This resolution, addressed to me, is really about all of us working together

Former Vernon Township Trustee Adam Broad “the socialist that lowered the property tax levy” became a school bus driver for three years after an unsuccessful attempt to elect Bernie Sanders and win election to Congress.

This is a re-edited Drama Queen Facebook post from Oscar Night. I prefer to think of myself as Drama King, but Lee “The Lorax” Dynamo insists I’m DQ. Wishful thinking, Lee? Kiss, kiss.

Golda Meir famously said, “Don’t be so humble. You’re not that great.” With her good advice in mind, let me share this resolution (HR 233) almost two years ago by the Illinois General Assembly that honored my public service.

HR 233 Broad jokingly referred to this as his participation trophy. Former Township Supervisor Dan Didech, later elected to Representative in the General Assembly, was recruited by Broad to join the Vernon Township Democratic slate. They met in an Obama Alumni email chain with former campaigners discussing various plans to run for office. Didech was unaware the local party reactivated after years of being dormant. The reborn Vernon Township Democrats started as a caucus of 15 people meeting at a Panera Bread. No one present wanted to run for Supervisor.

https://legiscan.com/IL/text/HR0233/id/2377807

Thanks to Dan Didech. Despite occasional disagreements and class differences, I am proud of the work he does in the General Assembly.

Also, fond thanks to our former constituency outreach director who became Lake County Treasurer, Holly Kim; the man I love and fight with like a brother, former Trustee Jon Altenberg, became Supervisor when Dan was promoted by the voters. Jon’s leadership during the pandemic proved to me he was the better Trustee to get Dan’s job. I don’t always feel that way about political battles I lose.

Shout at former Trustee Roger Addelson for his good humor and always standing up for workers, Sheila Seibor, who took Jon’s place among the Trustees and became a leader and gave friendship and respect while in disagreement to the lefty that always wanted to push the board much further than it or the voters wanted it go. Saving the best for last, Trustee Phil Hirsch, who along with Akrom Hossain, blazed a trail for there to be such a thing as Vernon Township Democrats.

Trustee Phil Hirsch.

Our Republican opponents ran unopposed four years before we challenged them. After our reforms, it was Democrats running unopposed in a conservative township.

Trustee Roger Addelson is sworn in for his second term. Vernon Township Democrats ran unopposed in 2021 eight years after Republicans ran unopposed in 2013. The Vernon Township Democrats winning all contested races in 2017 started a Blue Wave which culminated in the end of almost 100 years of Republican control in Lake County. Seated: Trustee Sheila Seibor and Supervisor Jon Altenberg.

Thanks to Gary, Barbara, and Todd, hold-overs from the previous administration that worked with us to make things better.

Retired Vernon Township Clerk Barbara Barnabee receives her own participation trophy from Township Supervisor Jon Altenberg. For decades she did the work of three people (Clerk, Office Manager, and many day to day responsibilities of former supervisor William Peterson, who simultaneously held office in Springfield).

Retired Township Assessor John Raupp watches Barbara Barnabee receive recognition for decades of public service. Raupp and the other township assessors stood up against county leadership for over-taxing property owners.

Seated next to him is Trustee Sheila Seibor (recent new leader of the Vernon Township Democrats) and Trustee Roger Addelson (now retired and living near children and grandchildren in California with his wife Susan)

An extra shout out to Phil. We started out drastically opposed and developed mutual respect. Like many progressives, I can throw slogans with the best of them. Phil knows how to read a budget. He’d be too moderate for some of the comrades, but he helped us get nicer things for the people that trusted us while reducing their financial burden.

This resolution, addressed to me, is really about all of us working together. Here’s to Broad Coalitions and the good things we can do in public service.

Also thanks to our maven Lauren Beth-Gash for suggesting that I might consider public service, Super Scott, for the ground work, Rep. Brad Schneider for giving the slate credibility. Stepson Adam for being a volunteer superstar, Deacon for helping… all the volunteers, especially the best Doctor in Lake County, Dr. Mrs. Girlfriend, who volunteered on Election Day and ran off to the courthouse with me at lunch and married me. I had no way to lose that day, and of course, she gives me most of the credibility I have in Lake County… so many others… thank you all.

Sorry, Golda, if I’m being too humble.

Dr. Mrs. Girlfriend: Dr. Lisa Peck, pictured here emerging from time travel in the late 1960s. Twice voted best doctor in Lake County. Named as one of the Top Doctors in Chicagoland by Chicago magazine. They got her name wrong, actually. They still have her listed as Peck-Rosen. They might want to consult Ira Rosen’s wife Shawna about that choice.

Ex-Marine, former Trustee, former organizer, former cab driver, barista, and recently unretired poet and truck driver, Adam Broad, hard-working guy from East Rogers Park, sitting across from the woman that lured him to the suburbs ten years ago.