Tomorrow marks the first anniversary of the date when Governor Quinn signed the 67% tax hike into law. As your State Representative, I fought hard against the tax hike, and at the time I predicted it would have far-reaching negative consequences for working families and small businesses across the state. In the end, as you recall, the tax increase was pushed through by the majority party in a lame duck General Assembly in the final hours of the legislative session, with zero support from Republicans in the House or Senate.

Now, one year later, those damaging effects are unfortunately coming to fruition. Those who argued in favor of the tax hike said it would prevent layoffs and unemployment in key sectors such as education and nursing-home care. Unemployment at the time the tax hike was implemented was 9.1%. Today it is 10.0% (Source: Illinois Department of Employment Security). This translates to an additional 60,000 Illinoisans who are now out of work.

Those who favored the tax increase also said the hike was necessary to prevent reductions in Illinois’ bond ratings. But just this week Moody’s cut the bond rating for Illinois from A1 to A2, continuing Illinois’ slide toward a sub-investment grade or “junk bond” rating.

During this same time, the average Illinois family with a household income of $54,000 paid approximately $1,000 more in Illinois Income Taxes in 2011. To say these are dark days for Illinois would be an understatement.

The consequences of the tax increase are very real for many Illinois employers. Here are just a few examples of how the tax increase has impacted Illinois employers:

• A Sara Lee bakery plant in Rock Island which employs 110 people is set to close its doors in mid-2012.
• Lowe’s Home Improvement Stores let 1,500 workers go in the 3rd and 4th quarters of 2011. The job losses were scattered throughout Lowe’s retail facilities in Illinois.
• Bekins Van Lines in Hillside is set to let go 102 workers in February of 2012.
• Goodrich has stated they will eliminate 58 positions in Barrington in February of 2012.
• In December of 2011, 456 jobs were eliminated with the permanent shutdown of the printing plant that used to print the “Chicago Sun Times” newspaper in Pilsen, on the Southwest Side of Chicago. The printing work was absorbed by another print-house.

Illinois must stop living by a mentality that the way to balance budgets and pay bills is by raising taxes. As the private sector continues to contract, Illinois government is still expanding. Experts are saying that some form of the “temporary” tax increase is very likely to become permanent. I will not support any effort to make any portion of the tax permanent, and remain supportive of efforts to repeal the tax increase. Legislators will head back to Springfield at the end of this month, and at the top of my priority list is a continued fight for balanced budgets and decreased spending.

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State Representative Mike Tryon (R-Crystal Lake) has released results of a recent constituent survey. The survey was offered to residents through an insert in a local newspaper in the fall.

“Each year I survey my stakeholders about issues that affect Illinois,” Tryon said. “The results are a great tool that helps me better represent the 64th District when I’m in Springfield.”

The results are as follows: (not all items add up to 100% due to responses outside of listed choices)

Question #1: Do you support borrowing or additional taxes to help balance the state’s budget, pay overdue bills and fund state services?

Support Borrowing: YES = 22% NO = 77%

Support Additional Taxes: YES = 25% NO = 74%

Questions #2: Which would you support in order to generate more revenue to help balance the state’s budget: cutting all new spending, freezing state employees’ salaries, cutting 10% from all state agencies, pension reform, or gambling expansion in Illinois?

Cut All New Spending Out of the Budget: YES = 31% NO =68%

Freeze State Employees’ Salaries: YES = 77% NO = 22%

Cut 10% From All State Agencies: YES = 76% NO = 23%

Pension Reform: YES = 80% NO = 20%

Gaming Expansion: YES = 30% NO = 69%

Question #3: List the top three issues that are currently important in your municipality.

(listed in the order of frequency listed on surveys)

• Taxes/Fees
• Economy
• Illinois Finances
• Public Services
• Transportation/Roads
• Political Issues (special interests, corruption, redistricting, term limits, partisanship, transparency)
• Other

Question #4: Would you support medical marijuana for people diagnosed with severe illness?

YES = 50%

CONDITIONAL YES = 24%

NO – 25%

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By a vote of 81-28 the Illinois House Monday approved a package of tax breaks aimed at keeping Sears Holdings and CME Group Inc. from exiting the state.  Proponents said SB397, when combined with a second bill dealing with individual tax breaks, will save jobs and assist small and mid-size businesses.  But some lawmakers objected to cherry-picking companies to assist, rather than providing broad support to all.

State Representative Mike Tryon cast a “no” vote, concerned with the way the different tax breaks were packaged.

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Impeached Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich was sentenced in Federal Court Wednesday to 14 years in prison, for guilty verdicts on 18 different counts of corruption. He will report Federal prison on February 16, 2012 to begin serving at a minimum 85% of his sentence, or at least 11 years 9 months.

State Representative Mike Tryon (R-Crystal Lake) said he felt the judge’s decision was fair . “I think this sentence sends a strong message that corruption will not be tolerated in the State of Illinois,” he said. “While I do feel bad for his children, it is important that justice was done, so that all elected officials know that abuses of office come with stiff penalties.”

As a participant in the actions taken by the General Assembly last year to remove Blagojevich from office, Tryon said he hopes that with Wednesday’s sentencing, Rod Blagojevich and the shame he has brought on the State of Illinois can finally be put in the past. “Now that this case is finally behind us, we need to look to the future and concentrate our efforts on the real issues that we need to be discussing in the legislature,” Tryon said. “While we need to do what we can to make sure that abuses like those for which the former governor was convicted never occur again, our focus needs to be on putting Illinoisans back to work and getting the State’s finances under control.”

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Representative Mike Tryon (R-Crystal Lake) has been named “Legislator of the Year” by the Staffing Services Association of Illinois.

Tryon received the award this week at an SSAI meeting at the River Forest Country Club in Elmhurst. According to SSAI President Jeff Kubas, Tryon was chosen because of his sponsorship and support of numerous pieces of legislation that protects Illinois workers. “Representative Tryon goes to great efforts to reach out to staffing agencies and does his best to make sure their needs are met,” said Kubas. “He is a true champion in the state legislature. He is fair and honest and always takes time to hear our concerns.”

SSAI is made up of 25 light industrial staffing agencies that are registered with the Illinois department of labor in the Chicagoland area. The agencies employ over 200,000 temporary employees annually.

“SSAI is proud to give this award to Representative Tryon for his excellent service to our association and we look forward to collaborating with him in the future.”

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Dear Friend,

Our second week of veto session has ended, and while typically this would signify the end of the fall veto session, legislators are being called back to Springfield on Tuesday, November 29 to consider additional business. However, during the last few weeks several noteworthy votes have occurred.

House Bill 3793: Limits Property Tax Increases in Declining Housing Markets
Limiting property tax increases during times when housing values are declining is a discussion that needs to occur. The same tax cap laws that protected taxpayers in the years of unprecedented growth and prosperity in this area are now causing property taxes to increase while housing values are going down. I am very sensitive to the issues faced by taxpayers in this declining economy and believe the taxing laws must be changed to protect taxpayers when their property values are decreasing. As I have said many times, the economy is contracting and people are adjusting their budgets and getting by on less. I believe the public sector needs to do the same.

This week I voted in favor of House Bill 3793. The bill failed by a large margin. The bill would have amended the Property Tax Extension Limitation Law (PTELL) to prevent any taxing body in a tax capped county from collecting an increase in funding during a year when the area’s total assessed value decreases. There was fierce opposition to the bill by school districts, municipalities and other agencies which rely on public funding for their operations. I understand this opposition because property taxes are a primary funding source for these agencies, which provide important services that we all expect and rely upon. At a time when the State is not making timely or full payments to them, the passage of House Bill 3793 would have created a significant hardship.

I have plans to file a bill which will require taxing bodies to publish in the newspaper the percentage increase of their tax rate as budgets are being finalized. I believe this new level of transparency would allow stakeholders to have additional information and an increased opportunity to be involved as taxing bodies’ budgets and levies and finalized.

Senate Bill 77: Unemployment Insurance Reform
It was with pleasure that I joined all other members of the House of Representatives in supporting Senate Bill 72, which reforms Illinois’ unemployment insurance system. Today the Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund has a projected deficit of $2.4 billion. This staggering sum threatens the very sustainability of this important safety net for working families. Through this bill, the fund will become fully solvent by 2018 and it will provide $400 million in cost savings for employers across the state. Most importantly, these reforms will be accomplished without raising taxes. The provisions of the bill should also help create private sector jobs and reinvigorate the Illinois economy.

Senate Bill 2147: Funding for Regional Offices of Education
Governor Quinn used his veto power several months ago to eliminate funding for Regional Offices of Education (ROEs) and their employees. Because of his veto, Regional Superintendents have not been paid since June. In fact, in McHenry County, the veto led to the current Regional Superintendent retiring early and the individual who had been elected to replace him declining the job. As a result, Lake County officials have been taking care of McHenry County’s ROE needs for the last five months.

I am a strong supporter of Regional Offices of Education and the statutory services they provide, and I voted in favor of restoring the funding for the remainder of this year from the personal property replacement taxes that are distributed to local governments each year. At the conclusion of this fiscal year funding for ROE’s will revert back to the General fund where I believe it belongs. The bill also creates a 15-member streamlining commission that will look for opportunities to consolidate some offices and duties. I favor the creation of this commission and look forward to learning about how we can increase efficiency and save money in these offices.

Senate Bill 1701: Emergency Medical Services Access
This bill amends the Illinois Controlled Substances Act and the Methamphetamine Control and Community Protection Act by providing that any person who, in good faith, dials 911 or seeks medical treatment for someone experiencing a drug overdose shall not be charged with a crime. I voted against this bill because I know that today in our area those who call in an expected overdose are usually not charged with a crime. The bill creates a situation where drug dealers who administer a fatal dose of a tainted drug could escape prosecution. I believe strongly that drug dealers need to be prosecuted. The “common sense” approach currently used in our area appears to be working and I think we need to continue to look at each drug overdose case individually. However, the bill passed in the House and is now pending in the Illinois Senate.

Senate Bill 1652: Com Ed Smart Grid
Today, 44 states have some level of smart grid technology in place, and when Illinois lawmakers approved a bill several months ago to modernize Illinois’ grid, Governor Quinn vetoed it. During the first week of veto session, members of the House and Senate voted to override Governor Quinn’s veto. I voted in favor of the override and did so in part so that Illinois could become more competitive in attracting new businesses and jobs.

The override means that once the improvements are in place, Illinoisans will have fewer and less widespread power outages than we have today. It will also provide the framework for Commonwealth Edison and Ameren to respond more quickly to network problems.

The need to upgrade our electrical grid was never more obvious than earlier this year when many collar county residents were without power for extended periods of time due to storms. But Oak Park, which has been using the smart grid technology on an experimental basis since 2010, escaped the summer’s widespread storm outages while communities all around it suffered significant power outages. The Smart Grid improvements would not only help prevent widespread outages, but it would also provide for a wholesale technology upgrade that will eventually lower overall electrical costs.

A trailer bill presented the first week of veto session included language that lowers the profit rate for Commonweath Edison and Ameren to rates that are lower than what the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) has allowed in the past. The new language also toughens the performance standards they must meet and increases the amount of money they must spend to improve the infrastructure. The trailer bill also calls for the creation of a fund to help those of lower socioeconomic circumstances pay their electric bills. Based on the changes included in the trailer bill, a consortium of 42 suburbs withdrew its opposition to the bill prior to the override votes.

Gaming Expansion in Illinois
A new gaming bill that scaled back a gambling expansion package approved by the General Assembly several months ago was soundly defeated by the House last week. I voted against the gambling expansion bill when it was originally presented almost six months ago and I voted against the scaled back version last week. The new bill dropped a provision that would have allowed for slot machines at Chicago airports and the state fairgrounds, and addressed concerns by some that regulations were not stringent enough. However, the new plan still allowed for five new casinos in Illinois and permitted racetracks to operate slot machines.

I am not opposed to a modest expansion of gaming in our state such as the addition of slot machines at racetracks. The racing industry is a large part of the McHenry County economy. In my current legislative district, there are 13 thoroughbred farms and several other farms which supply crops and feed for the horses. My issue with the bill was the large nature of the expansion and the way in which the revenue would be spent. It is my hope that a new, scaled back version can be considered when we return to Springfield on November 29.

Coming Up… The Status of Pension Reform and, the Proposal to Close Seven State Facilities and the Sears EDA
Pension Reform…There are a few other issues that may be debate and/or resolved when the General Assembly returns to Springfield on November 29. I am a member of the pension reform committee and we have met many times to discuss ways to stabilize the state’s pension system. Today’s pension system includes an $86 billion unfunded liability. Those negotiations are ongoing and I look forward to reading Senate Bill 512 when it reaches its final form. It is imperative that we solve the pension crisis, but we must do so in a manner that once and for all stabilizes the system without placing the $86 billion liability onto the backs of the taxpayers.

Facility Closures…As you have probably heard, Governor Quinn recently recommended closing seven state facilities due to budget shortfalls. His announcement was premature, ill-thought out and included no plan for how the patients and inmates would be transitioned to new facilities. It was nothing more than a political move on his part, and yet another attempt to press for additional funding by using some of Illinois’ most vulnerable citizens as pawns.

I also serve on the Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability, and as a group we have been visiting these facilities and holding hearings over the last several weeks. On Oct. 27 we voted against closing the Murphysboro juvenile detention center, Mabley Developmental Center in Dixon, Singer Mental Health Center in Rockford and Chester Mental Health Center. Last week we voiced similar concerns by recommending against the closure of the Logan Correctional facility in Murphysboro, the Jacksonville Developmental Center and the Tinley Park Mental Hospital.

I am very much in favor of looking for opportunities to blend services so that efficiencies for providing services can be optimized. I also welcome an opportunity to review a comprehensive plan which includes a thorough cost-benefit analysis. To date, we have seen no plan and no cost-benefit analysis. As the issue moves forward, I feel strongly that any ultimate changes would need to include a provision for a smooth transition for the individuals served by these facilitates.

Sears EDA…Lastly, there has been much discussion and debate lately about Sears EDA in Hoffman Estates. As the 23-year tax incentive that brought Sears to Hoffman Estates approaches its 2013 expiration date, Sears is looking to the General Assembly to extend the terms of the EDA for an additional 15 years. I am firmly opposed to the 15-year extension.

For the last 22 years, Sears has operated out of their space along I-90 between Beverly Road and Route 59 while enjoying significant property tax relief. I favor those original incentives and believe that at the time they were a necessary “carrot” that lured Sears and other businesses to the Hoffman Estates location. Jobs were created and the economic impact was very favorable.

District 300 officials have waited for the day when the EDA would expire so they could begin collecting the property tax revenue that rightfully belongs to them. Some legislators are trying to push through an incentive package that places the lion’s share of the sacrifice onto the backs of District 300 taxpayers. Simply put, it isn’t fair. It is my hope that my colleagues in the House and Senate slow down, take a step back, and create a piece of legislation that entices Sears to stay in Illinois while still being fair to the District 300 taxpayers.

I believe strongly that the next incentive package should be structured like the package we used to keep Motorola and its jobs in Illinois. The State gave Motorola a $100 million incentive package based on “EDGE” credits, whereby a percentage of the income taxes paid by Motorola employees was rebated back to the company. It was an incentive that was very lucrative for Motorola, and it wasn’t done at the expense of local taxpayers.

Clearly, all of Illinois is enriched by the economic activity that Sears brings to our state. Therefore it is not equitable for the taxpayers of one school district to provide the overwhelming majority of the financial incentive that keeps Sears here. Since everyone benefits if Sears stays in Illinois, everyone should share in contributing toward making that happen.

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On October 25 the General Assembly will return to Springfield for the Fall Veto Session. Below is a summary of issues and potential legislation that may be discussed during the six-day session:

Pension Reform
Without a doubt, the most controversial issue debated in Springfield this year was pension reform. In the interest of the taxpayers, I believe it is imperative that we solve the pension crisis. This summer I sat on a pension reform committee with a few of my colleagues from both sides of the isle. Representatives from all affected parties were at the table, and as you can imagine, some spirited discussions took place. Senate Bill 512 is currently on the table, and this bill attempts to reform how future pension benefits are accrued for existing state employees. The bill fully protects benefits of all retirees and previous benefits earned by current employees. The pension system for the state employees, teachers, judges, college professors and legislators is currently underfunded by a staggering $86 billion. While I am hopeful that a solution that is fair to all will eventually emerge, I do not believe the bill on the table is in the best future interest of Illinois taxpayers. As it is written right now, if it comes up for a vote I will not be supporting it.

Gaming Expansion
The House and Senate passed a gaming expansion bill in May which would allow for 1,200 slot machines at Arlington Park and slots at Chicago’s airports. As approved, it would also allow for new casinos in Chicago, Lake County, southern Cook County, Rockford and Danville. The bill has not been forwarded to Governor Quinn due to a fear of a veto. While I am not opposed to a modest expansion of gaming in Illinois as a revenue-generator, I voted against the bill because I felt it was too expansive and would have a negative financial impact on our state’s existing casinos and gaming sites. It is my hope that the expansion will be scaled back through language presented during veto session.

Smart Grid Legislation
In September, Governor Quinn vetoed Senate Bill 1652, which was approved by both chambers of the General Assembly earlier this year. The current utility grid in Illinois relies on technology created in the 1920’s. Energy demands and delivery technology have changed drastically in the last decade and this legislation would provide for millions of dollars of infrastructure improvements which would allow utility companies Ameren Illinois and Commonwealth Edison to significantly improve the usability and reliability of the electrical grid. The power outages associated with the severe weather experienced in this area a few months ago served as a prime example of how important it is to upgrade our grid. The bill did include a rate increase for consumers, but due to the implementation of “smart meters” consumers could save an estimated $2.8 billion on their electric bills over 20 years. I believe the savings potential would offset any rate increase and remain hopeful that the legislature and governor can reach consensus on this bill during veto session.

Sears Economic Development Area (EDA) Extension
In May, the House of Representatives approved Senate Bill 540 which deals with Tax Increment Finance Districts in Illinois. Hidden within an 11th hour amendment to the bill in the final hours of our legislative session was a provision that would allow local municipalities to extend EDA agreements. During debate on the bill and amendments it was not mentioned that the only EDA in Illinois is Sears Holdings, Inc. in Hoffman Estates. As approved in the House, the bill would allow the Village of Hoffman Estates to extend their EDA agreement with Sears by another 15 years. While I favor providing incentives that would allow Sears to stay in Illinois, I believe extending the EDA as written in SB 540 is unfair to School District 300 and other public taxing bodies which rely on property taxes to support their public operations. The extension would take about $14 million in property taxes per year away from District 300. There are incentives available that would entice Sears to stay in Illinois while the school district could begin to collect the property taxes to which they are entitled. It is my hope that my colleagues in the Senate explore a fair compromise that benefits both Sears and District 300.

Expansions to the Illinois Transparency Portal (www.accountability.illinois.gov)
House Bill 3374 was approved by the House and is currently pending in the Senate. The bill, which I sponsored, would expand the Illinois transparency portal by providing direct access to a database of all current state grants, sorted by grantee name, the awarding agency, grant value, and the purpose for all grants awarded by the state. I also served as chief sponsor of House Bill 2915, which also passed through the House and is pending in the Senate. This bill would further expand the transparency portal to include members of the General Assembly in its database of current state employees and individual consultants. The bill provides that the database will also provide insurance and pension benefits information, General Assembly roll call votes, and a commenting interface so that individuals who cannot find what they are looking for can email the web master for assistance. It is my goal that the portal will continue to grow and ultimately become an incredibly valuable source of information for those interested in monitoring exactly how their tax dollars are spent. I hope that both bills will receive widespread bipartisan support in the Senate.

Governor’s Line–Item Veto of ROE Salaries
The governor line-item vetoed the $9.1 million appropriation for the FY12 regional superintendent and their assistants’ salaries and $2.25 million for regional office of education (ROE) services. He believes that funding for the ROEs should come from local funds. The fact is, Illinois statutes require that Regional Superintendents sign off on all GED certificates, on new teacher certificates, and on all school improvement projects. As long as the state mandates that Regional Superintendents perform certain functions, the State needs to fund those positions.

School District Transportation Appropriation Reduced
The Governor also used his line item veto power to reduce school districts’ transportation (busing) funding by approximately 23%. His decision is creating a hardship on school districts that are mandated to provide transportation services to students. This appropriation reimburses school districts for the previous year’s expenditures and is critical to maintaining a safe and efficient local transportation program. It is my hope that this funding is reinstated.

Authorities Granted to the Illinois Tollway Board of Directors
The Illinois Tollway Board of Directors approved in August a $12 billion capital plan that includes $8.32 billion to fund improvements to the existing Tollway System and an additional $3.83 billion for new projects. To fund the capital plan a toll rate increase was approved by a vote of 7-1. The rates will increase between 40 cents to 75 cents. The cost of a car trip on the Tollway system for an average I-PASS customer will be $1.18 – up from today’s average of 63 cents per trip and an increase of $2.75 a week or $11.00 a month. Cash-paying passenger vehicles would continue to pay double the I-PASS rate. House Bill 3805 is currently in drafting stages, but it could be written to change the Illinois Tollway Board of Directors’ authority to set toll rates.

Enhanced Felony Penalties for Failure to Report a Child’s Disappearance
At least four bills have been introduced in response to an online petition to create “Caylee’s Law.” Many are unhappy with the not-guilty verdict in the murder trial of Casey Anthony in the death of her 2-year-old daughter. The sponsors of the bills believe that Anthony’s punishment for misleading authorities regarding Caylee’s disappearance was too light. The online petition drive urges legislatures to enact felony penalties for parents/guardians who fail to report the death or disappearance of a child within a reasonable time. The issue may be brought up during the Veto Session.

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The Illinois Policy Institute has given State Representative Mike Tryon (R-Crystal Lake) a perfect rating of 100% for votes cast during the first half of 2011 in the General Assembly.

The Illinois Policy Institute is a conservative think tank which promotes fiscal responsibility, job creation and free enterprise. Institute officials follow individual lawmakers’ votes in the areas of budgets, taxes, education, business climate and government transparency.

Tryon received his perfect score in the institute’s 2011 mid-year Legislative Vote Card. The vote card is issued twice each year with the first issue released following the conclusion of the Spring legislative session, and the second after the conclusion of the General Assembly’s fall veto session.

Tryon’s score was achieved through his votes (shown in parentheses) on the following bills:

• Senate Bill 2505: Lame Duck Session Income Tax Hike (N)
• House Bill 3659: Lame Duck Session Online Affiliate Tax (N)
• House Bill 111: PAYGO (Y)
• Senate Bill 79: Charter Schools (Y)
• Senate Bill 7: Performance Counts (Y)
• House Bill 2987: Project Labor Agreements (N)
• Senate Bill 43: Tax Transparency (Y)
• House Bill 1079: Higher Ed Transparency (Y)
• House Bill 1512: Sunshine (Y)

“Everyone in Springfield talks about responsible spending, job creation, the importance of good schools and of how we must restore integrity to Illinois government,” said Tryon. “My votes on these issues illustrate my true commitment toward making these ideas a reality in Illinois.”

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In his ongoing effort to promote two-way communication with his constituents, State Representative Mike Tryon (R-Crystal Lake) has scheduled three town hall meetings during the months of September and October in District 64.

“The purpose of these important meetings is two-fold,” said Tryon. “First, I will provide a legislative update about pending legislation and financial issues in Illinois. But perhaps even more important, I will take questions from those who attend and listen as they tell me how I can best represent them in Springfield.”

Each town hall meeting will be approximately 1 ½ hours in length, and light refreshments will be served.

September 14
Lake in the Hills Village Hall
600 Harvest Gate
7:00 PM

September 19
Huntley Village Hall
10987 Main St.
7:00 PM

October 20
Crystal Lake City Hall
100 W Woodstock St.
7:00 PM

Tryon has served in the Illinois General Assembly since 2005 and his legislative district includes all or portions of Crystal Lake, Algonquin, Lake in the Hills, Huntley, Lakewood, Cary, Fox River Grove and Trout Valley.

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Ingleside, IL…..State Representative Michael W. Tryon (R-Crystal Lake) and Senator Pamela Althoff (R-McHenry) took a tour this month of a special camp which blends good old fashioned summer fun with diabetes education and support for kids suffering from diabetes.

On August 2, Tryon and Althoff, who are both members of the Illinois General Assembly Diabetes Caucus, visited the Triangle D Camp at the YMCA’s Camp Duncan in Ingleside, and while visiting they got a firsthand look at how area preteens are learning to better understand and manage their diabetes. “I really enjoyed visiting this camp,” said Tryon. “It’s clear that Camp Duncan provides a great environment where kids can learn from other kids and see that they are not alone with their diabetes struggles.”

According to Sue Apsey, Program Director for the Chicago Office of the American Diabetes Association, the six-day overnight camp brought 138 Illinois, Wisconsin and Indiana kids between the ages of 9-13 together for the program which challenges each child to reach their potential both mentally and physically. “We provide an opportunity for kids to feel just like everyone else,” Apsey said. “They enjoy swimming, rope climbing, campfires and other traditional summer camp activities, but the common denominator among them is diabetes.”

Campers come to the Triangle D Camp with varying levels of ability to self-manage their symptoms, and Apsey said activities are planned for the interest and skill level of each child. “Overall program goals include improved self-esteem, taking responsibility for diabetes management and social adjustment in a setting away from home,” she said.

Tryon, who was diagnosed with Type II diabetes in 2006, said he was pleased to see kids taking charge of the management of their symptoms. “For some of these kids this was probably the first time they were in a setting where their parents were not completely in charge of the diabetes management, “ he said. “Physicians, nurses and dietitians were truly helping to create self-care independence for these children.”

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