More on Gentes-Duffy State Senate Race
In the furiously fought 26th state senate race to replace Bill Peterson, Republican Dan Duffy has reported receiving an additional $8,117.
Considering the bad publicity in both the Daily Herald and the Northwest Herald that his opponent Round Lake Mayor Bill Gentes has gotten for not telling the truth about having been let go by the Realtor Association of NorthWest Chicagoland, seeing $5,000 from the Illinois Association of Realtors go to his opponent must have galled Gentes.
Gentes did write a letter of apology.
In addition, Chris Reyes of Rosemont donated $2,500 and the Health Care Council of Illinois Politic paid Joe Cook of Wauconda $717 for consulting services and mileage.
The story with Bill Gentes' big eyes comes from Round Lake Area School Board member Guy Finley's blog, Stay the Course. Finley had a different "big eyes"-illustrated story yesterday.
Posted first at McHenry County Blog.
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State senate candidate apologizes for 'outright lie'
By Bob Susnjara | Daily Herald Staff
Published: 10/14/2008 3:52 PM
Democratic Round Lake Mayor Bill Gentes apologized Tuesday for not telling the truth about his employment status during a Daily Herald editorial board interview for his state Senate seat campaign.
When asked Monday about handling all that goes with running for the open Senate District 26 seat, Gentes responded he's on a leave of absence from his full-time job as operations director at the Realtor Association of NorthWest Chicagoland.
However, association Chief Executive Officer Peggy Kayser refuted Gentes in a statement issued Tuesday.
"On advice of counsel, I cannot give the terms of his separation, but Bill stating he is on a leave of absence is an outright lie," Kayser said.
Gentes is running against Republican Dan Duffy for the Senate seat, which covers Libertyville Township in Lake County west to McHenry, Dorr and Nunda townships in McHenry County, and part of Palatine Township in Cook County. Both want to replace retiring Republican state Sen. William Peterson of Long Grove.
When informed of Kayser's statement, Gentes admitted he was fired in February and apologized for not telling the truth during the editorial board interview.
"I'm embarrassed that I'm unemployed," said Gentes, 49.
Duffy, 42, of the Lake Barrington area, disputed Gentes' original leave of absence statement during a separate visit to the newspaper Monday.
Meanwhile, the suburban organization that formerly employed Gentes recommended the Illinois Association of Realtors support Duffy in the race.
Jeff Metzger, director of governmental affairs for the state group, said Duffy received a $5,000 contribution after the endorsement.
This is not the first time that Gentes has lied to us. It's the first time that he's been caught and publicly exposed for what he is. 10 observations regarding Gentes time in Round Lake
1. Economic development has never occurred as he promised
2. We never got the hospital that he promised
3. We never got the grocery store that he promised
4. We never got the transportation bypass for 120 that he promised
5. We never got the policy reform that he promised
6. He closed us off to public comment and stopped recording public meetings
7. He tried to put a power plant in the heart of our community
8. He has raised our taxes every year
9. He spends more time focused on his blog promoting "Bill" than he does promoting his constituents
10. He has always been focused on the next public office and not cared about the current one
Beware 26th District: don't allow Gentes' ineffectiveness in Round Lake spread to the rest of the District. Carefully study his claims vs. action; his talk vs. his walk; his promises vs. his results. Consider the impact of a guy who would aggressivel promote the location of a power plant in the heart of his community vs. listening to his constituent's concerns.
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