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Endorsement: McLaughlin for Illinois House Dist. 52

Posted in Barrington Area Chamber of Commerce, Commodius Maximus, Cost of Living, Daily Herald, Deception, Democratic Socialists of America, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Economy, Education, Elections, Illinois Federation of Teachers, Illinois State Board of Elections, Immigration, Intergovernmental agreements (IGA), Land Use, League of Women Voters, OP/Ed, Outmigration, Pension Funding, Politics, Pritzker’s Rules of Order, Property Rights, Property Taxes, Real Estate, Resident Spotlights, School Districts, Springfield, Taxes, Topics Of Interest, Transparency, Unions, Village Code on October 14, 2026| Leave a Comment »

Republican state Rep. Martin McLaughlin of Barrington Hills spoke out in February against Gov. JB Pritzker’s plan to reduce local control of residential zoning rules in a news conference in South Barrington. Flanking him were Algonquin Village President Debby Sosine, left, and South Barrington Mayor Paula McCombie. | Brian Hill/bhill@dailyherald.com

Daily Herald Editorial Board

In District 52, incumbent Republican Martin McLaughlin brings a lengthy Springfield record focused on fiscal responsibility. We endorsed him in 2020 for his energy and resourcefulness, in 2022 for his measured approach to state government and in 2024 as a steadfast voice for controlled spending. Democratic challenger Maria Peterson emphasizes lower costs for working families, affordable housing, gun-violence prevention, health care and tax changes. While Peterson is a strong candidate, McLaughlin’s experience and focus on fiscal restraint and oversight continue to make him the stronger choice. McLaughlin is endorsed.

Endorsement can be seen here.

Related: “Editorial: Martin McLaughlin for Illinois 52nd House District” – Chicago Tribune

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Poll: Majority of voters concerned about socialists running for office

Posted in Blame Canada, Commodius Maximus, Cost of Living, Deception, Democratic Socialists of America, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Elections, Ethics, Fat Bastard, Immigration, Look For The Union Label, Politics, Property Taxes, School Districts, Springfield, Taxes, The Center Square, Village Code on October 12, 2026| Leave a Comment »

By Sarah Roderick-Fitch | The Center Square

A majority of American voters are concerned with socialist candidates running and possibly winning political office, according to a new poll.

The Center Square Voters’ Voice poll found that 55% of American voters are concerned about Democratic Socialist candidates running for and winning elected office in the U.S., while 37% aren’t concerned.

A slew of candidates running as democratic socialists appears to be raising alarms with a majority of American voters.

Of the 55% who are concerned, 35% are very concerned, while 20% say they are “somewhat concerned.”

(Click on image to enlarge)

Of those not concerned, only 17% say they are not too concerned, while 20% say they are not at all concerned.

The poll comes as several Democratic Socialist candidates have risen in popularity across the country. The Democratic Socialists of America are touting 67 wins across the country, with 93 running. However, the group includes 62 DSA candidates who have lost.

Report continues here.

 

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JB PRITZKER’S GREAT DISPLACEMENT

Posted in Commodius Maximus, Cook, Cost of Living, County, Democratic Socialists of America, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Economy, Education, Elections, Ethics, Illinois Policy Institute, Immigration, John Kass News, OP/Ed, Outmigration, Pension Funding, Politics, Pritzker’s Rules of Order, Property Taxes, Public Safety, Real Estate, School Districts, Springfield, Taxes, Unions, Wirepoints on October 11, 2026| Leave a Comment »

By Paul Vallas | John Kass News

October 11th, 2026

Illinois leadership is sustaining policies that have done nothing to improve equity or affordability while swapping out middle- and upper-income families for the poor and illegal migrants.

JB Pritzker’s greatest legacy will be the acceleration of the “Great Displacement,” the demographic upheaval in which Illinois is losing scores of affluent residents through outmigration while gaining relatively poorer ones through both interstate and international migration.

This shift is largely the product of the state’s so-called progressive policies. High taxes and fees remain the primary reason Illinoisans cite for leaving, followed by failing schools, rising crime, limited economic opportunity, and expansive sanctuary measures that encourage low-income in-migration.

According to Wirepoints, Illinois continues to hemorrhage wealthy residents. Since 2000, the state has lost roughly 1.6 million people — third most in the nation, behind only California and New York. Chicago’s population, even with the recent influx of migrants, is now at its lowest level in nearly a century. Almost every county in Illinois has experienced a decline in population. Even more troubling, Illinois isn’t merely losing residents — it’s losing income. [1]

The IRS reports that in 2022 alone, 87,311 residents left Illinois, taking with them $9.9 billion in adjusted gross income. The real damage runs deeper: The outflow disproportionately includes residents in their prime earning and spending years. This brain and income drain erodes the tax base, shrinking critical property, sales, and consumption tax revenues that support state and local budgets. [2]

A detailed Wirepoints analysis of IRS migration data for 2022 shows Illinois was the nation’s second-biggest loser of households aged 26-35 earning more than $200,000. Unsurprisingly, zero-income-tax states such as Florida and Texas were the leading destinations for these upwardly mobile millennials. Illinois has been bleeding this cohort for more than a decade, but the acceleration is alarming. [3]

Wirepoints also found that in 2022, the average adjusted gross income for these departing young households was $435,000. The exodus continues among those aged 35-45 with incomes over $200,000 — another key demographic of high earners. Illinois ranks 48th nationally for losses in this income bracket. More concerning, the average AGI among this group leaving approaches $700,000. [4]

Vallas’ report continues here.

Paul Vallas formerly ran the public school systems in Chicago, Philadelphia and the Louisiana Recovery School District. He was a candidate for Mayor of Chicago.

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The Democratic Socialists of America in their own words

Posted in AI, Cost of Living, Data Center, Deception, Democratic Socialists of America, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Economy, Elections, Ethics, Fundraisers, His Master's Voice, Illinois State Board of Elections, Immigration, Land Use, Look For The Union Label, Pension Funding, Politics, Pritzker’s Rules of Order, Privacy, Property Taxes, Public Safety, Real Estate, School Districts, Springfield, Taxes, The New Normal?, The New York Times, Transparency, Unions, Village Code on October 6, 2026| 6 Comments »

Maria Peterson is running for the IL House District 52 seat. Nabeela Syed is running for IL Senate District 26. Currently both choose only to campaign publicly as “Democrats.” | Images courtesy Facebook

Much has been said and written about the, “Democratic Socialists of America (DSA),” in recent months leading to the mid-term elections. Their website states:

“Capitalism is a system designed by the owning class to exploit the rest of us for their own profit. We must replace it with democratic socialism, a system where ordinary people have a real voice in our workplaces, neighborhoods, and society.

We believe there are many avenues that feed into the democratic road to socialism. Our vision pushes further than historic social democracy and leaves behind authoritarian visions of socialism in the dustbin of history.

  • We want a democracy that creates space for us all to flourish not just survive and answers the fundamental questions of our lives with the input of all.
  • We want to collectively own the key economic drivers that dominate our lives, such as energy production and transportation.
  • We want the multiracial working class united in solidarity instead of divided by fear.
  • We want to win “radical” reforms like:
    • Single-payer Medicare for All,
    • Defunding the police/refunding communities,
    • The Green New Deal, and
    • More as a transition to a freer, more just life.

We want a democracy powered by everyday people. The capitalist class tells us we are powerless, but together we can take back control.”

They have further stated their priorities, including:

That’s pretty much all we needed to read to form our opinions, and most who have read these pages for nearly two decades know what they likely are.

However, feel free to visit the Democratic Socialists of America website to learn more so that you might be enlightened before reaching your own opinions before casting your ballots.

Related: “Inside the DSA’s audacious quest for power in the Democratic Party“

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District 220 Board of Education meets tomorrow tonight

Posted in 220, Agendas, AI, BACOG, Barrington Education Association, Board of Education, Cost of Living, District 220 referendum, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Education, Elections, Ethics, His Master's Voice, Intergovernmental agreements (IGA), Land Use, Look For The Union Label, Mad Cows, Massbach Hounds, Overhead, Pension Funding, Politics, Property Taxes, Public Safety, Real Estate, School Districts, South Barrington, Springfield, Taxes, Transparency, Video Streaming, What the Ficke (Bradford)? on October 5, 2026| 1 Comment »

The District 220 Board of Education meets Tuesday evening at 6:00 PM at the District Administration Center, 515 W. Main Street. Items on their agenda include:

  • Special Public Comment on IASB Resolutions
  • FOIA Reports
  • Personnel Report
  • Declaring Property Surplus and Authorizing its Sale or Disposal
  • Minor Policies
  • Second Reading of Board Policy
  • Consideration to Approve Resolution providing for the issue of not to exceed $34,000,000 General Obligation School Bonds, Series 2026A, for the purpose of building and equipping an auditorium and an addition at the Barrington High School Building, altering, repairing and equipping existing buildings, and improving school sites; providing for the levy of a direct annual tax sufficient to pay the principal and interest on said bonds; and authorizing the sale of said bonds to the purchaser thereof.
  • Consideration to Approve Mid Suburban League Constitution
  • Consideration to Approve Demographic Study Contract
  • Consideration to Approve Terms of IGA for Proposed Village of South Barrington Higgins Corridor TIF District
  • Board Policy Training
  • Solar Update
  • First Reading of Board Policy

A copy of the agenda packet can be viewed here. The meeting will be live streamed on the district YouTube channel.

Related: “District 220 board members violated campaign policies, investigation finds”

 

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When Blue States Chase Away Their Billionaires – WSJ

Posted in Commodius Maximus, Cost of Living, Crime, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Economy, Education, Ethics, Look For The Union Label, Politics, Pritzker’s Rules of Order, Property Taxes, Springfield, Taxes, Wall Street Journal on October 5, 2026| Leave a Comment »

America’s Governor Ron DeSantis (R., Fla.) cheers Citadel founder Kenneth Griffin at the announcement of Carnegie Mellon University Miami on Thursday. | Jack Dempsey/AP Content Services for Griffin Catalyst/Associated Pres

By James Freeman | Wall Street Journal

An editorial in the Chicago Tribune laments what might have been had “Kenneth C. Griffin not become so frustrated with the state of Illinois as to move himself and much of the financial company he founded, Citadel, to Miami.” The Tribune is responding to the news that Mr. Griffin is moving a whole lot more to Florida after departing the expensive dysfunction of Illinois governance.

The Journal’s Deborah Acosta reported on Wednesday:

Hedge-fund titan Ken Griffin is donating $2 billion to start a Carnegie Mellon University campus in Miami, part of the largest-ever individual gift toward higher education.

The Pittsburgh-based university, known for its expertise in computer science, artificial intelligence and robotics, will open a 35-acre campus in Miami’s Wynwood neighborhood that will focus on technology and innovation.

“The students who graduate and the tech companies that come to Miami to leverage those skills will change the very fabric of Miami for decades if not centuries to come,” Griffin said in an interview.

Citadel’s chief executive is also giving $1 billion to Carnegie Mellon’s main Pittsburgh campus. Griffin’s combined $3 billion donation is the largest single gift toward higher education from any individual, according to an announcement from Carnegie Mellon University.

The donation helps advance Griffin’s aim to establish South Florida as a leading global-business and technology hub.

Back in the Windy City, kudos to the Tribune editorial board for explaining the opportunity cost of driving away the state’s most successful people: “After all, persons who are willing to donate $3 billion to an institution of higher education are not to be found on every street corner.”

Of course New York politicians in general and the mayor of New York City in particular have also been unwelcoming and in some cases downright hostile to wealth-creators like Mr. Griffin. Leftists who enjoyed the mayor’s nasty media stunt outside Mr. Griffin’s Manhattan apartment can now reflect on whether it was worth removing the city as a possible landing spot for the largest individual gift in the history of U.S. higher education.

Article continues here.

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Your vote can make a difference in Illinois elections

Posted in AI, Cost of Living, Data Center, Deception, Democratic Socialists of America, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Economy, Education, Elections, Ethics, Illinois Policy Institute, Immigration, Land Use, Look For The Union Label, Pension Funding, Politics, Pritzker’s Rules of Order, Property Taxes, Public Safety, Resident Spotlights, School Districts, Springfield, Taxes, The Chicago Way, Transparency, Village Code on October 3, 2026| Leave a Comment »

Illinoisans can vote on races ranging from U.S. Senate and governor to state lawmakers and local officials in the Nov. 3 election.

By Jon Josko and Lilly Rossi | Illinois Policy Institute

Some recent Illinois state legislative races have been decided by just dozens or hundreds of votes.

A look since 2022 shows where the closest races have been, how few votes separated the candidates and what voters in competitive districts identified as their biggest concerns.

Casting a ballot gives Illinoisans a voice in who represents them, while understanding voters’ concerns gives lawmakers a clearer picture of what their constituents want addressed.

How close are races in Illinois?

In 2024, a mere 47 votes out of nearly 59,000 decided who represents Illinois’ 52nd House District. State Rep. Martin McLaughlin, R-Lake Barrington, held onto his seat over Democrat Maria Peterson by less than one-tenth of 1% of the votes.

That was the slimmest margin in Illinois’ most recent two election cycles, but not the only close one. Nine other state House and Senate races since 2022 were decided by fewer than 1,700 votes apiece — and they were concentrated in a handful of places worth knowing if you live nearby.

10 closest state legislative races 2022-2024

Margin of victory in the 10 closest Illinois House and Senate races, 2022-2024

Seven of the 10 sit in Chicago’s outer suburbs and exurbs, stretching from Lake and McHenry counties through DuPage, Kane and Will. The other three are downstate: one anchored around Danville and Champaign, one around Springfield and Decatur and one in the Metro East region across the river from St. Louis.

10 closest state legislative races 2022-2024

Margin of victory in the 10 closest Illinois House and Senate races, 2022-2024

How many people does it take to decide these races?

If you’ve ever wondered whether your vote matters in a state regarded as relatively uncompetitive, consider this: Among the 175 contested state House and Senate races since 2022, half were decided by a margin smaller than 1-in-10 of the eligible adults in that district. A quarter of contested races came down to fewer than 1-in-17.

90 contested legislative races decided by fewer than 1 in 10 adults

Number of contested state legislative races, 2022-2024, by win margin as share of district’s eligible adult population.

That pattern held across both chambers and both years, though state Senate races have generally been decided by a somewhat smaller share of eligible adults than House races. Roughly 6-in-10 Senate races came in under that 1-in-10 mark, versus about 46% of House races, consistent with Senate districts being larger and drawing more votes.

What do Illinoisans care about?

In districts with tighter election margins, candidates will have to make sure they are addressing their constituents’ major issues.

In the Illinois Policy Institute’s statewide tracking poll, fielded quarterly since 2025, high taxes has been the single most-cited concern every time, named by 52% to 60% of respondents as one of their top two issues, roughly double the next-closest answer.

In the most recent poll, from August 2026, 58.1% named high taxes as their No.1 or No. 2 issue, compared with 32.5% for the economy generally and 20.7% for state governance.

Property taxes in particular seem to be the aggravation behind that number. The May 2026 version of the same poll asked residents how satisfied they are with the value their community receives for the property taxes paid. Over 61% said they were dissatisfied, against just 23.5% satisfied.

Article continues here.

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Editorial: Chicago considers charging suburbanites more to park. How neighborly

Posted in Chicago Tribune, Cost of Living, Democratic Socialists of America, Dumb and Dumber, Dumb Bunny, Look For The Union Label, OP/Ed, Politics, Preckwinkle's Rules of Order, Taxes, The New Normal?, Unions on October 1, 2026| Leave a Comment »

People walk along North Michigan Avenue as tulips bloom April 12, 2026, in downtown Chicago. | Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune

The last dumb idea from City Council

By The Editorial Board | Chicago Tribune

A new parking meter deal is done and dusted, as City Council on Tuesday approved a $2.53 billion agreement allowing Stonepeak Partners to take over the remaining 57 years of Chicago’s parking meter lease. Good. We were tired of writing about this historic disaster.

But that doesn’t mean there cannot be another one just ahead.

Now, aldermen are looking to the future. And as some gaze into their crystal ball, they see a brave new world in which suburbanites pay more to park.

An idea is floating around to bifurcate parking meter prices, adding a surcharge of 25 to 50 cents an hour for non-Chicagoans who park in the city, according to Ald. Walter “Red” Burnett, 27th.

Ald. Walter “Red” Burnett – Remember his face because we highly doubt this will be the last dumb idea he’ll have.It’ll raise revenue, he says, though he couldn’t say how much, and encourage public transit, though that doesn’t take into account the frequent inadequacy of those options from the suburbs, especially on evenings and weekends.What we know for sure is that such a move is crazy-town nonsense.

Ald. Walter “Red” Burnett – Remember his name and face since we highly doubt this will be the last dumb idea he’ll have.

“It’s easy to track, they already have the data now,” Burnett said. “We want our suburban counterparts to help when they’re clogging up the system.”

Clogging up the system? Oy.

We have an altogether different view of our neighbors to the north, south and west.

We view them not as bumbling annoyances from which to extract extra cash for the privilege of parking their car on the street, but value their awe and enjoyment of our city, even if they only stick around for a little while.

Editorial continues here.

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Even after upgrades, Illinois’ credit rating is still worst in the nation

Posted in Cost of Living, Deception, Economy, Elections, Ethics, Fat Bastard, Illinois Policy Institute, Look For The Union Label, Pension Funding, Politics, Pritzker’s Rules of Order, Property Taxes, Springfield, Taxes, Unions on September 30, 2026| Leave a Comment »

The ongoing pension crisis is a big part of it.

By Ethan Soifer | Illinois Policy Institute

Despite two recent upgrades, Illinois’ credit rating remains the worst in the country, with a couple key issues holding the state back.

Moody’s Ratings raised the state to A1 from A2, and S&P Global Ratings elevated Illinois to A from A-. The ratings are based on a government’s ability and willingness to pay back debt principal and interest on time.

The agencies said significant headwinds remain in Illinois, including sluggish economic and population growth and the state’s unfunded pension liabilities.

A higher credit rating enables a state to borrow or roll over existing debt at lower interest rates. A lower rating creates more risk for investors, who will demand higher interest payments.

Illinois’ worst-in-the-nation credit rating hurts taxpayers. A Charles Schwab report from shortly before the ratings upgrades using Bloomberg data showed that Illinois’ 10-year bond yields are 62 basis points, or 0.62%, higher than bonds issued under a “generic 10-year AAA index.”

Applying that to the $2.6 billion in general-obligation bonds Illinois plans to sell this year would mean $16.1 million more in annual interest payments than states with the highest rating. That could slightly improve given the recent upgrades.

The upgrades reflect the state’s progress in improving its fiscal standing. Since 2019, the year Gov. J.B. Pritzker took office, Moody’s has upgraded Illinois’ credit rating five times from Baa3, the lowest rating deemed investment-grade and one notch above junk status. S&P has upgraded the rating four times, from one notch above junk status, BBB-, to A. Including Fitch Ratings, the governor’s office boasts of 12 upgrades.

Report continues here.

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League of Women Voters 52nd District Candidate Forum recordings released

Posted in BACOG, Cost of Living, Democratic Socialists of America, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Economy, Education, Elections, Ethics, Illinois State Board of Elections, Overhead, Politics, Pritzker’s Rules of Order, Property Taxes, School Districts, Springfield, Taxes on September 29, 2026| Leave a Comment »

Recording of the Martin McLaughlin/Maria Peterson Candidate Forum held on Tuesday, Sept 22, for Illinois General Assembly 52nd District have been posted. The link can be found here.

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