As I mentioned below, my household has been cut off the Conservation District tax hikers mailing list.

I guess I’m just too predictable.

Show me a tax district trying to increase its tax take by 27%, as the MCCD is, and I’m likely to get interested.

I’ll take a look at what land the $68.5 million barely authorized (51.3%) in 2001 bought.

Especially, if my home town has gotten zilch from the Conservation District since its inception in the early 1970’s.

Maybe the tax hikers got disturbed at my revealing how they got their money from a court settlement…money that I absolutely believe should have gone to the McHenry County Conservation District, rather than seeding a tax exempt charity “upon its formation,” which would be controlled by those who want to hike our taxes.

Whatever the reason, a friend of McHenry County Blog provided the

mailing.

Above the headline is a field of flowers with light filtering through the trees.

Very pastoral.

Below the headline are what McHenry County Board member Virginia Peschke called “Starter castles.”

Some might call them “McMansions.”

These huge houses–under construction, so there are not even green lawns–don’t look like anything I have seen in McHenry County and, like the meadow, there is no indication on the mailing of their locations.

This address side of the enlarged postcard has the return address of the

McHenry County Citizens for Clean Water
and Open Space
A project of the Conservation Campaign
P.O. Box 1108
Woodstock, Illinois 60098

I am sure that it is no coincidence that the post office box belongs to the McHenry County Conservation Foundation, the not-for-profit organization which gave the political action committee $43,000 for this mailing, among other things.

The other side of the postcard has small pictures of a baby without a shirt, a blue heron and five bicyclist, a man, a woman and three children.

Here’s the text:

Protect Water Quality and

Preserving Drinking Water Sources

Protecting watersheds improves the water quality of our lakes, rivers and streams and protects drinking water sources in McHenry County. By voting “Yes” on the McHenry County Conservation District Proposition, you are voting “Yes” to protect water quality.

Protecting Wildlife Habitat

Our critical wildlife habitat and sensitive at-risk ecological systems, such as wetlands, are home for hundreds of species of animals and plants. A “YES” vote on the McHenry County Conservation District Proposition is a vote to preserve and restore the wildlife habitat that is essential to our quality of life in McHenry County.

Proposition Costs and Provisions to Ensure Funds are Properly Spent

If passed, the proposition would cost the average homeowners $12.69 a month.

That’s a small price to pay to preserve our quality of life in McHenry County.

The McHenry County Conservation District is subject to an annual audit to ensure funds are properly spent.

Vote “Yes” on the McHenry County Conservation District Proposition

Vote “YES” Tuesday, April 17, 2007

As usual, you can enlarge the images by clicking on them.