SB35 is a Bill that will allow Republican voters to elect their State Central Committeeman at the polls thus nullifying the present system wherein the Republican Precinct Committeemen make that selection individually in caucus here in DuPage County. You might have thought that the election of Democrat Scott Lee Cohen as the Lt. Governor would light their bulbs again but that would be wishful thinking.

How young these purists must be not to remember how Democrats in Chicago would elect what they love to call “RINO’S” to the State House of Representatives when we previously had the cumulative form of election. Ask any old time Republican and they will vouch for the fact that the Democrats in Chicago would slate Republican candidates of their choosing to run for Republican State Representative under that system.

It was simple for them because there had to be one Republican and two Democrat Representatives in each Democrat majority district. So the Democrat Party bosses would approach some dimwitted registered voter and with promises of fame (and sometimes fortune) convince them to run for State Representative as a Republican. Since the Democrats controlled the political machinery they would elect a RINO who would vote the way they told them to vote or risk losing their seat the next time they ran.

I will use the one Township I am familiar with and just one Congressional District as an example, Addison Township in DuPage County, my Township. Addison Township was once a safe haven for Republicans because we were proudly served by the likes of Henry Hyde and Peter Roskam, but no more. The Democrats have now drawn the 5th Congressional district for Democrat Mike Quigley that runs from the lakefront of Lake Michigan through heavily dominated Democrat controlled Chicago into my township, York Township on down into Downers Grove Township. It is a solid Democrat district that no Republican stands a prayer of winning in. Might the Democrats run a RINO, a stooge as Republican State Central Committeeman in this district? We could trust them not to do that right?

Now ask yourself if they could run a stooge RINO in Bobby Rush’s district, or Danny Davis’ district, or Jan Schakowsky’s district? Or in every Democrat dominated district in Illinois for that matter. They wouldn’t do that would they? We could trust them not to do that couldn’t we? Our problem is these ostrich Republican purists think we can trust them.

At a time when our total focus should be on defeating Democrats anywhere we can, the purists want to wage war in Republican primaries for State Central Committeeman. It’s bad enough that we may have war after war in districts where the Democrat map placed Republican office holders against one another, these purists want to throw fuel on those fires by having a fight over State Central Committeeman. I mean how dumb is that?

Here in DuPage County in the past, and hopefully the future, the Republican Precinct Committeemen who are elected at the grass roots level of their precincts, who knows their voters best, gather at our County GOP Convention every two years. At that convention they break up into congressional district groups and cast their weighted vote for who they want to represent them as their State Central Committeeman on the Illinois Republican Central Committee. The benefit is they know who they are voting for. It’s a guaranteed fact it won’t be a stooge RINO promoted in secrecy by the Democrat Party.

I pray that any right minded legislator in DuPage County consider, or reconsider their position on SB35 and leave well enough alone. Let the present system stand as is. Do not encourage more infighting than we are going to have as it is. Most of all, I beg that you not give the Democrats a chance at hurting our Party more than they already have.

Patrick Durante
Addison Township Republican Chairman

The April elections may be over but politics never ends. In Springfield right now the Democrat majorities in the House and Senate are about to do more damage to the State of Illinois, and Governor Quinn can't wait to sign away the future of our children.  The Democrats think they were smart in passing so early the largest tax increase in this States history, and only the future will tell if they will get away with it.  The question is, will the voters remember in November of 2012.  This author doesn't think so.

And all you DuPage residents on the east end of the county get ready to be represented by a Democrat legislator or two.  Why?  How?  Because so many people moved out of criminal infested, high taxed Chicago it seems they have lost sufficient population to fill Democrat controlled State House, Senate and Congressional seats.  So where else can they go but west, into DuPage County.

Here's how it works.  The Democrat mapmakers will take a legislative district in western Cook County and design it so that 55% to 60% of the district is filled with Democrat leaning voters and the remainder will be Republican leaning voters.  And where do you get that small minority of Republicans?  Where else?  On the eastern side of DuPage County.  After the Democrats design enough districts like this they in turn will maintain a majority in the House and Senate.  "To the victors go the spoils".  And if ever a Party can spoil an effective run government like DuPage County the Democrats sure can.

In fact, I'm so sure of what they will try to get away with in their gerrymandered map making process that I will make a prediction of what they will do to Addison Township.  I envision most or all of Leyden Township to be merged with the east end of Addison Township.  I believe Bensenville will be lost to us.  I also believe we may see encroachment from Cook County all the way up to Route 83 or Prospect Avenue on their west to either Grand Avenue or North Avenue on our south.

Folks who once enjoyed the conservative representation they once had with State Representative Dennis Reboletti and Senator Carol Pankau may soon be represented by tax and spend Democrats.  And also concern yourself with the possible loss of Congressman Peter Roskam.  The Lord only knows what they are going to do to poor Peter.

So if you don't like the taxes you are paying now, or the way government is being run at the present time, hold on to your hat because the Democrats are coming.  And remember, you heard it here first.