Hypocrisy doesn’t suit the Treasurer
There are many things that can be said about Treasurer Chris Lauzen, and I’ve said most of them, but “hypocrite” hasn’t been one – until now.
Back when Chris and I were working together to get reasonable candidates like Ron Ford, Anita Lewis, and others elected, all I had to do is mention one particular County Board member’s name and Chris would promptly go off on the kind of inexplicable unhinged red-faced rageful rant that would make yours truly look like an amateur.
This board member’s purported transgression was to have some sort of minor physical altercation with a girlfriend that didn’t rise to the level of being noteworthy. In fact, the details pointed to a not-at-all uncommon form of mutual combat.
I tried to explain to Chris that, in my many observations of sadistic and bigoted former family court judge John Dalton, the first resort of the female party would inevitably be to claim her significant other was an abuser. And they were so obvious about the ploy that an ADHD third grader could tell they were lying through their teeth.
(And if that significant other was black or Hispanic Dalton always ruled against them.)
But that wasn’t enough for Chris, so I simply stopped referring to that board member. But ain’t it funny how things can so swiftly change. Because now Chris is teaming up with former State Rep and Illinois Department of Corrections administrator John Anthony in a fundraising/leadership forum effort.
Yes! That’s the same John Anthony who was fired from his $120,000 a year DOC job four days after he sexually harassed a number of women at the agency’s Christmas Party. And at least one of those “transactions” was captured by the hotel venue’s video cameras, too. So, unlike it was with our board member, there was no doubt about Anthony’s guilt.
For reference purposes, I like John and he appears to have taken his self-imposed rehabilitation seriously. But he’s also the kind of overly sincere conservative who always seems to be overcompensating for something. It’s a lot like those staunch anti-gay Republican congressmen who inevitably get caught blowing some guy in a public bathroom stall.
Let’s just say that, while I certainly wish him well, I continue to have my doubts about John Anthony.
But all that’s immaterial. The only issue here is Chris Lauzen’s unique brand of hypocrisy for excoriating one public figure for a mere possibility, while embracing another when there’s no doubt.
You should’ve retired with your reputation intact, Chris.
And now he’s lying, too!
In addition to the fake mailer we covered on Tuesday, Treasurer Lauzen has similarly set his sights on County Board member Mavis Bates. And he’s done so via a lengthy letter to Fourth District voters claiming Ms. Bates singlehandedly incited the Board into the kind of spending spree that’s sent County costs soaring by a terrifying 80 percent over the last four years.
The scurrilous cad!
But it would seem that the Treasurer is having some real mathematical issues in his dotage because a great deal of those outlays came from one-time COVID relief funds – and the Treasurer damn well knows that. There’s been no significant County tax or fee hikes in recent history, so if the Board had embarked on that reckless course of action, Kane County would be on the verge of bankruptcy and risking a State takeover.
Do the Democrats spend more than they should? Yeah, but it’s part of their vast charm. At least they’re not embracing a psychopath and claiming that Republican County Clerk Jack Cunningham is handing the election keys over to the Dems – like Chris Lauzen very publicly did.
It’s also important to note that, as I’ve been writing for years, we have got to stop hemorrhaging talented people to surrounding counties and their higher salaries. And that’s particularly true of the State’s Attorney’s office where they train ASA’s just so Kendall and McHenry Counties can poach them, which costs the County far more than reasonable raises would.
No one wants to see their taxes go up, but the cost we pay for mediocre governance is far greater and the County Board is going to have to reconcile that disparity sooner rather than later.
The Treasurer also seems to have conveniently forgotten that there are 23 other board members involved in the budget process and a great part of the reason that reasonable KC Republicans can no longer win elections is his constant ego-based reshaping of the Party.
Lauzen also ironically notes that Bates’ “Independent” opponent fosters “collaboration,” a word he couldn’t spell if you spotted him 12 letters.
But the overarching irony here is, with the average post-COVID American attention span reduced to a scant 8.25 seconds – less than that of a goldfish – few voters will open the missive and even fewer will bother reading a full-page letter.
What this means is, in addition to single-handedly destroying the Kane County Republican Party, we can add “hypocrite” and “liar” to his vast political resume. So much for leaving a reasonable legacy.
A not-so-fond farewell
As of September 30, 21-year Geneva Alderman Craig Maladra stepped down as a result of moving out of his ward. Per British author Charles Caleb Cotton’s admonition, “If you have nothing nice to say, don’t say anything at all,” here are my thoughts on Maladra’s “service.”
That ought to just about cover it.
