Why Support Fricilone and Balich Fundraiser / Actions not just talk are important.

• Actions

Some of what Mike Fricilone & Steve Balich have ACCOMPLISHED for you 1. Lowered the tax rate the last 3 years while at the same time building a New Public Safety Building, Court House, Health Department, and starting a program to replace squad cars on a yearly basis. 2. Stopped code violations initiated by aerial Photos. Code violations are now complaint driven. 3. Reduced the tax rate for the last 3 years. 4. Stopped mandatory sprinkler systems from being required in all homes. 5. Passed a Resolution allowing the Court to return your money for towing, storage, and administration if not guilty in court. 6. Stopped the County from putting raised barriers on 143rd St. 7. Continue to vote against raises for County wide and County Board elected officials. 8. Stopped light ordinance that had no measurements relying on the opinion of Code officers as to what is a nuisance. 9. Argue that code inspectors can only inspect what a permit was written for. They don't have the right to write violations for other items out of code. 10. Worked with Lockport to move barricades north of Gougar and 147th, allowing for cars to cut through like the past from 151st over to Lemont Rd/State via 147th. A signal was placed at Gougar and 143rd. 11. Worked with Citizens Utility board to reduce the rate increase from Illinois American Water. The Rate increase was reduced but we still got an increase to an already high cost of water. 12. Voted to not allow County Board Elected Officials to take the IMRF Pension. 13. Worked to get the light at RT. 6 and Parker. 14. Stopped Will county Land Use from initiating a rental inspection program targeting 17,000 plus landlords based on HUD guidelines. Will County never adopted HUD guidelines. 15. Stopped requiring a building permit for some repair and maintenance items on your property. 16. Cut the Tax Rate at the Forest Preserve the last 4 years while expanding recreational opportunities. 17. Since we have be on the Board there have been no pay raises for County Elected officials and County Board member Pensions were eliminated. Fricilone & Balich never took the Pension even though it was a benefit. Mike Fricilone 708-310-9831 mikefricilone@gmail.com    Steve Balich 815-557

Is China Winning the 5G Race?

Is China Winning the 5G Race?

By Monica Savaglia Written Aug. 14, 2018

Is China winning the 5G race? This technology is fairly new, so it might be too early to say China is winning the 5G race, but the country is very focused on becoming a leader in the industry. According to a study released by Deloitte, since 2015, China has built about 350,000 cell sites. The U.S., meanwhile, has built around 30,000. China has been working diligently to install new wireless sites, which need to be placed on either lampposts or utility poles in densely populated areas. China is so focused on expanding 5G throughout the country that it’s making a significant economic commitment to the technology. Its five-year economic plan, which runs through 2020, is calling for $400 billion in spending on 5G investment. The Deloitte report said, “Consequently, China and other countries may be creating 5G networks, which will ultimately be used to power self-driving cars, virtual reality, and smart cities.” 5G networks will unlock endless possibilities from technology and enhance any smart devices we already use. Obviously, the first country that successfully sets up 5G networks will have a massive lead over other countries working toward 5G adoption. The Deloitte report mentioned “first-adopter countries embracing 5G could sustain more than a decade of competitive advantage.” And right now, China is dominating with its installation of new wireless sites, which means it has the competitive advantage.  Two other important factors in the 5G race are research and development and the ability for the government to quickly allocate additional radio frequencies to wireless companies. 5G needs more bandwidth, and the only way to achieve it is with these radio frequencies. The time, money, and energy devoted to research and development in new technologies is always key when it comes to becoming a global leader in a certain industry or tech. China is devoting its time, money, and energy to 5G, and it’s already paying off.China Mobile Hong Kong is Completing 5G Network Tests China Mobile Hong Kong continues to work on 5G Wi-Fi. It recently announced that it is completing 5G network tests and is succeeding in connecting non-5G devices and computers to its Wi-FI hotspots. 5G-capable smartphones are still a year or more away from being fully accessible; however, devices will have the opportunity to connect using 5G Wi-Fi hotspots. China Mobile Hong Kong believes it will be ready to provide full services once rollout is complete. The company said: China Mobile Hong Kong has planned to build a 28GHz 5G network in selected locations by year end to conduct a field test... The company is also working with partners to develop smart city-related applications such as smart lamp posts to be better equipped for 5G network construction and application development. This is just one example of the dedication China and its tech companies have to 5G. China Mobile Hong Kong continues to heavily invest in 5G research and development. It recently signed agreements with HTC to develop a solid 5G infrastructure and compatible 5G devices. The realization that this industry is going to bring in huge profits and economic benefits is going to outweigh the current costs to deploy the technology. It's all going to be worth it in the end.Does the U.S. Have a Chance? Despite what is happening right now, the U.S. isn’t sitting back and watching China dominate the 5G market. The U.S. is making its own strides to become a world leader of the next-generation technology. Last month, the U.S Federal Communications Commission (FCC) was advised by the Executive Branch to deny China Mobile entry. The Executive Branch made this decision based on “substantial and unacceptable risk to U.S. law enforcement and foreign intelligence collection.” The CIA, FBI, and NSA told Americans in February that they shouldn’t use products from Huawei and ZTE because of the potential security risks with their devices. However, these agencies don’t have any evidence to back up these claims, but warning Americans that there might be some risk if they purchase devices by those companies could help reduce the market share of the companies, and ultimately China’s lead in the 5G race. Additionally, the Trump administration has been contemplating creating a set of standards for a nationwide 5G mobile network to prevent China from dominating the industry. The threat is real. But it doesn’t seem like the U.S. is entirely afraid of its place in the industry. The U.S. is gaining speed when it comes to its research for 5G. In fact, two industry giants, Intel and Qualcomm, are hard at work researching and developing 5G technologies, so the U.S. will have a chance to win the 5G race in the same way it became a leader in 4G technologies. But as of right now, China is in the lead. A report from CTIA, a trade association for the U.S. wireless industry, said China was the country most prepared to deploy 5G networks. South Korea was second, the U.S. was third, and Japan was fourth. It’s going to be an interesting race to 5G. I know I’m going to be paying very close attention to it! If you want to profit no matter which nation wins the race, there's a way to do that. Click here for my colleague Jason Stutman's presentation on the companies set to dominate the 5G revolution. Monica Savaglia is Wealth Daily’s IPO specialist. With passion and knowledge, she wants to open up the world of IPOs and their long-term potential to everyday investors. She does this through her newsletter IPO Authority, a one-stop resource for everything IPO. She also contributes regularly to the Wealth Daily e-letter. To learn more about Monica, click here.

Update from Orland Park Mayor Kieth Pekau

The agenda this week for the Village Board was relatively light, but there still were a few items of interest. There were three items taken off of the consent agenda for further discussion.  Some people may ask, what is a consent agenda?  A consent agenda consists of items that can be passed all at once.  In Orland Park, these are items that have passed their respective committees unanimously.  Many of these items are also routine, such as payroll and accounts payable. On Monday night, Trustee Ruzich took off an item that requested the approval of the Winter and Spring recreation program.  The reason for this was that we typically approve the Spring program as part of the budget and several programs included had little to no historical participation.  The resulting discussion indicated that the Spring approval was tentative pending the budget approval which led to a 7-0 vote. I took two items of the agenda.  One regarding Bluff Pointe subdivision and one regarding a change order to a landscape company for Stellwagen Farm.  The subdivision discussion was to approve a special use with modifications for the Bluff Point subdivision, and included language regarding the required public improvements being complete.  Apparently, this is a fairly standard practice even if public improvements are still in progress.  The vote was 6 -1 and I was the lone dissenting vote.  I was assured that not approving the special use would not impede the project in any way, so I voted no.  While it may be standard, I don’t think we should approve the special uses until the stated public improvements are complete.  However, in defense of the 6 approving votes, we were also assured that we still had leverage to make sure the public improvements are finished. The other item I took off was regarding a change order for a landscape company to grade and seed additional areas for Stellwagen Farm.  Having first hand knowledge of the landscaping industry, I indicated that the price for this work was extremely high, even considering prevailing wage.  The vote again was 6-1.  By Village standards it was a small amount, $4,100 for this work and $2,900 contingency for other work. There is no way I would vote for this knowing that the price was way out of line even if they had been the company doing the rest of the contract.  I understand the 6 votes for it, as the Trustees will tend to trust staff on projects of this size but in good conscience I could not support it. In the main board meeting, the interesting items were the last Village Board meeting and Special Budget meeting minutes.  There were several board members (including me) that had issues with the minutes and their inaccuracies. The board directed the Clerk to fix the minutes and make them accurate. As you are all aware, I have been pointing out these issues since I entered office.  The Clerk has been manipulating the minutes for political purposes since I was elected.  The minutes are the official record of our meetings and should reflect what was actually said and should not be slanted politically.  Up to now, the audio recordings, implemented during my tenure, seemed to have stopped the shenanigans.  However, this week the Clerk was back at it.  Kudos to the board for directing the Clerk to change the minutes and bring them to the next board meeting.  It is time for him to do his job correctly, the first time and quit wasting our time. The executive session had one item of interest that was voted on.  The Village Board voted to extend the contract of our Village Manager by one year and increase his severance pay from 6 months to 9 months.  I cannot disclose what was discussed in executive session.  However, I will explain what I can.  Our Village Manager was given a 3- year contract less than one year ago with 6 months of severance. He is not even one year into the contract and has not had his first annual review.  In the real world (non-government) nobody receives a contract extension in the first year of a three-year contract.  If contract extensions are granted they are due to proven performance over multiple review periods. My second issue with this was the process.  This was brought to the Trustees from the Village Manager and it is my understanding he discussed this with every Trustee.  In other words, he proposed his own extension and 33% severance increase!  He never discussed this with me and I found out about it from another Trustee, 10 minutes before the meeting.  Conveniently the Village Manager was on vacation and not available to address my concern. When we reconvened the public meeting, I was the lone dissenting vote as the extension of one year and three months of additional severance was passed on a 6-1 vote.  In my opinion, extending a three-year contract of anyone in the first year of their contract is unacceptable regardless of performance.  Also, in my opinion, it is unacceptable to extend a contract without a single performance review. During my 15-month tenure many good government initiatives have been implemented: I opted out of the pension system as I believe all elected officials should Audio recordings of Village Board meetings Face book live video of Village Board meetings Sharing of financial projections Several items removed from consent agenda for public discussion Numerous Special Meetings held for our most important issues (budget and gaming) I remain committed to making our Village the model of good government for our residents and businesses.  While a lot has been done, and the Village is well run, clearly more improvements are needed. I also want to remind everyone of our Labor Day Weekend concert on September 2nd starting at 2PM at Centennial Park West.

Will County Republican Central Committee Endorses Steve Balich

Orland Park Mayor Keith Pekau update

We had a fairly short agenda last week, though it was a divisive one for residents, as I am sure that you are all aware. We extended Waste Management’s contract without going out for bid.  There were good reasons for this.  First, we have been happy with their service. Second, since we are no longer vacuuming leaves for 13% of the Village, we were able to negotiate an extended period of time each year for Waste Management to pick up yard waste and provide bins to those residents that will need to adjust to the changes in our leaf vacuuming program.  Additionally, there were changes to the recycling program and additional home pickup of electronics and other large items.  More information will be sent by public works. The big issue for the night was gaming.  The explanation of my position and my vote will follow (although I have written about it several times).  The vote was 4 to 3 to pass gaming (Trustees Fenton, Carroll and Ruzich joined me with Yes votes).  My rationale and an explanation of the ordinance is as follows: The State of Illinois passed the law allowing video gaming in 2009.  I think that was a mistake and wish they never did so.  However, they did and now, 10 years later over 92% of Illinois communities allow video gaming and Orland Park is surrounded by it. My position on this has always been that I am not philosophically opposed to video gaming as long as it is tightly controlled.  It also was not a priority issue for me and as such I did not push this issue forward.  However, I felt that if it was pushed forward, we needed to hold several public meetings and meet with the clergy – and we did with over 5 hours of public testimony.  The ordinance passed to allow video gaming subject to the following restrictions: Only businesses with Class A Liquor licenses (restaurants and bars with full kitchens and over 50% of revenue from food) are eligible Businesses are required to have Class A liquor license for 18 months before being eligible for gaming license (keeps out gaming parlors) A six-month probationary period for a new owner of an established business with a gaming license, subject to approval by the Village Board  Of these, it will be limited to 30% of Class A liquor license holders (works out to 21 establishments) Limited to 5 machines per establishment Bet limit of $2 with a payout limit of $500 Not to be located within 100 feet of a school or place of worship No video gaming before 11:00 AM Video gaming must be monitored by a licensed employee at all times Lights and sounds are not to be visible or audible outside of the gaming area A physical barrier must be in place to separate the gaming area and must be approved by the Village All gaming establishments shall have burglar alarm systems and video camera surveillance of the gaming areas.  Orland Park police shall have access to these systems at any time On premise signs must follow the village signage code Off premise signs are prohibited per the village signage code No advertising on public rights of way or public locations A prominent sticker, provided by the Village, must be displayed indicating that gaming is on premises I heard several issues raised to argue against video gaming.  In the end, none of these arguments were strong enough to change my opinion.  These arguments follow: The character of our community will change:  Nobody gave me a concrete example of a village that has a significant change in their character due to video gaming.  In fact, several people told me they would move to Lemont or Mokena if we put in gaming.  Both of those communities have gaming and I visited several establishments with gaming and barely noticed the gaming machines We will have gaming cafes, gaming in gas stations, and flashing signs everywhere.  This ordinance restricts gaming from these locations and all businesses will need to comply with our signage code that does not allow flashing signs  “I won’t go to a place with a sticker in the window that has gaming”:  This is the point.  If you don’t want to patronize a business that has video gaming, then don’t Moral opposition to gambling:  For some, this is absolutely understandable.  However, others expressing this view also point out that they gamble in Vegas, play the lottery, Superbowl pools, BINGO, etc.  Personally, I am not morally opposed to gambling (fantasy football, March madness pools, etc.), and don’t believe there is a distinction. Gambling addiction that will increase in Orland Park:  Addiction is a problem and a concern. Those addicted in Orland Park already live here, and we are dealing with it -- they can go 50 feet outside of Orland Park and gamble. The most common argument against gaming was the outcome of the referendum. First, this is not a rationale for being against video gaming, it only tells me how many people are against it.  Moreover, here are a few facts on referendums: The election results of the Village’s referendum were 6,014 to allow gaming and 6,264 against (49 to 51%) with a turnout of approximately 25%.  Less than 13% of the voting age population supporting a position is not a mandate, particularly on an advisory referendum. On this ballot another non-binding referendum legalizing cannabis passed 54% to 46% in Orland Park.  I won’t be supporting that either. The Sportsplex was put up for referendum and had 7,864 votes to support it and 9,519 against it (45% to 55%) with a turnout of over 50% and the board voted to put the Sportsplex in anyway. Elected officials sometimes need to make hard votes. My position has remained consistent on this issue since I was first asked during the last campaign in 2016.  It is not a priority issue for me, but if it comes before me it warrants significant public discussion (which we had).  Also, I believe that Illinois did the wrong thing by allowing gaming statewide.  However, I am not philosophically or morally opposed to gaming, but it must be tightly restricted and controlled.  As noted, we voted on the most restrictive gaming ordinance in the State of Illinois. This vote was hard for many of us on the board floor and I am no exception because we see both sides of the issue.  Regardless of how each Trustee voted, I know that it was given a lot of thought and there are valid reasons to vote either way. At the end of the day, I believe this was the right decision for Orland Park.  I am convinced that this ordinance is sufficiently restrictive and the character of Orland Park won’t change because of it. ******************************************************* I also want to let everyone know that this whole issue was raised due to politics.  My position on this has been known since December of 2016 and my future opposition has observed that I stick to my positions and don’t flip-flop without factual rationale. For those of you who are against gaming, this is on the agenda because it was put on the agenda by the Village Clerk to have us vote on an ordinance that was already in place.  What would be the motivation to put an issue on the agenda that was already an ordinance?  There is only one motivation - politics.  It’s the same reason he grandstanded by stepping off of the dais to speak on the issue. Additionally, several pamphlets were put in the Metra stations implying that I was corrupt and bought off.  However, they failed to point out the following: The donations were made before this item was put on the agenda, because these restaurants support my leadership in the Village Every Trustee, either as a candidate, or member of the First Orland Party, have received donations from these restaurants – yet they were not called out as “corrupt”, violating ethics, or asked to recuse themselves.  I have to ask why?  Trustee Fenton did make a point (twice) of saying that she never took money from any restaurants on the list.  Just to be clear, in case it comes up, she in fact did - as a candidate in April of 2013 and as a member of First Orland Party in 2015 Others on the board received more than her, but the bottom line is that campaigning costs money and local businesses and residents support candidates I may disagree with the Trustees from time to time, under no circumstances do I think that any of them have ever been influenced by a donation I also received donations from one of the leaders of the anti-gaming effort, who asked me to recuse myself on the board floor Monday night.  Since we never spoke of any specific issues, I assumed, like the restaurants, he supported my leadership This was Chicago and Illinois Politics at its finest.  Mark my word that this was done to create an issue for the upcoming April election and for my re-election.  Regardless of your position on gaming, these types of political games are not good for Orland Park.

July Update from Orland Pk. Mayor Pekau

This update is slightly delayed from the 7/16 board meeting.  The next board meeting is still 8 days away on August 6th.    The board passed a contract upgrading all of the street lights (except IDOT roads) to LEDs.  You may remember that several months ago we were given an estimate from our consultant of $4M for these replacements (including IDOT roads) with a payback of 8 years (from energy savings).  Given this information, I requested that we send out Request For Proposals (RFPs).  This request was supported by the entire board.  We received the RFPs and the cost was $1M to replace the bulbs.  The bulbs will last over 25 years and pay for themselves in less than 8 years with the energy savings.  It was a no-brainer for the board to approve, and we did 7-0.   I did express my concern that our consultant was off by a factor of 4 with their initial estimate.  Poor estimates such as this, can lead us to not move forward on projects that would be good for the village.  Thankfully, in this case, it didn’t stop us from looking at accelerating LED street lamps and doing them all at once.   Additionally, we donated one of our police vehicles to Robbins.  This vehicle was being rotated out of our fleet due to high mileage.  I support the policy to help out our neighbors and they are very thankful for our help. We also passed an ordinance to address small cell wireless technology.  This was required due to unfunded mandates from a recent State of Illinois law.   My biggest concern is that the state law allows wireless providers to put up poles where we have put utilities underground.  Over the years the Village has tried to underground utilities wherever possible to reduce visible clutter.  This effort could be in vain given the new law.  Our ordinance encourages providers to use other alternatives rather than placing poles in areas where we have under ground utilities.   Unfortunately, this is another unfunded mandate shoved onto municipalities by Illinois and we are doing the best we can to deal with it. The biggest discussion item of the night was the signage code.  There has been a big push for electronic signage, but I share the concerns that we will be unable to enforce electronic signs.  I understand the concerns of business and their interest in using technology, but I would not want to see flashing lights, changing messaging, etc., all over the Village.  I prefer that we help businesses and organizations through other means (Village app, economic development, etc.).   We approved A-frame signs within 15’ of entrances to businesses (sidewalk signs) provided clearance for pedestrians was maintained.  On the other hand, we significantly restricted temporary signs, including flapping banners which are now allowed only for temporary businesses (like a Halloween Store) and for grand openings.  Our goal is to allow businesses to market effectively while keeping a “clean” look throughout town.  Several stores in Orland Park are their company’s top stores in Illinois, the United States and North America.  This demonstrates that Orland Park is a draw and the restrictions that we’ve placed on signage do not hinder business success.  The other changes were administrative/legal in nature to bring our code in compliance with the ever changing federal and state statutes. Lastly, the board approved a policy regarding concerts in Centennial West for next year.  Whenever we have a performer lined up for a concert, the Village Manager, Parks & Recreation Chairperson and the Mayor can agree to sign the contract without going to the board for approval (up to a limit of $100,000 for the main act).  This year we lost two acts because of the delay of going to the board (which can take two to three weeks) and four members of the board voted down the acts I found to replace what we lost.  While I am disappointed that we won’t have a concert this August, the push for this concert led to the approval of up to three concerts next year and a policy that will allow us to land the acts as early as September/October of this year.   Centennial West has been a poorly used ass  et and I am looking forward to hosting budget neutral concert events at a venue that was built to host outdoor concerts. Outside of the board meetings, there are many exciting things happening in Orland Park.  We have had another new restaurant, two hotels and a senior targeted ranch townhome development petition for construction in the last few weeks.   We also are reviewing two exciting RFPs for the “Triangle”.  Additionally, Orland Square’s transformation is progressing nicely.  I am sure you have noticed the construction at the mall which has recently started, but this is just the beginning.  A lot of work is taking place behind the scenes and over the next 2 to 3 years, the construction at the mall will persist as it adapts to a changing market. I hope everyone is enjoying their Summer and I hope to see all of you at “The Taste of Orland” next weekend. Keith

Update from Orland Park Mayor Pekau

The last couple of meetings were relatively uneventful, but I still wanted to update everyone. Two meetings ago, we approved a study on a Wolf Road I-80 interchange by a vote of 5 to 1 (Mike Carroll voted no and Jim Dodge was absent).  This study is important for a few reasons.  First, an interchange will be needed between LaGrange and I-355 due to the increased traffic that is expected in the future.   Additionally, another interchange will be required as the I-80 corridor develops.  Second, we need to know if Wolf Road is an option given the tanks on our side of I-80 and the likely inability of Mokena to acquire the land required to widen Wolf Road.  Lastly, having a plan in place will make the interchange more likely to be built when I-80 is widened.  A proactive approach makes it much more likely to get a new interchange and make sure that it is put in the best place. Also, at this meeting, we voted 5 to 1 to join a class-action lawsuit regarding opioids.  I was the sole no vote.  I did so because I don’t believe that this lawsuit is appropriate for government agencies.  The opioid epidemic is real, but I don’t think that casting blame on (and grabbing money from) drug companies that manufacture drugs that help a lot of people is the answer.  I think this was concocted by a group of attorneys trying to cash in.  I understand why Trustees would vote for it, as it doesn’t cost the village anything.  However, on principle, I don’t think that more lawsuits solve the problem. This week, we had only a consent agenda.  However, I took two items off of consent.  The first was because we had a competitive bid, but only one bidder.  We recently switched to a new bidding process and wanted to make sure we were confident that these bids are received.  Recently, we have had a couple of bids with just one bidder.  I was assured that we continue to mail out bids to those on our bid list and that it is still available on our website.  The other item taken off consent was because we waived the bid process.  Staff indicated that the rationale for this was that it was Phase 2 of an ongoing project.  Trustee Dodge suggested (and the remainder of the board agreed) that we make sure to include the rationale for waiving the competitive bid process in the meeting packet for the board and the public. The biggest issue facing the Village currently is our budget.  A lot of the discussion has involved new revenue sources.  I am open to discussions on new revenue, however, not without similar conversations on cutting costs. These are difficult conversations, but is part of the realities that we are faced with given an economy that is shifting away from retail. I have made it clear to staff and other Trustees that I will only consider new revenue sources if the following conditions are met as well. Operational expenditures are significantly reduced.  The cost curve on annual operating expenditures has been growing annually.  This curve needs to be flattened and costs reduced.  It is not appropriate for new revenues to fall on the backs of our residents without similarly making cuts to expenditures. These new revenue sources will be targeted for capital expenses.  These expenses include roads, parks, buildings, etc.  Many of our capital needs have been deferred in the last 15 years while resources went to the Triangle and we need to catch up.  In any case, new revenues should not be used for ongoing operating expenses.  Shortfalls in this area should be met with appropriate cost reductions.   My position on revenue follows: I was given a complete list of potential new taxes that was seven pages long from staff.  Examples include a real estate transfer tax (regressive and increases home purchase costs), bag tax (which would further damage our retail businesses and everyone who shops for groceries, and a soft drink tax (up to 9%).  These are just a few examples of taxes that would be damaging to our economy and our residents. As we diversify the Village’s economy away from retail we will continue to add restaurants and entertainment.  Currently, the Village currently has a home rule tax but not on anything else.  We will need to balance our revenue sources with our new economic base.  For this reason, I am willing to add a small restaurant tax and an entertainment/amusement tax.  Additionally, a large portion of these taxes are paid by non-residents.  Lastly, having these in place gives us the ability to share back a portion of them as an incentive to attract businesses that we want. It is in the Village’s long-term interests to diversify our revenue streams just like we need to diversify our economy.  Given the options presented to us, the least onerous to our residents were the two I mentioned.  Orland Park does not have a Park District and the policy set decades ago was to subsidize 50% of our Parks & Recreation programs.  At that time, this subsidy was supposed to be reduced over time.  The subsidy has never been reduced and is something we may need to consider.  I want your feedback on these issues.  Any changes in our revenue structure must be accompanied by cost reductions.  I think all of us would like to see the same high level of services in the Village in a fiscally responsible way.  I believe it is possible to do so, but some difficult decisions will need to be made to make it happen.

Orland mayor Pekau update 6/12/2018

Here is another short update on this week’s board meeting.  It was the fastest board meeting since I have been there with very little on the agenda. We also had our first budget meeting.  Not surprisingly, we were informed that if the Village stays on the current trajectory the Village will have a $2.5 to $3.2 million shortfall.  Staff pushed on the need for revenue increases. The positive news is that the Board agreed that we need to look at cutting costs.  Costs would need to come from personnel, because last year we squeezed the non-personnel side as far as it could go.  None of the board wants to see services cut (over and above those services we identified last year that did not make fiscal sense to continue). We are offering two early retirement programs (one this year and next year).  My goal is to use these reductions to find operating and technology efficiencies in order to not replace these positions.  Additionally, we need to find opportunities to outsource and manage contracts instead of people.  This is the only way to avoid the pension and healthcare costs that are spiraling out of control.  These early retirement programs allow us to do this without a reduction in force.  This is where we can find real savings. While I am willing to have a discussion about revenues, I want to see our costs reduced first and foremost before we go down that path. The Board unanimously agreed to instruct staff to identify $2 Million in cost cuts and $2 Million in potential revenue.  I thought this was a reasonable compromise as then the Board can prioritize the changes.  The Board also agreed that we should identify to staff where to make these cost cuts. These are critical decisions, and it was a pleasant surprise to me that all of the board members were aligned.  I’m sure there will be differences going forward, but it was a good start. I want to take this opportunity to thank my colleagues on the board for this discussion. We had some very positive transit and economic development news.  Illinois received an INFRA grant for the CREATE project that was supported as part of the Federal Infrastructure funding bill.  This will allow for the engineering of all four phases and construction of Phase 1 and Phase 2 of the project.  It is this project that will lead to the ability to have express trains on the Metra Southwest Service line.  A lot of individuals and groups cooperated to push for this funding including the Southwest Conference of Mayors, the Governor’s administration, Metra and our Congressional delegation.  I want to thank all of them for ramping up the pressure – it is great news for Orland Park and the region! Additionally, BMW graciously hosted another IDOT meeting on the 159th Street project.  Thank you to Representative McDermed for working with Jennifer in my office to help facilitate the meeting again this year.   The news was positive.  Last year, shortly after I took office, we were told that all 4 lanes were scheduled to be open December of 2018 (plus any authorized time extensions). But then for some time, it looked as if it would be pushed back to 2019.   Local leaders including Mayor Yukich of Homer Glen, Commissioner Morrison and Representative McDermed let IDOT know last year that we wanted it open by the end of this year without excuses.  To IDOT’s credit they have accelerated the project and now the date is back to December of 2018 with the time extensions included!  While nothing is a guarantee, it seems like one year later, we are back on track. The landscaping will not be done until 2019, but our concern is the opening of the four lanes.  At this meeting Mayor Yukich, Commissioner Morrison, Representative McDermed and Will County Commissioner Balich joined our Village of Orland Park staff to keep the pressure on.  Thank you to all and hopefully this will stay on track! Lastly, I want to remind everyone that the Mayor’s golf outing, renamed the Veterans Golf Classic, will be held on September 11th at Silver Lakes.  All of the proceeds will be donated to veteran’s groups!  The link to register is www.OrlandPark.org/golf.

The battle for the mind is the most malicious type of warfare

By Bob Livingston

The battle for the mind is the most malicious type of warfare conducted upon us by unseen powers. We call it "psychological warfare" because we are programmed by the system, and our programmed beliefs go from generation to generation the same as genetics.

Unless we break the pattern of programmed thought, we may hold erroneous beliefs for hundreds of years without question.

We build our lives or we self-destruct according to our ability and our inclination to break the programming code or preconditioning of the system. Not many do.

The philosophy of the system (government) must be evaluated in terms of human liberty. Human suppression is more psychological control than physical coercion. Those who control our minds control our physical and monetary assets including our physical bodies.

The establishment creates and uses words and phrases to control our thoughts and actions. It's this subtle system of psychological warfare and programming that creates conformity.

Governments insist on conformity because governments want to control the people. Where there is conformity, there is control.

Edward L. Bernays, the nephew of Sigmund Freud, knew a thing or two about mass persuasion. He is the father of manipulative propaganda in America. In his book Propaganda, Bernays writes:

Those who manipulate the unseen mechanism of society constitute an invisible government which is the true ruling power of our country. We are governed, our minds molded, our tastes formed, our ideas suggested largely by men we have never heard of. In almost every act of our lives, whether in the sph…

So the words and phrases the establishment creates and uses against us can rightly be called control words or control phrases. My term for them is code words, and I have listed some of them here and here.

The art and science of mass mind control has reached its zenith. The fact that so few suspect it, attests to its perfection.

Totalitarianism by and of the elite has been refined into a "benevolency" that is embraced by the people. Indeed the people have been seduced to their enslavement through this mind control. Evil has been made to appear good and good has become evil.

Psychological warfare excludes objective reality. There are no options to choose that would benefit the individual. All options are funneled toward the benefit of government and the elite. All that's left is myth and counter-myth.

Here are some social, political, economic and health myths that are used to deceive the people:

Democracy — Democracy is a great pretension of open debate. Indeed it is open debate but only on spurious issues. It implies an open and free society in the public mind but is instead no less totalitarianism than socialism, communism and fascism.

Democrat vs. Republican — It's hard to believe the American people can imagine a difference when, regardless of whether the "D" Party is in charge or the "R" party, the federal leviathan grows, the direction of the country never changes and more liberties are lost.

The government promotes savings for retirement through IRAs and 401(k)s — Government uses these deceptions as one means to regulate consumption by taking vast sums of "dollars" out of circulation until they can inflate the purchasing power out of existence. It also serves to help prop up the stock market giving the illusion of prosperity and enriching the banksters.

There is a national debt — Impossible, according to Federal Reserve publication Keeping Our Money Healthy, published by the Federal Reserve of New York. The Federal Reserve System works only with credit. It is an imaginary system represented in the public mind as numbers or computer symbols. How can there be a deficit of numbers that can be created to infinity?

Terrorism/War on Terror — Governments since the Roman Empire have created enemies to instill fear in the population so that the people are manipulated into giving more police power over to the government. Politicians always go along with this Machiavellian deception. This time they created the "Patriot Act" — how appropriate — and the indefinite detention articles of the National Defense Authorization Act, and launched endless wars under the guise of "War on Terror." Yet 17 years of "War on Terror" has only made more "terror" in more places. There is such blatant oppression of the people and the economic system is on the verge of unraveling, more fear and more war is needed to manipulate the people against their own freedom. Oh, you know this. And yes, they have this time added a touch of religion to enlist fanatics.

The mainstream media are objective — The media have never been "objective" or fair as people believe. The media have always used innate biases in selecting the stories it covers and the way the stories are slanted and edited. The major media are little more than government mouthpieces which disseminate information fed them by the elites. Many of the major players in national media are either CIA operatives or members of the Council on Foreign Relations/Trilateral Commission.

Social Security is going broke — Social Security is not an accounting discipline but a Ponzi scheme. "They" can print the money so Social Security will not go broke but the "money" paid out will go broke in purchasing power.

We get all the vitamins and nutrition we need from our food — Impossible with the American diet. Eighty percent of Americans are malnourished.

There's no difference between synthetic and natural vitamins — False. Synthetic vitamins are chemicals. Natural vitamins are food.

The government, the medical establishment and the pharmaceuticals promote health — Nothing could be further from the truth. People don't need drugs or doctors. Sick people especially don't need drugs or doctors. They need nutrition.

Euthanasia is a quick and painless death — Euthanasia can happen over many years as drugs and immunizations usually kill slowly. The system can reduce the population without blame if they do it over time so as to separate cause and effect.

Unless and until we decipher these myths, we will never see liberty for ourselves or our progeny.