Donald Trump Leads Republican Presidential Candidates at Will County Fair

What's more country than glass Ball jars and kernels of corn?  Using those kernels and jars to poll the crowd at the county fair. 

Will County Republicans set up a "corn poll" for Republican Presidential Primary at their booth at the Will County Fair.  Donald Trump had the most votes of any single candidate at around 5:30 p.m. on Saturday.  However, it appears the kernels distributed to jars other than Trump's might come close to the total of kernels in Trump's jar.

Donald Trump takes the lead among Republican Presidential Candidates at the Will County Fair Republican Corn Poll

Homer Township Fire Protection District Referendum Results March 2014

On the March 18, 2014 ballot, voters in the Homer Township Fire Protection District will vote on a referendum "for the sale of $4.7 million in Bonds by the Fire District in order to secure funding to alter, repair, improve and equip existing facilities, procure vehicles, firefighting apparatus and equipment", according to homerfire.org. 

To view results for the Homer Township Fire Protection District referendum, go here.  Results will begin to post once polls close.

Illinois 11th Congressional District Republican Primary 2014

Five Republicans are vying for the chance to represent the 11th Congressional District of Illinois.  The 11th Congressional covers parts of several Will County municipalities, including Joliet, Crest Hill, Naperville, New Lenox, and Bolingbrook.

The Republicans running in the March 18, 2014 Illinois General Primary are:

Chris Balkema of Channahon

Bert Miller of Hinsdale

Darlene Senger of Naperville

Ian Bayne of Aurora 

Craig Robbins of Lisle

Map of the Illinois 11th Congressional District:

5 Republicans are running in the March 18, 2014 General Primary Election in Illinois.  The Republican winner will face Congressman Bill Foster in the November 2014 election

Kinzinger Responds to Obama's 2014 State of the Union Address

Map of Illinois 16th Congressional District, represented since 2013 by Adam Kinzinger

Representative Adam Kinzinger represents Illinois's 16th Congressional District, which includes parts of southwestern Will County.  Kinzinger released this response to President Obama's 2014 State of the Union Address:

“Tonight, the President talked about working across the aisle to find common ground, but words alone don’t bring about results. With families across the country struggling to make ends meet, the American people need tonight to be about more than just a speech; they need a real commitment to results, to getting people back to work, to finding bipartisan reforms to bring healthcare costs down, and to making government work for the people again. If the President wants to work with Republicans, we are willing to roll up our sleeves and have the tough conversations it will take to find common ground.”

O'Dekirk Announces Candidacy for Mayor of Joliet

Standing on the steps of the Joliet Police Station, Bob O'Dekirk announced his candidacy for Mayor of Joliet:


O'Dekirk then took questions from the small group of citizens, supporters, and reporters gathered.  One citizen asked what we can do about low voter turnout in local elections.  O'Dekirk said he hopes Joliet residents who saw four new taxes and are seeing crime increasing in Joliet will take ownership and vote.

O'Dekirk said during his 10 years as a police officer in the City of Joliet he developed deep ties to the community and that those ties would help him forge the gap between the community and city hall.

In regards to Joliet's economic situation, O'Dekirk said promoting a 5 Guys Restaurant coming to Joliet is not an economic plan.  O'Dekirk said Joliet needs a plan for economic development and that if Bolingbrook can do it, so can Joliet.

Republican Candidates for Governor at Plainfield Central High School

The Will County Tea Party Alliance is sponsoring a Forum for Illinois Republican Gubernatorial Candidates on Tuesday, January 14, 2014 at Plainfield Central High School--24120 Fort Beggs Drive in Plainfield.  Doors will open at 6:00 p.m. and the event starts at 7:00 p.m..  Seating is first-come, first-served

So far, Republican candidates Bill Brady, Kirk Dillard, and Dan Rutherford have confirmed they will attend.  Bruce Rauner has been invited.

Voters will select a Republican candidate for Governor on March 18th, 2014 in the Illinois General Primary Election.

Senator Bertino-Tarrant Votes Against Pension Reform Bill

State Senator Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant released the following news release regarding her vote against the Pension Reform Bill in the Illinois State Senate:

December 4, 2013 

"SPRINGFIELD—Yesterday, a pension reform bill passed the General Assembly that adversely affects seniors and retirees in Illinois.

After various pension reform proposals failed to make significant movement last spring, a bi-partisan pension conference committee was tasked with developing a compromise between both parties and both chambers. Yesterday’s legislation reflects all of the concessions of the democratic members of the committee and fails to address the one requirement that Senate Democrats, like Senator Bertino-Tarrant, have stressed since the beginning of pension reform negotiations—that is, fair treatment for those who were already retired.

“Through support of other legislation, as well as numerous meetings with stakeholders, I have held fast to my position to protect retirees who now have no way to change their fiscal futures,” Senator Bertino-Tarrant said. 

The provisions of the bill include items such as increased retirement age and delaying of cost-of-living-adjustments, but most worrisome for Bertino-Tarrant was a change to the COLA computation that affects active employees and those already retired.

“It forces reductions to the anticipated life savings of our current retirees, as well as excessive concessions from our current employees,” she said.  “For this reason, I simply could not support the proposal.”

Bertino Tarrant firmly believes that a balanced solution could have been achieved.  Everyone involved knows that sacrifices would have to be made all around, however the bill that passed the General Assembly did not achieve this balance. 

It is expected that the constitutionality of the pension proposal will now be evaluated by the Supreme Court. 

“It is my hope that the benefits already earned by retirees will be acknowledged by the judicial branch and that their decision will give us a detailed framework for the work we will need to do in the future,” Bertino-Tarrant said.

Despite Senator Bertino-Tarrant’s opposition, the bill passed both chambers of the General Assembly and will now be sent to the governor for his approval."