Obscure endorsement…

…that took 6 years to make.

I’ve received more than a few emails and phone calls asking for my take on the Boyle/Sandack election. Most of you, if you’ve gotten here, for better or worse know who I am I’ve tried to keep my focus on other things than wading into the tit-for-tat, but here’s my two cents.

I don’t have a ready way to sort my friends to differentiate between Democrats and Republicans. With the sorry state both parties have left Illinois residents in, we should all be in our own party and vote all those bums out. Besides, when you parse it down, we share similar values that cross party lines both ways-help the people who need help, and spend our limited money wisely. There should be a way to fix our state and still provide for those in need, yet Springfield, year after year, fails us all. Through it all they take care of themselves, and that’s it.

Another year wasted, with no bills filed that directly addresses our real problems with real solutions. It’s reprehensible. Now we’re expected to think all of them deserve to go back and keep mucking things up. NOW they’re all concerned, and say they have the cred and records that we need to fix the problems. Please, save it.

The research that went into vetting both candidates has been extensive.

What has been found about Debbie Boyle is she sued the school district six years ago. Now some of you have dismissed her from that point on. That’s when I first met her, blogging about my own campaign experiences. People who know me know I dig into stuff that doesn’t look right. That’s how I first met Elaine Johnson, and how TribLocal first approached me, and then Patch.

What I found was a Mom who wanted to get the same treatment for one of her three children as was routinely granted others. Not for every other, but for almost every other; it wasn’t a big deal. The the well known $25,000 I found to be unsupported by direct costs. That same year several others got that same treatment she was denied. It took seven or eight hours of lawyer time-of needlesss lawyer billing-that could and should have been avoided by the school board.

Some of my friends will never forgive or forget what they read about that, and so be it. Read on.

That experience of butting heads with the Democrats entrenched in our high school board was turned into a meme, and used by those same folks for the last six years to vilify and pillory her. Boyle has kept her poise in the face of that hateful treatment. She is now Vice President of our school board. She got busy helping elect fellow Republicans, and creating a fragile yet workable majority that deposed the Democrat Party State Central Committeewoman who was President, Julia Beckman.

The only budgets she’s been allowed to vote on have included 0.35% and 2.5% property tax increases. This last vote included paying off $712,000 of debt early to eliminate interest-only payments, and funding a complete replacement of South High’s heating system out of cash flow instead of debt, also eliminating interest payments. That strikes the right note with most taxpayers D or R- if you have to spend our tax dollars, spend them with maximum effectiveness. The state needs that attitude.

Debbie’s proud to have worked with her fellow board members to end salary spiking for administrative personnel this year. The work on teacher salary spiking has just begun-that may be a tough fight against an entrenched mentality, or an easier agreement between sober perspectives. I wish her well trying to turn that ocean liner.

That’s pretty much it. Debbie Boyle is a Mom, a supporter of youth sports, of her church, and because of the public scrutiny put on her every action the last six years, no corner has been left unexamined.

When vetting Sandack, residents found his direct conflicts were numerous, and his past was not as

examined and dissected as anyone thought. Certainly not like Boyle’s.

In the teeth of the recession he lowered staff count and staff budget, yet:- Raised property taxes 17%, as per our property tax bill,

– Raised the total tax levy 50% to over $18 million, as per the levy requests filed with the County Clerk’s office.

– Borrowed $25 million for storm water projects in 2008 (which I support), yet years later several millions of that are still sitting idle today generating interest costs, as per Village Budget documents. (who supports that?).

– Raised Total Appropriation by 30%, from $100 million to $130 million, as reported to the state comptroller

That’s unacceptable of any Republican during a recession. Sandack agrees now, and tweets and links to articles. He could have walked the walk for eight years and did the opposite. Voted to raise taxes, borrowing, and spending every vote. Every vote. Even his own campaign manager Bob Barnett voted against his 7,8,and 9% pay raises handed out during his time as Mayor of Downers Grove. The current Mayor Tully, in his first budget, will reduce our property taxes by a modest amount.

So Boyle has worked within an initially hostile framework to bring consensus change, and has helped forge that fragile majority of board members who understand the money supply is not infinite.

Sandack has a voting record going back to his first council days. He voted to take extra dollars every way offered, every time. It’s in his public record.

I’m baffled when this person or that person is called Boyle’s “Handler”. When you get to know Debbie, you’ll understand the farcical nature of such a claim. I was one of the Republican Precinct Committeemen who voted to endorse her, and everyone who says that was rigged or directed by anyone is wrong.

Strong Republican women scare some people. I think we need more of them in Springfield.

Where Sandack poses himself as an independent candidate, he has garnered endorsements from all the politicians who have buried our state in the current crisis. Republicans and Democrats alike are to blame. I am suspect of anyone who touts during a primary that he’s one of the group that continues destroying our state, yet advertises for the same primary that he is not.

Yes, I’ve seen all the research, and if anyone wants the court cases where Ron, as a Teamster Pension Fund Trustee, as plaintiff, sued companies? I can get it and forward it to you. They’re public records.

Personally I’m most offended by three items.

One-

Sandack took an early “Reagan oath” and then went on to first encourage others to pillory his opponent, and then to insinuate that she was just a tool and witless fool doing the bidding of men, and that she was just a lite-version of himself. Always about Ron.

If that’s not an attack ad I don’t know what is. What Sandack didn’t bargain for was a strong woman who was used to being bullied. So here she is with reams of research on Sandack, and having taken another round of “she sued”, and the cheapest of shots: she’s just a silly empty headed woman,  just there to serve evil men.

She put on her big girl pants and took his best shot and dished it right back in spades. She has flayed him alive for the past he never talked about, the supporters he didn’t want us to see, and the votes he tries to disown.What did Sandack do? Did he put on his big boy pants and take it like a man? No, he complained and played the victim card.

Two-

The Stand for Children endorsement and $5,000 contribution to Sandack. The founder, Jonah Edelman, is on video tape explaining how the press totally missed when they decided Madigan would still be running the state, and how they decided to endorse Republicans that will play ball with Madigan. I suppose if anyone wants that I can forward the links or the transcript. All in the public domain.

Boyle proved she can construct a majority to change a seemingly invincible group that controlled our high school district. I would rather see her working on that in Springfield, than someone who has already sold out to Madigan.

Three-

As mayor Sandack voted Yes to the Illinois Indoor Clean Air Act, which ended smoking on private property where the public gathers: bars, restaurants, casinos. It revitalized our downtown as families can now go out without having to inhale other’s smoke. For this election Sandack’s taken money from CNA and Altria, both with ties direct and indirect to tobacco and cigarette companies. Now Sandack opposes the Illinois Indoor Clean Air Act. Money talks.

I asked Boyle about that. Her response was pretty abrupt and true “I’m a Nurse. Smoking, and breathing in second hand smoke, kills people.” Are our lives as cheap as a couple thousand dollars in campaign contributions? Boyle understands the health issue involved. Sandack is selling us out.

There’s more, but even what I’ve written so far is long.

Facts are facts. If the best the other side has, is a six year old meme started by high school board members, fearful of Boyle getting elected? That she currently works full time as a nurse/clinic manager and can’t take time off to run to every open mic and pointless predetermined endorsement?

I’ve helped her, and seen her at front doors listening to people. She made the decision at the start she would not be getting the endorsements and publicity Sandack has worked so hard on the last several years, so they were never a high priority. She’s had to play against a stacked deck before, and she knows a tilted playing field should be avoided. So she’s gone door-to -door with helpers like me, making her case one family at a time.

She put on her big girl pants and when Sandack took his best shots at slamming her, she came right back and slammed him. Hard. And he cried foul. Who do want in Springfield, a fighter, or a complainer?

When she’s elected Debbie said she’ll be our full-time rep. Sandack said for him it’s a part-time job. Boyle says she wants to serve us, and Sandack keeps up a nonstop parade of money and endorsements that show we mean nothing to his bigger plans. Who do you want working for you based on that?

This isn’t an official statement from a PR person or from the Deborah L. “Debbie” Boyle campaign, just my observations. I know both candidates, and have known them for several years, and support Debbie Boyle and I hope you do too.

Sincerely,

Mark Thoman

Note: Normally a post of mine would be peppered with links to everything I’m saying. The links all exist.