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Archive for the ‘Immigration’ Category

Polls are now open

Posted in Chicago Tribune, Commodius Maximus, Daily Herald, Data Center, Democratic Socialists of America, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Economy, Education, Elections, Ethics, Illinois State Board of Elections, Immigration, Look For The Union Label, OP/Ed, Outmigration, Pension Funding, Politics, Pritzker’s Rules of Order, Property Rights, Property Taxes, Public Safety, Road construction, School Districts, Springfield, Taxes, Transparency, Unions on November 3, 2026| Leave a Comment »

It’s Election Day, 2026. We’re asking everyone to vote for the following with good reasons:

Our reasons to vote for Darby and Marty include:

Information on where you are registered to vote today can be found here.

PLEASE VOTE!

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Who really funds Nabeela Syed?

Posted in BACOG, Breakthrough Ideas, Cost of Living, Democratic Socialists of America, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Elections, Ethics, Fools and their money, Guest Essay, Immigration, Look For The Union Label, OP/Ed, Politics, Pritzker’s Rules of Order, Property Taxes, Springfield, Taxes, Transparency on October 31, 2026| 1 Comment »

This week’s Reveille: The race between Nabeela Syed and Darby Hills for Illinois Senate District 26. Jeanne breaks down nearly $1.7 million in reported contributions from unions and Democratic leaders to Syed, and Syed’s campaign promises vs. her legislative voting record in the IL State House.

By Jeanne Ives | Breakthrough Ideas

“Nabeela Syed was only 23 when she was elected as a state rep. She went from college at the University of California, Berkeley, to running for office with a short stint as a digital strategist for an activist NGO.

She’s been celebrated by the press mostly for her identity. The Indian Express in 2022 said her victory was noteworthy in part because she is young, a first-generation Asian American, and a hijab-wearing Muslim woman.

Syed is a political climber, though. After 4 years in the House, she’s now running for State Senate. She says property taxes are too high, that she’ll fight for small business, and supports efforts to eliminate wasteful spending.

Her votes, though, show the opposite is true. There’s been no property tax relief, and she’s voted for millions in tax increases and the highest budgets in state history. She’s just another progressive Democrat bought and paid for by the unions and the Democrat Party in Illinois.

Over just the last 10 days, Senate Democrats have pushed over $1 million into Syed’s campaign.

Pritzker gave her another $10,000 and a teachers union PAC $40,000. Last quarter, her campaign took in nearly $1.7 million in donations from unions and Democrat leaders. They want this seat.

Also backing Syed is the National Korean American Service and Education Consortium. Their goal is building Asian American and immigrant power. And they want to fight for the civil, immigrant, and human rights for low-income, undocumented, queer, young people, seniors, and women.

Well, where does that leave the average Jane and Joe in Palatine and Barrington, Illinois? If you really want to know who your state rep or senator will represent when elected to office, just find out who’s funding their campaign.

Fortunately, the Chicago Tribune had the common sense to endorse Darby Hills for Senate District 26. She’ll represent Americans and taxpayers.

I’m Jeanne Ives.”
breakthrough-ideas.com

The Facebook reel of this post can be found here. Please share it!

Related: “Editorial: Darby Hills for Illinois 26th Senate District,” “A sound reason for Barrington Hills residents to vote for McLaughlin and Hills”

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Pritzker’s record: partisan maps, doubled gas tax, record spending

Posted in Cost of Living, Deception, Democratic Socialists of America, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Elections, Illinois Policy Institute, Immigration, Look For The Union Label, Politics, Pritzker’s Rules of Order, Springfield, Taxes on October 29, 2026| Leave a Comment »

With the governor running for a third term and eyeing the White House, Illinoisans should remember his policy decisions.

By Lilly Rossi | Illinois Policy Institute

Many of Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s decisions have not helped families and businesses thrive in Illinois.

During his two terms, Pritzker has:

  • Signed partisan legislative and congressional maps into law after promising to veto them.
  • Doubled the state gas tax.
  • Set record-high state budgets.
  • Approved at least 63 tax and fee increases.

Here is a closer look at a record that speaks for itself:

Broke his promise to veto partisan legislative maps

As a candidate, Pritzker pledged to veto legislative maps drawn for partisan advantage. He broke that promise.

Instead, he signed new legislative and congressional district maps widely criticized for protecting Democratic majorities and incumbent politicians. Analysts at the Princeton Gerrymandering Project gave the new maps an overall F for partisan fairness, competitiveness and compactness.

In the 2024 presidential election, about 55% of the Illinois vote went to Democrat Kamala Harris, yet the party holds 66% of the seats in the General Assembly.

The partisan politics of the maps Pritzker OK’d are reflected in the statehouse: Over 90% of the bills that passed both chambers in the second regular session of the 104th Illinois General Assembly were sponsored by Democrats.

Doubled Illinois’ gas tax

One of Pritzker’s first major acts was signing the 2019 Rebuild Illinois capital plan. In doing so he doubled the tax to 38 cents a gallon.

The state had gone almost 30 years without raising the gas tax, which was 19 cents a gallon from 1990 to 2019.

More consequentially, the law created automatic yearly increases linked to inflation. Because of that, Illinois drivers will likely pay more in state gas taxes each year for the foreseeable future unless lawmakers take action, as there’s no expiration date on the annual adjustments.

Illinois lawmakers this year gave drivers a six-month break from a gas tax increase.

Report continues here.

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Illinois Senate 26th candidates divided on immigration enforcement, data centers

Posted in AI, Daily Herald, Data Center, Democratic Socialists of America, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Elections, Immigration, Politics, Pritzker’s Rules of Order, Property Taxes, Springfield, Taxes, Village Government on October 28, 2026| 8 Comments »

Republican Senator Darby Hills and Democrat Rep. Nabeela | Photos by Jerry Nowicki

By Steve Zalusky | Daily Herald

The race for the Illinois Senate’s 26th District seat matches incumbent Republican Sen. Darby Hills against Democratic challenger Nabeela Syed, the representative for the state House’s 51st District.

The candidates have different approaches on two hot-button issues: immigration enforcement and data centers.

Immigration enforcement

Hills, a former Barrington Hills village trustee who was appointed to the state Senate in February 2025, says local police should not be turned into immigration agents.

But she said she also believes Illinois’ TRUST Act goes too far in preventing local authorities from honoring federal immigration detainers, even for someone charged with or convicted of a violent felony.

Under the TRUST Act, local police can only hold someone on an immigration detainer if there is a federal criminal warrant signed by a judge.

Data centers

In June, Gov. JB Pritzker announced a pause on processing new data center tax incentives and proposed a seven-point framework that included a call for centers to pay their fair share of electrical grid and water costs.

Hills called the governor’s pause a reasonable timeout but said it is not a policy.

“The state handed out hundreds of millions in tax breaks without asking what data centers would cost ratepayers,” she wrote in her response to a Daily Herald questionnaire.

Hills has called for a moratorium of at least one year on new data centers and supports legislation that would put limitations on such projects. She has sponsored or co-sponsored a number of related bills, including Senate Bill 1050.

Full article appears here.

 

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Crucial swing voters troubled by DSA, new poll shows: ‘Souring on socialism’

Posted in Barrington Education Association, Deception, Democratic Socialists of America, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Education, Elections, Illinois Federation of Teachers, Illinois State Board of Elections, Immigration, Land Use, League of Women Voters, Look For The Union Label, New York Post, Politics, Pritzker’s Rules of Order, Property Rights, Property Taxes, Real Estate, School Districts, Taxes, Topics Of Interest, Transparency, Unions, Village Code on October 27, 2026| Leave a Comment »

Maria Peterson and Nabeela Syed | Images courtesy Facebook

By Ryan King | New York Post

Crucial swing voters have become increasingly troubled by the rise of the Democratic Socialists of America and the far-left in general — a major warning sign for Dems ahead of the midterms, a new poll shows.

When asked about their views of the DSA, 56% of respondents indicated they had an unfavorable view, up from 50% in September, according to Americans for Prosperity’s latest “Americans Unscripted” report.

Nearly 60% also felt the Democratic Party was controlled by the far left, again up from 50% in September, and 82% indicated they favor personal freedom and free markets over government control.

“Swing voters are souring on socialism — and fast,” AFP spokeswoman Katelyn Bledsoe told The Post.

“That’s a real opening for Republicans, and the candidates who show voters a credible plan to bring their costs down are in the strongest position on November 3.”

Americans for Prosperity, a libertarian-leaning policy advocacy group associated with the billionaire Koch brothers, has been leaning on its network of organizers across the country to get a pulse check. This is its last “Americans Unscripted” report before the Nov. 3 elections.

The question about the DSA was asked to about 9,000 to 10,200 people in eight states: Alaska, Iowa, Michigan, Montana, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Ohio and Wisconsin.

Critically, the trend from September to October indicates that swing voters who will be deciding key races are increasingly turning on the far left.

“Nothing is free,” a man named Michael from Holland, Mich., told an Americans for Prosperity volunteer, according to the report. “There’s an agenda behind all these promises of free benefits.”

Report continues here.

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Village Board of Trustees meet tonight

Posted in Aunt Blabby, BACOG, Building Department, Clown Car, Cuba Township Road District, Elections, ePacket Agendas, Equestrian Commission, Ethics, Finance Committee, Financial Reports, Flock Cameras, Heritage Fest, Horse Boarding, Immigration, Insurance Committee, Intergovernmental agreements (IGA), Land Disconnection, Land Use, Lennie, Look For The Union Label, New Normal?, Open Meetings Act, Pension Funding, Police Pension Board, Politics, Property Rights, Property Taxes, Real Estate, Riding Club Commission, Roads & Bridges Committee, Simple Minds, Taxes, Topics Of Interest, Traffic, VBHPD, Village Attorney, Village Board, Village Clerk, Village Code, Village Engineer, Village President, Village Treasurer, Yabba Dabba Doo, Zoning Board on October 26, 2026| Leave a Comment »

The Village Board of Trustees will be conducting their regular monthly meeting this evening beginning at 6:30 PM. Topics on their agenda include pretty much nothing of particular interest (which is cause for concern since we’re usually kept in the dark).

A copy of their agenda, including info on listening to the meeting, can be viewed and downloaded here.

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How Americans Feel About Socialism

Posted in Democratic Socialists of America, Elections, Immigration, Politics, Pritzker’s Rules of Order, Springfield, Taxes, The New York Times on October 18, 2026| Leave a Comment »

By Christine Zhang, Caroline Soler and Ruth Igielnik  | The New York Times

Progressive and socialist candidates have seemingly made inroads into mainstream politics, with self-identified socialists winning several Democratic primaries this year and a popular democratic socialist leading New York City. And polls show that the concept of socialism, once deeply unpopular in the United States, has gained some momentum.

But those polls also show that support is still limited. Understanding the shifting support of socialism is complicated by disagreement about what the term even means.

Most Americans dislike socialism, but it is becoming more popular.

Americans are becoming more open to socialism, but they have not broadly embraced it. In August, positive impressions of socialism topped 40 percent for the first time since Gallup began tracking that figure in 2010. In contrast, negative views of capitalism have sharply increased.

Americans’ views of socialism and capitalism

Views of socialism remain deeply divided along party lines. A New York Times/Siena poll in September found that a majority of Democrats viewed the concept favorably. Overall, just under 30 percent of registered voters had a favorable view of socialism.

Article continues here.

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Handful of competitive suburban races rev up November General Assembly elections

Posted in Chicago Sun*Times, Democratic Socialists of America, Economy, Education, Elections, Illinois Federation of Teachers, Immigration, Look For The Union Label, Politics, Pritzker’s Rules of Order, Property Taxes, School Districts, Springfield, Taxes on October 17, 2026| Leave a Comment »

Republican State Sen. Darby Hills is being challenged by State Rep. Nabeela Syed, a Democrat, for the 26th Senate District seat representing northwest suburbs in the Nov. 3 general election.

By Brett Chase | Chicago Sun*Times

A pair of suburban races for Springfield lawmakers are competitive fights heading into the Nov. 3 election, even as many incumbent politicians across the state are running unopposed.

Among the races to watch, Rep. Nabeela Syed, a Democrat from Inverness, is challenging incumbent Republican Darby Hills of Barrington Hills, who was appointed to the 26th District state Senate seat in early 2025. The northwest suburban district includes parts of Cook, Lake, McHenry and Kane counties.

The Illinois Democratic Party is spending heavily to help Syed with her campaign. In September alone, the party and a committee led by Illinois Senate President Don Harmon — with the aim of bolstering Democrats’ majority — contributed almost $1 million to Syed, records show.

Hills, a former prosecutor and 2021 Mrs. Illinois America, was a Barrington Hills trustee before being appointed to McConchie’s seat. She has campaigned for public safety, especially related to children, lower taxes and controls on spending.

“Illinois doesn’t have a revenue problem,” Hills says, “it has a spending problem.”

Republican Party-political committees contributed more than $80,000 to Hills in September after giving her more than $300,000 in August, according to state campaign disclosure reports.

Report continues here.

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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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Editorial: Martin McLaughlin for Illinois 52nd House District

Posted in BACOG, Board of Education, Chicago Tribune, Data Center, Deception, Democratic Socialists of America, District 220 referendum, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Economy, Education, Elections, Ethics, Fat Bastard, Illinois State Board of Elections, Immigration, Land Use, Look For The Union Label, OP/Ed, Outmigration, Overhead, Pension Funding, Politics, Pritzker’s Rules of Order, Property Rights, Property Taxes, Public Safety, Real Estate, Resident Spotlights, School Districts, South Barrington, Springfield, Taxes, Transparency, Unions, Village Code on October 12, 2026| 1 Comment »

Martin McLaughlin is a Republican running to represent Illinois’ 52nd House District. (George Papadakis)

By The Editorial Board | Chicago Tribune

Republican state Rep. Martin “Marty” McLaughlin barely survived his last election, defeating Democrat Maria Peterson by just 47 votes in 2024. The two are facing off again in this northwest suburban district.

McLaughlin, 61, an investment manager and former Barrington Hills village president, has been a consistent voice for fiscal restraint in Springfield. He identifies property taxes as the district’s most pressing problem and has helped residents navigate the appeals process. “If government is going to keep raising the bill, taxpayers at least deserve to know how to fight an unfair assessment,” he told us.

McLaughlin’s fiscal conservatism is important in a state that desperately needs greater discipline in that area.

Martin McLaughlin is endorsed.

Read the full editorial endorsement here.

Editorial note: Representative McLaughlin is also endorsed by:

  • Eleanor Sweet McDonnell, Mayor, North Barrington*
  • Paula McCombie, Village President, South Barrington*
  • Karen Darch, Former Mayor, Barrington*
  • Andrew Burke, Mayor, Lake Barrington*
  • Kevin Richardson, Former Mayor, Lake Barrington*
  • Keith Vogeler, Mayor, Port Barrington
  • Jeff Sode, Mayor, Wauconda
  • Debby Sosine, Village President, Algonquin
  • Ray Bogdanowski, Village President, Lake in the Hills
  • Donna Johnson, Mayor, Libertyville
  • Richard McLaughlin, Mayor, Island Lake
  • Steve Henley, Mayor, Volo

It’s important to note McLaughlin’s campaign rival lives in North Barrington yet she could not garner an endorsement for this or her prior campaigns.

*Present and former members of the Barrington Area Council Of Governments (BACOG).

 

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