Sorry for keeping you in suspense, but you can thank that insipid John Kass and his insistence on imitating Sean Hannity for distracting me from the endorsement process.

But now it’s on to St. Charles and this one’s gonna be really simple folks.

Mayor – Ray Rogina

This was the most difficult election decision I’ve ever made. Even soliciting all sorts of feedback from other sage folks didn’t make it any easier. The good news is, considering Messrs. Rabchuk and Rogina, for once St. Charles doesn’t have to pick the lesser of two evils.  

In the end, it was Rogina’s slight edge in city council experience and his prudent approach towards new development that overcame my fears about his teachers union background.

What I can say with certainty is DO NOT VOTE FOR Jotham Stein. He’s a miserable excuse for a human being and isn’t fit to run a McDonald’s, much less a city.

Aldermen – Jon Monken, Cliff Carrignan, Bill Turner, and Maureen Lewis.

Basically, this one boils down to a group of challengers headed by Kim Malay versus the incumbents. And Malay reminds me far too much of Quincy Adams Wagstaff who famously crooned, “Whatever it is, I’m against it.”

Malay’s historic preservation proclivities dominate her every thought as clearly evidenced in her scorch and burn opposition to the 2010 Towne Centre project. So now all St. Charles has to show for that effort is two closed restaurants and a rotting pavement eyesore.

Way to go Kim!

Now she’s envisions “a mini-Oak Brook that encompasses both the north and south parcels,” but that already failed once. If the market could bear that kind of commercial development, it would already fricken’ be there. And while I agree that the density of the formerly proposed residential development was an issue, it’s called a “negotiation” for a reason.

This one is important folks. Malay and her cohorts are dangerous and if they get in, St. Charles will may never recover.

St. Charles School Board – Anyone but Jim Gaffney

From his renowned antics on the school board, where he was forced to step down as president, to his vast capacity to blatantly ignore the law and alienate everyone in sight as president of the Fox River and Countryside Fire Protection District, it’s time for him to go.

Next up: Elgin!

Not only did State Rep Mike Tryon call in to Left, Right and You to talk property taxes, but so did a host of other candidates:

• Craig Dresang – two-year Elgin City Council candidate
• Rosemarie Kahn – four year Elgin City Council candidate
• Rob Sauceda – South Elgin Village Trustee candidate
• Frank Napolitano – U46 School Board candidate

Thanks to all of them for calling in. And you know what’s happening right now! They’re getting the Left, Right and You bump!

If you missed the show, not to worry, simply click here Left, Right and You 3-28-13 and prepare to be enlightened!

Thursdays! And what better way to kick off your Easter weekend than by tuning into AM1410 from 3 to 4 p.m. today just to hear Jeff Ward put Allen Skillicorn in his place. 

Today we’ll be talking about:

• Tribune columnist John Kass’s absurd call for tolerance for the intolerant. His Sean Hannity impersonation is really starting to wear thin.
• State Rep Mike Traynor will call in to explain Michael Madigan’s peculiarly low property tax bill.
• And all the smart Elgin City Council candidates will join the show just to get the famous the LR&Y bump. Don’t laugh! It worked for Toby Shaw.

Of course, we always welcome your calls at 847-931-1410 so please join us!

Kass’s page two Trib piece today has to be the worst column penned by a major columnist I’ve ever read. And that’s really saying something when you consider the likes of raving lunatics like Charles Krauthammer and Cal Thomas. It’s so poorly thought out it’s downright embarrassing. 

His utterly asinine point is that we should we show the same tolerance for traditional Christians and their beliefs that they’re expected to show towards same-sex couples. Then he goes on to laud his Greek Orthodox heritage.

Un-bleeping-believable! Just when you think he can’t get any worse, he does!

Problem 1 – Religion, or “natural order,” has been used as a shield and justification for intolerance for centuries. Traditional beliefs were cited when burning heretics at the stake, condoning slavery, persecuting Jews, condoning racism, preventing women from voting, preventing interracial marriage, and generally killing off your neighbor because he made the mistake of praying to a different divinity.

I can see it now! Kass playing apologist for the Inquisition while singing, “You’ve Got a Friend in Me.”

Problem 2 – Some “traditional beliefs” are pure bullshit. The Greek Orthodox Bible is basically identical to the Catholic version and Jesus never said a bloody thing about homosexuality. So now you have to go back to the Old Testament and Leviticus which opens up another whole can of worms.

I fervently hope Kass and his intolerant compatriots aren’t eating shellfish, sporting Beatle haircuts, wearing polyester, eating pork, reading a horoscope (Uh Oh! The Trib prints ’em), having a shrimp cocktail, getting a divorce, sporting a tattoo, and my favorite, having their wives defend them by grabbing their attackers by the testicles (Deuteronomy 25:11-12)!

Because if they do, they’re in the same biblical category as gays and they’re going straight to hell.

Problem 3 – Freedom of religion also means freedom from religion. You will never hear me issue a call for the Greek Orthodox Church to perform a same-sex marriage ceremony. By the same token, I would ask that my Greek Orthodox brothers and sisters keep their religion to themselves.

You see, the thing is, I’m not bound by your beliefs! It’s right there in the Constitution. And the fact that you feel the need to thrust them upon me shows just how weak your belief system really is. And those who do thrust their beliefs on others need to be immediately called out for doing so. No exceptions.

Problem 4 – We limit religious beliefs all the time – You may be a devout Mormon, but bigamy is still a no-no. The only states Rastafarians can legally light up in are Colorado and Washington. Go ahead and beat your wife under Sharia law and you will be prosecuted. Need I go on?

If that weren’t the case, what’s to stop me from creating “Jeffryism” which decrees that everyone owes me 10 percent of their income, incorrect left turns are grounds for execution, and newspapers like the Tribune should be banned forever.

Problem 5 – Love thy neighbor as thyself sets a pretty high standard. Didn’t Jesus say,”The most important commandment is this: ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”

With this is mind, how can any Christian worth their salt say there’s any reason to prohibit marriage between consenting adults who love each other?

Take the same column, and insert the words “black folks” or “interracial couples” for gays and Kass would be out of the Tribune building on his pasty white ass. All I can say is, What the bleep were Kass, and worse – his editors, thinking? I’d say it isn’t possible for the Tribune to sink any lower, but I’m sure they’ll be more than willing to prove me wrong.

This was a tough one folks.

First, I have to tip my hat to the folks who, despite suffering the slings and arrows of occasional outrageous fortune, have decided to run one more time. Then I have to offer a hearty pat on the back to those newcomers who selflessly offered their expertise and time in the face of one of the most thankless jobs on the planet.

Here goes:

Mark Grosso – Through quiet and determined leadership, he’s the board member most responsible for that body’s shift to a more fiscally conservative position.  His deft handling of the teacher contract negotiations should be rewarded.

Lastly, his performance at the Patch/TaxFACTS forum was superb. In a situation where the sitting school board president has nothing to gain and everything to lose, Grosso still managed to rise above the rest. Pay heed you folks with political ambitions.

Bill Wilson – This one was a tough choice. Some folks might say 12 years is enough for any board member (me included) and it took him awhile to see the fiscal light, but I believe he did see it. Again, he was instrumental in the aforementioned contract negotiations and that alone should earn him another shot.

Dan Garrett – A school board is just like a soccer team. It requires players with certain strengths and, to win, those strengths have to compliment each other. Not only do I think Dan will work well with the current group, but in today’s stressful economic environment, a little more financial expertise couldn’t hurt.

But what really influenced me on this one was Dan’s effort to reach out to me.

I know what you’re thinking. “Stroke the crazy columnist’s ego and he’ll fold at your feet.” Wrong! I’m no Denise Crosby or, God forbid, Brenda Schory. Anyone who chooses to run for public office should be persistently proactive in getting their message out. And if they manage to do that effectively during their campaign, then they’re that much more likely to succeed when elected.

Dave Lamb – Again, some of the others were so close I went back and forth on this one too. But his debate performance was rock solid, he used a bit of humor which bodes well for pressure situations, and I think this board will benefit from his financial acumen.

If I could give an honorable mention, I’d give it to Jeff DiOrio who, with a more carefully defined message, certainly deserves our future consideration.

So that’s it for Geneva! Later in the week, St. Charles!

Now that the newspapers are done sucking up to the incumbents, it’s time for the only Kane County endorsements that really matter – mine. Remember, I’m the only one who’s been in the trenches with these folks for the better part of a decade – not some self-important editorial board that that hardly pays attention and refuses to ask the hard questions.

So without further ado, and since Geneva is my stomping ground, we’ll start there and move outward as the week progresses.

Mayor – Bob McQuillan

Considering our rather fractious history, I never thought I’d say those words, but he’s run a great campaign and I’m feeling confident that he’s matured enough to provide some desperately needed new leadership. In addition, I’m really tired of watching Mayor Kevin Burns stretch the truth and spend my money. Red light cameras, property tax increases, water and sewer rate increases, electric rate increases and I could go on. It’s time for a change!.  I will expound on this endorsement as the election approaches.

First Ward Alderman – Zac Ploppert

Another surprise choice! This is the first time a single debate performance has completely changed my mind. The bottom line is I believe Zac will truly represent and respect his constituents’ fiscal interests while challenger Mike Bruno is so infested with the municipal mindset that it will only be more of the same. Mike’s disingenuous reaction to losing the Patch/TaxFACTS debate doesn’t bode well for future governance either. Blaming the questions and the moderator shows a lack of maturity. Vote for Zac!

Township Clerk – Geoffrey Carreiro

Please note that, like his two challengers, he’s a write-in candidate and the above is exactly how you have to spell his name. Geneva Township has long been the personal fiefdom of Pat Jaeger and that needs to change. Jaeger put up former township highway commissioner John Carlson who’s time has passed. And Joe Stanton slated his personal assistant, Debbie Draus. Remember, Stanton is the one who said he had to destroy the Pure Oil building because it couldn’t be converted to a bank drive-through until he converted it to a bank drive-through. We’ve already had more than enough of Joe.

Township Highway Commissioner – Mark Wissing

Considering Mark’s occasional poor choice of friends, this endorsement is going to get me in a boatload of trouble. But, in general (and all garage rental choices aside), Mark generally makes good township decisions. For the record, I have no problem with opponent Mike Abts who’s a really good guy other than he’s supported by Joe Stanton.

Township Trustee – Sharp, Queen, Connolly, Brazil

Quite frankly, with the exception of Sharp, I’d like to see all the incumbents sent packing because they’re nothing more than a rubber stamp for township supervisor Pat Jaeger. But since we have to vote for four and only five are running, trustee Robert Kovacs is the one who needs to go. Remember, he said Carreiro had to be bounced from the ballot so they could appoint their own choice! So much for the democratic process.

Next time it will be the Geneva school board. I know picks one and two will be, but I’m still thinking about three and four!

Just when I thought that paper couldn’t possibly sink any lower it does just that!

As if it wasn’t bad enough that Brenda Schory immediately runs to Geneva Mayor Kevin Burns whenever anything comes through that paper that might affect him. I suppose there’s nothing quite like having a reporter informant. 

Then Schory stayed for only 10 minutes of Patch/TaxFacts mayoral debate and proceeded to write a glowing piece which simply echoed Mayor Burns’ opening statement. There’s nothing like being impartial is there? Screw deadlines – you push ’em back when you have to.

We’ve already discussed the fact that newspapers only do endorsements for self-important reasons and they don’t spend enough time on them to do a good job anyway.

To wit, the Chronicle’s endorsement of Burns consists of essentially the press release Burns has been sending out regarding his “accomplishments.” Their editorial board made virtually no effort to change the wording at all! Although that could be a more efficient way of moderating the endorsement process – simply let the candidate write the copy themselves!

Then the Chronicle, questioning McQuillan’s choice to run for mayor, suggested he should’ve run for school board instead. Unbelievable! As if anyone should take any advice from newspapers these days.

The good news is folks, Mayor Burns got all the endorsement for county chair and the went down by 40 points. Perhaps the Chronicle’s incompetence is a sign!

You bet! And thank you for joining us for our very first Thursday show which you can hear right here: Left, Right and You 3-21-13.

We tackled the really tough topics like my failed bid for the papacy. Apparently owning a pair of red shoes didn’t help my efforts at all. We also discussed the prospects for Catholic Church reform under Pope Francis I.

Then Benjamin VanMetre from the Illinois Policy Institute joined the show to discuss our state’s seemingly eternal pension crisis.

And finally it was on to the CPAC conference and the impending demise of the Republican Party.

Enjoy the show!

I just got back from the Patch/TaxFacts sponsored Geneva candidate forum and will fling a quick post up here because it’s way past my bedtime.

The real shocker came in the First Ward aldermanic contest. Though I’ve had some fun with Zac Ploppert in the past, he cleaned opponent Mike Bruno’s clock. The bottom line in that contest was, if you really ant to have to hand your whole wallet over to the city of Geneva, then vote for Mike Bruno.

Zac Ploppert

Ploppert was more engaging, more straightforward, and made much more fiscal sense. In one simple debate I went from believing Bruno was a shoe-in to wanting to vote for Ploppert which doesn’t happen very often.

The Geneva school board debate was a tough one because there were too many candidates on the dais and it went on so long that people started leaving. Incumbents Mark Grosso and Bill Wilson clearly came out on top there. The loser had to be Leslie Juby who had a really bad night and didn’t help her cause at all.

The second biggest surprise of the night was mayoral challenger Bob McQuillan besting incumbent Kevin Burns who had to be the heavy debate favorite. Of course, all the bets were on who would lose their composure first and, in the end, it was Burns who repeatedly tried to talk over McQuillan and issued illegal rebuttals despite moderator Rick Nagel’s protests.

Even Mayor Burns knew he came in second place because, in the hallway after the debate, he launched into a four letter word tirade that included, but was not limited to, referring to his opponent as a effing moron and declaring that he was effing evil.

Bob McQuillan

Yes! The man who lauded himself just a half hour earlier for “building bridges” and “bringing folks together couldn’t wait till the crowd was out of earshot to disparage his opponent in this fascinating manner.

All I can say is. character counts Geneva.

Same time – 3 to 4 p.m. Same station – WRMN AM1410. Same co-hosts – Allen Skillicorn and Jeff Ward. Same lively political banter. Only the day is different! 

So please tune in tomorrow, March 21, for our inaugural Thursday show. I can promise you I’ll provide Allen with yet another liberal smackdown!

And don’t forget to call in at 847-931-1410 – especially if you agree with me!