Political couple leaves legacy in Wilmette

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Political couple leaves legacy in WilmetteKeats’ have seen enough Illinois politicsby Alan P. Henry

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March 18, 2011 | 11:42 AMWhen Roger and Tina Keats drive away from their Sheridan Road home in Wilmette for the last time in a few weeks and head for their new home in Texas, they will be leaving behind a formidable political legacy.Keats, who served as the Republican state senator for much of the North Shore from 1978 to 1992, worked closely with Harold Washington to enact legislation that adopt judicial sub-circuits for Cook County and cleared the way for minorities and Republicans to hold judgeships.The reform, fought by many Democrats, was an integral part of the cleanup of corruption in the Cook County court system that was uncovered by Operations Greylord and Gambat.Keats was also the point man for legislation that reformed the Illinois banking system by creating branch banking, which improved access and lowered costs. In addition, he pushed through legislation that brought the public transit system back from the brink of bankruptcy by requiring that fares cover a minimum percentage of costs.”I was the last legislator to get the better of Michael Madigan and I did it three times,” said Keats, 62. “We formed bipartisan coalitions to get those reforms, something that has not been done since.”After losing to Grace Mary Stern in 1992, Keats continued to run his construction business until 1994, became a manager with J.P. Morgan for 10 years and finally worked for Oppenheimer.Along the way, Keats was also active in campaigns for Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan and John McCain, and volunteered in the Chicago area on drug abuse and child sexual abuse issues.Tina Keats, also 62, moved to Wilmette in 1988. The Harvard MBA graduate sold her baby bedding business in 1994, and got involved in politics in part because she had experienced “how government interference makes it hard for people to run a small business.”She ran unsuccessfully for state representative in 1996, then played a key role in Mark Kirk’s first Congressional win in 2000 by helping deliver New Trier Township.”He was behind when we started,” Tina said. “We managed through grassroots campaigning to turn it around, and that won him the election.”She was Kirk’s campaign manager in 2007.Tina has also been active in local school board and referenda elections, including work that led to the demise of the Wilmette school caucus in the 1990s.”What we have done is given voters a choice and we have fought for open government,” she said.They are moving outside Austin, she and Roger said, in part because of the weather and because family is there. But also because they wanted to live in a Red state with lower taxes, a stronger financial future and less corruption.”This is a wonderful place to live,” Roger said. “But I am tired of subsidizing crooks, and I don’t want any more of it.”Because of the duo’s strong history in state politics, they are in-the-know. And that isn’t always a good thing.”We have the disadvantage of knowing too much,” Tina said. “During the last election I would talk to people about the state’s pension liability and the budget deficit and they wouldn’t know what I was talking about. Where does it stop? I don’t know. Even states like California and New York know they have to do something to get their house in order. This state has not accepted that.”

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He’s not moving to AustinMarch 25, 2011 | 07:59 AMAs the text of the article says, he’s moving to just outside Austin, and out here in rural Travis County and in the surrounding counties we’re like a wall of red containing the Socialist Republic so it doesn’t contaminate the rest of the state.DaveDave NalleHey, Fred!March 23, 2011 | 04:07 AMEvery state has an insane asylum, in Texas it is called Travis county. As to your “sea of blue” comment the only “sea of blue” here are the Bluebonnets which are beginning to bloom. In case you have not noticed with the exception of a few “Chicago style” race warrior Marxist whack jobs like Sheila Jackson-Lee (and you can thank Ken Ley of Enron fame for her) most Texas Democrats would be considered “‘reich whing” Republicans in Illinois. If you want to see what the “average” Texas Democrat is like take a look at the current mayor of Houston Annise Parker. I bet you did not know that she is the first openly Lesbian mayor of a major US city, too. You see, despite what the MSM and your “progressive” fellow travelers tell you down here we really don’t give a damn what color a candidate is or who they sleep with-it is their policies and agenda that count.I, for one, say a big Texas “Howdy!” to Roger and Tina Keats, they are welcome here. What is becoming increasingly unwelcome are all of the blue state refugees coming here in droves because Texas is the only state that is actually creating jobs in the private sector. It is OK, though-we have ways of running all the die hard “liberal/progressive” ones off. We don’t like taxes. There will NEVER be a state income tax. We don’t like criminals, we shoot them-we have a little thing called the “Castle Law” which is known in the vernacular as the “He needed killin'” law. We view welfare as a helping hand not a lifestyle (ask all the “Katrina queens” about that-they cleared out once the fed money dried up). Folks here like to go to church on Sunday. We will tell you that if you don’t like it here then don’t let the door hit you in the butt on the way out. To top things off all the guns in the hands of law abiding citizens here make the “liberal/progressive” types really, really nervous.Kate in Houston, TexasI wonder if he realizes that he’s movingMarch 21, 2011 | 11:01 AMto a sea of Texas blue.Travis county sent Tom DeLay (R-Gerrymander) a strong message. Neighboring counties share similar reality-based viewpoints as well.Watch out for those crazy rednecks. They’re working class too.Fred RogersA loss for chicagoMarch 19, 2011 | 05:48 AMi wish i could get this couple and many more like them to come out and keep fighting to get back the city and state government.My name is Tom Caravette and I am running in the 38th ward against a candidate that dumps money and lies to trick and confuse voters. Amazing about the old saying…razzle dazzle them and … people just are not getting the message to move to reform and change. There might be something to the electoral college!Tom Caravette
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