I remember chaffing under the Algonquin Founders Day parade rules against candidate participation in 1992.

Oh, if you were an incumbent running for re-election, you could participate.

But no candidates.

Although Democratic Party candidates were allowed to participate in 2004 and 2006, this year’s parade committee has lowered the boom.

Hard to know why, but let me assure the rejected Democratic Party candidates that the rule has been applied to this Republican in the past.

Here is the press release and what appears to be a 2006 Algonquin Founders Day parade float photograph which accompanied it:

DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATES PROHIBITED FROM PARTICIPATING IN ALGONQUIN FOUNDER’S DAY PARADE

WOODSTOCK Il. – From Harvard to Island Lake, Candidate for McHenry County State’s Attorney, Thomas J. Cynor, and his campaign volunteers have participated in all the summer community parades. That streak comes to an end, however, on July 26, 2008 at the Algonquin Founder’s Day Parade in Algonquin, Illinois.

The Citizens for Cynor Campaign was notified earlier this month by Algonquin Parade Chairman Alan P. Kirk that their timely parade application was being denied and the tendered check for the entry fee was being destroyed. Chairman Kirk based his denial on what he termed an “unwritten, long standing rule” prohibiting candidates from participating in the parade.

The denial prompted Citizens for Cynor representatives to inquire about the rule with the local Democratic Party.

Party representatives did confirm that Chairman Alan P. Kirk has denied participation of all Democratic Candidates in the parade. In an e-mail to party representatives on May 19, 2008 Kirk states,

“Please understand that you cannot have any candidates in the parade. This is a long standing rule of the parade. You cannot pass out info on them or have any banners. If someone is caught violating this rule, they may be escorted off the parade route and it could be very embarrassing for the candidate.”

The nature of the unwritten rule and the particular method of enforcement took campaign volunteers and organizers by surprise.

“I’ve reviewed the parade application and all the other website information and could not find any reference to this rule,”

said parade volunteer, Barbara Rendine of Crystal Lake,

“If we had participated with the party float and had volunteers show up to the parade with an OBAMA for President sign or a Citizens for Cynor banner, I had no idea that they were prepared to make a scene and escort us off the street.”

Although the rule may be “long standing” it has not been enforced in the recent past.

“We had a great time and were well received in Algonquin in 2006 when I marched with the Democratic Party Float,”

said Citizens for Cynor Field Director, Laura Asbury;

“at that time we walked with Dick Auman, who was a candidate for U.S. Congress, Alexi Giannoulious who was running for State Treasurer and a host of candidates for County Board.”

The McHenry County Democratic Party was even fortunate enough to be awarded a trophy for “Exceptional Community Group – 2nd Place”, by that year’s parade committee.

Not only did Democratic Candidates participate in 2006, they also participated in the parade in 2004 without incident or comment from that year’s parade committee. Both Democratic Candidates Paula Yensen (State Representative) and Patrick Ouimet (State Senate) appeared in the Algonquin Founders Day Parade that year, each with signs, a vehicle and their own marching volunteers.

Volunteers and candidates were left to speculate as to why Chairman Kirk was choosing to enforce such an open ended restrictive rule this particular election year.

“Although some might speculate that Mr. Kirk’s party affiliation might have something to do with his decision making, I am willing to give him a pass,” said Asbury, “but inconsistently prohibiting people from participating in community parades citing ill-defined, “unwritten” rules is just simply un-American.”

Note the slogans on the signs in the photo:

• Water Matters
  VOTE DEMOCRATIC
• Sprawl Matters
  VOTE DEMOCRATIC
• People Matter
  VOTE DEMOCRATIC
• Traffic Matters
  VOTE DEMOCRATIC