Rich Garling’s Blog

I had stated during the campaign that we’re not getting our fair share of dollars from Springfield. In the NWH today was a report on the amount of dollars brought back to McHenry County by our State and Federal Reps/Senator. In spite of the turmoil in Springfield it seems the Democrats are doing thier jobs while the Republicans are offering excuses as usual.

FYI - Beaubien has been in office 12 years, Althoff 5 years.  

Below are the numbers and a link to the story. As I said during the election, we need better, we deserve better.

From the NWH:

“The following is a tally of the state and federal monies directed back to McHenry County through legislator earmarks and member initiatives since 2003, or since the legislator took office:

$28.8 million    U.S. Rep. Don Manzullo, R-16th

$14.1 million    U.S. Rep. Melissa Bean, D-8th (took office 2005)

$3.1 million    Ill. Rep. Jack Franks, D-Woodstock*

$501,000    Ill. Rep. Mike Tryon, R-Crystal Lake (took office 2004)

$250,000    Ill. Rep. Mark Beaubien, R-Barrington Hills

$0    Ill. Sen. Pam Althoff, R-McHenry

Total: $46.8 million”

Earmarks help many legislators send money to their constituents

Tags: State by Rich
No Comments »

While in Ohio recently I stopped at a roadside rest area and noticed in the distance four windmills churning away. There was a plaque at the rest stop that explained those four windmills were producing enough electricity to support a small town of 1000 nearby.

I just located a story on the internet: Harvest Wind farm

in which 15,000 homes were getting thier electricity from 32 windmills located in Harvest Wind Farm near Elkton, MI. It costs $90 million to erect this array of windmills and each windmill provides electricity and $3,000 to the farmer who owns the land.

I will support these types of programs for Illinois because we need to get away from using a fuel that not only drains our pocket books but also pollutes our air and makes us sick. The alternatives are available, we just need to institute them.

Tags: Environment by Rich
No Comments »

Went to Philadelphia last summer, posted these thoughts on my campaign blog…

We took a trip to

Philadelphia this last weekend. Visited Gettysburg,

Lancaster, and Constitution Hall and saw where the Declaration of Independence was signed. You could imagine how heady a moment that must have been to know that you were putting your life and everything you had worked for on the line by signing that document. These were very brave men who were willing to do what was right in spite of the possible adversity they may face. They were honestly living the change they wished to see at that moment.

While I will not compare myself to those great people, I do believe, as they did, that we all should live the change we wish to see in the world. Otherwise it is nothing but mere talk. I firmly believe in doing what I can to keep our air, water and land clean. As such I recycle all that I can, I use very little water since we’re dependent on well water, and I drive a hybrid car. We drove that car to

Philadelphia and back. We averaged 41 mpg. If we had used my girlfriend’s car we would have gotten around 28 mpg on the highway. While locally I average 46 mpg, we only took a hit of 5 mpg using the hybrid. The State, the nation, needs to encourage more usage of these types of vehicles and each level of government needs to use these for their non-emergency vehicles. The money we could save because we cut back on the amount of gas being consumed would be an excellent start to becoming oil free and saving this planet. The money saved could be used to help with funding education, our infrastructure and other important services we expect from our government. 

Tags: Environment by Rich
No Comments »

A post from my campaign blog on gas prices and alternative fuels…

I’m sure most of you are aware that we have a huge problem with the rising cost of energy. I know I’m paying too much at the gas pump. And it’s pretty sad when today we consider a price of $4.10/gal to be a good price. I drive a hybrid which is getting 45 mpg. I have seen or read about different hybrid types being offered. Some run on alternative fuels such as E85 (85% alcohol/15% gasoline). Problem I have is that the alcohol is derived from food crops and in spite of the commercial you hear/see on the air, the feed corn used to make the fuel also is used to many different products. The price of those other products is rising, such as a loaf of bread, which is not a good thing. There are other means we could use to power our cars such as hydrogen, natural gas, wind and solar. I just saw a film clip sent to me by a friend that suggests we could use wind power as a substitute for natural gas, use the natural gas to power our automobiles which would help cut our usage of foreign oil. Here is the link: Pickens Plan . It’s an interesting suggestion. One thing for sure is that we cannot last very long on overpriced oil that pollutes our air. The State of Illinois can do it’s part by investing in a fleet of electrically assisted hybrid cars that would use less fuel, pollute less and cost less in the long run. While E85 may benefit our farmers, it hurts other parts of our economy. The Pickens plan suggests using a more sensible approach with existing alternatives. We have an abundance of natural gas in this country and we live in one of the best wind corridors going right through the middle of the country. Illinois happens to be part of that corridor. Lets be part of the solution and not part of the problem.

Tags: Environment by Rich
No Comments »

This was posted on my campaign web blog and I feel it’s still relevent…

Last summer attended a meeting about improving Route 176 from Route 31 to the Fox River. I have advocated for years the concept of true regional planning. What one community does affects their neighbor. If Prairie Grove builds 2500 homes those cars will come…through Crystal Lake, Island Lake, McHenry and Lakemoor. Each of these communities will pay the cost of that extra traffic through accelerated wear and tear of their infrastructure. We will see an increase in auto traffic that will require extra safe guards to protect our children while crossing the street. Prairie Grove’s neighbors shoulder the costs while Prairie Grove reaps the benefits from all those rooftops paying property taxes.  

What is needed is a Route 176 Corridor Group similar to the Route 120 planning council. Ten communities along Route 120 are working in unison to help create a corridor so that all who live along it will benefit. The communities along Route 176 need to come together to do the same type of planning. One bottleneck, one little kink along this route will cause it to fail unless we work together. Businesses will not locate anywhere on Route 176 so long as it is difficult to move product to and from the area. McHenry County lessons it’s own chances to develop properly so long as it has inadequate roads in which to travel. And it will continue so long as we do not work together for the common good. 

Tags: Growth by Rich
No Comments »

I know this is not the first election I have ever lost, in fact I’m batting 500 right now (w-2, L -2) but I have been told and I think the facts do speak for themselves…I went against a 12 year incumbant who raised much more money than I did ($105K ($70K in the bank) to my $20K), he certainly had much more time in which to prepare (12 years compared to 7 months) and yet I got close to 40% of the vote. I’m told by many who have been involved for a number of years in politics and government that I got a very respectable finish for a first run at State office. I know some of my opponents are saying a got slaughtered but when 4 out 10 voters say they like what they see I guess I’m doing ok. Not a win, but not slaughtered either.

But enough about the past. It’s time to move on because there are many problems we need to solve. While others may want to dwell on the past whining about how someone did this or did that without ever offering a solution, well let them do that. The past can certainly explain the present, it provides us with what did or didn’t work but it doesn’t provide us an answer to a solution, it only narrow down the list of solutions thus getting us closer to an answer. If we continue to dwell on the past never letting it go you will never arrive at an answer because you’re too busy looking back instead of looking forward.

Tags: 2008 Elections by Rich
No Comments »

Tell me this doesn’t sound familiar…

 From the Minneapolis Star-Tribune:

The State Canvassing Board, a panel of five arbiters charged with determining the winner in the overtime election tussle between Republican incumbent Norm Coleman and Democratic rival Al Franken, unanimously voted this morning to deny the Franken campaign’s request that rejected absentee ballots be included in the recount.

During the discussion, the board members stressed that they weren’t rejecting the merits of the arguments made by Franken’s attorneys. They also made it clear they expect the issue to be litigated separately from the recount procedure…

I’m sure there are some recent Democratic candidates who have heard similar comments from an election board last summer. If they know it’s going to be litigated, which presumes they’re wrong, then why do they continue to make that decision?

Tags: 2008 Elections by Rich
No Comments »

Our most precious natural resource, next to our children, is water. We cannot survive without it. Yet we continue to use it like it is limitless. We use it as a political football when it suits our purposes, even to the point of destroying it just to get something else we want.  Many don’t realize that Lake Michigan is not this unlimited supply of water that we can take as much as we want when we want. It’s replenishment rate is actually less then 1% per year. And the reason why the Great Lakes Compact doesn’t allow for communities outside the Great Lakes drainage basin to use water from the Great Lakes is because they wouldn’t be able to replenish what they take. Simply put, if you can’t put it back, you can’t take it out.  Our water in Island Lake comes from the aquifer. The aquifer is not a big underground river. It is a layer of water-bearing permeable rock, sand, or gravel capable of providing significant amounts of water. It is capable of holding only so much water though, which is why during dry spells the village limits water usage such as watering the lawn. We only hurt ourselves when we allow businesses to dump wherever thy want or allow them to avoid cleaning up after themselves. We only hurt ourselves when we allow individuals to threaten our water sources just so they can make a fast buck. One reason for adding a water pumping station and tower in the northeast corner of the village is provide water to new residences and business as the village grows. It would allow us to complete a system that could provide water to any part of the village should another part of it fail. By building this system the village can guarantee water far into the future. By protecting our water we will never have to consider Lake Michigan as Wauconda is doing. We will be spending far less for a far more efficient system that is totally within our borders and our control. But, not if we allow known polluters to continue to get away with actions that threaten that supply. If they want to put a business at a certain intersection then do it like the rest of us do it; spend a buck to make a buck. The risk should be all yours and not the whole community.This board is open to discussion with any business or proposal that will bring revenue and jobs that benefit it. We will do honestly and correctly. But we will not do it by threat, huff or puff, or by being so hard nosed about that no wants to do business with us.We have a number of businesses that have come to the village expressing an interest in setting up shop. We’re at various stages of negotiations with them. Some will bear fruit; others will simply dry up and blow away in the wind. Only time will tell.  

Tags: VOIL by Rich
No Comments »

Showing that it really is all about him and that he’s willing to pollute the villages water supply Supermarket Bob has added bacon to his inventory.  

              

Tags: VOIL by Rich
No Comments »

It turns out that so-called pig farmer Bob Wargaski fight with Island Lake over the water tower isn’t as lofty as he claims… it’s all about him making money on this little deal, and everyone else be damned. He recently sent a letter to the VOIL with a list of demands in which, like holding a gun to the villages head, he tells the village pay me or else. He expects the village to pay him or he is willing to either pollute the villages water by putting in the pig farm or continue to sue the village. He demands the village pay for water line, sewer line, legal costs, the pig farm and the cost of annexation (when he so chooses over a 20 year period) into the village and rezoning the property from it’s current county ag zoning to commercial zoning.

And he expects the village to foot the bill. He expects the people of the village to pay for what would possibly amount to doubling, perhaps tripling, the value of his property.

In a recent Daily Herald article http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=252941  ”Wargaski claims he is only trying to protect his property values and keep the village from drawing down his own private well that’s part of the same aquifer. He says his neighbors are rallying behind him in this fight.” I wonder how much support they’ll give him when they discover he wants to build a supermarket next door to their homes.

“We’re all on ag-zone property and they are backing my play,” he said. “It’s going to draw down their wells too.” I’m sure his neighbors will find it interesting to see how much he really cares when they read the letter he sent the village.

Well this document sent to the village from Wargaski’s lawyer shows he is willing to drop the suit if the village meets his demands. He is holding a gun to the villages head saying pay me or I will continue to sue and I will pollute your water to boot.

Wargaski’s demands

The Heralds Article stated…”

“Wargaski vows to see the fight through to the end.”

“now it’s a matter of principle.”

No, it’s really a matter of money. As they said in the movies…Show me the money… It’s pretty tough to negotiate with someone who hasn’t been willing to negotiate. He knows that putting pigs on his property means we will have to resort to boiling our water or living off of bottled water. But he doesn’t care, as this letter shows. He only cares what he gets out of it, no matter that it costs you the health of your family.

It seems that all of his friends, including Trustee John Ponio (he was sent a copy of the letter by Bob’s attorney), support Wargaski’s little fit with the village. This group even threw a fund raiser for known polluter Charlie Amrich. Like their buddies at the Federal level they all laugh at the prospect that we will either not have clean water to drink or will be footing the bill that fills Bob’s pockets. Birds of a feather perhaps…

 
A copy of the letter below:

October 16, 2008
DONALD T. MORRISON
OF COUNSEL
SENT VIA FAX (847-247-7405) AND U.S. MAIL
Scott A. Puma
Ancel, Glink, Diamond, Bush,
DiCianni & Krafthefer, P.C.
175 Hawthorn Parkway, Suite 145
Vernon Hills, Illinois 60061-1493
Re: Wargaski v. Village of Island Lake
Dear Mr. Puma:
Last time we were in court, the judge inquired about the possibility of settling this
case. I have discussed a possible settlement ofthis case with my client. Please be advised
that Mr. Wargaski is willing to settle this matter as follows:
1. The Village shall pay all the plaintiffs attorneys fees and costs incurred in this
litigation along with all the attorneys fees and costs incurred in the IEPA matter.
2. The Village shall reimburse the plaintiff for all the costs incurred in the
construction of the pig farm.
3. The Village shall extend a waterline to the plaintiffs property at the Village’s sole
cost. The waterline shall be big enough for a commercial use of the plaintiffs
property and the Village shall waive all fees and costs including, but not limited to,
any tap-on or recapture fees. The Village will also agree that the plaintiff and his
successors in title shall not be required to annex into the Village to utilize the
waterline.
4. The Village shall extend a sanitary sewer line to the plaintiffs property at the
Village’s cost. The sanitary sewer line shall be big enough for a commercial use of
the plaintiffs property and the Village shall waive all fees and costs including, but
not limited to, any tap-on or recapture fees. The Village will also agree that the
plaintiff and his successors in title shall not be required to annex into the Village to
utilize the sewerline.

MORRISON & MORRISON, P. C.
5. The Village shall enter into an annexation agreement with the plaintiff that would
allow either the plaintiff or his successors in title to annex into the Village at their
sole discretion. The annexation agreement shall be valid for twenty years. Upon
annexation, the plaintiff’s property would be zoned commercial. The Village would
pay all the fees and costs incurred in preparing and executing the annexation
agreement including the plaintiff’s reasonable attorney’s fees and costs.
6. In the event that the portion of Dowell located on the plaintiff’s property is
vacated, the Village agrees that the property shall immediately revert to the
plaintiff’s ownership. The Village would agree to immediately move its municipal
boundary to the western property line of the plaintiff’s property.
7. The Village shall disclose the location of the watertower on its property and if
possible, locate the watertower as far as possible from the plaintiff’s house.
8. In exchange for the foregoing, the plaintiff agrees to dismiss the lawsuit with
prejudice and agrees to move the pig farm off his property to allow construct and
use of the Village’s proposed well at its current location. In addition, the plaintiff
agrees that he will not use his property in any way that violates the Village’s IEPA
permit for the well.
9. A copy of the Settlement Agreement shall be entered with the court in this case
and the trial court shall retain jurisdiction to enforce the settlement. In the event that
either party has to enforce the agreement, that party shall be entitled to payment of
its attorney’s fees and costs.
I believe such a settlement will resolve all the issues between the parties and allow
the Village to proceed with the construction ofthe well and watertower. Please let me know
the Village’s response to this settlement offer.
Very truly yours,
Margaret Morrison Borcia
cc: Bob Wargaski via fax

Tags: VOIL by Rich
No Comments »