Welcome to the Bolingbrook Report Blog Site

Welcome to the Bolingbrook Report. The BR has been operating as the local hottest news source since April 2009. Always controversial, and always on the scene, the Brook Report has over 80,000 hits and counting! The BR is an online electronic news source ran by volunteers and residents of Bolingbrook.

Wednesday, June 29, 2011

How much do you pay in taxes?

We spend 33% of our income on the government. In Illinois, we work until May every year just to pay taxes. After that we start earning money for our own food, clothing, and shelter.
This amount is scheduled to rise due to local politician corruption, raising of taxes, and the local municipal governments forgetting the main purpose of Government. 
"To protect our rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness."
Instead of the government focusing on these critical issues, they would rather be purchasing Golf Courses and housing properties the ability to qualify, costing tax payer money on lawsuits. 
So where do you stand? 
Should we downside our governments for pushing into our lives too much?  When they regulate things like fireworks and what you can do in your own homes and yards, is enough finally enough?  Where does it end?  For each regulation enforced, there is a cost to the tax payer.  Weigh in now!

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

How is Devon Hodges doing?

Devon is a bright kid.  He started college this month on a scholarship at Bradley.  We look forward to attending his games and watching him play. 

This kid endured some of the meanest teachers, coaches, and school officials that one must endure.  His last three months in Bolingbrook were just as bad as the few before, with the coaches STILL punishing him AFTER we exposed the story.

Devon was taking a class with the book keeper of the basketball team for his teacher.  Low and behold if this teacher did not do his best to push Devon to fail in the last quarter, attempting to hold him back from graduating.  He did this by withholding assignments and marking them as not turned in, and using public ridicule and humiliation in front of his classmates.  He went from a B-C student to straight F's.  The teacher refused to return calls from the parents asking what was going on, so when they probed, they found out his affiliation to the basketball mess that Devon was going through.  I mean, how much abuse did the school system allow this boy!

In any other school district, bullying is NOT accepted behavior.  In Valley View, it is the norm for the teachers, coaches, and school board/ administrators to bully kids.  We just saw this recently with Casson Hale, who lost his scholarship opportunity so that the school secretary and the Valley view Superintendent could ensure their kids would get the scholarships. 

Had it not been for Ms. Breen and Ms. Cowie's help and assistance, Devon's parents would have gone unheard and the teacher would have prevailed in the continuation of the bullying. Thank you to these two wonderful educators!

So the light at the end of the tunnel is that Devon graduated this month, went on to fulfill his dreams, despite the hurdles of our local authorities. 

However, consequences will arise for these bullies.  No bad deed goes unpunished, and this young man and his family will ensure that this injustice will not happen to another child again.  I can hear it in their convictions and I believe in them.

Blago Leads Quinn to Push Reform

In the wake of Blago's 17 count indictement, Pat Quinn's office is cracking down on local officials and municipalities.  First, there will be push to reform the local laws.  Second, there will be consequences to actions.  All this came down the pipeline to us last night.
When does all this start? 
Today.

So I bet they would be curious to know that Bill Mayer, head of Du Page Township votes bi weekly to pay Call One's bills, even though he works for them in sales.  I bet they would love to know about the money laundering scheme to the cricket club which caused him to step down from the Cricket board, and soon, the fund transfers to H20, an organization he is the director of.  Yes, that is right, all on tax payer money.  Not to mention the $200K enabling garden he built to his top donor Roger Claar, who donates to him outside of election seasons.  Let's not forget that he takes money from Orange Crush and other questionable sources as well.  This places his moral odometer at about 1 on a scale of one to ten, with one being the lowest.

We will stay on top of the Bolingbrook investigations as they work themselves through the Feds, Pat Quinn, and the new laws.  Stay tuned!

Monday, June 27, 2011

Casey Anthony Murder Trial expected to close up shortly

The Casey Anthony trial has rocked the news.  The mother, who partied after the disappearance of her daughter, has shocking secrets.  For example, she was googling chloroform before the death.  Then she states that child drowned and she was abused.  Where will this circus end?

Experts say that if she gets the death penalty, it is unlikely it will be enforced.
We will keep you in tune!

Friday, June 24, 2011

Story about another Boy at Bolingbrook

Casson Hale was denied an opportunity to be submitted for scholarships when Mr. Mitchems secretary disallowed due process. 

Similar to our Devon Hodges story, this young man was allegedly running for the scholarship against Mr. Mitchem's son and the secretaries daughter.  While we wait on the hard hitting story, we will shed light into the situation.

Typically when an incident happens at BHS, a report is filed and the incident is brought to a Dean for investigation.  However, one day Mrs. Pawlowicz, Mr. Mitchem's secretary, was in the hall when a group of boys called her a Bitch.  She claimed she got an ID from one of the boys stating it was Casson Hale.  This is an allegation that the Hale family denies, claiming "What ID?"  The sad thing is that Casson might not have even been in school that day.

So instead of following the channels, she abused her privilege of vetting students for scholarships and removed him from the list.  time went by and when he found out, it was too late.

So Bonnie Alicea has offered to investigate this story for us and has submitted the following FOIA.  We will bring you more news as it arrives.


This is an official FOIA request. 

According to the Bolingbrook Patch on June 21, 2011, Casson Hale was denied eligibility to scholarship funds.  In this article, it points to:
1.     One of the boys supplied Hale's ID.
2.    The scholarship committee had already awarded the scholarships to other students
3.    Casson Hale’s application was deemed ineligible for as many as seven scholarships.
4.     Mitchem said he consulted with the scholarship committee and poured through each of the scholarships Casson Hale’s application was pulled from, comparing his application to that of the students who won the scholarship.
5.    In the end, Mitchem determined Casson Hale lost out on $500. He said in most cases, students who had yet to receive a scholarship would have won out over Casson Hale, who had already won several from the community.
6.    Pawlowicz was able to flag Casson Hale's application because she helps vet the candidates for the committee, Mitchem said. To be eligible for a scholarship, students must meet certain qualifications, including having a record of good behavior.
7.    “The mistake by the school was that assumption that it was him,” Mitchem said. “Had we not jumped the gun, what should have happened was the boy with Casson’s ID should have been written up on a referral, which would have been submitted to the dean [of students]. Then the dean would have called the young man in and he would have told him, ‘It wasn’t me.’ "Then we would have begun an investigation and ultimately determined it wasn’t him.” 

In lieu of this above reporting, I wanted to FOIA information about the above.
1.      Documentation of the incident written by Pawlowicz where the false ID was supplied, and actions taken to determine who the misbehaving children were. Is there proof that this ID turned in even existed?  If so, I want this document.  Is there a formal procedure in place for documenting incidences?  If so, I want this document as well.
2.     Date, time, and meeting notice of the scholarship committee, and name of board members that awarded the scholarships.  I also would like to know if teachers, administrators, or staff was there to give verbal or written input.  Therefore, meeting minutes, agenda’s, videos, emails, or tapes would all be sufficient for this FOIA request of this meeting.
3.     I would like a list of the scholarships and total amount to be awarded for each.  What were the requirements for the scholarships?  I would like this document.
4.     I would like a list of candidates that were considered by the school and the final list of whom was eligible.  The goal here is to determine how many students were removed from the opportunity by either Mr. Mitchem or Mrs. Pawlowicz. 
5.     Did anyone confirm Mr. Mitchem’s determination of the $500 that he claimed this boy could have won?  If so, I would like to see the document that shows someone else assisted in this decision.
6.     How many applications for scholarships has Ms. Pawlowicz flagged this year, and for the previous 5 years?  A list would be fine, but a number is all that is needed.
7.     Documents to show a meeting was called to discipline all parties involved.  This can include letters, emails, post it notes, meeting minutes, and formal documents that would show that someone was held accountable for this mistake.
I think it is fair to assume that the allocated time frame of 5 days would work in this matter.  I think it is also fair to assume that if it exceeds 50 pages, that it is requested for a waiver or reduction of fees since it is in the public's best interest and the purpose is to access and disseminate information regarding the health, safety, and welfare or the legal rights of the general public and is not for the principal purpose or commercial benefit. 

Thursday, June 23, 2011

Is Mr. Mitchem good enough for the Superintendent job?

Mr. Mitchem, former Bolingbrook High School Principal was named to be the next Valley View Superintendent starting July 1.  In order to be given this position, he has to jump through many loops, like going back to school to get his certification and endorsement papers before July 1. 

However, many residents are calling into question if he is the right man for the job.  As an acting superintendent, how has he done so far?

1.  Devon Hodges was denied a call back from Mr. Mitchem multiple times, even though he had restraint orders against a stalking Romeoville Coach, was kicked off a basketball team, and unfairly punished for residency.  Mr. Mitchem promised this teenager he would fix the problems, and offer letters of support, which Devon never received, hurting his chance of college scholorships.  This opened up VVSD to another lawsuit.  Oh, and just for reference, Mitchem's son was allowed to stay on the team and be available for college recruits, while Devon was not.

2.  Mr. Mitchem approved the hiring of two people to do the job of departing Faith Dahlquist, costing taxpayers another added top heavy admin salary.

3.  Mr. Mitchem's secretary was given the authority to yank applicants off of a scholarship list, while leaving Mitchems own son and the secretaries own daughter available to receive them.  Casson Hale, a Senior, was wrongfully denied the opportunity of these scholarships by the secretary.  This opened up VVSD to another lawsuit.

4.  Mr. Mitchem hired Fabby Williams to take over Bolingbrook High School as the Principal, yet Fabby was coming from a school as an acting Principal of a school only 10% of the size of Bolingbrook.  This school failed to make the grade and was on academic probation.  His first act as Principal two months ago was to slash 25% of the teachers, on his way out.  The true act of a coward is to make drastic changes and let someone else have to step in and oversee those changes.  Furthermore, who applies to other schools for a job when they just accepted a position to be a Principal elsewhere?  However, Mitchem has claimed full responsibility for this hire. 

5.  Mitchem believes that tests should be pass or fail, and that kids should pass something before they move forward.  This eliminates the grade point system and allows those with disabilities to have less structure and learning.  For example, if your daughter struggles in math, there is a good chance that your daughter will be stuck on one chapter for many months, while the other students are learning things that she might be able to understand.  Talk about focusing on our weaknesses instead of strengths!

So we open it up to the residents to determine if Mr. Mitchem was a good choice of hire to replace the stable and lovable Dr. Shofstal.  Who is responsible for Mr. Mitchem's actions?  Is it the school board?

 It is not to late to stop Mr. Mitchem from taking this position on July 1.  All companies have 90 day supervision policies and IL is an "At - Will" state. 

It is my opinion that Valley View has made the wrong decision, if what I have seen already, is going to be what I see over the next so many years.  Not even in office and made some drastic moves that will cost our district money!

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Why is Bolingbrook still waiting for state money for our schools?

Because Illinois is Broke! 
There is no money to give and both political parties are to blame.  This is why so many Illinois voters are pushing independent candidates.

This excerpt is taken from http://www.illinoisisbroke.com/FAQs.aspx

How will this affect me?
The state already can't afford its annual pension contributions. In FY2010 and FY2011, Illinois had to borrow BILLIONS to make its statutory payments to the five state pension funds. Without reforms, these required pension contributions will grow every year and crowd out more and more critical services – such as education, public safety and health care for the poor. By 2045, pension contributions will eat up around 50% of the state's “Big Three” tax revenues (personal income taxes, corporate income taxes and sales taxes) – leading to radical cuts in other services or dramatic tax hikes.

The real answer lies in common sense reforms of these pension and retiree health care plans, reasonable reductions in other areas of the state's budget, and a multi-year plan to balance the budget.

Are reforms for current employees constitutional?
Our legal research, conducted by Sidley Austin LLP, concludes that nothing in the Illinois Constitution should be read to prohibit the State from lowering future benefits, so long as the State meets all its obligations for benefits already accrued and vested. Retirees and employees would lose nothing they already had earned.
Click Here to read entire Sidley Austin analysis.

How bad is the retiree-related debt for Illinois' public employees?
  • The pension and retiree health care debt and unfunded obligations associated with public employees is projected to be more than $140 billion by the end of Fiscal Year 2011 – ranking it among the worst in the nation in terms of debt per household. The Pew Center on the States studied the issue and found Illinois has the worst funded pension system in the nation. Some of the state's pension plans are only about 20% funded. If these funds fail – which is likely unless something is done – current employees will be left with nothing. No one wants that to happen in Illinois.


  • How did this happen?
  • The truth is politicians in both major parties, over many years, ignored the growing costs of these programs and pushed them off to future generations. They have ducked anything that resembled a hard choice.

  • Pubic Pensions Creating Millionaires
  • Qualifications of an Elected Official

    What qualifications do you feel an elected official in Bolingbrook must posses? 

    Does the educational degrees factor? 
    What about length of residency? 
    Does having children assist in qualification? 
    What about careers? 
    Publishing's?
    Knowledge of IL Laws?
    What about general ability to serve others, rather then oneself?

    So we took a look at the last two elections to determine what qualifications are necessary in Bolingbrook, since this has been a hot topic in the last two years.

    Local positions have the following requirements by law.  You must be 18 years of age.  You must be a US citizen.  You must be a resident of the village for one year up to the election and a registered voter.  The law does not state any of the above questions need to be answered.

    So when did Bolingbrook residents lose control? 
    We took a look at who has run for elections recently and who is sitting in office.  Sure, some of the Trustees have "High School Diploma's" and not much else.  Sure they are long time residents.  So why would their political team attack credentials of candidates running against them?  Credentials that make their credentials look like nothing?  It is called political madness in Bolingbrook. 

    They created a political attack against likely candidates to mud sling, and finding nothing to attack the candidates on, they stomped on high education and high work experience.  This is what we would call "a "stupid" move.  Did they never think we would point out their lack of education or work experience?

    For example, look again at the questions stated above.  Now compare this to Bonnie who held a Phd abd, has lived in Bolingbrook for over 30 years, is a mother of two, knows her laws, is well published and her careers are working in the Fortune 10 as a top leader.  Does this not rank as the highest levels one could achieve according to those questions above? 

    So the attackers drive this frenzy to question her PhD in hopes it would dissuade voters.  They forget that none of the other Trustees hold this high of degrees.  Matter of fact, they don't even hold a Master's like she has.  So they focused their attack for having a PhD, abd.  Regardless, a PhD abd means she took all her PhD coursework and passed all her comprehensive exams, which less then .5% of the population is able to do.  They failed to inform people that she was still finishing her publishing, and has since then.  Yet, the same people promoted Mr. Mitchem who was told to go back to school to get his degrees.  Whereas Bonnie had essentially finished her degree and passed all her exams.  It was her choice if she wished to pursue another publishing.  It had nothing to do with quitting, not making it, or other words they told people.  This lie spiralled out of control for the past two years.

    Many residents stupidly jumped on this bandwagon and joined in, forgetting that the other elected officials running against her held only High School Diploma's.  It was an effective campaign for the other team, but would only stand to hurt other Republicans future chances of running for office.  Now they have set the standards that people that run must hold full PhD's, plus hold all other requirements that Bonnie held in order to run, plus some.  So now we have these "Bonnie haters" running around, all stewed up by false information supplied during an election, and they don't even know why they hate her.  It is because they jumped on the bandwagon without opening their eyes.

    These band wagoners never stopped to look at qualifications of whom they were voting for and only did what they were told to do when voting, which was vote incumbent.  They became rubber stamp voters to match the rubber stamped Trustees they voted for. 

    Now let's look at Bob Bowen.  Bob is a top exec for a Fortune 500 company and holds a Master's Degree.  Rhonda Reed Slaughter also holds an Accounting degree.  Joe Napionello holds a Master's degree.  All these individuals were higher qualified and hold more workplace experience then the trustees that have a high school education.  Right?  Did they get voted in?  Nope.

    Let's look at the incumbents. 
    Leroy Brown's education states an Arkansas College but no degrees earned.  He holds a high school diploma, and is the deputy mayor and head of school security, making big bucks on tax payers. 

    Carol Penning holds a high school diploma.  AKA, she holds a high school diploma and makes $70K or so a year.

    Pat Shanks holds a high school diploma.

    Rick Morales holds a BA degree

    Joseph Morelli holds a high school diploma and something called a degree in tooling at a manufacturing institute, which does not state a BA/BS degree.

    Mike Lawler holds a high school diploma and has studied communications, but no degree is listed.

    Sanda Swinkunas holds a BA in Education and a Masters in Gifted Education.

    So to sum it up, 5 of the 7 elected officials that criticized Bonnie's PhD, Bob and Joe's Masters all held high school diploma's.  The other two held degrees irrelevant to their duties.

    So the next election, stakes will be high and people will know that the one's running Bolingbrook are not highly educated.  People will also know that those that jumped on the band wagon criticising one's education when they held lower educational achievements, will be seen as ignorant. 

    And people wonder why we defended the candidates?  Because they were more qualified to serve the residents in every way, not just in education, but experience and servitude. 

    Monday, June 20, 2011

    When will the Drew Peterson "hype" end?

    The media loves to sensationalize Drew's case.  The neighbors and family mourn for the lost one's.  Will this circus ever end?  Now there is a movie coming out!

    I think it is a disgrace when the media and the producers make a man sensationalized for being accused of murder. 

    Let's stop a minute and think about this.  If someone was capable of killing someone, stuffing their body into a barrel, disposing the body, and lying about it for years while family members and children grieve for the loss, who are we to give them any attention?  Turn your nose the other way and walk away.

    Some might say, "well the BR wrote a story recently about Drew".  We would point out that it was because a potential murderer, who held rank in our community, still gets our tax money.  However, we are not sensationalizing him for who he is.  We oppose giving him our tax money so he can pay for his attorney to try to get him released from the charges against him.  We know it is not fair to assume he is guilty without his trial, but we have spoken with neighbors and others involved and find his behavior before the murders wrong.  He has a history of the Bolingbrook PD covering his butt when Stacy called to complain about domestic abuse.  His actions have not been spoken about by the Mayor or the Police, and they continue to give him our tax dollars, because they claim he is eligible until he is found guilty. 

    But it is our opinion, that Bolingbrook residents should turn their backs to the media and producers that sensationalize his story.  Contribute to your community by showing support for the many, many residents affected by this disaster.  The neighbors, family, friends, and tax payers who got screwed by Drew.

    Sunday, June 19, 2011

    Humor and Ronald Regan

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QK3Eo9cScEQ&feature=youtu.be

    We normally do not post You Tube video's, but we found this one funny for all political parties...
    Take a minute out of your day and have a laugh!  If your into politics, pass it along!

    HB 1716, will it affect the BR?

    The bill HB1716 awaiting Pat Quinn's approvals, based on reducing the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA's), will not affect the Bolingbrook Report.

    We have attorneys ready to ensure that Bolingbrook elected officials process our requests and the requests of our resident contributors. 

    The bill states that "requests made by news media shall not be considered "commercial purpose" when the principle purpose of the request is to access and disseminate information concerning news and current or passing events, for articles of opinion or features of interest to the public.

    It further states that news media means a newspaper, or news service, or other periodical issued at regular intervals, whether in print or electronic format.

    We do not fall under "Recurrent Requester" because we have not requested excessive documents. They cannot charge for the requests because it is noted that our site is not considered a "cpmmercial request".

    Any of our writers should be aware that if the bill passes, the FOIA request needs to contain the language that it is requested for a waiver or reduction of fees since it is in the public's best interest and the purpose is to access and disseminate information regarding the health, safety, and welfare or the legal rights of the general public and is not for the principal purpose or commercial benefit. 

    Wednesday, June 15, 2011

    Lobbying Money and Water Company

    Yes, let's start the calculator to determine what the new water agency will cost us.
    Start with the lobbying firm that helped pass the Senate Bill on our behalf.  Now we form the Northern Will County Joint Action Water Agency.
    Cost to date on the lobbying is $36,000.00
    Now let's get take into consideration for the costs for research and leg work, planning, attorneys, etc.

    This amount will not hit your water bill, this will hit your taxes.
    Therefore, you might still have American Water, and Bolingbrook is charging you for the research to take it over. 
    Sample water bill $10.00
    Sample tax bill $1500.00

    Now, Sample water bill $10.00
    Sample tax bill $1600.00

    When we actually take over the water, there is no guarantee that the water bill will NOT go up.  The Mayor has remained silent for this.  However, since it could be a local tax paying entity soon, the numbers can shift from your water bill to your tax bill.
    Example:
    Sample water bill $8.00
    Sample tax bill $1800.00

    Nobody would be the wiser to see the taxes go up as long as the Mayor and trustees make it look like the water bill goes down, right?

    Wrong.  People are watching and waiting.  We want to know who will be in charge of this organization and what are the total costs to bring in the water.  What bonds will be taken out.  Who will get paid the big bucks.  In finality, there are no guarantees that this will bring DOWN the water bill because you are already spending the difference in just the research alone.  That will need to be paid back.

    The final result is more politics, less service, more padding of pockets, and less cash in tax payers. Until Mr. Claar and the Trustees can publically announce that it will allow for a reduction in water fees and no additional taxes, I am not buying into this scandal.

    Crime Alert for Bolingbrook Residents

    Wanted
    Dangerous Man in Bolingbrook
    5'8-5'10
    130-150 lbs

    Wanted for breaking into a home near Lily Cache and Weber, where he put a knife to a 20 year old's throat and attempted to kidnap her.  The mother intercepted and was injured and the man fled. 

    If you know this man, please contact:  Bolingbrook Crime Stoppers at www,bolingbrookcrimestoppers.org

    Tuesday, June 14, 2011

    Tonight's Board Meeting

    Take a  look at the bills being passed tonight and ask the elected officials why this resolution was posted as follows:
    Resolution authorizing support of DuPage Convention and Visitors Bureau. 
    Tell us what this means.  What is this going to cost.  What does it include.  What is the purpose.  Inquiring minds want to know.

    While your at it, tell us why your needing to pay a lobbying $35K this year.  What are you lobbying for?  Last time we did something like this we wound up with red light camera's.  Are they coming back?  Oh please, tell us this time what we are spending our tax dollars on for getting a law changed that will NOT benefit the residents...

    Oh, one more... resolution 11R-023 is for more construction at Clow Airport.  Can you tell us the ROI on this?  I am sure you have thought this through...

    And in finality, what are we doing on the prevailing wage ordinance?  Is this to confirm that you get your raises this year in a bad economy?  Or to secure your perks?

    Military Deaths

    Let it be known that as of today, June 14, 2011 there has been 4,460 US Military Deaths in the Iraq war. 
    Our hearts go out to the soldiers families.

    IL State Police Profiling

    Illinois state police are defending their record on searching minority drivers during traffic stops according to the American Civil Liberties Union.  They filed an official complaint because state police consistently ask minority drivers to allow a search of their cars more often than they ask white drivers. The ACLU says these "consent searches" should be investigated by the Justice Department.

    The state police responded on Tuesday that they do searches of minority drivers much less often than local police do.

    The ACLU says state police fail to address the basic complaint -- that black and Hispanic drivers are treated differently than white drivers.

    Monday, June 13, 2011

    Skinny B's are Evil!

    Are skinny people evil or are they just hungry?  Some say that people with extra weight are easy going and have more humor compared to their skinny counterparts.  Is the link to evil really crankiness from hunger? 

    Could this be the reason why some men seek heavier women when they want to put down roots and stay awhile?  Take a look at some recent statistics and "weigh" in!


    Select the button "comment" below.

    I Cite the Village Board for Code Enforcement Violations.

    I do hereby declare the Village of Bolingbrook board members (Mayor and trustees) each receive a citation for improper lawn care.  I would like to put a lien on Trustee and Mayor's homes if they do not pay it.  Since I am a taxpayer, and this is the treatment the rest of us get, I think it should be the same for them.

    So you want to know what I am babbling on about? 

     As residents, you would expect your community to not sacrifice services to the residents since the taxes are so high.  I mean, other states and towns do not contribute as much in taxes as Bolingbrook, IL does.  For example, in FL, TX, AZ, IN and others most cities, villages, and towns pay under $3K per year in property taxes, low sales tax, low gas tax, but still have top notch Police, Fire, Ambulance, and lawn care.

    So we wonder who is in charge of the lawn care in Bolingbrook and why has it been so neglected this summer?  For example, if you drive down Boughton Road (and many others) you will see the medians with a foot deep of weeds and tall grass.  Had this been in my yard, I would have been surely cited by code enforcement.

    Yet we are paying the bills for this, aren't we trustees?  So who is responsible for the lack of care?  Did we not pay them, did we not negotiate enough because of mis-spending, or is it the company that needs to lose the contract?  Regardless of which one, the Trustees and Mayor are to blame for no service. 

    Therefore, I am citing you each with code enforcement violations of improper law care.  Please pay this money into the Village taxing bodies as a reimbursement for charging us for lawn care that was never supplied.

    From:
    An angry resident who feels his village looks like shit.

    Friday, June 10, 2011

    Shift in Mortgage Thinking for “30-something” Year Olds

    By Bonnie Alicea
    There seems to be a growing trend amongst “thirty - something” aged Bolingbrook residents.  Some say thirty is the new twenty, and couples are choosing to have children in the 30’s while establishing careers in the 20’s. 
    After polling residents, I found that many have shifted the “old school” thoughts of buying a large house and fancy vehicles, to buying smaller homes and practical vehicles.   This allows them to put more money aside for higher education for themselves/children and for retirement, sacrificing luxury for priorities. 
    This could be sparked by the current economic conditions, tax and gas increases, job stability, or plummeting real estate.  Some of these residents are taking advantage of the housing bust and buying smaller homes with cash.  I heard the expression “cash is King” on many occasions during this poll.  This gives these thirty something residents at least 30 more years to plan and save for college costs which are rising, and retirement costs which are estimated to diminish by lack of funds in Social Security in 2036.
    It would appear that this shift in priority can benefit the future of Bolingbrook by establishing more stability of neighbors, lower future foreclosure rates, more local expendable income and a more educated future population.  I look forward to seeing this shift and encourage the “twenty something” year olds to watch and learn!

    Can younger generations survive the workforce with only social media etiquette?

    By Bonnie Alicea
    Do we equip our teens to communicate, socialize, and behave correctly in a time where social media outlets like texting, IM, Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, and internet gaming has taken social etiquette out of the question?  We need to ask ourselves, as parents of the next generation to enter the workforce, if our kids can communicate effectively in the workplace. 
    As a Fortune 1 corporate consultant, one of my pet peeves is scheduling an important meeting and watching the younger generations show up late, open their laptop, type all meeting long on IM or work, while never truly hearing what is happening in the room around them.  They don’t participate in the meetings.  I find this behavior rude, offensive, and counterproductive to the teams’ accomplishments, goals, and success rates. 
    I find the demand for my services in the corporate world growing largely due to the fact that I establish rules for my team.  Time is money. I set the tone of the meetings.  I make all team members sign a waiver before any project, and if they do not uphold the waiver, I release them from my team.  This clause contains the following:  “When you arrive at my meetings, please turn off your laptops, put away your cell phones, and be ready to discuss an important issue”. 
    So what can we do to change this behavior in teens facing the growing “instant access” issues?  Turn off the phone / computer at dinner and have a discussion about life, events, and people.  Encourage interactions outside the virtual world and teach teens human interaction skills.  Remember, these teens have to make a living and right now they are not cutting it in a workplace where creative ideas, synergy, and cooperation are required.

    Thursday, June 9, 2011

    Joplin Experience

    Thank you Bolingbrook residents who attended the Joplin Experience.  This was a challenging time for a community and you were there to make it better. 

    It was not that long ago that Plainfield suffered at the hands of a Tornado this large.  It took time for them to rebuild, and it will take longer for Joplin.  We need to remember that this could have been Bolingbrook and that losing homes, loved one's, and more can devastate a community. 

    So thank you for your help, on behalf of the BR.

    This years Re-Cap

    Political recaps are always fun.

    Last year at this time, signs were being printed for the November elections.  Some of the local candidates fought for higher political seats in the IL Senate and House.  So where are they today and what do we expect from them in the future?

    Cedra Crenshaw whom ran for the IL Senate seat against AJ Wilhelmi has not gone away.  She has volunteered articles on local news sites and attended school board meetings. Although she has donated much of her campaign funds, she has left enough to run for a local office.  We anticipate Cedra will run for office in Bolingbrook or for the Township next year.  Our bets are on the school board and we suppose, if she does this, that she will not only win, but will make a great "Chair" of the board.  She is fiscally responsible and has children in the system. 

    Mary Pat Oliver has donated her money in her campaign funds and does not appear to be making a run for further politics.  We believe that Mary Pat and Cedra should team together to tackle that school board election in two years.

    This past election saw many new faces and some regular one's. 
    Rhonda Reed Slaughter ran for trustee in April for the second time.  She had many votes in this election and her fan base is growing, thanks to her hard hitting journalism techniques.  She will be a force to contend with at the last election.  We see many people donating to her cause in two years and we encourage her to take on the elimination of the Township before then. 

    Bob Bowen, a runner for Trustee, is still waiting his turn.  He ran a great election, getting large votes for a first time runner.  He played the election game skillfully, and was backed by support and advice from Bonnie, the past mayoral candidate.  The two, as a team, would have landed the positions.  However, since Bonnie was removed from the ballot again by a biased board, Bob did well but did not finish top.  I do not think his race is over and I think he will be shooting for the goal next time.

    Bonnie Alicea, who ran for Mayor and Trustee, is still actively participating in the community.  Recently she launched a large initiative to take people to Joplin.  She was able to organize and fund raise quite a bit for the cause and spent time working on site in Joplin with clean up, search and rescue, and helping families find precious items lost.   She has led a humble existence, despite opposition anger with her, and has promised to keep Bolingbrook in the front of her mind for the election in two years.  Many people are fighting for her success if she runs for Mayor.  She however, does not focus on the election two years away, she focuses on what she can do to make Bolingbrook better. In the meantime, she works with IL law makers to change the corrupt laws of petitioning and electoral boards, so that anyone has the constitutional rights to run for an elected office in Bolingbrook.  She is heavily involved in the Independent Party issues and looking to assist those trying to establish a new political party in Will County for the independents.  She feels that it is time Bolingbrook residents had people in office that voted for the best interest of the residents instead of the best interest of their political parties.

    Wayne Kwiat ran for Judgeship in November.  He is still working with the States Attorneys Office processing traffic violations.  We do not see a run for office in the future.

    Does Ken Cygan want to run again?  He is still contributing articles on the Patch and word on the street is he is hoping to try again in two years!  Last time he was hit with trying to straddle the fence with political parties and residents.  Let's hope he hops to one side before he starts again.

    Our Disappointment Leads to Some Advice for Kusta Jr

    Sometimes we feel the need to write a story based on pure disappointment.

    Back in February the petitions for Mr. Steven Quigley came under fire and were objected to.  He had only gathered 90 signatures and many appeared to be written by the same person.

    As an elected official, the rules for petitions are clear and these issues were addressed in the public.

    However, during this time, Mr. Quigley took a campaign donation from an unlikely donor to help him support his campaign and campaign problems.

    On Feb. 17, 2011 Mr. Ed Kusta Jr contributed $200.00 to Quigley.

    The reason we say this is a disappointment is that Mr Kusta Jr. has been great about staying out of the public limelight and not directly aligning himself to any elected official who has been noted as "self serving". 

    Kusta Jr. is a Bolingbrook native, having grown up and graduated in our very school systems, gone on to become a successful attorney locally and had come to be a trustworthy elected official.  His personality is charming and he is the type of person that will admit he was wrong, when he was wrong.  He has walked the straight line to being a public servant.  He has grasped the concept of "doing right" to his constituents.  He seems to be a good guy.  (As far as we know to date)

    So what is he doing aligning himself to Mr. Quigley, who is on the top five list of "elected officials to watch out for?"

    Our advise to Mr. Kusta Jr is to stay clear and continue to do a fine job.  The community needs you and your political potential is still hot with ability for growth.  Don't ruin it by aligning yourself to those that are on the political downfall.  We see great things coming your way and this kind of thing can potentially ruin it.

    IL campaign Donation web Site:

    citizens for steven quigley124 PEPPERWOOD DR
    BOLINGBROOK, IL 60440
    $200.00
    2/17/2011
    Transfer Out
    People for Kusta
    Contribution

    Village has yet to post meeting agenda for June 14th meeting

    As the time comes for June meetings, we anxiously await the meeting agenda's.  It has been since May 24th since the last meeting and the minutes for this will not be approved until June 14th meeting times.  However, according to the Village Web Site, the meeting minutes from April 26, May 10, and May 24th have yet to be approved. 

    While construction season is at it's peak, we need to carefully watch the summer approvals of construction dollars, as these are costs that can be easily inflated to accommodate campaign contributions. 

    Last year we uncovered a story about the lowest bidder getting a project, but adding expenses on later as additional bills.  Therefore, they were not the lowest bidders after all. We found a pattern to this throughout the last few years of FOIAed invoices.  Examples included trees for $800 when we could buy the same tree, same height, quality etc. from a local business for $300. 

    So we are watching... as always.

    27th Annual Village Picnic

    http://www.bolingbrookcaca.org/caca/index.php/village-picnic

    Mark your calendars for June 26 from noon until 6pm.  Plenty of fun events for the kids!  Carnival out front, food fest behind the Village, don't forget to catch it all!

    Liberty Temple Gospel Church vs. Bolingbrook Elected Officials

    People are wondering what is really behind the new lawsuit filed by Liberty Temple and Roger Claar. 
    The Village put out a press release claiming it was all based on the church NOT acquiring the proper permits and alleging that the temple had started construction without the permits.  Therefore, placing the blame on the church. http://www.bolingbrook.com//info/pdf/PressRelease_4_13_11.pdf

    However, the church location was sold to the church by the strip plaza owners who did research the zoning requirements.  According to the zoning, it was already zoned for this type of use and did not require special use permits.  Therefore, they accepted the deposit for rents and the church spent money to construct and prepare their new business.

    When Roger Claar looked at the zoning maps he found that they were not up to code.  The maps, that he at one time must have approved, were now considered "wrong" and that this location should not have been coded the way it was.

    So instead of saying, whoops, sorry, we made an error in our documents so we will allow you to continue, he stopped the construction. 

    Now the residents are paying for the over inflated attorneys to battle this one out in court.  This is costing the church money that it needed and planned on having to open the temple.  The fault clearly lies in the hands of whomever signed off on the wrong property zoning map.

    We would like to know who this is and if they will be responsible for paying the tax payers share of this lawsuit. 

    It makes me think of customer service today.  Say you go into a restaurant and you order a steak from the menu.  They bring you a chicken.  When you complain, they say the menu has a typo and they take your chicken but don't give you anything in return.  If you paid for the bill early, your stuck with no food and no money left.  This is what they did to this church.  What kind of service is this Village offering to it's residents?  Defiantly not Disney type service!

    Wednesday, June 8, 2011

    Judy Biggert Visit to Bolingbrook

    Rep. Judy Biggert visited the Levy Center last night to speak about local veteran's needs. It is a sore issue around Bolingbrook, as the local Veterans of War have been long neglected.

    We would like to ask the local politicians...  Why is it that we have been asking for a local Vet office in town for years, but "not - for - profits" like H20 get the free rent, advertising, and donations instead?

    Veterans have long awaited a local chapter to host events at, offer services, and have what many local vets in other communities have.  I mean, sure we have a wall, but the need to service our former service men have gone unanswered.

    Last year I spoke with a gentleman who has been asking Roger Claar for a place in Bolingbrook and had been rejected for two straight years.  He was willing to rent a place locally and pay out of his own pocket if that is what it took for the Vets to get some respect in Bolingbrook.  He claimed, "most other local Vets have a place to go to, a hall to raise money from, and a place for help.  Bolingbrook does not."  Matter of fact, one of the most important thing that Vets do is to sponsor the local Boy Scouts.  They have an office in most communities from which they sell flags and other items to help sponsor these scouts.  In Bolingbrook, there are no options.

    Do we take the step to appreciating our Vets or do we let them continue to wait?

    Wednesday, June 1, 2011

    Civil Union Cancelled

    The debate has grown hot over the cancelling of the civil union ceremony and civil union certificates today.  The Golf Club claims that they did not have enough people.  The group sponsoring the event claims the golf club wanted too much down and was not a part of the original agreement.

    We spoke to a couple that was suppose to get joined today.  They claimed that this gimmick from Bolingbrook cost the Village a great deal of money.  Sure there was a risk to how many people showed, but money is money, right?  When a facility is failing and would have gotten much needed press, who were they to ask a sponsor for the money?

    Taxpayers have been emailing all day asking how this affected the tax revenue that could have entered the village and the amount of publicity we would have gotten.  My answer?  A great deal...

    Not only that, but since Bolingbrook sought out this organization, shouldn't they have compromised?  did the golf club book some event that would have paid out more than 600 attendees and free major publicity? 

    We feel that there is much more to this story.  Either that, or the elected officials mis-stepped and made the wrong decision.  Sure there is risk, but balancing the risk vs. the gain is what they should know how to do by now right?  They ricked $40 Mil to build the golf club and as far as I am concerned, if it cost $10k in expenses but received much advertising, it would have been worth it to me!  What do you think?

    Taxes, how do you compare?

    Below is a spreadsheet that compares your property taxes based on your school, library, park district and village. The yellow highlights mean you are in the highest area of the one's covered. The red means you are taxed the highest TOTAL. It would appear that the Village of Bolingbrook charges more then Naperville. The school district charges more then Naperville. The park district charges more then Naperville and so does the Library. How does this make you feel? Place your comment below.
    House Worth $360,000 in the Village Of Bolingbrook
    $114,000.00
    2010 Tax Rate 2009 Tax Rate Increase
    Dupage Township 0.000662 $75.47 0.000665 -0.45%
    School District 365 0.052276 $5,959.46 0.049435 5.75%
    Comm College 525 0.00227 $258.78 0.002144 5.88%
    Village Of Bolinbrook 0.006666 $759.92 0.006202 7.48%
    Bolingbrook Park Distrrict 0.004842 $551.99 0.004554 6.32%
    Fountaindale Library 0.004073 $464.32 0.004045 0.69%
    Total $8,069.95
    House Worth &360,000 in District 204 in Bolingbrook
    2010 Tax Rate 2009 Tax Rate Increase
    $114,000.00
    Wheatland Township 0.000701 $79.91 0.000657 6.70%
    School District 204 0.048871 $5,571.29 0.044934 8.76%
    Comm College 502 0.002347 $267.56 0.002024 15.96%
    Village Of Bolinbrook 0.006776 $772.46 0.006297 7.61%
    Bolingbrook Park Distrrict 0.004842 $551.99 0.004554 6.32%
    Plainfield Library 0.001573 $179.32 0.001421 10.70%
    Total $7,422.54
    House Worth &360,000 in District 204 Naperville
    2010 Tax Rate 2009 Tax Rate Increase
    $114,000.00
    Wheatland Township 0.000701 $79.91 0.000657 6.70%
    School District 204 0.048871 $5,571.29 0.044934 8.76%
    Comm College 502 0.002347 $267.56 0.002024 15.96%
    City Of Naperville 0.005569 $634.87 0.005382 3.47%
    Naperville Park District 0.002796 $318.74 0.002564 9.05%
    Naperville Library 0.001854 $211.36 0.00181 2.43%
    Total $7,083.73
    House Worth &360,000 in District 202 Plainfield
    2010 Tax Rate 2009 Tax Rate Increase
    $114,000.00
    Wheatland Township 0.000701 $79.91 0.000657 6.70%
    Plainfield Fire District 0.008656 $986.78 0.008419 2.82%
    School District 202 0.048618 $5,542.45 0.045876 5.98%
    Comm College 525 0.00227 $258.78 0.002144 5.88%
    Village of Plainfield 0.005109 $582.43 0.004174 22.40%
    Plainfield Park District 0.001959 $223.33 0.00174 12.59%
    Plainfield Library 0.001573 $179.32 0.001421 10.70%
    Total $7,853.00
    House Worth $360,000 in District 202 in the Village Of Bolingbrook
    $114,000.00
    2010 Tax Rate 2009 Tax Rate Increase
    Dupage Township 0.000662 $75.47 0.000665 -0.45%
    School District 202 0.048618 $5,542.45 0.045876 5.98%
    Comm College 525 0.00227 $258.78 0.002144 5.88%
    Village Of Bolinbrook 0.006666 $759.92 0.006202 7.48%
    Bolingbrook Park Distrrict 0.004842 $551.99 0.004554 6.32%
    Fountaindale Library 0.004073 $464.32 0.004045 0.69%
    Total $7,652.93
    House Worth $360,000 in District 203 in the Village Of Bolingbrook
    $114,000.00
    2010 Tax Rate 2009 Tax Rate Increase
    Dupage Township 0.000662 $75.47 0.000665 -0.45%
    School District 203 0.042264 $4,818.10 0.039495 7.01%
    Comm College 502 0.002347 $267.56 0.002024 15.96%
    Village Of Bolinbrook 0.006666 $759.92 0.006202 7.48%
    Bolingbrook Park Distrrict 0.004842 $551.99 0.004554 6.32%
    Fountaindale Library 0.004073 $464.32 0.004045 0.69%
    Total $6,937.36
    House Worth $360,000 in District 203 Naperville
    $114,000.00
    2010 Tax Rate 2009 Tax Rate Increase
    Dupage Township 0.000662 $75.47 0.000665 -0.45%
    School District 203 0.042264 $4,818.10 0.039495 7.01%
    Comm College 502 0.002347 $267.56 0.002024 15.96%
    City Of Naperville 0.005569 $634.87 0.005382 3.47%
    Naperville Park District 0.002796 $318.74 0.002564 9.05%
    Naperville Library 0.001854 $211.36 0.00181 2.43%
    Total $6,326.09
    House Worth &360,000 in District 365 Romeoville
    2010 Tax Rate 2009 Tax Rate Increase
    $114,000.00
    Dupage Township 0.000662 $75.47 0.000665 -0.45%
    Romeoville Fire District 0.001588 $181.03 0.001588 0.00%
    School District 365 0.052276 $5,959.46 0.049435 5.75%
    Comm College 525 0.00227 $258.78 0.002144 5.88%
    Village of Romeoville 0.009091 $1,036.37 0.008719 4.27%
    Romeoville Park District
    Des Plaines Library 0.001966 $224.12 0.001315 49.51%
    Total $7,735.24