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The opinions expressed on the Rants and Raves of Mac McIntyre (that's me in the picture) are solely those of its author and are shared for the purpose of encouraging dialogue about life and issues in DeKalb County, Illinois. I welcome your comments, public or private, and encourage your participation in community affairs.
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Traduzca al Español
Saturday July 29, 2006
and now it's time to
Choose your flavor...
| Timing is Everything. NIU is the first developer to officially step forward with a residential project since DeKalb lifted its moratorium on new homes and raised the impact fees on a 4-bedroom home to some $22,000. About ten grand of those impact fees will go to the DeKalb School District. But NIU isn’t subject to property taxes much less impact fees. . . |
Choosing a Career While the job outlook may look bleak in the short term, especially those employed in the private sector, for those who choose a career in local government, the future is so bright, they'll have to wear shades. |
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Grab your wallet! DeKalb's looking at raising its impact fees by a mere 300%. They don't care if what they are doing is legal, nor justified, they just want the money.
That sort of thing brings the rant out in me.
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HOUSE BILL 755 IS A WOLF IN SHEEP'S CLOTHING
billed as Education Reform but, in reality, its a massive tax hike...
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Growth Quiz Poll Results DeKalb County Online published a growth poll and here are the results...as well as my interpretation of those results. |
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Jim Connors, former DeKalb City Manager thinks I can't see the forest through the trees.
Mr. Connors had a problem with a previous Rant on this page concerning city politics. Mac responds to his letter.
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The Truest Sense of a Neighborhood Park
For far too long now there has been a burning ember in Sycamore and throughout DeKalb County. The flames of the growth controversy need doused. The best fire extinguisher available of this blaze is found within the spirit of goodwill and cooperation displayed by the Friends of St. John’s Park. |
If you mean what you say, say what you mean
The County is proposing to rezone all property not within an incorporated city, town or village as A-1 Agriculture (farm land) which would result in all such land being legally considered as non-conforming. Read more about it as well as citizen feedback. |
Hello to you, too, Dr. Paul Beilfuss!
The DeKalb School District hired the best referendum-passer money could buy. At least that was my impression of the initial press conference of the new superintendent. |
World War III
We must be vigil in looking out for each other and not let our apathy contribute to a would be terrorist act. We must speak up when we see or hear things that just aren’t right. We must try to live normal lives but in realization that we are indeed at war. |
Fish 'n Chips at Lake Shabbona?
The Prairie Band Potawatomi have been trying to reclaim the land of Chief Shabbona since his death in 1859. When or if they will ever be successful might be anyone's bet. |
Transcript of Bin Laden's Video taped Message (with responses)
The head of AL Qaeda organization directed a message to the American people. In the beginning of his message, he spoke about the reasons why they chose the US to execute 9/11. Responses to his message are included here. |
Bush's Mistake
President Bush's mistake was and is trying to be politically correct. The damage was semantic inaccuracy of the threat Hussein posed, that now serves the enemy in their efforts to wage public relations as a weapon in this war. It is time to realize that we are indeed at war with a resourceful enemy whose goal is our destruction. |
2004 Election Reflections
A majority of informed voters will always make the right choice. If the majority is not informed then... ummmm... well... jeesh! But, it looks like DeKalb County voters made the right choices... even for President. |
Otta be an Impact Fee on Babies Thirty years ago, I set out to be a folk star. I didn't do nothing. I am back to do it again. Only this time its different. Has anyone ever written a song that pissed off everybody? Here is the debut of my latest song. |
Tax 'n Spend Per Usual
The longer I sat and listened at the May 10 DeKalb City Council meeting, the more I wished I'd stayed home. It was a long, tortuous display of politics as usual. The city has enough problems without former employees and former elected officials working to undercut the current administration. Where's fresh blood when you need it? |
Sparks Fly at The Farm Bureau
It was good to see so many candidates and to hear their views. It was even better to see so many residents interested in local politics. Jerry Smith and the Candidates Night Committee did an outstanding job in providing the public with an informative and entertaining evening. |
Rooftops 'n Taxes
I submitted this letter to the editor and it was felt necessary, by them, to edit the letter before it was published based on input from the school district. I thought I would share some email exchanges between myself and the City Editor at the Chronicle. Then there is my rants about rooftops and taxes... |
Unfit for Print
This letter was submitted to The Chronicle however they chose not to print it. It was written in response to a political statement that Grace Adee, a founding member of the Sycamore CARE group, published in the Chronicle in reference to the Waterman anti-growth referendum, sponsored by Waterman's REAL group. |
Be CAREful What You Ask For
Citizen-based referendums are a good thing. The tax cap laws and the Sycamore growth moratorium are in protest of high taxes. They are expressions of "just say no." But just saying no is not enough if the desired end result is lower taxes. A growth moratorium could have the opposite of its intended effect. Be CAREful what you ask for. You just might get it. |
Take REAL CARE
Developer of 100 home subdivision for homeless people narrows choice down to Sycamore or Waterman...
Here's hoping that the voters of Waterman examine the wording and ramifications of the REAL referendum more carefully than those in Sycamore did. |
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Things that make you go hmmmmm...
<![if !vml]> <![endif]>
<![if !vml]> <![endif]>Land cessions to the American government began in earnest in Northern Illinois and the Potawatomi people of unofficial DeKalb County began to grow weary of a growing population of settlers. There were no impact fee laws on the books at that time.
<![if !vml]> <![endif]>DeKalb County was young, but official, and the pioneers were already lamenting about the way things used to be as they antagonized over an increasing number of farmers moving into the area.
<![if !vml]> <![endif]>Illinois' Black Laws were repealed, allowing African Americans to once again live freely in the Prairie State. Despite DeKalb County's history in the Underground Railroad a few residents become very upset upon learning that employees moving in for jobs at the new Anaconda Wire and Cable Company in Sycamore were black.
<![if !vml]> <![endif]>Northern Illinois University experienced record gains in enrollment and expanded in the community. Some townies thought the gownies were coming in too fast and complained that local residents were having to foot the bill for NIU's growth.
<![if !vml]> <![endif]>Some of those NIU staff members who moved to DeKalb County in the 70s began to retire and started complaining about a growing number of newcomers. They were joined by a few recent move-ins from the suburbs who cry, "I moved my family to DeKalb County to get away from the growth. I've got mine, now put up a fence!"
<![if !vml]> <![endif]>Current residents of DeKalb County, of all nationalities and walks of life, are glad that no one was able to get the fence up before they moved in.
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