McHenry County Blog

I can’t tell you how I found this series of photos to WBEZ-FM interviewees, but they surely are interesting.

Advance 300’s Nancy Zettler is one of those interviewed. This is what is under her picture:

Nancy Zettler, co-chair of Advance 300, a group that organized support for a recent funding referendum, believes that the anti-tax lobbying has gotten too strong and that a pro-tax lobby needs to strike back. She spoke to us in northwest Dundee.

Besides Zettler, the following people were interviewed:

• Nate Roth
• John Near
• Jerry Jacobs
• Teresa Stupa
• Matt Bishop

If I could find the links again, I’d make it easy for you to listen to them, but I can’t. (I can’t even tell you what year the interviews are from, but I found others from Maywood, Waukegan and Harvey.)

You can click on each image and read what WBEZ has put under their pictures, however.

The Carpentersville District 300 tax hike committee got about $350 in interest on its money from West Dundee’s Park National Bank during the last half of 2008.

Otherwise, the political action committee was dormant.

Sitting in the bank is $44,218.18.

The Carpentersville District 300 tax hike committee got about $350 in interest on its money from West Dundee’s Park National Bank during the last half of 2008.

Otherwise, the political action committee was dormant.

Sitting in the bank is $44,218.18.

Not only did tax hike committee Advance 300 have $43,863.47 in the bank at the beginning of July , but it received $175.90 in interest.

Just though you’d like to know.

Not only did tax hike committee Advance 300 have $43,863.47 in the bank at the beginning of July , but it received $175.90 in interest.

Just though you’d like to know.

$43,445.86, to be exact.

It’s sitting in the Cardunal Savings and Loan earning interest.

$613.38 this past six months.

Just waiting to find another tax hike referendum to support.

$43,445.86, to be exact.

It’s sitting in the Cardunal Savings and Loan earning interest.

$613.38 this past six months.

Just waiting to find another tax hike referendum to support.

Assuming she doesn’t work the phone and computer from home, Huntley School District 158 B.E.S.T. campaign organizer is off to Glen Ellyn frequently to help pass Grade School District 89’s $24.8 million referendum.

No.

That’s wrong.

Daily Herald reporter Hafsa Naz Mahmood writes

Cheryl Meyer “says she has no direct involvement in promoting the referendum proposal, noting that would be inappropriate. But she said she has been offering tips.”

“And as part of her job, Meyer said she needs to ‘provide advice on how to present informational campaigns.’”

Meyer is “she’s working part-time as the Glen Ellyn district’s communications assistant” was told.

And, of course, readers of McHenry County Blog know the fun-loving Meyer was paid to work to promote the District 300 $150,000 Advance 300 campaign for a 55-cent tax hike and massive bond issue.

The DuPage County school district is paying Meyer $45 for 15 hours a week–$27,000 so far–the article says.

Guess what else the enterprising reporter found?

For the District 300 campaign, she called herself Campaign Solutions. But the fact that it was Meyer was kept secret for a long time.

“That business first registered with the state on May 9, 2006 — after Meyer completed the work involving District 300. In May 2007, she filed to change the business name to Cheryl L. Meyer Consulting Services Inc.”

And, this gem:

“Meyer said that since her time with the District 300 group, she hasn’t worked on any referendum campaigns and doesn’t plan to do any more in the future.”

There’s a discussion beginning on the message board of Glen-Ellyn.com. No one has linked to McHenry County Blog, however.

There is this nifty link to the Huntley District 158 referendum video that was produced and shown in school rooms. It is on the Election Interference section of Jim and Cathy Peschke’s web site, Citizens for Responsible and Fair Taxes.

Assuming she doesn’t work the phone and computer from home, Huntley School District 158 B.E.S.T. campaign organizer is off to Glen Ellyn frequently to help pass Grade School District 89’s $24.8 million referendum.

No.

That’s wrong.

Daily Herald reporter Hafsa Naz Mahmood writes

Cheryl Meyer “says she has no direct involvement in promoting the referendum proposal, noting that would be inappropriate. But she said she has been offering tips.”

“And as part of her job, Meyer said she needs to ‘provide advice on how to present informational campaigns.’”

Meyer is “she’s working part-time as the Glen Ellyn district’s communications assistant” was told.

And, of course, readers of McHenry County Blog know the fun-loving Meyer was paid to work to promote the District 300 $150,000 Advance 300 campaign for a 55-cent tax hike and massive bond issue.

The DuPage County school district is paying Meyer $45 for 15 hours a week–$27,000 so far–the article says.

Guess what else the enterprising reporter found?

For the District 300 campaign, she called herself Campaign Solutions. But the fact that it was Meyer was kept secret for a long time.

“That business first registered with the state on May 9, 2006 — after Meyer completed the work involving District 300. In May 2007, she filed to change the business name to Cheryl L. Meyer Consulting Services Inc.”

And, this gem:

“Meyer said that since her time with the District 300 group, she hasn’t worked on any referendum campaigns and doesn’t plan to do any more in the future.”

There’s a discussion beginning on the message board of Glen-Ellyn.com. No one has linked to McHenry County Blog, however.

There is this nifty link to the Huntley District 158 referendum video that was produced and shown in school rooms. It is on the Election Interference section of Jim and Cathy Peschke’s web site, Citizens for Responsible and Fair Taxes.

Saturday, the Daily Herald editorially encouraged Carpentersville District 300 to pass a conflict of interest rule that would prohibit potential vendors from giving money to a pro-tax hike group from doing business with the district for two years.

It uses Burnidge Cassell and Associates $5,000 contribution to Advance 300 just before the 2006 referendums.

Here’s what was said:

Too, too close:

New District 300 school board member John Ryan has proposed the district ban the sort of relationship that allowed Elgin design firm Burnidge Cassell and Associates to make a $5,000 donation to pro-tax hike group Advance 300 before the 2006 referendums and later collect a no-bid contract to design the new schools funded by that tax hike.

Ryan’s right, but he also appears to be pretty alone in his belief that this sort of relationship is not beneficial to taxpayers or conducive to trust. He shouldn’t be so lonely.

Let’s hope a few other board members see the obvious conflict and vote to end it.