Association for Legal Americans

Broken Windows Theory, Illustrated

2011-08-07T18:11:00.006-05:00

On July 10th we posted photos of three broken windows at the Gail Borden Public Library.
Today I drove by and now there are SEVEN.

They never did replace the first three, proving the Broken Windows Theory has merit.

If you don't fix vandalized property promptly, the lack of respect grows and you have more broken windows.

On another note, none of the four broken windows at The Centre have been replaced either. What a black mark on our city.

UPDATE: The windows at The Centre were replaced sometime on or about September 2nd. Still no replacements at the library.

Update #2: Sometime between 9/13 and 9/18 the windows were finally replaced at the library. What a shame it took so long. Who would build a building with glass that takes two and a half months to replace? Answer: The government.

Safer than Naperville

2011-07-10T11:08:00.007-05:00

Take in the idyllic beauty of quiet downtown Elgin.
Look at the public money spent to beautify it and command respect from the residents.
The architectural streetlamps, the patriotic banners, the planter boxes, the real brick pavers, the recreation center, the parking garage...
But just around the corner Elgin's rec center, called The Centre, has four broken windows . Unlike the library, they appear to be shot out.

And they are a pain to replace. They had one lane of Kimball blocked yesterday with a snorkel unit attempting to reach from the street to the broken windows. I guess they had trouble because the windows haven't been replaced and the snorkel is parked in the lot just west of The Centre.
Broken window #1. Near the Northeast corner by the running track. Note the rowhouses across the street.
Broken window #2, between the running track and the pool.

Broken window #3 at the daycare area.

Broken window #4 at the pool.

Security camera guarding the city vehicle parking lot.Once again, this is happening on a busy street a block away from the police station.

But crime is way down according to authorities.

UPDATE: The windows at The Centre were replaced sometime on or about September 2nd.

Smash and Grab...

2011-07-10T10:55:00.004-05:00

...at the computer lab.

These photos were taken today at the Gail Borden Public Library in Elgin, Illinois.
When you combine an abundance of ROCKS...

...with the temptation of computers in the window...
...you get broken windows.
There are THREE of them currently as indicated by the arrows.Now, this library has gone all out to serve the community. They just opened a teen center. They have summer programs and a coffee shop and free Internet access and free videos and free music downloads and a medieval exhibit...

I'm thinking Nanny is a bit upset about what they get in return.

Where do we go from here? I don't know. These break-ins are right along Kimball Street, not along the back side of the building. When they are that determined, only a high fence will keep them out.

Update: Sometime between 9/13 and 9/18 the windows were FINALLY replaced. Any way you look at it, the broken windows were neglected for too long.

Bumper cars in Elgin

2011-06-07T09:20:00.001-05:00

Courier News

June 7, 2011

Six injured: Six people were sent to Elgin hospitals with minor injuries after a two-car crash at 4:20 p.m. Monday at Harrison and Jay streets, police said. Elgin resident Maria Vera, 35, was cited with failure to yield to a left turn and no valid driver’s license after the car she was driving struck an auto driven by Amanda Delapena, 33 (no hometown listed), police said. Delapena and four children riding in her car were taken to Provena Saint Joseph Hospital, police said. Vera declined hospital transport at the scene, but requested hospital transport after arriving at the Elgin jail and was taken to Sherman Hospital with minor injuries, according to authorities. Police also cited Delapena with driving on a suspended license and no proof of insurance.

Source:

http://couriernews.suntimes.com/news/5807999-418/6-hurt-in-two-vehicle-crash-in-elgin-injuries-minor.html

Jobs created, saved...

2011-06-01T10:45:00.004-05:00

...or perpetuated.

We blogged here about the Elgin streetscape project, and warned that brick pavers don't weather well under severe weather conditions like ice and snow.

But we didn't realize we'd have problems so soon. Just last year they installed brick crosswalks along Douglas, south of Kimball to Highland.

The other day they had the road closed at the City Hall parking lot while they worked on the brick crosswalk.

Then yesterday they were at the Kimball crosswalk, doing the same thing. I didn't have my camera but I watched them for a few minutes. There were two guys and an Alaniz Landscaping Group forklift blocking the lane. There was a large scoop resting on the sidewalk, filled with sand. And the forklift bore a pallet-load of brick pavers. And they had a wet saw.

The workers were digging bricks out of the crosswalk, staring at them, tapping them, and then putting them in. I assume they were replacing some of them as well.

Keep in mind, these bricks were installed less than a year ago.

I hope this is warranty work, but we are talking about a government project.

Here's a photo of the crosswalk today.
Oh, and don't forget...your property taxes are due today.

Overtaxed by design

2011-05-09T09:39:00.009-05:00

It’s no secret that the value of your house has dropped as a result of the recession. A 30-40% drop is not unusual.

So, why doesn't your tax bill reflect a 30-40% drop in "Fair Cash Value?" Is Elgin somehow immune to the forces of economics? Well, we know that’s not true. Elgin has been a hotbed of foreclosures.

Here's what the Kane County Treasurer is saying my house is worth.

Do you see a nosedive in my property values in 2005? Neither do I. In fact, here it is 2011 and they are showing only a modest dip in what my home is worth.

Maybe the tax man can’t get current data from which to calculate the value of your home. Well, that’s not true either. Every real estate transaction and refi is recorded at the county. That’s a core service of county government.

So why does Zillow, a private company that gets all the data from real estate transactions, foreclosures, tax bills, and refi values from the same source (Kane County) come up with far different numbers than the ones that appear on your tax bill?

Here's what Zillow says has been happening in Elgin and to MY home over the last decade:

And here you see the percent of value change from year to year. The green line is how my home value has changed according to my tax bill and the blue line is the REAL market change.

Over a ten year period, the Kane County tax man says my home has gone up by 58%. But the REAL cash value of my home is only 6% higher! Quite a difference.

Now, the tax man says the change in value can lag by three years due to the assessment cycle. Even that isn't true, as the charts above reveal.

But try to get an explanation and you get this:
The city proudly boasts that our tax rate hasn't gone up in 20 years.
The county board tells you they don't assess your property.
The assessor says he doesn't set the rate of your taxes.
The county treasurer says he only sends out the bills, based on the figures he was given.
The county recorder only records transactions.

If you want something done, you must do it yourself. First, you need to see if your "Fair Cash Value" is far higher than your house would sell for these days. You will then need to pay $300-400 to have a real estate appraisal done. (NOTE: You do NOT need a lawyer or a specialist to do this for you.)

Take the paperwork to the township assessors office at the Elgin Township building on South McLean Blvd and show them that they have been charging you too much property tax. They will reduce your bill NEXT year. They will NOT rebate what they've been overcharging you all these years.

Now, it's OK for the state to skip payments. It's OK for federal block grants to dry up. But you have to beg for an honest tax bill...because you're just the lowly old citizen and if you don't pay up, the Sheriff will sell your house for taxes.

Welcome to Illinois...

2011-05-06T19:05:00.002-05:00

...a sanctuary state.

They did it. The Illinois House passed the "Smart Enforcement Law," effectively unplugging the ICE screening process from the county jails. The Secure Communities program is sure to be discontinued in Kane and Lake Counties, since Sheriffs Pat Perez and Mark Curran were front men for the charade.

It is really a shame when they turn their backs on the oath of office.

News coverage here:
http://dailyherald.com/article/20110506/news/705069878//

Roll call here:
http://dailyherald.com/article/20110506/news/705069876/

Keith Farnham was true to his word and voted against it.

Now, on to the Senate, which means Mike Noland will get a shot at it.
No doubt he's all for any measure that makes it easier for illegal aliens to live here.

Ironic, isn't it.

2011-05-06T07:59:00.002-05:00

In the wake of the death of bin Laden, on May 2nd Homeland Security issues a press release telling us that they are cooperating with state and local law enforcement agencies to maintain "a heightened state of vigilance."
Then, on May 4th Governor Quinn sends them a letter telling them that the Illinois State Police will not cooperate with them on the Secure Communities program.

This just in...

2011-05-06T07:51:00.002-05:00

Farnham responds:

Hi Doug,

Rep. Farnham asked me to respond to your email. He is against HB 929, which would allow counties to opt out of the Secure Communities Act. He is hopeful that the federal government will get its act together and develop a comprehensive immigration plan. It is important for the federal government to play a central role in implementing a nationwide system, rather than having a patchwork of plans among states.

If you have any other questions please send me your contact number and I'll have Rep. Farnham call you to discuss further.

Thank you.

--
Marty McCormack
Legislative and Community Outreach Coordinator

I guess the key to getting a response is to tell him you're going to blog about it.

His position isn't very bold, given the fact that Quinn has neutered the ICE program with his recent letter.

Insecure Communities

2011-05-05T13:06:00.003-05:00

The politicians in Springfield have always had a soft spot for illegal aliens.

For example,

· Illinois is one of only ten states that give in-state tuition rates to illegal aliens.

· Illinois banned the use of E-Verify. It took a lawsuit by the Feds to rescind that ban.

· Illinois is the ONLY state in the nation that forbids municipalities from using E-Verify with their contractors, although the Feds REQUIRE E-Verify of all businesses doing business with Washington.

· Illinois has spent billions of dollars providing free health care to illegal aliens under the AllKids program.

So it shouldn’t come as a surprise that we are now sending official signals to Washington that they are deporting TOO MANY illegal aliens from Illinois.

Yesterday, May 4^th, Governor Quinn sent a letter to ICE telling them that Illinois will no longer participate in the Secure Communities program. Why? Because it deports too many people who have not been convicted of a violent crime.

Are they illegal aliens? Yes. Have they been correctly identified? Yes. Were they brought to a county jail as a suspect in a crime. Yes. Is there evidence of racial profiling? No.

But since he feels they are law-abiding illegal aliens, he doesn’t want them deported.

Now, a little background on Secure Communities. It was introduced by Homeland Security late in the Bush administration (Spring of 2008) and was to be rolled out in stages. First, they would set up shop in the county jails in areas known to have a high concentration of illegal aliens.

They tap into the fingerprint scanners at these county jails and check the records of known illegal aliens in real-time. They then put an immigration hold on that person.

Once the county is done with the perp, ICE is contacted. Now, was he convicted? Sometimes not. Depending on the States Attorney or the judge or some plea bargain or the capacity of the jail that day, maybe he wasn’t convicted.

And often ICE has no room at the inn, so he is released. At the end of the day, Secure Communities as it is currently funded cannot by any stretch of the imagination be considered to be picking up innocent illegal aliens off the streets and deporting them.

But Quinn has nixed the program. Note also that Springfield is working hard to get counties to opt out of Secure Communities in a misnamed bill called “Smart Enforcement Act.”

It should come as no surprise that Kane County Sheriff Pat Perez is a staunch supporter of the bill.

As for our Rep, Keith Farnham, I asked him for information on the bill on March 31, April 1 and April 15. I have not heard back from him. Perhaps YOU should send him an e-mail as well. He's at krfarnham@gmail.com

You’ll also be pleased to know that in honor of Cinco de Mayo Springfield has enhanced the illegal alien in-state tuition program to include participation in scholarships and the college savings program.

Welcome to Illinois, a Sanctuary State. (Also broke, overtaxed and overextended.)

Links to articles:

About Quinn’s letter to ICE

www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-ap-il-fingerprintingimm,0,6075609.story

About the in-state tuition changes

http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20110504/news/705049852//

A touch of class

2011-04-08T12:12:00.002-05:00

A tip of the hat...

2011-04-06T09:36:00.002-05:00

...to Elgin's new mayor.
Congratulations, David Kaptain.

The day has come...

2011-04-04T22:00:00.002-05:00

...to cast your vote.

ELECTION DAY.
Polls open at 6:00 am and close at 7:00 pm

Complaints about polling place violations?
Call the Kane County State's Attorney's Office
at (630) 208-5328.

In Cook County call the Vote fraud hotline
at (312) 603-0909.

Through the eyes...

2011-03-31T12:48:00.003-05:00

...of the bureaucrats.
Here's a document that is part of the City of Elgin's planning process. It shows the Assessed Value of all Elgin properties.

And here is what Elgin looks like, according to Zillow. Now, Zillow is a website that helps people looking for homes. It tracks the REALISTIC value of property, based on what people were willing to pay for homes in the area.
The green line in the chart above is the median value of homes in Elgin. The yellow line represents home values in zip code 60120. The brown line is the home value of 360 North Spring Street in the NENA area.

It is on the market for $110,000. The Kane County clerk is taxing it at $159,000.

We live in different worlds, don't we?

Schock and Warren improve downtown

2011-03-26T09:35:00.003-05:00

Recent back-room activity by Mayor Schock and Councilman Warren (both miraculously on the April ballot) has resulted in new space for the seniors on the east side of Elgin.
The map below shows the location of this new Revenue Drain to our "vibrant" downtown district.
Well, it does take care of two vacant storefronts. The Bandits office is still vacant. Maybe we're already paying for that space. Why not move in there?

By the way Ed, the cardiologists in town are complaining about the location. It's too close to Al's!

On a related note, Stegall has cast in his lot with Schock and Warren on this one. Look for changes in management at Dexter Court if Dave Kaptain wins.

Pardon me...

2011-03-22T10:21:00.003-05:00

...your math is showing.
Mayor Schock defended the Artspace project by saying that it would for the first time be paying property taxes.
Let's examine that for a moment. We are going to use $14.5 million tax dollars and maybe collect $100,000 in property taxes once it gets going.
It will take us 145 YEARS to return our investment!

CORRECTION! I made a mistake above. It is a wrong assumption to think the $14.5 million is the total investment. Remember that this will be SUBSIDIZED housing, so even more tax money will be pumped into the project. If the average per unit Section 8 subsidy reaches $151.52 per month, it will be mathematically impossible to begin paying off the debt.

The Downtown Details

2011-03-22T10:17:00.004-05:00

The red Vs are vacant storefronts.
The blue RDs are the revenue drains in town, things like government agencies and non-revenue producing organizations.
If not for the banks and the churches, it would be a ghost town!

Index to Forum Rebuttals

2011-03-19T17:39:00.004-05:00

We've been busy posting information about the forum responses from Mayor Schock and Councilman Kaptian on Wednesday 16, 2011. Here's an index to those rebuttals:

What we THINK Schock meant when he said property values are UP in the central district:
http://elginlegalamericans.blogspot.com/2011/03/pass-dramamine.html

The absurdity of Schock's statement that he has done everything he legally can to fight illegal alien criminals in town:
http://elginlegalamericans.blogspot.com/2011/03/toughest-town-around.html

Ed said the white population in Elgin grew by 9%. Here's the census comparison:
http://elginlegalamericans.blogspot.com/2011/03/did-i-hear-him-right.html

A contraption to make sure things don't go over the heads of these two:
http://elginlegalamericans.blogspot.com/2011/03/making-point-stick.html

Photos taken March 18, 2011 of Schock's downtown success story:
http://elginlegalamericans.blogspot.com/2011/03/elgins-successful-downtown.html

Trying to get a handle on the immigration screening numbers thrown about at the forum:
http://elginlegalamericans.blogspot.com/2011/03/immigration-screening-numbers.html

My complaint about some vague numbers given out by the candidates, and an invitation for them to give us the source data:
http://elginlegalamericans.blogspot.com/2011/03/if-figures-lie.html

Wishing for something more about the rehab program:
http://elginlegalamericans.blogspot.com/2011/03/answer-question.html

Begging to differ on the pre-analysis of the four immigration initiatives:
http://elginlegalamericans.blogspot.com/2011/03/analyze-this.html

Analyze This!

2011-03-19T13:32:00.003-05:00

Remember this slide from the forum?

Obviously, I was after an answer but got lies. Strong language, I know, but the public record isn't there to support what they told you Wednesday night.

A little background on how the city operates is in order. Council members receive a packet of information a few days before their meetings. And they get BACKGROUND info on each proposal. (You can call up the entire packet for any recent meeting on-line.)
This background memo is provided by the staff. It follows a certain outline.

Item - Identifies it as a unique proposal
Objective - What they hope to accomplish
Recommendation - What city staff thinks ought to happen
Background - A paragraph summarizing why it is needed
Operational Analysis - Bid results mostly
Interested Persons Contacted - Lists the people with a vested interest and confirms that someone talked to them.
Financial Analysis - How much the project will cost
Budget Impact - Which fund it will come from, and how much money is available
Legal Impact - Did they follow the law in bidding and selecting
Alternatives - What else COULD be done
Next Step - What the council needs to do
Originators - Who prepared the proposal
Final Review - Who signed off on it
Approved - Where the city manager gives his approval

The council members can then look at the memo and have a pretty good idea of how something works and what it will cost us.

Contrary to what they BOTH told you Wednesday, there is no impact memo and there was no vote taken in open meeting on these initiatives.

In fact, they deliberately avoided any kind of proposal or ordinance because they didn't want to talk publicly about it and be forced to cast a vote.

They were afraid that AFLA would fill the council chambers and the Latino activists would do the same.

As a result, no one was assigned to do the random audits, there was no plan to analyze and report back to council and there was no money set aside to carry it out.

They had no intention of auditing city contractors for compliance with these initiatives.

NO VOTE, NO PLANNING, NO ACCOUNTABILITY.

And both Schock and Kaptain answered the question as though they had.

Is it any wonder that the initiatives came to naught in the end?

ANSWER THE QUESTION!

2011-03-19T09:50:00.003-05:00

Because of limited time, we were unable to do much following up with the answers given by the candidates on Wednesday. Those present surely realized that they weren't answering the questions, but rather giving the canned answers they had prepared.

A case in point is the question on the Stimulus Rehabs. It was, "How is this supposed to stabilize these neighborhoods?"

Ed talked on and on about the poor condition of these homes, but never explained the concept as it applies to the neighborhoods.

So, we dump a bunch of money into these homes and sell them as though they were just like the surrounding home prices. One lucky family gets a bargain.

So what? The neighbors are not going to be motivated by this subsidized home with laminate floors, new walls and new toilets. They will never see all the money dumped inside.

After a few years the paint on the outside will peel and the place will look just like the rest.

I repeat the question, How is this supposed to stabilize these neighborhoods?

If figures lie...

2011-03-19T09:42:00.002-05:00

...what does that say for vague statements?

Ed Schock made a couple of vague statements at our forum.

One was that the $700,000 investment in the failed Bandits softball field paid for itself in tax revenue from local hotels and restaurants.

I would really like to see his figures to back that up.

The second statement was regarding sustainability. Is it REALLY paying its own way? Show me the data. I agree that some portions of the agenda pay for themselves through savings, but there is all sorts of baggage that does not. Show us the numbers, gentlemen. And show us those numbers in the context of the entire bill for the green agenda.

Immigration Screening Numbers

2011-03-19T09:30:00.003-05:00

Ed Schock came up with a number of 300 illegal aliens detected in Elgin and 20 deported.
Dave Kaptain came up with yet another number.

I guess we need to know the time frame here. I feel reasonably confident that 340 illegals were detected between March 1, 2008 and April 30, 2009.

Why? Because EPD provided me a list every month during that time period and I compiled it. The list had sufficient detail (Name, DOB, case#, FBI#, ICE response...) to lead me to believe it was legitimate. And Microsoft Excel adds reasonably well.

I can only guess that Ed's 300 was for the year 2010. That would be believable.
But even Schock's number changes. In October, 90% were not illegal. In March the number is now 95%.

Neither candidate had an answer about their response to the data. I can't get any more direct than to ask, "What ACTION did you take upon reviewing this data?"

In my mind, a responsible city council would have called the police chief into an open meeting and explain that the public safety is at stake, then develop a plan...sort of like the flurry of activity surrounding the green agenda.

They did nothing. Womack continued to dig in her heels and the mayor and city council refused to discuss the issue in council meetings.

Elgin's "Successful" Downtown

2011-03-18T16:24:00.005-05:00

If you will recall, I asked the question about the wisdom of dumping another $8 million into the River Walk after the lack of success with streetscaping schemes over the years, Festival Park, the condos, Prairie Rock, Walton Islands, the Overlook, the library...
Why throw good money after bad?
Schock's answer shocked me. He said these projects have been successful because property values in the downtown district have gone UP.
So I took a little drive and snapped some photos of downtown TODAY. I've got to admit, it looked worse than I thought it would. I didn't have any trouble parking, that's for sure!

The Tower Building has space for rent. That's no surprise.

I got a chuckle out of this one. It was the old Bandits office.
Mad Maggie's is indeed CLOSED.

This building used to be owned by Rep. Keith Farnham. Don't know now.

Quiznos, now closed.

These photos were all taken on Douglas, Grove, Fulton and Spring Streets.

And the mayor calls this a success? Clearly he's missing the point about downtown, the blight and the failure of throwing government money at it.

Making a point stick

2011-03-18T13:57:00.003-05:00

At the AFLA forum on Wednesday I tried (using a photo of my grandchildren) to impress upon Mayor Schock and Councilman Kaptain the notion that grants are NOT free money.

Illinois is broke and so is the nation. We are printing money backed by nothing but debt to the likes of China.

The objective is to leave something to your grandchildren, not leave them with a debt to pay for our reckless spending.

My point was that grabbing some pork for Elgin instead of Rockford is a fool's game when we are paying for it with interest.

But both of them rambled on, spouting the revenue source as this grant or that. There was no acknowledgment that grants are not free money at all.

So I got to thinking that neither candidate has any bangs. Maybe these concepts are sailing over the top. Here's a visor that just might trap a few of these ideas so they fall down right before their eyes.

Did I hear him right?

2011-03-18T11:52:00.003-05:00

At the March 16th forum, I thought I heard Ed Schock say that the white population in Elgin GREW by 9%.
And that the growth is due to higher fertility among Latinos.

It appears to me that the census comparison would indicate that the white only population DROPPED in both percentage and actual numbers.

...and that the ADULTS grew faster than the under 18 group.

Just another example of playing fast-and-loose with the data at the forums.

Toughest town around

2011-03-18T10:50:00.002-05:00

Mayor Schock told us at the recent forum that Elgin is doing everything legally possible to curb the presence of illegal aliens in town. He challenged us to name any town that is doing MORE.

Well, let’s give you a little chronology on immigration enforcement in Elgin.

May 2006

Here’s where the enforcement strategy comes in. On May 10, 2006 I received an E-mail response from Lt. Cecil Smith of the Elgin Police. My question was regarding the immigration status of people booked at the jail. Lt. Smith replied, “We do not determine the legal or illegal status of any person being processed. Therefore to asnwer (sic) your question”what do you do next?”. The processing/booking of the person would continue. They would be charge (sic) with the appropriate offense and he/she is either allowed to post bail and released or taken to bond call before a judge. We do not handle immigration issues.”

June 2006

On June 14, 2006 I spoke at the Elgin city council meeting and presented each council member with a binder of data and a list of recommendations to improve our cooperation with federal agencies regarding illegal alien enforcement. My recommendations included:

Fraudulent document training
Enforcement of Fraudulent ID laws
Instructions about the Mexican Drivers License
Use of the ICE database to screen people booked
Notification of ICE when an illegal alien is in the city lock up
Assisting ICE with transport of illegal aliens to ICE facilities
Becoming a 287g agency.

My request was ignored, so I came back and spoke again…and again…and again…

July 2006

On July 26, 2006 Elgin Police Chief Lisa Womack presented her recommendation to the city council: Do nothing beyond what is already being done. She said they had a good working relationship with ICE and saw no need to do more.

The council members did not engage her in discussion, but simply accepted the report.

I continued to speak at council meetings for several weeks in a row.

(Note: In June of 2006 Elgin could have applied for a 287g partnership. The waiting list was short and they were processing applications around the country. The waiting list later grew to hundreds of police departments requesting 287g training.)

January 2008 (A YEAR AND A HALF LATER)

The city issues its “Four Initiatives” press release. Item #1 was applying for ICE ACCESS.

ICE ACCESS isn’t really a program per se. It is more like a menu of services. It is a list of the various programs available from the federal government that may be of use to a local law enforcement agency.

ICE ACCESS was nothing more than a request to sit down with ICE, look at the programs together and sign an agreement for one or more of those programs.

We waited. Nothing happened.

January 2009 (Another YEAR gone by)

I made a Freedom of Information request to the city on January 26, 2009 in an attempt to determine what efforts had been made on ICE ACCESS and what results had been achieved. On February 2, 2009 the city attorney’s office responded that they had made a handful of phone calls and requests for an ICE ACCESS meeting. But no meeting was ever held.

February 2010 (Yet another YEAR gone by)

Police Chief Lisa Womack continues to hold to her position that the city and the police department are doing all that they can.

On February 24, 2010 Womack is talking on a conference call with other police chiefs regarding immigration enforcement. Here’s what the Daily Herald reported:

"If there was a local solution to this issue, and this goes back to my Texas roots, the border states would have already figured it out," said Womack, who was police chief in Sugarland, Texas, before coming to Elgin in 2005. "In my opinion, there is not a local solution."

…and "Immigration law and enforcement is a federal law enforcement matter ... We have no one voice on this issue and it has been polarizing at times for this community."

source: http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20100226/news/302269953/#ixzz1GxoBEPWi

April 2010

Lisa Womack is released from her duties as Elgin Police Chief

Do you see any leadership or aggressive pursuit of federal help on the part of Mayor Ed Schock? From June 2006 to April of 2010, the only success story on immigration enforcement in Elgin is the 100% screening that AFLA called for.

And the screening is a disappointment because they never DID ANYTHING with the data. Here they had specific detail they could have used to put pressure on Springfield and Washington, and all they did was sit on it.

When Jeff Swoboda takes over as chief of police things begin to happen. Here’s a couple of articles on the subject.

April 29, 2010, on the heels of an ICE sweep:

Elgin Police Chief Jeff Swoboda said the sweep was a good example of how his department is working with ICE.

"The Elgin Police Department will work with any federal agency that will help us in ridding the city of gang members and reducing crime," he said.

(Daily Herald)

On October 26, 2010 the Daily Herald ran this story:

Elgin has a new means to root out gang members, but the city's police chief warns it's not a cure-all by any means.

The department has assigned a detective to be a member of the Public Safety/Gang Unit task force the operates under the Immigrations and Customs Enforcement office, or ICE.

“We're the first local agency to have an officer in the unit. It's another tool in our toolbox,” said Police Chief Jeff Swoboda. “

Their No. 1 charge is going after gang members.”

Swoboda also said the department also has an officer that works with ICE's Document and Benefit Fraud Task Force, which investigates stolen social security numbers and fake cards.

Remember when I went to the city council in June of 2006 asking for more involvement in the fraudulent ID problem? Well, we finally get something FOUR YEARS LATER!

And then on January 24, 2011 the Herald reported:

A two-day initiative dubbed “Operation Clean Sweep” allowed Elgin police officers to make 87 warrant arrests in cooperation with almost 20 federal, state, county and local agencies. The effort was one of the largest the city has ever initiated and one the Elgin Police Department is calling a tremendous success.

About 250 law enforcement personnel worked Friday and about 150 worked Saturday in a targeted sweep to reconcile outstanding warrants. Out of the 4,200 total warrants, Elgin chose to go after 225 people, apprehending about 40 percent of them.

In conclusion, it appears to me that after two years of fighting us on immigration enforcement, Ed Schock should not step out in front of Chief Swoboda’s parade and call it his own leadership. That’s just not right.

Pass the Dramamine

2011-03-18T07:26:00.008-05:00

At the forum Wednesday night (March 16, 2011), Ed Schock was spinning us around pretty good. I had hoped that Dave Kaptain would seize the moment, but he didn't. I had hoped the newspaper reporters would do a little fact-checking, but they didn't.

So, we're going to try to set the record straight.

When questioned about the lack of success in the downtown area renovation projects, Mayor Schock claimed that the public money spent there WAS productive. "Property values are up," he said.

And I wondered how he could say that. Restaurants have closed, condos are empty, office space is vacant...even the cowboy hat store/Mexican bus depot has closed.

Then I figured out where he's getting his numbers. It dawned on me that he was reading the tax bills.

He should know better than to do that. We showed the Kimball Street row house listed at $120,000, down from $400,000 per unit during the initial offering. Most of those units were never sold. But if you looked at the tax bills, you'd think things were just fine.

Here's an example of what I mean. 692 Summit Street.
Here's a chart of the taxes paid on the home:Everything looks prosperous and successful, right?
And here's what the tax man says the house is worth (Assessed Value x 3):Wow! This home is worth 33% more than it was six years ago, according to the tax rolls.

But the REALITY is that the home is worth far less. And here's a chart showing the estimated market value of the home:

But it gets WORSE. Here's the ACTUAL home value according to the real estate transactions and past offering prices:

The REALITY is that the home won't even sell for $59,900 and yet the property value on the book at Kane County shows the home worth $182,541.

So, here's the charitable view of what he told us about downtown Elgin: Ed Schock is living in a bureaucrat's world of tax assessment, oblivious to the reality of vacancies and distressed properties.

And here's a less charitable view of what he said: He's spinning the truth at the forums.

More to come on other topics he told us about.

Kaptain and Schock face off!

2011-02-17T11:13:00.002-06:00

AFLA is sponsoring a forum for the position of Mayor of Elgin.
Date: March 16th, 2011
Time: 7:00 pm
Place: American Legion Hall
820 North Liberty
Elgin 60120

Got a question for them?
E-mail it to: dwhite9845@aol.com

Save the date. Bring a friend.

Elgin Elections Coming Up

2011-02-13T20:52:00.002-06:00

No doubt you are aware of elections for mayor and city council in April.
We will be posting information here about the candidates and their positions.
We've also got a candidate forum in the works for the mayor.
Stay tuned...

Back in Business

2010-03-02T13:42:00.002-06:00

After a little R & R, AFLA is getting back to work.

Be sure to take a peek at the website here:
http://sites.google.com/site/aflaelgin/

And send us your comments here:
http://sites.google.com/site/aflaelgin/home/contact-us

There are some real stinkers on the ballot in November (Noland, Dalton, Perez) so we need to get ready for them. And the threat of amnesty for illegal aliens is poised ready to be rammed through congress.

Join the cause. Stay informed.

The not-so-merry-go-'round

2009-09-25T15:25:00.005-05:00

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

2009-09-23T13:03:00.004-05:00

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

2009-09-12T15:03:00.003-05:00

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...

2009-09-09T13:50:00.004-05:00

…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

2009-09-05T15:15:00.002-05:00

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!

2009-08-05T14:04:00.001-05:00

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

2009-08-03T19:24:00.002-05:00

Testing the system

2009-07-27T11:02:00.002-05:00

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

2009-07-11T12:15:00.002-05:00

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"

2009-06-29T13:18:00.004-05:00

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

2009-06-24T08:52:00.003-05:00

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

2009-06-21T14:28:00.002-05:00

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

2009-06-12T08:22:00.002-05:00

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

2009-06-11T12:04:00.004-05:00

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

2009-06-06T10:49:00.000-05:00

(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

2009-06-06T10:42:00.004-05:00

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)

2009-05-30T08:53:00.001-05:00

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

2009-05-26T17:11:00.003-05:00

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

2009-05-21T13:36:00.000-05:00

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?

2009-05-08T11:56:00.002-05:00

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

2009-04-30T09:13:00.002-05:00

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

2009-04-30T07:40:00.001-05:00

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

2009-04-29T11:23:00.003-05:00

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

2009-04-26T16:29:00.001-05:00

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

2009-04-25T11:07:00.002-05:00

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

2009-04-20T17:42:00.002-05:00

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

2009-04-15T16:22:00.003-05:00

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

Just the facts

2009-04-13T12:37:00.000-05:00

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

2009-04-09T19:52:00.002-05:00

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

2009-04-09T09:36:00.003-05:00

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

2009-04-09T09:30:00.002-05:00

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

2009-04-08T07:45:00.003-05:00

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

2009-04-06T23:38:00.003-05:00

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"

2009-04-06T10:26:00.003-05:00

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

2009-04-05T09:24:00.003-05:00

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.

On the air

2009-04-05T07:37:00.001-05:00

Dave and Doug will be on WRMN tomorrow (Monday) at 8:oo am.
Tune in to AM 1410 to listen.

Beyond flashlights, "we're doing all we can", and "federal issue"

2009-04-05T07:32:00.004-05:00

Here are the answers about immigration enforcement from Dunne, Prigge, and Robins at the LWV forum:
Richard Dunne: First of all, I believe this is a federal issue with a lot of local ramifications. The first thing we have to do is to take care of the local ramifications. Before that, some of the items that needed to be addressed we didn’t take an opportunity to address. There’s training of our police department. Our police department could have gone to receive training from ICE. We didn’t avail ourselves of that training. Fifteen months we’ve waited for ICE to respond back to us. That was fifteen months too long. The program today is not being funded. We do not know if the funding is going to come back. If it comes back the police department should avail themselves of that, because they might come back with a lot of great, creative ideas on how to handle the situation. Without that training, we don’t know. But in the meantime we need to make sure that we enforce all of the adopted codes of the city of Elgin. Those are the codes on property maintenance which come into overcrowding, and all of the other codes of the city of Elgin. Property maintenance is very particular to be enforced to make sure that we don’t have any issues of overcrowding which comes down to a life/safety issue that need to be addressed as a life/safety issue across the entire city.

John Prigge: Illegal aliens and illegal immigration in Elgin is it’s #1 problem. I’ve said that since the very, very beginning. Is the city doing everything? Absolutely not. We asked for ICE help 15 months ago and haven’t gotten it, and haven’t followed up and asked. I wouldn’t wait for a magazine subscription to start for 15 months. I wouldn’t wait for a doctor appointment for 15 months. I sure as heck would never wait 15 months to ask the federal government to follow up on a letter. We need to form a coalition as is being done in every city on other issues…form a coalition with other cities to go to the federal government, to go to ICE, and say, “Look, we need help. We’ve not a citizen base of 107,000 asking. We are a coalition of cities asking for help.” This needs to be done. There are solutions that I have on my website and accurately portrayed in the Daily Herald a few days ago. The issue is, forming a coalition and treating the problem. You can’t solve it. It is a federal issue. It is, to solve it. But to treat it, we can do some things to make Elgin not so pretty for this type of activity.

Mike Robins: There’s a little waffling going on all over the place with this tonight. Some of the things that were brought up are definitely racial profiling. When you look at my website there’s a constructive issues to what we can do with landlords and what we can enforce with their renters license as far as overcrowding and illegal immigration. A lot of the issues lately brought up with the economy, OK, illegal immigration has some strong impact with the economy. Some of the incumbents bring up this lawsuit situation. It’s a scare tactic. I talked to judges about this; not attorneys, judges. There’s things the city can continue to follow through on that’s not going to get a lawsuit started. The city did apply for the ACCESS situation through ICE, but the city did NOT request the 287g. So we do have Operation Shield going on, and a few other things. Again, we can’t put everything on the police department. We can’t put everything on the chief.

Bus tickets - April 15th

2009-04-03T07:53:00.003-05:00

There is a rally on April 15th in Chicago to protest the state of government in this country. if you're tired of bail-outs and corporate take-overs, now is the time to get off the couch, stand up and be counted.

There will be tour buses leaving from Elgin but you'll need to reserve a seat.

The cost is $16 and they will take us right to Federal Plaza and pick us up after the rally.

If you want to go, call Joe at 224-629-8062. He'll save you a seat and tell you where to send the money.

Other voices on illegal aliens

2009-04-03T07:37:00.003-05:00

Once again, from the League of Women Voters Candidate Night, March 30th. First Brenda Harris Khan, then Mike Warren:
Brenda Harris Khan: I believe that things that we can do right now to help the situation of illegals in any city. One of the things we can do is to get together as neighbors in a neighborhood, get together with your neighborhood organization and make citizen patrols. Make your neighborhoods a nice place for families to live and walk around and make it an unpleasant place for those who are illegal and in gangs and who want to conduct their illegal business. Make it unpleasant for them. Make it uncomfortable for them. Don’t hide in your houses. Go out. Get together with flashlights. Walk around and say, if you see someone, ask them what they’re doing. Ask them if they’ve seen anything going on that shouldn’t be going on, and find out what’s going on. And tell them that you’re watching. Tell them that you’re out there and you’re watching. Make it unpleasant for them. They’ll leave.

Mike Warren: I think you’ve heard a lot about illegal immigration and the programs that the city has. I think I would bring a balanced approach. We need to work with our neighborhoods. We need to work with our police department. We also need to work with our neighbors. We need to work with the county level, the Fox Valley area, because it is a problem that Elgin cannot solve. But I think it goes back to being safe in your home. We need to make sure that we devote the resources to have strong neighborhood groups and a strong conduit to our police department and our city council and city hall. Make sure that we devote the resources to those areas, that everybody feels safe in their home.

Warren seems to have borrowed the neighborhood involvement idea from Khan and the coalition idea from Prigge.

Emi on illegal aliens

2009-04-03T07:25:00.002-05:00

On March 30th, 2 year council candidate Emi Morales gave this answer when asked about illegal aliens and enforcement:
I support the measures that the city council has already enacted. In regards to what some of the other candidates have spoken about, the 287g program I have had the ability to research on. And to expand a little bit on what Ms. Rodgers has stated, 287g they do not have programming funds to implement that. And as many of you have stated that you don’t feel safe in your communities and feel that as far as seeing police in your communities has been down. If we do implement this program, our own funds from the city will have to be used to implement this program, and therefore that will take away from the policemen being out in your community policing. And that will lead to racial profiling because they will be out there looking for undocumented residents. I think that we need to relook at that and really rethink that. And I think our residents really need to rethink that. We are facing a really tough time right now economically and to utilize our funds to that program I don’t think would be the direction that our residents want us to go on.

I have a copy of the "playbook" issued by La Raza called, "Sample Talking Points- Why shouldn't local police enforce federal immigration laws?- A toolkit for advocates."

Among the "Talking Points"
~It's too expensive
~It takes away from other police duties
~It leads to racial profiling

Hmmmm.

Jerks!

2009-04-03T07:14:00.002-05:00

There must be something special about this Mike Robins, 2 year city council candidate. For the THIRD TIME some jerks stole the Mike Robins yard signs. And they didn't stop at my yard. They stole others on the main streets as well.

Who is behind it? Well, his opponents are:
Emi Morales
Mike Warren
Brenda Rodgers

It must be someone from one of those campaigns, don't you think? Who else would have a motive? Besides, I have Prigge and Dunne signs in my yard. They are never touched. Two doors down they have a Figueroa sign. It's still there. They have a fixation on Mike Robins signs.

The police have been told all three times.

Somebody really wants to keep Robins out of office. I wonder why?

Vote for Mike Robins and tell all your friends to do the same. After all, they aren't likely to see his yard signs around town.

The incumbents on illegal aliens

2009-04-02T11:29:00.002-05:00

Here are the latest quotes from the incumbents, spoken at the League of Women Voters on March 30th. The topic was the illegal alien problem and enforcement:
John Walters: Elgin does every legal thing it can do right now. First of all, every person arrested is screened, we get a profile from the jail, contractors are scrutinized under E-Verify, we E-Verify all of our own people, we have helped out (garbled audio) in certain areas.
The next step folks, they’re going to tell you differently, but the next step is a lawsuit for racial profiling, something the city of Elgin cannot afford.
Comment: Didn't Walters say at our forum that contractors weren't scrutinized because we never had the manpower for it? As for his comments about racial profiling, I hope this doesn't turn out like the shot fired by the council in July of 2004 that began the U46 lawsuit.

Juan Figueroa: I think the city of Elgin has done what has to be done. We had listened to a community organization in town that was very concerned about illegal immigration. That organization submitted seven proposals. Out of those seven we passed at least two important ones. The first one is having better communication with the ICE, basically report I would say having better reporting, that we are holding at the jail, city jail. So those are better communication with ICE and also the booking at the city jail. I think that’s what we need to do. In order to do it better we need to continue enhancing that relationship with ICE.
Comment: It sounds like he's not particularly impatient with ICE.

Bob Gilliam: When it comes to illegal immigration I was approached, along with Dave Kaptain, by AFLA to talk about what we could do about immigration. And we met with AFLA and on behalf of the city council we agreed to do all the things that John Walters indicated. After our meeting with them and passing those new regulations we’ve done everything legal that you can do under the law. If you look at AFLA’s website you’ll see where Dave White said that he’s happy that the city took an interest, he’s happy with what the city is doing toward illegal immigration. This is on their website and I have some copies for you outside. They were happy with that, and with ICE. You cannot make ICE do anything. Have you ever tried to get the federal government to do something? You can’t do it. We’ve asked them to come. If they say no, what do we do? We have a relationship with ICE. We work with them. They take the people that we refer to them. They do a good job for us so far. You cannot make ICE do anything. You can’t make the federal government respond. It’s just impossible.
Comment: I think Mr. Gilliam is making reference to this statement on our website. We were pleased to see some action at the time. Our enthusiasm waned as we saw the actual implementation. At the time (January 2008) we wrote:
"This is a big step for the city. We are grateful for their announcement and look forward to seeing these initiatives enforced. AFLA plans to monitor their compliance in these matters.We are particularly interested in the outcome of the ICE ACCESS meeting. It could be significant (we hope so) or simply a rehash of programs we already have. As you know 287g is an ICE ACCESS program as well as the CAP officer. It would be great to see either of these programs implemented."
Here's another interesting warning from AFLA about ICE ACCESS:
http://elginlegalamericans.blogspot.com/search?q=chinese+menu
We must say here and now that Bob Gilliam and Dave Kaptain were the two council members who would talk to us. Gilliam deserves some credit for that.

Note: I apologize for any misquoting here. The sound system was terrible. I think I accurately represented the remarks.

Last call for EARLY VOTING

2009-04-01T12:04:00.002-05:00

Here's the information I was able to gather about EARLY VOTING:
Early Voting Rule –
Must present a Government Issued PHOTO ID to vote

Kane County
City of Elgin
150 Dexter Ct, Elgin
04/01/2009 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
04/02/2009 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM

Elgin Township
729 S McLean Blvd, Elgin
04/01/2009 9:00 AM - 3:00 PM
04/02/2009 9:00 AM - 3:00 PM

Gail Borden Library
270 N Grove Ave, Elgin
04/01/2009 1:00 PM - 8:00 PM
04/02/2009 1:00 PM - 8:00 PM

Cook County
Streamwood Village Hall
301 E. Irving Park Road
Streamwood
(630) 736-3800
04/01/2009 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
04/02/2009 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM

Hoffman Estates Village Hall
1900 Hassell Road
Hoffman Estates
(847) 882-9100
04/01/2009 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
04/02/2009 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM

Election Day is Tuesday, April 7th

Loaded question

2009-03-31T09:31:00.002-05:00

I was at the League of Women Voters city council candidate forum last night and the moderator asked this question:
"What other steps do you recommend we do with this quote-unquote illegal immigration problem? Would you recommend stopping people on the street, going into local businesses, stopping drivers, or knocking on residential doors while we wait for ICE to come to their senses?"

There is so much extra baggage attached to that question that it would give Paris Hilton's bellhops hernias.

But one must consider that the League has taken a position on the illegal alien crisis and the tone of this question goes right along with it. Below is the LWVUS official stand on illegals:
LWVUS Immigration Position
The League of Women Voters believes that immigration policies should promote reunification of immediate families; meet the economic, business and employment needs of the United States; and be responsive to those facing political persecution or humanitarian crises. Provision should also be made for qualified persons to enter the U.S. on student visas. All persons should receive fair treatment under the law.

The League supports federal immigration law that provides an efficient, expeditious system (with minimal or no backlogs) for legal entry of immigrants into the U.S.

To complement these goals the League supports federal policies to improve economies, education, job opportunities, and living conditions in nations with large emigrating populations.

In transition to a reformed system, the League supports provisions for unauthorized immigrants already in the country to earn legal status

The League supports federal payments to impacted communities to address the financial costs borne by states and local governments with large immigrant populations.

Criteria for Legal Admission to the U.S.

The League supports the following criteria for legal admission of persons into the United States:

Family reunification of spouses or minor children with authorized immigrants or citizens;
Flight from persecution or response to humanitarian crises in home countries;
Economic, business and employment needs in the U.S.;
Education and training needs of the U.S.;
Educational program opportunities; and
Lack of a history of serious criminal activity.
Administration and Enforcement

The League supports due process for all persons, including the right to a fair hearing, right to counsel, right of appeal and right to humane treatment.

The League supports:

Improved technology to facilitate employer verification of employee status;
Verification documents, such as status cards and work permits, with secure identifiers;
Significant fines and penalties for employers who hire unauthorized workers;
Improved technology for sharing information among federal agencies;
More effective tracking of individuals who enter the United States; and
Increased personnel at borders.
The League also supports programs allowing foreign workers to enter and leave the U.S. to meet seasonal or sporadic labor needs.

Unauthorized Immigrants Already in the U.S.

In achieving overall policy goals, the League supports a system for unauthorized immigrants already in the country to earn legal status, including citizenship, by paying taxes, learning English, studying civics and meeting other relevant criteria. While policy reforms, including a path to legal status, remain unachieved, the League does not support deporting unauthorized immigrants who have no history of criminal activity.

http://www.lwv.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=LWVUSImmigrationStudy&CONTENTID=11176&TEMPLATE=/CM/ContentDisplay.cfm

Send a tea bag

2009-03-29T19:31:00.002-05:00

There is a national movement to make a statement to our elected officials.

The idea is to send them a tea bag so they get it before tax day on April 15th.

Here's a list of my elected officials. Your list may vary depending on where you live.
President Barack Obama
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue
Washington, DC 20500

Rep Bill Foster
27 North River Street
Batavia, IL 60510

Senator Dick Durbin
309 Hart Senate Office Bldg.
Washington, DC 20510

Senator Roland Burris
523 Dirksen Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510

Senator Mike Noland
M115 State House
Springfield, IL 62706

Rep Keith Farnham
244-N Stratton Bldg.
Springfield, IL 62706

Governor Pat Quinn
207 State Capitol
Springfield, IL 62706

Kane County Chairman
Karen McConnaughay
719 Batavia Avenue, Building A
Geneva, Illinois 60134

Elgin Mayor Ed Schock
355 Jefferson Ave
Elgin, IL 60120

The tea bag symbolically says: We're out here. We're not real happy with the way government is run.

For those of you who would like to go downtown on April 15th and protest personally, a group is putting together a bus trip. I think it'll cost you about $20 for the bus ride.
Here's the contact if you are interested:
Joe Miller email: de3man@sbcglobal.net
phone: 224-629-8062

The evil love darkness

2009-03-27T08:41:00.002-05:00

There are four lights in the tunnel under Summit Street at Hiawatha. Here's what they look like today. (Photo taken 3/26/09)

The city did a make-over of the tunnel last July. They installed the vandal-resistant lights, added trash bins at each end, put on a fresh coat of paint, and poured a new walkway underneath to take care of the drainage problems.

But within two weeks of the installation, they began spray painting over the lenses.

The city has spent a significant amount of money to light the way for our youth.

It's really sad, don't you think?

John 3:19

A chance to give some feedback

2009-03-26T14:46:00.002-05:00

Here's an Elgin Public Works Survey.
It is mostly about parking, but also has questions about leaf pick up, snow removal, and street sweeping. It's only a few questions.

Click here if you wish to take the survey:
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=aw_2fXw_2fCkKC672z_2fZ8gXAkw_3d_3d

Gee, I don't know what to say

2009-03-26T08:15:00.003-05:00

Last Saturday I went out walking my neighborhood for Prigge, Robins, and Dunne. On the way I took some photos of fresh graffiti. I went home and sent this report to the Elgin Police.

And I copied the three incumbent candidates for city council, on the outside chance one of them would respond back. No one has.

Here’s what I wrote:
I would like to report new graffiti. First, thank you for the clean-up across from the Boys/Girls Club on Dundee. And I noticed that the crew was working this morning cleaning the graffiti off at the American Little League field.

But they need to come back. The same area has been tagged again, just last night I suppose. There are pitchforks and swastikas and SVLK and MLD painted all over the place. The tunnel under Summit.

Three different billboards attached to the fence at the softball field. Across the street at the boarded-up day care center. Further down the street at 850 Summit they have tagged the door of the National City bank, visible to everyone who uses the drive-up or ATM. (How many dozens of Elginites a day see that?) Don't stop. At 860 Summit the old marks are still there from last YEAR on the sign by the sidewalk. But they have tagged the Yield sign, the US Mailbox, and a parking sign. Just drive up along the north side of Murray Auto Parts and you'll spot them.

I suppose in the data analysis for the EPD this will all be lumped as ONE incident. Who cares. Half of what is turned in is not considered "gang" graffiti so it really doesn't matter.

Those of us who live here just want it cleaned up and the gangs sent packing so it doesn't happen again. And that isn't likely. Sorry to unload on you. It is going to be a long, hot summer.
(That's the end of my email)

What was I expecting the incumbents to say? Well, nothing. I would have been surprised to get a response from them.

But here’s my dream response. It is pure fantasy on my part:
Dear Mr. Heaton,
Thank you for calling this to our attention. We rely on our citizens to report problems in their neighborhoods so we can get them cleaned up.

I share your concern about graffiti as an indicator of the level of gang activity. We are always looking for new ideas.

In fact, on Monday we are meeting with Congressman Mark Kirk to discuss a new item of anti-gang legislation.

I have made arrangements for a van to take the mayor and my fellow council members to the press conference. I have also requested the presence of Chief Womack and Sheriff Perez. We have compiled our data regarding gangs and have asked Perez to give us a report on the number of illegal aliens currently in the Kane County Jail population.

After a careful study of the bill we plan to lobby Bill Foster for passage.

We are committed to cleaning up our image and we think fighting gangs on every front is an important part of that campaign.

Sincerely,
Your fantasy incumbent

Well, the letter was a dream, but the Mark Kirk meeting was not. Click the link below to read about it. Notice that Elgin was absent from that press conference.
http://www.house.gov/apps/list/press/il10_kirk/Deport_illegal_alien_gang_members.html

A message...

2009-03-20T15:22:00.001-05:00

...for the yard sign thieves:

He didn't say that.

2009-03-20T12:14:00.003-05:00

You weren't listening.
I attended the NENA forum at Sherman last night. I recorded the candidates.

Bruce Trego got another ovation from the Morales groupies in the audience when he said, "I would have to say in somewhat response to Mr. Prigge, I don't believe that illegal immigration is the sole cause of all our problems."

At which time someone in the audience called out, "He didn't say that. You weren't listening."

You know what, that man in the audience was right. Prigge was talking about Elgin's reputation and how illegal aliens are part of that reputation. He went on to talk about overcrowded housing and gangs.

Here's Prigge's entire concluding comment. You decide.
I’m John Prigge. I was born upstairs. Fifty years ago.
I’ve been in customer service jobs since I was 14, from making the world’s worst ice cream cones at Mr. Burger on Dundee Avenue, to working with the phone company, and then for the last 19 years I’ve been self-employed as an auctioneer, running my own business. It’s just me.

Graduate of Elgin High. Bob Gilliam was my dean. And I say that because I am very proud to have had Bob as my dean.

What I’m talking about with my perspective of what the question was, “What are the first things you want to do?”, how can we NOT go after what I believe the number one problem is here in Elgin? How can that NOT be the first thing?

The first thing is that we have a bad reputation in this city. It’s not the worst. It’s savable. We’re off the road. We’re not in the ditch, but we’re off the road.

We have to deal with illegal aliens. We have to deal with overcrowded housing. We have to deal with the reality, and what’s worse, the PERCEPTION of our reputation.

And to get real specific, right here, four blocks away, on Halloween night there were two shootings. One kid lost his life at the corner of Douglas and Plum. Outside. It wasn’t a fight that was in a basement and it wasn’t a lovers’ quarrel that went horrible. It was a gang-related shooting on that night. That kid died on the corner--outside—by a gun.

Somebody went outside and shot and killed that kid and shot another person who walked to this hospital, or came to this hospital and got treatment.

We’ve had five murders in 20 months in this city. Four of them are gang related. This happened in our vaunted historic district. In NENA. This happened here.

I travel about 25,000 miles a year, and people always ask me about Elgin. I say, “Oh! We have beautiful homes.” I tell them about Chris Dansey’s house. I tell them about all the great houses.

My doctor used to live on the 900 block on Douglas, and everything else.

We have to change that. We have to change that. We have to go after that. That is going to open up so many opportunities. So many good feelings. Guess what? I firmly believe it’s going to raise the value and the quality of our lives. It’s going to raise the value of our homes. It’s going to take burdens off of other things that we’re paying the price for right now.

So, johnprigge.com, April 7th, four year. My family’s been in Elgin for about 80 years, up on the north end on Stewart Avenue. We need your votes. This is a great opportunity. We have four seats out of seven available. That’s massive. We can change the direction of this city with one day. Four votes of the seven positions open. Thank you. (end of Prigge speech)

A New Boston Tea Party

2009-03-18T07:28:00.002-05:00

I’m bone tired of scandals in Congress

…special-interests and lobbyists

…government sleeping through the alarms about subprime mortgages, illegal aliens, terrorist threats

…billions of dollars thrown around like pocket change

…Congressional hearings AFTER the airplane goes down or the children get poisoned by dangerous imported toys

…searching in vain to find products made in the USA…

Join us on April 15th in downtown Chicago (or any other major city) to tell Washington we’ve had enough.

I learned that when illegal aliens marched on Carpentersville city hall on October 2, 2006 they brought in busloads of protesters from Chicago, Aurora, and Waukegan. The bus ride was FREE, and they gave them a “stipend” for dinner. And they handed the protesters free signs printed up by the unions. I learned that groups like ACORN, ICIRR and NCLR receive government grants to do their work.

I am proud to inform you that you’ll have to pay for your own bus ride and there is no free lunch, but you can ride the bus with us to the Tax Day Tea Party in downtown Chicago on April 15th.

If you are as tired as I am about the way government operates, join me by reserving a seat on the bus.

Here are the details:
Please plan on attending one of the over 115 (and growing daily) Nationwide Tax Day Tea Parties to be held in cities in all 50 states on April 15th 2009. Information can be found at these websites:
DontGoMovement http://dontgo.ning.com/
NationwideTax Day Tea Party http://taxdayteaparty.com/

For Kane County and surrounding area folks, There will be a Tea Party in Chicago on the 15th at the Daley Center, 12N to 2PM. We are in the process of arranging charter bus transportation at an extremely fair cost (to help avoid traffic and parking issues and gas expenses for folks).

Please contact Joe Miller, Kane County and Area co-coordinator, at de3man@sbcglobal.net or 224.629.8062 for details.

Consider participating in the NATIONWIDE TAX DAY TEA PARTY 4/15/09 at a city near you. Go to http://dontgo.ning.com/ for more info on this important event. Support your Constitution and make your voices heard.

Scenes from the rally in Chicago in February:

The rules don't apply

2009-03-17T09:06:00.002-05:00

Have you noticed how some people think the rules don't apply to them?

For example, the Insurance Research Council has determined that 15% of Illinois drivers don't have car insurance, compared to a national average of 13.8%. We all know car insurance is required. But some think they have a right to drive without it.

Some folks think they have a special dispensation from God to come to the United States...and that we should allow them to stay even though they broke the law.

And so we enact more laws and regulations to govern our lives.

In 1798 John Adams warned us that our Constitution is "wholly inadequate" to govern people who lack a moral base.

I was reminded of that this morning when I discovered that Mike Robins campaign signs had been stolen from my front yard (again!).

It's against the law to steal something from someone else. It's against the law to come on to the property of another to commit a crime.

But stealing political signs violates another principle dear to us. The naturalization test to become a citizen asks, "What is our most important right as citizens?"

Answer: "The right to vote."

Someone is tampering with that right and it angers me.

I've lived abroad. I've watched the not-so-orderly transfer of power in a Third World country. I've watched mobs shut down a city of 300,000 for a week as they tore up streets, overturned cars, and burned newspaper kiosks in the street.

I don't ever want to see that here.

Shame on those who came on my property and stole the Mike Robins signs. You have no sense of right and wrong. You are the reason we have to pass so many laws telling us what we can and cannot do...BECAUSE YOU CAN'T GOVERN YOURSELF.

The Importance of Voting

2009-03-14T13:40:00.002-05:00

POLITICS, n. A strife of interests masquerading as a contest of principles.

~Ambrose Bierce, The Devil's Dictionary, 1911

What is LULAC?

2009-03-12T11:48:00.003-05:00

It is well known that Elgin City Council Candidate Emi Morales is an officer in an organization called LULAC (League of United Latin American Citizens).

Morales doesn’t talk much about it at the candidate forums, preferring to say that she is involved with various boards and organizations. We think her involvement in LULAC is an important one, given our need for greater cooperation between Immigration and the Elgin Police Department. And given the lawsuit in the works at U46.

Read the LULAC position on these issues and ask yourself if you want a LULAC board member on the Elgin City Council.

LULAC opposes ICE ACCESS and 287(g) enforcement:
From an Illinois LULAC Resolution (July2007)
“Therefore, be it resolved that LULAC stand in full support of the four demands listed (below) and the boycott of businesses who do not support these demands and urges the Mayor and City Council of Waukegan to withdraw their 287g application immediately.”
The four demands:
- Rescind the 287(g) application to enlist Waukegan police officers to act as I.C.E. agents.
- Stop the vehicle impoundment program and racial profiling.
- End Building Code Inspector harassment of Family housing.
- Establish an independent Police Review Board."
http://www.lulac.org/advocacy/resolutions/2007/immi2.pdf

From a LULAC Press Release on ICE/local police programs (August 2007)
“LULAC has always come out firmly against involving city police in immigration matters. This is the role of the federal government. The local police departments do not have the resources or training to enforce immigration law,” said LULAC National President Rosa Rosales.
http://lulac.org/advocacy/press/2007/immigrationreform8.html

LULAC in court:
School District Discrimination (June 2007)
“The League of United Latin American Citizens condemned the 5-4 United States Supreme Court ruling Thursday invalidating two voluntary integration plans in Seattle and Louisville school districts because they used race in some students’ school assignments in an effort to end racial isolation and prevent resegregation.”
http://www.lulac.org/advocacy/press/2007/brown.html

Redistricting in Texas (December 2005)
“The disingenuous promoters of the redistricting plan have made no secret of the fact that this is a flagrant attempt to increase their numbers in Congress at the expense of the voting rights of the Latino community in Texas.” (Hector Flores, national president of LULAC)
http://www.lulac.org/advocacy/press/2005/perry.html

On the appointment of Justice Alito (October 2005)
“The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) expressed today its frustration over President Bush’s nomination of Judge Samuel A. Alito Jr. to the U.S. Supreme Court. This is the third opportunity Bush has missed to diversify the court by not naming a Hispanic to the seat. It is clear to LULAC officials that Bush has misled the Hispanic community by not keeping his promise of being a Hispanic-friendly president in the courts.”
http://www.lulac.org/advocacy/press/2005/alito.html

Do you still want to vote for Emi Morales?

The East Side Orphans

2009-03-11T13:01:00.006-05:00

One of the things John Prigge talks about is the plight of Elgin's East Side. Well, let's take a tour of the East Side to show you what we mean. (Don't worry, we won't ask you to get out of your car.) But before I show you the pictures let's talk about the promise of a new development.

Remember when people started to move in to Cobbler's Crossing? Think of the promise. And retail responded. Jewel moved down there. An auto repair/tire store opened up. Even Dominick's bought land and put in a parking lot.

We had the big True Value over there and a Sears Hardware.

What happened? Well, I think this person who wrote in to AFLA says it best:
"I've lived in this town for 20 years. I purposefully leave town to do most of my shopping, so that I don't have to shop in bilingual stores. I now avoid certain parts of town. Who's country is this?! You sure can't tell any more. We are a joke for other communities in the area. Someone has to do something."

Well, here's a tour of the East Side, evidence of Schock's "booming ecomony."

This was once a tire store right next to the new Cobbler's Crossing. Now available:Here's what it looks like where the Dominick's was supposed to be. A parking lot and chain link fences:The shuttered video store and the revolving door of smaller stores that come and go at the outlot building:

Closer to downtown, another store available. (Gee, do you think the graffiti helps sell space?):

Here's the day care center:

Moving on down to Dundee Avenue, the donut shop "temporarily" closed: More space available on Dundee:

This mecanica general (general mechanic, automotive) even closed down, despite the fancy street lights in the neighborhood:

Here's a medical office closed. Expect more of the same after Sherman Hospital moves out to Randall Road:

Unless you are a clinic. They thrive on the East Side: Another thriving business. Haircuts in the living room:

Or this beauty shop where no one speaks English. Feeling brave today, ladies?

Of course, if you talk to Schock or the city council they have no idea what you're talking about. Just look at the growth out west.

It'll take more than giving out Image Awards to fix this. Prigge is right on to talk about the CAUSES of our plight and what a city can do to correct a well-deserved bad reputation.

Stale

2009-03-11T12:23:00.008-05:00

Wouldn't it be interesting to put an expiration date on graffiti?

Well, first you'd have to determine what that date is.

For example, the Elgin Police Department graffiti removal form says "one (1) business week, (5 working days)." http://www.cityofelgin.org/Forms.asp?FID=107

But the city Community Development page is more vague and says it takes time to negotiate with the property owner and they generally can't use the equipment unless it is at least 50 degrees. http://www.cityofelgin.org/index.asp?NID=277

And if you go to the municipal code it just says the property owner has 10 days to take care of it once they are notified in writing. http://www.sterlingcodifiers.com/codebook/index.php?book_id=524

We'll let the bureaucrats duke it out and come to some sort of agreement. Meanwhile, I think these have clearly exceeded their limit and are starting to smell:

First reported 11/28/08. Still there 3/11/09:

And this one also on 11/28/08 that has never been removed:

Here's the one across from the Boys and Girls Club, first reported on 1/16/09:
But they just can't leave it alone. Here's what it looks like on 3/9/09. Note that nothing has been REMOVED; they just keep ADDING TO IT:

UPDATE: I drove past this wall on Sunday, March 15th, AND IT WAS FINALLY CLEANED UP!!! It must have happened on the 13th or 14th. Thank you. There are still a few tags on the brick but I'm going to assume they were painting over things with this pass and will come back with the power washer another day.

And the curse spreads to other walls on the same lot:

And to make matters worse, people take to dumping their garbage on the same lot:

I'm told that the graffiti removal program was a victim of the cutbacks at city hall. The second in command there was let go last year. And of course, the labor is supposed to be supplied by people working off their community restitution hours.

Just the same, a couple of months ought to be plenty of time to take care of something like this.

By the way, here are a couple of charts about Elgin crime statistics. First the 2006 Gang Crimes Breakdown:

And here's the same report for 2008:

All in favor of 32 graffiti incidents again (like in 2004) please raise your hand? Now go vote!

Did I hear that right?

2009-03-08T16:32:00.002-05:00

The Candidate Forum Greatest Hits - March 2, 2009
On the question about whether or not the city staff should regularly audit contractors who do business with the city to see if they are hiring illegal aliens.
Candidate Bruce Trego said: “No, I would not. In fact, Hell no, I would not. I would fight such a measure. It’s too divisive. This isn’t Germany 1939; it’s America 2009. It is extremely divisive for our community. So, no. No way.” (It is interesting to note that at this point Trego got a round of applause from a group of people in the audience wearing Emi Morales T-shirts.)

Now, keeping in mind that the city agreed to do this way back in January of 2008, the comments of incumbent John Walters are particularly interesting. Walters said: “In our contracts that we have with a lot of our contractors we do get a spot-check and we do find them. We do make them give us their lists and they do have to prove that they have been E-Verified. But to ask AT&T or ComCast or anybody like that, forget it; you’re not going to get it. So really I can’t say that you could do this with all employees and I don’t know who the employee would be that would have to do it, because we’ve had to let employees go in this budgetary crisis and everyone that’s working down there is working almost to the nth of their degree so I don’t know who we’d assign this job to. I don’t know that it can happen.”

We wish to thank Councilman Walters for confirming that the January 2008 city initiative was nothing more than window-dressing designed to calm people down rather than address the problem of illegal aliens.

When answering the question about the long delay in getting a response from Immigration on ICE ACCESS (enforcement support) and what we should do about it, Bruce Trego once again chimed in with: “War on drugs, war on terrorism, and now we are going to have a war on illegal aliens and criminal aliens. We wonder why our taxes are so high. It’s because we’re out there fighting everything and we’re expecting all sorts of services. The police department is basically doing what it can. ICE is overloaded at this point simply because other communities, such as ourselves, are putting the pressure on them. I think that we’re doing everything that we can at this point. We have other issues that are far more important that need our attention, than the illegal immigrant situation.”

About the overcrowding problem in Elgin housing, once again Mr. Trego says: “When we chased ‘those people’ out (of Casa Linda) we didn’t provide any alternative for where they were going to go, which to me is when overcrowding started. We basically haven’t allowed affordable housing to be built in this town for many, many years. We don’t need more affordable housing. We need the right, appropriate housing; the right size, in the right locations. We need to expand it and scatter it so it’s not ghetto-ized like it’s becoming at this point in time. So, we’ve kind of caused the problem to ourselves. Poor people don’t move out of town, they simply move in with each other. We’ve been chasing our tails on this issue. So until we start getting down to the affordable housing issue, and starting to build those, we’re going to continue to have these problems.”

The next question is about the rule of law. Here’s the question: “When a council member is sworn into office he takes the oath to uphold the laws. Illegals are breaking the laws by being here. Do you believe that anyone who supports or defends illegal immigration should sit on the Elgin council? Yes or no?”
Walters: “Yes.”
Dunne: “No. They should not sit on the council.”
Figueroa: “Yes.”
Khan: “No.”
Nowak: “No.”
Prigge: “No.”
Quezada: “No.”
Scruggs: “No.”
Trego: “Yes, anybody should be able to sit whether they support illegal or not.”

More to come. It takes time to transcribe the tape.

Sorry, we don't do that

2009-03-06T12:03:00.004-06:00

Imagine this scenario. You look out the kitchen window and your car is gone. You call 911 and the conversation goes like this:
Operator: “This is 911. What is the nature of your emergency?”
You: “My car has been stolen.”
Operator: “I’m sorry sir. We aren’t taking calls for auto theft these days. We are so busy with violent crime. Our jails are full. Call back in a month or two. Perhaps we can handle your case then. (Click.)”

Now I ask you, would you accept that? Of course you wouldn’t. But that is exactly what the federal government is telling us. An illegal alien’s crime has to rise to a certain level before they will even consider picking him up for deportation.

And that level is extremely high. Fewer than 10% of criminal illegal aliens arrested in Elgin were picked up for deportation. They were known criminals. They were reported to ICE. ICE refused to pick them up.

Some say the undocumented are a peace-loving bunch so that isn’t a problem. Well, the public safety concerns are HUGE. There have been efforts by a few in Congress to mandate deportation for illegals who are picked up for DUI, but those efforts have been defeated despite reports that a dozen people nationwide die at the hands of illegal aliens driving drunk EACH DAY. And that's just the DUI's. Another dozen are killed by illegal alien violence. (Compare that to the troops killed in Iraq.)

The federal 287(g) program was passed by Congress back in 1996. It gives trained local police enhanced authority to arrest and process illegal aliens. The text is at the bottom of this blog. I defy you to find anything about minimum crime requirements or even guidelines about felonies or misdemeanors.

Operationally, ICE is granting amnesty every day and illegal aliens know this. They are well aware that the risks of being deported are negligible. In other words, crime pays.

We won’t fix that by waiting for Congress to do something. Their "Comprehensive Immigration Reform" means a blanket amnesty program to let off pressure. No wonder the public screams every time they try to pass it.

We fix it by taking local action- demanding that Homeland Security gets its act together so it can enforce the laws on the books.

Here's the text of 287(g):

110 STAT. 3009–563 PUBLIC LAW 104–208—SEPT. 30, 1996
Section 287 (8 U.S.C. 1357) is amended by adding at the end
the following:
‘‘(g)(1) Notwithstanding section 1342 of title 31, United States
Code, the Attorney General may enter into a written agreement
with a State, or any political subdivision of a State, pursuant
to which an officer or employee of the State or subdivision, who
is determined by the Attorney General to be qualified 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.
‘‘(2) An agreement under this subsection shall require that
an officer or employee of a State or political subdivision of a State
performing a function under the agreement shall have knowledge
of, and adhere to, Federal law relating to the function, and shall
contain a written certification that the officers or employees
performing the function under the agreement have received adequate
training regarding the enforcement of relevant Federal
immigration laws.
‘‘(3) In performing a function under this subsection, an officer
or employee of a State or political subdivision of a State shall
be subject to the direction and supervision of the Attorney General.
‘‘(4) In performing a function under this subsection, an officer
or employee of a State or political subdivision of a State may
use Federal property or facilities, as provided in a written agreement
between the Attorney General and the State or subdivision.
‘‘(5) With respect to each officer or employee of a State or
political subdivision who is authorized to perform a function under
this subsection, the specific powers and duties that may be, or
are required to be, exercised or performed by the individual, the
duration of the authority of the individual, and the position of
the agency of the Attorney General who is required to supervise
and direct the individual, shall be set forth in a written agreement
between the Attorney General and the State or political subdivision.
PUBLIC LAW 104–208—SEPT. 30, 1996 110 STAT. 3009–564
‘‘(6) The Attorney General may not accept a service under
this subsection if the service will be used to displace any Federal
employee.
‘‘(7) Except as provided in paragraph (8), an officer or employee
of a State or political subdivision of a State performing functions
under this subsection shall not be treated as a Federal employee
for any purpose other than for purposes of chapter 81 of title
5, United States Code, (relating to compensation for injury) and
sections 2671 through 2680 of title 28, United States Code (relating
to tort claims).
‘‘(8) An officer or employee of a State or political subdivision
of a State acting under color of authority under this subsection,
or any agreement entered into under this subsection, shall be
considered to be acting under color of Federal authority for purposes
of determining the liability, and immunity from suit, of the officer
or employee in a civil action brought under Federal or State law.
‘‘(9) Nothing in this subsection shall be construed to require
any State or political subdivision of a State to enter into an agreement
with the Attorney General under this subsection.
‘‘(10) Nothing in this subsection shall be construed to require
an agreement under this subsection in order for any officer or
employee of a State or political subdivision of a State—
‘‘(A) 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
‘‘(B) otherwise to cooperate with the Attorney General in
the identification, apprehension, detention, or removal of aliens
not lawfully present in the United States.’’.

ICE gets audited

2009-03-06T11:59:00.003-06:00

The Government Accountability Office has issued a report about the 287(g) program. Here’s my summary of the Executive Summary:
ICE needs better management controls over local agencies.
ICE needs better-defined objectives for the program.
ICE needs to spell out a standard supervision policy.
ICE needs to create a standard report for local agencies to use

Some are trying to make this report into something it is not. They claim that local police are acting like renegades and arresting illegal aliens for minor offenses. Actually local police are enforcing the immigration laws of the United States.

In the final analysis it really doesn’t matter HOW a criminal illegal alien is discovered; they qualify for deportation according to the law. The fact that ICE is not prepared for the volume of illegals in local custody does not change the facts.

Once again the feds let us down and somehow it’s the fault of the local cops. Shame on those who paint the problem this way.

And shame on those who call these illegal aliens "victims" simply because 287(g) makes them nervous. It should make them nervous; they aren't supposed to be here. That's how law enforcement works.

For those who like to go to the source, here are the GAO documents:
Link to Executive Summary (1 page- pdf):
http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d09109high.pdf

Link to Full Report (48 pages- pdf):
http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d0867.pdf

What does Life Safety look like?

2009-03-04T14:04:00.004-06:00

City Council candidate Richard Dunne talks about Life Safety as a key concern in Elgin. He ought to know what he’s talking about, being a firefighter here for two decades.

But what does he mean by Life Safety problems?

Well, here’s an example from Anaheim California. The lease said two adults and two children lived in this small apartment. In reality there were ten people and eight dogs living there.

Here’s what the apartment looked like after the fire:

Forty people in all were displaced by the fire.

But fortunately no lives were lost.

Not so with this fire in Chicago.

Two children died here, and two adults were seriously injured.

Here’s what the Sun Times reported about the living conditions:
Larry Langford, fire media affairs director, said the brown brick bungalow in the 3200 block of West 66th Place has "the earmarks of a rooming house."
"Each room has its own little things, food, like a little hotel room," Langford said. "It just kind of resembled an SRO (single room occupancy)."

Langford said he had not seen the basement, but was told it was similar to the rest of the house with mattresses on the floor. Langford estimated there were at least 10 people living in the home.

A next-door neighbor estimated there were 13 people, including six children, living on the first floor and in the basement and attic.

…The fire was contained to the basement and smoke damage was limited to the first floor. There was no evidence of a smoke detector in the basement. A working smoke detector was found in the attic. Fire officials were trying to determine if a smoke detector found on the first floor was properly working.

I know at least one other City Council candidate who feels the solution is to build an affordable house for everyone. My guess is that his approach would appeal to…I don’t know…maybe FOUR BILLION PEOPLE around the world. That would make Elgin a destination, wouldn’t it?

I’ll spare you the details of violent crimes in Joliet and Aurora in recent years in overcrowded housing situations.

And I don’t buy the notion put out there by one city council member that the problem is a family with 12 kids in Sunset Park. The truth is, past inaction by our city council has resulted in rare situations of code enforcement problems when children are forced to move back home. Let’s put the blame where it belongs and leave the red herrings out of this.

Gratitude

2009-03-03T04:46:00.002-06:00

If you’ve ever been involved in any volunteer group, be it PTA, church, Little League…whatever, you know that the work moves forward because of the effort of the same ten people.

I just want to thank these folks who beat the streets and made the calls.
Nancy
Lydia
Dave S.
Jan
Lynda
Pam
Sally
Ted
Clyde
Dave W.

Without the faithful few we would not have been able to put on a successful forum last night.

And I want to thank the American Legion for the use of the hall. As always, they were great to work with.

And a special note of gratitude to Chuck Keysor who loaned us the countdown timer. Chuck runs the Near West Neighbors Association so be sure to support his forum at 7:00 pm on April 2nd at the Lighthouse Church, 325 South Street.

I’m also grateful for the candidates, their willingness to run for office…their willingness to go through the “meat grinder” of campaigning, and the fact that they showed up last night. Just imagine going through a job interview with 150 people!

Mostly I’m grateful to all of you who attended last night. One of the first to arrive was a gentleman using one of those wheeled walkers to get around. I glanced at the thermometer as I left the house to set up for the forum and it was 22 degrees. That gent had every reason to stay home last night, but he didn’t. He came to be part of the political process of this great country.

I thank him and I thank YOU for attending.
~Doug

Don't forget!

2009-03-01T20:40:00.002-06:00

See you at the candidate forum.

TONIGHT at 7:00 pm

American Legion

820 N Liberty

Elgin

A new idea

2009-02-28T19:40:00.002-06:00

We’ve been trying to get Immigration and Customs Enforcement to do their job in Elgin, that is: enforce the immigration laws now on the books and remove those who are here illegally.

But ICE has a new name up in Lake County:
Intelligence Commitment Execution

Intelligence- Back on August 6th Lake County Sheriff Mark Curran did an audit of the inmates in the jail and found out:
~21.5% of them were in the United States ILLEGALLY
~50% of the murder suspects in custody were illegal aliens
~$4 MILLION of the jail budget goes to housing illegal aliens
~His 287(g) certification was being delayed TWO YEARS

Commitment- Curran called a press conference on September 16th and wanted some answers. All sorts of politicians from the county and the state stood with the Sheriff in calling for help.

Execution- Lo and behold he got results. 260 inmates since September 1 have been slated for deportation once they do their time here in Illinois.

Compare that to the Kane County Jail where Sheriff Perez is “insulted” if you even ask about Immigration enforcement.

Or the city fathers in Elgin who are waiting patiently for ICE to answer their phone calls. It’s been 15 months already. Boy, are they ever patient.

So far Elgin has the “Intelligence” part. We know who has passed through our lock up. We know their immigration status and their crimes.

But we’re stuck on demanding a Commitment, which means we’ll never get the Execution part.

You see, ICE is very busy and lacks the resources to service our community properly. (Yeah, right! Because they are up in Lake County hauling them out of the country.)

The Elgin mantra is: We are at the mercy of the federal government.

Is everyone OK with that? I know two guys running for council who are NOT OK WITH THAT AND WILL PUSH BACK.

John Prigge and Mike Robins. Are any others willing to step forward and commit to stronger enforcement?

Parking problems

2009-02-26T16:41:00.004-06:00

Here in Elgin we are grappling with a host of parking problems, even experimenting with odd-even parking bans in some areas.

With the snow plows we sometimes see a car get the hook for parking in the wrong place.

It’s pretty simple really. If your car is parked where it’s not supposed to be it is subject to being ticketed and towed.
If you’ve been at O’Hare to pick someone up in the last seven years you know they are very serious about parking and will tow your car within minutes as a matter of security.
It doesn’t matter if you have an new Cadillac or an old rust bucket, the parking rules apply to everyone.

And we all get upset when cops park in a tow away zone because it just isn’t fair. Hey, we can tell when he’s investigating a crime or just grabbing a coffee. So why is this issue about illegal aliens so hard to understand? Why do so many people think the law doesn’t apply to certain people? What part of “You can’t park here” don’t they understand?

Map index

2009-02-24T20:54:00.000-06:00

Rent

2009-02-24T20:42:00.003-06:00

This map shows how much people were paying for rent in Elgin in 2000. You'll note that the amount is $0 at the Elgin Mental Health Center. They may not be paying rent but it is probably one of the the most expensive places in the city to live, akin to the cost of living in a nursing home. We pay the rent for them. But I digress.

There are an estimated 10,340 renter-occupied housing units in Elgin according to the most recent ACS data, up from 9,399 in the 2000 census. (An interesting number given the report that Elgin hasn't built any new apartments for over two decades.)

How much do you make?

2009-02-24T20:30:00.003-06:00

This map shows household income as reported in the 2000 Census. It looks rather bleak, but the reality may be even worse when you consider the number of homes that house multiple families.

As a city, Elgin beats the national average. In 2000 our median household income was $52,605 compared to the national median of $41,994.

Don't look now, but the nation is gaining on us. The ACS estimate now shows Elgin at $53,868 but the national median is at $50,007.

But, of course, we have the "advantage" of high property taxes you don't find elsewhere.

Triangulating this low income problem is the data from U46. In Elgin city schools the percentage of low income students is over 60%! In some schools it is approaching 90%.

Drop outs

2009-02-24T20:04:00.006-06:00

This Census 2000 map tells a very grim story. Elginites over the age of 25 who have not attended any high school. None. Not even close to a GED. The dark green signifies areas where 30% to 43% of all adults never completed 9th grade.

Here's the companion map; people in the 16 to 19 age bracket not attending school.

Did you know there were areas in Elgin where 60% of our young adults are not enrolled in school? Who knew?

For a little history lesson, in 1960 53% of American-born adult men were high school drop-outs. By 1998 that number had dwindled to 9%. Imagine the accomplishment of our nation to enthrone education to that extent in only 40 years. These maps suggest we may have won the battle but lost the war.

So, it breaks down like this for the Elgin population over 25 years of age:

Less that 9th grade: 2000- 14.1% 2006- 15.2%

9th-12th (no diploma): 2000-12.2% 2006- 9.7%

Bachelors degree: 2000- 14.5% 2006- 15.1%

Masters or higher: 2000- 6.0% 2006- 5.7%

Becoming a citizen

2009-02-24T16:53:00.003-06:00

This Census map from 2000 shows the percentage of foreign-born in each neighborhood who have become naturalized citizens: Note that the areas with the lowest percentage of naturalization (tan and yellow) are also the neighborhoods with the highest percentage of foreign-born.

Here are the numbers for all of Elgin. In 2000 we had 6,059 naturalized citizens. Six years later we added another 1,400 voters through naturalization to arrive at 7,458.

Non-citizens totalled 16,199 in 2000 and grew to 19,964 in the ACS six years later.

Like learning English, naturalization is an indicator of assimilation. Part of the equation is how long they've been in the country. (It takes time to qualify and prepare for citizenship.) But Duke University created an assimilation index and factored in "time in country." Here's a link to their study results: http://www.manhattan-institute.org/html/cr_53.htm

They measured civic, cultural, and economic assimilation with fascinating results.

The top five source countries on the assimilation index were:
Germany
Panama
Czechoslovakia
Austria
Italy

The bottom five source countries on the assimilation index were:
Nepal
Mexico
Guatemala
Honduras
Cameroon

I've learned that assimilation is a touchy subject, but the objective indicators aren't looking good in Elgin.

New arrivals

2009-02-24T08:08:00.003-06:00

Here you see the Census 2000 map showing where the new arrivals are settling. This shows the location of the foreign-born lving in Elgin who entered the country between 1990 and 2000. Numbers? The Census says that from 1990-2000 11,389 additional foreign-born came to Elgin to live.

The ASC (since 2000) adds another 7,504. (Sorry, no maps from the ACS to tell us exactly where.)

Summary: Elgin's foreign-born population grew by 11,389 between 1990 and 2000. Elgin's TOTAL population growth in that time period was 17,457, leaving the American-born growth at only 6,068.

That trend is continuing. The more recent ACS data shows that Elgin has grown from 94,487 to 100,014, a total of 5,527. But 5,164 of that was growth in the foreign-born population. The school district data bears that out.

Other data from Pew Research indicates that the more recently a foreign-born person has come here the more likely they are to be an illegal alien.

There is some evidence that the trend began to reverse itself in 2008 but only slightly, data that contradicts those who say illegals will not self-deport if we impose stricter enforcement.

Note also that the east side appears saturated and the foreign-born are settling in ever-expanding areas of the city.