McHenry County Blog

We’ve been looking at the question on the survey mailed to 8,000 households by the McHenry County Health Department.

Previously, we’ve looked at those questions seeking information on

• desires for more services,
• open space, recreation and planning, and
• transportation

Today, take a look at what is asked about employment and personal finance.

In the employment section, I find it strange that information is not sought about those in retirement.

EMPLOYMENT

40. Where is your primary work location? (Mark only one)

(1) In McHenry County
(2) Out of McHenry County
(3) I don’t currently work

41-48. For each statement, check whether “yes” or “no” best describes your current employment
situation. Do NOT answer if you are not employed or retired.

I wonder if this farmer feels his job is secure.

41. I feel secure in my job, that I will have this or a similar job available.
42. I need further training or education to improve or advance in my job.
43. I need retraining to find a new job.
44. I am driving too far to my job.
45. I would ride the train to work if the stations were convenient and accessible.
46. I would ride a bus to work if stops were convenient and accessible.
47. I would ride my bike to work if there was a connecting path to my employer.
48. I work at multiple sites.

I don’t see a question about carpooling.

FINANCIAL

49-57. Many households face difficult financial problems. Please mark each situation which you or someone in your home have experienced during the past year.

49. Identity theft
50. Needed legal help but could not afford
51. Bankruptcy filed
52. Foreclosure of home
53. Lack of money for basic needs
54. Experienced an involuntary job loss
55. No job for 30 days or more
56. Became divorced, separated or widowed
57. Other (write in)

The county folks want a lot more information than the Census people.

Yesterday, McHenry County Blog showed the questions being asked 8,000 households about desires and improvements wanted locally.

The survey is entitled,

“McHenry County Healthy Communities 2010.”

Today, we’ll move on the a rating of park/recreation services, something called “local community or village services,” and land use.

Five choices are offered below for two questions. Next is an opportunity to explain why one has rated the services “poor” or “fair,” rather than “excellent” or “good.”

Quality of . . .
28. Your local park district and recreational services
29. Your local community or village services
30. If you rated any of these characteristics above as fair or poor, please tell what is needed or should be improved to make these excellent or good in your community.

Next comes “Lane Use.” Please note that the word “growth” appears only once.

When I was state representative in the late 1970′s, I twice sent out questionnaires to every household with a registered voter asking the question,

“Are you in favor of state and local governmental actions that will encourage population growth in your area?”

In about 1976, the results from my district (all of McHenry County, northern Kane and DeKalb Counties, southern Boone County, including Belvidere, and the far eastern part of Winnebago County, largely unpopulated at the time) was 58% “No.”

About two years later, the negative feedback had increased to 80-some percent–86%–I think.

2030 Land Use Plan (Click to enlarge)

A similar question would have been useful here, especially considering the recent 2030 Land Use Plan fight.

Incidentally, when sorted by zip code, my survey showed areas which had seen growth didn’t want more, while those who had not grown much wanted to grow.

But onto the questions in this year’s survey:

LAND USE

31-36. Please indicate whether you Agree, Disagree or are Not Sure about each statement.

31. I am pleased with the way that land has been developed in McHenry County.

32. Landowners should be allowed to use their land however they want.

Wetlands in McHenry County (Click to enlarge)

33. I am willing to pay higher taxes to preserve wetlands and other environmentally sensitive areas.34. Maintaining our present natural areas such as forests, prairies or wetlands is more important than acquiring new ones.

35. Preserving open space is as important as residential or commercial growth.

36.Government should require residents to use water conservation practices.

I note with pleasure that question 33 mentions higher taxes will be needed “to preserve wetlands and other environmentally sensitive areas.”

Both costs and benefits should be addressed in a questionnaire like this.

There’s no way to do justice to conservative activist and former Republican precinct committeeman Nancy Scalero. Born March 18th, 1952, she died August 13th at age 56

I always have trouble spelling her name, so I typed it with an “e” into Google’s search engine and here’s what popped up from the April 18, 2000, McHenry County Board minutes

The following individuals spoke on the amendment to the Healthy Families Program to address the increase in cases of child abuse in McHenry County:

• Pat Baseggio, 2104 Edgewood, Woodstock – AGAINST
• Cathy Klocek, 2108 Edgewood, Woodstock – AGAINST
• Jan Taylor, 601 Huron Tr., Lake in the Hills – AGAINST
• Liz Doyle, 101 N. Virginia St., Crystal Lake – FOR
• Denise Teresi, 521 Valerian, Woodstock – FOR
• Mary Moltmann, 216 S. Fleming, Woodstock – FOR
• Karen Verr, 4911 Flanders Rd., McHenry – AGAINST
• Annette Mrugacz, 7308 S. Grant Hwy., Marengo – AGAINST
• Ruth Anzinger, 8417 Regnier Rd., Hebron – AGAINST
• Lesta Christophersen, 1939 N. Tappan, Woodstock – FOR
• Dan Weise, 7106 Dunham, Union – AGAINST
• Christy Yurgaitis, 7105 Hickory Nut Grove Rd., Cary – FOR
• JoAnne Neumann, 1509 W. Lakeview, McHenry – AGAINST
• Deanna Gardner, 406 Shepherd Hill, McHenry – AGAINST
• Anton P. Rebel, 4009 Maple Ave., McHenry – AGAINST
• Sally Fyfe Stachniak, 310 S. Rose Farm, Woodstock – FOR
• Carlos Acosta – FOR
• Barbara Amsler MD, 16411 Harmony Rd., Union – FOR (also filed a petition with the County Clerk)
• Nancy Scalero, 1385 Loch Lomond, Crystal Lake – AGAINST
• Denise Soling, 11819 Heron Dr., Huntley – FOR

Nancy could have been the only opponent and it wouldn’t have bothered her. She was the leader of the Kitchen Militia.

She knew this so-called “Healthy Families” initiative was just a way for government to intrude more into people’s lives. She thought the county board should continue to refuse to approve accepting the $102,800 grant for the Health Department.

Because McHenry County Board Chairman Mike Tryon ruled that a two-thirds vote would be required to approve the grant—because there had been insufficient prior notice of the motion–the motion to rescind approval of the grant failed, receiving 13 votes, instead of the 16 required.

Just for the record, here’s what the minutes said about who voted how:

The roll being called,

Members Jung, Kate, Larson, Munaretto, Orsolini, Peschke, Rhyner, Schaefer, Shea, Dwyer, Gilman, Jim Heisler and Tryon voting aye.

Nay: John Heisler, Hoover, Meyers, Root, Schuster, Zierer, Brewer, Dusthimer, Dvorak and Hammerand.

Absent: Colomer.

The vote being thirteen (13) ayes, ten (10) nays and one (1) absent, the Chairman declared the motion failed for lack of a two-thirds (2/3) vote

Knowing Nancy and her voluminous files, I’d bet that she did the research on the underbelly of this program, which I am pretty sure started in Hawaii. One of the indicators there that one might be abusive to one’s children was whether one had had an abortion. I’m amazed that supporters of abortion never picked up on that little piece of information.

Although the minutes give a pretty good idea of the type of government programs that set Nancy off, they pale in comparison to the eulogy that her daughter Mary gave at the Davenport Family Funeral Home in Crystal Lake.

She has been kind enough to supply me with her notes, which, I would stress, I cannot flush out the way she did that sad day.

You can start reading them tomorrow.

There’s no way to do justice to conservative activist and former Republican precinct committeeman Nancy Scalero. Born March 18th, 1952, she died August 13th at age 56

I always have trouble spelling her name, so I typed it with an “e” into Google’s search engine and here’s what popped up from the April 18, 2000, McHenry County Board minutes

The following individuals spoke on the amendment to the Healthy Families Program to address the increase in cases of child abuse in McHenry County:

• Pat Baseggio, Woodstock – AGAINST
• Cathy Klocek,  Woodstock – AGAINST
• Jan Taylor, Lake in the Hills – AGAINST
• Liz Doyle, Crystal Lake – FOR
• Denise Teresi, Woodstock – FOR
• Mary Moltmann, Woodstock – FOR
• Karen Verr,  McHenry – AGAINST
• Annette Mrugacz,  Marengo – AGAINST
• Ruth Anzinger, Hebron – AGAINST
• Lesta Christophersen, Woodstock – FOR
• Dan Weise, Union – AGAINST
• Christy Yurgaitis, Cary – FOR
• JoAnne Neumann, McHenry – AGAINST
• Deanna Gardner, McHenry – AGAINST
• Anton P. Rebel,McHenry – AGAINST
• Sally Fyfe Stachniak,  Woodstock – FOR
• Carlos Acosta – FOR
• Barbara Amsler MD,  Union – FOR (also filed a petition with the County Clerk)
• Nancy Scalero, Crystal Lake – AGAINST
• Denise Soling,  Huntley – FOR

Nancy could have been the only opponent and it wouldn’t have bothered her. She was the leader of the Kitchen Militia.

She knew this so-called “Healthy Families” initiative was just a way for government to intrude more into people’s lives. She thought the county board should continue to refuse to approve accepting the $102,800 grant for the Health Department.

Because McHenry County Board Chairman Mike Tryon ruled that a two-thirds vote would be required to approve the grant—because there had been insufficient prior notice of the motion–the motion to rescind approval of the grant failed, receiving 13 votes, instead of the 16 required.

Just for the record, here’s what the minutes said about who voted how:

The roll being called,

Members Jung, Kate, Larson, Munaretto, Orsolini, Peschke, Rhyner, Schaefer, Shea, Dwyer, Gilman, Jim Heisler and Tryon voting aye.

Nay: John Heisler, Hoover, Meyers, Root, Schuster, Zierer, Brewer, Dusthimer, Dvorak and Hammerand.

Absent: Colomer.

The vote being thirteen (13) ayes, ten (10) nays and one (1) absent, the Chairman declared the motion failed for lack of a two-thirds (2/3) vote

Knowing Nancy and her voluminous files, I’d bet that she did the research on the underbelly of this program, which I am pretty sure started in Hawaii. One of the indicators there that one might be abusive to one’s children was whether one had had an abortion. I’m amazed that supporters of abortion never picked up on that little piece of information.

Although the minutes give a pretty good idea of the type of government programs that set Nancy off, they pale in comparison to the eulogy that her daughter Mary gave at the Davenport Family Funeral Home in Crystal Lake.

She has been kind enough to supply me with her notes, which, I would stress, I cannot flush out the way she did that sad day.

You can start reading them tomorrow.