In its Editorial Board endorsements, Jack Franks, who seems to have enormous influence on the placement of articles, struck out.
Not one Democrat running for the McHenry County Board was endorsed.
McHenry County Clerk Joe Tirio’s County Fair fan.
Franks’ allies who trashed McHenry County Clerk candidate Joe Tirio via direct mail and robo-calls also will be disappointed.
Tirio was endorsed, too, although the paper notes, “we don’t agree with Tirio on everything.”
How the newspaper disagrees with the current Recorder of Deeds is not stated.
That statement was made after this praise:
“He has done his best to find efficiencies, not spend where it wasn’t needed and is now working to return money to the taxpayers. He has the experience and knowledge base to run efficient, safe elections and work to find cost savings in the consolidations of the two departments.”
McHenry County Board Districts 1 (lower right hand corner), 2 (Crystal Lake and Lake in the Hills) and 3 (Crystal Lake up to McHenry).
In District 1, appointed County Board member Chris Spoerl is praised for his service on the Cary Grade School Board.
Running mate Bob Novak’s work experience as Cary’s Building, Planning and Zoning Director is cited, plus his opposition to the County Board walkout when Chairman Jack Franks was hostilely criticizing Tirio.
District 2 has no one running for re-election. The closest to an incumbent is one-termer Carolyn Schofield, who also served in the Crystal Lake City Council and stepped down from the County Board to run unsuccessfully for State Rep.
Another Cary Grade School Board member, Josh Howell, is also endorsed. The Herald does not point out that District 26 has cut its tax levy 20% in the last five years.
District 3‘s endorsements go to incumbent and former Board Chairman Joe Gottemoller and former Crystal Lake Grade School Human Resources administrator Lori Parrish.
McHenry County Board Districts 4 (upper right), (Woodstock to Lake in the Hills) and 6 ( the western part of the County).
The paper notes that District 4 Republican candidates Pam Althoff and Chuck Wheeler have not Democratic Party opponents.
In District 5, John Jung is praised for his work during the last almost four years and running mate Michael Rein receives kudos for his work “to cut positions within the government and plans to advocate for cutting the County Board’s tax levy another 10 percent.”
No endorsements are made in District 6, because the Republicans did not show up for an interview and Democrat Buffy Brasile “is not actively campaigning for the seat…” Her running mate, Larry Spaeth did have an interview, but apparently did not pass muster.
Democrats are named and dismissed with the phrase “also are on the ballot.”
The endorsement editorial explains that Sheriff Bill Prim, Treasurer Glenda Miller and Regional Superintendent of Schools Leslie Schermerhorn have no Democrats running against them.
I compliment the Herald for making endorsements.
In recent elections, they were missing in action.
But even while I broadly agree with their choices, I’m appalled at their lack of reasoning.
The Herald goes on and on about experience like it’s the most important thing.
It’s not.
You pick candidates based on their stands on the issues.
Competence is important, but I don’t care how experienced a candidate is if I disagree with them on the issues.
Yet with the exception of John Jung and Joe Tirio, the editorial says nothing about what the candidates promise to do or what their platform is.
Why is this a surprise?
How many Democrats have the NWH endorsed over the past 20 years?
Do you need more than one hand to count them?
The NWH has long been a conservative, Republican paper.
Looks like the newspaper merely reflects the assessment of most McHenry County voters over the last 20 years. There are have not been many good Democrat candidates to vote for nor endorse.
Any ex-schoolteacher on the ballot can call me and I’ll give you $75 and a Kohl’s Cash Coupon for a shopping spree, if you promise to just start leaving the rest of us alone.
Was Spoerl really complimented on not bring part of the Board walkout?
That just shows who is really running this paper.
Since the number of readers is few and dwindling, and since the number of people who obey our local outlet of fakenews is smaller still, who the hell cares!
AlabamaShake has been drinking the kool-aid.
The Herald has always been a liberal rag run by losers.
In the old days, their endorsement LOST their endorsees’ votes!
No, it’s rather irrelevant.
Can’t wait for the final fold up.
Joe Tirio’s a brand in and unto himself.
Thinks outside the box, fiscally responsible -beyond the norm, makes significant promises and keeps them!
Other observations are that
PRIM is also beyond reproach in my opinion, and is another unusual politician.
WILCOX is a warrior!
Dr. REIN, YVONNE BARNES and CHUCK WHEELER look out for the taxpayer, and for what’s right at their own peril.
WILBECK is a policy, RFQ fiend-needed on the board just as he was at MCC.
We would have done very well to have SCHUSTER’s knowledge and time dedicated to the board.
My eyes will be on Parish and Howell after the election.
You’re right! Spoerl was part of the walkout when Franks stepped into tyrant mode and was politicizing from his chairman seat and lost control of the meeting.
Received John Jung’s mailer today.
When I was done being doubled over from the good yarn that is his postcard, I decided to share my thoughts and welcome
yours.
I don’t like that he’s perpetuating the lie that the county board reduced the tax levy by 11.2%.
An abatement that is unsustainable. is nothing to run on.
We got the abatement simply because Valley Hi had a surplus that was allowed to grow to over legal limits.
This abatement would have happened with or without Jung, Franks etc.
Franks used it to win an election with the lie “Cut 10%” and some board members are following him and using it to win theirs WHILE complaining that it’s an untruth! and is unsustainable!
He touts that he’s
“Fiscally conservative” – what has he ever done that was free thinking, let alone ‘fiscally conservative’??
Says he ‘Voted to eliminate County Board Pensions’ WHILE HE’S DRAWING THE PENSION RIGHT NOW!!!
“Voted for Term Limits” – since he’s ready to retire and has been stinking up that board for term upon term…!!
The endorsement paragraph from a failed Woodstock mayor is the icing on the cake!
“Works tirelessly?” (when he isn’t mistaken for being comatose, he’s taking phone calls during meetings and leaving the room. How is that a working, dedicated, involved, effective board member??)
“understanding of the issues?” (how would anyone know-he never speaks up on any of the issues and never leads! A miserable follower at best!
The hypocrisy and the insult to the intelligence of the voters is unbelievable.
I would never vote for the AFSME/Socialist Democrat that is running against him so his hypocritical and shameless mailer just earned a bullet vote for Michael Rein, who has been a voice and watchdog for the voters.
Am I wrong on any of these points, Cal?
If I am please correct me.
Maybe Cal will post his mailer if he got it in the mail today.
It has two be seen to be believed.
And it’s a compounded lie anyway!
It’s not a tax cut, it’s an abatement.
Many of us are well aware of the lie there.
The compounded dishonesty comes from the fact that it wasn’t 11.2%, but 9.5%.
Is the likes of Jung what you really want on the county board?
Bullet Voting for Rein!
Farrin has drawn a factual picture of Jung that fits the RINO-rat to a T!