Harry Porterfield, a newsman with Channel 2 news in Chicago, used to host a feature called “Someone You Should Know.” Today’s post is about someone in Park Ridge that you should know: Dick Barton.
In our our 02.12.13 post about last year’s Dave Schmidt v. Larry Ryles mayoral campaign, we called Barton the “ubiquitous local public relations and marketing hired gun.” At that time, Barton was backing Ryles, as he had backed then-mayor Howard Frimark against then-ald. Schmidt in the 2009 campaign.
Following that 2009 election we published a 04.24.09 post critical of Barton for his letter to local newspapers in which he assumed a faux above-the-fray posture in asking citizens and officials alike to “put away our petty disagreements” and “put aside any hurt feelings” arising out of “friction…[created] between neighbors, church members, those in civic organizations of all types and between rival groups of candidate supporters.”
As we noted back then, Barton didn’t “get it”: he didn’t “get” that the differences between Frimark and Schmidt on such significant matters as honest and transparent government, taxes, spending and debt were anything but “petty” – just like he didn’t “get” that the “friction” of competing ideas and policies was a GOOD thing, vastly preferable to those meaningless personality and style beauty contests that historically had defined Park Ridge elections.
Personality and style, however, are the tools of Barton’s trade, along with networking and deal-making. And a lot of his networking and deal-making have involved the public sector, where slickness is always preferable to friction.
So we read with interest the 02.21.14 article in the Park Ridge Herald-Advocate questioning whether Barton was being paid by Maine Township government for campaign work performed for Maine Twp. Supervisor – and Maine Twp. Republican Committeeman candidate – Carol Teschky. (“Maine Township’s $42K spokesman Dick Barton: Campaign work ‘non-compensated.’”)
Whether the campaign work Barton is doing for Teschky is an outright conflict of interest with his paid duties for Maine Twp. is unclear at this time, as is whether he was actually doing Teschky campaign work while on the clock for Maine Township.
But the situation sure looks and smells strange, especially given that Barton reportedly has been on the Township’s dime for 14 years (since 2000), according to the H-A story. And although we might have missed it, we don’t recall seeing or hearing anything about the Township bidding out its public relations contract or issuing any RFP for those services during the entire time Barton has been handling its p.r.
Which is not surprising, given the way things operate in Maine Township, which we recently heard referred to as “Provenzano-ville” because of the dominant presence of Highway Commissioner Bob Provenzano – who began working on his second public-sector pension as a Township payroller upon retiring from the Cook County Hwy. Dept. in 1998. He also was Township Collector from 1993 to 1994, and a Township trustee from 1994 to 1998.
But back to Barton.
Barton’s fingers have been in so many pies locally that it’s hard to keep tabs on what hat he’s wearing at any given time – something we noted in our posts of 07.25.08, 03.13.09 and 07.13.09. More recently, and relevant to the situation about which the H-A is reporting, on 06.07.12 Barton was promoting a fundraiser for the “Maine Township Incumbents” (including Teschky and Provenzano) while the very next week he was shilling for Teschky and Provenzano while talking up Maine Township’s Community Garage Sale.
Barton reportedly even moonlight’s as a stringer/reporter/photographer for the Park Ridge Journal, resulting in an almost comical situation where he was an honoree at a Park Ridge Chamber of Commerce event covered by the Journal, after which he wrote a letter to the Journal’s editor complimenting him on the Journal’s coverage of the Chamber’s event!
This kind of alter-ego activity isn’t new to him.
In a letter to the editor written in his capacity as Park Board president and published in the 05.01.08 issue of the H-A, Barton singled out from among “a range of businesses” sponsoring the Park District’s Earth Day event a certain “Green Transportation Solutions, a Park Ridge-based consulting firm specializing in environmental issues” – without mentioning that GTS was part of his then-Barton & Barton, Ltd. (now Barton Marketing Group) business that counted the Park District as one of its clients, “past and present.”
On a local scale, Barton appears to have been masterful in creating an economic synergy from his public-sector, private-sector and political contacts, including landing the Park Ridge Chamber of Commerce as a client and a warm endorsement from executive director Gail Haller. We don’t begrudge him one ounce of his success – so long as it doesn’t come at the taxpayers’ expense.
But we have to wonder whether at least some of those relationships and those networking opportunities have come at taxpayer expense. That sure would explain why Barton has always been an unabashed spender of tax dollars and an equally unabashed advocate of such spending, including when he was on the Park Board from 2005-2009 and ever since. Frankly, we can’t remember him ever arguing for ways to avoid spending, or actually saving, the taxpayers’ money.
But apparently that doesn’t concern a certain someone you should know, who has spent the past 14 years wasted away again in Provenzano-ville.
SIDEBAR: The editor and publisher of this blog has been a friend of Teschky’s opponent, Charlene Foss-Eggeman, for several years; and he has contributed to Foss-Eggeman’s campaign.
To read or post comments, click on title.
47 comments so far
I have tried to surf around but cannot find the answer. How much does a Republican Committeeman receive in compensation per year?
EDITOR’S NOTE: Zero.
I have met Mr. Barton at a number of events over the years and he is unfailingly friendly and seems to care about the community. Are you sure you’re just not grinding old political axes with this criticism?
EDITOR’S NOTE: Mr. Barton IS friendly, and we have no doubt he cares about the community. The only question raised by the H-A article and this post is whether he cares about himself more, and prefers his own personal interests over those of the taxpayers when public money is involved.
Mr. Barton has been involved in so many organizations and events in Park Ridge he was named a community star. Stop holding a grudge against him just because he supported Schmidt’s opponents.
EDITOR’S NOTE: You could have stopped with your previous comment.
Considering that Schmidt beat both of Barton’s candidates, the principle of gracious winning demands that we not hold grudges against the losers – so we don’t.
Besides, we disagree with Barton on enough other local government policies, principles and issues that we don’t need to hold that kind of grudge.
Thank you for writing this article.
Here’s the link to the article so the posters above can read for themselves. http://parkridge.suntimes.com/news/government/barton-PRA-02272014:article
The posters above: Do you not see any sort of problem with what Barton is doing? You don’t have a problem with a government “vendor” doing “free” PR/Campaign work for the elected officials that they are working for on the taxpayer dime?
I do.
Great reporting by Jennifer Johnson and by the PD.
From his own actions and what has been written about him, Mr. Barton is nothing more than a self-serving political operative who cares nothing for the community unless it benefits him and his pocketbook. When he sat on the PRPD board he profited from doing the printing work for the unsuccessful referendum to build a waterpark and an indoor practice facility for travel baseball, travel soccer and Falcons football at the site of the old Oakton pool. He also “sold” the PRPD and D64 the “no idling” signs that are so effective in getting people to turn off their car’s engines when they wait outside a school or PRPD facility. He also was involved with another one if his ilk, Mr. Thillens, with the Our Parks Legacy and the YC referendum. Wonder what he got or will get for that “community” work.
It is people like Mr. Barton as he smugly goes about town being “friendly” with people that give community service workers and politicians who actually care a very bad name.
Wonder if the current Maine Township Committeemen/women or the candidates will decide to cut ties with Barton or at least send the work out for bid.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Let’s not get carried away. Neither the H-A article nor anything we have written about is PROOF that Barton misused taxpayer funds. What it does point out, however, is the fine line between honest service and the alternative.
It also demonstrates the need for competitive bidding and RFPs, which appears to have been neglected by Maine Twp. government.
But remember that the Republican committeeman has NO governmental power – it is purely a political position.
It’s getting close to time to start reporting on all of those running for office and where their money is coming from, don’t you think? I heard Char is supported by Joe Walsh, famed for ducking his child support payments. Say it ain’t so! Or is this just another example of the faux family friendliness of the wingnut wing of the party? Char’s better than that.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Walsh – along with Republican governor candidates Kirk Dillard, Bill Brady and Bruce Rauner – attended one of her events.
We’re not quite sure what “family friendliness” means, although it appears it means many things to many people. Neither “family friendliness” nor “faux family friendliness” – or “family UN-friendliness,” for that matter – means a whole lot to us, especially in a race for the purely political job of Township Committeeman.
It would appear an ole’ political tactic is at play here….don’t talk about your candidate, tear down their opponent. You have intimated there is wrong doing by Barton (never met the man) and a “certain someone” (never met her either), although you admit that it is proof of nothing. If nothing else it sure got ole’ 4:01PM all riled up!
You sidebar would appear to be an endorsement of Charlene Foss-Eggeman. How about, for the benefit of those of us who are not a “friend” of hers but still plan to vote, you tell us why you think SHE is a good fit for the position.
EDITOR’S NOTE: That “certain someone” is Barton, the “someone you should know.” Sorry if we didn’t make that clear enough for you.
No, our sidebar is merely the disclosure it purports to be.
No where in the comment did I say he misused taxpayer funds. What D. Barton does is smugly walk the fine line using his elected position-at the time his PRPD board position-to steer work his way and benefit his pocketbook. Since when is it ok for an elected official of a taxpayer supported park district to steer work to his consulting business from the park district while he sits on the board? And why would the other board members approve it? Mr. Barton is the kind of person you do not want serving in an elected position. Frankly, the same goes for Thillens. Birds of a feather…
Walsh spoke at a Republican women of PR event. Paterno spoke at the event last year.
I do think that is an interesting topic. Isn’t a part of being a committeeman recruiting candidates? I am all for a stronger republican party and more candidates. I also realize that sometimes good candidates are hard to find and it is not like her opponent has been doing a fantastic job. But does she feel that someone like Walsh is the kind of candidate the party needs? Maybe she does and if that is the case she would certainly not be alone but it would be nice to know that. She was involved with bringing Paterno forward as a candidate….how’s that working out??
EDITOR’S NOTE: Last we heard, Walsh is not running for anything in Maine Township or anywhere else.
As for Paterno, he definitely has been a disappointment. But while we believe Ben Seib would have been better, we highly doubt that Paterno is any worse than Rick Van Roeyen would have been, or any worse than Vicki Lee and Scott Zimmerman have been.
Why a woman in 2014 would accept the endorsement of joe Walsh and his Walsh “freedom” organization is beyond logic – his views on women’s issues is nothing short of scary:
http://jonathanturley.org/2012/10/21/rep-joe-walsh-of-illinois-insists-that-there-is-never-any-need-for-an-abortion-to-save-a-pregnant-womans-life-because-of-advances-in-science-and-technology/
EDITOR’S NOTE: What’s truly “beyond logic” is that, in a state that has spent the last 30+ years spending, borrowing and generally mismanaging itself into bankruptcy, any sentient voter would seize on abortion as a relevant issue – especially since abortion has been legal in Illinois all that time.
When you pay your ever increasing state income tax, or local property taxes, do you get a discount if you tell them you’re pro-choice?
I’m pro-choice, but you’re right about the irrelevancy of abortion to Illinois, Cook County, Maine Township and Park Ridge issues. Abortion is one of the stupidest “divisive” issues we’ve got.
I went back and read my comment. I don’t think I ever said Walsh was running….sorry if I was not clear.
Someone once told me you can tell a lot about a person by who they hang out with. They could have invited a hell of a lot of people to speak at their brunch other than Joe Walsh but he is who she chose. So to try and be more clear does that mean she someone who is like Joe Walsh would be the kind of candidate she would be looking for.
I generally agree with your reply to 10:23, but I also think that having some of these folks funning can backfire if the goal is strengthening the republican party in IL.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Yo, anon…this post is about Dick Barton, not about Joe Walsh, or Carol Teschky, or Char Foss-Eggeman, etc. C’mon folks, let’s try to stay on topic.
Joe Walsh is a one-term congressman who now is a talk-radio show entertainer – kind of like Howard Dean, but taller and without that demented howl the morning after the Iowa caucuses. If you want to make Joe Walsh the “Willie Horton” of this Maine Twp. Republican Committeeman race, however, knock yourself out – but can you hold off until we decide to write a post about Walsh’s influence over Maine Twp. government?
The tea party is actively pursuing in state legislatures in michigan and Texas legislation that would curtail women’s reproductive rights – to say electing a pro tea party candidate to the Illinois legislature simply because of her stance on taxes ignoring her potential to curtail women’s rights is dangerous. Voters should take note and vote accordingly.
EDITOR’S NOTE: We must have missed when Mel Thillens, the local Republican candidate for the Illinois House, declared his allegiance to the Tea Party and his commitment to “curtail[ing] women’s reproductive rights.” Can you provide a press release or newspaper article?
We hope you’ve been enjoying all those “reproductive rights” while Illinois has been going broke over the past 30 years from Democratic (and, coincidentally, “pro-choice”) rule. Hope you don’t have to move to Michigan or Texas to get a job if/when your employer decides to vote with its feet and blow this bankrupt pop-stand.
And on that topic of who you hang out with, speaking along with Paterno was a fellow at the Ayn Rand Center, a 501c (wonder who funds them??).
PD, I agree with you. Financial responsibility is paramount and choice has never been at risk, but the fact is people look at the entire picture whether you like it or not.
You seem to be asking why people pay attention to these issues that are not relevant. I would turn it around and ask why do we even need candidates that are so far out there they frighten (if not completely turn off) the segment of the voting block they need to win?
Combine that with their (Paterno) record once they get elected and it ain’t pretty.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Once again, what does any of this have to do with whether or not Dick Barton and/or Maine Twp. government is ethically challenged?
Once Paterno demonstrated he was a fraud as a fiscal conservative, he lost any credibility he may have had. Let him rail about “Common Core” as he’s helping to continue D-64’s decade-plus tradition of providing mediocre education at a premium price.
This state went from prosperous to the verge of bankruptcy while the Republicans diddled themselves silly over abortion and pro-choice Democrats – aided by “moderate” Republican let’s-make-a-dealers like Govs. Thompson, Edgar and Ryan, Congressman/speaker Denny Hastert, Bill Cellini, et al. – taxed, borrowed and spent like drunken sailors. And anybody – pro-choice or pro-life – who puts “reproductive rights” above solvency is an idiot.
Walsh’s freedom group endorsements including for maine township. If we want to stand for freedom we should support his endorsed candidates:
http://mchenrycountyblog.com/2013/09/13/joe-walsh-announces-endorsements-organizes-support/
EDITOR’S NOTE: Anybody who thinks that blindly following Joe Walsh is “stand[ing] for freedom” is as whacked as the folks who are more concerned about “reproductive rights” than fiscal solvency.
Actually the post was about more than that. It made a fuzzy connection between Barton’s questionable” activities and the opponent of your “friend” who is now running for office. You wonder about Barton benefiting from these relationships…..all fair game buy the way. Is it so odd that I or other posters might bring up some Foss-Eggeman relationships??
Naaaah. I guess you are right. This is the first time a threads on this or any other blog has strayed a bit from the original post. funny how if it goes in a direction you like you never even point that out.
EDITOR’S NOTE: We often point out when people stray off topic, which has had the effect of deterring it in people who are just a little slow at figuring things out.
But since you suggest that Foss-Eggeman’s relationship with Walsh or Paterno somehow parallels Barton’s feeding at the public trough compliments of Carol Teschky and the entrenched Maine Twp. gov’t, let’s cut to the chase: Is Foss-Eggeman getting $42,000/year of taxpayer money? Did Foss-Eggeman vote for the contract that gives Barton $42,000/year? Are Joe Walsh or Dathan Paterno getting $42,000 from Maine Twp.’s taxpayers? Did they vote for Barton’s contract?
Barton IS getting $42K/year of taxpayer money thanks to Carol Teschky, on whose campaign Barton reportedly is working. Foss-Eggeman isn’t, Walsh isn’t and Paterno isn’t. If you can’t see the difference, you either don’t want to or you’re more than a little slow.
Watchdog, do you think all these off-topic posts might be coming from Barton himself or the Teschky campaign in order to divert attention from him and Teschky?
EDITOR’S NOTE: The best defense is a good offense, so it’s possible. Likely, probable or certain are different stories.
I agree with 8:19 in that this “story” is as much about the opposition to Teschky as it is about Barton. I wonder where Jennifer Johnson got her tip, since it’s quite a stretch to think she made this connection on her own in the midst of other news around town, including a high profile child abduction.
And I agree with 6:45 who said “people look at the entire picture whether you like it or not.” It’s disingenuous to keep insisting that fiscal responsibility or lack thereof is the only factor to consider when looking at a candidate. Look at where it got you with Paterno. He ran on “fiscal responsibility” and abandoned it just as soon as he realized that Common Core would be the perfect jumping off point to help him promote (albeit feebly) his extremist agenda, which seems to have just about everything but fiscal responsibility at the forefront.
And I’m sorry but when Foss-Eggeman and her group invited Paterno to speak, I’m sure it wasn’t his views on fiscal responsibility they were interested in.
Which is why I disagree with 5:14. You may think abortion is irrelevant to local politics, and I tend to agree with that in theory. However I’ve realized that this “fiscal conservative” cloak that people insist on wearing in part to cover their extreme views in other areas, including women’s rights, voting rights, workers’ rights, among other is just that. A palatable, pretty “cover” for less savory views, which can then make their way into local communities.
As much as YOU, PWD, want to make politics today solely about solvency, there’s much more at stake than that and it’s silly and as I said disingenuous to pretend otherwise.
EDITOR’S NOTE: To the extent Teschky makes sure Barton keeps getting his $42K a year, then we guess you’re right: it IS about Teschky, and Provenzano, and Morask, and Moylan’s sister, and former trustee Peter Ryan (during the years he was there), etc.
We admit that Paterno fooled us. That being said, he appears no less fiscally IRRESPONSIBLE than the rest of his Board, and won’t go anywhere with his one-man anti-Common Core crusade. So he’s made himself irrelevant.
No, there really is NOTHING more important in government than solvency, because insolvecy eliminates choices and breeds the kind of fear and divisiveness that demagogues and dictators most easily exploit.
Here is what this super conservative group of politicians hope to accomplish in maine township and Illinois if they stayed focus on fiscal policy maybe they would be worthy but they espouse more “goals” than protecting our pocket bills hence the hesitation in embracing these tea partyers
http://www.nationalreview.com/node/371248/print
EDITOR’S NOTE: Hmmm…we didn’t see any mention of Maine Twp, Dick Barton, Carol Teschky, Joe Walsh, Dathan Paterno, Char Foss-Eggeman or “reproductive rights.” When you dial up the article do you get a special coded version that requires a tin-foil hat to decipher?
Oh geez, Bnonymous. Is it that hard to believe that a number of people (not connected to Teschky or Barton) might be suspicious of the timing of this news story? Or that people would take issues with a candidate who’s connected to politicians like Joe Walsh or, for that matter, Rick Santorum?
I’m sorry but “Freedom” and “Liberty” have now become code for the radical right wing of the Republican party, whose agenda does nothing to help average Americans. People are right to question what’s going on here beyond Dick Barton’s activities.
EDITOR’S NOTE: People should question EVERYTHING. If they did, Barton might not even have had his 14-year (per the H-A story) deal that Teschky signed off on, and then we wouldn’ even have written this post.
Let an investigation begin — who conducts it, by the way?
It’s high time. I’ve seen in the local press Mr. Barton’s NUMEROUS fake news articles supporting Mrs. Teschky, wondering how he could be doing that work — paid or unpaid — at the same time he’s getting paid by Teschky’s redundant level of government to send me glossy brochures a few times a year. It’s an annoying waste of taxpayer money every year, but smells bad in an election year. Well, innocent until proven guilty; let the investigation begin.
Similarly, let voters decide whether Teschky or Foss-Eggeman is the new local Republican apparatchik. This story only impacts the election to the extent people are uncomfortable with the fact that Barton is working for Teschky the township official and Teschky the township party candidate.
It makes me VERY uncomfortable, but then again I saw through the Barton schtick years ago.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Since the H-A started sniffing around this story and the Park Ridge Journal appears to be in Barton’s/Provenzano’s/Teschky’s/Moylan’s pockets, maybe we could have a Jennifer Johnson v. Anne Lunde battle of the bloodhounds.
Char has posted that national review article on her facebook page as the reason she is running for committeeman.
https://m.facebook.com/pages/Char-Foss-Eggemann/380113918784100?id=380113918784100&refsrc=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fpages%2FChar-Foss-Eggemann%2F380113918784100
No tin foil hat needed just clock on link above.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Sorry, we still don’t see any mention of Maine Twp, Dick Barton, Carol Teschky, Joe Walsh, Dathan Paterno, Char Foss-Eggeman or “reproductive rights.”
We did see, however, “new Congressional Budget Office figures show that Obamacare will reduce U.S. incomes by $70 billion annually between 2017 and 2024. The CBO also estimated that by 2021, Obamacare’s disincentives to hire and incentives not to work would slash labor hours by the equivalent of 2.3 million jobs.” And: “On February 12, Boehner and McConnell helped send Obama a measure to suspend the debt limit until March 15, 2015. (The debt ceiling was not raised from $17.2 trillion to a higher level; it simply was removed…)”
But that’s us focusing on solvency again when we should be focusing on “important” stuff like “reproductive rights.”
Nothing would please me more than seeing Ms. Lunde and Ms. Johnson try to outdo each other’s investigative reporting. The public would benefit.
But I was wondering about something more official? State Board of Elections? FEC? What is the “controlling legal authority”?
EDITOR’S NOTE: You’re a little twisted, FWT, but the public WOULD benefit.
We don’t know. But as we’ve noted, unless someone can show that Barton billed Maine Twp. for something that he did for Teschky’s campaign, Barton and the inhabitants of Provenzano-ville can continue to play in that gray area between paid work and volunteer work, and in that equally-gray area between paid work for Maine Twp. and paid work for the Teschky campaign.
Liberal Tourett Syndrome is alive on this board! If you think that failure or corruption occurs, liberals will scream “abortion”, it’s their safe default over actually debating a real topic.
As far as “Right Wing Code Words”, we’ve had the “left wing” in charge of Illinois (each branch) for over a decade. How’s that working out for the middle class? FYI- Illinois is ranked 50th in job creation. It’s called complete and abject failure for the “children” or “middle class” or whatever else “code” word posters are trying to protect.
Circling back to this. Having people who are on the taxpayer dime who then actively campaign/support for free those that employ them screams of democratic chicago machine politics. Is it a surprise chicago city workers “take the day off” on election day to support their local alderman? Is it a wonder why hard hat Bob Provenzano keeps getting elected and collecting a salary and pension?
Maine Township elected officials of Teschky, Barton, Provenzano, Moylan…. are apolitical. They don’t give a damn about Republican, Democrat, abortion or common core. They care about their own salaries, pensions and perks. Then after that, they care about their friends and families perks.
Dick Barton is more than happy to “earn” for his $42k from the taxpayers. Don’t be fooled by this right-left crap by the takers.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Kind of like a smaller version of that cesspool known as The Combine.
“We did see, however, ‘new Congressional Budget Office figures show that Obamacare will reduce U.S. incomes by $70 billion annually between 2017 and 2024. The CBO also estimated that by 2021, Obamacare’s disincentives to hire and incentives not to work would slash labor hours by the equivalent of 2.3 million jobs.'”
Come on. Is this supposed to give her legitimacy? These figures as presented are, not surprisingly, nothing but Fox News-style distortions. In fact, the Congressional Budget Office itself issued a official rebuttal this widely used Republican talking point that Obamacare would cost 2.5 million American jobs.
My point? When a candidate spins facts to suit an agenda in one area, chances are she’s not above it in other areas. You of all people should know better.
EDITOR’S NOTE: We know well enough to see through all these off-topic charades, but we continue to post them and reply to them because we find them entertaining, and we trust most of our readers will see them for what they are: “There goes Elvis!” misdirection.
Heck, they very well might start believing that all these “Elvis” comments ARE coming from Barton and/or Teschky.
We didn’t bring up that National Review column and don’t endorse it. We just pointed out that it had nothing to do with Dick Barton or all the other folks that seem to have caught certain commentators’ fancies; and that some of the stuff it contained sounded problematic.
10:23:
She was at a Rick Santorum rally last year (on her face book page). Does that answer your question???
10:51. So your point is? One thing you’re missing as you try to switch the discussion to liberal bashing is that this is a Republican race. But nice try. And if we’re talking about “failure or corruption,” how can we assume the challenger is exempt? Once again, the timing of the “news story” suggests she’s not exactly above board herself.
EDITOR’S NOTE: If we’re talking about “failure or corruption” in Maine Twp government, we can “assume the challenger is exempt” because: (a) the “challenger” is not Barton, who reportedly has been handed $42K/year for the past 14 years; (b) she is not among the Maine Twp. officials who voted to give Barton all that money; (c) she is not Teschky, who is receiving services from Barton that may or may not be on the Maine Twp. (a/k/a, the taxpayers’) dime; and (d) there is no allegation that she has ever received a dime of taxpayer money or voted to give away a dime of taxpayer money.
We can’t make it any clearer or more direct than that, so if you don’t understand it the first time try reading it out loud an additional time or two.
I agree with Machine Politics…this is all political scare tactics to draw attention away from the real issue, which is local government feeding at the trough of taxpayer money. Teschky doesn’t care about the Republican Party except as a way to keep her cabal collecting paychecks and pensions. Barton is one of the beneficiaries. We are the chumbolones paying the bill.
Complain all you want about Rick Santorum; I really don’t care. The issue is that Dick Barton’s cozy arrangement comes at taxpayer expense. I’m glad someone is shining light on it.
You did, in fact, cite the deliberately false statement twisting the CBO’s finding, to wit (elipses mine): “EDITOR’S NOTE: Sorry, we still don’t see any mention of Maine Twp…We did see, however, “new Congressional Budget Office figures show that Obamacare will reduce U.S. incomes by $70 billion annually between 2017 and 2024. The CBO also estimated that by 2021, Obamacare’s disincentives to hire and incentives not to work would slash labor hours by the equivalent of 2.3 million jobs”…But that’s us focusing on solvency again when we should be focusing on “important” stuff like “reproductive rights.”
So, now that we’ve clarified what you really said, let’s look at why anyone should care what Char or any other local pol-picker thinks about reproductive rights.
There is NO issue that is MORE directly related to economic solvency than reproductive rights is. Since time began, women have been subjected to sex willy-nilly (like it?) and then left to cope because they “got themselves in trouble. “Family planning has existed and until the 1970s, illegal abortion was part of it — almost always because the girl or woman could not afford to take care of a child (or another child), in many cases. And no, taking a year off to produce a child for someone else, in the event the child is healthy, that is, an attractive to adoptive parents, is not always an option. The day the Republicans get that and stop fighting a living wage for the wimmenfolk –and stop rewarding guys like Walsh who duck their share of the child supporting job — is the day Republicans deserve to be heard on economics. And here’s another news flash, all over the country, hundreds of laws designed to curtail and eliminate reproductive choice for all but the richest women who can fly where they need to as in pre-l970 days are being passed. If you think a person responsible for recruiting local candidates has no role either way, you’re wrong. And if you think local candidates never aspire and then reach higher office, where their votes on reproductive choice DO have enormous real-world impact, you’re even more wrong.
Char is a young woman. If she doesn’t empathize with other women in her age cohort, and doesn’t think they are capable of deciding when and if to take on the biggest job in the world, what does that tell voters?
EDITOR’S NOTE: Once again, we were simply quoting from an article another commentator cited. We did not introduce it into this discussion.
The statement that “[t]here is NO issue that is MORE directly related to economic solvency than reproductive rights” is, in a word, stupid. Or maybe actually “insane” – as should be obvious from the fact that we’ve had “reproductive rights” here in Illinois promoted and defended at every turn by the same Democrats who have taxed, borrowed and spent this state to the bottom off the 50-state barrel.
But you digress, and so do we.
5th:
The issue is also (I hope) building a stronger more relevant Republican Party in Illinois. Notice I said Illinois….not Texas!!!!
Anon. at 12:05 p.m. Absolutely, of course. I would argue that the GOP is so irrelevant in Illinois precisely because of deals like Barton’s…all the way up to George Ryan, Bob Kjellander, et. al., the party was way more concerned with getting their share of taxpayer largesse than with governing.
I don’t know why you mentioned Texas, but if it makes you feel any better, I am definitely not a fan of Ted Cruz.
EDITOR’S NOTE: That’s exactly true. The Republicans under Thompson, Edgar and Ryan decided to jump into bed with the legions of corrupt Democrats, giving birth to The Combine. And Illinois has spiraled downward ever since, but with its “reproductive rights” intact, dang nabbit!
Even we “insane” (i.e. feminist) thinkers have to agree with you that pro-choice states can be economically whack. But there are different ways to measure what constitutes the bottom of the barrel. You’ve chosen job creation; that’s fine. What about infant mortality? High school graduation? Deaths by gun violence? Deaths and illness due to pollution? Domestic violence? And yes, even divorce and abortion rates — all higher in the Red States whose fiscal policies you wish Illinois to emulate. Not to mention the drain from the “takers” in the “fiscally conservative” red states who are living — poorly, thanks to their oligarcies — but at least living — on the largesse transferred from the blue states in the form of Federal taxes.
Shall we redefine “insane” while we’re at it?
Yes, let’s make Madigan duke it out with some good government Republicans — remember those?
But don’t ask people to believe the earth is flat just because the teabaggers wish it so.
EDITOR’S NOTE: That’s the beauty of your kinds of arguments: you just keep on adding more and more variables into the equation until it becomes insoluble and basically unintelligible.
The bottom line is that this state, Illinois – not any unspecified “red” states or any other unspecified “blue” states – has had “reproductive rights” for the last 30 years while the Democrats, and The Combine, have driven Illinois into the economic sewer by virtually every credible measure available. You can point to “Elvis” in 50 different directions, but it doesn’t change the fact that he’s still dead.
Anon. at 1:14 p.m. – So what do you think about Dick Barton doing work for Carol Teschky’s campaign while he also works for her as a government official?
I learned from the best!
EDITOR’S NOTE: Mr. Non Sequitur?
On Char Foss Eggeman’s web page she promotes Bob Dold.
Yes, the PRO CHOICE former congressman who is running again this year. gasp, maybe the “takers” are lying to us about far right ideology to scare people? Could that be possible?
Also, see she is on host committee for Thillens. I also heard he is pro choice. Sorry to ruin your deflect strategy with some facts.
1:14- wtf is a “femanist thinker”? Can a pro-life women be one? What about a pro choice woman who believes in limits at 20 weeks? I don’t care about your answer. I just want to point out how self aggrandizingly stupid you sound.
EDITOR’S NOTE: And how patently irrelevant all this “reproductive rights” stuff is to the economic survival of this state, as well as to who wins the office of Maine Township Republican Committeeman.
5th:
My Texas comment is fairly simple. Some of the issues these folks seem to be focused on will get you elected I texans but probably will not get you elected in Illinois.
They should bag the wacko crap on twitter and the Ayn Rand speakers and Joe Walsh for god sake and focus oh ow the GOP cane and will be s’more fiscally responsible.
You are a perfect example of a person from pr who sees through the Cruz act.
Dear 1:14 p.m. (and apparently 3:12 p.m.): Yes, I also see through the Dick Barton act, which is what this is about. So what do you think about Dick Barton doing work for Carol Teschky’s campaign while he also works for her as a government official?
Scorecard, it’s not about who is or isn’t pro choice, it’s about an overall worldview. And Bob Dold is a faux moderate.
What does this have to do with Barton/Teschky? Nothing. But the topic isn’t out of left field. if we’re scrutinizing one candidate it’s not out of line to examine the other. All this talk about Elvis doesn’t change the fact that a candidate who espouses radical right wing ideologies merits scrutiny.
EDITOR’S NOTE: This post isn’t about scrutinizing candidates. It’s about scrutinizing the ethics of Barton doing taxpayer-paid work for Maine Twp. and either paid or volunteer work for a Maine Twp. official who voted for his contract.
The same ethical question cannot even be raised for Ms. Foss-Eggeman because, unlike Barton and Teschky, Foss-Eggeman neither has received taxpayer money to perform services for Maine Twp. nor voted to spend such money on those services.
But your irrationality would have been right at home in Salem MA around 1692.
Of course it’s a gray area; fifty shades of it. But whether or not it was Barton, somebody would be making the political most of the legitimate activities of the incumbents, and every time one of them was mentioned in connection with their Township “jobs,” they would automatically benefit as candidates from the name exposure. How else do you think they’ve stayed in power this long? That’s the advantage of being an incumbent, and they’d have that advantage over any contender whether or not they had help from Barton. But you’re the one, Pubster, who has been known to say that private companies owe no duty to the public, only to their shareholders or stakeholders. So if Barton as a privateer can create some synergy for himself by proximity to the candidates for whom he happens to work in their “other” role, I’d think you’d applaud his cleverness. Of course you are right and it’s distasteful, shameless and, to my mind, not kosher. But it’s up to the elected official not to allow this side-usage, perhaps by policy. Meantime, do you really think when Mayor Dave talked about the City’s fiscal state and his achievements during the campaign, including on the campaign trail, that was wrong? Or only wrong if the candidate doesn’t do the speechwriting and press release placement himself? Let’s face it, Carol is no Dave. But with or without a mouthpiece, there’s no way around an incumbent having the bully pulpit. What bugs all of us about Barton is that he’s so damned good at it. Tell me candidates you support wouldn’t hire him in a heartbeat; and if they won, wouldn’t keep him on.
EDITOR’S NOTE: “But it’s up to the elected official not to allow this side-usage, perhaps by policy.”
Exactly, which is why this situation creates an ethical cloud over Teschky’s head but not over Schmidt’s – because it has never even been alleged that Schmidt has used any City employees or City-paid consultants to moonlight on his campaigns.
Frankly, we can’t think of ANY candidate we have supported who would hire Barton, or even accept his services gratis. There’s a reason he always ends up working for the likes of Frimark and Teschky, and for those special interests whose primary goal is to separate the taxpayers from their money.
So let’s boil it down to the nitty gritty. In March we have a choice between the incumbent (the likes of her), who you intimate is guilty of something shady if not outright crooked, and the challenger who brought us the good Doctor, has more than just a passing interest in Ayn Rand, and apparently thinks Joe Walsh is a good dinner speaker.
Who says the GOP is irrelevant????
EDITOR’S NOTE: The “nitty gritty” is that there may be an ethical cloud over one candidate tied to the subject of this post, and none over her opponent. That’s it, that’s all.
We’ll go with the GOP’s being “irrelevant” if you want to concede that the Illinois Dems are corrupt and incapable of governing competently. Deal?
PD:
Of course it is a deal!!! It has been talked about on this blog many times before. I was not born in Illinois but I have lived in the Chicago area since graduation from college (many, many years ago). Anyone who has lived around here for more than a few years can see how screwed our government is/has been and most of our elected officials have been dems. While I think saying ALL dems are corrupt, there have been enough in jail over the years to call it simply a coincidence. Ironically there are Republicans in some of those cells as well….perhaps it is something in the water.
The irrelevant comment does not come from me. It comes from your thoughts on this blog about Republicans and the need to get power away from Madigan. It comes from you like this….”…but the Republican Party in Illinois is an embarrassment to the Republican Party. It appears to have no precinct organization, and what passes for its “leadership” at the state and county level is almost laughable – with the Maine Twp. “organization” being an outright joke”.
It also comes from Foss-Eggeman, who wants to “restore our party”.
In terms the one “subject of this post”, it would appear by the thread that some (not just me) think there are concerns with the challenger as well.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Since “just” you have accounted for what appears to be 11 comments (3 from yesterday; 5:58, 6:45, 8:20, and 10:59 am. today; and 12:06, 3:12, 6:47 and 7:38 pm today), and with 2 other kindred spirits combining for 12 more, you folks own more than half of all this post’s comments.
That’s what’s known as “inch wide, mile deep.”
The current maine township is broken (and likely a complete waste of taxpayer dollars altogether) and hopefully foss eggeman will live up to her promises of fiscal restraint (though others like dr Dathan haven’t) but is it not as legitimate to note that Barton has contributed to Thillens foss-eggeman supports Thillens that Walsh endorses foss eggeman , as it is to have noted in the past (while trying to guess “what would” a newcomer with no political record do with respect to certain issues -remember ryles?-) that frimark, a bunch of former alder puppets and schakowsky endorsed ryles.
EDITOR’S NOTE: News flash: If elected, Foss-Eggeman will be the Republican commiteeman, NOT a member of Maine Twp. government – so her “fiscal restraint” will not help Maine Twp. gov’t.
Actually, nothing but a thorough fumigation will help Maine Twp. gov’t, but that’s another story for another day.
Boy oh boy, PW, you sure struck a nerve. YOu stirred up the nominally “Red” Barton and Teschky apologists and the “Blue State” fanatics with just one shot. Talk about The Combine!
Barton is a consummate insider, like Jack Owens. I can’t imagine how much those two guys have profitted from their “volunteer” activities.
EDITOR’S NOTE: The Hope and Crosby of Park Ridge?
Still waiting for an answer to my question, reprinted here…
Dear 1:14 p.m. (and apparently 3:12 p.m.): Yes, I also see through the Dick Barton act, which is what this is about. So what do you think about Dick Barton doing work for Carol Teschky’s campaign while he also works for her as a government official?
Tis not as wide as a church door, but t’will serve.
EDITOR’S NOTE: “Brush up your Shakespeare, start quoting him now.”
Even when you annoy me you make me smile, PubDog. You’ll never get a Community Star award but you should.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Thanks, but we’d hate to see that award cast into disrepute.
And what about the relationship with TOPR, Barton, and Maine Twp… I’m sure that’s all on the up and up too…
EDITOR’S NOTE: Don’t you believe them when they say it is?
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