McHenry County Blog

About ninety public officials and citizens attended McHenry County State’s Attorney Lou Bianchi’s Ethics Seminar Thursday night at McHenry County College.

The State’s Attorney’s Ethics Seminar.

Speakers and their topis were

• Matt Rogina from the Attorney General’s office spoke on the Illinois Freedom of Information Act
• Jana Blake from the State’s Attorney’s office spoke on Open Meetings
• Donna Kelly from the State’s Attorney’s office spoke on the Illinois Public Officials Prohibited Activities Act.

As you had reported on June 21st, Patrick Miller resigned from the District 15 Board of Education, with a note at the end of his resignation letter asking for the board to consider reappointing him to the vacancy.

The original deadline for resumes to be submitted was July 7th. A meeting was then held on July 12th, to appoint a replacement.

There were 2 people who submitted their resumes to be considered for the vacant position.

I was one of those two along with Mr. Miller.

The board decided to postpone their decision, until tomorrow night, August 2nd at 7:30pm, presumably due to a desire to get more than 2 people to submit their resumes.

They reopened the opportunity for those interested to submit resumes until July 28th.

In a phone call to the district office this past Friday, I was informed that there are a total of 4 people who have submitted their resumes and are being considered to fill this vacancy.

The idea that Mr. Miller might be reappointed to this position is very upsetting.

In his letter of resignation he used the term “oversight”, to explain his failing to submit his statement of economic interests.

Even if you assume that is was an oversight (regardless of the fact that he was sent 3 letters by the County Clerk, and probably reminded as he filed his statement of candidacy, as well as the numerous references to the required filing in Illinois candidate’s guide), a decision to reappoint him to this vacancy would be irresponsible to say the least.

To simply miss 3 letters requesting that you file an important document, should be enough that the board would no longer even consider him for the opening, but it seems that is not the case.

We need several concerned citizens to come out to this meeting and address the board on this issue.

We need to let the board members know that we don’t want Mr. Miller to be on the board if he is unable to respect the citizens of the district to meet the states minimal requirements.

While I am hopeful that I will be appointed to this position, I think the most important point here is that Mr. Miller cannot for the sake of the district be appointed.

If you would be kind enough to pass on this information, that would be great. Thank You for the great service that you do for the citizens of the county in keeping us informed of issues such as this.

Sincerely,

Erik Sivertsen

A press rele3ase from State Rep. Mike Tryon:

Rep. Mike Tryon Renews Push for Stringent Ethics Reforms
Challenges Gov. Quinn to keep his promise to reform

CRYSTAL LAKE…State Representative Mike Tryon (R-Crystal Lake) reaffirmed on Thursday his ongoing commitment to ethics reform in Illinois and is calling on Governor Pat Quinn to keep his promise to reform state government.

“Shortly after the Blagojevich verdict was read, Governor Quinn went on TV and said the conviction underlined the importance of reforming state government on a daily basis,” said Tryon. “I would like him to keep true to those words by supporting legislative efforts to pass comprehensive reforms that apply to all legislators in all elections.”
According to Tryon, two years ago campaign contribution limits were put in

• place for individuals,
• corporations,
• unions and
• political action committees

for all elections, but those limitations were put in place for legislative party leaders only for primary elections.

Mike Tryon

“The General Election is where major money is spent by legislative and party leaders – not the primary elections,” said Tryon.

“Extending the caps to the general election is needed to dilute the concentration of power in Springfield so that candidates do not end up feeling beholden to the legislative or party leader who funded their campaign.”

House Bill 232, sponsored by House Republican Leader Tom Cross and the entire House GOP caucus, would extend caps to legislative leaders and political parties in all election cycles. The bill was filed in January and was promptly moved to the Rules Committee. The bill was blocked from being brought to the floor for discussion or debate.

Similarly, House Joint Resolution Constitutional Amendment 28 would put into place a more comprehensive and straightforward recall provision than is currently law in Illinois.

HJRCA28 would allow the voters to recall any Executive branch official or member of the General Assembly. It also would lower the threshold of petition signatures needed to place a recall vote on the ballot and eliminates the requirement for members of both parties in the legislature to ‘sign-off’ on a recall initiative. That piece of legislation was also buried in the Rules Committee and prohibited from consideration on the House Floor.

Other proposals filed by Republicans that were blocked from being discussed include (see attached document for more details):

House Bill 3607 requires statewide elections to fill vacancies in the office of U.S. Senator to ensure voters have a voice in filing future vacancies

• House Bill 1048 prohibits gubernatorial appointees from soliciting campaign contributions
• House Bill 3604 would increase transparency by requiring elected and appointed government officials to disclose additional information on their economic interest statements
• House Bill 3605 prohibits public officials from discussing fundraising activities with prospective vendors, job applicants, and other individuals/entities with a personal or financial interest in government outcomes

According to Tryon, many of the bills were the direct result of information provided by the Governor’s Illinois Reform Commission.

“It appears the Governor has snubbed his nose at much of the work that his own Reform Commission put forward and proposed,” said Tryon. “He needs to dust off that document and help us push many of the reforms that were suggested. We must do everything we can to hold our public officials to the highest standards in the law.”

Cherie R. Rickert and Thomas B. Spencer.

Those are the two names being submitted to the McHenry County Board at its next meeting to serve on the McHenry County Ethics Commission.

I’ve never heard of the McHenry County Ethics Commission doing anything, so its existence is probably required by state law, but not given much of a mandate.

Today, something called the Executive Branch Ethics Commission actually did something.

If you've been hired by an elected official to do government work, but are also expected to help him or her get re-elected, it may be difficult to separate the roles.

It fined a woman who used to work for Pat Quinn $1,000.

What did she do?

She used her government email for a political purpose.

As regular readers know, McHenry County State’s Attorney Lou Bianchi’s employees were accused of doing something similar. One employee testified that she emailed a potential campaign vendor to tell him not to use her government email.

Bianchi and his assistant Joyce Synek were acquitted on the charges by Rockford Judge Joseph McGraw.

Perhaps instead of a criminal indictment costing hundreds of thousands of dollars the alleged infraction could have been referred to the McHenry County Ethics Commission for resolution. Not that I know the authority of the Commission, but doing that would have made more sense that using the criminal justice system.

You can bet the $1,000 fine given Carolyn Brown Hodge will sent a message to political operatives embedded in state government.

But back to the two recommended for appointment.

Cherie R. Rickert works for the McHenry Grade School District as Director of Human Resources. She is a Registered Nurse who has previously served on the Centegra Ethics Committee. She has a Master’s Degree in Human Resources and has served on the McHenry Planning Commission and Human Relations Council. She is a past president of what evolved into the Family Health Partnership Clinic. She also writes a column for the Northwest Herald called “Ask Cherie.”

Thomas B. Spencer is an attorney in Woodstock with the firm of Botto, Gilbert, Schottland & Andrie. In a prior law firm he advised municipal employees on ethical questions.

No one would be foolish enough to suggest that political concerns will not influence the selection of replacements for two Ethics Commission replacements for McHenry County, but some reading this might want to broaden the selection pool.

Here’s what the county web site says about the Commission:

The McHenry County Ethics Commission was created pursuant to the McHenry County Ethics Ordinance, which was promulgated under the Illinois State Officials and Employees Ethics Act, 5 ILCS 430/1-1 et. seq.

The Commission was created to provide a neutral forum for the independent and apolitical review of possible violations of the McHenry County Ethics Ordinance.

The Commission is charged with the obligation to investigate complaints, conduct hearings and deliberations on allegations of violations of the County Ethics Ordinance, and to adjudicate complaints or refer complaints to the McHenry County State’s Attorney’s Office.

The heavy lifting for this post comes from a commenter on a previous article and for that I offer thanks.

The McHenry County Board is accepting applications from persons interested in appointment to the McHenry County Ethics Commission.

Two vacant positions are available for terms ending February 1, 2013.

Application forms are available at the County Board Office, Room 209, McHenry County Government Center, 667 Ware Road, Woodstock, IL 60098 (815-334-4221) or the Application may be found by scrolling to the bottom of this page. Applications should be returned to the County Board office no later than 3:00 p.m. on Friday, June 17, 2011. If mailing your application, certified or registered mail is recommended.

Mailed applications should be sent to the following address:

McHenry County Board, 2200 North Seminary Avenue, Woodstock, IL 60098.

In our examination of political emails involving the re-election of Grayslake School Board members Mary Garcia, president of a Skokie school district’s union, and Sue Fackham, we are now about two weeks away from the April 5th election.

Fackham was re-elected, coming in third, while Garcia was not, placing fourth.

Images, remember, can be enlarged by clicking on them.

Earlier collections of emails can be found in Part 1 and Part 2.

That the Lake County State’s Attorney is investigating the matter is found here.

School Board incumbent has a list of Grayslake School District 46 employees for which incumbent running mate Sue Facklam request. One wonders where the list originated.

A proposed letter to Illinois Education Association (teacher union) members was discused on March 16th in an email from Bob Garcia, an employee of the school district with his School Board wife. While some might think it strange for a school board member to have a spouse on the payroll, it is less rare than one might think. Taxpayers do not seem to see any conflict of (or convergence of) interest.

The incumbents are still trying to tap into the resources of the Lake County Democratic Party's Votebuilder on March 17th. The suggestion from incumbent Sue Facklam to incumbent Mary Garcia is to call their consultant, Alex Finke, to whom they have now sent a check.

This email (subject line: "the campaign") from Sue Fackham tells last name withheld "Lisa" and Mary Garcia that her son's friends are willing to pass out literature...for a price. Facklam also solicits senders of friend-to-friend endorsement cards for which postage will be supplied.

"Prohibited political activity" is the topic of this email from Lennie Jarratt to District 46 School Board members and other school district personnel. Attached evidence was apparently not provided by the school district Freedom of Information Officer. See the rest of the email below.

This is a continuation of the email from Round Lake Beach's Lennie Jarratt above.

With the election about a week away, after the warning email from Lennie Jarratt, School Board President Mary Garcia begins to be cautious about using school district email addresses.

Email traffic with Grayslake School District addresses stops showing up about ten days before the election.

The next one–right before the election–is from the office of Republican State Senator Suzi Schmidt.

It conveyed a letter about “alleged ethics violation of Mary Gracia” concerning a March 5th email.  It was sent to Northbrook/Glenview Elementary School Distrrict 30 Superintendent Ed Tivador and Board President Jim Beam and members of the Board of Education.  District 30 is where Grayslake School Board President Mary Garcia is President of the teachers’ union.

The last email is from Chicago Tribune reporter to defeated School Board President Mary Garcia.

I’m reminded of what my daughter Alexandra said when she was two and a half and on her first weekend visitation provided in divorce proceedings with Robin Geist.

Alexandra G. Skinner, 10-15-84

Alexandra was all dressed up in a pretty outfit that first weekend. We had taken her to some craft show at the Methodist Church’s Wesley Hall where she got a clothespin Big Bird, complete with feathers)  and played outside on the monkey bars.

I decided to take her to the Crystal Lake Police station to get her fingerprinted.

Alexandra threw a fit.

“I don’t need it. I don’t need it,” she screamed.

Repeatedly.

The police officer took her into a room, put the ink on her fingers, pressed them down and then helped her wash her hands in a nearby bathroom.

“That didn’t hurt a bit,” said a beaming Alexandra as she walked out of the washroom.

I thought of all the sturm und drum, the beating of breasts (use your own characterization) that preceded the passage of the conflict of interest ordinance inspired by the Alliance for Land, Agriculture and Water (ALAW) in its pre-February, 2010, primary election questionnaire.

You’ll remember ethics was on the front burner then.  Most County Board candidates voluntarily completed ALAW’s questionnaire, even when it took a lot of time and effort, as it did with Vic Narusis’.

From the commotion during County Board consideration you’d think revealing real estate holdings within McHenry County was going to be so, so damaging to the officials who serve McHenry County residents.

Certainly, it was a reasonable request, considering zoning is a way to vastly increase the value of land. Potential conflicts of interest should be public knowledge for everyone having a hand in the process.

And certainly if family members are going to make a buck from county work that should be common knowledge before contracts are let or products sold.

I went to the McHenry County Clerk’s Office this week to see any of the Statements of Economic Interests had been filed.

There were about a half an inch of the blue sheets, too many for me to want to examine.

So I only asked for those of County Board members.

A number had filed.

Most showed nothing more than the old “None, None, None” Forms.

Click to enlarge.

County Board Chairman Ken Koehler’s had the most writing, so today we’ll take a look at it.

One question asks if the official or members of the immediate family has “interests in real property located within the county.”

If the answer is “Yes,” the following information is requested:

“The nature of your interest in the real estate and your instrument or ownership 5ILCS 420/1-115 (deeds. common stock or preferred stock certificates, rights, warrants, options, bills of sale, contracts, interests in proprietorships, partnerships and join ventures, and beneficial interests in trusts or land trusts).”

1. 

   Click to enlarge.

   Common Stock – Flowerwood Inc+/- 17 acres located NW corner Rt.14 + 176 C.L.

2. Trust-partnership 50% +/- 17 acres located Country Club Rd Ridgefield
3. Trust-partnership 1/3 – Residence 273 Plymouth Lane, Crystal Lake

The next question asks for the location of the real property.

1. Trusts both IL Rt 176 + US 14 just NW of Flowerwood Garden Center + Flowershop
2. Trusts Country Club Road in Ridgefield NW of Alexander Lumber/borders U.P.R.R.
3. 273 Plymouth Lane, Crystal Lake

Next the Property Index Numbers are requested

1. 14-31-151-002
2. 13-24-300-018
3. 19-03-152-018

On page two, the first question is whether the person or any immediate family member has an interest in any business or professional entity doing business with McHenry County.

Koehler answered, “No.”

Ken Koehler

Then there’s a question about whether immediate family or the individual is “an officer or director or any business or professional entity doing business with the County or any other local, public governmental agency within McHenry County.”

Koehler answered, “Yes.”

He is a member of the Board of Directors of Sherman Heath Systems, which provides “health care.”

Officials are asked if they owe anyone more than $1,200. Excluded are student loans, installment loans (cars, household effects, etc.), medical and dental debts, credit card purchases, support or alimony obligations, debts owed to spouse or close relative, and debts incurred in the maintenance of your household.”

Koehler answered, “No.”

Since he answered in the negative, he has no one to list as being indebted to.

The final question relates to having been release from an debt of $1,200 or more.

Koehler answered, “NA.”

Officials are then asked to sign a “verification” which, in part says,

“I understand that the penalty for knowingly and intentionally filing a false or incomplete statement shall be an ordinance violation subject to fines and penalties not to exceed $1,000 (55 ILCS 5/5-113).”

Ersel Schuster listening to discussion of Conflict of Interest Ordinance.

Whether the ordinance that the McHenry County Board passed two days ago will make any difference in the way the board does business remains to be seen.

But it is a step toward the transparency that citizens need to begin to understand whether conflicts of interest drive County Board decisions.

It passed with only two dissenting votes, Lakewood’s Scott Breeden and Huntley’s Dan Ryan.  Ryan blamed his Republican primary defeat on his unwillingness to fill out the ALAW questionnaire upon which the ordinance is based.

Here is the way Emily Berandt, the one who led the charge before Ersel Schuster’s Management Services Committee reacted:

Emily Berendt (on the left) makes point in mark-up meeting of the Management Services Committee. Sitting to her left is Janet Trafelet, who serves on ALAS's Advisory Board.

The McHenry County Statement of Economic Interests Addendum Ordinance passed at the County Board meeting Tuesday night 22-2.Although much has been deleted or changed since we presented the original draft, much of what is really important remains.

This new addendum requires county officials to disclose all real estate holdings, business and professional relationships and larger indebtednesses to entities doing business with county or local governments.

When this ordinance was proposed, we said that this was McHenry County’s opportunity to be a leader in a nationwide movement toward greater transparency in government.

ALAW urged McHenry County to take a preemptive strike against accusations of self dealing and to restore the public trust in its elected officials.  We are pleased that the county has stepped up to the plate.

Thank you to all who were involved in this process.

Emily Berendt
Alliance for Land, Agriculture and Water (ALAW )

The vote was 22-2 with defeated Dan Ryan and mid-term Scott Breeden voting against it.

Called the McHenry County Statement of Economic Interests Addendum Ordinance, it passed last night. It was championed by the Alliance for Land, Agriculture and Water (ALAW) starting a little less than a year ago.

Candidates for County Board climbed aboard, voluntarily filling out the expanded “ethics” questionnaire in order to position themselves on the popular side of this issue in this corrupt state.

Here’s what’s in the ordinance:

McHENRY COUNTY STATEMENT OF ECONOMIC INTERESTS ADDENDUM ORDINANCE

Article I – Purpose and Intent

The provisions of this ordinance are to continue to ensure confidence to the residents of McHenry County (hereinafter referred to as “County”) in their elected and appointed public officials by creating an addendum to the Illinois Statement of Economic Interests which will provide for a more transparent government. The ordinance is adopted pursuant to 55 ILCS 5/5-1113 as amended from time to time. This ordinance is not intended to replace the provisions of 5 ILCS 420/4A, et seq. Disclosure of Economic Interests, but to enact financial disclosure requirements that require information in addition to that which is currently required under said Act., as permitted by 5 ILCS 420/4A-101 Persons Required to File, that reads as follows: This Section shall not be construed to prevent any unit of local government from enacting financial disclosure requirements that mandate more information than required by this Act.

Article II – Definitions For purposes of this Ordinance, the following words and terms shall be given the meaning as defined in Article II of this Ordinance.

1. Doing business with the county or any other local, public government” means the person, business or professional entity has a relationship of a contractual nature with the county or any other local, public government in McHenry County within the last 36 months for the provision of goods or services to the county or to any unit of the county or any other local, public government in McHenry County.

2. “Immediate family” means an individual’s spouse, dependent children, or others if the interest herein required to be disclosed is constructively controlled by the person required to file a conflict of interest disclaimer and/or statement of economic interest pursuant to state statutes.

3. “Interest” means an economic, contractual, and beneficial or ownership interest in the proceeding or action, including an interest in real property affected by the proceeding or action.

4. “Professional entity” means an entity that provides professional services as defined in 5 ILCS 420/1-116, to wit: services rendered in the practice of law, accounting, engineering, medicine, architecture, dentistry or clinical psychology. For purposes of this ordinance, Professional Entity also includes any other entity whose business must be licensed or conducted by persons required to be licensed in their profession.

5. “Real property” means property consisting of land, buildings, crops or other resources still attached to or within the land or improvements or fixtures permanently attached to the land or a structure on it.

Article III – Disclosure of Economic Interests Addendum

(a) All elected or appointed county public officials shall file with the county clerk, a verified Addendum to Statement of Economic Interests responding in detail to the following questions:

1. Other than your principal residence, do you or any members of your immediate family own any interest in real property located within the County? __________ If your answer is affirmative, state the following information for each such interest owned:

a. The nature of your interest in the real property and your instrument of ownership as defined in 5 ILCS 420/1-115 (deeds, common or preferred stock certificates, rights, warrants, options, bills of sale, contracts, interests in proprietorships, partnerships and joint ventures, and beneficial interests in trusts or land trusts).

b. The location of the real property (for improved property, provide the street address; for unimproved property, state its location in relation to existing streets);

c. The property’s permanent real estate tax identification number. ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________

2. Do you or members of your immediate family own an interest in any business or professional entity doing business with the County or any other public/local government agency within McHenry County? _______. Are you or any members of your immediate family an officer or director of any business or professional entity doing business with the County or any other local, public government agency within McHenry County? ____________ If your answer to either of the foregoing questions is in the affirmative, state the following: the name of the business or professional entity, the nature of your relationship to the business or professional entity; the type of product produced or service rendered by the business or professional entity and the extent or percentage of the interest. ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________

3. Other than a debt to secure a mortgage upon your principal residence or business loan are you or members of your immediate family indebted to any person or business or professional entity doing business with the County or any other local, public government within McHenry County?

Circle One: YES NO

If yes, list each such person, business or professional entity to which you or members of your immediate family are indebted and the amount of each debt. EXCLUDE: Any liability of $1,200.00 or less; student loans; installment loans (cars, household effects, ect.); medical and dental debts; credit card purchases; support or alimony obligations; debts owed to spouse or close relative; and debts incurred in the maintenance of your household.

______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________

4. If you or members of your immediate family have been released from any indebtedness from any person, business or professional entity doing business with the County or any other local, public government within McHenry County exceeding in its principal amount of $1,200.00 within the last year without repaying the total balance due on such indebtedness, list the name of the creditor providing the release, the nature and the amount of the indebtedness, and describe the circumstances surrounding the release. EXCLUDE: Any liability of $1,200.00 or less; student loans; installment loans (cars, household effects, ect.); medical and dental debts; credit card purchases; support or alimony obligations; debts owed to spouse or close relative; and debts incurred in the maintenance of your household. ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________

(b) All elected or appointed county public officials shall file with the county clerk, on an annual basis, an Addendum to Statement of Economic Interests in conjunction with the Statement of Economic Interests to be filed with the Secretary of State pursuant to 5 ILCS 420/4A-105.

Article IV – Applicability of Other Laws Nothing in this ordinance shall be deemed to in any way restrict the application of any state, local or common law provision with respect to conflict of interest, malfeasance, misfeasance or nonfeasance in office or employment that would otherwise be applicable to any individual subject to the provisions of this ordinance. The provisions of this ordinance shall be deemed to be additional requirements and shall in no way be construed as a derogation of present statutory penalties and other local remedies for acts prohibited in this ordinance.

Article V – Procedures and Duties of County Clerk The relevant provisions of 5 ILCS 420/4A, et seq. are hereby incorporated into this code as procedure regarding time for filing, where to file, notification to persons required to file, penalties for failure to file and other miscellaneous provisions. The county clerk will receive and maintain a log of all complaints made against individuals subject to this ordinance. All complaints against elected or appointed county officials, county department heads, or the county administrator alleging a violation of the disclosure provision of this ordinance shall be submitted to the State’s Attorney for investigation. AGENDA

Article VI – Penalty for Violation of Ordinance

The penalty for knowingly and intentionally filing a false or incomplete statement shall be an ordinance violation subject to fines and penalties not to exceed $1,000.00 pursuant to 5 ILCS 5/5-1113. All ordinance violations shall be filed within the McHenry County Circuit Court located at 2200 N. Seminary Avenue, Woodstock, Illinois. AGENDA #________ Stmt Economic Interests Addendum Ordinance 111610

ADDENDUM TO STATEMENT OF ECONOMIC INTERESTS TO BE FILED WITH THE CLERK OF McHENRY COUNTY, ILLINOIS

______________________________________________________________

(Name of person for which this Addendum is Filed)

_______________________________________________

(List each Office or Position of Employment for which this Addendum is Filed) (Full Post Office Address to which Notification of an Examination of this Addendum should be Sent)

GENERAL DIRECTIONS The interest (if constructively controlled by the person making the statement) of a spouse or any other party; including dependent children or others of interest, shall be considered to be the same as the interest of the person making the statement. Campaign receipts shall not be included in this statement. If additional space is needed, please attach a supplemental listing.

1. Other than your principal residence, do you or any members of your immediate family own any interest in real property located within the County? __________ If your answer is affirmative, state the following information for each such interest owned:

a. The nature of your interest in the real property and your instrument of ownership as defined in 5 ILCS 420/1-115 (deeds, common or preferred stock certificates, rights, warrants, options, bills of sale, contracts, interests in proprietorships, partnerships and joint ventures, and beneficial interests in trusts or land trusts).

b. The location of the real property (for improved property, provide the street address; for unimproved property, state its location in relation to existing streets); c. The property’s permanent real estate tax identification number. ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________

2. Do you or members of your immediate family own an interest in any business or professional entity doing business with the County or any other public/local government agency within McHenry County? _______. Are you or any members of your immediate family an officer or director of any business or professional entity doing business with the County or any other local, public government agency within McHenry County? ____________

If your answer to either of the foregoing questions is in the affirmative, state the following: the name of the business or professional entity, the nature of your relationship to the business or professional

entity; the type of product produced or service rendered by the business or professional entity and the extent or percentage of the interest. ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________

3. Other than a debt to secure a mortgage upon your principal residence or business loan are you or members of your immediate family indebted to any person or business or professional entity doing business with the County or any other local, public government within McHenry County?

Circle One: YES NO If yes, list each such person, business or professional entity to which you or members of your immediate family are indebted and the amount of each debt. EXCLUDE: Any liability of $1,200.00 or less; student loans; installment loans (cars, household effects, ect.); medical and dental debts; credit card purchases; support or alimony obligations; debts owed to spouse or close relative; and debts incurred in the maintenance of your household. ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________

4. If you or members of your immediate family have been released from any indebtedness from any person, business or professional entity doing business with the County or any other local, public government within McHenry County exceeding in its principal amount of $1,200.00 within the last year without repaying the total balance due on such indebtedness, list the name of the creditor providing the release, the nature and the amount of the indebtedness, and describe the circumstances surrounding the release. EXCLUDE: Any liability of $1,200.00 or less; student loans; installment loans (cars, household effects, ect.); medical and dental debts; credit card purchases; support or alimony obligations; debts owed to spouse or close relative; and debts incurred in the maintenance of your household. ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________

Verification: “I declare that this Disclosure of Economic Interests (including any accompanying attachments) has been examined by me and to the best of my knowledge and belief is a true, correct and complete statement of my economic interests as required by the McHenry County Economic Interests Resolution and Conflicts of Interest Disclosure Ordinance. I understand that the penalty for knowingly and intentionally filing a false or incomplete statement shall be an ordinance violation subject to fines and penalties not to exceed $1,000.00 (5 ILCS 5/5-1113).”

_____________ ____________________________________________________

(Date of filing)     (Signature of person making the statement)

Think this headline might end up in a Bill Brady TV ad?

First Governor Pat Quinn parted ways with this media consultant. The media consultant said that Quinn couldn’t stay on message.

Guess the consultant wanted Quinn to be a focused as convicted felon Rod Blagojevich is on his “I’m a victim” tour.

Now, the Chicago Sun-Times has discovered that Quinn’s Chief of Staff was using his government email account for political purposes.

Easy enough to do, if one is politicking while at work, I figure.

The headline is on the front page of Monday’s paper.

It is a devastating blow to the ethical image that Quinn is trying to project.

Driving around yesterday morning, I happened on a WGN interview of Quinn talking about warm and fuzzy animals. He was going to sign a bill and had a host who met him while he worked in Aurora thirty years ago. That was the year that Quinn’s got the Cut-Back Amendment added to the state constitution.

It was billed as a major reform in state government. One-third of the Illinois House members would be gone two years after passage. No more cumulative voting, which allowed minorities (like Democrats in the suburbs to pick up one in three seats in a district. The amendment doomed the re-election chances of Johnsburg Democrat Tom Hanahan in 1982.)

Mr. Ethics has this really strange ability to mobilize people for a cause which, once enacted, doesn’t work out as he predicted it would. The main result of his Cut-Back Amendment was to give Mike Madigan a stranglehold on the Illinois House.

But, back to today’s disastrous headline.

Chief of Staff Jerry Stermer resigned rather than undergo an ethics probe.

Ironically, Stermer told the Executive Inspector General James A. Wright about the emails.

Quinn fired Wright, a Blagojevich appointee, “the same day the governor was briefed by his staff about findings against Stermer by the executive inspector general,” reports the Sun-Times’ Dave McKenney.

So, Quinn has suffered two body blows in one week.

He has lost his outside politician brains and the guy running state government while he is running for election.

Before going to work for Quinn, Stermer was head of a group called Voices for Illinois Children, a strong supporter a massive income tax hike.