I didn’t make it to Bill Dwyer’s road rally next to the old Algonquin Village Hall at the intersection of Routes 31 and 62. The folks taking my son to the Brookfield Zoo were later than expected.

But, 16th district Congressman Don Manzullo did. And, so, I see, did the Chicago Tribune‘s Carolyn Starks. Here’s Chuck Keeshan’s Daily Herald article. Here’s Tom Musick’s Northwest Herald article.

She says Manzullo said,

“All the governor has to do is get in his helicopter, fly over this intersection and see how it is jammed.”

And, his press secretary Rich Carter got the first press release out, which you will find below.

You will notice that Manzullo takes the opportunity to detail the money he has earmarked in the Federal budget over the years.

The last time Manzullo was at the little park, he faced off with to-be Democratic Party opponent Robert Abboud. A picture of that appears here.

Abboud was at today’s press conference, too, but the Tribune did not mention that he was running for congress in its Friday online article on the event.

In addition, one person who attended emailed me,

there were more than 100 others, including Rep. Melissa Bean, Sen. Pam Althoff, Reps. Mike Tryon and Mark Beaubien, County Board Chaiman Ken Koehler, many county board members, several mayors, other local officials and interested citizens and business owners. It was quite a rally.

Here’s the press release:

Manzullo Joins New Coalition in Pushing Governor for McHenry County’s Fair Share of Road Funds

[ALGONQUIN] Congressman Don Manzullo today joined other elected officials, business leaders and residents in calling on Governor Rod Blagojevich and Illinois legislative leaders to start investing in McHenry County road improvements so we can end the extreme traffic congestion that plagues area motorists each day.

At the inaugural “McHenry County Road Rally” at the gridlocked Routes 31 and 62 intersection in downtown Algonquin, Manzullo praised the efforts of the new McHenry County Better Roads Coalition to promote the need for road improvements and lobby the state for McHenry County’s fair share of road funds.

Working with U.S. Senators Dick Durbin and Barack Obama, Manzullo has secured more than $32 million in federal funds for specific road projects in McHenry County, including:

• $19 million to help build the Western Bypass of Algonquin and widen Route 31 north to Rakow Road.
• $6.7 million to widen Route 47 to five lanes from Reed Road to Kreutzer Road through Huntley.
• $5.7 million to widen Rakow Road to four lanes between Route 31 and Ackman Road in Crystal Lake.
• $1 million for an intersection improvement at Crystal Lake Avenue and Pingree Road in Crystal Lake.
• $250,000 just this year to help extend Algonquin Road west of Route 47.

In addition to the specific earmarks, the Illinois Congressional Delegation worked together two years ago to secure $6 billion over the next 5 years in federal road formula money for the State of Illinois, a 30 percent increase over the last bill. In fact, Illinois received the third largest increase in funding of all the states.

Despite the unprecedented federal investment in McHenry County’s roads and the record amount of federal road funding in Illinois’ coffers, Governor Blagojevich has refused to spend any of the federal money or any of the state’s gas tax receipts in McHenry County. In fact, in the ultimate slap in the face to McHenry County residents, the Governor actually eliminated tens of millions of dollars in the state road program allocated under the previous governor for the Western Bypass project.

“I believe the Governor’s theft of the Western Bypass money awakened a sleeping giant in McHenry County, one who said we are no longer going to stand by and be taken advantage of by a state government that ignores McHenry County’s needs,” Manzullo said. “I wholeheartedly support the efforts of the McHenry County Better Roads Coalition and I look forward to working with their members in the future to ease the gridlock McHenry County motorists face each day.”

I wish I had had similar support when I got $7 million in the state budget to widen Algonquin Road.

When Mike Tryon was McHenry County board chairman, the county board wouldn’t even ask IDOT for the money.

No use crying over wasted asphalt, I guess.