Vote For Wedig

Filing For 2012 Primary

2011-09-06T14:04:00.000-07:00

Petitioning starts today and continues through December 5. I am running for McHenry County Board in District #5 as a Green Party Candidate. I will need to gather 24 signatures - a Democrat would need 301 and a Republican 387. These numbers are based on a percentage of past general election votes.

I will also run for Precinct Committeeman in Dorr Township #7. If you want to get involved in politics and not run for public office, Precinct Committeeman is a great place to start.

Now is the time to think about the general election in November 2012. This is way too much of a lead time, but that's the law here in IL. A longer lead time favors incumbents and candidates with the most money - more time to get their name out there.

Hackmatack & Early Voting

2010-10-13T06:33:00.000-07:00

On Tuesday, my wife and I accomplished two tasks with one visit to the County Government Building - early voting and obtaining information on the proposed National Wildlife Refuge, Hackmatack.

Early voting is a wonderful thing - you choose when you want to vote. No long lines and the timing is on your schedule. Voters in some states don't have this option. You can see a sample ballot from your precinct before entering the voting booth by going on the County Clerk's page on the County Website http://www.co.mchenry.il.us/departments/countyclerk/Pages/index.aspx . You can research your candidates before voting. The voting booth is not the place for surprises!

After voting early we went to the proposed National Wildlife presentation - it was more like a display. There were a few US Fish & Wildlife Service personnel present for questions, but no actual presentation or video. Just maps and literature. The maps were very confusing and may have led people in the wrong direction. All the maps showed an outline of the STUDY area which included about a third of McHenry County - the northeast third. The goal of the proposed Hackmatack Wildlife Refuge is to connect already existing parcels of conservation areas set aside by local, county and state agencies. Simple enough, but that information is buried in the literature. A poster with that thought and a few bullet points would have gone a long way to ease people's fears about the government taking their house and property. The process to acquire the connecting corridors could take 5-10 years or more.

Having a visual outline of how this was done in other communities would have helped as well.

McHenry County Sportsplex

2010-10-12T10:27:00.000-07:00

I have said previously that I am against the MCSportsplex from an economic. I also oppose it from an environmental perspective. The other day I went out to Pleasant Valley Road site with Jill M. None of my opponents have viewed the site. The site has rolling hills and needs leveling. Heavy rains can cause creeks to appear briefly out of nowhere.

This project and this site make no sense.

The current economic downturn is a consumption problem - we have consumed at an unsustainable rate and it has caught up with us. The only way to fix this is to produce something. The two industries that built this country will help get us out of this economic difficulty. We need to focus on Agriculture and Manufacturing. Our county is well situated for both - great transportation access (road and rail) and excellent farmland. When development happens - and it will - it should be within municipal boundaries where much of the needed infrastructure already exists. Building new infrastructure is very expensive and will financially burden future residents - especially in low-density areas like McHenry County. Both the Equity One Baseball Stadium and the MCSportsplex will require much new infrastructure.

Lead By Example - Cut Costs

2010-10-12T10:16:00.000-07:00

With the decrease in revenue for all levels of Government in Illinois, the County Board will need to cut costs in the future. There is no way around this unless borrowing enters the equation. Borrowing does have its place in public finance for large PUBLIC projects such as infrastructure or facilities. People are earning less and subsequently spending less. Government needs to reflect this reality.

In addition to reducing the number of Board Members, I advocate reducing the current $36,000 compensation (approx. $18,000 in salary and $18,000 in benefits) to a total of $25,000. That $25,000 could be split between salary and benefits as the Board Member sees fit. There would be no special expense reimbursement above that unless the Board votes on the issue. All this and any other financial information should be easily accessed on the County website. Very few employees in the private sector receive expense money for mileage or meals or anything else - that's what their salary is for.

2010 Census and Redistricting

2010-10-02T05:49:00.000-07:00

The 2010 census will affect political boundaries at all levels of government. Creating "safe" districts for officials of one party or group - jerrymandering - certainly goes on at the state and federal level. I don't, however, see it on the County level. On the county level, Township boundaries mostly influence County Board districts. Township boundaries were formed by placing a grid over the map of the county. Towns often grow into more than one Township - that is how Woodstock, for example can be part of Dorr, Seneca, Hartland and Greenwood Townships. The eastern half of Grafton Township which makes up the half of my County Board District (#5) includes parts of the towns of Huntley, Lake-In-The-Hills, Algonquin, Lakewood, and Crystal Lake. The last piece of District 5, in addition to all of Dorr Township, is a Greenwood Township Precinct #4 - part of Woodstock.

In 2011 as a result of the 2010 census all this could change. County Board District 5 could consist of different Townships and Towns. I am in favor of single member - not the current 4 - districts with fewer total Board Members. Lake County has twice the population of McHenry County and their Board has one fewer member - 23 - and they seem to do okay. Cook County has about 15 times the population and only 17 Board Members - they're called Commissioners there. I would like to see the McHenry County Board be reduced to a more manageable size of 11 or 13 - an odd number to avoid tie votes.

Although Township boundaries aren't subject to jerrymandering, they do split communities. I would like to see single member districts consist of entire towns rather than portions. So all of Woodstock should be able to fit into a single member district. Future County Board Districts should be drawn with regard for Municipal boundaries which actually signify a community not Township Boundaries. Township boundaries are totally arbitrary with regard to current municipal boundaries - but they are set in stone and unchangeable.

Sportsplex, Minor League Baseball Stadium

2010-09-24T08:17:00.000-07:00

The "Bridge To Nowhere" (Alaska), "To Big To Fail" (Washington D.C.) and now "To Big To Ignore" (McHenry County IL). With the County Board extending the financing deadline for The Equity One Minor League Baseball Stadium (Woodstock, $15 million) and The McHenry County Sportsplex (Lakewood, $18 million) to December, it looks like we intend to entertain our way out of this recession. I disagree with both developments. Sure it will create jobs in the short term, but what happens later? When the business models don't hold up, and they come to the tax payer to bail them out or they'll go bankrupt. Then they will be too big to fail and get whatever tax payer support they want.

When developers come to the county and want to spend 10s of millions of dollars, the "any growth is good growth" board members rise to the occasion and approve their plans. These are private facilities, not public! They can not get all the financing on their own - for good reason. The projects are not sustainable. They will need more taxpayer help in the future.

This is very similar to the residential housing bust - build it and they will come, build it and then walk away without regard for the consequences. The people involved get their compensation - fees, commission, bonuses, ect. - and then it all collapses.

I am against both developments and believe the bonds should have gone to help small and medium size business. This is a very difficult loan environment for local businesses. Sure, some loans to small business will default, but the vast majority will not. Local established businesses will do more for the economy over the long-term than these large dramatic developments.

The financing deadline has been extended until Dec. It may need to be extended again. You can influence this with the Nov election. The two incumbents in district 5 voted for the financing. I will be against it.

Special Environmental Education

2010-09-02T08:34:00.000-07:00

At this morning's Planning & Development Committee meeting, McHenry County Special Environmental Education Program (MCSEEP) Director, Susan Burke, made a presentation to the committee regarding MCSEEP. Here is a link to this important and worthwhile organization - http://www.co.mchenry.il.us/departments/mcseep/Pages/index.aspx

From the MCSEEP website, the purpose is to " to educate the children and staff of McHenry County schools about the environment and stewardship. The program teaches environmental lessons in K-12 classes. It offers instructional materials for incorporating environmental education in the classroom through teacher workshops, a curriculum library and a website. It interacts and networks with other environmental organizations for the purpose of enhanced environmental education in McHenry County."

MCSEEP, like many programs in IL, is having budget challenges. The budget went from $57,000 a few years ago to $42,000 with $16,250 coming from McHenry County.

Teaching our youth how live sustainable lives is worth the investment of time and money. Changing behavior takes time. Changing our behavior when it is still mostly voluntary is much less painful than being forced to change. For example, water and gasoline are still inexpensive to the point that many people don't think twice about their usage. If people start now using fewer resources, the forced change in future behavior will be more palatable.

New Bus Stop

2010-08-29T07:25:00.000-07:00

Boy, was I surprised to find a bus stop - Route 808- right outside my front door, one morning. It appears Pace 808 was rerouted to go through Woodstock - down Dean Street to Kimball then out to RT14. The Route goes between Harvard and Crystal Lake during the morning and afternoon rush hours. I am a big advocate and fan of public transportation. My wife and I try to avoid driving our cars on our days off from work. Sometimes that self imposed "car ban" can last 2-3 days.

The new reroute shows that officials are trying to make Public Transit more available. I would like to have seen a more coordinated link up with Metra, however. Having bus service after rush hour from the Metra Station in Crystal Lake to Woodstock & Harvard would make more sense. When returning from an event in Chicago in the evening, Metra often doesn't continue past Crystal Lake. That forces one to drive and park in Crystal Lake. There should be a bus that continues to on to Woodstock and Harvard when Metra service ends in Crystal Lake.

To find out if there is enough demand for additional bus service, a citizens group with total transparency should be involved in the process. Often the response for new service is "not enough demand". A citizens group would track demand and make all interest in new service public. That way everyone can see the numbers and just what it takes to create new service.

ILGP Convention

2010-08-10T13:57:00.000-07:00

The ILGP has two state-wide meetings per year. The second meeting in an election year is called "The State Convention". It was held at the Loyola Lake Shore Campus on July 30, 31 and August 1 - the former Mundelein College Campus. A wonderful venue right on Lake Michigan. Workshops were held and candidates took 5-10 minutes to speak about an issue that is important to them. I spoke about sustainability - economic and environmental sustainability. Basically, that the economic and environmental costs of the new subdivisions in the Lake-In-The-Hills/Huntley area are unsustainable. You can view my speech and other ILGP candidates at http://www.livestream.com/ilgp The convention was a great place to compare campaign strategies and issues with other candidates.

I am now starting to canvas - go door-to-door. I will start in the Woodstock area near my house and then go further out in District #5. Hope to see you before the election on November 2.

20 Years & Vegetables

2010-07-24T09:44:00.000-07:00

My wife and I have lived in Woodstock, near the Dean Street School, for 20 years. We love it here and intend to spend the next 20 years here as well. In the summertime we really like the farmers market on the Square. Salad greens are among the popular items we buy. Over the years I have experimented with growing perennials and raspberries. Both are rather hardy and easy to manage. It's a great feeling to go into your yard and find something edible. A friend with more experience in the yard suggested growing lettuce and kale. I am amazed at how easy it is to grow! Less than $1 in lettuce mix seeds will save us over $50 in purchases over the summer. It only took me 20 years to figure this out.

Wetlands & CMap 2040

2010-07-14T11:14:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I attended two public meetings - The Finance & Audit Committee of the McHenry County Board and the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning.

I try to attend at least two county meetings per month. I prefer committee meetings because there is more discussion. At County Board meetings there is very little back and forth and what is mostly heard is "yes" -during voting. The County is implementing a Wetland Restoration Fund - I support the concept. That begs the question - "why not preserve the wetlands in the first place?" According to the storm water manager - I believe that was the title of the individual presenting to the committee - a wetland can be drained if one of several conditions is met. Two conditions stood out in my mind - if the wetland is of low quality and if it is unavoidable. After hearing those reasons for draining a wetland, it occurred to me that ANY wetland can be drained. There is no effective Wetland Protection in this county. I would like to have made a "public comment" after hearing what I thought I heard, but at committee meetings public comment comes before anything is said. It comes at the beginning of the meeting. That would require a member of the public to attend two consecutive meetings - one when the topic of interest is discussed and another to actually comment on that topic. Few people have that much time nowadays.

Later that evening I attended the public comment meeting of the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMap) 2040 Plan at the Woodstock Public Library. You can view the plan details at http://www.cmap.illinois.gov/default.aspx I support the plan and the fact that the entire region needs to coordinate for effective future growth. My wife used to be a city planner in Hamilton County, Ohio (Cincinnati) and became frustrated because many of her studies/plans end up unread in drawers or as very expensive door stops. It is up to the elected officials to implement these plans. Once business interests get involved, it's mostly about what they want in the short term. What's best for the residents long-term takes a back seat to corporations and special interests. I recently asked a CMap employee how they can continue to do their job when much of what they do is ignored. He compared planners to physicians and elected officials to patients. Planners give advice and it's up to the elected officials to act up that advice.

Why I Decided To Run For Elected Office

2010-05-29T08:58:00.000-07:00

I believe in choice at the ballot box and the two party system doesn't allow for much of that. Often there is no choice for many elected offices, it's either only Democrats or only Republicans. The 2006 election was different. Rich Whitney, a Green Party Candidate for Governor received almost 11% of the vote. Just getting on the ballot is a challenge if you are not a candidate of one of the two main - corporate - political parties.

If I could change one thing about US politics, it would be to outlaw corporate and special interest group campaign contributions. US Supreme Court decisions indicate that won't be happening anytime soon. All Green Party Candidates declare that will not accept corporate or special interest group campaign contributions. That single issue started my interest with the IL Green Party. By not accepting corporate or special interest money, Greens are at a disadvantage. Once in office, however, they can govern without any conflict of interest that campaign contributions from corporations and special interest groups present.

People do what they can to make society a better place. Some, for example, write letters to the editor, others volunteer their time, or donate money and some people run for public office. I realize that not everyone has the time nor desire to run for office, but I think that is where I can contribute the most - effect real change.

I believe in the ILGP principles. Just like candidates from the other two parties, there are differences of opinion among ILGP candidates. They do, however, have more in common than separates them.

In future Blogs, I will discuss some of the Illinois Green Party principles and what they mean to me and my campaign for McHenry County Board. You can find out more about the Illinois Green Party at http://www.ilgp.org/

Introduction

2010-05-28T15:25:00.000-07:00

Welcome to my political Blog. I am the 2010 Illinois Green Party candidate for McHenry County Board, District 5. District 5 includes Dorr Township (most of Woodstock, much of Bull Valley, all of Ridgefield and a small part of Crystal Lake) and the eastern half of Grafton Township - east of RT 47 (half of Huntley, bits of Lake-In-The-Hills, Lakewood, Algonquin, and Crystal Lake). The election is Tuesday, November 2.

My interest in the IL Green Party began after the 2006 election. In that election the ILGP candidate for Governor, Rich Whitney, received approximately 360,000 votes and obtained ballot status for the ILGP. I helped start a local McHenry County Green Party chapter in 2007.

I am committed to the ILGP for the long-term. I don't expect many ILGP candidates to get elected immediately, but hope that with each election cycle we get more votes. Many voters aren't familiar with third parties or the ILGP. This Blog will help with explaining the ILGP and my platform for the County Board election.