McHenry County Blog

The Sunday before, the Tribune syndicated Dick Tracy comic strip’s current creators Joe Staton and Mike Curtis honored Dick Locher for his time as chief cartoonist.

This is how the Dick Tracy comic strip started the day it honored Dick Locher.

Locher has retired and been honored with a statue of Dick Tracy in his hometown of Naperville.  I looked for it briefly a couple of weeks ago, but couldn’t find it.

A summary of Dick Locher's Dick Tracy accomplishments.

The text says that Locher was an assistant to originator Chester Gould, starting in 1957.  When Michael Kilian, who wrote the story, died in 2005, Locher took over those duties, too.  His relationship to the strip is longer than anyone but Gould, the description reads.

When Gould’s assistant Rick Fletcher, who took over when Gould retired, died in 1983, Locher stepped in to save the strip.

I believe it was 1999 in which Woodstock honored Locher at its Dick Tracy Days Parade, which seem to have gone by the wayside, as did the VJ (Victory over Japan) it replaced.

I remember being surprised that day at the boldness with which newly-elected Democratic Party State Representative Jack Franks approached Woodstock Firemen for their votes before the parade.   He reminded those on duty of all the money he had gotten them.  (That was in the days of the big checks and photos of them, Franks and recipients in the Northwest Herald.)

Locher was better known for being the editorial cartoonist for the Chicago Tribune.

One of my favorites was a pitch against higher income taxes run in June of 2009.

It didn’t pass until the Tribune denied him his platform.

= = = = =

I first became aware of Bull Valley’s Rick Fletcher at a Northeastern Illinois Planning Commission.  Sometime in the late 1960′s when I was County Treasurer NIPC held a hearing at the Opera House about its obviously failed finger plan.  A proposal to limit growth along rail lines under what I guess was the mistaken prediction that most people would commute to and from Chicago by rail.

“Where’s your American Flag?” he shouted at the beginning of the meeting.

Fletcher, whose daughter worked for me during the summer, would have really been in tune with the Tea Party sentiments expressed at the Lake County League of Women Voters’ debate between Joe Walsh, Melissa Bean and Bill Scheurer. The demand for the Pledge of Allegiance hit national cable news shows and may have made the difference in Walsh’s narrow defeat of Bean.

Lakewood Village President Erin Smith sent out the following letter to her constituents in the fall village newsletter.

FROM THE PRESIDENT

As we bid a fond farewell to summer, it’s appropriate to review what was accomplished during the past three (3) months and what we can look forward to in the coming months.

As is typical in the Midwest, summer was filled with construction projects and other work on infrastructure.

The new Lakewood Bike Path

Notable among these were

• the construction of bicycle lanes along Huntley Road, from West Beach to Chicago Avenue,
• the repaving of RedTail Drive and Loch Glen Drive,
• the construction of our new water tower on Turnberry Trail and
• work on the East Side Storm Sewer.

Huntley Road Bike Path

This project has been a long standing priority of our Comprehensive Plan and Parks and Recreation Committee. Given its cost, we were able to proceed with the project because staff secured a federal grant that paid for eighty percent (80%) of the construction. It has been a difficult and lengthy process for the residents impacted by the construction, and we give our sincere thanks and appreciation for their patience throughout this process.

RedTail and Loch Glen Drive

Both residents and golfers are pleased to experience the repaving of RedTail Drive. This portion of our roadway program was paid for with a $200,000 grant secured for the Village of Lakewood by State Representative Michael Tryon, and we thank him for his efforts on our behalf. With revenues from our General Fund, we were also able to repave Loch Glen Drive and make several roadway repairs throughout the community. We receive a lot of complaints about the gravel that is “kicked up” at busy intersections, and it is a maintenance problem for our residents and Public Works crew. Therefore, we took advantage of this year’s roadway program to install cobblestone returns at the intersection of RedTail Drive/Loch Glen Drive/Bardwell Lane. Please take a look and let us know what you think as we contemplate whether to continue this program at other key intersections.

Water Tower

We have also nearly completed the construction of our new water tower on Turnberry Trail, and it is expected to go online shortly, at which time the old water tower will be removed. In terms of branding our community, a strategic decision was made by the Board of Trustees to position the writing so that it is visible as you approach the Village of Lakewood from the north and south. The lettering is most visible from Turnberry and RedTail golf courses, where visitors will see that they are in the Village of Lakewood.

East Side Storm Water

In our ongoing efforts to address the issue of storm water on the East Side of the Village, our Public Works Department recently completed a project to clean and televise one-half of the Broadway storm sewer outfall pipe. This project was completed at a cost of approximately $17,150 and verified our concern that substantial repair and replacement of the storm sewer will be needed. We will include revenues in the budget for the next fiscal year that will allow us to complete the second half of the cleaning/televising project in order to assess the full extent of the work needed and begin to develop a plan for funding the repairs.

Other Summer News

In addition to our infrastructure improvements, we had another safe recreational season on Crystal Lake, and we extend our thanks to the Police Department for its consistently strong enforcement in this area. I am also very pleased to report that RedTail Golf Course has had a strong year to date. Revenues are greater than last year, and the volunteer program that was instituted for starters and rangers has helped to decrease expenditures. The golf season is not yet over, so take advantage of some great fall rates to help insure that RedTail Golf Course has a great year!

Economic Development Update

Looking forward, we continue to place economic development as our number one priority. Toward this end, we have hired Dobbe Marketing & PR to help our community develop a strong and consistent message to attract businesses. A Focus Group was held with local businesses and residents in July, and the results of that meeting will be shared with the Board of Trustees at the meeting on September 13. Primary topics will include:

How to best take advantage of the contacts of our residents to attract the types of businesses identified as priorities. You are our best resource!

How to partner with the developer of Lakewood Commons to fill the center, including the remaining vacant parcel.

Whether the current site of Village Hall can or should have an alternative use, such as a restaurant.

Whether it is viable to develop a town center and, if so, where?

I encourage you to participate in these discussions and provide your feedback to any of our elected officials.

Also in July, the Board approved a 6-month extension of the preliminary agreement with the developer of the sports complex. Financing has not yet been secured, but some indication of progress was presented.

Some of those attending the July SportsPlex board meeting at which Village President Erin Smith broke a 3-3 tie vote in favor of granting six more months for developers (seen on the right side of the audience in the front row) to obtain financing.

Our Board was split on the decision to extend the agreement.

I voted to extend the agreement because other surrounding communities have automatically extended existing agreements to support businesses in this difficult economy and I believe we need to show an equal level of support.

Input from our Focus Group, which reinforced that the sports complex is consistent with our vision, also influenced my vote.

Through the first three months of our current fiscal year, I am also pleased to report that our sales tax revenues have increased by nearly $6,400 over this same time period last year. This increase is most directly attributable to the four (4) new businesses that were annexed last summer, and we believe that we will continue to experience increased growth in revenues from these businesses.

In fact, The Gardens of Woodstock recently become a member of the McHenry County Convention and Visitors Bureau, and motor coach tours are already making regular stops for lunch and shopping. As we seek new businesses, our most effective testimonials are our existing businesses, and it benefits all of us to support them.

New Entryway Signs

In the upcoming months, you will also see three (3) new entryway signs installed as one of the recommendations from the Parks and Recreation Committee, which is interested in establishing a Garden Club to help landscape these and other public areas in the community.

Could Lakewood residents save money by having the village go shopping for electricity?

We are also exploring the possibility of working with neighboring communities to bid for the purchase of electricity for our residents. Harvard and Fox River Grove recently completed this process and had great success with overall savings for their residents of between ten (10) to fifteen (15) percent on the electric bills.

Such a process requires the passage of a referendum by our residents, and we have set a tentative goal of placing such a referendum on the March 2012 ballot. Any resident who did not want to participate in the program could simply “opt out” and continue to purchase their electricity from Commonwealth Edison. Again, we would be interested in hearing your thoughts about the program. Our goal would simply be to save our residents money in these difficult economic times.

In addition to soliciting your input on a number of issues, I am always available for a Pizza with the President and welcome your invitation.

Sincerely,

Erin

While his senior colleague United States Senate Dick Durbin ignored McHenry County in his requests for appropriations’ earmarks, Roland Burris did not.

Here’s what Burris requested:

$500,000 for McHenry County, Illinois Drinking Water Quality Initiative McHenry County, Illinois McHenry County Government Center 2200 North Seminary Avenue Woodstock, IL 60098

Why this is a good use of taxpayer funds: McHenry County would use the federal funds to assess the short-term and long-term viability of the drinking water supply.

It is important for folks to realize that just asking for money does not mean that a request from a very junior Senator not running for election will be included in the final appropriations bill.

Congressmen call it “earmarks.”

Illinois legislators call it “member initiatives.”

If it’s in someone else’s part of the country or state, people commonly call it “pork.”

Whatever you call it, here is what Crystal Lake State Rep. Mike Tryon got inserted into the infrastructure or capital budget this year. The bill has not yet been signed.

• Grafton Township – road improvements, $125,000
• Lakewood – road improvements, $200,000
• Crystal Lake – water and sewer, $100,000
• Nunda Township – non-dedicated road program, $175,000
• Algonquin Township – non-dedicated road program, $250,000



• Lake in the Hills – park improvements, $100,000
• Cary Park District – park improvements, $75,000
• Lakeside Legacy – restoration and improvements, $75,000
• Fox River Grove – infrastructure, $50,000

So, Tryon was not the legislator to allocate $75,000 to every township road commissioner.

Since it includes all 17 townships and State Senator Pam Althoff represents all of part of each township in McHenry County, my guess is that it is she, but Althoff declined to specify what she inserted into the budget. She said she would once the bill was signed.

Jack Franks, who has made a career of handing out big checks, has not publicized 2009 state grants public.

The bill in question has major financing coming from neighborhood slot machines where liquor is sold.

sshjIt doesn’t seem that long ago that I was writing about Washington Pork.

In fact, it was last March.

Let’s look at what the two congressional representatives from McHenry County are requesting in the Commerce, Justice and Science budget. (Hat tip to Respublica down Collinsville way.)

Don Manzullo is requesting the following:

• $250,000 – Rockford Crimefighting Technology Initiative
• $250,000 – Communications Equipment for Winnebago County Sheriff’s Department

Melissa Bean wants the following:

• $675,00 – along with Peter Roskam – Atmospheric Detection Equipment For the Northern Illinois Police Alarm System at the Glencoe Department of Public Safety
• $300,000 – Turning Point

Here is what 16th District Congressman Don Manzullo is requesting be placed in next year’s Federal budget:

Rakow Road Widening Project in McHenry County

Aerospace Education/R&D Center in Rockford

Sewer System Improvement in Savanna

Flood Mitigation Project in DeKalb County

Keith Creek Flood Control Project in Rockford

Groundwater Protection Program in McHenry County

Manufacturing Technology Program at NIU

Rockford Crimefighting Technology Initiative

U of I Center for Rural Health in Rockford

Technology Upgrades at Rockford College

Autism Independence Program in McHenry County

Rockford West Side Economic Development Initiative

Communications Equipment for Winnebago County Sheriff’s Department

Defense Department Energy Research Project in Rockford

River District Development Initiative in Rockford

Here are the details of the McHenry County projects:

Rakow Road Widening Project in McHenry County

$1 million is requested to help fund the Rakow Road widening project in Crystal Lake and Lake in the Hills, which impacts tens of thousands of motorists every day. This is a major traffic congestion relief project that will go to construction in the Spring of 2010. McHenry County is one of the most congested areas of the country and federal funding is greatly needed to support this important road project that helps not only McHenry County, but the entire region.

Groundwater Protection Program in McHenry County

$280,000 is requested to help fund implementation of the McHenry County Groundwater Protection Program. This program uniquely seeks to address protection of the quantity and quality of the groundwater resources, the sole source of drinking water for all of McHenry County. Information gained from this project will benefit the local governments, the 11-county Regional Water Supply Planning Groups, and the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning by providing a more complete description of the available groundwater resources.

Autism Independence Program in McHenry County

$100,000 is requested to help expand the Pathways Program at the Special Education District of McHenry County (SEDOM) to provide assistance for postsecondary students with intellectual disabilities including individuals on the autism spectrum, in partnership with McHenry County College. This project addresses crucial educational goals to close the gap for preparing young adults on the autism spectrum with the necessary social and vocational skills required for living independently.

8th District Congresswoman Melissa Bean’s list is here.

Bean’s projects in McHenry County follow:

Law Enforcement Advocacy Partnership (LEAP)

• Recipient: Turning Point, Inc., located at P.O. Box 723, Woodstock, Illinois 60019

• Description: $300,000 through the Department of Justice’s Juvenile Justice account to the LEAP program to support the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) at the local level. This is an appropriate use of taxpayer dollars because LEAP is a collaboration between 15 police departments, the State’s Attorney and Turning Point that provides crisis intervention, emergency shelter, overnight and daily orders of protection, domestic violence training for police, and advocacy in court for domestic violence victims.

Public Safety Communication (McHenry County, IL)

• Recipient: McHenry County, located at 2200 North Seminary Avenue, Woodstock, IL 60098

• Description: $400,000 through the Department of Justice’s COPS Law Enforcement Technology and Interoperable Communications account to McHenry County, IL to improve communication in areas at risk for both manmade and natural disasters, and as a means to protect data exchange between various local entities. McHenry County is in the process of bringing in new computer technology to the Courts, State’s Attorney, Public Defender, Sheriff’s Office and Jail. This technology upgrade is a critical step toward integrating the County’s criminal justice information system, but it will not complete the project. This is an appropriate use of taxpayer dollars to complete the interface between law enforcement and the court system, thereby allowing McHenry County to completely utilize the benefits of fully integrated criminal justice system. McHenry County received $94,000 in federal support in FY2008, and has committed over $3,000,000 of its own funding to the Integrated Justice Project.

Village of Johnsburg Wastewater Treatment Facility

• Recipient: Village of Johnsburg, located at 1515 Channel Beach Drive, Johnsburg, IL 60050

• Description: $500,000 through the EPA’s STAG account for Village of Johnsburg to assist with the construction of a centralized wastewater treatment and collection system. This funding would compliment $462,200 that was received in The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2008. This is an appropriate use of taxpayer funds because an estimated 300,000,000 gallons of raw or partially treated wastewater that is being discharged from failed or failing septic tanks into the Fox River each year. In addition to being one of the nation’s most popular recreational waterways, the Fox River is the primary source of drinking water for some 200,000 people. Improving the quality of its water will also complement ongoing efforts to clean up and restore the ecosystem of the Illinois River, into which the Fox River flows.

Village of Spring Grove Water Main Extension

• Recipient: Village of Spring Grove, located at 7401 Meyer Road, Spring Grove, IL 60081

• Description: $150,000 in the EPA’s STAG account to expand the sewer and water main through the town of Spring Grove, which is 95% comprised of septic systems that are adjacent to a high value aquatic resource. This is an appropriate use of taxpayer funds because he septic systems in this area are failing and even with temporary repairs, they can’t keep up with current and proposed infrastructure in the area. The biggest impact the water main extension would have is on the local elementary school, which is in dire need of expansion but can’t proceed without access to the water main. The extension will also increase the number of users on the municipal system and add to the number of hydrants available to a commercial area.

F.A.S.T. Solutions Initiative

• Recipient: McHenry County, located at 2200 North Seminary Avenue, Woodstock, IL 60098

• Description: $250,000 through the Department of Education, Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FISPE), or the Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, Training and Employment Services to fund the F.A.S.T Solutions Initiative. This program is an appropriate use of taxpayer dollars because it will provide flexible and sustainable workforce training in a “boot camp” format which is designed to provide intensive, short-term occupational training in specific fields identified by employers through their participation on the McHenry County Workforce Investment Board (WIB).

Miller Road Widening (McHenry County, IL)

• Recipient: McHenry County Department of Transportation, located at 2200 North Seminary Avenue, Woodstock, IL 60098

• Description: $500,000 from the Transportation, Community and System Preservation (TCSP) account in the FY10 Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) budget to widen Miller Road from Illinois Route 31 to River Road. This funding would compliment $6,839,000 that was received in SAFETEA-LU and The Omnibus Appropriations Act of 2009 for improvements to Miller Road. This is an appropriate use of taxpayer funds because by widening Miller Road from Routes 31 to River Road in McHenry, Illinois to four lanes, existing and projected traffic demands would be met well into the future for this heavily traveled north-south thoroughfare in eastern McHenry County.

And, in Barrington, we have the following being requested by Congresswoman Bean:

Ultra-Wide Coverage VIS/NIR Sensor for Force Protection

• Recipient: Goodrich ISR Systems Barrington, located at 550 West Northwest Hwy, Barrington, IL 60010

• Description: $2,850,000 from Navy, Research and Development, RDT&E, Force Protection Advanced Technology (Line 16, PE# 0603123N) for the Ultra-Wide Coverage VIS/NIR Sensor for Force Protection. This is for developing, integrating and demonstrating a new visible/near infrared sensor that would be used for airborne persistence surveillance. The advanced sensor technologies will be incorporated to include high resolution, high quantum efficiency, very large format visible / near IR detectors coupled with high fidelity, geo-spatially accurate optics. These technologies will be integrated into a comprehensive surveillance system suitable for manned, or unmanned, and long endurance missions.

Wide Area Sensor for Force Protection (Targeting)

• Recipient: Goodrich ISR Systems Barrington, located at 550 West Northwest Hwy, Barrington, IL 60010

• Description: $2,050,000 from Navy, Research and Development, RDT&E, Force Protection Advanced Technology (Line 16, PE# 0603123N) for the Wide Area Sensor for Force Protection (Targeting). This is for developing the wide area sensor program to build a deployable day/night, wide-area, persistent surveillance system to provide real-time surveillance for combat troops in theater. These technologies will be integrated into a comprehensive surveillance system suitable for manned, or unmanned, and long endurance missions.

Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital

• Recipient: Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital, located at 450 West Highway, Barrington, IL 60010

• Description: $72,500 through the Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention – Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion Account for the Breast Cancer Center at Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital. This funding is an appropriate use of taxpayer dollars because it will support the development of a centralized digital mammography reading station at the Breast Care Center “headquarters” on the Advocate Good Shepherd campus, so the hospital’s radiologists have the equipment and capacity they need to read and interpret a rapidly growing volume of screening and diagnostic mammograms.

It’s long, but I thought you might be interested in what 8^th District Democrat is asking be included in next year’s congressional budget. I have included the whole district so that you can get an idea of how McHenry County fares at this stage in the budgetary process.

Below are Congresswoman Melissa Bean’s (IL-08) funding requests for FY2010. As part of her commitment to increase transparency in government, Congresswoman Bean in previous years has posted a list of all funding secured in appropriations bills. This year, Congresswoman Bean is posting a list of all funding requests, earlier in the Appropriations process. The projects and amounts requested do not guarantee funding. After requesting priority projects, the House Appropriations Committee considers requests from all Members of the House and decides which projects get funding and at what levels. Therefore, the list of funding requests below cannot be accurately used for a year-to-year comparison against previous lists.

Click here to read more about changes to the federal funding process

Note: Requests are listed by bill and in alphabetical order.

Commerce, Justice and Science
Law Enforcement Advocacy Partnership (LEAP)

• Recipient: Turning Point, Inc., located at P.O. Box 723, Woodstock, Illinois 60019

• Description: $300,000 through the Department of Justice’s Juvenile Justice account to the LEAP program to support the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) at the local level. This is an appropriate use of taxpayer dollars because LEAP is a collaboration between 15 police departments, the State’s Attorney and Turning Point that provides crisis intervention, emergency shelter, overnight and daily orders of protection, domestic violence training for police, and advocacy in court for domestic violence victims.

Northern Illinois Police Alarm System (NIPAS)

• Recipient: Glencoe Police Department on behalf of the Northern Illinois Police Alarm System (NIPAS), located at 675 Village Court, Glencoe, Illinois 60022

• Description: In conjunction with other Members, $200,000 through the Department of Justice’s COPS Account for the expansion of NIPAS. NIPAS, a private non-profit mutual aid organization, is responsible for law enforcement coverage of 68 member towns with a total population of approximately 1.8 million residents in northern Illinois. This is an appropriate use of taxpayer dollars because NIPAS serves as a model mutual-aid system for police departments nationwide. Ensuring that they have the atmospheric detection equipment they need will allow them to better combat the effects of hazardous crime sites, improve response time, and save millions of taxpayer dollars through the combining of resources.

Public Safety Communication (McHenry County, IL)

• Recipient: McHenry County, located at 2200 North Seminary Avenue, Woodstock, IL 60098

• Description: $400,000 through the Department of Justice’s COPS Law Enforcement Technology and Interoperable Communications account to McHenry County, IL to improve communication in areas at risk for both manmade and natural disasters, and as a means to protect data exchange between various local entities. McHenry County is in the process of bringing in new computer technology to the Courts, State’s Attorney, Public Defender, Sheriff’s Office and Jail. This technology upgrade is a critical step toward integrating the County’s criminal justice information system, but it will not complete the project. This is an appropriate use of taxpayer dollars to complete the interface between law enforcement and the court system, thereby allowing McHenry County to completely utilize the benefits of fully integrated criminal justice system. McHenry County received $94,000 in federal support in FY2008, and has committed over $3,000,000 of its own funding to the Integrated Justice Project.

Defense
Large Aircraft Podded Infrared Countermeasures (LAIRCM) Guardian Pod for the KC-135

• Recipient: Northrop Grumman Corporation (Defensive Systems Division), located at 600 Hicks Road, Rolling Meadows, IL 60008

• Description: $4,495,000 from Air Force Procurement (P-1 Line #:050) for the LAIRCM Guardian Pod for the KC-135 aircraft deployed in support of ongoing operations that have inadequate protection against an Infrared Missile threat. This is an appropriate use of taxpayer dollars to procure and install the Guardian AN/AAQ-24 (V) LAIRCM system on the AFRC KC-135 aircraft.

Ultra-Wide Coverage VIS/NIR Sensor for Force Protection

• Recipient: Goodrich ISR Systems Barrington, located at 550 West Northwest Hwy, Barrington, IL 60010

• Description: $2,850,000 from Navy, Research and Development, RDT&E, Force Protection Advanced Technology (Line 16, PE# 0603123N) for the Ultra-Wide Coverage VIS/NIR Sensor for Force Protection. This is for developing, integrating and demonstrating a new visible/near infrared sensor that would be used for airborne persistence surveillance. The advanced sensor technologies will be incorporated to include high resolution, high quantum efficiency, very large format visible / near IR detectors coupled with high fidelity, geo-spatially accurate optics. These technologies will be integrated into a comprehensive surveillance system suitable for manned, or unmanned, and long endurance missions.

Wide Area Sensor for Force Protection (Targeting)

• Recipient: Goodrich ISR Systems Barrington, located at 550 West Northwest Hwy, Barrington, IL 60010

• Description: $2,050,000 from Navy, Research and Development, RDT&E, Force Protection Advanced Technology (Line 16, PE# 0603123N) for the Wide Area Sensor for Force Protection (Targeting). This is for developing the wide area sensor program to build a deployable day/night, wide-area, persistent surveillance system to provide real-time surveillance for combat troops in theater. These technologies will be integrated into a comprehensive surveillance system suitable for manned, or unmanned, and long endurance missions.

Energy and Water
Lake County Wetland Preservation and Restoration Plan

• Recipient: Lake County, located at 18 North County Street, Waukegan, IL 60085

• Description: $200,000 in the Army Corps of Engineers Planning Assistance to States account to prepare a countywide plan to identify key wetlands. This is an appropriate use of taxpayer funds because these wetlands will be preserved and restored to reduce flood damages, improve water quality, and protect high quality natural resources. The Northeastern Illinois Planning Commission projects a 63 percent increase in population in the Des Plaines River watershed from 1990 to 2030. Already, Lake County has lost over 42 percent (38,000 acres) of its wetlands since settlement. Therefore, the plan promulgation process will: (1) examine the County’s remaining wetland resources and their potential flood damage reduction, water quality functions, and natural resource value, (2) use County database information to identify areas that continue to experience flood damages, (3) identify those wetlands that should be preserved or restored, and (4) develop a prioritized list of these resources that can be used by SMC, other agencies, and local groups to implement projects.

McCook and Thornton Reservoirs

• Recipient: Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago, located at 100 East Erie Street, Chicago, IL 60611

• Description: In conjunction with other members, $5,000,000 in the Army Corps of Engineers General Construction account for the McCook and Thornton Reservoirs construction project authorized by the Water Resources Development Act of 1988. This is an appropriate use of taxpayer funds because completing the McCook and Thornton Reservoirs and bringing them fully on-line is crucial to local communities, the health of Lake Michigan and its tributaries, and to the economic development of the region. Without timely completion of the project, communities will face decreased drinking water allocations, significant decreases in water quality and thousands of homes will be vulnerable to flooding. In fact, at any one time, over 550,000 homes are subject to flooding with annual damages sustained exceeding $150 million.

Financial Services
Harper College Northwest Suburban Small Business Incubator

• Recipient: Harper College, located at 1200 W. Algonquin Road, Palatine, Illinois 60067

• Description: $150,000 through the Small Business Administration’s Salaries and Expenses Account for Harper College’s Northwest Suburban Small Business Incubator, which will provide vital assistance to local entrepreneurs who are starting new small businesses. This is an appropriate use of taxpayer funds because r50esources will be allocated to provide support services such as legal, accounting and business counseling professionals to allow entrepreneurs to concentrate on growth and lay a foundation for a successful start-up. This project will also create at least 30 individual incubators in addition to common areas needed to support individual businesses.

Interior and Environment
Hunterville Subdivision Sanitary Sewer Project (McHenry, IL)

• Recipient: City of McHenry, located at 333 S. Green Street McHenry, IL 60050

• Description: $150,000 in the EPA’s STAG account to provide sewer and water lines to Hunterville Park. This is an appropriate use of taxpayer funds because at present time, the 62 households in the Hunterville subdivision utilize septic systems that routinely fail and contaminate the Fox River. This project would extend city sewer and water service to Hunterville, which is pitched toward the Fox River, preventing the contamination currently resulting from the subdivision’s reliance on outdated septic systems.

Village of Johnsburg Wastewater Treatment Facility

• Recipient: Village of Johnsburg, located at 1515 Channel Beach Drive, Johnsburg, IL 60050

• Description: $500,000 through the EPA’s STAG account for Village of Johnsburg to assist with the construction of a centralized wastewater treatment and collection system. This funding would compliment $462,200 that was received in The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2008. This is an appropriate use of taxpayer funds because an estimated 300,000,000 gallons of raw or partially treated wastewater that is being discharged from failed or failing septic tanks into the Fox River each year. In addition to being one of the nation’s most popular recreational waterways, the Fox River is the primary source of drinking water for some 200,000 people. Improving the quality of its water will also complement ongoing efforts to clean up and restore the ecosystem of the Illinois River, into which the Fox River flows.

Village of Spring Grove Water Main Extension

• Recipient: Village of Spring Grove, located at 7401 Meyer Road, Spring Grove, IL 60081

• Description: $150,000 in the EPA’s STAG account to expand the sewer and water main through the town of Spring Grove, which is 95% comprised of septic systems that are adjacent to a high value aquatic resource. This is an appropriate use of taxpayer funds because he septic systems in this area are failing and even with temporary repairs, they can’t keep up with current and proposed infrastructure in the area. The biggest impact the water main extension would have is on the local elementary school, which is in dire need of expansion but can’t proceed without access to the water main. The extension will also increase the number of users on the municipal system and add to the number of hydrants available to a commercial area.

Water’s Edge Waldorf School, (Wauconda, IL)

• Recipient: Water’s Edge School, located at 150 East Bonner Road, Wauconda, IL 60084

• Description: $11,000 in the EPA’s STAG account to provide clean drinking water to the children at Water’s Edge Waldorf Elementary School. Water’s Edge School is located 400 yards from the Wauconda Sand & Gravel Superfund site. This is an appropriate use of taxpayer funds because the school currently draws its drinking water from a groundwater aquifer contaminated with vinyl chloride. Like $750,000 received four years ago to aide nearby homes, this grant will be used to remove the school from this potentially contaminated water supply and instead hook up to a clean, permanent supply of municipal drinking water.

Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education
Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital

• Recipient: Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital, located at 450 West Highway, Barrington, IL 60010

• Description: $72,500 through the Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention – Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion Account for the Breast Cancer Center at Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital. This funding is an appropriate use of taxpayer dollars because it will support the development of a centralized digital mammography reading station at the Breast Care Center “headquarters” on the Advocate Good Shepherd campus, so the hospital’s radiologists have the equipment and capacity they need to read and interpret a rapidly growing volume of screening and diagnostic mammograms.

Children’s Memorial Hospital Intensive Care Unit Facilities

• Recipient: Children’s Memorial Hospital, located at 2300 Children’s Plaza, Chicago, IL 60614-3394

• Description: $500,000, in conjunction with other Members, through the Department of Health and Human Services HRSA Health Facilities Account to help build a new hospital. This is an appropriate use of taxpayer dollars because construction of a new hospital will allow Children’s Memorial to continue providing all children in our region with access to the best minds in pediatric medicine and science and the most advanced cures, treatments and technology in a family-centered environment.

F.A.S.T. Solutions Initiative

• Recipient: McHenry County, located at 2200 North Seminary Avenue, Woodstock, IL 60098

• Description: $250,000 through the Department of Education, Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FISPE), or the Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, Training and Employment Services to fund the F.A.S.T Solutions Initiative. This program is an appropriate use of taxpayer dollars because it will provide flexible and sustainable workforce training in a “boot camp” format which is designed to provide intensive, short-term occupational training in specific fields identified by employers through their participation on the McHenry County Workforce Investment Board (WIB).

Specialty Care and Diagnostic Testing (Lake County, IL)

• Recipient: Lake County, located at 18 North County Street, 9th Floor, Waukegan, IL 60085

• Description: $500,000 through the Department of Health and Human Services HRSA Account to assist Lake County’s two safety net providers – HealthReach and LDHD/CHC. Providing this assistance is an appropriate use of taxpayer dollars because it helps prevent patients from deteriorating to the point that they must receive care in local hospital emergency rooms, which is more costly, and facilitates access to diagnostic services such as x-rays, ultrasounds, MRIs, CT scans, biopsies, cardiac stress test and referrals to specialists.

Transportation and Housing and Urban Development (HUD)
Illinois Route 120 Corridor (Lake County, IL)

• Recipient: Lake County, located at 18 North County Street, 9th Floor, Waukegan, IL 60085

• Description: $1,000,000 from the Transportation, Community and System Preservation (TCSP) account in the FY10 Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) budget for phase one engineering of a freeway section of the Illinois Route 120 corridor between U.S. Route 12 and Illinois Route 131. This funding would compliment $975,000 that was received in The Omnibus Appropriations Act of 2009, and the $980,000 that was received in The Fiscal Year 2008 Consolidated Appropriations Act for this project. East-west travel across Lake County continues to become more congested as the county grows. This is an appropriate use of taxpayer funds because creating the Illinois Route 120 Corridor will be a coordinated effort including several local municipalities, Lake County, and the state of Illinois in order to reduce congestion and increase traffic flow.

Meacham Road Tollway Access Ramps (Schaumburg, IL)

• Recipient: Village of Schaumburg, located at 101 Schaumburg Court, Schaumburg, IL 60193

• Description: $500,000 from the Transportation, Community and System Preservation (TCSP) account in the FY10 Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) budget for phase one engineering of a west-bound off ramp at Meacham Road from U.S. Interstate 90. This funding would compliment $475,000 that was received in The Omnibus Appropriations Act of 2009 for this project. The Village of Schaumburg is the largest center of economic development in the State of Illinois outside the City of Chicago, generating nearly $3 billion in retail sales each year. More than 5,000 businesses take pride in their Schaumburg address and Woodfield Mall has been named the Illinois Number One Tourist Attraction. This is an appropriate use of taxpayer funds because the Village has worked closely with the Illinois Department of Transportation, the Illinois State Toll Highway Authority, and the adjacent municipalities on developing this plan, which has broad community support.

Metra Commuter Rail System Development of the Suburban Transit Access Route Line (Northeastern, IL)

• Recipient: Metra Commuter Rail, located at 547 West Jackson Boulevard, Chicago, IL 60661

• Description: In conjunction with other Members of the Illinois Delegation an appropriation of $5 million from the Section 5309 New Start funds in the FY09 Federal Transit Administration (FTA) budget for the Metra Suburban Transit Access Route Line (STAR). This funding would complement the $13,227,500 that was received in FY08 and FY09 for this project. This essential funding would be used by Metra for preliminary engineering and environmental assessment work for the STAR Line. This forward-looking suburb to suburb commuter rail line, which was authorized under SAFETEA-LU, would continue this initiative that will link more than 100 communities and their rail lines in the Chicagoland region. This is an appropriate use of taxpayer funds because this project is vital to the region in terms of alleviating traffic congestion, providing new commuting opportunities, and linking communities and places of business with new service promoting additional economic development.

Metra Commuter Rail System Expansions and Upgrades to the Union Pacific Northwest Line (Northeastern, IL)

• Recipient: Metra Commuter Rail, located at 547 West Jackson Boulevard, Chicago, IL 60661

• Description: $5 million from the Section 5309 New Start Funds in the FY09 Federal Transit Administration (FTA) budget for the Metra Union Pacific NorthWest (UP-NW) Line. This funding would complement the $13,227,500 that was received in FY08 and FY09 for this project. This funding for a vital commuter rail line authorized under SAFETEA-LU would be used by Metra for preliminary engineering on the UP-NW line. This is an appropriate use of taxpayer funds because these improvements will provide an essential upgrade to Metra’s second busiest line that will include a new station, an extension of track, new facilities, and enhanced overall service.

Miller Road Widening (McHenry County, IL)

• Recipient: McHenry County Department of Transportation, located at 2200 North Seminary Avenue, Woodstock, IL 60098

• Description: $500,000 from the Transportation, Community and System Preservation (TCSP) account in the FY10 Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) budget to widen Miller Road from Illinois Route 31 to River Road. This funding would compliment $6,839,000 that was received in SAFETEA-LU and The Omnibus Appropriations Act of 2009 for improvements to Miller Road. This is an appropriate use of taxpayer funds because by widening Miller Road from Routes 31 to River Road in McHenry, Illinois to four lanes, existing and projected traffic demands would be met well into the future for this heavily traveled north-south thoroughfare in eastern McHenry County.

And, I’m not talking about Democrat John Kerry and his Iraq War votes.

I’m talking about our current President, Barack Obama.

And the subject?

Pork.

When anti-pork Republican John McCain became Obama’s opponent, Obama started becoming anti-pork, too.

What would McCain do if Congress sent him a pork-laden bill?

Veto it.

What did Barack Obama do when Congress sent him a pork-laden bill?

Then, he signed it.

What courage.

As I have said before, politicians should be judged on what they do, not what they say.

Not to worry, a retired high school social studies teacher told me at lunch. A small percent of the total.

“A rounding error,” I observed to be polite.

It turns out it was $7.7 billion for pork in a bill of $410 billion.

1.9%–a bit more than a rounding error.

= = = = =
Below is the list of what Illinois Congress folks got in this year’s budget,the one just passed and signed only about six months after the beginning of the fiscal year. The earmarkers are listed in descending order from highest to lowest dollar amount of pork projects.

• Dick Durbin, 48 projects totaling $35,577, 250
• Ray LaHood, 23 earmarks totaling $8,774,250
• Rahm Emanuel, 10 earmarks totaling $6,523,000
• Jerry Costello, 12 earmarks totaling $5,425,175
• Dan Lipinski, 12 projects totaling $4,451,172
• Melissa Bean, 10 earmarks totaling $3,687,314 (one in McHenry County)
• Bill Foster, 12 earmarks totaling $3,095,000
• Danny Davis, 10 earmarks totaling $3,066,014
• Tim Johnson, 8 earmarks totaling $2,806,100
• Jesse Jackson, Jr., 15 earmarks totaling $2,783,500
• Peter Roskam, 12 earmarks totaling $2,655,330
• John Shimkus, 13 earmarks totaling $2,421,750
• Bobby Rush, 8 earmarks totaling $2,073,375
• Don Manzullo, 6 earmarks totaling $2,070,500 (one in McHenry County)
• Phil Hare, 7 earmarks totaling $2,031,000
• Jan Schakowsky, 8 earmarks totaling $1,644,000
• Luis Gutierrez, 2 earmarks totaling $760,000
• Jerry Weller, 7 earmarks totaling $1,243,250

$47.8 million in total.

Eschewing pork were Republicans Judy Biggert and Mark Kirk.

Three retired members, Rahm Emanuel, Ray LaHood and Jerry Weller get credit for projects anyway.

Newly elected Congress folks Debbie Halvorson and Aaron Shock were not listed.

Neither was newly-appointed United States Senator Roland Burris.

= = = = =
Pork articles that have appeared this year in McHenry County Blog follow:

Illinois Pork in the Commerce, Justice and Science Budgets

Illinois Defense Department Pork

Homeland Security Pork in Illinois

Return of Planetarium Pork

Ray LaHood Tucks $90,000 Bandstand Renovation in Congressional Budget

Pork Where You Might Expect It – in the Agriculture Budget

Illinois Earmarks for Interior, Environment Bills

Illinois Comes Out on Short End of Military Pork

Illinois Transportation and Housing and Urban Development Congressional Earmarks – Part 1

Illinois Transportation and Housing and Urban Development Congressional Earmarks – Part 2 – Dick Durbin’s

Illinois Transportation and Housing and Urban Development Congressional Earmarks – Part 3

Illinois Transportation and Housing and Urban Development Congressional Earmarks – Part 4

Illinois Corps of Engineers Pork

The Illinois Congressional Pork Report

Earmarks in the Health & Human Services and Labor Budgets – Part 1

Dick Durbin Biggest Illinois Porkster

Dick Durbin’s Earmarks in the Health & Human Services and Labor Budgets – Part 2

Earmarks in the Health & Human Services and Labor Budgets – Part 3

Earmarks in the Health & Human Services and Labor Budgets – Part 4

Earmarks in the Health & Human Services and Labor Budgets – Part 5

Again thanks to Taxpayers for Common Sense, McHenry County Blog can give you an idea what pork in this year’s congressional budget looks like.

We continue in alphabetical order. Today we are reaching the middle of the alphabetical. We cover the earmarks obtained by Chicago Democrat Jesse Jackson, Jr., Champaign County Republican Tim Johnson, and ex-GOP Congressman Ray LaHood (from Peoria before he moved to Washington to become President Barack Obama’s Secretary of Transportation).

Jesse Jackson, Jr.

• HHS Health Resources and Services Administration $181,000 Jackson – Access Community Health Network, Chicago, IL, for Facilities and Equipment
• HHS Health Resources and Services Administration $162,000 Jackson – Aunt Martha’s Youth Service Center, Chicago Heights, IL, for Facilities and Equipment
• HHS Health Resources and Services Administration $190,000 Jackson, Durbin – Illinois Primary Health Care Association, Springfield, IL for Facilities and Equipment
• HHS Health Resources and Services Administration $190,000 Jackson, Durbin – Northwestern Memorial Hospital, Chicago, IL, for Facilities and Equipment
• HHS Health Resources and Services Administration $171,000 Jackson – St. James Hospital and Health Center, Chicago, IL, for Facilities and Equipment
• HHS Health Resources and Services Administration $190,000 Jackson – University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, for Facilities and Equipment
• Labor Employment & Training Administration $152,000 Jackson – Safer Foundation, Chicago, IL, for Workforce Development and Coaching Services for Ex-Offenders
• Labor Employment & Training Administration $95,500 Jackson – History Markers, Chicago, IL, for a Digitalized Project

Tom Johnson

• HHS Health Resources and Services Administration $238,000 Johnson – DeWitt/Piatt Bi-County Health Department, Clinton, IL, for Facilities and Equipment

Ray LaHood

• HHS Health Resources and Services Administration $381,000 LaHood, Durbin – University of Illinois College of Medicine at Peoria, Peoria, IL, for Facilities and Equipment
• Labor Employment & Training Administration $95,000 LaHood – Lakeview Museum of Arts and Sciences, Peoria, IL, for Exhibits

Tomorrow we move on down the alphabet.

Taxpayers for Common Sense made it relatively painless to find the projects that Illinois congressmen claimed credit for in this year’s budget.

We have looked at Melissa Bean’s, Jerry Costello’s, Danny Davis’ and Dick Durbin’s previously.

Today we see ex-Chicago Congressman Rahm Emanuel’s, Kane County’s Bill Foster’s, Chicago’s Luis Gutierrez’ and the Quad Cities’ Phil Hare’s.

Rahm Emanuel

• HHS Health Resources and Services Administration $190,000 Emanuel – Advocate Health Care, Chicago, IL, for Facilities and Equipment
• Labor Employment & Training Administration $95,000 Emanuel, Schakowsky – Kohl’s Children’s Museum of Greater Chicago, Glenview, IL, for Educational Programs

Bill Foster

• HHS CDC $24,000 Foster – Kendall County Health Department, Yorkville, IL, for a Program to Reduce Childhood Obesity
• HHS Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration $95,000 Foster – Henry/Stark County Health Department, Kewanee, IL, to Start a Mental Health Services Program in Henry County

Luis Gutierrez

• HHS Health Resources and Services Administration $285,000 Gutierrez – Erie Family Health Center, Chicago, IL, for Facilities and Equipment

Phil Hare

• HHS Health Resources and Services Administration $238,000 Hare – Macoupin County Health Department, Carlinville, IL, for Facilities and Equipment
• HHS Health Resources and Services Administration $666,000 Hare, LaHood – Memorial Medical Center, Springfield, IL, for the Intelligent Pharmacy Program and Automated Drug Management Electronic Medical Records Initiative
• HHS Health Resources and Services Administration $95,000 Hare, LaHood – OSF Healthcare System, Peoria, IL, for an Electronic Medical Records Initiative
• HHS Health Resources and Services Administration $285,000 Hare – Rock Island County Care Center, East Moline, IL, for Facilities and Equipment
• HHS Health Resources and Services Administration $95,000 Hare – Mercer County Hospital, Aledo, IL, for Facilities and Equipment

= = = = =
Now that President Barack Obama has signed the pork bill, there’s something important to remember about politicians.

It’s not what they say. It’s what they do that counts.