Lake County Democratic Infighting Mirrors Springfield

I am hopeful that any responsible adult in Illinois that is not literally brain-dead understands by now that the one-party Democratic rule down in Springfield, including not only our inept Governor Hairdo, but the Beavis and Butthead team that Dem leaders Emil Jones and Michael Madigan have become, has driven this state right into a sinkhole from which we may be years in recovering from, if ever.

But what you read in the papers is only about 5% of what's really going on down there. Readers of Capitol Fax Blog, one of the very best sources for political information in Illinois (which I truly mean, despite my occasional digs at and debates with Blogfather Rich Miller, both here and over at Cap Fax), understand much better than the common Illinoisan the inability of the Democratic leadership to move anything in this state forward, due in large part to the clash of egos involved in the otherwordly love/hate triangle between Blago, Jones and Madigan. Just this week, even the Chicago Sun-Times, a Dem paper if there ever was one, finally had enough and encouraged voters to vote Republican (!) this fall, in order to cure some of the ills of one-party rule.

But things are better up here in more sensible Lake County, right? Wrong.

In fact, it seems that the local Dem egos and power plays are, in some ways, simply a microcosm of the nuttiness down in Springfield.

This morning, the Waukegan News-Sun reports that the evil chessmaster, State Senator Terry Link (D-Waukegan) is at it again, moving to block HB 2088, sponsored by State Rep Eddie Washington (D-North Chicago). According to the News-Sun:

Sponsored by state Rep. Eddie Washington the bill calls for a prohibition on any plans to dredge the harbor in an attempt to decrease the channel depths. The Waukegan Democrat's bill calls for a commercially navigable harbor with a minimum depth of 23 feet.

Washington gathered support, including co-sponsorships by local Republican representatives JoAnn Osmond (Antioch) and Sandy Cole (Grayslake), to pass the bill on May 29. But it was snatched the very next day after a tip to Link, D-Waukegan, who submerged it in Rules Committee on May 31.

Link is backing an effort by the city to "recreate the lakefront into a recreational, residential area," as stated by Ray Vukovich, Waukegan's director of governmental services.

Washington insists, along with lakefront companies National Gypsum, LaFarge, Bombadier and St. Mary's Cement, that residential, commercial and industrial can peacefully co-exist.

As TA regulars know, Eddie Washington fell out of favor with Terry Link some while back, and Link backed County Board Commissioner Angelo Kyle in the recent Dem primary. Washington squeaked by with a win, and now the gloves are clearly completely off. As stated in the article,

Washington accuses Link of conspiring with state Rep. Kathy Ryg, D-Vernon Hills, to kill the bill.

"This was collusion," Washington said. "If he (Link) has opinions, argue it on the floor like a gentleman. Why not just let it move through the Senate and rise or fall on its own merits?"

Now, I'm not entirely sure about the merits of Washington's bill, although I do know that if JoAnn Osmond and Sandy Cole support it, it likely is the right thing to do. But, the point is, that the do-nothing Dems who are running the state into the ground are likely to do the same thing to Lake County if we can't correct this trend.

That means supporting GOP candidates Keith Gray against Terry Link, and Bill Anderson against Eddie Washington. While you're at it, add in Dan Duffy (to fill retiring State Senator Bill Peterson's seat) and Dan Sugrue, who is running against State Rep. Kathy Ryg.

I never thought I'd say this, but go with the Sun-Times, and vote Republican!!!