ANGER OUT THERE NEEDS ORGANIZING

by George Kocan, Communications Director, TAPROOT (WESTMONT, IL)

State Representative Mike Connelly noted the growing anger among the voters regarding high taxes and a government out of control, at TAPROOT’s monthly breakfast meeting last Saturday, June 20. He also discussed the fundamental differences in how the Democrats approach issues versus the Republicans in Springfield and how he entered local politics.

Mike Connely Representing the 48th legislative district, which embraces parts of Naperville, Lisle, Bolingbrook and Wheaton, he described himself as a product of his paternal grandparents from Ireland, who were “legal immigrants.” His grandfather fought alongside Michael Collins to free Ireland from British tyranny. Connelly never considered himself an establishment candidate. The establishment GOP did not support him when he announced his candidacy, and he owes it nothing, he said. “The next call I get from the State Republican Party will be the first call,” Connelly declared.

He graduated from St. Joseph high school in Westchester, earned a B.A. from Loyola University and a J.D. from John Marshall Law School. As a freshman at Loyola (1982), he learned even then about the bias of liberal teachers towards the Democrat Party and high taxes. Ronald Reagan “hooked” him into politics and nurtured his core set of20principles, including small government and strong national defense. He considers Jack Kemp his hero and the brains behind the conservative movement.

Kemp had no inhibitions about going into black churches and talking about conservativism. Connelly criticized the current state Republican leadership for neglecting this constituency. As a basketball player at St. Joe’s, which has a nationally known basketball program, he made friends with many black players who went on to NBA stardom and many others who have gone on to successful careers in business. “They are all Republicans, now,” he said.

“There is a fundamental difference in how Democrats and Republicans approach government in Springfield. The tax and spend philosophy is alive and well with the Democrats. To our credit, the House Republicans with the help of Americans For Prosperity’s Joe Calomino and the Illinois Policy Institute’s John Tillman have worked closely with Minority Leader Tom Cross to fashion a agenda based on free market principles, spending restraints and structural reform to the way Illinois does business,” Connelly said.

Connelly continued with an anecdote about a new business regulation that would negatively impact Illinois’ struggling trucking industry. Trucking firms keep moving out of the state. Connelly mentioned that some truck owners have moved their operations to Indiana and instruct their drivers specifically to not stop in Illinois, not for gas or anything else. The leadership’s reaction? “Let them leave. We want businesses that live by our rules,” declared a Democrat state representative from Chicago.

Connelly entered politics because of plans to build a mega-superstore next to Benedictine University in Lisle, where he lives. A flier in his mailbox sent him to a meeting of 2500 unhappy neighbors. They organized and at the next election, the 90% turnout in their neighborhood threw out the entire village board plus the mayor. They also sued the village, because the officials claimed residents had no right to be heard regarding zoning changes and refused to allow them to ask questions and cross-examine witnesses. The matter went to the Illinois Supreme Court where the residents won!

He has never seen such anger among the voters. They show anger not just about taxes but about the loss of liberty, the Obama government spending out of control, the abuses by unions and the ACORN crowd. “Palpable anger is out there and needs organizing,” he said.

Connelly went on to provide two examples of waste created by the Democrats in Springfield. In the first example, a Sheriff’s Deputy testified in favor of a bill to spend $1.6 million to reduce female prisoner recidivism in Cook County. The money was intended to apply to 40 women. He cross-examined the Deputy and brought out the information that the taxpayers of Illinois would assume the costs of helping 40 women in Cook County. He contrasted that scenario to DuPage County, where the Sheriff would go to the DuPage County Board and ask for such an appropriation. Nevertheless, the Cook Co. proposal passed.

The second example involved a bill going by the name, “The Alzheimer’s Disclosure Act.” When the bill returned to the House from the Senate it morphed – remarkably – into a clean coal facility for the southeast side of Chicago. “You would never see this in DuPage County,” Connelly declared.

Connelly took the opportunity to attend a tax rebellion “tea party” on the south side of Chicago. He found a lot of angry people there, too. The black radio station WVON provided the venue, where both Michael Steele (National GOP Chairman) and Pat Brady (Illinois’ representative to the national central committee) also attended. The talk turned to school funding, and Connelly brought out the information that, contrary to common opinion, the schools in Chicago pay more per student that do the schools in most suburbs. “The African-Americans in attendance were as angry as those who held tea parties in the suburbs,” Connelly noted.

Regarding the hot topic of SB 600, the bill which would allow Illinois Republican voters to choose their leaders on the Illinois central committee, if called, it would likely pass overwhelmingly. Connelly predicts the matter will not be called for a vote because the Democratic leadership recognizes that it has created division with the Republican Party that the Democrats exploit to their advantage.

Contact: Mike Connelly, 25 W 380 Chicago Ave., Suite 100, Naperville, IL 60540; 630-579-4848.

TAPROOT's July breakfast meeting will be at the same location on Saturday, July 18, and the speaker will be Illinois Republican Party National Committeewoman Demetra DeMonte. Save the date, August 16, for TAPROOT’s annual picnic.

'TAPROOT' stands for Traditions And Principles Republicans Often Overlook Today.