McHenry County Blog

It's a big night for politics.

Barack Obama will deliver his acceptance speech.

And, the three candidates seeking to represent Illinois' 16th congressional district will appear tonight at 6 on Rockford's Channel 23, CBS affiliate WIFR-TV.

Only those in the western portions of McHenry County can probably receive WIRF's signal over the air, but the 6-6:30 PM broadcast program will be streamed live over the internet starting at 6 PM. You can link to the TV station here.

There is a video player at the top middle of the screen where you can click and see the debate.

You can send your questions ahead of time here.

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Pictures of the three candidates are above. On top is Democrat Robert Abboud. To the left is Green Party candidate Scott Summers. Incumbent Republican Don Manzullo is to the right below Abboud.

Labels: 16th Congressional District, Don Manzullo, Robert Abboud, Rockford, Scott Summers, WIFR-TV

Wednesday night my wife was watching ABC's Channel 7 10 O'clock News and called to me,

“Don Manzullo is on the news!”

It is so rare for Chicago media to recognize that Chicagoland has a congressman who lives south of Rockford that this story seems newsworthy in and of itself.

But the content, promoted at six o'clock by reporter Chuck Goudie as a story about stolen manhole covers in Beijing and people getting killed falling into them, was more interesting.

While I got photos of the story, I didn't get the details.

Congressman Manzullo's Press Secretary Rich Carter supplied these details:

Her name is Ann DeWaters, and she was an intern in the Congressman's Washington office in the summer of 2006.

Ann graduated from Boylan High School in Rockford in 2001 and earned her Bachelor and Master's degrees from Marquette University (Congressman Manzullo earned his law degree from Marquette).

She spent the last year and a half working for the AmeriCorps program. She spent 6 months tutoring troubled youngsters in reading through the Literacy Volunteers of Illinois and the past year working for Habitat for Humanity. She was obviously deeply involved in public service.

She signed up with an organization called Community Collaborations International www.communitycollaborations.org to volunteer her time to help people attending the Olympic Games in Beijing.

She was walking back to her hotel on Aug. 4 when she accidentally fell to her death through an open manhole cover. Her parents were notified that evening of her death, and called us the next day to assist in expediting her return to the states, which we did. The services begin tomorrow in Chicago.

You can see the ABC 7 report from last night here.

Labels: AmeriCorps, Ann DeWaters, Beijing, Boylan High School, Community Collaborations International, Don Manzullo, Manhole, Manhole Cover, Marquette University, Rockford

I laughed so hard when I read this resolution, I think I may have laughter-induced asthma, much as my son, the swimmer guy has just been diagnosed with exercise-induced asthma.

(I emailed the author my physical reaction and he replied:

"Well, that's gratifying although I suppose killing ones audience is a suboptimal strategy in the long run."

It's a good thing I am not in the hall outside a Prairie Grove District 46 Grade School Board secret meeting.)

Please enlarge the resolution by clicking on it and join in my amusement of what Allan Showalter, the author of “Heck of a Guy” blog created:


Inspired by Carpentersville's non-binding resolution making English the official language of the village, Showalter came up with this resolution, which gives me approval to proclaim such a day whenever I wish.

What a Heck of a Guy!

And he has more at

The Non-Binding Resolution Bindery

Showalter says,

"...the process of creating such resolutions is poetically and accurately described by those famous lines from Macbeth:

… it is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
Signifying nothing."

Of course, he has more to say and this self-effacing comment caught my attention:

As for the idiot telling the tale, DrHGuy certainly wants in on that action.

He suggests "eliminating the middleman," that is the resolution-sponsoring councilman, state legislator or congressman.


He's even come up with a marketing slogan:

If you wish, you can read the witty ("declare that the official languages of a given town would henceforth be apportioned on the basis of population percentages") suggestions/instructions on how to write such a resolution. There's even a fill-in-the-blank sample.

And free use of his seal.

Frankly, it sounds like the beginning of a scam similar to the name a star after someone scheme to separate you from your money. ("Only $49.95.")

That is to say, it has money-making potential.

But, he's GIVING THEM AWAY!

(Even though "DrHGuy eschews whenever possible the all caps missive," I could not resist.)

Apparently, One Heck of a Guy is not one heck of a businessman.

And, for some reason, this reminds me of a resolution I drafted as a state representative in the 1970's honoring departing Coventry Republican precinct committeeman Dave Musselman.

I had the Illinois House of Representatives wishing him a good life in Rockford. I ended it wishing best wishes to "...David, Phyllis and his son, David John."

I also pointed out how Musselman had come up with support groups for Crystal Lake Mayoral candidate Tony Wujcik's campaign. "Pets for Wujcik." "Joggers for Wujcik" and "Streakers for Wujcik" come to mind, but, maybe, I left out the latter one.

A Daily News reporter selected it as one to point out the types of non-binding resolutions passed by members of the Illinois General Assembly.

I wonder why.

Labels: Allan Showalter, Crystal Lake, Dave Musselman, Flash Photography Appreciation Day, Non-Binding Resolution, One Heck of a Guy, Rockford

McHenry County political consultant Jim Thacker,

• who cut his teeth getting Don Manzullo elected in 1992,
• made his statewide reputation by engineering Al Salvi’s U.S. Senate primary victory in 1996 and
  
• re-enforced it when he managed Rockford independent candidate for Mayor Larry Morrison’s campaign two years ago,

has added another big victory to his list.

According to the Rockford Register-Star, the tax hiking referendum committee, Citizens for Rebuilding Rockford, which Thacker advised as a volunteer, raised and spent $135,000.

Election night returns reported in the Register-Star show the referendum results were 12,698 to 9,337 with only 26% of the voters bothering to show up at the polls.

The cost per “Yes” vote?

$10.63.

Supporters apparently used the pitch that a pay-as-you go approach was cheaper than borrowing and paying back the money to build the roads and sidewalks, as well as interest on the loan.

Reporter Bob Schaper summed it up this way:

"In past years, roads had been paid for through the annual sale of bonds, backed by property taxes. (Larry) Morrissey and the City Council said the sales tax was more efficient because it saved on interest payments and permitted nonresidents to help pay through purchases."

The tax is the best kind of tax from Rockford’s point of view.

Lots of it will be paid by people who do not live in Rockford, but who utilize Rockford as their regional shopping stop.

The sales tax rate will go up from 7.25 percent to 8.25 percent.

That’s an almost 14% increase in sales tax.

Revenues--about $90 million during the life of the tax--will be used for roads, flood control and other forms of public infrastructure, according to the paper.

According to reporter Schaper, after studying the vote returns from a November, 2006, road referendum loss, Thacker concluded,

The information that came back was that a lot of the voters didn’t understand that they were voting for or against fixing the roads. That’s why this time the focus was primarily on calling everybody’s attention to the fact that this was the road referendum.

The opponents had $100,000 supplied by local gas station chain Road Runner owner Dan Arnold, which was available to be spent by the political action committee Winnebago County Taxpayer Advocates.

The cost per “No” vote?

About $9.34.

State Senator Dave Syverson has introduced legislation that would allow the new sales tax to be collected beginning July 1st, rather than next January 1st, as is the case under current law, the Rockford paper reports.

The Rockford paper endorsed the referendum.

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The photograph is of Rockford's Mayor Larry Morrissey. His administration was behind the referendum.

Labels: Al Salvi, Citizens for Rebuilding Rockford, Dan Arnold, Dave Syverson, Don Manzullo, Jim Thacker, Larry Morrisey, Road Runner, Rockford, Winnebago County Taxpayer Advocates

You get one guess where the owner of this car parked at the Clock Tower Inn in Rockford is from.

And, if you look closely you can see the bald guy taking the picture is in short sleeves.

It’s Tuesday, March 27th.

You get one guess where the owner of this car parked at the Clock Tower Inn in Rockford is from.

And, if you look closely you can see the bald guy taking the picture is in short sleeves.

It’s Tuesday, March 27th.

And, look what else I found.

A patch of yellow crocuses (or is it , croci?).

They were in the border of the drive-through registration lane.

There was a long wait because it was spring break and a lot of people with kids were checking in so the offspring could enjoy the newly opened CoCo Key.

Labels: Clock Tower Inn, CoCo Key, License Plate, Message of the Day, Rockford

The Union Pacific freight train that was roaring through Marengo with horns blasting a little after noon Saturday was not a precursor of Amtrak service to McHenry County.

That was made abundantly clear at a Rockford College presentation Saturday morning.

The once-a-day round trip Amtrak engines and coaches are on the track from Chicago to Rockford and Dubuque though.

They’re picking up speed, but not through McHenry County.

There was a clue late last week when U.S. Senator Dick Durbin’s press release announcing Saturday’s meeting did not even mention McHenry County.

McHenry County officials from Huntley and Marengo attended anyway.

Under the aegis of Durbin and Congressman Don Manzullo, Amtrak officials presented the results of a study stimulated by a meeting last July.

There were three alternative routes, but the old Blackhawk route to Dubuque is the one that is so, so most likely to be selected.

Its major problem is “some congestion issues around Chicago,” where there is a need for “additional capacity.” The cost would be about $23 million for what the Amtrak chart calls the “direct route” with estimated annual ridership of 113,300 passengers.

The “Belvidere” route, which would go through Huntley and Marengo, has “no connection between Metra and Union Pacific in Elgin” and would need “a connector in Rockford.” The cost would be $32 million and the number of passengers 62,200.

Part of the route through the Rockford Airport is so bad that it would require “a complete rebuilding” and the “East is quite poor,” Franke said. The cost would be $55-62 million with 51,200.

The old Blackhawk route is the cheapest and Durbin, Manzullo and Acting Illinois Department of Transportation Director Milt Sees want action now. A cursory glance shows construction cost of $200 per annual passenger, while the Belvidere route is in the neighborhood of $513 and the airport route $1,100-1,200.

On capital cost, then, there is no question that the “direct route” is cheapest.

It wins on annual operating cost, too. The Belvidere route is 1.2 times as expensive, while the airport route is 1.24 times higher.

In absolute dollars of annual subsidy, however, the difference between the three is only $600,000.

The congress folks and IDOT want action so “now” that the public hearing will be on Monday, April 16th!

That’s two weeks from now.

And, disagreement is likely to kill the possibilities.

As Sees put it,

I, too, have been in this racket for a long time. The only way for people to get their projects is to agree.

Anytime you get into a protracted debate, you lose time and time increases money.

The window of opportunity can close on you very rapidly.

You have to help them help you,

Sees said, indicating the two congressmen.

Rockford Mayor Larry Morrisey, whose city wins regardless of which route is selected, said, “We don’t want to be fighting against ourselves. We look forward to rail coming to our communities.”

After Amtrak’s Mike Franke indicated service could be started as soon as two years from now, assuming negotiations with the railroad go well, Drubin said, “I’d sure hate to waste this construction season.”

Durbin called for “a spirit of cooperation,” for "not letting the best become the enemy of the good."

Other problems include the need for train stations.

“It’s going to be up to the locals to build the stations,” Franke said. “Five or six stations make sense.”

“Don’t come to us for earmarks for stations,” Manzullo warned.

There would be “no food service” and “the supply of Amtrak rolling stock is extremely tight.”

If Amtrak is to supply them, they will “have to be taken out of storage and rehabbed.”

Only one ordinary citizen was allowed to speak.

Janet Fisher, describing herself as “The Crazy Train Lady,” said, “I’m just thrilled with all of this. If we get something in place, it will blossom and grow.”

Manzullo wanted to know if the train could be used for commuting from Rockford to Chicago. He was told that the trip would take an hour and 45 minutes, leaving Rockford early enough for commuters and leaving Chicago at 6:15 in the evening for the return trip.

Manzullo made a point of stating,

There is not one passenger train that operates (without a subsidy).

Two of the people allowed to speak were state representatives.

Republican State Representative Dave Winters asked whether this effort could be part of the effort to extend Amtrak service to Minneapolis.

He got a “No” for an answer.

At one point, when Durbin was pointing out that it would take state legislation to change the "footprint" of Metra, Winters indicated that "very informal" talks were taking place that would apparently give the Rockford Airport Authority the power to deal with trains.

It is my impression that the Rockford Airport Authority has significant non-referendum bonding authority. Maybe local influentials intend to use that power to get money to pay for local Amtrak track repairs.

Rockford Democratic Party State Representative Chuck Jefferson was the final speaker. He was effusive in his praise of Durbin.

Also introduced was Boone County’s Republican State Rep. Ron Wait.

Attending from McHenry County were Huntley Village President Chuck Sass and Village Manager Carl Tomaso, plus Marengo Mayor Don Lockhart and City Administrator Scott Hartman.

None got an opportunity to speak at the forum.

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The Union Pacific train was on the track speeding through Marengo right after noon.

Next can be seen the three routes being considered and the table showing the cost figures for each route.

Acting IDOT Secretary Milt Sees is below on the right.

Rockford Mayor Larry Morrisey is down to the left with Senator Dick Durbin's picture to his right.

Underneath is a photography of Congressman Don Manzullo.

Below her is "Crazy Train Lady" Janet Fisher.

The three state legislators attending come next. On top, at the left, is Dave Winters. Below him is Chuck Jefferson. To Jefferson's right is Ron Wait.

Beneath the photo credit line are pictures of Huntley Village President Chuck Sass and his Village Manager Carl Tomaso leaving the meeting.

Next is a "before meeting" shot of Belvidere Mayor Fred Brereton and Marengo Mayor Don Lockhart. Brereton got to speak, as did Boone County Board Vice Chairman David Taylor and Winnebago County Board Chairman Scott Christiansen. Christiansen is seen to the left.

Labels: Amtrak, Belvidere, Chuck Jefferson, Dave Winters, Dick Durbin, Don Manzullo, Huntley, IDOT, Janet Fisher, Larry Morrisey, Marengo, Mike Franke, Milt Sees, Rockford, Ron Wait

While checking in at Rockford’s Clock Tower Inn last week, I saw the front of this tee shirt and had not a clue what it was all about.

So, I asked.

The woman told me that her brother-in-law needed a bone marrow transplant.

This was part of the campaign to find a donor that matched.

On the back of her tee shirt was
Tim O’Hare’s
Bone Marrow Blood Drive
Volunteer

I told her I would post it and here it is.

O’Hare lives in Bryon, Illinois.

Labels: Bone Marrow, Byron, Clock Tower Inn, Rockford, Tim O'Hare

March 22nd, McHenry County Blog was denied a copy of Amtrak’s study of the pros, cons and costs of various routes for daily round-trip service between Chicago and Dubuque via Rockford.

Here’s the reason given by the Illinois Department of Transportation, taken from the Freedom of Information Act [5ILCS 140/7 (1) (f).]:

(f) Preliminary drafts, notes, recommendations, memoranda and other records in which opinions are expressed, or policies or actions are formulated, except that a specific record or relevant portion of a record shall not be exempt when the record is publicly cited and identified by the head of the public body. The exemption provided in this paragraph (f) extends to all those records of officers and agencies of the General Assembly that pertain to the preparation of legislative documents.

Didn’t Democratic Party candidate Rod Blagojevich express support for railroad commuter service for Rockford at that first 2002 debate?

The report, by the way, is promised by U.S. Senator Dick Durbin to be at this IDOT Amtrak web page on Thursday.

He and Congressman Don Manzullo will hold a public hearing at 10 AM this Saturday at Fisher Memorial Chapel at Rockford College, 5050 E. State Street in Rockford.

Here’s the top part of Durbin’s press release:

ROCKFORD – U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Rep. Don Manzullo will host an informational meeting to discuss the findings of the recently-completed “Feasibility Report on Proposed Amtrak Service” from Chicago to Dubuque via Rockford and Galena.

Amtrak officials will present the report’s findings and discuss several service options. Durbin and Manzullo will be joined by Amtrak Senior Director of Corridor Planning Mike Franke and Senior Director of Government Affairs Ray Lang, Illinois Department of Transportation Acting Secretary Milt Sees, officials from Jo Daviess, Stephenson, Boone, DeKalb, Ogle and Winnebago counties as well as Dubuque, Iowa and passenger rail supporters. Following the presentation, there will be a Q & A session with members of the audience.

Durbin, who has long been committed to bringing passenger rail service to the northwest Illinois region, hosted a public forum in July where local officials were able to make the case for restoration of service directly to Amtrak’s top leadership.

Anyone notice that McHenry County is not mentioned?

I hope that does not discourage Huntley, Union, Marengo and McHenry County officials from attending.

Labels: Amtrak, Dick Durbin, Don Manzullo, IDOT, Rockford