The Public Investigator

Under the light: Individual contributions to the campaign fund of Lake County Board member Brent Paxton of Zion

Why this news is important to you: Money buys influence in privately-funded elections. To cast informed votes for public servants, taxpayers need to know what special interests and corporations are bankrolling the campaigns of candidates for public office.

For Paxton, nothing to report — yet

From Jan. 1, 2008, through June 30, 2009, there has been no activity reported in the campaign fund of Lake County Board member Brent Paxton of Zion. The lack of activity begs the question: With his current term expiring next year, is the County Board’s current finance chairman going to run for reelection?

Paxton confirmed to The Public Investigator that he will seek reelection in 2010, adding that the lack activity in his campaign fund up to this point is primarily the result of his distaste for political fund raising.

He said that in the past, he’s returned checks for as much as $1,000 to individual supporters because he wanted to avoid the perception of being influenced by contributors. This time around, however, he said he might have to reconsider that practice, as County Board elections have all become more competitive due to the rise of the opposition Democratic party. Several Democrats well-funded by unions and other political special interests defeated Republican incumbents in the previous election, leaving Republicans with a slim 13-10 majority on the board.

In another instance, Paxton said he returned a check from a Rosemont engineering firm that recently was awarded a road project design contract for Lake County. That same firm showed up as a contributor to County Board Chairman Suzi Schmidt, as reported by The Public Investigator in the previous Power Source Report.

Facing probable Democratic opponents next fall, Paxton indicated he might have to start accepting some of these contributions and risk the negative perception that they have bought influence in government business.

The perception of influence peddling is one of the natural consequences of privately-financed election systems. In most instances, it’s merely an inaccurate perception; in some cases, it’s the truth. Only in extremely rare instances is the perception proven true.

Under the light: Individual contributions to the campaign fund of Lake County Board Chairman and Illinois Senate candidate Suzi Schmidt of Lake Villa

Why this news is important to you: Money buys influence in privately-funded elections. To cast informed votes for public servants, taxpayers need to know what special interests and corporations are bankrolling the campaigns of candidates for public office.

Subscribers can access this Power Source Report to get a list of the biggest contributors to Schmidt’s campaign fund, which include the REAL owners of the Lake County Fielders and one which recently got a county contract.

NEWS ALERT: Lake County is providing $350,000 in public funds to subsidize environmental cleanup projects in three municipalities in the county.

Why this news is important to you: Cleaning up land polluted by urban and industrial use is beneficial for the environment and economy.

Subscribers can read The Public Investigator’s news report to find out what municipalities are getting brownfield cleanup grants and what redevelopment will result from the grants.

Under the light: Individual contributions to the campaign fund of Lake County Board member Diane Hewitt of Waukegan

Why this news is important to you: Money buys influence in privately-funded elections. To cast informed votes for public servants, taxpayers need to know what special interests and corporations are bankrolling the campaigns of candidates for public office.

Subscribers can access this Power Source Report to get a list of individual contributors to this politician’s campaign fund.

NEWS ALERT: The North Shore Sanitary District is raising wholesale rates for wastewater services.

Why this news is important to you: The increase will be passed on to retail sewer service bills for NSSD customers and home buyers in the four affected municipalities.

Subscribers can read The Public Investigator’s news report to find out the size of the increases in wastewater treatment and connection rates, when the increases will be effective and which communities will be affected.

Under the light: Individual contributions to the campaign fund of Lake County Board member Linda Pedersen of Antioch

Why this news is important to you: Money buys influence in privately-financed elections. To cast informed votes for public servants, taxpayers need to know what special interests and corporations are bankrolling the campaigns of candidates for public office.

Subscribers can access this Power Source Report to get a list of contributors to this politician’s campaign fund.

NEWS ALERT: Amid the national controversy about health care reform, Lake County taxpayers have been hammered with a double-digit increase for health, life and dental coverage for county government employees.

Why this news is important to you: It’s an example of how the private insurance industry dictates the cost of health coverage to all Americans as long as it remains unfettered by the reins of reform.

Subscribers can read The Public Investigator’s news report to find out how much more they will pay for county employees’ health insurance and how many county employees lost their jobs because of the budget hole caused by the increase.

NEWS ALERT: Reconstruction and widening of North Avenue will improve traffic for motorists in the Antioch area.

Why this news is important to you: 1. This road project that is planned to alleviate congestion is an example of your tax dollars at work. 2. Motorists traveling in the Antioch area need to be informed to use alternative routes.

Subscribers can read The Public Investigator’s news report to find out how many of their tax dollars will be spent on this project, the scope of the project, and when motorists would be well-advised to take another route around the construction.