McHenry County Blog

I first saw this message on a bumper sticker in the parking lot between Andy’s Restaurant early one Saturday morning.

Unfortunately, I had not brought my camera along with me.

Then, up the slogan popped again, but this time on a tee shirt worn by a fellow team member for September’s Walk to Emmaus.

It says,

Homeland Security
Fighting Terrorism Since 1492

This version has Indians, but I was told there is a version with cowboys.

Even before he made his official announcement as a write-in candidate in the 16th congressional district, Rockford’s General John Borling was in Crystal Lake.

“I was over at the Holiday Inn on the 29th,” he told McHenry County Blog.

“That was in the pre-announcement week. There was a meeting of the International Kick Boxing Association. I did very well. That’s where we got the 20-30 volunteers. This were young people, older people, women, kids.”

As a result, “I’ve got a McHenry County coordinator, Bill Henniger from Crystal Lake.

“And a list of about 30 volunteers that Bill is managing. But we are reaching out to all nine counties in the 16th district. If people want yard signs or want to volunteer call 815-229-4400 or go on the web site.”

Borling ran for the U.S. Senate in the Republican primary two years ago.

Why is he running for Congress again?

I am not doing this because I want to. I’m doing this because I have to.

I’m been fighting for this country my own life. I think this is the time for us to rise up and say we’ve had enough.

I’m not going to some kind of backbencher son of a bitch. I’m going to be a frontbencher son of a bitch.

Having not have seen any mention of Borling in either the Northwest or Daily Herald, McHenry County Blog asked if either had contracted.

“I’ve made contact with the Nortwest Herald and want an editorial board (meeting),” he said. No reporter has contacted him about his candidacy, however.

Even though there was a 3-way radio debate on Monday in Rockford, there is no information about its contents in a Google news search.

Here’s Borling’s take:

We had a 3-part debate last Monday on Monday on WNTA. Doug McDuff and Ken DeCosta were the moderators.

I think there was a spirited exchange of views, but at the end of the hour I think his (Manzullo’s) estimation was that he didn’t want to do that any more.

Objective listeners have voiced the same thought.

Here’s my view. Public officials need to be pro-active in engaging in public dialogue, especially at election time.

And, why is Borling running?

I’m doing this as an extraordinary basis. I believe in three main things. Both parties have let us down in the Congress. We return about 97% of the incumbents every election cycle and yet scream for change

It’s not going to happen with a bunch of career politicians, guys who want a job for life.

Brutally said, if you want to waste your vote, vote for more of the same.

If you want to take a chance for change in the 16th district, I’m asking them to write me in as an independe3nt and I will go and try to shine a light on this naked partisan bickering that is not in the interest of the nation or the district.

Charles Madigan, senior editor of the Trib (Chicago Tribune) said it best, “To re-elect the current congress is like eating mashed potatoes with hair shavings.

So people, if they want a change, have a chance to vote independent on a write-in basis.

They can write in General John Borling or John Borling or General Borling, as long as the intent of voter is clear, it does not have to exact.

What’s Borling doing to advance his candidacy?

We’re out in print and soon TV and radio. We’re out in all the media outlets and our knowledge is that people are fed up and they want a change.

We’re getting yard signs today. We have 2,000 yard signs for anybody that has a big yard.

I didn’t have the funds to make a media buy the first time out (when he ran for the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate).

What’s he want to do if he gets to Congress?

The idea is not to go and not be just one voice, but to go and marshal voices, individuals who want to start a new centrist political movement. A place where moderate Republicans where moderate Republicans and conservative Democrats can be freed up from the party shackles that bind them now.

“The challenge from the Senate campaign still goes,” Borling said. “If they want to do a winner take all push-up contest out in the parking lot, I’m willing to do that, too.”

The address where campaign contributions may be sent is Borling for Congress, Box 4703, Rockford IL 61110-4703. The campaign’s phone number is 815-229-4400. Here is the web site.

= = = = =
Photo provided by Borling for Congress.

Previous article about Borling's campaign.

The Chicago Reader’s “Hot Type” column reveals an altercation that took place in a St. Charles restaurant parking lot.

It’s between Illinois Supreme Court Chief Justice Bob Thomas and Kane County Chronicle columnist Bill Page.

(Both the Northwest Herald and the Kane County Chronicle are owned by the Shaw Newspaper Group.)

Page wrote that Thomas had been involved in a "little political shimmy-shammy" in the appointment of a Kane County judge, among other things that Thomas says impugned his character.

Here’s a paragraph from the column:

Page's account goes on: "With that Thomas raised his voice and yelled 'You're a liar. You lied and we'll prove it.' I responded, 'You sold a judgeship for $25,000 and I can prove that, and you cut a deal with [retired judge] Donnie Anderson and I can prove that.'"

The altercations started when Thomas told Page,

"You don't look sick."

It got worse from there, as you can read in the column.

Joseph Powers and Thomas were in St. Charles for the taking of Page’s deposition, but Page was supposedly sick.

The trial is scheduled for October 24th.

Eyes glaze over, right.

Time for an aspirin already.

Nevertheless, I thought my few readers in Cook County might be interested in governmental deception that has been going on probably as long as I have been watching the local political arena (since 1966 when I ran for McHenry County Treasurer).

Chicago Tribune columnist Eric Zorn managed to obtain a confession of sorts from Cook County Assessor Jim Houlihan.

Houlihan was a reform state representative first elected in 1972 when I was. He was Governor Dan Walker’s floor leader. (Spokesman would be a better description, because he had very few troops to lead.)

Zorn was probing whether Governor Rod Blagojevich was given special consideration when his assessment went up hardly at all, while his neighbors’ jumped.

Read his column first and then this email to him:

You have a really large story buried in your assessment piece.

It is in Jim (Houlihan)'s admission of what has been a FACT since at least the late 1980's:

"...as Houlihan said in an interview Wednesday, in practice, the assessed value is more like 10 percent of the market value."

I have chided reporters for decades about accepting the fiction that assessments are at 16%. I’ve done it in letters and even in letters to the editor.

In the late 1980's, I got all the sales (from Revenue Department printouts) from Wheeling and Palatine Townships and did assessment to sales price studies for both townships. I think I found one home that had been assessed at 16%.

At that time the median average assessment level was 8-9%. It may be higher now; I haven't bothered to check with the Department of Revenue.

So, why would the assessor's office want people to believe their homes were assessed at 16%.

As one whose first job in elective office was McHenry County Treasurer from 1966-70 and who started looking at assessments the second year when I found out how boring the Treasurer's Office was, I have been amazed that the vast majority of Chicago reporters have let the Cook County Assessor's Office get by with what certainly deserves to be called the "BIG LIE" that homes (and small apartment buildings) are assessed at 16% of what they are worth.

What utter nonsense!

Thank you for getting Jim to admit what has been the truth since well before he took office.

Now, I challenge you to do something with it.

Consider my theory about why the BIG LIE has been perpetrated.

If one is adept at junior high school math, any Cook County homeowner can figure out that they are not assessed at 16% of what they could sell their homes for.

But (and, it's a big "BUT"), if my home is not assessed at 16%, I'm underassessed, right?

So, I better not complain, right?

Well, no. That's not right.

State assessment law is based on equity. (And, goodness knows, I am not an attorney.)

But, if you are assessed higher than the (median) average assessment, I argued on the House floor when Maureen Martin was sponsoring the bill to put Cook County under the State Property Tax Appeal Board, you are overassessed and should appeal your home's assessment.

Let's say Houlihan is correct in stating that the average assessment is at 10%. (He may not be, remember. It may be lower.)

Then anyone whose assessment is more than he/she could sell their home for should appeal.

In Cook County, one's appeal is first made to the Board of Review.

If one's assessment is not lowered to whatever than median assessment level is, then one should appeal to the State Property Tax Appeal Board.

And, one does not need an attorney to do either. You can do it yourself.

I could tell how, but I just wanted to get you thinking about the implications of the assessor's office lying to taxpayers for decade upon decade.

Who benefits? (In the past it discouraged appeals, so the appeal agencies won. Now I don't know who wins by perpetuating it.)

Who loses?

Always good questions when one sees stupidity in government.

I still remember showing Harold Washington the numbers for the West Side township (yes, Chicago still has township lines, which are used to divide the city into assessment areas). I can't remember what the "official" assessment level was, but his township was assessed at a higher percentage than any other.

"They did that to us," he exclaimed.

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It’s that time of year when political signs sprout like mushrooms.

Here’s one I found on Route 176 about a quarter of a mile from Route 31.

It says,

COUNTY BOARD (VOTE FOR TWO)

Ed DVORAK
Barbara WHEELER

REPUBLICAN

Just received this press release from Bill Scheurer, the Moderate Party (created for this campaign) candidate for the 8th congressional district seat:

OCTOBER 6, 2006

Hastert Must Go: Bill Scheurer

Speaker Dennis Hastert should resign his leadership post. It is now clear that he had enough notice of problems with former Congressman Foley that he should have acted much sooner.

With something as important as the health and safety of children at stake, the question becomes, why did he fail to act. The answer can only be politics.

Listen to his own words.

"I think the base has to realize after awhile, who knew about it? Who knew what, when? When the base finds out who's feeding this monster, they're not going to be happy. The people who want to see this thing blow up are ABC News and a lot of Democratic operatives, people funded by George Soros."

This shameless politicizing of a tragic and sordid episode is reason enough for him to go. Again, his own words condemn him. “If they get to me, it looks like they could affect our election as well.”

Is this what our democracy has come down to? A house so divided with politics that everything, even the failure to protect vulnerable minors, must be sacrificed on the altar of partisan strife.

Hastert is now a distraction. As long as he clings to his Speaker position, this election will be about him. Too much more is at stake.

The war in Iraq. Mushrooming deficits. Our healthcare crisis. The plight of working families. All these crucial decisions are swept away by this partisan tide.

We cannot afford to scuttle this election. For the sake of our country and our democracy, Hastert must resign now. Let us get back to discussing the issues that matter most.

= = = = =
Photo is from the day after Labor Day 8th congressional district debate at McHenry County College. Scheurer is handing a pamphlet to one of those attending.

Credit Dan Zanoza of Republicans for Fair Media for being the first in the media to discover the information underlying this article:

IFRL PAC Endorses Stufflebeam for Governor:

Decision has Historical Implications for Illinois Politics

I have copied what I see on the Illinois Federation for Right to Life’s Political Action Committee web site on endorsements.

After talking to Zanoza, I have looked at the endorsement page more closely and it seems that the group has three categories of comments under “endorsment” on candidates:

"Pro-Life" for Stufflebeam alone,

"Endorsed" for most listed and

"Recommended" for a few.

Way down at the bottom are endorsements for three Metro-East judicial candidates, plus for the office of “Deputy Sheriff (Lake County),” which probably will be changed to “Sheriff.”

In any event, given most prominence is write-in candidate Randy Stufflebeam.

In his article Zanoza observes,

The IFRL PAC's support of Stufflebeam demonstrates a seed change in Illinois politics. For the first time, a major pro-life organization is endorsing a third party candidate. Also, Stufflebeam did not gain ballot status, giving more significance to the IFRL PAC endorsement.

A source told RFFM.org this is a ground-shaking development in the political matrix in this state. The Republican source, who requested anonymity, said, "The IFRL PAC's endorsement goes far beyond the pro-life issue. It means the party will have to rethink its nomination process and pay more attention to the wishes of the GOP's conservative political base."

Can school administrators raise their own salaries and those of colleagues without getting school board approval?

That’s the question that popped into my mind when I read Daily Herald reporter Jeff Gaunt’s article on Thursday about a nifty way to raise school administrators’ salaries without letting anybody know.

Some of the Huntley School District 158 administrators have spouses with their own health benefits. Spouses of three are on the same school district payroll.

Larry Snow told McHenry County Blog that these three administrators appear not only to have full family health coverage, but, in addition, they are getting an extra $5,400.

“What’s it for?” I asked.

“That’s the question,” Snow replied.

“Especially when in years past the $5,400 wasn’t included in administrators’ written contracts.”

Snow further said “When you don’t include the money in an administrator’s contract, and pay the administrator, without board approval, how do you justify that this spending the taxpayers’ money wisely? Or even legal?

"Mr. Burkey’s comment (In the Daily Herald article) reads to me that if Board members and administrators were paying people without legal authorization by the Board in the past, he believes it is okay to continue the practice. This is not my idea of setting high standards for the District. He should publicly admit that he was wrong."

The Daily Herald says the three administrators receive it, even though they

…are on single-coverage plans but still receive the $5,400 benefit because they don’t get family coverage.

Snow told McHenry County Blog there are three with single-family coverage, but there are three others, including one who has not yet been approved by the board, that are receiving the $5,400 and full family coverage.

How unfair for the administrators not to receive family health benefits just because they don’t need them.

The Daily Herald calls the extra money

$5,400 bonus for Dist. 158 officials

Such a deal!

So, an informal entitlement was developed in times past that was never approved in public until new school board member Larry Snow discovered it and made an issue of the impropriety of the practice.

(What do you think the forensic auditors will say about that?)

The Herald article quotes school board president Mike Skala:

"I couldn’t tell you honestly when it started. There didn’t seem to be any policy in place that defined that benefit."

“But,” the article continues,

"board member Larry Snow said there is another problem:

a seventh official who is receiving the $5,400 without board approval."

Apparently, new Superintendent John Burkey mentioned the 7th guy, but didn’t get board approval to pay the $5,400 bonus. That’s according to Snow.

The new superintendent apparently did it anyway.

Want to bet that his honeymoon is over after only three months on the job?

In grad school, Phyllis Mueller, who founded Home of the Sparrow, did research on how long it takes to form a habit She concluded that after someone has received something for 12-14 times, they consider it an entitlement.

So, this bad financial habit of District 158, which they call “cash in lieu of” payments is firmly entrenched.

Getting rid of it would result in about a 5% pay cut for most of the administrators.

So, call it what you will, it is part of their pay package whether it makes sense or is fair to other employees in similar circumstances.

Referring to the 7th administrator getting the money without board permission, Burkey told the Daily Herald,

We couldn’t not give it to him.

It should be an interesting next board meeting when the personnel report comes up.

“Of course you could say, ‘No,’ if it’s not legal,” Snow told McHenry County Blog.

Labels: Home of the Sparrow, Huntley School District 158, John Burkey, Larry Snow, Mike Skala, Phylliis Mueller

Mayor Aaron Shepley can.

Want to know where?

It’s in the shopping center where Wal-Mart and Cub Foods are located.

Wal-Mart, of course, is moving into a mega-store out on Route 31 and Cub Food will close December 1st, its manager told McHenry County Blog.

That will leave most of the outlying stores with less traffic, perhaps leading to their demise.

What will remain will be land.

A big chunk of it, with a potential view of Vulcan Lakes.

The current Cub/Wal-Mart shopping center may not end up as bleak as the first outlet mall in Kenosha. While driving to Wisconsin for my grand nephew’s baptism, we saw its buildings standing with a “land for sale” sign out front.

But it is not a big leap to see bulldozers taking down all the buildings and a big developer building something like Deer Park.

Shepley said that an opportunity exists because Algonquin’s Galleria has not blossomed as its village fathers expected.

The Mayor told Crystal Lake Kiwanis Club members Wednesday at Duke O’Brien’s that sales tax for the Commons was coming in about half as high as had been projected.

He also noted that across Randall Road a Brunswick Zone (a fancy bowling alley) was being talked about where Algonquin had hoped for a high-end department store in the Galleria.

“Crystal Lake for years was the retail center for McHenry County,” Shepley explained. Then, came the Commons in Algonquin. It’s “performing at about 50% of its projections.”

“That’s given us an opportunity of sorts,” Shepley said.

He’s thinking of a “lifestyle center a la Deer Park.”

Shepley thinks it is “a better model (where one) can park centrally and go to all the stores. The backdrop is a beautiful lake.”

I asked if the city was contemplating putting it in a tax increment financing district.

Shepley replied that his vision was “irrespective of whether it’s in the TIF.”

It was not included in the Vulcan Lakes-Route 14 TIF.

When asked if it might be put in a TIF, Shepley answered,

We’re not moving in the direction of including it in the TIF.

The property in question includes where the Salvation Army sought to open a large store with a drop box outside.

The Crystal Lake City Council rejectd the idea. Perhaps this explains at least part of the reason why.

Last Friday Catherine Campbell of Gurnee had her letter of reaction to what she characterized as “unusually defensive and suspect” statements of McHenry County’s Chief Judge Sharon Prather and McHenry County Bar Association President Michael Fleck.

After not even reporting that the Chicago Crime Commission had two investigators looking at things McHenry County for four months after it was common knowledge and after McHenry County Blog did so, the NW Herald now headlines Campbell’s letter

Wrong laws being used?

Campbell points out that the judge and the lawyer attributed the report handed over to the FBI and the U.S. Attorney as being from “disgruntled parents in Lake and McHenry counties.”

(Well, dah, it wouldn’t come from parents who received any unfair advantage in McHenry County divorce court, would it?)

Referring to information on other subjects forwarded to the Feds, Campbell asks,

Could this be the answer as to why the child-custody and child support orders in Lake and McHenry counties are outside the boundaries of local, state and federal laws and are illegal? Maybe the family courts and the bar associations are using the tax and zoning laws rather than the child-support guidelines and the child-custody statutes.

Obviously, her tongue was placed firmly in her cheek.

Those who would like to drop a dime on crime may do so by contacting the commission by calling 312-372-0101.

There is also a way to share any knowledge you have about political corruption anywhere in the Chicago area by email (Chicago Crime Commission, 79 W. Monroe, Suite 801, Chicago, IL 60603) on the web site.

STOP IT4

Is what I found on this license plate.

So, whatever you shouldn’t be doing,

STOP IT!

With the sentencing of former Secretary of State George Ryan's Chief of Staff Scott Fawell a second time today, perhaps U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald thought he should balance out the partisan scales.

He released the following press release today about the indictement of Niles Village President and local Democratic Party boss Nick Blase. He likes to call himself a "mayor," but he isn't.

Maybe the hidden text of the two events is that both of the power parties have corrupt elements.

NILES MAYOR NICHOLAS BLASE AND TWO INSURANCE AGENTS INDICTED IN FRAUD SCHEME TO SPLIT PREMIUMS AND FEES FROM NILES CLIENTS

CHICAGO – Village of Niles Mayor Nicholas B. Blase was indicted today on federal corruption charges for allegedly using his public office for more than three decades to steer local business owners to purchase insurance through an insurance agency that paid him bribes and kickbacks from the revenue it collected from insurance clients in Niles. Since 1997, these bribes and kickbacks totaled more than $420,000. Also indicted were Steven Weiner, president of the Ralph Weiner & Associates insurance agency, and Paul Zdon, who was a state licensed insurance producer at the agency. All three were charged in a five count-indictment returned today by a federal grand jury, announced Patrick J. Fitzgerald, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois.

Blase, 78, of Niles, who was initially arrested and charged in a complaint in June, was charged with five counts of honest services mail fraud. He was first elected Niles mayor in 1961 and has served continuously for the last 45 years, during which he was the local liquor commissioner and responsible for the appointment of village officers. He is also an attorney and operates the law offices of Nicholas B. Blase, Ltd. in Niles. The village has approximately 30,000 residents and is located 15 miles north of downtown Chicago.

For the rest of the press release, click here.

I first learned about Genesis House during the late 1990’s when one of its leaders visited my Springfield office seeking state financial support.

The mission was certainly worthy—getting prostitutes out of their profession.

How said to read the story of corruption by Genesis House leaders.

My first question was,

How much state money did the organization receive?

Here’s how much Genesis House got for the last four years.

2006 $190,446.61
2005 $76,513.25
2004 $70,000.00
2003 $31,920.00

If I have added correctly, that totals $374,879.86.

My guess is that these were member earmarks, but one really needs inside information to link legislators to such initiatives.

Regardless, any legislators involved could be hardly criticized for such a good cause.

Articles indicate there was city and federal money, as well.

The total stolen was about $526,000. Or about $5,000 more for the assistant, according to Associated Press.

Last spring, the Sun-Times says it also received “$75,000 grant in 2004 from the Oprah Winfrey Foundation.”

The Illinois Association of School Boards is holding it annual convention November 16-19th in Chicago.

There's one seminar I would really like to attend.

It seems to be about how the Carpentersville District 300 tax hike committee, Advance 300, convinced a slim majority of voters to approve both a 55-cent tax hike and a huge bond referendum.

Do you agree that a session entitled, "Organization and Communication--'Vote Yes Twice' Wins Big at Polls," probably refers to this springs massively expensive campaign in District 300?

I wonder if they will point out that developers and school vendors financed the effort.

I also wonder if the topic of "Mandate Shortfall Levies" being offerred by the Illinois Association of School Boards is about an existing way to avoid the property tax cap or one which its members hope to get passed next year.

The full title of the session is "Mandate Shortfall Relief Levies: Powerful New Tools to Pay for Under-Funded Special Education and Student Transportation Mandates without Debt."

Pardon me if that sounds like a tax increase without a referendum.

The new law that the seminar refers to as "PTELL District Referendum --Clearer or Muddier?" started in Huntley.

The session seems designed to discuss legislation that began with the boot-wading mess in Huntley caused when the folks who still control the District 158 school board grossly misreprsented their 55-cent tax hike referendum.

Of course, the problem was broadened throughtout the circulation area of the Daily Herald with its outstanding analysis, but the Daily Herald did not publish it until after more damage was done at another election.

Huntley School District 158 board members might learn something from the discussion on school boards' listening to their communities.

It's called, "Can You Hear Me Now?"

Somehow I suspect there is a fairly large number of Huntley residents who think their school board cannot hear their complaints.

"Beyond Blame. Understanding Roles, Responsibilites and Liability; Boards, Management and Employees" is the title of another seminar I'd like to attend.

Considering the reported problems Huntley School District 158 has had with a payroll supervisor, who has been fired, and its upcoming forensic audits looking for criminal behavior beyond that supervisor, it would seem prudent for at least one Huntley board member to attend and take accurate notes that could be shared with others.

Maybe they ought to buy the tape and share it.

Finally, I'd like to find out why the Wilmington Unit School District 209 is worth a session explaining how it passed a referendum after six losses.

I wonder if its tax hike committee spent as much as District 300's did.

And, I wonder if developers and school vendors and potential vendors financed the tax hike effort.

Here is another bumper sticker I found on Bull Valley Road turning south onto Route 31.

It says,

Only half the patients who enter
An abortion clinic come out alive!

There is also the symbol of a fish with “Jesus” inside.

The car was driven by an older gentleman.

Here is a press release of local interest about the 75th anniversay of Chester Gould's creation of Dick Tracy:

Not All Heroes Wear Tights!
Tuesday October 3, 11:35 am ET

Dick Tracy Turns 75 on October 4th

Classic Media Celebrates Dick's Diamond Anniversary with the Release of the Complete Animated Series on DVD for the First-Time Ever

NEW YORK and CHICAGO, Oct. 3 /PRNewswire/ -- Grab your yellow fedora and check your Two-Way Wrist Radio!!! Dick Tracy turns 75 on October 4th. To celebrate, Classic Media just released the Dick Tracy Complete Animated Series DVD set. Each 4-disc set is packaged with a limited edition Dick Tracy comic book. It is the first time ever that the entire, animated series has been offered on DVD.

The Dick Tracy Complete Animated Series DVD set is now available for $39.98 SRP.

In honor of Dick Tracy's 75th anniversary, notable events include:

* A letter of congratulations will be sent to Jean Gould-O'Connell and Dick Locher from President George W. Bush.

* Governor Rod Blagojevich, Illinois, will declare October 4 "Dick Tracy Day" in Illinois via proclamation and sent congratulations via letter for the October 2 ceremony.

* Illinois Chief of Police Larry Trent will send congratulations.

* Jack Franks, Illinois State Representative (Woodstock) has confirmed that a proclamation will be entered in the Illinois House of Representatives declaring October 4, 2006 as "Dick Tracy Day" with a resolution presented to Jean Gould O'Connell and Dick Locher.

* Pamela Althoff, Illinois State Senator (Woodstock) will do likewise in the State Senate.

* US Representative Judy Biggert (Naperville) will introduce a resolution and proclamation in the US House of Representatives declaring October 4, 2006 as "Dick Tracy Day" in the House of Representatives.

* Several of the world's most popular comic strips, including "Blondie," "Beatle Baily," "Mutts" and "Pink Panther" will salute Dick Tracy by featuring them within their own story lines.

The creator of Dick Tracy, Chester Gould, arrived in Chicago with the dream of becoming a published cartoonist. After ten years of submitting ideas to the Chicago Tribune, Dick Tracy was first published in the Detroit Mirror in 1931.

With Dick Tracy, Gould established a new category of superhero -- one without superpowers, just strong values and integrity. The Adventures of Dick Tracy animated series originally aired on TV from 1961 -- 1964.

The suave gumshoe was more than just a popular cartoon with an iconic art style; it was Gould's creative outlet that contained imaginative predecessors to real-life police tactics and equipment.

-Gould created the Closed Circuit TV Police Showup in 1953, real suspect lineups began in 1954;

-his Electronic Telephone Number Pickup was drawn in 1954, the Caller ID was patented in 1982; and

-the most interesting of all of Gould's inventions was the Magnetic Space Coupe which took Tracy to the moon in 1962, seven years before the first actual moon landing in 1969.

The comic also introduced fans to some comic's most notorious villains, including Pruneface, Mumbles and Flattop.

Dick Locher, Pulitzer Prize-winning editorial cartoonist and former Gould assistant, is the current Dick Tracy artist and writer.

Labels: Caller ID, Chester Gould, Dick Locher, Dick Tracy, George W. Bush, Jack Franks, Jean Gould-O'Connell, Judy Biggert, Larry Trent, Pam Althoff, Rod Blagojevich, Woodstock

As the Crystal Lake Park District has been buying property after property without voter approval, my bride has been calling it the Crystal Lake Park and Real Estate District.

I can’t vouch for the order, but it bought an old savings and loan building for its office building downtown.

It bought the American Legion Home when the post could no longer afford to maintain it.

It bought an evangelical church in the woods between Briarwood Road and Lippold Park.

I believe it bought all three with referendum approval.

And, it accepted the donation of the Colonel Palmer house on Route 176 near Countryside Nursery from the City of Crystal Lake, thus sustaining rehabilitation and perpetual maintenance costs.

Now, park district officials are proposing to sell off the American Legion Home, now called Park Place, the abandoned church and its office building.

The reason?

To help finance a mega-community center.

Architect Thomas LaLonde, whose firm stands to make, what, 10%, says the cost would be $35 to $50 million.

And, according to Monday’s Chicago Tribune article by Tim Kane does not include the land, parking lot or any outdoor water park.

While the park board did not have to keep residents informed by way of referendum to buy the three properties, state law apparently mandates that it get voter approval to sell them.

How’s that for irony?

So, will folks who didn’t think some or all of the properties should have been purchased in the first place be willing to sell them, knowing that their tax bill will go up substantially, if they do?

I had not a clue what a “Stand Down” was, but National Association of Systems Administrators Education Foundation head John Blanchard and probably every other veteran in the country does.

A Navy veteran, Blanchard told me a Stand Down

typically was a safe place for combat or touring military to go to get

· their uniforms mended, replaced or cleaned,
· medical attention,
· their mail,
· warm meals and
· safe sleep.

With a U.S. Department of Labor grant of $8,000, NASA Education Foundation provided all of that Monday and Tuesday at Camp Algonquin. It was helped by numerous volunteers, including Gary Jensen, seen here with State Senator Pam Althoff.

While the event did not reach the expected 50-70 men--and could have accommodated 100--26 did attend.

“I think that this is only the tip of the problem,” Blanchard observed.

“I know that they are out there and since I’ll be able to provide mini-Stand Downs every other month with two (big ones) yearly,” Blanchard said, “I know that 50-70 will be touched very soon.”

Mike Iwanicki, Superintendent of the Veterans Assistant Commission of McHenry County interjected,

You probably reached 26 guys that weren’t reached before.

And, this is the first year.

“They can report back that it’s not so scary,” his wife Stacy added.

Blanchard told me that he had overheard some of the veterans, who were smoking outside Monday night during the downpour, say that their friends might wish they had come, too. That probably will be the case with many when they discover they missed out on a shower, clean clothes and a private room for the night, not to mention missing Monday night football.

Blanchard intends to hold mini-Stand Downs every other month at his Route 31 office, which is on the top of the hill north of the Terra Cotta factory close to the cellular phone towers. The address is 3305 S. Route 31, Crystal Lake (although Map Quest can’t find it, Blanchard says).

I asked Blanchard why he put the 2-day event together.

He explained there were 3 reasons:

The homeless veterans. I know they’re there. They need the services. They need the help. They need everything this Stand Down could give them.

Richmond’s Dale Rice added,

Services they are entitled to.

Blanchard continued,

The awareness of the community of the presence of homeless veterans.

Pete Castillo, my former legislative assistant who is now the county’s Disabled Veterans' Outreach Program Specialist, added,

"The community has to be prepared to receive them."

The third reason given by Blanchard was

to get all of these service providers who graciously gave their time to be here and mingle and collaborate with each other.

“I learned a lot from the veterans and a lot from service organizations that were here,” he added. “I was very disappointed that TLS (New Horizons Transitional Living Services) did not send somebody out here."

TLS operates the old Hebron motel for homeless veterans.

Blanchard said, “A lot of these veterans had no idea TLS is even here.”

Home of the Sparrow donated enough clothes and there are enough other supplies (toiletries, for example) “that we can do it every other month at our office,” Blanchard said of future Stand Downs.

There was some strange discouragement with regard to efforts to let veterans know of the Stand Down. Driver Joe Lewis of the bus that transports veterans places they need to go told me that notices that had been posted at train stations at Crystal Lake, McHenry and Cary had mysteriously disappeared after posting. Lewis put them back up.

It’s possible that some homeless veterans took them down so they could remember where to go. But it is also possible that someone else took down the Metra-approved postings down.

I am pleased to see that the Northwest Herald finally found the NASA Educational Foundation.

Previous McHenry County Blog articles about Blanchard are

April 24, 2006
Crystal Laker John Blanchard Helps Finance Washington Veterans March 2006

April 25, 2006
Vietnam Veteran Ed Bolf's Recovery from Post Tramatic Stress Disorder and His Re-entry into Society with the Help of NASA, a Crystal Lake Organization

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John Blanchard talks with State Senator Pam Althoff and State Rep. Mike Tryon at Camp Algonquin's Stand Down for homeless veterans.

Beneath is State Senator Pam Althoff with volunteer Gary Jensen, a former Commander of the Algonquin American Legion.

The top head shot is of Mike Iwanicki, the Superintendent of the Veterans Assistance Commission of McHenry County.

Between Iwanicki and the next head shot is the sign found on the McHenry County veterans bus: "Stand Down for Homeless Veterans."

The veterans bus driver is Joe Lewis.

Labels: Camp Algonquin, Homeless, John Blanchard, NASA Educational Foundation, Pete Castillo, Stand Down, Veterans, Vets

In what has to be a record attendance at a Fox River Valley and, perhaps, an Illinois village board meeting, the Chicago Tribune is reporting 3,000 people showed up at the Carpentersville village board hall Tuesday night.

All of this was started by Carpentersville Trustees Paul Humpfer and Judy Sigwalt.

According to the Chicago Tribune reporter George Houde, their proposal

would deny a business permit to any employer found to have knowingly hired undocumented workers and would fine landlords $1,000 if they rented apartments to illegal immigrants.

It also would make English the official language for village documents, forms and signs.

A friend of McHenry County Blog observes,

Both of these trustees are up for election on April 17th.

Both lost elections on March 21st for Republican Precinct Committeeman. (Sigwalt challenged Dundee Republican Chairman John Noverini; Humpfer lost for an open committeeman's post.)

Humpfer lost the election for village president last year to Bill Sarto.

Basically, I'm wondering if these two officials are so "gung-ho" on fighting illegal aliens, why are they now, just over 6 months in front of the next election, doing this now?

Did they address these in their most previous campaigns? Are they genuinely "Johnny-come-lately?” And of course, is this a coincidence?

Humpfer has been twice appointed (but never elected) to the Carpentersville village board.

In April 2005, right after Humpfer lost the village president's race, Trustee Bob Whitehouse (who was also the principal at Dundee-Crown High School in D300) suddenly announced his resignation.

Humpfer resigned his trustee seat with his term about to expire, and--what a coincidence--was appointed by his village board allies to serve out Whitehouse's term through April 2007.

Are these local officials posturing for the April election (or another future election) by talking tough on illegal aliens crackdown?

Are they able to accomplish anything more than making headlines?

Carpentersville, by the way, is in House Speaker Dennis Hastert's congressional district.

Today’s sign is outside our front door.

It shows a pumpkin looking a bit like a jack-o-lantern with a painted on unrealistic smiling spider.

Nothing like this real spider.

Anyone know what species it is?

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A friend of the blog says it is a "parson spider - Herpyllus ecclesiasticus" and even sent me a link that proves it.

Boy, go on a 3-day Christian retreat and one does miss some news.

Actually, I could have found this if I had read the Rockford Register-Star’s political column by Chuck Sweeney last Thursday before I left for the Walk to Emmaus at Woodstock’s Resurrection Center.

The headline pretty much tells it all:

Borling marshals forces for write-in run for Congress

John Borling is the retired Air Force major general who ran quite unsuccessfully (2% of the vote) for the U.S. Senate when, how many, 8 people were seeking the GOP nomination that Jack Ryan won.

Sweeney reports that his slogan/platform is

“Jobs, Energy, Taxes and Spending,” or JETS.

Why is he running? The column quotes him thusly:

Both parties have let us down; they’ve been taken over, one by the hard right, the other by the hard left.

Here is the message on his campaign phone number of 815-229-4400:

Hi, this is John Borling at Borling for Congress. Thanks for calling.

As you know, we’re running an independent write-in campaign for the congressional seat up here in Northwest Illinois currently held by Don Manzullo.

We think both the Democrats and the Republicans have let us down and that’s what prompts this effort. We’re grateful for any support you can give us.

All of us are out on the road currently. We will respond to your call if you’d leave a message at the prompt. But, if you would like to volunteer particularly, please be sure we have all of your contact information, including your name and phone number, email, etc.

If you would like to contribute, you can do so by send a check to Borling for Congress (B O R L I N G for Congress), Box 4703, Rockford, Illinois 61110-4703.

Thanks very much calling. We’ll come back to you as quickly as we can and, again, please write in John Borling, an independent on November 7th.

The odds for hitting a number on roulette are better than those for winning a write-in, but Borling could be setting himself up for a 16th district third-party challenge in 2008 similar to Bill Scheurer’s this year in the 8th congressional district.

Borling supports abortion. (He was the only U.S. Senate candidate two years ago to do so.) Incumbent Republican Congressman Don Manzullo does not.

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Church is Resurrection Center in early morning.

Borling logo is from his 2004 U.S. Senatorial campaign. It says, "Duty Calls Again."

Monday’s Northwest Herald editorial was a strange one.

Perhaps it was written or dictated by a committee.

The Cary Grade School District 26 board, led by Chris Jenner, has passed what I think is pioneering anti-corruption policy and McHenry County’s newspaper of record carps about it.

The editorial starts with the assumption that tax hike committees are independent of tax districts for which they are trying to hike taxes.

In theory maybe.

Maybe the Herald could point to one that has been independent, but it doesn’t.

The editorial suggests that individual employees of potential or current vendor companies could just have its employees contribute it its stead.

That is a good point. The NW Herald has found a potential loophole.

But District 26’s board could plug it by banning contributions from employees of such companies. Maybe such contributions of such employees (plus from the company itself) could be aggregated to determine if the firm should be banned from future business for potential pay-to-play problems.

But, somehow the editorial writer manages to miss the most blatant example of a vendor contributing to a school tax hike committee.

Strange, since NW Herald reporter Allison Smith first reported the contribution from District 300’s no-bid architect.

Does the NW Herald editorial board have a clothespin on its collective nose?

The NW Herald concludes that a 2-year ban goes too far.

In the anti-bribery legislation I wrote, which is on every state contract, a company that bribes is forever forbidden from doing work for the state.

Now, I rapidly admit that District 26 is not penalizing proven bribery.

I mention it merely to point out that a 2-year penalty is pretty minimal.

I do find it ironic that the editorial says,

The best policy for political donations is transparency. Let the voters know where the money is coming from, and let them sort things out for themselves.

This is the first year I remember the NW Herald’s doing any reporting of tax hike referendum financing.

And that reporting certainly was not close to comprehensive for anything but School District 300.

Last minute contributions for all tax hike committees were completely ignored.

And no article was written reporting who had donated how much to the tax hike committees once the six-month reports were filed.

So, much for the Herald’s readers being able to benefit from its advocacy of transparency.

Being a retired (or fired, as I like to say about my primary loss-induced retirement) legislator gets me some “heads ups” that others don’t get.

One was contained in the most recent newsletter of the General Assembly Retirement System.

Did you know that legislators who are defeated this fall (plus those who are retiring for whatever reason) will receive pensions based on salaries they never received?

Most will be based on figures $11,000 higher than they have ever been paid.

That’s what the General Assembly Retirement System says.

Why?

Because the Compensation Review Board recommended 13.1% in cost-of-living raises that the legislators didn’t take from 2003-2005 and the legislators haven’t rejected it yet.

(The Compensation Review Board was the brainchild of State Rep. Peg Breslin. She got it passed so legislators would not have to vote for their own pay increases. The Board recommends salary increases, which go into effect if both houses of the General Assembly don’t reject them in the same motion. Thus far, they have not done so. But they still have the veto session and the early part of 2007 in which such a miracle might happen. After leaving the General Assembly, Breslin is now a retired appellate court judge.)

Another 3.2% will be added on top of that for this year’s COLA because of the Board’s recommendation.

That’s a 16.7% retirement “kicker.”

So, even though a committee chairman or spokesman (and virtually every House member is one or the other) earns $66,390 a year, retiring members will have their pensions based on a $77,477 salary level.

It doesn’t matter that they will have never been paid that much, that will be their salary base.

And, the difference--$11,087—will also be seen as a salary jump for most legislators next session, if they don’t vote down the Review Board’s recommendation.

To read the pension plan logic, click here.

This hat was worn by a McHenry West High School student in Crystal Lake’s Dollar Video. It is the new name of the school’s pep club.

It says,

Black Tide.

It’s homemade.

Magic Marker on duct tape on an old Harry Potter cap.

Despite being one of the best fund raisers among U.S. House Republican challengers, 8th congressional district challenger David McSweeney has told the Washington, D.C., publication The Hill that he willing to dip into his fortune, if he thinks he needs to.

Here’s what he told The Hill Thursday:

McSweeney is quick to point out that, after plugging $1.9 million into his campaign before the March primary, he also has been one of the top fundraisers among House challengers. He said he will “very likely” add funds for the general election and that the amount depends on how much is raised during upcoming visits from President Bush and former New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani (R).

My former legislative assistant United States Army, Cold War Veteran, Pete
Castillo is being featured at the AmVets National Symposium:

For the Needs of Young Veterans

in Chicago in mid-October.

Castillo is to be a “subject matter expert” on employment and re-employment rights.

“Subject matter experts” are described in an email from AmVets’ Jim Doran,
National Service Director, as “walking, talking encyclopedia's of knowledge
for your work groups.”

Castillo is the Disabled Veterans' Outreach Program Specialist (DVOP), Veterans' Employment & Training Service (VETS) Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES) in McHenry County.

Mike Iwanicki, McHenry County’s Superintendent, Veterans Assistance
Commission, will be another subject matter expert, speaking on healthcare.

The two work together to bring services to McHenry County veterans.

Before Doran went to the Washington, D.C., area he worked for the Veterans
Assistance Commission of McHenry County.

Among the other Illinoisians Doran says are participating are:

Mike Ruffner is also an entrepeneur and business owner, but is the former Chairman of the Veterans Assistance Commission of McHenry County, IL (my former boss) and immediate Past Department Commandant, Marine Corps League of Illinois.

Al Lynch is a Medal of Honor recipient who retired as Chief, Veteran Rights Bureau, Office of the Attorney General of Illinois. Al represented me in my appeal of a VBA Decision. We won the appeal.

The conference will be held at Hyatt Regency OHare on Oct. 18 thru 21.

Labels: Al Lynch, AmVets, Jim Doran, Mike Iwanicki, Mike Ruffner, Pete Castillo

This cap was found at the United Methodist Men’s Spiritual Congress at Lake Geneva’s Conference Point.

It says,

PUSH

On top.

Below the capital letters one can read,

Pray Until
Something Happens!

There is a cross with praying hands superimposed upon it next to “PUSH.”

It was a beautiful sunny early autumn day, so I decided to take pictures of all the flowers in our yard. The challenge is for you to identify them so I can put their names next to their images.

There are more of these in our neighborhood than any other. We plant them around the oaks and hickories not only for their beauty, but also to make mowing around the trees easier.

I remember that these yellow flowers used to make my father sneeze until we moved to Crystal Lake. Strange how he lost his allergy in his early 40's.

These flowers (tell me the color) grow along roads throughtout at least northern Illinois. I saw them while campaigning for state comptroller in 1982. Massed, they provide quite a swath of color. These are growing along Lake Avenue in Lakewood where it is quite wet when it rains. I guess that means these are hardy flowers. Are they wild daises?

The next is very probably a native prairie plant. It is the largest flower in our yard. I dug them up along the west side of Thompson Road south of Wonder Lake one year and put them near the corner of our lot next to the blue spruce my father planted. They have tiny flowers compared to the giant size of the stalks. Not a lot of color for their massive size. They are one of the latest blooming plants we have.

Perhaps they are related to this prairie plant which a Conservation Department employee dropped off when I admired them. I discovered that I had spoken at his Eagle Scout ceremony at the First Congregational Chruch of Crystal Lake, so I guess I might have a chance picking his name off a wall plaque. My name is on it, too, dated 1960.

The overcoat button (don't ask why that comparison came to mind) sized flower next to what I think are wild daises line highways throughout Illinois during mid-summer. It is definitely one of the last of its kind for the year.

Can you name it and tell me how it was used during World War II?

This white flower might be a phlox. If it is, it is not growing where phlox have previously grown.

Compare it to the close-up of these purple (?) phlox blooms.

My backyard garden is dominated by phlox, which start blooming in mid-July and last through most of August.

Are both the same species?

Almost forgot the black eye Susans I've planted along the road.

Not many of them this time of year. They start blooming in July.

As you can tell from the grass in front of the flower, not a lot of weeding gets done along the road.

Wonder how I know what they are called?

I was born in Maryland and black eyed Susans are the Maryland state flower. We learned that in 5th grad.

Another yellow flower about to pop from buds in great profusion.

Wonder why I like yellow flowers?

My color blind eyes can see them.

Next are two dried flowers.

I call the one on the left a snow ball. When we built our additon in 1998, I tied to get several types of bushes to grow and failed.

Combining the western exposure and the oad and hickory trees casting shade onto the border most of the day, I needed something that would thrive in shade.

My neighbor to the north came to the rescue. These like other flowers of different seasons are the result of her gardening discards. That's not to slight my gardener neighbor across Meridian Street. I've transplanted a lot of flowers from her "FREE" pile on the street.

To the right you can see a dried Queen of the Prairie flower. These bloom during the last seek of June into the first week or so of July. I read somewhere that these seeds are quite valued by some forest preserve district. Cut them off and get fined.

I thought they were blue until my bride told me they were pink. Whatever the color, they are a soft clump of small flowers which are most beautiful.

These were a gift from my Churchill Aunt Louise Stevens to my mother. I have tried to spread them around the house, but they do best where there is the most sun. They even hold their own against phlox.

On to the store bought flowers.

That's my wife's purvey, so I need real help in identifying them.

I like this hanging one best. What's it called?

Here is a common summer plant, but I certainly can't remember its name.

My wife likes the deep red color. (Did I get the color right?)

These border flowers did not do so well in the hot summer sun?

Again, I need help in identifying them.

Finally, a bonus.

We have interesting leaves in our yard, too.

This is a sumac transplanted from a southern Wisconsin's friend's property. I like the contrast of the leaves and the flower in front of it.

The burning bushes which Crystal Laker's planted during the Bicentennial Celebration have grown over the rear fence, but they have not started turning yet.

Or, maybe they have and they just have not turned red enough for me to see.

= = = = =
In February of 2009, a lady from California wrote asking permission to the photo of bleeding hearts into a quilt. I can't wait to see the finished product.

Labels: Bleeding Hearts, Blue Bells, Chicory, Chrysanthemum, Coreopis, Lakewood, Phlox, Queen of the Prairie, Ragweed, Snow Ball, Sumac

And, then there was the infamous 40% pay hike vote in 1978.

Boy, did I learn a lesson about absentee voting then.

I was preparing to run for the U.S. Senate. (Talk about ambitions exceeding resources.)

My name identification was 56%, a statewide poll had found. (That’s higher than Lt. Gov. Bob Kustra's, when he ran for U.S. Senate and was beaten by State Rep. Al Salvi.)

I was flying to Washington to talk to consultants the day a pay hike bill was to be voted upon.

Governor Jim Thompson was not in town, but he had promised to veto the bill by autopen, so the House and the Senate could immediately override his veto and avoid two days of bad publicity.

I told fellow Republicans that I would vote for the bill and the override, if the vote were held before I left to drive to the airport.

Inflation had been horrendous in the mid-1970’s and the $20,000 salary that I started receiving in 1975 was worth so much less that I was willing to take the heat of voting for the bill.

The vote on the bill was taken.

I voted for it.

But, the override vote did not occur before I drove out of the Stratton Building’s parking lot.

When I was at O’Hare, the override vote took place.

I think it was when I returned from Washington, but, maybe, it was in Washington, that I learned that I had been recorded as voting for the override, even though I was not there.

Talk about shock.

The vote switches can be locked with a key.

I had left my key in the switch and someone had voted it.

I have a guess as to who did it, but I don’t know for sure.

In any event, it was a wire service story and I decided to become a “latch key legislator.”

I bought a chain and strung the key through it and took the ribbing from my colleagues.

Let’s just say I was significantly less trusting the rest of 1978 veto session, in 1979 and 1980, plus the 10 days or so of 1981 when I left the General Assembly for that 8-year stretch.

= = = = =
Three photos of me from the late 1970's appear above. Note the stacks of bills which the pages kept up to day with me with amendments that were filed each day. Now, of course, all of the bill information delivered to laptop computers.

Labels: 1978, Al Salvi, Bob Kustra Autopen, Cal Skinner, Jim Thompson, Latch Key Legislator, Legislative Pay Raise, Veto Override, Woody Allen

The Northwest Herald’s story about a chem lab spill reminds me of one of the funniest moments of my high school career.

I was in chemistry class my first year at Crystal Lake Community High School. We had just moved here from Middletown, New York. I had convinced the guidance counselors I was capable of taking five subjects, instead of four and chorus.

Mr. McCormick was going to demonstrate what happened when magnesium was exposed to what air, water, whatever.

He asked me to weigh out a gram.

By mistake, I gave him 10 grams.

The room erupted in a “WHOOSH” of sound and smoke. We all hurried out trying not to breath it in..

It was only in retrospect that it was funny.