McHenry County Blog

The last time such a briefing was held by the McHenry County State’s Attorney Office, the board most in need of hearing the advice, not to mention following the law, the McHenry County College Board board was meeting at the same time.

When State’s Attorney Lou Bianchi sued the MCC board for violating the Open Meetings Act, the board, after spending an amount it refuses to reveal, settled out of court.

Well, at least former President Walt Packard is not going to be around to send me threatening letters. But, he’s been given over a $250,000 going away present by being kept on the payroll from his resignation to June 30, 2010.

STATE’S ATTORNEY’S OFFICE SPONSORS OPEN MEETINGS ACT AND FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT SEMINAR

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Louis A. Bianchi, McHenry County State’s Attorney is pleased to announce a seminar for Elected and Appointed Officials to be conducted May 14, 2009 from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at the McHenry County College Auditorium.

This seminar is sponsored by the McHenry County State’s Attorney’s Office and McHenry County College and the seminar will include speakers from the Illinois Attorney General’s Office and the McHenry County State’s Attorney’s Office to provide information regarding the Illinois Open Meetings Act as well as the Freedom of Information Act.

This seminar will provide particularly useful information for both newly elected officials and incumbents as it will encompass the requirements of these Acts as well as recent updates in this important Legislation that works to provide transparency in Government.

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The woman taking notes in the photo on top is Iris Bryan. Jane Collins can be seen in the background in the first picture. MCC security officer William Schultz reparing the evict those legally standing outside the late February 2008 meeting where John Maguire of BMB Communications Management made his first pitch to buy college property to build a mega-tower.

The editorial is from the late, lamented Algonquin Countryside and Cary-Grove Countryside, weekly newspapers that stopped publication last December.

Click to enlarge any image.

It was in an Algonquin Countryside article by John Gonigam and concerned McHenry County’s 2030 Plan.

Jung was explaining how a developer can get a municipality to violate the county government’s plan through what is usually called “strip annexation.”

Jung is the District 5 county board candidate whom I believe to be most vulnerable to the Democratic Party challenge by Lake in the Hills candidate Paula Yensen.

My own village of Lakewood used the strip annexation approach in the dark of night to annex Turnberry, when the developers balked at Crystal Lake’s development impact fees.

I don’t think I can ever remember my father being more disturbed.

It was in an Algonquin Countryside article by John Gonigam and concerned McHenry County’s 2030 Plan.

Jung was explaining how a developer can get a municipality to violate the county government’s plan through what is usually called “strip annexation.”

Jung is the District 5 county board candidate whom I believe to be most vulnerable to the Democratic Party challenge by Lake in the Hills candidate Paula Yensen.

My own village of Lakewood used the strip annexation approach in the dark of night to annex Turnberry, when the developers balked at Crystal Lake’s development impact fees.

I don’t think I can ever remember my father being more disturbed.

That’s what Pioneer Press’ Algonquin Countryside and Cary-Grove News headlined it editorial last Thursday.

“College officials clearly overreacted in their zeal to keep information under wraps,” is one line of the opinion piece.

Literally “under wraps,” yellow plastic here, to be specific, as you can see from the photo I took that night before we were unceremoniously escorted out of the building under threat of being charged with trespassing.

The editorial goes on to point out that this was not the first time McHenry County College has kept things secret that they should not have. It points to the feasibility study that was released in November eight months after (McHenry County Blog’s) revelation of the proposed baseball stadium.

And, then, the feasibility study had the most important parts cross through with thick black lines.

My March, 2007, story was six months after I can find the first paper trail for the baseball stadium.

I would point out that these masters and mistresses of mystery are currently hiding what they are doing with John Maguire concerning a lease and a broadcast tower.

It was my taking photos of information being presented inside the room that set MCC President Walt Packard into using first his body and, then, our American flag as drapery over the window to hide what was going on inside.

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You can enlarge any of the images. The head behind the American flag is that of MCC President Walt Packard. The head in front of the power point slide is also Packard’s.

That’s what Pioneer Press’ Algonquin Countryside and Cary-Grove News headlined it editorial last Thursday.

“College officials clearly overreacted in their zeal to keep information under wraps,” is one line of the opinion piece.

Literally “under wraps,” yellow plastic here, to be specific, as you can see from the photo I took that night before we were unceremoniously escorted out of the building under threat of being charged with trespassing.

The editorial goes on to point out that this was not the first time McHenry County College has kept things secret that they should not have. It points to the feasibility study that was released in November eight months after (McHenry County Blog’s) revelation of the proposed baseball stadium.

And, then, the feasibility study had the most important parts cross through with thick black lines.

My March, 2007, story was six months after I can find the first paper trail for the baseball stadium.

I would point out that these masters and mistresses of mystery are currently hiding what they are doing with John Maguire concerning a lease and a broadcast tower.

It was my taking photos of information being presented inside the room that set MCC President Walt Packard into using first his body and, then, our American flag as drapery over the window to hide what was going on inside.

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You can enlarge any of the images. The head behind the American flag is that of MCC President Walt Packard. The head in front of the power point slide is also Packard’s.

Last Sunday McHenry County Blog posted copies of the five petitions that former Gary Pack assistant state’s attorney Kristen Foley passed for this year’s former assistant state’s attorney Gary Pack challenger Dan Regna.

They were notarized by none other that Republican County Chairman Bill LeFew, the one who, along with defense attorneys who want to be able to cut deals again, have spearheaded the dumping of first term State’s Attorney Lou Bianchi.

LeFew is the one who made the complaint public and LeFew is the one who anonymously mailed reprints of the article that instigated the complaint.

Thursday, the Algonquin Countryside’s Pete Gonigam gave evidence that he noticed.

Here’s what he wrote:

” Political observer Cal Skinner Sunday reported on his McHenry County Blog Web site that Foley had filed five petitions Oct. 29 to place Woodstock attorney Dan Regna on the upcoming Republican primary ballot.

“Foley’s letter of complaint against Bianchi was dated two weeks earlier, Oct. 15, and received Oct. 23. Bianchi and Regna are the only candidates running Feb. 5 for the Republican nomination for McHenry County State’s Attorney.”

The article further points out that Bianchi asked for the resignations of all employees when he took office, but re-hired Foley. She later resigned.

Last Sunday McHenry County Blog posted copies of the five petitions that former Gary Pack assistant state’s attorney Kristen Foley passed for this year’s former assistant state’s attorney Gary Pack challenger Dan Regna.

They were notarized by none other that Republican County Chairman Bill LeFew, the one who, along with defense attorneys who want to be able to cut deals again, have spearheaded the dumping of first term State’s Attorney Lou Bianchi.

LeFew is the one who made the complaint public and LeFew is the one who anonymously mailed reprints of the article that instigated the complaint.

Thursday, the Algonquin Countryside’s Pete Gonigam gave evidence that he noticed.

Here’s what he wrote:

” Political observer Cal Skinner Sunday reported on his McHenry County Blog Web site that Foley had filed five petitions Oct. 29 to place Woodstock attorney Dan Regna on the upcoming Republican primary ballot.

“Foley’s letter of complaint against Bianchi was dated two weeks earlier, Oct. 15, and received Oct. 23. Bianchi and Regna are the only candidates running Feb. 5 for the Republican nomination for McHenry County State’s Attorney.”

The article further points out that Bianchi asked for the resignations of all employees when he took office, but re-hired Foley. She later resigned.

The Algonquin and Cary-Grove Countrysides, both Pioneer Press weekly papers, have endorsed McHenry County State’s Attorney Lou Bianchi for re-election.

“Because he has served well in his current position, we endorse Bianchi.”

Bianchi is running against Dan Regna, who served under former State’s Attorney Gary Pack.

Reasons for the endorsement given by the paper include the bringing of more civil cases in-house, saving “money previously spent on outside counsel”

There were two interesting slaps at challenger Dan Regna. In one, there is this comment under Regna’s promise to be tougher on crime:

”Regna was an assistant state’s attorney in McHenry County during an administration that convicted an innocent man who was then slated for execution before he was later exonerated.

“A getting-tough-on-crime message is a crowd-pleaser, but the intricacies of many criminal cases require more complex thinking.”

I don’t know whether Regna had anything to do with that horrific miscarriage of justice in Richmond.

The second refers to Regna’s criticism of Bianchi’s having hired outside counsel to fight pipeline company Enbridge’s attempt to expand capacity in McHenry County.

“What Regna neglects to point out is that Bianchi’s office advised against challenging Enbridge’s expansion efforts; however, the County Board ignored his advice. Bianchi subsequently hired a high-powered outside firm to deal with Enbridge’s lawsuit.“

Hmmm.

In a questionnaire answer, Regna points out,

“The Country Board subsequently settled the lawsuit for a protective containment area half that in the original proposal. “

That settlement seems to verify Bianchi’s advice.

The paper also publishes answers to its questionnaire on its web site.

The questions are:

• Please provide a brief summary of why you are running for this position.
• Is crime a growing problem in McHenry County? Are there any specific areas in which the State’s Attorney’s Office should be targeting its prosecution efforts?
• Is staffing in the State’s Attorney’s Office adequate?
• What measures can the state’s attorney take to better represent the people of McHenry County?
• Are there any issues not raised in this questionnaire that you think are important.

That’s a great last question.

And, allowing us to read the answers is gratifying.

That’s assuming anyone is interested in issues in Regna’s challenge, which the editorial writer summarizes like this:

“Regna’s candidacy appears to have blossomed through Republican Party political infighting for reasons that no one seems to understand. He comes off as a disgruntled ex-employee with an ax to grind and not a candidate with better ideas.”

That may be part of the reason for the well-financed coalition behind Regna, but I think it just scratches the surface.

You don’t have to read very far between the lines in this answer from Regna to finD another element of his coalition:

“Upon taking office, I will develop and dedicate necessary resources to obtain justice in our most serious criminal cases.”

One might wonder what about the lesser crimes.

Will there be deal cutting, as there was under Gary Pack’s regime?

If so, I’ll bet a lot of defense attorneys will be happy. Less work for them to clear a case.

The Algonquin and Cary-Grove Countrysides, both Pioneer Press weekly papers, have endorsed McHenry County State’s Attorney Lou Bianchi for re-election.

“Because he has served well in his current position, we endorse Bianchi.”

Bianchi is running against Dan Regna, who served under former State’s Attorney Gary Pack.

Reasons for the endorsement given by the paper include the bringing of more civil cases in-house, saving “money previously spent on outside counsel”

There were two interesting slaps at challenger Dan Regna. In one, there is this comment under Regna’s promise to be tougher on crime:

”Regna was an assistant state’s attorney in McHenry County during an administration that convicted an innocent man who was then slated for execution before he was later exonerated.

“A getting-tough-on-crime message is a crowd-pleaser, but the intricacies of many criminal cases require more complex thinking.”

I don’t know whether Regna had anything to do with that horrific miscarriage of justice in Richmond.

The second refers to Regna’s criticism of Bianchi’s having hired outside counsel to fight pipeline company Enbridge’s attempt to expand capacity in McHenry County.

“What Regna neglects to point out is that Bianchi’s office advised against challenging Enbridge’s expansion efforts; however, the County Board ignored his advice. Bianchi subsequently hired a high-powered outside firm to deal with Enbridge’s lawsuit.“

Hmmm.

In a questionnaire answer, Regna points out,

“The Country Board subsequently settled the lawsuit for a protective containment area half that in the original proposal. “

That settlement seems to verify Bianchi’s advice.

The paper also publishes answers to its questionnaire on its web site.

The questions are:

• Please provide a brief summary of why you are running for this position.
• Is crime a growing problem in McHenry County? Are there any specific areas in which the State’s Attorney’s Office should be targeting its prosecution efforts?
• Is staffing in the State’s Attorney’s Office adequate?
• What measures can the state’s attorney take to better represent the people of McHenry County?
• Are there any issues not raised in this questionnaire that you think are important.

That’s a great last question.

And, allowing us to read the answers is gratifying.

That’s assuming anyone is interested in issues in Regna’s challenge, which the editorial writer summarizes like this:

“Regna’s candidacy appears to have blossomed through Republican Party political infighting for reasons that no one seems to understand. He comes off as a disgruntled ex-employee with an ax to grind and not a candidate with better ideas.”

That may be part of the reason for the well-financed coalition behind Regna, but I think it just scratches the surface.

You don’t have to read very far between the lines in this answer from Regna to finD another element of his coalition:

“Upon taking office, I will develop and dedicate necessary resources to obtain justice in our most serious criminal cases.”

One might wonder what about the lesser crimes.

Will there be deal cutting, as there was under Gary Pack’s regime?

If so, I’ll bet a lot of defense attorneys will be happy. Less work for them to clear a case.

The weekly Pioneer Press is reporting on its web site today that the Illinois Attorney General’s office, to put it in the words of the headline,

McHenry County Republican Central Committee Chairman and County Treasurer Bill LeFew made a big deal about not being able to separate his office duties from his political duties.

In mid-October, he announced that he was going to resign in order to avoid the potential conflict.

More recently, LeFew admitted mailing anonymous hit pieces about the basis of the complaint, spending office funds on meals for overtime employees, a couple of hundred dollars for parade candy during non-election years, etc. He has come under heavy fire, even having the Northwest Herald call for his immediate resignation.

Enterprising reporter Pete Gonigam elicited the information from the Attorney General’s office.

He writes that a spokeswoman,

” announced Thursday evening that the office found no basis for opening a criminal investigation against McHenry County State’s Attorney Louis Bianchi.”

But, when asked who filed the complaint, Robyn Ziegler would not reveal who sent the letter or its specifics.

Gonigam has been able to scoop the daily newspapers several times on McHenry County’s baseball stadium.

Perhaps with this on-the-spot news approach, he is pointing the way for papers like his Algonquin Countryside to compete better.