Why do I want to run for elected office in Collinsville? For one, the present city government, in my opinion, is exploiting the ignorance of the Citizens, concealing information from the Citizens, engaging in fraud, deceit, and looking to further the interests of the corporate municipality, as well as their own privilege at the expense of the Citizens rights and property. Sound harsh? I can prove it.

At the outset, let it be known that I harbor no ill-will towards our current office holders. I do not believe that any of them are inherently evil or corrupt. I do believe that they have acclimated to a system that inherently breeds corruption which is then accepted as being the norm, to which the individuals acquiesce to. I also chalk a large part of the problem up to ignorance; ignorance of the law, rights, responsibilities, and duties. We have people voting on things that affect our money, our homes, our rights, and our community. Often times, the council hadn't the authority to even enact the ordinances they vote on. The people then, by their own ignorance, allow their city government to act ignorantly, often to the detriment of the Citizens.

This campaign should be a campaign of ideals. There needs to be a re-education of the Citizens as to their position in relation to their government. Are we, the Citizens, subject to the whim and caprice of the city council and the force of the police? We can say no, and prevail. We need to come together as a People and assert our rights against the oppression and tyranny of the "code enforcers". We need to STOP calling the police because our neighbor's grass is too tall or his dog barks too much. The city is not our nanny. We have ceased to be a body of Citizens, and have instead regressed to being BMW's (bitchers, moaners, whiners) about things we may not be particularly happy about, and as a result, expect government to remedy for our own personal agendas. We need to grow up.

Issues to be addressed

Abuse of eminent domain

Repeal of home rule

Source of Authority required to pass ordinances.

Fully Informed Juries

Abusive Police

People's "Popular" Sovereignty

"Un-Licensing" Yourself

Fighting City Hall...and Winning!

Shedding your "U.S. citizenship"

Reclaiming your State Citizenship

Dewey Defeats McCoy!!!

Thank you to the Citizens who voted for me. I hope the message I carry is finding favor with more people daily. There are some who benefit from the system existing in its present state. I know there are others who wish for change. Please spread the word and we will prevail. Thanks again!

I think a more apropos statement would be the People defeated themselves. I'm not sure about the total voter turnout percentage, but I believe it was less than 10%! The adage, "you get what you pay for" holds true, but should read "you get what you vote for". I'm sorry that more people did not take an interest in their government. What has to happen before the status quo is retired and mothballed? By the time people reach the requisite level of righteous indignation needed to effect change, the powers-that-be will be so firmly ensconced and the game so rigged that change will be more difficult than it would have been initially.

Why vote for Mark McCoy?

Guess what, I will not accept ANY pay, benefit, money, compensation for serving the Citizens. I promise!

Stop abuse of eminent domain.

I will NOT vote for ANY use of eminent domain without adhering to a strict construction of Article I, Section 15 of the Bill of Rights of the Constitution of the State of Illinois, that says, to wit: "Right of Eminent Domain. Private property shall not be taken or damaged for public use without just compensation as provided by law. Such compensation shall be determined by a jury as provided by law." I would construe this Article liberally in favor of the Citizen. I would also recommend that any jury empanelled to determine the compensation do so to a degree so as to make the property financially unfeasible for the city to take. Also, I will not vote for eminent domain that will result in one penny of profit finding its way to the pockets of any person, corporation, or other entity. It must be ONLY for the use of government in the lawful and constitutional exercise of such limited power that will result in a benefit to the Citizens, and not private developers or special interests.

Spearhead a call for the repeal of home rule.

Collinsville acquired home rule status as a result of a special census that showed a population of more than 25,000. Under the Constitution of the State of Illinois (see Details involving Home Rule Units below). At present, Collinsville needs a majority of 5 persons, which is 3, to be able to exercise the powers of the home rule unit. That means 3 votes to tax, license, regulate...control, or attempt to control, your lives.

Open wide, the doors, books, records, and proceedings of government activity.

Anyone who has ever filed a Freedom of Information Act Request, asked for a government record, attended an illegally conducted city council meeting knows that the government treats the Citizens with impunity and callousness. The government, and its elected officials, are servants of the people, trustees if you-will, granted limited powers with which to protect and guard our liberties and freedoms, and do that which we, individually, could not do as effectively as our servants can do collectively. I am tired of the shenanigans played by City Hall with "our" records. I would shine the light of truth and honesty on City Hall, and for good or bad, allow the People to have access to the proceedings, papers, records, and evidence of the wrongdoing taking place behind closed doors in City Hall.

No Corporate donations!

I have vowed to NOT take any money from corporations, or any other artificial or legal entities. This means that if it doesn't come from a living, flesh-and-blood human being, it will not be accepted.

From the decrees of the constitution there can be no appeal, for it emanates from the highest source of power, the sovereign people. Phoeve. V. Jay
1 Ill. 268

The government used to recognize that the People were the true source of authority.....what happened? It's time to refresh their memory.

What you should know before serving as a juror.

A responsive, respectable, accountable, subservient police department. (Already I have disinformation by confused readers regarding this statement. Read it here.)

If you have read almost any news report at all in the past month you would have come upon any number of articles involving the abuse of police in either tasing, shooting, beating, or disregarding the Rights of Citizens. I have heard stories from Citizens that speak to wanton and capricious use of tasers by police, with no evidence of their safety or lives being in any way at risk. People are actually afraid of the police. Is that what is meant by the old adage "Protect and Serve"? The motto today should read "To intimidate and suspect". Not to say that I'm anti-cop. I am pro-law enforcement, as long as it is "law" that is being enforced. The administrative edicts of an ignorant assembly of unresponsive government officials does not constitute "law" under the Constitution of either the State of Illinois or the United States of America. I will have a zero-tolerance policy for police abuse, and I will empanel a true Citizen's task force to hear, address, and recommend to the Mayor or Council appropriate action to stop and prevent abuse by the People's servants.

Here is a good explanation of the differences between a peace officer and law enforcement officer.

Source of authority ordinance.

Why are there so many ordinances that result in people getting tickets and being forced to go to court and turn their property over to the city? It is probably because people never bother to read the law, or understand the limitations of the city's authority to pass many of the ordinances they use to extract our money and render us subservient. I have been researching law for over 10 years. I have to come understand that the majority of the laws in force do NOT apply to the private Citizen. Government works off of presumption when deceiving you into obeying a so-called law. I would propose an ordinance that is binding on the city to produce the Constitutional authority, and to state with specificity the intent of the legislation. I would also propose an ordinance that prohibits the use of special definitions when drafting ordinances. Words used in "law" do not necessarily mean the same as their common usage, english dictionary counterparts. We are tricked, lied to, and deceived into believing we are servants to the city.

Details Involving Home Rule Units

SECTION 6. POWERS OF HOME RULE UNITS
    (a)  A County which has a chief executive officer elected
by the electors of the county and any municipality which has
a population of more than 25,000 are home rule units. Other
municipalities may elect by referendum to become home rule
units. Except as limited by this Section, a home rule unit
may exercise any power and perform any function pertaining to
its government and affairs including, but not limited to, the
power to regulate for the protection of the public health,
safety, morals and welfare; to license; to tax; and to incur
debt.
    (b)  A home rule unit by referendum may elect not to be a
home rule unit.
    (c)  If a home rule county ordinance conflicts with an
ordinance of a municipality, the municipal ordinance shall
prevail within its jurisdiction.
    (d)  A home rule unit does not have the power (1) to
incur debt payable from ad valorem property tax receipts
maturing more than 40 years from the time it is incurred or
(2) to define and provide for the punishment of a felony.
    (e)  A home rule unit shall have only the power that the
General Assembly may provide by law (1) to punish by
imprisonment for more than six months or (2) to license for
revenue or impose taxes upon or measured by income or
earnings or upon occupations.
    (f)  A home rule unit shall have the power subject to
approval by referendum to adopt, alter or repeal a form of
government provided by law, except that the form of
government of Cook County shall be subject to the provisions
of Section 3 of this Article. A home rule municipality shall
have the power to provide for its officers, their manner of
selection and terms of office only as approved by referendum
or as otherwise authorized by law. A home rule county shall
have the power to provide for its officers, their manner of
selection and terms of office in the manner set forth in
Section 4 of this Article.
    (g)  The General Assembly by a law approved by the vote
of three-fifths of the members elected to each house may deny
or limit the power to tax and any other power or function of
a home rule unit not exercised or performed by the State
other than a power or function specified in subsection (l) of
this section.
    (h)  The General Assembly may provide specifically by law
for the exclusive exercise by the State of any power or
function of a home rule unit other than a taxing power or a
power or function specified in subsection (l) of this
Section.
    (i)  Home rule units may exercise and perform
concurrently with the State any power or function of a home
rule unit to the extent that the General Assembly by law does
not specifically limit the concurrent exercise or
specifically declare the State's exercise to be exclusive.
    (j)  The General Assembly may limit by law the amount of
debt which home rule counties may incur and may limit by law
approved by three-fifths of the members elected to each house
the amount of debt, other than debt payable from ad valorem
property tax receipts, which home rule municipalities may
incur.
    (k)  The General Assembly may limit by law the amount and
require referendum approval of debt to be incurred by home
rule municipalities, payable from ad valorem property tax
receipts, only in excess of the following percentages of the
assessed value of its taxable property: (1) if its population
is 500,000 or more, an aggregate of three percent; (2) if its
population is more than 25,000 and less than 500,000, an
aggregate of one percent; and (3) if its population is 25,000
or less, an aggregate of one-half percent. Indebtedness which
is outstanding on the effective date of this Constitution or
which is thereafter approved by referendum or assumed from
another unit of local government shall not be included in the
foregoing percentage amounts.
    (l)  The General Assembly may not deny or limit the power
of home rule units (1) to make local improvements by special
assessment and to exercise this power jointly with other
counties and municipalities, and other classes of units of
local government having that power on the effective date of
this Constitution unless that power is subsequently denied by
law to any such other units of local government or (2) to
levy or impose additional taxes upon areas within their
boundaries in the manner provided by law for the provision of
special services to those areas and for the payment of debt
incurred in order to provide those special services.
    (m)  Powers and functions of home rule units shall be
construed liberally.
(Source: Illinois Constitution.)

SECTION 7. COUNTIES AND MUNICIPALITIES OTHER
           THAN HOME RULE UNITS
    Counties and municipalities which are not home rule units
shall have only powers granted to them by law and the powers
(1) to make local improvements by special assessment and to
exercise this power jointly with other counties and
municipalities, and other classes of units of local
government having that power on the effective date of this
Constitution unless that power is subsequently denied by law
to any such other units of local government; (2) by
referendum, to adopt, alter or repeal their forms of
government provided by law; (3) in the case of
municipalities, to provide by referendum for their officers,
manner of selection and terms of office; (4) in the case of
counties, to provide for their officers, manner of selection
and terms of office as provided in Section 4 of this Article;
(5) to incur debt except as limited by law and except that
debt payable from ad valorem property tax receipts shall
mature within 40 years from the time it is incurred; and (6)
to levy or impose additional taxes upon areas within their
boundaries in the manner provided by law for the provision of
special services to those areas and for the payment of debt
incurred in order to provide those special services.
(Source: Illinois Constitution.)

Home Campaign Site About Issues Contact Commentary