I was amused by a Courier story that came out last week detailing Congressman Bill Foster’s federal funding requests amounting to a whopping $55,800,000. Since this is a campaign year, nobody has been left behind. Among the requests for Aurora ($13.6M total requests), for example, he’s requesting $1.4 million for the an entrance road to the Auroral Municipal Airport (huh?), $250K for equipment for the Aurora police and $1.9 million for a trolley. Okay…

For Elgin, there’s $8 million money for ECC, the Boys and Girls Club, and a variety of other stuff. St. Charles will get a million dollars for their downtown parking deck.

Of course these are just requests, and as a freshman it will be interesting to see whether the appropriations cardinals will give him anything. They might because the 14th could still theoretically go back to Republican control in the fall. And being able to deliver for the district could help his prospects for reelection. But it’s unlikely.

It’s just that I can’t help remembering when he criticized Dennis Hastert for spending too much money. In fact, his own campaign website still says:

If elected, Foster promised to help end America’s dependence on foreign oil and put a stop to the out of control spending that has plagued Washington.

“We’re bankrupting our country. Every man, woman, and child in the 14th district right now has $29,500 in debt because of the out of control spending that has gone on in Washington,” said Foster.

Isn’t it ironic?

Denny Hastert never publicized such requests, not even in an election year:

Foster’s predecessor, former House Speaker Dennis Hastert, never released his full list of appropriations requests, according to his former spokesman Brad Hahn. Hastert, Hahn said, preferred to work behind the scenes until the job was finished before calling attention to it.

“He believed there was plenty of time to celebrate accomplishments after the fact but saw little use in notifying the media until the job was done,” Hahn said. (Courier News 6/19/08)

Another sign of the “real changes” that Mr. Foster is promising the 14th district.

Don’t forget to make it out to Elgin’s premier cultural event, which is happening right now at Festival Park in downtown Elgin until midnight and again tomorrow.

Participating brewers in this year’s Brewfest:

Brass Restaurant & Brewery
Emmett’s Tavern & Brewing Co.
Goose Island Brew Pub
M.T. Barrels Restaurant and Brewery
Prairie Rock Brewing Co.
Ram Restaurant & Brewery
Rock Bottom Restaurant & Brewery
Two Brothers Tap House
Walter Payton’s Roundhouse

There’s the usual food there, but if you’re willing to make the three-minute trek, Public House is the place to go. However, the Courier story mentioned that the Prairie Rock has a new general manager, Brad Brickhouse. So food at the Rock may have improved. Could be worth a visit.

I think something new this year is a Green Day cover band: American Idiots. That should be pretty good. Also performing is Jostelen Weed, Hello Dave and 7th Heaven.

This mailing from 14th district Congressman Bill Foster’s office, which arrived last week, is indistinguishable from a campaign mailing. From a new congressman who promises “real changes” it’s disappointing to see this flagrant abuse of the frank, the congressional privilege of sending postage-free mail. As you can see in the lower picture, “This mailing was prepared, published and mailed at taxpayer expense.” I can’t recall seeing a newsletter from a congressman that was so full of self promotion, pandering and so indistinguishable from a campaign mailing. Considering that this is an election year, and that he was sworn in just weeks ago, Mr. Foster should have known better. With the kind of personal fortune that he commands, his campaign should have no problem paying for his own mail. Instead taxpayers are paying for it. Since Dennis Hastert never used the frank to send campaign mail, is this the “real change” Mr. Foster is talking about?

This is actually an old picture I took a few years ago at Bluff Spring Fen.

There are said to be two varieties and five native species of blue flag. I believe what’s pictured above–and what grows around here–is Iris virginiana. It has delicate blue and yellow flowers, and grows along rivers and streams. They bloom at this time of the year. You can find them along the Fox River and its tributary creeks.

All irises are blooming now, and a lovely but non-native yellow iris, Iris pseudacorus, can be found in profusion in swampy places such as at John Duerr Forest Preserve in South Elgin.

These irises grow to huge proportions. They were imported from Eurasia and are considered invasive plants.