8,000 questionnaires are being mailed out to McHenry County households.

When I copied the survey instrument by the University of Illinois School of Medicine, it ran to 8 pages on my computer screen. It’s condensed on paper, it’s probably shorter.

Today, take a look at the first two sections of questions.

The first are about improvements you want locally:

McHENRY COUNTY
HEALTHY COMMUNITIES 2010

YOUR COMMUNITY

1-5. Please check UP TO FIVE things that you would like to see improved to make your community a healthier place to live. (Mark up to five)

(1) Affordable housing
(2) Biking/walking paths
(3) Businesses, stores
(4) Crime prevention
(5) Entertainment, arts
(6) Health care
(7) Job availability
(8) Mental health care
(9) Parks, recreation
(10) Programs for elderly
(11) Protection of natural resources
(12) Public transportation
(13) Roads
(14) Schools
(15) Tolerance of differences
(16) Traffic flow
(17) Youth/teen behavior
(18) Other (write in) __________________________

Note that lower taxes is not one of the choices…unless you count “other.”

Next come questions concerning what you want more attention paid to:

6-10. Please mark UP TO FIVE issues which you feel need greater attention in your community to improve the health and quality of life. (Mark up to five)
(1) Affordable housing
(2) Alcohol/substance abuse grandchildren
(3) Bereavement counseling
(4) Child abuse
(5) Crime prevention
(6) Crisis counseling
(7) Discrimination based on race
(8) Discrimination based on sexual orientation
(9) Domestic violence
(10) Elder abuse
(11) Gangs, delinquency, youth violence
(12) High health care costs
(13) Literacy
(14) Mental health services/education
(15) School dropouts
(16) Services for caregivers
(17) Services for grandparents raising
(18) Services for single parents
(19) Services for two parent working families
(20) Sexually transmitted diseases, AIDS’
(21) Social services for minorities
(22) Special education for children
(23) Special recreation programs for physically/mentally challenged adults
(24) Special recreation programs for physically/mentally challenged children
(25) Supported employment for handicapped
(26) Teen pregnancy
(27) Other issues (write in)

Do you wonder why “affordable housing” would be listed first on both lists?

Again lower taxes is not among the choices of how “to improve the health and quality of life,” your life, I would presume. Pretty much all of the selections would tend to cost tax dollars.

Click to enlarge.

Who’s involved in developing the questionnaire?

Here are the organizations list on the McHenry County Department of Public Health web site:

Advocate Good Shepherd · Centegra Health System · Environmental Defenders of McHenry County · First Congregational Church of Crystal Lake · Latino Connection (Crystal Lake Chamber) · Leadership Greater McHenry County · League of United Latin American Citizens · McHenry County College · McHenry County Community Foundation · McHenry County Conservation District · McHenry County Department of Health · McHenry County Mental Health Board · Pioneer Center · Senior Services Associates, Inc. · Sherman Hospital · United Way of Greater McHenry County · Village of Prairie Grove · Woodstock Christian Life · Woodstock School District 200