ed, Politics, Property Taxes, School Districts, South Barrington, Springfield, Taxes, Unions, What the Ficke (Bradford)? on March 17, 2026| 3 Comments »

$20,000 in Special Interest Funding & Continued Violations of Public Trust

By Better Barrington | @Change.org

Thank you for standing with us as we hold our elected officials accountable. We have a critical update regarding the petition for the resignation of Erin Chan Ding from the Barrington 220 Board of Education.

Despite previous reprimands by the Board of Trustees for “flagrant violations” of school board policy, public records now reveal a deepening web of financial conflicts that directly undermine the neutrality of our district’s leadership.

The newest Schedule A-1 filings for Chan Ding’s political campaign reveal a massive influx of cash from organizations that represent the very interests she is tasked with negotiating against on behalf of taxpayers:

  • $10,000 from the IPACE (Illinois Professional Action Committee for Education). In Barrington D220, the Barrington Education Association (BEA) is the local teachers union. BEA is an affiliate of the Illinois Education Association which operates IPACE as its political arm.
  • $10,000 from the Lake County Federation of Teachers Local 504 COPE PAC.
  • Public Endorsements: Her campaign is now openly touting endorsements from the IEA and the Illinois Federation of Teachers—entities representing over 240,000 educators statewide.

Why This Matters: A Breach of Board Policy

District 220 policies are not suggestions; they are the ethical framework that protects our schools from partisan capture. Chan Ding is in direct conflict with:

  • Policy 2:105 (Ethics and Gift Ban): Sets strict standards to prevent conflicts of interest and ensure public trust.
  • Policy 2:80 (Board Member Oath & Conduct): Explicitly mandates that members avoid the appearance of impropriety and refuse to surrender responsibilities to “special interest or partisan political groups.”

In her first Board of Ed campaign, when called out for taking $750 in donations from IPACE, Chan Ding told the Chicago Tribune she would not approve contracts that raise taxes, yet her voting record tells a different story. She has consistently voted for the maximum tax levy every time it has reached the floor.

Accepting $20,000 from unions that negotiate directly with the Board of Ed is not just a “political choice”—it is a disqualifying conflict of interest. A Board Member cannot serve two masters. You cannot be a neutral steward of taxpayer funds while being funded by the organizations seeking those same funds.

We continue to call for the resignation of Erin Chan Ding to restore integrity to the D220 Board.

  1. Share this update: Post this on Facebook, X, and local community groups.
  2. Attend the next Board Meeting: Let your voice be heard during public comment.
  3. Email the Board: Remind them that Policy 2:80 must be enforced, not ignored.

Related: “Candidate Erin Chan Ding’s opinion on Data Centers,” “Barrington area Democrats condemn Chan Ding mailers,” “The D220 Board of Ed gets another ‘F’ in accountability & transparency,” “School district’s parking plan defies logic,” “Zoning change defies village policy,” “The Real Issue in Barrington 220 Isn’t Parking or Levies — It’s Leadership Culture,” “Change.org Petition: ‘For the Resignation of Erin Chan Ding ~ D220 Resources are Not for Political Campaigns’,” “BOARD OF ED VOTES, MEMBER CHAN DING MADE FLAGRANT POLICY VIOLATIONS – Part 2,” “BOARD OF ED VOTES, MEMBER CHAN DING MADE FLAGRANT POLICY VIOLATIONS,” “Erin Chan Ding: The violations just keep piling up…,” “Erin Chan Ding starring in another episode of, ‘Rules For Thee But NOT For Me…’,”  “District 220’s Lack of Transparency (Updated),” “District 220’s Lack of Transparency,” “Ding Politicking on School District Property,” “Dual School Board and State Rep Positions Legally Incompatible,” “D220 Abuses Taxpayer Funds in favor of Partisan Campaign,” “Ding In Her Own Words – CONFLICTED!,” “Ding Doubles Down,” “Ding’s D220 Deception,” “Chan Ding running in Democratic primary in 52nd,” “Three (3) Democratic candidates queued to run for the IL 52nd District House seat in 2026”

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The Real Issue in Barrington 220 Isn’t Parking or Levies — It’s Leadership Culture

Posted in 220, Barrington Education Association, Barrington High School, Board of Education, Deception, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Education, Elections, Fools and their money, Guest Essay, Illinois Federation of Teachers, OP/Ed, Overhead, Politics, Property Taxes, School Districts, Taxes, Topics Of Interest, Transparency, Unions on December 5, 2025| 1 Comment »

I attended the Barrington 220 Board of Education meeting (Tuesday), arriving shortly after six o’clock. I expected what most engaged residents expect: the chance to be heard. Instead, I watched a familiar story unfold, one that extends far beyond the night’s agenda item and deep into the culture that now defines our district.

Residents spoke passionately about their neighborhoods, some living there for three decades or more, describing the consequences the proposed Hager Ave. parking expansion would bring to safety, congestion, character, and precedent. They offered facts, first-hand observations, alternative solutions, and historical context.

And yet, rather than engaging with the substance, district leadership defaulted to performance: head-nods, polished reassurances, carefully crafted anecdotes including the now-infamous story of a parent who bought a second home in 1999 to secure a parking spot for their child. It was more than tone-deaf; it was revealing.

As community members spoke from lived experience, Superintendent Winkelman responded with scripted confidence, as if the concerns in front of him were theoretical or uninformed. It was an extraordinary display of disconnect, one that didn’t seem to register, even as residents grew visibly upset at being spoken at instead of spoken with.

But here’s the truth:

The parking lot is not the real issue.
The levy is not the real issue.
The real issue is leadership culture.

And this culture is showing itself everywhere.

A Pattern of Selective Listening and Selective Accountability

This past year alone, I and many other residents have tried to raise concerns- not political, not personal, but about professionalism, ethics, safety, and financial responsibility.

✔ When a teacher made dismissive comments about parents in front of students
The administration reframed it as a “Back-to-School Night misunderstanding,” defended the teacher, and never addressed the core issue:
students heard an adult ridicule parent concerns.
No acknowledgment. No ownership.

✔ When a Board member launched a partisan legislative campaign while still serving on the Board
Policies 2:80-E and 2:105 were bent to their narrowest possible interpretation.
The district even used taxpayer-funded legal counsel to review campaign-related conflicts — despite policies prohibiting such use of public resources.
Again, no accountability. Only justification.

✔ When a police incident caused confusion and fear before school
Parents were left in the dark. Staff did not know whether classes were even proceeding.
My written request for communication improvements and safety prioritization received no response at all.
Across situations big and small, the message has been the same:
the district hears what’s convenient and ignores what isn’t. 

Meanwhile, the Financial Picture Raises Even More Concerns

A comprehensive review of FOIA-obtained documents — leases, contracts, amendments, utility agreements, activity fund reports — shows systemic problems in stewardship:

✔ Millions in lease-financing at 5–8% interest
Even while the district held over $100 million in reserves.
Apple leases alone contain more than $340,000 in hidden interest.
Canon, HP, Toshiba, and bus leases add far more.

✔ Architectural & engineering spending exceeding contract caps by over $2 million
Build 220 fees now exceed 9% of construction value despite a contractual limit of 7.4%.
Much of the excess came from avoidable redesigns, duplicated work, and over-scoped civil engineering packages.

✔ Electricity & natural-gas procurement without competitive bidding
Dynegy and Symmetry contracts cost $500k–$900k more than market alternatives.
No evidence of competitive evaluation exists.

✔ Student Activity Fund red flags
Thirty months of reconciliations show:

  • identical manual adjustments,
  • unusually large journal entries (up to $72,800),
  • volatile disbursements,
  • zero variances for 30 straight months — mathematically improbable without plug entries.

These are not isolated incidents.
This is a systemic pattern of weak controls and limited oversight. 

Yet the district continues asking the community for more money.

When residents raise safety issues — silence.
When residents raise ethics issues — deflection.
When residents raise spending issues — no corrective action or acknowledgment.
When residents raise neighborhood concerns — they are told stories from 1999.
But when the district wants more taxes?
Suddenly conversation becomes urgent.
This dynamic speaks for itself. 

A Community Willing to Invest — But Only in Leadership That Invests in Us

Barrington residents value education.
We value our schools.
We value our teachers.
But investment requires trust — and trust must be earned through humility, responsiveness, transparency, and accountability.
Right now, the district is asking for more money while:

  • avoiding difficult conversations,
  • dismissing legitimate community concerns,
  • overlooking internal issues,
  • and falling short of its own values.

Barrington 220 speaks often about transparency, collaboration, and respect.
It’s time for those principles to move from slogans into practice. 

The Community Showed Up. Now It’s the District’s Turn.

The public comment at the recent meeting showed a community that is informed, engaged, and deeply invested in the future of its schools.
That level of passion deserves more than nods, reassurances, and pre-scripted narrative management.
It deserves reciprocal honesty.
It deserves accountability.
It deserves leadership that listens.

Before asking for another tax levy, Barrington 220 must commit to:

  • full financial transparency,
  • competitive and responsible procurement,
  • ethical consistency,
  • genuine respect for parent and student voices,
  • and authentic partnership.

A levy may or may not be necessary.
But trust is not optional — and right now, trust is what needs rebuilding most.

Sam Mehic
South Barrington

Related: “Change.org Petition: ‘For the Resignation of Erin Chan Ding ~ D220 Resources are Not for Political Campaigns’,” “BOARD OF ED VOTES, MEMBER CHAN DING MADE FLAGRANT POLICY VIOLATIONS – Part 2,” “BOARD OF ED VOTES, MEMBER CHAN DING MADE FLAGRANT POLICY VIOLATIONS,” “Erin Chan Ding: The violations just keep piling up…,” “Erin Chan Ding starring in another episode of, ‘Rules For Thee But NOT For Me…’,”  “District 220’s Lack of Transparency (Updated),” “District 220’s Lack of Transparency,” “Ding Politicking on School District Property,” “Dual School Board and State Rep Positions Legally Incompatible,” “D220 Abuses Taxpayer Funds in favor of Partisan Campaign,” “Ding In Her Own Words – CONFLICTED!,” “Ding Doubles Down,” “Ding’s D220 Deception,” “Chan Ding running in Democratic primary in 52nd,” “Three (3) Democratic candidates queued to run for the IL 52nd District House seat in 2026”

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McLaughlin: Change necessary soon in Springfield

Posted in Daily Herald, Economy, Guest Essay, Resident Spotlights, Springfield, Topics Of Interest on June 8, 2025| 3 Comments »

Rep. Marty McLaughlin, R-Barrington Hills

By Rep. Martin McLaughlin | Published in the Daily Herald

Illinois has long been a pillar of American finance, from the iconic trading floors of Chicago to the small-town community banks that fuel local economies. But today, that foundation is cracking.

Earlier this year, Pulaski Savings Bank in Chicago became the first U.S. bank failure of 2025. Investigators uncovered a fraud scheme that left the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) with a $28.5 million loss. Though the incident was isolated, it revealed how fragile some of our financial institutions have become, particularly in an environment where regulatory frameworks are unclear, oversight is uneven, and compliance burdens disproportionately harm smaller players.

Unfortunately, the Pulaski collapse isn’t the only sign of trouble. Illinois’ commercial banking industry is expected to shrink this year, with revenues projected to fall to $67.8 billion. Venture capital investment in the state has dropped by more than half since 2021. And between mid-2023 and mid-2024, Illinois lost more than 56,000 residents, more than 8,000 of them from Chicago.

These numbers don’t lie: people and businesses are leaving. Among those leaving are precisely the professionals we need to drive financial innovation — technologists, investors and entrepreneurs. They’re choosing to relocate to places where it’s easier to get a loan, launch a startup or raise a family — states like Indiana, Florida and Texas, which are lowering taxes, simplifying regulations and investing in innovation.

Illinois, by contrast, has doubled down on high taxes, restrictive rules and bureaucratic sprawl. Thousands of private-sector jobs have vanished, and venture capital investment in Illinois dropped more than 50% from 2021 to 2023. Corporate icons like Boeing and Caterpillar have moved their headquarters out of state. Meanwhile, the number of state employees continues to grow, and pension liabilities balloon, even as the state’s population shrinks. Projections suggest Illinois could see a one-third decline in high school graduates by 2040.

Instead of taking steps to attract economic growth and financial innovation, the state and federal governments are layering on more uncertainty.

One example is Illinois’ Interchange Fee Prohibition Act, set to take effect on July 1. The law aims to protect consumers from high debit and credit card fees, but the local business owners and community bankers I speak with are deeply concerned it will do just the opposite.

The law is vague and poorly communicated and merchants don’t know how it will impact their payment systems. Local banks are unsure whether their infrastructure will remain compliant, and small retailers worry about delays it may cause in card processing — or worse, being forced to raise prices or go cash-only. In small towns, where margins are tight and every customer counts, these disruptions could be devastating.

Then there’s the federal lawsuit filed last year by the Department of Justice against Visa, the preferred debit card exchange in much of Illinois, alleging that it has too much market power. But Visa operates in a competitive market with dozens of alternative networks. The businesses and community banks I have spoken to say the case feels less like a serious effort to promote competition and more like a Washington micromanagement effort that will create needless instability for the Illinois residents who depend on these platforms every day.

We cannot allow Illinois to fall further behind. A growing number of states are rolling out the welcome mat for financial firms and fintech startups. Illinois, with its legacy of banking excellence and world-class institutions, should be leading that charge — not watching from the sidelines.

To do that, we must change course. That starts with reforming our tax and regulatory policies to encourage growth, not drive it away. We need to work closely with community banks to support responsible lending, especially in underserved areas. We must protect small businesses from the confusion and cost spikes caused by unclear federal mandates. And we should push back against legal and regulatory overreach that discourages investment and undermines confidence in our financial infrastructure.

But this isn’t just about markets. It’s about trust. Families and business owners need to believe that Springfield is working with them, not against them. They need to see that Illinois can be a place where hard work and smart risk-taking are rewarded — not buried in red tape.

Illinois has the tools: the talent, the institutions and the geographical advantages. What’s lacking is the political will to act boldly and decisively.

If we want to reverse the exodus of people and capital, revitalize our financial sector and restore Illinois’ standing as a hub of innovation, we must be willing to embrace reform — and soon. Our future depends on it.

State Rep. Martin McLaughlin is a Republican from Barrington Hills.

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Former Illinois Gov. Jim Edgar exemplifies courage, candor and stewardship

Posted in Chicago Tribune, Guest Essay, Politics, Springfield on March 31, 2025| Leave a Comment »

Former Gov. Jim Edgar speaks during the Illinois GOP delegation breakfast at the Sheraton Sand Key Resort in Clearwater Beach, Florida, before the start of the Republican National Convention on Aug. 27, 2012. | Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune

By John T. Shaw | Posted in the Chicago Tribune 

When Jim Edgar first ran for governor of Illinois, he faced a dilemma that has haunted and hounded politicians since the dawn of time. Should he do the easy but wrong thing or the hard but right thing? History shows that far more leaders have opted for the former than the latter.

Specifically, Edgar was in a tough gubernatorial campaign in 1990 with popular Democratic Illinois Attorney General Neil Hartigan. A central issue was whether a temporary income tax surcharge that had been approved several years earlier should be extended. Nearly everyone in state government was counting on the revenues generated by the tax extension, but not everyone was willing to say so publicly. Another timeless story.

Hartigan played it safe and opposed the tax extension. Edgar took a risk and told the truth that the revenues were necessary for the services that the public wanted, especially education. “I don’t want the people of Illinois to be surprised by anything I do after the election, and they won’t be,” Edgar told voters several months before they cast their ballots.

Not all of his political advisers supported his decision or at least his public declaration. However, the voters of Illinois appreciated his honesty and elected him by a narrow margin that fall. Four years later, Edgar was reelected in a landslide, carrying 101 of the state’s 102 counties, including Cook County.

Edgar’s courage and candor on the tax issue exemplifies statesmanship.

As did his approach to governing. Edgar was conservative in the most honorable sense of that word and philosophy. He was committed to conserving and preserving — to stewardship. Prudence is a neglected feature of statesmanship. Edgar believed in limited but effective government. He pushed tough spending cuts but also boosted funds for early childhood programs, other preventive programs and education. Frugal and tight-fisted, he was sometimes referred to as “Governor No.” It should be noted that he inherited a large budget deficit and left his successor with a sizable surplus. Sometimes, statesmanship means saying no.

Popular and respected, Edgar decided to retire after eight years as governor. He became a senior fellow at the Institute of Government and Public Affairs at the University of Illinois (IGPA) and has devoted much of his time to teaching and mentoring.

Most notably, he created the Edgar Fellows program at IGPA. Every August, he brings 40 young leaders in local and state government, business and labor to a conference center in Champaign for a week to study government, delve into public policy issues and learn from the reflections of veteran leaders.

In its 13th year, there are now more than 400 Edgar Fellows alumni who live across Illinois and work in all sectors. Edgar hopes these fellows from various backgrounds and political beliefs will work together to help solve many of the challenges facing the state.

Edgar’s focus on the future is also evident in his work with my institute on the Paul Simon-Jim Edgar Statesmanship Award.

The annual award celebrates exceptional leadership in Illinois by a state and local government official. It goes to a statesperson who has demonstrated unusual vision, courage, compassion, civility, effectiveness and bipartisanship. Each award recipient to date has offered a special tribute to Edgar for his inspiration and example.

Now in its fifth year, the award generates nominations of accomplished and inspiring mayors, city council members, county commissioners, constitutional officers, members of the General Assembly and others. It is a tangible indicator that statesmanship is still alive and well and is often occurring in quiet ways, away from the headlines.

Edgar’s legacy of courage, candor and stewardship deserves our gratitude. Principled statesmanship, he has demonstrated, can solve problems, command public respect and build a better future.

John T. Shaw is director of the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute. Shaw’s columns, exclusive to the Tribune, appear the last Monday of each month. His most recent book is “The Education of a Statesman: How Global Leaders Can Repair a Fractured World.” 

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Addressing the Leadership and Cultural Failures at Barrington 220

Posted in 220, Agendas, Board of Education, Education, Guest Essay, OP/Ed, Property Taxes, Public Safety, School Districts on January 17, 2025| Leave a Comment »

To the Editor:

I am compelled to share my ongoing concerns about Barrington 220’s leadership, which I believe has prioritized performative gestures and social initiatives over addressing the actionable and critical issues that directly affect students, parents, and the community at large.

1. Failure to Respond to Public Safety Concerns

On two separate occasions—during fugitive search incidents in South Barrington and Lake Barrington—the district failed to communicate timely updates to parents regarding the safety and whereabouts of our children. Despite the clear urgency of these situations, there were no communication protocols in place to inform parents whether their children were being picked up or released safely. As a parent, I reached out via email to the superintendent and board members, only to be met with complete silence. This lack of acknowledgment during a crisis is both alarming and unacceptable.

2. Dismissive and Deflective Leadership

When I raised concerns about safety communication failures, staff behavior, and a dismissive culture within the district, the responses I received ranged from deflection to outright avoidance. For instance, instead of addressing these issues directly, I was provided with a canned response about “communication protocols” that ironically highlighted the very absence of such protocols when they were most needed. When I finally received a phone call from the superintendent, it was not to address the concerns meaningfully but to dismiss my points. When I respectfully pushed back and called out the lack of empathy and action, the conversation was abruptly ended, further illustrating the unwillingness to engage with real feedback.

3. Focus on Performative Gestures over Tangible Action

The district continues to release newsletters and emails promoting its commitment to inclusion and transparency, yet these claims ring hollow in practice. For example, a recent email about support for immigrant families seemed like a political and social gesture rather than a response to any pressing concerns raised by the community. As an immigrant myself, I found it baffling that the district would prioritize such performative messaging while ignoring actionable concerns about public safety and the dismissive treatment of parents by staff.

4. Culture of Avoidance

The underlying issue appears to be a leadership culture that deflects responsibility, avoids accountability, and focuses more on optics than substance. Parents are expected to accept these empty gestures as progress while genuine feedback is dismissed or ignored. Transparency should not be limited to carefully curated initiatives and newsletters—it must extend to meaningful engagement with parents, acknowledgment of mistakes, and a commitment to improvement.

My Message to the Community

As parents, we all want the same for our children: a safe environment and a quality education. We are not asking for favors—we are asking for accountability, responsiveness, and genuine leadership from those entrusted with running our schools. It is time for Barrington 220 to stop hiding behind a façade of inclusion and transparency and start addressing the real issues raised by the families they serve.

I hope that sharing my experiences will encourage the district to reevaluate its priorities and foster meaningful dialogue with parents. I also hope this resonates with others in the community who may feel similarly unheard.

Sincerely,
Sam Mehic

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Column: Why I’m boycotting the Kentucky Derby — and why Chicago sports fans should too

Posted in Chicago Tribune, Deception, Ethics, Guest Essay, OP/Ed, Politics, The Greatest Generation, Topics Of Interest on May 2, 2024| 3 Comments »

Demolition crews hired by the Bears begin knocking down the grandstand at the former Arlington International Racecourse on June 16, 2023, in Arlington Heights. | Stacey Wescott/Chicago Tribune

By Neil Milbert | Chicago Tribune

During my years as a Tribune sports writer, I covered the Kentucky Derby 33 times and considered it to be one of the most interesting and rewarding experiences of my long career.

Before I joined the Tribune in 1968 and after my full-time employment ended in 2008, I watched the Derby on TV every year, even though I’ve never been a horseplayer and racing isn’t my favorite sport. Watching the post parade to the strains of “My Old Kentucky Home” on the first Saturday in May was a rite of spring.

But starting last year, I vowed never to watch another Kentucky Derby, either in person or on TV.

My boycott comes in response to the vital role the management team at Churchill Downs Inc. (CDI) played in the Bears’ 2023 destruction of the world-renowned and tradition-rich Arlington International Racecourse, one of the precious gems of Chicago sports.

The rubble that remains is a monument to the greed of the people who run CDI and their disregard for the owners and trainers who raced their horses there and the fans and families who made trips to Arlington part of their summer sports and recreation menus.

CDI has tried to hide its motive in forcing the Bears to wipe Arlington off the map, but the obvious reason was to eradicate gambling competition for Rivers Casino, in which CDI holds a 62% interest and which is located in Des Plaines, only 12 miles from the site of the former track in Arlington Heights.

Then known as Arlington Park, the racetrack was built in 1927 and acquired by the late Dick Duchossois and three partners in 1983. In the aftermath of the fire that destroyed the clubhouse and grandstand in 1985, Duchossois bought out his partners in February 1986 and rebuilt Arlington in 1988. After Arlington reopened in 1989, Architectural Digest acclaimed it as “the world’s most beautiful racetrack.”

European horse owners and media who came for the Arlington Million and their counterparts in the U.S. joined in the chorus of praise.

New York sports writer Jenny Kellner told the whimsical tale of a horseplayer who’d gone to heaven and was taken on a tour by St. Peter, who asked, “Well, how do you like the place?”

“Oh, it’s nice,” the horseplayer answered. “But it sure ain’t Arlington.”

Duchossois shut down his palatial track in 1998-99 in a successful attempt to win substantial real estate tax concessions. He reopened in 2000, and that June he merged Arlington and CDI.

The merger made Duchossois Industries by far the biggest shareholder (25%) in the parent company. A string was attached that the share would increase to 31.8% if the litigation-snarled Rosemont casino opened within a few years and — as mandated by the legislature — funneled a portion of its adjusted gross revenue to the state’s racetracks, with Arlington receiving the biggest subsidy. Duchossois Industries also was awarded three seats on the CDI board of directors.

Duchossois predicted that joining with “the best-known brand in horse racing would greatly benefit Illinois racing.”

Instead, the merger ultimately produced irreparable damage to Illinois racing.

For nearly two decades CDI/Arlington joined with the other tracks and thoroughbred and harness horsemen’s organizations to lobby the state legislature for permission to conduct slot machine and table gaming at the track, converting it into a “racino.”

Similar to the Rosemont formula that never came to fruition, a 3% adjusted gross revenue deduction would be allocated for purses. This would significantly upgrade the quality of racing and make the product more attractive to sophisticated bettors in Illinois and in the simulcast marketplace, where races from all over the country are shown at out-of-state tracks and off-track betting locations. Similar racing formulas have proven to be very successful in Indiana, Ohio and Pennsylvania.

Starting in 2015 the Duchossois family began significantly reducing its holdings in CDI. In 2017 the sale of more stock and the departure of the family’s representatives on the board left the track entirely in the hands of corporate managers headed by CEO Bill Carstanjen.

An obvious proponent of Milton Friedman’s economic philosophy that the sole purpose of a corporation is to increase its profits, Carstanjen shifted CDI’s traditional emphasis on racing to a focus on casino gambling, and in 2018 Arlington’s parent company acquired its 62% interest in Rivers Casino.

The long push for casinos at Illinois racetracks finally succeeded in the spring of 2019, when the legislature passed and Governor J.B. Pritzker signed a massive gaming expansion bill.

But then CDI did a sudden and shocking about-face, announcing that Arlington wouldn’t become a racino. Carstanjen said the subsidy for racing purses made it “financially untenable.” He went on to say: “The long-term solution is not Arlington Park. That land will have a higher and better purpose for something else.”

When interrogated by Illinois Racing Board members concerning the financial windfall that closing Arlington would have on Rivers Casino’s revenue, a CDI representative said he wasn’t privy to any discussions to that effect.

The 360-acre property was put up for sale in 2021, and racing was discontinued after that year’s April 30-Sept. 25 meeting.

The Bears bought Arlington for $197 million in 2023 after CDI spurned at least three offers from groups that sought to perpetuate racing. This wasn’t the first time the Bears contemplated moving to the racetrack property. In 1975 they announced plans to build an 80,000-capacity stadium that would open in 1977 northwest of the old Arlington and would coexist with the racetrack, but the deal with former track owner Gulf & Western fell through.

The consensus is that in addition to prohibiting gambling on the property, the new deal with the Bears included a tacit agreement not to conduct betting on races. Instead the football team planned a $5 billion development with an enclosed stadium, housing and entertainment.

But now the Bears have shifted their focus to building a replacement for Soldier Field on the Chicago lakefront. To reduce the enormous increase in real estate taxes that resulted from the cessation of racing at Arlington after the 2021 meeting, in May 2023 they began the since-completed demolition of the luxurious and historic track. (The team’s late chairman, Ed McCaskey, must have been rolling over in his grave because after Arlington reopened in 1989, he was a summertime fixture in a box seat in front of the press box.)

The destruction of Arlington gave CDI a “demolition derby double” — combining it with the 2015 destruction of another track in its gambling empire, Calder Race Course in suburban Miami.

CDI purchased Calder in 1999, and casino gambling came to the track in 2010 with the stipulation there be 40 days of racing. In 2014 the track was leased to the owner of Gulfstream Park. Even though CDI tore down the grandstand and clubhouse after the 2015 meeting, racing continued under the auspices of Gulfstream until the lease expired in 2020.

Jockey Miguel Mena rides Harmac, left, after they won the Bruce D. Memorial Stakes race during Arlington Million day on Aug. 12, 2017, at Arlington Park in Arlington Heights. | Nuccio DiNuzzo/Chicago Tribune

To perpetuate casino gambling, CDI persuaded regulators to substitute parimutuel betting at the jai alai fronton it had built on the premises for the rule that stipulated 40 days of betting on horses.

While the cessation of racing at Calder had an adverse effect on the thoroughbred sport in Florida, the damage pales in comparison with that inflicted on both thoroughbred and harness racing in Illinois by the absence of Arlington.

It has left the dual-purpose Hawthorne Race Course as the only track in the Chicago metropolitan area. Since 2022 the thoroughbreds and harness horses have had to time-share, dividing the racing calendar. This year thoroughbred racing began on March 23 and will run through Oct. 13. The harness horses concluded a meeting that began Sept. 9 on Feb. 12, and they’re scheduled to return for an Oct. 19-Dec. 30 meeting.

Trying to undermine Hawthorne was a constant when CDI controlled Arlington. In 2012 its racetrack subsidiary Churchill Downs instituted a qualifying race system to determine the field for the Kentucky Derby. Conspicuous by its absence from the list was the most prestigious dirt race in Illinois, the Illinois Derby at Hawthorne. Making the omission more glaring was that 2002 Illinois Derby winner War Emblem went on to win the Kentucky Derby and Preakness.

Included on the long list of current qualifiers are such dubious domestic preps as the Sunland Park Derby in a New Mexico city with a population of 18,032. There also are more than a few far-flung overseas qualifiers such as the UAE Derby in Dubai, the Fukuryu Stakes in Japan and the Cardinal Stakes in Great Britain. There has been only a trickle of qualifiers from overseas, and none has come close to finishing in the top three.

In stark contrast to CDI, NASCAR is trying to get a foothold in Chicago and Formula One is exploring the possibility of holding a race here. The women’s professional franchises, basketball’s Sky and soccer’s Red Stars, also are committed to becoming fixtures on the Chicago sports scene.

But CDI has turned away from the nation’s third-biggest sports market by excluding the Illinois Derby from the Kentucky Derby qualifier list and then committing a far more egregious offense by destroying Arlington.

In writing Arlington’s obituary, it must be emphasized that this beautiful track had one of the richest traditions in the racing world.

Jerry Bailey rides Cigar across the finish line July 13, 1996, in Arlington Heights to win the Arlington Citation Challenge. | AP Photo/Jane Gibson

The great Secretariat made his first start after becoming the first Triple Crown winner in 25 years when he came for an invitational race in 1973. In another invitational in 1996, Cigar equaled Citation’s modern-day record by winning his 16th consecutive race. Citation, the 1948 Triple Crown winner, made Arlington his summer home.

Read more here.

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Jewel Park residents share their concerns regarding the U.S. Route 14/CN Underpass project

Posted in 220, BACOG, Barrington Area Library, Bicyclists, EJ&E/Canadian National, Going green, Guest Essay, IDOT, Land Use, OP/Ed, Organizations, Politics, Privacy, Property Taxes, Public Safety, Real Estate, Road construction, School Districts, Topics Of Interest, TRAC, Traffic, Transparency, Unions on March 1, 2024| 2 Comments »

As you may have seen in the recent News You Can Use communication from the Village of Barrington (seen here) the U.S. Route 14/CN Underpass project is expected to begin this spring.

The Village plans to begin clear-cutting approximately 10 acres of old-growth trees on 8 empty lots in the Jewel Park subdivision as well as along Route 14, Lake Zurich Rd., and next to the Barrington Area Library. The Village has marked the areas where the old-growth trees will be removed with orange stakes and orange tree bands.

A group of concerned Jewel Park residents has been actively discussing the project with the Village of Barrington, IDOT, and Civil Tech over the last several years.

We met with the Village again on Friday, February 9th to discuss the start of the project. We raised additional questions/concerns about the status on funding, realistic start and completion dates, safety issues, and early removal of old-growth trees.

Our focus has been to confirm that all funding sources listed in the following website are in place and available. In addition, the Contractors have been selected and have agreed to the cost and timeline estimates, and the project is completed in the quickest, safest, and most efficient manner with the least amount of disruption to Jewel Park and the surrounding areas.

Please note the excerpt from the February 2020 Village of Barrington newsletter below which projected the project would be completed in 2024.

“4. And Finally – The Route 14 Underpass Of course the biggest traffic-reduction project of all is now moving forward with the recent award of $48 million for the Route 14 underpass near Lake Zurich Road. The underpass will have the largest impact on traffic and safety in our community by providing a free-flowing, train-free passage around town once it is complete in approximately 2024. Phase II engineering work is being coordinated, with the construction phase expected to begin as early as fall 2022. You’ll undoubtedly be hearing more about this important project in the months to come.”

In our meeting we raised several questions/concerns and learned additional information which we have highlighted below:

  • What is the status on all the funding sources? (See the funding sources listed on Barrington’s website: https://www.barrington-il.gov/underpass). The Village informed us during the meeting that the Surface Transportation Program (STP) for $48,000,000 is set to expire in April 2024. An extension will need to be granted before April 2024 and is currently an open item and is yet to be confirmed. The STP has allocated $2,000,000 to the project in 2024.
  • The Shared Surface Transportation Grant Program is funded by the Highway Trust Fund which has been running at a deficit since 2008 and is currently funded through the Treasury’s general fund due to funding shortfalls. A Congressional subcommittee is studying how the Highway Trust Fund will be funded after the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act expires in 2026.
  • The “Letting” process to select a General Contractor has been delayed for the 4th time in the last year and is projected to start June 14, 2024. The “Letting” process typically takes 90 days to complete and could be impacted by the competitive environment for Contractors due to the large number of Illinois construction projects.
  • A new Culvert must be built under Route 59 before Flint Creek can be moved and a temporary Route 14 detour can be built in Jewel Park and around the curve to the Library.
  • In addition, a temporary Shoo Fly Rail Track must also be built with crossings before the temporary Route 14 can be built. The Village informed us that the CN has not provided any information on when they will begin construction of the temporary Shoo Fly Rail Track.
  • The Village informed us that Commonwealth Edison will temporarily relocate utilities to run along Elm Rd and will move them back along Route 14 once the project is complete. They also stated that the utilities will need to be moved in 2024 to prepare for the project.
  • The Village has stated the current estimated completion time for the project is 18-24 months. There is a very similar underpass project in Washougal, Washington which is also building an underpass under the CN railroad track crossing which averages 45 trains per day. The project is significantly less complex than the Route 14 Underpass, estimated to cost $50,000,000 and the construction timeline estimate is 36-54 months.
  • The residents of Jewel Park have raised several questions regarding the project which we have listed below:
    • When will the Surface Transportation Grant be extended and will there be enough funding for the project long-term based on funding for the US Highway Trust Fund is set to expire in 2026?
    • Will the “Letting “ process be delayed again and will a General Contractor agree to the estimated project cost and timeline?
    • When will actual construction work begin -10/2024 or later?
    • If a significant amount of work needs to be completed on a Route 59 culvert to move Flint Creek and CN Shoo Fly Rail Track before Route 14 can be moved why start tree removal in 3/2024?
    • Why do utilities need to be moved in 2024 if the earliest that construction will start on a temporary Route 14 will be in 2025?
    • Why would the Washougal, Washington project take 18-30 months longer than the Route 14 Underpass?

In summary, we wanted to be sure that you were aware of the Village of Barrington’s current plans, the status of the funding and “Letting“ process, etc., and the fact that the tree removal process has been moved to before a General Contractor is selected. As a result, the residents of Jewel Park and others in Barrington have requested that the Village delay the removal of the old-growth trees until a Contractor is confirmed and ready to move forward, funding is 100% certain and the pre-construction work is ready to begin on the project.

Concerned Residents of Jewel Park

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Jim Nowlan: It is true. There are people who don’t want to work anymore

Posted in Guest Essay, Look For The Union Label, Politics, Pritzker’s Rules of Order, Springfield, Taxes, Unions on November 27, 2023| Leave a Comment »

help-wanted-sign

By Jim Nowlan | Chicago Tribune

The new Dollar General store in my rural Illinois hometown couldn’t open for the longest time because it couldn’t find workers. Apples rotted on the ground at Arends Orchard nearby because the 50-year proprietor couldn’t find help — for the first time in his long history of providing apples and cider to our area.

How many times have you heard this lament from small business owners? “People just don’t want to work anymore.”

Labor force participation as a percentage of possible workers has been trending down in recent decades. One factor out of several possible explanations for workforce reduction? Among the able-bodied in my childhood post-World War II, work was required to eat. Today, it isn’t. Many people, young and not so, have apparently developed lifestyles that support them adequately — to their minds anyway — with no, or minimal, work “on the books,” that is, in a regular job.

I am fascinated, for example, by a family that lives on the edge of my hometown. For at least two decades, the nine members of this “family” have been existing largely to play video games, it seems, and laze around the two-bedroom ranch home that is deteriorating around them, not so slowly. One of the three men in this family has fathered three children by three mothers, some of whom live in the home.

(This account is based on an interview with the father of the 50-ish “patriarch” of the family. My source lets his son and clan live there rent-free, though his patience has reached its end. The source lives elsewhere. Two social worker friends in the area tell me this type of family is far from unique in rural Illinois.)

How does the family support itself? Two of the women are certified nursing assistants and work a few hours a month each at nursing homes. Two of the men are skilled at digital technology. Infrequently, they work off the books, repairing computers. The two seemingly able-bodied men are also on disability, for mental health and physical reasons, respectively.

Read more here.

Jim Nowlan is a former Illinois legislator, state agency director, professor and newspaper columnist. He is co-author, with Melissa Mouritsen and Kent Redfield, of a new edition of “Illinois Politics: A Citizen’s Guide to Power, Politics, and Government” to be released by University of Illinois Press in early 2024.

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Why the South Barrington Park District has halted land sale to church, (Part 2)

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 »

SD Aug 30

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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