Rich Garling’s Blog

Word from DC is that the GOP is calling for making the stimulus package a loan to the States rather than grants because they feel it would make the States spend the money more wisely. Senate Minority leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY)

 

has proposed that if President-Elect Obama wants to stimulate the economy quickly then he should sign the omnibus bill that was recently passed by both houses. The Senator’s suggestion is a good one, at least on passing the omnibus bill (and Bush should sign it rather than wait for Obama to begin his term in office), but it’s not nearly enough to stimulate the worsening economy. The economic downfall, caused by the bad economic policies of his own party, needs to have the recent bailout money for Wall Street diverted to Main Street in the form of grants, not loans, to many of the small communities that could use that money to rebuild roads, improve water and sewer systems and work on other infrastructure improvements. Mr. McConnell doesn’t seem to realize that making this money a loan would require voter approval because taxes would have to be increased in order to provide the funds to repay the loans. Asking permission from the voters to issue Bonds is precisely what Island Lake will have to do in order to build a new Police Department and to refurbish village hall. Grants from the Federal Government would certainly be a whole lot better. While this plan to sell bonds to fund the refurbishing is needed and it will provide jobs, it is asking people to dig into their pockets a little deeper at a rather bad time. Mr. McConnell doesn’t seem to realize that his bad policies of the past 8 years have caused the problems we have today. Those policies of tax breaks and overspending have put this nation in the spot of having to make some tough choices. Let’s not exasperate the situation further by demanding that Main Street repay a loan while Wall Street gets a bailout.

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The recent news that Island Lake was one of the few communities to sign onto a class action suit concerning MTBE (methyl tertiary butyl ether) pollution and that we will be awarded a portion of the settlement money, around $2 million, has certainly sent some minds fluttering about as to where to spend those dollars. One of the responsibilities of being a Trustee requires that we provide for the health, welfare and safety of our residents. The money should be spent to guarantee the village’s water supply now and into the future. That means ensuring we have plentiful clean water from reliable sources and that it be protected from all possible sources of pollution, including so-called pig farmers and former gas station owners. Part of the reason this suit came about is because of the pollution caused by the gas station at Newberry and Route 176. It caused the well in Fox River Shores to be closed down. Part of the process for refining oil into gasoline is to add MTBE so that it increases the oxygen rate in the gasoline so that it burns cleaner.

 

While not the total process of refining gasoline it gives an idea of what it takes. Using electric power would certainly be a better alternative. I remember when the well closing occurred and how our water usage was limited as a result.

As a Trustee I will do all I can to ensure we have the water we need. My vote will be to spend that money on water related projects and nothing else.

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It’s 4 days into the new year that I hope will be better than 08 was. Especially at the Village level. I’m going to do a review of what happened in 08 in the Village of Island Lake. By the way, anyone is free to comment on this blog, you just have to sign your name to what you say. If you can’t do that than your comments are not worth reading.

First, recently a suggestion came up from Trustee John Ponio to amend the villages weapons ordinance. As the story was told to the Board, a group of people apparently stopped along side the road, maybe they parked in the lot, at Veterans Park. It was close to evening and these people got out of the car. They were wearing some kind of dark colored hooded clothing and apparently they held in their hands what appeared to be some kind of “air” powered rifle. A couple of nearby residents witnessed these people running around the park and it alarmed them. They called the Police, but these people left the park before they arrived.

Ponio has asked that we amend the the ordinance to include these types of rifles. The proposed amended ordinance is copied below:

AN ORDINANCE AMENDING THE VILLAGE CODE OF THE VILLAGE OF

ISLAND

LAKE CONCERNING UNLAWFUL DISCHARGE OF FIREARMS

________________________________________________________________                                                                                                                                                                          WHEREAS, the Village of Island Lake, Lake and McHenry Counties, Illinois, is an

Illinois municipal corporation; and

WHEREAS, pursuant to various provisions of the Illinois Compiled Statutes, including without limitation 65 ILCS 5/1-2-1, 65 ILCS 5/11-1-1, and 720 ILCS 535/8, among others, the Village of Island Lake has enacted regulations pertaining to the unlawful discharge of firearms that have been codified in Chapter 5 of Title 6 of the Village Code of the Village of Island Lake; andWHEREAS, from time-to-time, the Village reviews its Village Code to determine whether it needs to be updated or amended to better address current circumstances; andWHEREAS, the Village Board of the Village of Island Lake recently reviewed its Village Code and determined that it needs to be updated to address the use of spring-powered, electric-powered, and air, electric, or gas-powered rifles, guns, or pistols in the Village; and            WHEREAS, the Village Board of the Village of Island Lake finds and determines that the proposed amendments to the Village Code are desirable and in the best interests of the Village and its residents, as more fully described in this Ordinance. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE Mayor and Board of Trustees of the Village of Island Lake, Lake and

McHenry Counties, Illinois, as follows:

Section 1.        The above stated recitals are incorporated herein by reference.Section 2.        Section 6-5-2-12 of the Village Code is hereby amended as follows:6-5-2-12:         UNLAWFUL DISCHARGE OF FIREARMS A.         It shall be unlawful to discharge any pistol, revolver or firearm in the Village; provided that this Section shall not be construed to prohibit any officer of the law to discharge a firearm or other service weapon in the performance of his duty. B.         It shall be unlawful to discharge any air gun, air rifle, BB gun, pellet gun, paint ball gun, or bow and arrow from or across any street, sidewalk, road, highway or public land or in any public place except on a safely constructed target area.  C.        For purposes of this Section, an “air rifle” is defined as any air, gas, or electric-powered gun, pistol, or rifle; spring gun; spring pistol; B‑B gun; paint ball gun; pellet gun; or any implement that impels a breakable paint ball containing washable marking colors or a pellet constructed of hard plastic, steel, lead, or other hard materials with a force that reasonably is expected to cause bodily harm; or any other “air rifle” as defined in the Illinois Air Rifle Act, 720 ILCS 535/1, as amended from time-to-time.  Section 3:     In the event a conflict exists between the terms of this Ordinance and any other ordinance of the Village, the terms of this Ordinance shall govern.  Section 4:     In the event that any term or provision hereof is found or determined to be invalid, the invalid portion shall be deemed stricken herefrom and the remainder shall be in full force and effect.   Section 5:     This Ordinance shall be in full force and effect from and after its passage and approval.Changes are in bold or have been crossed out.What is ironic here are two things:1. This is the same Trustee who has complained about changing ordinances to make them fit whatever situation we wanted them to. He is also the same Trustee who has asked that we spend thousands of dollars on making changes to all our ordinances at once rather than making changes to them, like this instance, one at a time. He is also the same Trustee who is a stickler for the rules and has said many times that you can’t change ordinances to fit whatever you want them to at that moment.

2. He has said in the past that he is not in favor of gun control. The words he used, when the Board was considering a request for gun control support from another Illinois Mayor, were “I am not a Nazi”. It’s on tape, recorded and video. So does this new support of gun control mean that he has switched sides?

I have an FOID card. While I do not own a weapon I do believe there are some weapons that we need to control. Uzi’s come to mind. But air powered guns do not.

Let us also consider that we already have two ordinances covering unlawful usage of weapons as copied below:

6-5-2-11: UNLAWFUL USE OF WEAPONS:

A person commits the offense of unlawful use of weapons when he knowingly:

A. Sells, manufactures, purchases, possesses or carries any bludgeon, black-jack, sling-shot, sand-club, sandbag, metal knuckles or any knife commonly referred to as a switch-blade knife, which has a blade that opens automatically by hand pressure applied to a button, spring or other device in the handle of the knife; or

B. Carries or possesses with intent to use the same unlawfully against another, a dagger, dirk, billy, dangerous knife, razor, stiletto, broken bottle or other piece of glass, or any other dangerous or deadly weapon or instrument of like character; or

C. Carries on or about his person or in any vehicle, a tear gas gun projector or bomb or any object containing noxious liquid, gas or substance; or

D. Carries concealed in any vehicle or concealed on or about his person except when on his land or in his own abode or fixed place of business any pistol, revolver or other firearm; or

E. Possesses any device or attachment of any kind designed, used or intended for use in silencing the report of any firearm; or

F. Sells, manufactures, purchases, possesses or carries any weapon from which more than eight (8) shots or bullets may be discharged by a single function of the firing device, any shotgun with a barrel less than eighteen inches (18″) in length, or any bomb, bomb-shell, grenade, bottle or other container containing an explosive substance, such as but not limited to black powder bombs and Molotov cocktails; or

G. Carries or possesses any firearm or other deadly weapon in any place which is licensed to sell intoxicating beverages, or at any public gathering held pursuant to a license issued by any governmental body or any public gathering at which an admission is charged, excluding a place where a showing, demonstration or lecture involving the exhibition of unloaded firearms is conducted; or

H. Carries or possesses in a vehicle or on or about his person any pistol, revolver or firearm, when he is hooded, robed or masked in such manner as to conceal his identity. (Ord. 275, 11-9-72)

And the original ordinance he proposes to change:

 

6-5-2-12: UNLAWFUL DISCHARGE OF FIREARMS:

A. It shall be unlawful to discharge any pistol, revolver or firearm in the Village; provided that this Section shall not be construed to prohibit any officer of the law to discharge a firearm in the performance of his duty.

B. It shall be unlawful to discharge any air gun, air rifle, BB gun, pellet gun, paint ball gun or bow and arrow from or across any street, sidewalk, road, highway or public land or any public place except on a safely constructed target area. (Ord. 867, 12-10-1992)

What do you think? Let me know. Sign up and I will post your thoughts so long as they do not attack someone personaly and they actually relate to the issue.

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