Two area Congressional representatives have no competition this year:  Mary Miller in the 15th and Darin LaHood in the 16th..  They will be the only names on their respective ballots.

A McHenry County attorney wants to change that.  He’s a registered write-in for the 16th.

“I was surprised to learn that Mr. LaHood has no Democratic Party opponent,” says Scott Summers of rural Harvard.  “Voters deserve a choice.  So I decided to run as a write-in.”

Election laws make that process difficult.  Summers reports that he had to file notarized “Declarations of Intent” with each of the clerks of the twenty counties that make up the 16th.

“Long gone are the days when voters could write in any old name on election day,” he says.  “Now, if you vote for anyone other than a declared write-in, it doesn’t count.”

Summers is a fiscal conservative.  “The only thing worse than tax-and-spend is borrow-and-spend,” he says.  “If we are to reduce taxes, then we must also curb or eliminate programs.”  

He offers three examples for cutting:  fossil fuels, nuclear warheads, and corporate welfare.

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“Subsidize fossil fuels in the face of climate change?  Oh, please.”

“We have over three thousand nuclear weapons.  Do we really need all of them?” he asks.

 “And then there’s $100 billion that goes each year to corporate welfare programs.  Whatever happened to capitalism in America?”

Scott stakes out progressive positions on a number of issues.  One is the establishment of a trickle-up economy.  

“That’s right,” he says.  “Not trickle-down.  Trickle-up.  Tax breaks and other incentives for big companies don’t work very well.  Instead, let’s help our families and friends and neighbors establish home and community-based businesses.”

Summers has served in both elective and appointed offices.  He was a trustee at McHenry County College.  By way of gubernatorial appointment and state senate confirmation, Scott worked as the public guardian and public administrator of McHenry County.

Voters can learn more at www.ScottSummers.org.