In its Strategic Plan, which can be found in the Board Packet for Thursday night’s meeting, McHenry County College reports on some conclusions from the top secret board meeting in last year in 2012 before the Board turnover.
From reading what was reported, I cannot figure out why the meeting had to be behind closed doors.
Please skim what the college has seen fit to publish:
I focused on the perceived “threats.”
Look what is on top:
- Media
- Bloggers
Since I’m pretty much the only blogger that covers McHenry County College, I guess that’s aimed at me.
Put more openly, I think one could conclude that anyone who tries to figure out what MCC is doing and concludes that proposals like:
- the minor league baseball stadium that would put taxpayers on the hook for $25 million to be repaid over more than twenty years
- the tallest broadcast tower in Illinois, which would blight the skyline of northern Crystal Lake
- the $42 million health club-classroom expansion
make little or no sense
are threats.
That is a conclusion of an institution that is not dedicated to transparency, let alone democracy.
“Baggage – history” is another listed threat.
That probably refers to the three proposals listed above.
“Taxpayer backlash” is listed as another threat.
I guess I and a lot of other people fit into that category.
Related is “Funding.” Those in charge of tax districts think their role in life is to extract as much money from taxpayers as possible—otherwise, it is “lost forever.”
Let me type all of the so-called “threats”:
- Media and bloggers
- Online universities
- Funding
- Taxpayer backlash
- Discontinuity of Board membership
- Baggage – history
- No continuity – staff, strategic plan and direction
Note that included in the list is the turnover of membership on the Board. I guess that means new members Molly Walsh, Tom Wilbeck and Chris Jenner are threats.
How on earth did those three let this get into the Strategic Plan?
One final thought: No wonder MCC does not want people to be able to copy and paste their documents.
The Thursday meeting starts at 6:30.
I would suggest that some combination of “those three” allowed this nonsense to be seen in the light of day so VOTERS can see the paranoia, condescension and perception with with Vicky Smith and the Board operate.
The media and blogs are threats! It is always a threat if you do not want to listen to the truth, concerns, and advice of the public, citizens, and most of all, taxpayers. How do they believe they are to communicate? Oh, wait a minute. They know better and the communication just gets in the way and slows things up.
We all need to keep working with any board member that will listen. Never give up. This is truly for our children and the future of our community.
Cal, you are nit picking at it’s a bit annoying. It’s a bit of a stretch to interpret that you are the sole blogger that is a threat to the college. FirstElectricNewspaper and Woodstock Advocate have printed/posted NUMEROUS stories about MCC. And you could just as easily spin, using your logic, that because the Northwest Herald is media and the college issued media as a potential ‘threat,’ well, they are a threat, but so is the Trib, Daily Herald, etc (but for some reason that wasn’t worth mentioning). Second, what’s wrong with the baseball stadium? That would be a great attraction for McHenry County and would have brought in much needed revenue in years to come so MAYBE the tax levy by MCC wouldn’t have to be raised. I agree with you on the broadcast tower though, that was a bad idea. But, why are you against expanding the community college to the tune of $42 million? You would probably say, “well, Sum, look at the report issued by the college that said enrollment is down 10%.” to which I would say, “Well, Cal, stop using a toilet paper roll to look through at MCC’s books and realize their enrollment is actually down because their Promise program no longer exists and those students are exiting the college. We should have MCC as an option for everyone especially since they are expanding into more trade oriented fields, which is great because not everyone will go to a four year school. Finally, and this just really doesn’t make much sense to me, you said, “That is a conclusion of an institution that is not dedicated to transparency, let alone democracy.” Since you seem to like to twist words to fit your agenda, using the same logic, you are against democracy. The foundation of democracy and our country is compromise – (i.e. Great Compromise, 3/5 Compromise) – but you are against compromise seeing as it’s your way or the highway. Therefore, Cal Skinner is against Democracy. C’MON Cal, you are better than this. Stop using ad hominem attacks, the slippery slope, red herrings and straw man fallacies in your posts! YOU ARE BETTER THAN THAT and quite frankly, it just makes you look silly.
Sum Ting ‘Whatever’, wants a stadium and his pet program back. I, want to cash these checks I’m writing to the County Treasurer, for 2nd installment Taxes and have a bonfire on my front lawn.
Good to see were on the same page.
Keep up the great work Cal!
The Apparatchik says “NYET” to the non-approved, non-state-sanctioned “ministry of truth!”
The state-run, government schools shall not be resisted!
Their “Promise program” no longer exists? <–GOOD because there are NO promises in life! Who comes up with these Pollyannaish lies to begin with? I've got a novel idea….wait for it…. WORK for what you get! There I said it. Let the attacks commence! Its all so predictable.
Dear Korean Pilot:
You missed the runway. “Promise program no longer exists and those students are exiting the college” The MCC promise started in 2009 and those students would have graduated in the Spring 2011. So you can not say MCC is now down because the MCC Promise students have left/graduated MCC. They left a long time ago and would not be in this years or last years enrollment numbers.
Maybe when you land a plane you can look down a toilet paper roll. However, when you think about the college maybe they need to evaluate where to put their classroom usage. Maybe they need to end programs that are “dead ends” or are declining in the job market. Then use this space to build new programs.
Happy landing Korean Pilots.