The not-so-merry-go-'round

The City of Elgin is selling the idea of a traffic circle at Dundee and Summit on the east side. Price tag: $3 million, but 75% of it is free money(federal). At least that's how the city fathers see it. Taxpayers see it as us paying all of it one way or another.

In these parts the only comparison is the Golf Road/Wolf Road roundabout in Des Plaines. The locals call it "the suicide circle." And it moves a great deal of traffic during the day. But at rush hour it clogs up because of the signal a third of a mile south on Wolf.

And when it clogs up, it blocks all the other spokes on the wheel. That's what traffic circles do.

This circle is different than the one proposed in Elgin. For instance, look at the curbed median planted in grass. The Des Plaines circle has that feature on three of the spokes. It serves to keep traffic moving by preventing left turns.

Another difference in Des Plaines is the nature of the surrounding area. It is almost entirely homes. There are a couple of light commercial establishments (doctors offices) and a long stretch of the back of an industrial site. The rest of the area is homes.

Now, the Elgin project.

A circle works because people want to get out of it as quickly as possible. The secret is that they need to have somewhere to go when they exit the circle. Those streets need to keep moving or the circle clogs up.

The Elgin circle has a number of busy retail distractions just as people are trying to get off the circle. McDonald's, the BP gas station, CVS pharmacy, Dunkin' Donuts (if it ever re-opens). Imagine rush hour as people are trying to get to work. They get in the circle and back-ups are created by people stopping for gas, coffee, a donut, their dry cleaning.

The second issue is eastbound travel on Summit. They have created a double bottleneck in the design. They narrow it to one lane and they insert this point in the circle. Has anyone told the fire department about this?

The third issue is that some people will avoid the circle, turning off into neighborhoods instead. Two of those neighborhoods contain schools and a youth center. Sheridan Elementary and the Boys' Club are located in one neighborhood. And Larsen Middle School is in the other.

Anyone familiar with the area knows that the streets are already narrow and have about all the traffic they can handle already. Do we really want people cutting through those neighborhoods?

I just don't understand this project. The big problem is people turning left into businesses located at or near the corner. The circle ignores that problem and creates three new ones. But don't worry, folks. The circle is designed to make them low-speed accidents.

The OTHER Elgin House Walk

What a great day for the Elgin House Walk. Perfect weather to look at the pastel colors of the painted ladies, gew-gaw dripping from the eaves. Inside, a beautiful array of rugs, oak trim, and stained glass.

But here's a tour of the other Elgin.

A matress ready for adding an apartment in the basement.

You can't really call it an apartment without a stove.

And here we have some moldy paneling, 2x4s, and a door.

All of the above items pulled out of the house next door as the neighbors moved away.

Former owners had installed a nice patio, complete with the gas grill and furniture. After a couple of years of parking cars on it, and with weeds taking over, it's not so nice now.

But the patio matches the rest of the landscape now. It hasn't been mowed for a couple of months now.

Look at the cool mini-blinds. Maybe the space heater was set a little too high. It doesn't add much to the curb appeal.

But there's plenty of free parking in back. Three cars in the driveway PLUS two SUVs in the garage.

Call now! This one won't last.

Now, here's a little pedigree of the place. (Source: Kane County Recorder -parcel # 06-12-479-019

JT owned it for years and years. He lived alone. Didn't invest much in the place but he kept the lawn mowed and didn't put much wear-and-tear on the place.

Then JT sold it to Steve and Debbie in March of 2001. They owned two dogs and cat but weren't any trouble at all. They fixed up the place. She planted flowers and hedges. He installed the patio. And inside it was nice as well.

In January of 2006 Steve and Debbie had a house built out in Gilberts and moved away. The new owners were Raymond Ruiz, a single man, and Rodrigo Vargas, a single man. But one of them never lived there.

In February of 2007 Felipe Reyes bought the place.

In August of 2008 a foreclosure was filed.

All that time, until Labor Day 2009 the house was occupied. Sometimes by five adults and sometimes by only two. But someone has always lived there and they all went somewhere during the day, presumably to work.

A couple of months ago they took to leaving the windows wide open day and night. I'm guessing our wet summer got inside the house and made it smell like a locker room.

The for sale sign has been up for well over a year now. Who knows if it is even inhabitable at this point.

I keep thinking I should call it in to the city to at least get someone over to cut the grass. Then again, if they can catch me parking on gravel with six inches of snow on the ground, I'm sure they'll notice the weeds. Or will they?

On the Trail September 12th

It would have been great to stand on The Mall in Washington and rally for a return to America, but not everyone can afford the trip.

But the spirit of patriotism was alive and well along Randall Road today as we held our own protest on the state of things.

We had signs about

*ACORN

*Obama's czars

*Congressmen hiding from the voters

*Immigration enforcement

*Taxation

*Cap and Trade

*and of course Universal Health Care

People driving by responded thus:

*Most ignored us (sigh)

*Many honked their horns

*Many more gave us the thumbs up

*A very few (1o in two hours) gave us another finger

It is encouraging that some of our group had never been motivated enough to carry a sign for any cause. And a few cared enough to stop for more information.

Just up the street was another group in front of the Burger King.

I'm interested to hear how the other sites did today.

Thanks to all who joined with us.

Elgin is green...

…only when it wants to be!
(Or, Paver Madness)

Take a trip down to city hall, but first check out your own curb and sidewalk.

When you get down to Dexter and Douglas you will notice brick pavers all over the place.

Pavers at the intersections

Pavers at the curb

Pavers for a driveway to the parking terrace.

Wait, weren’t we spending $100K (down from an original request of $500K) to “go green”?

Surely someone must realize what a brick paver really is. I guess not. Let me clue you in.

Bricks are made of clay. Clay that must be dug out of the ground. They call it “strip mining.” (That can’t be good.) To strip mine the clay they must remove everything growing on top of it, along with the topsoil. The clay is in a thin layer spread over miles so off comes all the vegetation and topsoil.

Then they truck the clay to a manufacturing plant. And they truck in shale as well. The two are mixed together and formed into bricks. And then they COOK the bricks. At 2000 degrees. For 30 hours. Imagine the energy used in that process!

Then they bundle up all those brick pavers and ship them over 800 miles from North Carolina to Elgin.

Then some workers who don’t speak English (Really, they don’t. I talked to them.) pound them into the sand and cut them with a water saw. Lots of cuts to make that herringbone pattern.

But we’re saving on concrete, right? No, we aren’t. The pavers are laid on a bed of cement.

But those bricks are durable. They’ll last forever. But that doesn’t mean they’ll lay flat for very long.

Which makes it hard to shovel the snow.

Speaking of snow, with pavers there are seams every few inches. And snow and ice get down in those seams causing the bricks to pry loose after a couple of years. Look at the decorative gateway median at the tollway and Route 25 for an example. They are up and down, sinking and tilting.
All in the interest of making downtown Elgin look like The Streets of Woodfield or Deerfield Commons. There are a couple of problems with that concept:
1) Have you noticed all the vacancies at those outdoor malls?
2) Didn’t we try that already in downtown Elgin? A couple of times?
3) The upscale stores that are attracted to such malls are looking for two things – High income per capita and traffic. Elgin has neither.

Now, some of the pseudo-green bunch will say “drainage.” Those pavers allow for drainage. Not when they are sitting in a cement pan.

And another thing. They are tearing up sidewalks at the Centre that are only seven years old just to redecorate. And thirteen-year-old sidewalks in front of the police station. That doesn’t sound very friendly to Mother Earth.

Nor does it sit well with Elgin citizens who are looking at curbs and sidewalks that are 40 years old and crumbling.

Fix the problem of raw sewage in the basements downtown and skip the expensive facelift.

Liberty Trail

Please join us in protesting big government and big deficits.

From Crystal Lake to Aurora patriots will be lining Randall Road next Saturday, September 12th. Will you be one of them?

Contact Doug for details. E-mail afla.heaton@sbcglobal.net

See you then.

The Liberty Trail Website
http://www.libertytrail9-12.com/apps/links/

We've moved!

In case you've been looking for the website, we've moved to
http://sites.google.com/site/aflaelgin/

It is a work in progress.

If you have any suggestions please send an e-mail to
afla.heaton@sbcglobal.net

If you would like any of the material from the old website, drop me a line and I'll see if I can get you a copy.

Thanks for your patience while we get unpacked.

From the Utah State Prison System

Testing the system

Maricopa County Arizona has been a 287g agency since February of 2007. They are authorized to do both jail screening and participate in task force operations. And they are a busy place since Arizona is a border state and Maricopa County has a population of 3.7 million people.

Recently Janet Napolitano, former Arizona governor and now Obama's Secretary of Homeland Security, declared that the 287g program was only to be invoked for major crimes the agency was willing to prosecute. Translation: It would not be used for removing illegal aliens from the country.

Sheriff Arpaio has been accused of racial profiling simply for arresting illegal aliens in the course of his police work.

Under the new rules (which weren't suppose to impact his agency for 90 days) the federal government has ordered the release of illegal aliens rather than take custody of them. ICE told the media that Sheriff Arpaio let them go.

But the Sheriff has audio tapes that tell a different story. His deputies are speaking with ICE agents who order them released. The option is to give them a letter to return at a later date and show proof of lawful presence to the sheriff. In one tape, the ICE agent and deputy both have a good laugh about the effectiveness of that letter.

So, ten known illegal aliens were put back on the street as a direct result of policy changes by the executive branch.

This administration is very proactive in dismantling the effectiveness of 287g.

Why do I say that? Well, if ICE only wants people who have been convicted of major crimes, you don't need any local screening or enforcement. All you need is to screen inmates before they are released from state prisons and maybe county jails.

Any illusion of enforcement is gone. There is no deterrent effect.

Then again, here in Elgin we don't have 287g or ICE ACCESS so all of our illegal aliens are put back on the street, approximately one a day.

Deportation just got harder

In a move by Homeland Security yesterday, teeth have been removed from the 287g program. And not one member of Congress had to take a vote on it.

Link here: http://www.dhs.gov/ynews/releases/pr_1247246453625.shtm

Secretary of Homeland Security, Janet Napolitano, just established new rules for law enforcement agencies who want to become 287g partners.

Typical of this administration, they tell us they are doing one thing and yet mean just the opposite. Napolitano says in her press release the change was made to improve “public safety by removing criminal aliens who are a threat to local communities…” and “This new agreement supports local efforts to protect public safety by giving law enforcement the tools to identify and remove dangerous criminal aliens.”

That’s what she said, but the change forbids deportation proceedings for “minor crimes.” Translation: You have to be REALLY BAD before you get deported.

Exactly how does that improve public safety?

So, why is this important? Well, let me give you an example. There was a case in the local papers the other day about a fellow who was arrested for dealing drugs.
Man charged with trying to sell coke to Elgin cop
By Harry Hitzeman Daily Herald Staff
Published: 7/8/2009 10:40 AM

A 25-year-old Elgin man faces prison time after being accused of planning to sell cocaine to an undercover officer.

Bond for Julio G. Zarate of the 500 block of Cleveland Avenue was set at 10 percent of $250,000 this morning.

He faces several charges of possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver. That is a Class X felony that carries a prison of six to 30 years. Probation is not an option.

What the article doesn’t tell you is that this SAME MAN was arrested by Elgin Police in February for a Drivers License violation and identified then as an illegal alien.

It doesn’t take a genius to understand that IF he had been deported in February as the law requires, he would not have been selling drugs on the streets of Elgin. How many people bought from him in the last five months? How many new customers did he introduce to cocaine?

You might say that he would have just snuck back into the country if deported. Maybe. But do you think he would have come back to Elgin?

Then you get out the calculator and determine what this added arrest costs Elgin, Kane County, and the state. You've got the arrest, the trial (most likely we'll be paying to both prosecute and defend him), and the incarceration for the next six to 30 years.

Washington doesn't care about it because all these costs are local.

It seems clear to me that this administration has no intention of getting tough on illegal aliens. Six years in office Bush finally realized the need for enforcement before amnesty. Obama seems doomed to repeat the mistake.

"Hold for outside agency"

What's going on at the Kane County Jail?
Well, Sheriff Pat Perez has refused to tell us so we continue to piece things together without him.
Inmate information can be found at the Kane County Jail website using a national system called VINE, intended to give victims the ability to find out if their attacker is out on the street or behind bars.
VINE lists the amount of bail and where the prisoner is located as well as the charges filed.
Kane County isn't 100% with filling in the blanks. For example, there is a spot for the name of the arresting police department. It is usually blank.
Of particular interest to AFLA is the designation, "Hold for outside agency." This means that before the prisoner can be released the jail must notify an outside agency that the perp is leaving.
The outside agency could be another county, or state, or IDOC, or the FBI. But usually it means that ICE wants him after the county is done with him.
In some parts of the country the county actually designates "Hold for ICE." But not here. Sheriff Perez wouldn't want to give the impression that we have a problem with illegal aliens in Kane County. That would be "borderline insulting," to use his own words.
So, here's the best we can do. We will list all the inmates at the Kane County Jail who have a "Hold for outside agency" designation in their profile. You figure it out.
Total inmates as of June 14, 2009: 622 (Yes, we are STILL renting space from other jails, despite the new jail that opened a few months ago!)
Total inmates with Holds: 241 (or almost 39%)
So, the burning question is whether or not Kane County has more illegal aliens in jail (that we are paying for) than Lake County with their 21.5%. Based on this list, I'm thinking yes.
The next question is whether or not ICE is sending them home at the end of their sentence in Kane County. And are we diligent in identifying those who are deportable?
List of inmates with Holds:
Acosta, Madeleno
Aguiniga, Jose Antonio
Aguiniga, Ramon
Aguirre, Alfonso
Aguirre, Pablo Ochoa
Alba-Sanchez, Ramon
Albaran-Corona, Eduardo
Alvarez, Lorenzo Ivan
Ambriz, Omar
Aragon, Fabian
Arenas, Oscar Ivan
Avila, Sergio Alejandro
Ayala, Mitchell Dominguez
Ayala-Cortez, Magali
Bahena-Navarro, Santos J
Balderas-Nieves, Martin
Banderas, Artemio
Barraza, Francisco Javier
Becerra, Rafael
Bedoya, Juan Carlos
Bello-Garcia, Manuel
Bernal, Fabian Adame
Biurquiz, Juan
Blanco, Jose Evelio
Bolado, Juan Antonio
Cardoza, Hector Manuel
Carranza, Manuel Leiva
Casillas, Juan Javier
Castellanos-Ortiz, Udith
Castillo, Oscar Javier
Castillo Arrazada, Jesus
Cepeda, Arnoldo
Cervantes, Jose Luis
Chagala-Villseca, Daniel
Chaparro, Cosme Damien
Chavez, Edgar Arturo
Chilapa, Andres
Cisneros, Plutarco Valles
Cristobal, Felipe Andres
Cruz, Ivan Ariel
Delacruz, Pomposo
Diaz, Jorge
Escobar, Daniel
Espinosa, Martin
Faz, Juan Manuel
Flores, Martin
Flores, Roel
Flores-Ramirez, Juan
Franco, Leonardo Daniel
Franco-Avales, Luis Fernando
Fuentes, Silvestre
Fuentes-Almaguer, Mauricio
Galarza, Jesus Samuel
Gallardo, Jesus
Gallardo, Julio
Garcia, Agustin
Garcia, Eduardo
Garcia, Esteban
Garcia, Victor A
Garcia-Pantoja, Juan
Gardea-Rojas, Jose Alfredo
Garnica, Juan Carlos
Garza, Socorro
Gonzales, John Thomas
Gonzalez, David Ulises
Gonzalez-Pastrana, Ricardo
Guerrero, Alberto
Guerrero, Alfredo
Guerrero, Guillermo Severiano
Guerrero, Javier Gomez
Guerrero, Reynaldo
Hernandez, Francisco Javier
Hernandez, Martin
Hernandez-Vazquez, Jose Manuel
Herrera, Jose Luis
Herrera, Juan Roberto
Herrera, Martin Alfaro
Huante, Jose Javier
Huerta, Michael
Hurtado, Cipriano
Jaimes, Juan Carlos
Jaimes, Juan Eberto
Lagunes-Rodriquez, Mario
Lara, Nasario
Lemuz-Mora, Miguel
Lopez, Christian
Lopez, Juan Jose
Lopez, Melissa Noemi
Lopez, Miguel Angel
Luna, Mauricio
Madera, Alvaro
Maldonado, Norma
Marrufo-Duran, Ricardo
Martinez, Ismael
Martinez-Prado, Omar
Medina-Martinez, Jesus
Melero, Jose Flavio
Memije, Leonardo Hernandez
Mendoza-Macias, Hector
Merlin-Cruz, Andres
Millet, Luis Enrique
Miranda, Jorge Arturo
Molina, Cristian Reyna
Montellano, Luis Alfonso
Montoya-Martinez, Manuel De Jesus
Mora-Cortez, Antonio
Morales-Inclan, Jaquelino
Moreno, Joel
Mujica, Heriberto
Munoz, Miguel Angel
Navarro-Hernandez, Rogelio
Olmedo-Avila, Lazaro
Parra, Felipe Dejesus
Perea-Alanis, Jose DeJesus
Perez, Emmanuel Epifanio
Perez, Nestor
Perez, Reynaldo
Petrona, Elias Bebolla
Pina, Diego Armando
Ponce, Ernesto
Prieto, Angel
Ramirez, Alan Romero
Ramirez-Placido, Estela
Ramos, Atilano
Rangel, Juan Carlos
Reyes-Acosta, Sergio
Reyes-Labrada, Jose Fernando
Rios, Rose Mary
Rivas, Luis Manuel
Rivera, Mauro
Rodriguez, Eduardo
Rodriguez, Esteban
Rodriguez, Luis Carlos
Rodriguez, Michael Adam
Rodriguez, Ramon
Rodriguez-Elvira, Ernesto
Rodriguez-Flores, Leobardo
Rodriguez-Ramos, Cesar
Rodriguez-Renteria, Gonzalo
Rojano-Gomez, Juan Jose
Rosales, Mario Adrian
Ruiz-Martinez, Fernando
Ruiz-Tagle, Maria Jose
Salcedo-Vazquez, Teodolfo
Salinas, Timothy Matthew
Sanchez, Efren Eloy
Sanchez, Javier Leon
Sanchez, Jose Luis
Sarmiento-Parra, Miguel
Saucedo-Cervantes, Raul
Solis, Adam Matthew
Soto, Juvenal
Soto-Castro, Uriel
Tamayo, Benjamin
Terrones-Alcantara, Emanuel Valente
Torres, Enrique Leonel
Tovar, Luis Alberto
Valenzo, Julio
Vazquez-Munoz, Felipe
Vazquez-Plancarte, Jose Juan
Vega, Luis
Velazquez, Alejandro
Vences, Roberto
Vera, Roberto JR
Verdugo, Juan Carlos
Yepez-Gutierrez, Erick

Alexander, Jeremiah Davon
Banbury, Brian James
Barragan, Jaime
Belton, Charles Ervin
Birden, Denata Titus
Bonner, Raymond Hirrom
Bray, Kelly Jordan
Brooks, Christopher Dante
Brown, James Reno
Bryant, Kevin Robert
Byrnes, Ricky Leroy
Cain, Paula Rae
Carpenter, Valerie Anne
Collalti, Timothy Alan
Covington, Anthony
Davis, Anthony Lamar
Davis, Larry Jake
Davis, Ronnie
Denson, Darren
Farrell, Rhonda Lynn
Fowler, Glen Terrell
Frazier, Michael Jerome
Glass, Ethan Ray
Graves, Sylvester Ken
Greenwell, Todd Robert
Grimes, Jeremy
Haley, Eugene Juven
Hamilton, Hezekiah
Hans, Joseph Mulrey
Haznar, Tomasz
Hrehorwicz, Dariusz Dominck
Ingram, Brian Lakeithin
Johnson, Jimmie Lee
Jones, Kenneth Kevon
Kelly, Darryl Eugene
King, Christopher Shane
Kingcade, Forest Conan
Kuhn, Michael Douglas
Lagunes, Gary Francisco
Lamendola, Cheryl Lynn
Leflore, Keith Wayne
Lugo, Wilfredo Enrique
Manning, Arthur
Martin, Jeremy Kyle
Meeks, Chavis Tyree
Moore, Theodore Andrew
Myers, Billy Byford
Neal, Frederick Joseph
Njoroge, Stephen
Peery, Travis D
Phillips, Deidrick Jerome
Poczatek, Jeffrey Joseph
Richter, Steven Anthony
Robinson, Jessica May
Ross, Michael Conrad
Saulsberry, Chavez Keith
Schaibley, Jeffrey Todd
Schue, Matthew Joseph
Shelton, Christopher Paul
Shipp, Dwayne
Spears, Dion
Stafford, Joseph Walter
Starks, Leville
Steagall, Terry Lee
Stewart, Corey Lashon
Stewart, Eddie Jermaine
Thompson, Cecilia Aquanetta
Tobolt, Kami Lynn
Tucker, Jonathan Cecil
Turner, Anthony Pirrie
Washington, Darren Andre
Washington, Devarl Andre
Welch, Timothy Patrick
Wilbur, Shanda Nicole
Zinke, Jonathan Lee

Quality of Life in Elgin

A member of the Elgin City Council (thanks, Dave!) has sent me this information on the ordinances the city has to enhance and protect the quality of life here.

I applaud the effort.

Some are new; others are not.

But the proof is in the enforcement. Please review the list and don't hesitate to call something to the attention of the city if it is in violation of these ordinances. We need to give them an opportunity to take action on these matters. Let me know how it works out for you.

Here's the memo from the city:
Date: June 23, 2009

To: Mayor and Members of the City Council
Olufemi Folarin, City Manager

From: William A. Cogley, Corporation Counsel

Subject: Quality of Life Programs and Ordinances


This memorandum is in response to a request from the City Council for a listing of various so-called quality of life programs or ordinances adopted with the aim of improving the quality of life in the city’s neighborhoods. The following is a listing of a number of city programs and ordinances:

1. The Residential Conversion Grant Program provided for in Chapter 2.29 of the Elgin Municipal Code. Such program provides grants to owners of multi-family residential properties to convert these properties into their original conforming residential use.

2. The Residential Rehabilitation Program provided for in Chapter 2.30 of the Elgin Municipal Code. Such program provides grant funds for exterior repairs or rehabilitation of owner occupied lawful single family dwellings.

3. The Neighborhood Improvement Grant Program provided for in Chapter 2.31 of the Elgin Municipal Code. Such program provides financial assistance incentives for neighborhood groups and organizations in the development and implementation of projects benefitting the respective neighborhoods.

4. The rental licensing ordinance provided for in Chapter 6.37 of the Elgin Municipal Code. Such ordinance provides for the licensing and inspection of rental residential property and requires rental residential properties be code compliant in order to obtain a license therefore.

5. A graffiti ordinance providing for regulations prohibiting graffiti and providing penalties therefore as provided for in Chapter 9.17 of the Elgin Municipal Code. A comprehensive amendment to these regulations providing for additional regulations and providing for significantly enhanced penalties has been prepared and will be presented to the City Council in the immediate future.

6. The city’s noise regulations have been amended to address the problem of loud stereos being utilized on residential properties. Section 10.30.025 of the Elgin Municipal Code prohibits the operation of any sound amplification device or system from any residential property which can be heard from a distance of 75 feet or more from any property line of such residential property during nighttime hours or which can be heard from 150 feet or more from the property line of any residential property during daytime hours.

7. Title 10 of the Elgin Municipal Code has recently been amended by adding new Chapters 10.33, 10.34 and 10.35 to prohibit public intoxication, panhandling and sitting or lying down on a public sidewalk. The city’s liquor code at Section 6.06.140K has also recently been amended to prohibit the sale by single container of a specified listing of low cost/high alcohol content beer and malt products.

8. The chronic nuisance property ordinance provided for in Chapter 10.44 of the Elgin Municipal Code. Such ordinance provides an additional tool to combat unlawful nuisance behavior in the neighborhoods. A chronic nuisance property is a property upon which three or more instances of specified illegal behavior have occurred during any 120 day period. In addition to other remedies available such as fines, a court may order a chronic nuisance property to be closed and it secured against all use and occupancy for a period of not less than one month and not more than six months. My office recently utilized this chronic nuisance property ordinance against a problem property resulting in the property owner beginning eviction proceedings against the problem tenants.

9. Section 11.40.095 of the Elgin Municipal Code provides for the towing of automobiles used in connection with a variety of offenses including driving with a suspended or revoked driver’s licenses, driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, driving without a driver’s licenses, or operating any car stereo system which can be heard outside the motor vehicle from 75 feet or more.

10. The 2006 edition of the International Property Maintenance Code was adopted by the city with local amendments in January of 2009. The local amendments adopted by the city in Section 16.12.020 of the Elgin Municipal Code include local amendments regarding occupancy limitations and overcrowding of residential properties. The local amendments adopted by the city resulted in more stringent occupancy limitations and represent an approximate 20% average decrease in the occupancy levels of residential properties permitted under the previous edition of the International Property Maintenance Code.

11. The definition of a family in Section 19.90.015 of the city’s zoning ordinance was amended to provide for a legally defensible definition of a family unit so as to allow enforcement of single family residential zoning to further reduce overcrowding in the city’s neighborhoods.

12. The 50/50 Historic/Architectural Rehabilitation Grant Program provided for in Chapter 20.15 of the Elgin Municipal Code. Such program provides grants to owners for the exterior rehabilitation and restoration of historically/architectural significant residential structures located in designated historic districts or designated as a landmark.

13. The 75/25 Historic/Architectural Rehabilitation Grant Program provided for in Chapter 20.16 of the Elgin Municipal Code. Such program provides grants to owners meeting certain income requirements for the exterior rehabilitation and restoration of historically/architecturally significant residential structures located in designated historic districts or designated as a landmark.

14. The odd/even off street parking program was established on a trial basis in four city neighborhoods.

15. The Department of Code Administration has implemented a zero tolerance code enforcement policy for a specified number of nuisance code violations including junk and debris, outdoor storage of household items, unpaved parking, excessive weeds, temporary signs in yards, major auto repair in resident districts and construction without building permits.

16. The city has implemented a problem property acquisition program. Such program provides for the acquisition by the city and subsequent demolition or renovation of particularly blighted or problematic properties in neighborhoods.

17. The city has implemented a number of other home improvement grant programs including the exterior painting program, substitute siding removal program and chain link fence removal program. Such programs provide grant funds for exterior painting, substitute siding removal and chain link fence removal for residential dwellings.

Please contact me if you have any questions or require any additional information on these matters.

Peaceful enjoyment of property

Common law (and modern statutes) have created the expectation that we can have peaceful enjoyment of our own property. I claim that right and extend it to those around me.

In my case we bought this home on a busy street next to Little League baseball field.

To be sure, things have changed since 1988. The road was widened in 1989 and traffic has increased dramatically.

As for the baseball fields, the lights were added, as was a sound system. A higher fence was installed and games are played until 11:00 pm now. And, of course, the lightning alarms were added to further encroach on my peaceful enjoyment.

All these gradual additions were made without my approval. But I just accept it for what it is.

Now, the case at hand. My neighbors next door have never been particularly noisy, even when they had four families crammed into the house. Sure, there was a party last summer with loud music, but they shut it down at 11:00 pm and I didn’t have to call it in.

And earlier this year they had a DJ and a loud sound system going for a party of some sort. But it was in the afternoon and I just let it go. They should be able to enjoy their property as well.

Last night was different. Two Hispanic men, sitting in front of an open garage, playing the car stereo (thump-thump-thump) and having some beers. That was the scene when I went to bed at 10:30.

At 1:20 am they were still at it, so I made my first call to the Elgin Police non-emergency number. About five minutes later two black-and-white squad cars arrive, shining a spotlight on the house number. Of course, they immediately turn off the music.

But the police never got out of the cars. Nor did they even make any contact with the two men. The police just drove away. (I don’t think those two noise-makers even saw more than a passing look at the officers.)

You guessed it, the music came back on a couple of minutes later and the volume gradually went back up to the original level.

So, I called the police again, at 1:35 am. I explained what had happened to Heidi the dispatcher and she said she’d send someone by again.

It was 2:05 am when the second officer arrived. Again, they saw the spotlight and turned the music way down low. But he pulled in the driveway anyway and told them to turn it off. He didn’t check IDs or take down names. He just told them to turn it off.

That seemed to do the trick. They two drinkers hung around for another half hour, then one of them got in a car and drove away with six beers in his system.

I have greater sympathy for those of you who deal with noisy neighbors on a regular basis. But don’t apologize for calling in noise complaints. You have every right to expect that you can sleep with the windows open and not have to listen to the thumping bass of loud music.

As for the two cops who first arrived at the scene, they were a waste of resources. Their little stop yielded nothing.

You can ask the dispatcher to have the officers report in with you after they speak with the neighbors. I think I’ll do that next time.

Close to home

Last night I was listening to a radio program in the upstairs bedroom. I have a pretty good view of the street from up there.

At about 10 pm a police car sped down Summit with lights and siren going, then turned North onto Hiawatha.

A short time later I noticed another police car on the corner by the Animal Hospital. It was stopped there for quite a while with the lights on. At about 10:30 I started to walk down the street to see what was going on. I got about 100 feet from the house when I was stopped by two undercover police in a minivan (nice disguise!).

They said there had been a shooting right through my back yard and wondered if I had seen or heard anything. (I hadn't.)

I went back in the house rather than get in the middle of their search.

There were six officers and a dog combing the area of the baseball fields. They spent about an hour searching for who-knows-what? A gun? Shell casings? Suspects in hiding?

It turned out that a woman was shot in the face at 670 Jefferson. The suspects have not been caught.

Just this week I received an e-mail from one of our city council members. He wrote: "Please take me off your E-mail list." For now his name will remain anonymous.

Nice touch. Just what we need in Elgin.

Sleeping through the alarm

By now you think they would have understood, Congress that is.

In the aftermath of the subprime mortgage collapse there have emerged all sorts of clips of people sounding the alarm over the years about Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Not only did Congress ignore them, but they PRAISED these GSEs for the fine work they were doing.

And they slept through the ringing alarms prior to 9/11.

Well, they’re at it again.
Here’s a report to Congress on evidence of terrorists entering through our Southern Border, prepared by the House in October of 2006.

And here’s a report from the Government Accountability Office dated May 2008 revealing that even large trucks can successfully enter the United States undetected:

Just last month the FBI issued a report revealing that long delays in adding terrorist names to the watch list are leaving us vulnerable at our borders.

And professors from Stanford and George Mason, specialists in risk analysis, reported last month that a non-Mexican terrorist had a 97.3% chance of entering undetected through our Southern Border.

So, I suppose a terrorist could try to get a visa and walk in through Customs at JFK or LAX. But the odds are much better if they enter Mexico amidst the chaos and simply walk in. Besides, there’s no excess baggage fee if you don’t fly.

So, is all this just fear-mongering? Or is there evidence of terrorist groups already present at the Southern Border?

Well, Homeland Security studied the matter earlier this year in a program called Operation Red Zone. Here’s what they found:

A secret intelligence mission recently conducted along the southern border of the United States found that drug cartels are teaming with terrorists to exploit the numerous vulnerabilities along the sparsely defended 2,000-mile Mexican border.

The mission, dubbed Operation Red Zone was conducted in February and March by the Army’s Asymmetrical Warfare Group (AWG). The clandestine intelligence gathering organization is a 350-member special mission unit that works to identify critical threats and enemy and friendly vulnerabilities through global first-hand observations, the Army says.

Red Zone investigators discovered numerous alien smuggling and drug trafficking operations along the border. Perpetrators are using maritime surface craft, semi-submersible watercraft, ultra-light aircraft and possess the capability [to] utilize other potential aerial infiltration techniques to circumvent ground border protection capabilities,according to Asymmetric Observations Along the U.S.- Mexican Border released May 14 by the Army to federal and state law enforcement agencies.

Link: http://www.nationalterroralert.com/updates/2009/06/06/army-report-drug-cartels-terrorists-infiltrate-us/

And this Washington Times article from March 27, 2009
EXCLUSIVE: Hezbollah uses Mexican drug routes into U.S.
Friday, March 27, 2009 Washington Times
Sara A. Carter
Hezbollah is using the same southern narcotics routes that Mexican drug kingpins do to smuggle drugs and people into the United States, reaping money to finance its operations and threatening U.S. national security, current and former U.S. law enforcement, defense and counterterrorism officials say.

The Iran-backed Lebanese group has long been involved in narcotics and human trafficking in South America's tri-border region of Paraguay, Argentina and Brazil. Increasingly, however, it is relying on Mexican narcotics syndicates that control access to transit routes into the U.S.

Hezbollah relies on "the same criminal weapons smugglers, document traffickers and transportation experts as the drug cartels," said Michael Braun, who just retired as assistant administrator and chief of operations at the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).

"They work together," said Mr. Braun. "They rely on the same shadow facilitators. One way or another, they are all connected.

"They'll leverage those relationships to their benefit, to smuggle contraband and humans into the U.S.; in fact, they already are [smuggling]."

His comments were confirmed by six U.S. officials, including law enforcement, defense and counterterrorism specialists. They spoke on the condition that they not be named because of the sensitivity of the topic.

Link: http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/mar/27/hezbollah-uses-mexican-drug-routes-into-us/

Please wake up, Congress. Let’s not have another disaster.

A primer on SCAAP

(Don’t you just love government acronyms?)
In 1994 Congress realized that there is a burden placed on jails and prisons by illegal aliens. They created SCAAP, or State Criminal Alien Assistance Program. The program allows for the local agency to submit a bill to the federal government (after all, the feds control immigration so they get the blame for the costs) if the following conditions are met:
· The illegal alien must be in custody for at least four consecutive days.
· The illegal alien must be incarcerated for a felony or at least two misdemeanors.
Bush took it out of the budget the last couple of years, but Congress restored it. I’m guessing that Congress has no great desire to make it more difficult for illegal aliens; rather, I think the jails have become accustomed to the money they receive and lobby for the funding.

FYI, Obama has also removed SCAAP funding from his budget. Will this Congress put it back in? Who knows?

As is typical from the feds, it is an unfunded mandate. Most of the literature suggests that the reimbursement is only 25-35% of the actual cost to keep the prisoners.

And, of course, it is in the form of a “grant” so the local agencies have to keep track of the numbers and do the paperwork in order to get any money. Typical Washington; we have to BEG for our own money!

Getting our own numbers

AFLA followers will recall that Kane County Sheriff Pat Perez told us where to go when we asked for data about illegal aliens at the county jail. He was downright rude when he told us it was none of our business.

The SCAAP program (explained in the blog above) gives us some clues about the number of illegal aliens doing time in Kane County. So if Perez won’t tell us, maybe we can flesh it out ourselves.

We are going to compare Kane County to Lake County. God bless him, Sheriff Mark Curran up in Lake County did an audit of his jail and revealed that 21.5% of his inmates were illegal aliens (September 2008).

Here is a detailed recap of SCAAP money “awarded” to counties. It is from the U. S. Department of Justice from the year 2006: http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/BJA/grant/FY2006SCAAP.pdf

Total Beds
Kane 509, Lake 597
Lake County Jail is slightly larger

ICE-Eligible inmates (Certified illegal by Immigration)
Kane 114, Lake 93
Smaller jail, more known illegals

Illegal inmate days (“ICE-Eligible”)
Kane 6,593, Lake 4,754
Yep, we’re paying to feed them!

ICE-Unknown inmates (It frightens me to think that even the police aren’t sure!)
Kane 547, Lake 327
Another case of Kane being HIGHER

Unknown inmate days
Kane 25,040, Lake 13,733

Just for comparison, from the U. S. Census data…
Total population of Foreign-born
Kane 89,613, Lake 127,133

Total population
Kane 489,641, Lake 703,706

Certainly, Kane County Jail’s illegal alien population must be more than 21% based on this data alone.

And we ought to be absolutely certain that the screening program at the Kane County Jail is working well, and that the criminals are being deported rather than released.

And another thing, Perez. You won’t talk about them but you don’t mind taking federal money for them.



IDOC- Illinois State prisons

The Evolution of 287(g)

The 287(g) program began in 1996 with the passage of legislation by the United States Congress. The citation is (oddly enough) Section 287(g) of 8 U.S.C. 1357, otherwise known as 110 STAT. 3009–563 PUBLIC LAW 104–208—SEPT. 30, 1996.

It’s purpose and functions are stated in the law itself:
“an officer or employee of the State or subdivision… may enter into a written agreement…to perform a function of an immigration officer in relation to the investigation,
apprehension,
or detention
of aliens in the United States (including the transportation of such aliens across State lines to detention centers), may carry out such function at the expense of the State or political subdivision and to the extent consistent with State and local law.”

These trained officers or employees “may use Federal property or facilities.”

They are authorized by, trained, supervised and directed by the Attorney General.

Agencies may not be forced by the federal government to participate in the program.

The 287(g) program is not a requirement for an agency “to communicate with the Attorney General regarding the immigration status of any individual, including reporting knowledge that a particular alien is not lawfully present in the United States; or…otherwise to cooperate with the Attorney General in the identification, apprehension, detention, or removal of aliens not lawfully present in the United States.’’

And the program was created following the law, which required a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the local government agency and the Attorney General.

Note that the law does not restrict the agencies that may participate. Any political subdivision may be a 287(g) agency.

Also note that there is no provision for refusal by the federal government. They cannot deny 287(g), only restrict their authority through the MOU language.

Note as well that the law does not limit the functions of officers. The program has evolved to mean only two functions, task force participation or jail screening. But the law doesn’t say that.

A review of the performance of the 287(g) program was requested (I believe for purely political reasons) by the following Members of Congress. I have included their recent (2006-2009) immigration scorecard rating as provided by Numbers USA:
Sen. Joseph Lieberman – F-
Sen. Susan Collins – C-
Rep. Bennie Thompson - D
Rep. Christopher Carney - C
Rep. Mike Rogers – C+
Rep. Mark Souder – B

The review was published by the Government Accountability Office in January of 2009 under document number GAO-09-109.

According to the GAO report, “ICE officials have stated that the main objective of the 287(g) program is to enhance the safety and security of communities by addressing serious criminal activity committed by removable aliens.” (pg. 4) Oh really? The statute doesn’t say that.

But that doesn’t stop the GAO from commenting on it as a problem when they write, “some participating agencies are using their 287(g) authority to process for removal aliens who have committed minor crimes.” (pg. 4)

The GAO then explains what would happen if local agencies were to turn in every illegal alien they find. “If all the participating agencies sought assistance to remove aliens for such minor offenses, ICE would not have detention space to detain all of the aliens referred to them.” (pg. 4)

Later on, the GAO raises the flag of racial profiling. Here’s what the report says: “Participating agencies cited benefits of the program including a reduction in crime and the removal of repeat offenders. However, more than half of the 29 state and local law enforcement agencies we reviewed reported concerns members of their communities expressed about the 287(g) program, including concerns that law enforcement officers in the 287(g) program would be deporting removable aliens pursuant to minor traffic violations (e.g., speeding) and concerns about racial profiling.” (pg. 6)

Concerns by members of the community do not a valid profiling case make, yet the report does not explore the comment, leaving it to hang in the air as if it were true.

Of course, the ACLU has leveled allegations but no proof. Such that the House Chairman of Homeland Security, Rep. Bennie Thompson, raises the scepter of suspicion when he enters this statement into the record on March 4, 2009. After making the mistake of defining 287(g) as a program for removing “dangerous people” exclusively he remarks: “While I do not know whether 287(g) is an effective program, I do know that it is a program that has been accused of racial profiling. And that accusation should concern all of us. Effective law enforcement and discrimination cannot coexist.”

Let’s parse that statement a bit. First of all, Thompson has the report of the results of the program, including the number of detainers and deportations. It is effective.

Next, he is more than willing to throw out the program because it has been “accused of racial profiling.” Hmm. It would be easy to halt all the programs in this nation with racial profiling allegations hanging over their heads.

Shall we stop TSA airport screenings? They have been “accused of racial profiling,” as has the FBI, ATF, Secret Service, CIA…Perhaps Rep. Thompson would like to pass a federal law suspending police activities in any local jurisdiction where an accusation of racial profiling has been raised.

That same mentality has carried over to the federal budget, where a note about 287(g) funding says, “That none of the funds provided under this heading may be used to continue a delegation of law enforcement authority authorized under section 287(g) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1357(g)) if the Department of Homeland Security Inspector General determines that the terms of the agreement governing the delegation of authority have been violated.”

Indeed a witch hunt is afoot in Washington intended to undermine the success of 287(g). The communities of Waukegan and Carpentersville Illinois have been denied the program without a public explanation.

A lack of funding, coupled with administrative malaise at ICE will surely undermine the expansion of 287(g). It might even decimate existing partnerships.

Yet the public face at Homeland Security tells a different story. As Secretary Napolitano indicated on May 6th of this year, “DHS also has continued to expand its partnerships with state and local law enforcement under the 287(g) program, which gives specially trained officers authorization to perform immigration enforcement duties under the supervision of ICE agents and officers. ICE has 58 active Memoranda of Agreement (MOAs) with law enforcement agencies in 23 states. As of April 2009, ICE's 287(g) partners have encountered over 104,000 aliens who were screened for removability.”

“This program continues to be an effective force multiplier for our efforts.”

An interesting statement, but not consistent with budget allocations or other efforts to undermine 287(g). Local officials need to be vigilant and investigate any refusals for a signed MOU.

The fate of 287g

I am so confused about the status of the 287g program. Here's what Janet Napolitano told a senate judiciary committee on May 6th:

Oral testimony of Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano on May 6, 2009 before the Senate Judiciary Committee:

“We are expanding our efforts to identify, arrest and deport criminal and fugitive aliens.
We are working on improving the 287g program so we continue to work effectively with proper guidance and oversight with our state and local partners.”

Written testimony submitted by Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano on May 6, 2009 before the Senate Judiciary Committee:
“State and Local Law Enforcement Under 287(g)

“DHS also has continued to expand its partnerships with state and local law enforcement under the 287(g) program, which gives specially trained officers authorization to perform immigration enforcement duties under the supervision of ICE agents and officers. ICE has 58 active Memoranda of Agreement (MOAs) with law enforcement agencies in 23 states. As of April 2009, ICE's 287(g) partners have encountered over 104,000 aliens who were screened for removability.

“This program continues to be an effective force multiplier for our efforts. For this reason, it is vitally important that the program has strong oversight and remains free of abuse. In the past few years, the 287(g) program has been the subject of much media attention and heightened scrutiny. To address many of the concerns, ICE is redrafting the MOA template to increase oversight and supervision as well as align the goals of state and local law enforcement participating in the program with ICE priorities and guidelines. In addition to the MOA, ICE has issued credentials to state and local 287(g) partners and is drafting a policy mandating refresher training for all active 287(g) officers. In these efforts, DHS is carefully reviewing the recommendations provided in the January 2009 report by the Government Accountability Office. Finally, we are committed to working with stakeholders to address concerns about racial and ethnic profiling and other abuses in this and other enforcement programs.”

So, why did the feds CANCEL the requests from Waukegan and Carpentersville? Is it still a viable program? Or not?

Based on funding I think the Obama administration is going to starve 287g to death.

A Bonus

I’m sure you have mixed feelings about the odd-even parking plan, especially if you must park on the street.

But when it comes to snow plows, street sweepers, leaf collection, and fire trucks most people are pleased.

But there is another bonus. In years past there has been a little cat-and-mouse game going on. Odd-even has effectively ended that little game.

There are certain individuals in town who used to park their cars for the winter, take out the battery, and leave town for months at a time. I suppose that’s OK if the car is in your garage, but if you leave it on the street, that’s another matter.

Once in a while a parking enforcement officer would come by, then a kind neighbor would push the car forward two feet to avoid a ticket. They could push the car back and forth all winter long and still be in compliance with the law. It was pretty easy to tell what they were doing by the cobwebs built up between the headrest and the rear-view mirror.

Along comes the odd-even plan and they can’t do that any longer. City sources tell me that 600 abandoned cars have been impounded this winter. Imagine the storage bill plus the tow plus the fine and you are quickly paying more than the car is worth.

Now, I’m sure that among those 600 cars there are a few that belonged to college students who would be back in May. It doesn’t matter. The streets of Elgin are not long-term parking lots. Odd-even parking has just forced the enforcement of existing laws.

Thank you to the city leaders for their efforts to make Elgin more beautiful.

What am I supposed to do about it?

Fact: Identity theft is real and it’s happening in Elgin
Fact: Illegal aliens who use your ID to get a job can do serious damage to your credit history and create a tax liability for you.

Recent case #1
Addison man working in Elgin charged with ID theft
By Lenore T. Adkins Daily Herald Staff
Published: 4/30/2009

A Mexican-born Addison man used a stolen Social Security number to live his version of the American dream, making more than $80,000 in nearly three years, police said.

Felix Aguilar, 43, of the first block of West Diversey Avenue, was arrested Wednesday and charged with identity theft, a Class 2 felony that carries up to seven years in prison upon conviction, authorities said.

(Note: AFLA has tracked a total of eight cases of identity theft in the last two years where the accused worked at Sanfilippo according to the police report in the newspaper.)

Recent case #2
C'ville man charged with making $107,000 with another's identity
By Kerry Lester Daily Herald Staff
Published: 4/28/2009 5:29 PM

A Carpentersville man has been charged with stealing another man's identity and making a pretty good buck with it.

Abelardo Saldivar, of 820 Monroe Ave., Carpentersville, was arrested Monday on a Class X felony count of identify theft that could land him six to 30 years in prison if convicted.

According to Elgin police reports, Saldivar worked at Amtec Precision Products for three years using another man's name, Social Security number and birth date.

Recent case #3
Police: Elgin woman used false identity for nearly a decade
By Kerry Lester Daily Herald Staff
Published: 5/7/2009 4:35 PM

An Elgin woman has been accused of profiting off another's identity for the past decade.

Griselda Alvarez, 40, of the 400 block of Sadler Avenue, was arrested Wednesday.

According to police reports, a woman who resides in Texas filed a report on April 21 with Elgin police that someone was using her personal identity.

The woman said that in 1999 she lost her purse, which contained both her Social Security card and birth certificate.

In 2006 the woman was notified that someone had used her identity at Amtec Precision Products in Elgin.

So, what’s an employer to do? Well, I was at a business seminar on Thursday and learned that Immigration has a program for businesses of all sizes called IMAGE. (Don’t you love government acronyms?)

IMAGE stands for ICE Mutual Agreement between Government and Employers. The program includes using E-Verify (which is legal to use and is over 99% accurate), auditing the I-9 forms on file, establishing a tip line for people to report illegal aliens to your company, and instructions on reporting funny business to the government so they can take action.

I also learned a couple of things citizens can do:
First, report suspicious activity to ICE at 1-866-347-2423.
Second, if you think someone else is using your identity, be sure to contact your local police and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). The FTC is the clearinghouse for all the data on identity theft and ICE always checks their database to make connections you might not even know about.

So, AFLA recommends that Elgin businesses enroll in the IMAGE program and that the general public report identity theft crimes.

Foreclosure watch

Last night the city invited residents to keep an eye on foreclosed properties and REPORT PROBLEMS TO THE CITY.

What problems?
~Weeds, long grass
~Graffiti
~Squatters (gangs or the homeless)
~Suspicious activity

Here's the number at city hall:
847-931-5920

A new Pharaoh in Elgin

We officially have a new city council and already staff is feeling the difference.

Council members were making comments to staff, suggesting improvements and ideas to be researched, explored, and included in the business of the city. And there was no resistance from the old guard to do so.

In fact, the mayor himself suggested that when a foreclosed home is purchased the city ought to inspect the place for safety violations, remove any overcrowded living arrangements created by the former owners, and educate the new owners about city codes and rental requirements.

That is an awesome idea. The city fathers know that many Elgin homes were purchased by multiple buyers who resided in those homes in violation of occupancy standards. Many of those homes ended up in foreclosure.

Rather than allow the home to be sold under the same circumstances, the city now has an opportunity to make an impact on the problem.

The trigger would be the transfer stamp. Funding would most likely come from a fee at closing.

No one likes the city poking around when you are trying to buy your dream home, but until we get to the root of the problem we need to do something. Besides, such an act just might prevent someone from buying a money pit.

There was an interesting moment last night when staff tried to push through a commercial project where the use had changed. As it turned out they wanted to put in a paint shop. Rich Dunne (who knows fire safety and knew this project specifically) asked some rather pointed questions about the change.

Although Dunne’s concerns did not carry the day, staff will surely have their ducks in a row next time.

(It should be noted that Bob Gilliam mentioned Dunne’s concerns about some older buildings in town that were not up to code, and asked for a staff report on those buildings.)

To be sure, there were some missteps last night. Two new council members had been out to inspect a new project and entered into negotiations with the parties involved. Maybe it’s just me, but the council ought to leave the negotiations up to staff. It’s great that they inspect the things they will be voting on; not so great if a couple of them start talking for the entire council. But they are learning.

There was no real harm done. Certain adjustments need to be researched and added to the proposal before a vote can be taken, but such reviews and changes should be handled by staff.

More dangerous are the negotiations we don't know about, where a more experienced politician does the work of staff and the whole thing is pass on to the council for a vote as if it had an unbiased review. We welcome the fresh eyes of Dunne, Prigge and Warren in reading before they sign on the dotted line.

All in all, I think the city is better off having this change of leadership. Time will tell. But discussion is good. So is giving direction to staff.

Call Durbin

The Senate Judiciary Committee will be meeting tomorrow (Thursday, April 30) at 2:00 pm to discuss amnesty for illegal aliens.

They will be hearing from some interesting folks, most of them ready to speak in favor of legalization and higher immigration levels.

It is hard to believe some of them even have the nerve to show their faces in public.
Here's a partial list of speakers:
Doris Meissner (Bill Clinton's Immigration Chief)
Alan Greenspan (tinkerer with the economy)
Eliseo Medina (from the SEIU)

Call Durbin and tell him what you think about amnesty. Tell him about unemployment in Elgin.

Durbin's office is 202-224-2152 (NOT a free call, but Americans pay their own way!)

This is how it starts. After hearing their pals tell them amnesty is a good thing, they will then go to their fellow senators and tell them America supports it. We need to tell them how we feel about it.

The only reasonable voice at the hearing with be Kris Kobach and he could use some help with that bunch.

Banned in Boston

Perhaps you’ve read all the ado about Bill Ayers being invited to speak at the noon Kiwanis club in Elgin.

It reminded me of MY experience before the Elgin Kiwanis. I received a call from Ken Miles (RIP) a couple of years ago asking me to speak to the group. I didn’t know Ken prior to the call but learned he was a local attorney in Elgin for decades.

Ken said he had read about me in the newspaper and thought I’d be an interesting presenter. I agreed to speak on August 22, 2006 and arranged time off from work.

On August 16th I got a call from Ken. He told me that my presentation was CANCELLED. As it happened Ken announced to the group that Doug Heaton was going to speak the following week and a member by the name of Jeanette insisted that I NOT SPEAK. She cajoled the president and he told Ken to cancel me.

Ken told me that in 39 years of arranging the programs he had NEVER been told to cancel a guest speaker. The reason? Jeanette didn’t want to have me speak because she didn’t want the group to be labeled the “white racists club.”

Ken went on to tell me about some of the other people who had addressed the Elgin Noon Kiwanis.
~Atheist Rob Sherman.
~A practicing Hare Krishna.
~A member of the Arab League.
~A sex therapist for pets.
~A man from the sanitary district who explain how they treat excrement.

So, I was the first (and as far as I know, ONLY) person ever banned from speaking at the Elgin Noon Kiwanis Club.

As it turned out, they installed a new president in October of 2006 and Ken finally did get me there to speak. It was election day, November 7, 2006.

The walls held firm, there were no lightning bolts, and I gave my presentation. One woman (I learned later, the famous Jeanette) asked me a leading question about my affiliation with the Minutemen, but that was it.

So I find it particularly interesting to see the controversy over Bill Ayers. I’d call Ken Miles about it but I understand he passed away last fall.

Bill Foster - Take 2

Gee, it was last July when I first sat down with Bill Foster to talk about immigration. I went to visit him again today.

First, the official explanation. You know that Homeland Security warning sent out to police departments to keep an eye on rightwing extremists? They call out people with strong views on abortion, gun owner rights and immigration.

Well, according to Foster that report was ordered by George Bush and it was just being released upon completion.

I'll take him at his word, but it doesn't say much for the way the executive branch handles things. Then again, it was Bush ICE agents who raided a factory in Washington state and Secretary Napolitano released the 27 banditos and gave them work permits. I guess they pick and choose the laws in DC.

I asked Foster about worksite raids and he didn't answer me. He refered me to his website. He's moderate on the issue but not willing to be vocal about it. (Unlike Gutierrez, Bill Foster isn't going around the country holding pep rallies with illegal aliens.)

Here's Foster's official view, pasted from his website.

Immigration

The United States is a nation of laws with a proud tradition of extending citizenship to legal immigrants in our country. I believe that we must secure our nation’s borders and act to improve workplace enforcement while addressing the underlying causes of illegal immigration. As Congress begins to work to alleviate the growing issues surrounding immigration, I will continue to support reasonable, comprehensive reforms to our immigration system that do not reward those who break the law.

Rather than dealing with one aspect of our immigration crisis, it will be best to consider such measures as part of broader immigration reform that deals simultaneously with all aspects of this problem: secure borders, rapid and reliable workplace enforcement, background checks, and realistic and humane quotas that meet the needs of our businesses and communities.

Concerning border security, we need to be prepared to spend a significant amount of money to secure the border. We must greatly increase the number of agents at the border, and also provide these agents with the tools, including roads and physical barriers, that they need to perform their duties fully and efficiently. The relationship that Border Patrol Agents have with the Mexican government needs to be improved so that we can more easily identify who can and cannot legally enter the U.S., and also expedite the deportation process.

While border enforcement must remain a priority, immigration reform must include workplace enforcement as a key element, like a strengthened and more reliable form of the e-verify program. Employers need to have a fast and reliable way to check if potential employees are legally able to work in the United States so that they can be held responsible for legal hiring practices.
I would like to see an accurate national database of American citizens, so that border patrol and employers can both quickly determine a person's citizenship status.

http://foster.house.gov/Issues/Issue/?IssueID=4338

Save the date

We all know how important the oath of office is. Here's a little trivia for you: The two Elgin city council incumbents who lost on April 7th both told the AFLA forum that they saw no conflict between their stand on illegal aliens and their oath of office.

Which brings me to this reminder:
The new Elgin City Council will be sworn in on April 29 at 6:00 pm.

Mark your calendar. Please join with us in witnessing this blessed event.

From Chicago

From the Tea Party Protest, downtown Chicago, this afternoon.

Just the facts

Some SOAPers are licking their wounds over the election results. The scapegoat is "low turn-out." For the record, here are the facts.
2005 Consolidated
KANE Registered voters: 47,426
Ballots cast: 7,352
Turn out: 15.50%
COOK Registered voters: 11,337
Ballots cast: 1,151
Turn out: 10.15%

2007 Consolidated
KANE Registered voters: 35,687
Ballots cast: 4,721
Turn out: 13.23%
COOK Registered voters: 11,357
Ballots cast: 857
Turn out: 7.55%

2009 Consolidates
KANE Registered voters: 38,973
Ballots cast: 6,303
Turn out: 16.17%
COOK Registered voters: 12,555
Ballots cast: 1,553
Turn out: 12.37%

You'll get no beef from me that we need more registered voters and more of those voters actually going to the polls, but to say this election has a low turn-out is simply not true.

Something to work on

During Juan Figueroa's swan song Wednesday night, Mayor Schock said something rather profound: "It isn't always easy identifying what the interest of the community is."

We hope the mayor will study the outcome of the election and consider what it says about "the interest of the community." It should give him a few things to work on.

Congratulations

We are very pleased to see that John Prigge was "endorsed" by the voters. We look forward to his leadership on the Elgin City Council.

And we are also pleased that another candidate AFLA supported also won. We welcome Richard Dunne to a seat on the council as well.

And we welcome back Bob Gilliam. As many of you know, Messrs. Gilliam and Kaptain were the two members of the city council willing to hear us out from the beginning. We are grateful for their understanding of our position.

And we welcome Mike Warren as well. He is a man of many talents.

Tom Sandor

I understand Tom Sandor was blasting me on WRMN yesterday. Sorry I missed it. I'm hoping lots of people miss his program in the future since his political touch seems to have left him

He was wrong about his own re-election to the Elgin Council...
...wrong about switching parties to win a county race...
...and wrong about the outcome of the Elgin election yesterday.

That can't be good.

A tribute to Mike Robins

He didn't want your money.

Mike Robins was defeated for the two year Elgin seat last night. He improved his position since the primary by gaining another 5% of the voters, but it wasn't nearly enough to win.

Mike Warren was a formidable opponent. He came out early with his signs. He had the billboards, too. Lots of them. Warren appealed to the business owners through his Rotary connections and the progressives with his Well Child work. He had the #1 spot on the ballot. And obviously he had some money behind him.

The other Mike, Mike Robins, didn't have your money. He didn't WANT your money.

Mike Robins is a different kind of politician. In fact, you might say he isn't a politician at all.

A politician would have wanted special interest money. Mike didn't want union money. Heck, Mike didn't want AFLA money.

A politician would have wanted individual contributions. Mike never pitched for your money like the others did. He used his own money to run. Thousands of dollars of his own money.

A politician would have danced around the question of taxes. Mike Robins made it clear that he wouldn't vote for increasing your taxes, even a $2 phone tax.

A politician would have remained silent about the $10,000 a year members of the city council receive. Mike Robins not only said he wouldn't accept that money, but he published a list of the charities he was going to give it to.

See what I mean? Mike Robins proved he didn't want your money. All he wanted was a little space on your lawn for a yard sign, a few hours of time to pass out his literature, a few phone calls.

If you ask me, Elgin missed a rare opportunity to elect a man who isn't a politician and didn't want your money. Thank you, Mike, for giving it your best.

~Doug Heaton

The day has arrived

Please vote today. And make sure family and friends vote as well.
AFLA supports
John Prigge
Richard Dunne
Michael Robins
for Elgin City Council.

Questions:
For Official Information about Voter Eligibility,Polling Places,and Disability Accommodation, please call:
Kane County ~ 630-232-5990
Cook County ~ 312-603-0906

As always, if you see suspicious activity or voter fraud, call the appropriate number above.
(And let us know as well so we can report it to the press. afla.heaton@sbcglobal.net )

Juan's "Other Job"

City council incumbent Juan Figueroa is a busy man. Maybe too busy. Maybe he needs to be defeated tomorrow so he can devote more time to being a latino activist.

Here's the paper trail. It turns out that State Rep Keith Farnham sent out a political ad last October critical of Ruth Munson's vote to give illegal aliens drivers licenses. If you'd like to see the ads themselves, clilck the links below:
http://www.elginet.com/images/FIM1.jpg

http://www.elginet.com/images/FIM2.jpg

Upon seeing these mailers a group called Latinos Unidos 2008 sent an e-mail to sitting Elgin Councilman Juan Figueroa calling for a meeting to discuss what to do. Here's the message. (Note that they are calling them "anti-immigrants political mailings."):

"To: jfigueroa2343@yahoo.com
Date: Friday, October 24, 2008, 9:30 PM
Saludos!
There will be an URGENT meeting at La Quebrada Restaurant tomorrow Saturday at 9:00 AM. Your attendance is very important. There are anti-immigrants political mailings sent out by one of the candidates running for State Representative.
We need to discuss this matter immediately. We hope to see you there.
Hasta pronto,
LATINOS UNIDOS 2008"

First of all, these activists are always trying to lump illegal aliens with immigrants as you can see here. They are NOT the same thing, and Figueroa should know better.

People get e-mails all the time and most go right to the trash, but what did Sitting Councilman Figueroa do with this message? He forwarded it to a long list of activists in Elgin. Here are some of the people he invited to this emergency meeting at La Quebrada:
~Two year candidate Emi Morales
~Emi's campaign manager
~A member of Elgin Civil Service Commission
~FOUR current Elgin CITY Employees (using their city e-mail account)
~One current Carpentersville Employee (using their village e-mail account)
~One U46 employee (using their district e-mail account)
~Local immigration lawyers
~The director and a board member of Centro de Informacion
~The entire SOAP distribution list

Now, first of all, the issue. There is NOTHING anti-immigrant about opposing drivers licenses for illegal aliens.

Secondly, should a sitting member of the city council be putting his name out there promoting an issue like this?

We don't think so. But his actions are consistent with someone who takes the oath of office to uphold the laws of the land, then sees no problem with advocating for illegal aliens.

I say it's time to vote AGAINST Juan Figeuroa to give him more time to represent the illegal segment of Elgin's population.

TOMORROW is election day.
VOTE FOR RICHARD DUNNE, JOHN PRIGGE, and MIKE ROBINS!

The image

ESO, Mozart, Soprano Arianna Zukerman, and Shi-Yeon Sung conducting. At the Hemmens.

Sure to bring the well-heeled to town, something we could use right now. People with the power to bring manufacturing jobs to town, or invest in the real estate, or simply tell their friends what a great place Elgin is.

But as they pulled into the parking lot they were greeted by this:
Sorry about the poor quality of the photo. Let me describe the scene. A large pylon sign on the corner advertising the fees for remittances to Mexico. I asked the city to get the sign torn down, but that never happened. The building itself is empty. It used to be an office for George Irizarry.

Look closer at the wall. "SUR13" gang graffiti adorns the wall.

Of course, they might ignore all that and look at how nice the library is in the background.

But I'm guessing the movers and shakers who came to listen to Mozart left with a less-than-favorable impression of Elgin.