Public Watchdog.org

PublicWatchdog To Maine Township: “AMF!”

10.23.18

Now that we’ve put “Assgate” behind us (pun intended), we’ve concluded that it’s time for us to leave behind the fetid backwater of local government known as Maine Township.

As the initial premise of our valedictory, however, we must confess to our foolishness in taking any interest in Township government in the first place. Its budget is minimal, the services it performs could be done better and more economically by various charities, and if townships didn’t provide so many make-work jobs for idiot nephews and clueless in-laws of various Democrat and Republican politicians the township form of government would have been abolished decades ago.

In our defense, we got carried away by how refreshing it was to see the first non-RINO trustees in decades – Dave Carrabotta (R), Claire McKenzie (D) and Susan Sweeney (R) – get elected to that Board and promptly attempt, in bi-partisan fashion, to drain that swamp of its cronyism and waste. We dubbed Carrabotta, McKenzie and Sweeney “The Reformers” and praised some of their more notable achievements in our posts of 01.24.2018, 02.08.2018, 02.13.2018, 04.24.2018 and 05.25.2018.

But then came “Assgate,” a 100% political cavalcade of stupidity that demonstrated (much to our chagrin) that The Reformers – no matter how public-spirited and pro-taxpayer they might be – are no match for the entrenched cabal of RINO Supervisor Laura Morask, RINO Trustee Kim Jones, RINO Non-Assessor Susan Moylan-Krey, RINO Clerk Peter Gialamas, and RINO Road Commissioner Walter Kazmierczak.

And after observing The Reformers for more than a year we have regrettably concluded that, even though they hold a 3-vote majority of the Board (the “Bloc of 3,” as Jones derisively branded them in her staged September 26 “It’s not okay” soliloquy) and can thereby control every Board decision by a 3-2 vote if they were to stick together, they have neither the savvy nor the spine to avoid being bamboozled, intimidated and out-maneuvered by the RINO minority.

Could they develop such savvy and spine? Anything’s possible.

But when Carrabotta demanded an unlawful (under the Illinois Open Meetings Act) closed session in which to throw his tantrum about Jones’ baseless accusations, and when McKenzie and Sweeney mindlessly went along with him, it became obvious to us that it’s a stretch to think that they can get themselves ready for prime time in the foreseeable future.

We hope we’re wrong on that count, but we’re not ready to double down on The Reformers at this point.

So rather than waste more of this blog’s (and its editor’s) time, attention and effort, we’re pulling out of the Maine Township swamp and heading back to those local governmental bodies that matter most to Park Ridge residents: The City of Park Ridge, School District 64, School District 207, the Park Ridge Park District and the Park Ridge Library.

As we pull up stakes, however, we offer the following advice to those we’re leaving behind:

To “The Reformers”: Get out of this cesspool ASAP! You don’t have the governmental or political chops to handle the Township’s RINOs and their unholy alliance with Madigan toadies Marty Moylan and Laura Murphy – especially when the so-called leaders of your own Stupid Party of Illinois (Tim Schneider) and Cook County (Sean Morrison) are so inept and clueless that they can’t even stop RINO Jones from doing robo-calls endorsing Dem. Moylan for state rep (“Hi. This is Maine Twp. Trustee Kim Jones…[and] I’m voting for Marty Moylan for state representative…because Marty Moylan cares about women’s rights”).

Instead, try something more productive like running for your city council, park board or school board. Or just stay home watching “Big Bang Theory” re-runs and doing crossword puzzles – which, no matter how unproductive that might be, beats more of the dumpster-diving you’ve been doing at Maine Town Hall.

To you Township RINOs: Have the decency to come out of the closet and declare yourselves the Democrats you’ve been for so many years.

To Trustee Jones: Now that your flimsy sexual harassment accusations against Carrabotta have been determined to be unverifiable after two months (and $30,000+) of investigation by attorneys from the law firm (Ancel Glink) you and Supervisor Morask handpicked as the Township’s counsel, how about sitting quietly until the EEOC and the Illinois Dept. of Human Rights also dismiss the accusations you subsequently filed with them?

But if you still must insist that somebody at Maine Township touched your ass, why not make it a reality by giving your political mentor, Wally Kazmierczak, the thrill of his lifetime:

Why not offer him one nice friendly squeeze – preferably during one of Dick Barton’s promotional group photos that you folks like so much? Considering all the RINO political advice and support Wally has given you over the years, both at the Secretary of State’s office and now at Town Hall, he might find that to be a welcome token of appreciation.

To all you public-spirited citizens who have tried to support The Reformers by attending meetings and speaking about the issues: You all deserve a hearty round of applause for those efforts. But even if reforming the stupid/incompetent/corrupt Township government were possible, you’re all too smart and talented to keep wasting your valuable time and energy throwing pearls before swine, or (in keeping with the metaphor) trying to turn this Township sow’s ear into a silk purse.

The Township’s budget is barely more than that of the Park Ridge Library, Joe Egan and Mike Reardon, so we respectfully suggest that your time could be better spent in your roles as Park Ridge Library Trustees. Larry Ryles, your plate as a D-64 Board member also appears full, and that includes building a budget that is more than 10x the size of the Township’s. And Mesdames Jayne Reardon and Joan Sandrik: The taxpayers of our community could sure use public officials with the intelligence, judgment and courage you both have demonstrated time and again in speaking truth to power, albeit dim-bulb wattage.

Finally, to Maine Township Republican Committeeman Char Foss-Eggemann: You did the unthinkable by trouncing (63%-37%) RINO Carol Teschky for the committeeman position in March 2014. Unfortunately, no good deed goes unpunished; and all you got for your trouble was a RINO-dominated Township ticket whose shameless RINO members have done nothing but try to undermine you ever since.

Face the fact that your Stupid Party of Illinois (f/k/a the “Republican Party of Illinois”) won’t get any real traction here in Madiganistan at any level of government for the foreseeable future, especially when the Maine Township branch is loaded with RINOs. Even if Speaker Madigan were to croak, he has enough apprentices and coat-holders who would be more than a match for the likes of Tim Schneider, Sean Morrison, Dan Proft and Dick Uihlien. And for the likes of Tom Ricketts, if Crain’s is right about him being the new Stupid Party moneybags should Rauner lose on November 6.

And like Messrs. Egan and Reardon, you’ve got the Park Ridge Library Board as an outlet for your public service.

We wish we could say writing about Maine Township government was fun, but it wasn’t. We wish we could say writing about it had some positive effects, but we doubt it did. So we leave it behind with nothing more than the hope that someday the Illinois General Assembly acquires the common sense to abolish township government statewide – and let the existing county and municipal government infrastructures take over those township tasks.

But so long as we keep sending yahoos like Marty Moylan to Springfield to shine Madigan’s shoes, don’t hold your breath waiting for that to happen.

To read or post comments, click on title.

21 comments so far

Smart move, PW, but thanks for the entertainment value while you slummed it. The RINOs are bad jokes on us taxpayers, but you are right when you say that the Reformers aren’t ready for prime time. Jones started this mess but Carrabotta compounded it.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Obviously Jones was just Morask’s (and Moylan’s) stooge in this farce, but as we said before and will say again: Carrabotta could not have screwed the pooch (to use a “Right Stuff” term) more if he had tried. Much as we agree with most of his policy positions and votes, we have serious doubts about his judgment when he mishandles this kind of situation this badly.

All we can do is hope that he and the other 2 Reformers actually develop an “A” game; and that they bring it to everything they do at Maine Township. Because “Assgate” painfully demonstrated that their “B” game isn’t nearly good enough for the RINO cage.

Thanks for running these Assgate posts. I would not have known how screwed up township government is without it, since the Tribune (Herald-Advocate) wrote nothing about it and The Journal is just a public relations arm of the RINOs. I’m just glad the budget is as small as it is, although I wish it were smaller after reading your posts.

Wasn’t Char Eggemann responsible for putting together the “Republican” ticket that included the Reformers and the RINOs? That sure blew up in her face.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Yes, although we understand she was told in no uncertain terms by the “top Republicans” – a/k/a, the tallest midgets in the pygmy circus – that there could not be a primary fight between the RINOs and a “reform” ticket. Consequently, Char got to slate Carrabotta and Sweeney but was stuck with the rest of the RINOs and Kelly Schaefer, while Laura Murphy slated Dem Clair McKenzie – whose resignation buffoon Moylan has called for as part of his RINO support strategy.

Take a look at Sweeney’s twitter feed from September 7. Unless I am missing something it appears to be a QAnon post.

How can one ever expect an A game from a person who would post that crap??? She has been a leader off RWOPR and is thick as thieves with Char. She has been out knocking on doors for Smolenski and this is what she posts???

EDITOR’S NOTE: We don’t do Twitter, so we have no idea what you’re talking about – especially since you don’t provide a screen capture, a link or a description.

As for being close with the Maine Township Republican Committeeman, they were friends since before Char ran for that office – which also pre-dated Sweeney’s run for the Township Board. And because they are actual Republicans instead of RINOs, we would expect both of them to be campaigning for the Republican candidate – unlike the RINOs who are campaigning for Moylan.

How can anybody take Carrabota seriously after his stupid blow-up?

EDITOR’S NOTE: He’s been right on most of the substantive issues. But the way he screwed up this “Assgate” situation – and, along with Jones, cost the taxpayers $30,000-plus – has caused us to lose confidence in his temperament and judgment. That’s one of the reasons we’re saying “AMF” to Township government.

I don’t understand why did Moylan demand McKenzie’s resignation, as she is a Dem. Is he that stupid or vindictive, or is she a DINO?

EDITOR’S NOTE: Yes, Moylan is both stupid and vindictive, as well as a buffoon and one of Madigan’s shoe-shine boys. But McKenzie was acceptable collateral damage, at least temporarily, because she didn’t immediately side with Jones and feed Moylan’s narrative for getting rid of Carrabotta and restoring the RINOs pre-Reformer Board majority.

But we suspect McKenzie might be ready to go AWOL on Carrabotta and Sweeney because: (a) we hear she wants to become a Circuit Court judge and might need/want Moylan’s/Madigan’s support for slating; (b) she sided with the RINOs both in choosing Ancel Glink as the Township’s new attorneys and on a couple of other issues; and (c) in her “Assgate” interview Morask (at page 54) clearly distinguished McKenzie, favorably, from the other two.

https://twitter.com/SusanKSweeney/status/1038091908449546240

EDITOR’S NOTE: A photo of the backs of three young kids looking at a poster “appears to be a QAnon post”???

Time to get your meds re-balanced.

I do not pretend to have all the data on QAnon but it is a pic of children (can you say pizzagate?) and the only thing she posted was a capital letter Q. So what does it appear to be to you??

EDITOR’S NOTE: “[P]izzagate”???? Oh, wait, now we get it…the photo of the backs of three kids looking at a poster is actually a page out of a sex trafficking catalog. But where are the descriptions of each kid and the prices?

And the “Q” can only mean “QAnon.”

As we said: See your doctor and get those meds re-balanced.

Meds are just fine but you still did not explain the post. Give me one plausible alternative.

EDITOR’S NOTE: So you want “one plausible alternative” to your suggestion that Sweeney’s photo of three kids looking at a poster is related to a child sex trafficking network (“Pizzagate”)? Okay, how about: It’s just a photo of three kids looking at a poster?

Are you sure you’re not Kim Jones, because your Pizzagate suspicions are about as credible as her “Assgate” accusations: Not at all.

She posts a picture of 3 kids and her only “comment” along with the pic is the letter Q?? Your response is that somehow that makes perfect sense? All due respect PD but perhaps the two of you should be checking your meds.

EDITOR’S NOTE: We have no idea why Sweeney posted that photo, but no reason at all is still more plausible than a discredited and wacky “Pizzagate” explanation tied to an even wackier “QAnon” relationship – both of which may be more plausible than Kim Jones’ “Assgate” accusations.

I guess she is just fascinated by the letter Q.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Not nearly as much as you, as your six comments about it would indicate.

These “Pizzagate” and QAnon accusations against Sweeney are crazy. I am guessing that they are being made by someone looking to distract from the message of how bad Maine Township government is. A “There goes Elvis!” tactic from Jones or one of her team?

6:37:

Offer me on alternative. I did not make up Qanon. I only followed in on the news. Years ago I started looking in on certain folks who are prominent in politics around town, especially during election seasons.

So I look on Sweeney and I see a post of the letter Q and a pic of kids. You say I am trying to distract?? Well then tell me what the post means. People use twitter to communicate messages so tell me what her intended message was. I mean at a minimum you have to admit that is a strange post.

EDITOR’S NOTE: We don’t know what 6:37’s angle is, but please explain how you are tying Sweeney (“prominent in politics around town”) and this “election season” to the generally-discredited child sex trafficking by the Clintons (your former references to “Pizzagate”) and the factually-suspect QAnon network?

Sorry, Mr. Dog, but I’ve been remiss in reading the finest source of Park Ridge political information and analysis. I am just catching up on this “Assgate” story.

Am I correct in understanding that after Jones privately accused Carrabotta of touching “her bottom,” he accused her of sexually harassing him and then demanded that the township investigate the situation, which is why the township attorney asked Jones to sign the complaint against Carrabotta?

If so, they and the township attorney should all be kicked in the ass for gross stupidity, an intolerable lack of judgment, political insanity, and wasting tens of thousands of our tax dollars.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Thanks for the compliment.

Your understanding is correct, as is your opinion – although we would have gone one step further and refused to pay Ancel Glink’s bill until they could demonstrate to the satisfaction of the Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission that Keri-Lynn Krafthefer, and perhaps also her two partners who conducted the investigation, didn’t have a conflict of interest that should have precluded their respective roles in this fiasco and justifies a reduction, if not avoidance, of their fees.

Although Jones raised the conflict issue AFTER the report found that her accusations could not be corroborated or otherwise proved, we’re betting Morask and perhaps McKenzie – both of whom joined Jones in awarding the township attorney’s position to Ancel Glink (over Carrabotta’s and Sweeney’s dissent) – told her to drop that beef. And we suspect Carrabotta would have voted to pay AG double the price for what amounts to his exoneration.

I went to Sweeney’s twitter feed weeks ago and saw the post in question. I read it and thought what on earth does she mean by that?? Like anyone who follows the news, I have heard about the Qanon thing. It does not seem unreasonable to make a connection. You will notice I used the word appears. I also acknowledged that I could be missing something.

So to answer your question, I am not tying her to anything. It is her post that is doing that, at least for me. Your read on that post may be completely different but, as yet, you have offered no alternative explanation as to what that post might mean.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Why didn’t you just ask her at one of the Township meetings? “Hey, Trustee Sweeney: Concerning your September 7 tweet, does that picture of those three kids mean you’re part of the Clintons’ Pizzagate child sex trafficking ring? And does the “Q” mean you’re part of QAnon?”

Seriously, Dude (or Dudette), check those meds because pulling those conclusions out of that tweet is off the hook.

“Off the hook”, wow!! It is clear you are trying to down play this and I am sure most of your readers will agree with you. I will close my part of this discussion with two points.

If a person puts out a random “Q” attached to a picture on their public feed visitors are going to try to figure out what the hell she is trying to say. Perhaps those who she knows or who are regulars understand the code but those just visiting will be curious.

No matter off the hook you think I am, you have offered no counter explanation.

Happy Halloween!

EDITOR’S NOTE: Actually, we’d be concerned if we HAD any kind of “counter explanation” to your whacked out suggestion that her Twitter post must have something to do with the discredited theory of the Clintons running a child sex trafficking ring (“Pizzagate”) and the equally whacked out theory that “Q” is some kind of signal about something to the QAnon crowd.

PD:

Now I know you are going to accuse me of being off the hook and tell me to have my meds checked but the funniest thing happened this afternoon. Ya remember that tweet I linked to and you and I have been discussing??? Guess what?? It’s gone!!! It appears (there I go with that word again) either she was watching or someone she knows(you??) tipped her off. It’s as if September 7th never existed…..except I have a screen grab. All of the other posts are still there but not 9/7.

So now we have this weird post. A capital Q and a pic of children. We have you trying to play the entire thing off as me being wacko yet with out any counter explanation. Now we have her taking down the post. Any further comments?

EDITOR’S NOTE: To your theory that it has something to do with Pizzagate sex trafficking and the QAnon cult?

Uh unh.

By the way, just to clear something up. You stated the following in your reply. …..”does that picture of those three kids mean you’re part of the Clintons’ Pizzagate child sex trafficking ring”?

That is not an accurate representation of what I have stated. Qanon people are not a part of the sex trafficking ring. Qanon are the nut bags who believe that it existed as well as other conspiracy theories.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Okay, so you’re asserting those two things in the disjunctive rather than conjunctive?

Okay, so are you saying she’s QAnon/Qanon, or “Pizzagate”?

Can we move on to something substantive, like the $200 million bond issue (read: yet another property tax increase) that District 207 is pushing?

EDITOR’S NOTE: We believe “Assgate” is “substantive,” as pointing out how partisan the LWVPR has become.

But FYI, we published 9 posts since May 1 on the D-207 referendum: May 7, 8 and 30; July 19 and 24 (Ken Butterly guest post); August 13, 24 and 31; and September 14.

During that same time period how many letters to the editor of the H-A and/or The Journal have you or other opponents of the D-207 boondoggle had published during that time? How many FB posts on that topic have you folks published? How many “Just Say NO” yard signs have you folks planted?

We will be publishing additional posts about the referendum between now and election day. What are you folks who oppose Snow-Job Wallace’s and his Seven Dwarfs’ $350 million boondoggle going to do to make up for being asleep at the wheel for the past six months?

Apparently I have not been clear or assumed you would get it. Here we go. The entire pizzagate episode centered around a conspiracy theory involving pedophilia, satanic rituals etc etc taking place in a pizza place. It really hit the news when some guy actually fired shots in the restaurant. It is pure nut bag stuff.

This is one of the many “theories” that Qanon people subscribe to.

My question about Sweeny’s post is not that she is involved in trafficking or any other of the supposed acts. These acts never took place and are pure crap being spread on the internet. Rather my concern is that her post may indicate that she is a Qanon “believer”. If we have an elected official that actually subscribes to these wacko theories that is certainly her right but I also think that is something the voting public might like to know about.

Still no suggestion from you as to what the post might mean. She has not removed the post from her feed.

EDITOR’S NOTE: We have no idea what Sweeney’s Twitter post might mean, but we don’t need to have an alternate explanation to realize yours is nutty.

But given your obsession over this, why don’t you show up at Town Hall for a Board meeting and ask her?

Occasionally reader and poster here.

I just wanted to say that I got really T.O’d when I read the other day that 8 current and former leaders of the Maine Township Republicans have endorsed progressive liberal Moylan over (R) Smolenski. These people have dragged Smolenski into assgate – something she has nothing to do with at all – and they’re destroying the reputation and good name of a first time Republican office seeker. What is wrong with these people?? Seriously, what is wrong with these people? Every day I get an mailer from Moylan telling me how proud he is that planned parenthood gave him the seal of approval. A planned parenthood endorsement a badge of shame in my political party (R), and yet 8 allegedly (R) Maine Township Republicans have endorsed a liberal progressive (D) Moylan for office. I get they are RINOs but they are doing real damage to good future (R) candidates who would consider running for office, but are turned off when THEIR OWN PARTY throws them under the bus. Politics is dirty – I get that – but I would never have expected in a million years the Maine Township leadership would turn against their own party. Why would anyone ever run in the future when their own party stabs them in the back?

EDITOR’S NOTE: First of all, Moylan isn’t a “progressive liberal”: He’s just a typical Illinois politician who figured out that government – either as an employee or an elected official and Madigan shoe-shine boy – was the easiest way for him to maximize the value of his limited abilities.

Second of all, the “Republicans” about whom you speak have always been RINOs who basically share Moylan’s view of government: “Ubi est mea,” as the legendary Mike Royko called it.

Third, if Rauner loses – which appears likely – we suspect the future of the “Republican” Party will fall into the hands of the likes of Dan Proft and Dick Uihlein (GFL with that!) or another moneybags like Tom Ricketts (Rauner 2.0).

Finally, what are you still doing in the Stupid Party?



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