McHenry County Blog

As U.S. House Democratic Party Speaker Tip O’Neill said,

“All politics is local.”

So, I guess that puts McHenry County Blog in the right place for those who want to know about “local.”

That’s what McLean County Pundit reminds readers on its masthead.

State Senator Pam Althoff

Today my mailbox was graced with a large envelope from State Senator Pam Althoff (R-McHenry).

I figured it was an invitation to a fundraiser. A fancy fund raiser. It was about that size. It had a stamp, although now that I look at it closely, it’s probably a bulk mail stamp. (Did you know people are more likely to open a letter, if you put a commemorative stamp on it?)

Anyway the letter wasn’t personalized. It was to

“Dear Republican Neighbor”

That seems to be stretching it a bit since I don’t even know where Pam lives, but politicians take liberties with words like “neighbor.”

People skim letters like this. At least I do.

There’s bold face type to help skimmers figure out what is important.

State Senator Pam Althoff's correspondence supporting State Senator Kirk Dillard for governor.

I see former Governor Jim Edgar’s name first.

Befitting a letter endorsing Kirk Dillard, Edgar’s name shows up twice.

But looking at it again, I see this paragraph:

“The people of Illinois deserve nothing less than a Governor who will put taxpayers first…”

Had to stop there, because my one big beef with Kirk, which I talked to him about at his reception held at his wife’s great-great-great something grandfather and former (first elected in 1865) Governor Richard J. Ogelsby’s and grandmother’s home in Decatur during the last GOP state convention and, more recently, when he came to talk to the ladies at 1776 in Crystal Lake, was his vote to triple the RTA sales tax.  It ill cost McHenry County taxpayers on the order of $9 million a year times three.  And we are the smallest collar county

And, now I see he has the endorsement of the IEA, the Illinois Education Association, for those of you who don’t follow state politics. That the biggest teachers’ union and one does not have to watch state politics too closely to know what they want—higher income taxes.

Anyway, the letter arrived yesterday.

Was it the day that former Governor Jim Edgar endorsed State Senator Kirk Dillard for the Republican nomination for governor or the day after?

Had Google’s Blogger allowed me to post an article whatever day it was, I would have done so.

I was reminded I did not when a letter endorsing Dillard arrived in Friday’s mail.

It wasn’t personalized. Just a “Skinner Household” piece.

The corner card of the envelope reminded us that it was from “GOVERNOR JIM EDGAR.”

Oh, well.

One has to have a big ego if one is elected governor.

Edgar pitches Dillard’s role as his chief of staff during tough economic times.

Fair enough.

Edgar asks “Friends” to support Dillard’s campaign by volunteering or putting up a yard sign.

Strangely, no way is given to contact the Dillard campaign.

Here’s what McHenry resident Steve Stanek wrote the Chicago Sun-Times about those folks in Springfield

To the editor:

“Down in Springfield, it’s fool-the-taxpayer time,” the Sun-Times wrote (“If this is reform, what’s with the loopholes?” editorial, May 29). When is it not fool-the-taxpayer time?

On top of their sham campaign reform, Gov. Quinn and certain lawmakers want a “temporary” income tax increase in place of Quinn’s permanent 50 percent increase, which apparently cannot win enough votes to pass.

Remember, a “temporary” income tax increase became permanent under Gov. Jim Edgar.

That move was supposed to fix the state’s budget. Instead, budget woes have multiplied.

Tax increases simply enable more of the corrupt and wasteful spending that plagues this state. Tell the conniving manipulators who run Illinois no more tax increases!

Steve Stanek

The letter from Skokie’s Rick Singer isn’t bad either. Click to enlarge.

= = = = =
The snake oil salesman is from a 50-year old cartoon on YouTube, “Make Mine Freedom,” a “Moving Minutes” Production by John Sutherland for the Extension Division of Harding College. It’s a defense of capitalism.

I emailed each of the legislators who represent parts of McHenry County asking if they had a statement on Governor Pat Quinn’s proposal to hike income tax rates by 50%.

The Daily Herald has an article today on that topic, as you can see from the graphic I found on its web site.

So far, I have heard nothing.

When former Governor Jim Edgar made his proposal to raise income taxes, I walked out of the House Republican caucus and told the Sun-Times reporter, “It’s dead on arrival.”

A bit presumptuous on my part, but Senate President Pate Philip took the same position, so it turned out OK.

Jack Franks does have a comment in the Daily Herald story, but he doesn’t say he is going to vote against the tax hike plan.

Barrington area resident Kamleshwar Gupta and his firm, Kam Engineering (KEI) of Elgin, has been indicted by United State’s Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald for overcharging the Illinois Department of Transportation by over $1 million from 1994 through 2003.

The State Board of Elections reveals campaign contributions to Rod Blagojevich, George Ryan, Jim Edgar, Judy Baar Topinka, Sid Mathias, and Jim Schmidt.

Blagojevich received $15,000 from 2002-2004.

Ryan got $6,200.

Mathias – $3,500 from 1999-2006.

Edgar got $5,500.

Schmidt – $500.

Judy Baar Topinka – $1,200, all in the 1990’s.

A bookkeeper has apparently agreed to testify against Gupta.

This is the first indictment after Federal Appellate Court Judge Ann Williams’ scathing and crystal clear opinion upholding the convictions of Mayor Richard Daley’s patronage men.

If you were the U.S. Attorney’s Office would you be interested in knowing how Gupta got convinced to contribute $3,000 on April 8, 2004, and, then, another $5,000 on the same day? And, five weeks later still another $5,000?

The press release, which follows, says Gupta faces 80 years in prison. He is 63.

Think it is “let’s make a deal” time?

The U.S. Attorney’s pres release follows:

ELGIN ENGINEERING FIRM AND ITS OWNER INDICTED FOR ALLEGEDLY
OVERCHARGING IDOT MORE THAN $1 MILLION DURING NINE-YEAR SPAN

CHICAGO – An engineering consulting firm in Elgin and its owner were indicted on federal fraud charges for allegedly overcharging the Illinois Department of Transportation more than $1 million while performing various jobs for the state agency between 1994 and 2003, federal law enforcement officials announced today. The defendants, Kamleshwar Gupta, and the engineering firm he founded and owns, KAM Engineering, Inc. (KEI), allegedly submitted false invoices and financial information regarding overhead expenses and the number of hours worked by KEI employees on contracts for IDOT.

Gupta, 63, of Barrington, and KAM Engineering, of Elgin, which has approximately 30 employees, were each charged with four counts of mail fraud in an indictment returned on April 17 by a federal grand jury in Chicago. The indictment also seeks forfeiture of more than $1 million in proceeds of the alleged fraud scheme. The charges were announced today by Patrick J. Fitzgerald, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; Michelle McVicker, Special Agent-in-Charge of the U.S. Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General in Chicago; and Robert D. Grant, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Gupta and KEI are scheduled to be arraigned on April 30 in U.S. District Court in Chicago.

According to the indictment, during a span of nine years, GUPTA and KEI fraudulently altered KEI’s timekeeping records by moving hours among different KEI jobs and contracts. The altered hours reported to IDOT fraudulently increased the amount of money that KEI billed to and collected from IDOT. Contrary to regulations applicable to IDOT contracts, Gupta and KEI caused employees to keep timesheets in pencil, rather than in ink, to facilitate fraudulent alterations of the employees’ timesheets.

The indictment alleges that Gupta directed Individual A, a bookkeeper, to falsely alter original employee timesheets. As a result, Gupta and KEI manipulated labor and overhead to increase the amounts that would be paid to KEI by IDOT, including by inflating the hours for which KEI could bill under contracts that paid KEI based on the hours worked, and by inflating KEI’s overhead costs. Gupta allegedly signed that fraudulent invoices that he directed Individual A to create.

The alleged scheme resulted in KEI overcharging IDOT a total of $1,069,293.44, according to the indictment. IDOT officials provided extensive assistance in the investigation after uncovering the alleged fraud scheme. IDOT’s responsibilities include administering federal and state highway funds in Illinois, including substantial funds from the Federal Highway Administration.

The Government is being represented in court by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christina Egan.

If convicted, each count carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The Court, however, would determine the appropriate sentence to be imposed under the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines.

The public is reminded that an indictment contains only charges and is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

Barrington area resident Kamleshwar Gupta and his firm, Kam Engineering (KEI) of Elgin, has been indicted by United State’s Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald for overcharging the Illinois Department of Transportation by over $1 million from 1994 through 2003.

The State Board of Elections reveals campaign contributions to Rod Blagojevich, George Ryan, Jim Edgar, Judy Baar Topinka, Sid Mathias, and Jim Schmidt.

Blagojevich received $15,000 from 2002-2004.

Ryan got $6,200.

Mathias – $3,500 from 1999-2006.

Edgar got $5,500.

Schmidt – $500.

Judy Baar Topinka – $1,200, all in the 1990’s.

A bookkeeper has apparently agreed to testify against Gupta.

This is the first indictment after Federal Appellate Court Judge Ann Williams’ scathing and crystal clear opinion upholding the convictions of Mayor Richard Daley’s patronage men.

If you were the U.S. Attorney’s Office would you be interested in knowing how Gupta got convinced to contribute $3,000 on April 8, 2004, and, then, another $5,000 on the same day? And, five weeks later still another $5,000?

The press release, which follows, says Gupta faces 80 years in prison. He is 63.

Think it is “let’s make a deal” time?

The U.S. Attorney’s pres release follows:

ELGIN ENGINEERING FIRM AND ITS OWNER INDICTED FOR ALLEGEDLY
OVERCHARGING IDOT MORE THAN $1 MILLION DURING NINE-YEAR SPAN

CHICAGO – An engineering consulting firm in Elgin and its owner were indicted on federal fraud charges for allegedly overcharging the Illinois Department of Transportation more than $1 million while performing various jobs for the state agency between 1994 and 2003, federal law enforcement officials announced today. The defendants, Kamleshwar Gupta, and the engineering firm he founded and owns, KAM Engineering, Inc. (KEI), allegedly submitted false invoices and financial information regarding overhead expenses and the number of hours worked by KEI employees on contracts for IDOT.

Gupta, 63, of Barrington, and KAM Engineering, of Elgin, which has approximately 30 employees, were each charged with four counts of mail fraud in an indictment returned on April 17 by a federal grand jury in Chicago. The indictment also seeks forfeiture of more than $1 million in proceeds of the alleged fraud scheme. The charges were announced today by Patrick J. Fitzgerald, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; Michelle McVicker, Special Agent-in-Charge of the U.S. Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General in Chicago; and Robert D. Grant, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Gupta and KEI are scheduled to be arraigned on April 30 in U.S. District Court in Chicago.

According to the indictment, during a span of nine years, GUPTA and KEI fraudulently altered KEI’s timekeeping records by moving hours among different KEI jobs and contracts. The altered hours reported to IDOT fraudulently increased the amount of money that KEI billed to and collected from IDOT. Contrary to regulations applicable to IDOT contracts, Gupta and KEI caused employees to keep timesheets in pencil, rather than in ink, to facilitate fraudulent alterations of the employees’ timesheets.

The indictment alleges that Gupta directed Individual A, a bookkeeper, to falsely alter original employee timesheets. As a result, Gupta and KEI manipulated labor and overhead to increase the amounts that would be paid to KEI by IDOT, including by inflating the hours for which KEI could bill under contracts that paid KEI based on the hours worked, and by inflating KEI’s overhead costs. Gupta allegedly signed that fraudulent invoices that he directed Individual A to create.

The alleged scheme resulted in KEI overcharging IDOT a total of $1,069,293.44, according to the indictment. IDOT officials provided extensive assistance in the investigation after uncovering the alleged fraud scheme. IDOT’s responsibilities include administering federal and state highway funds in Illinois, including substantial funds from the Federal Highway Administration.

The Government is being represented in court by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christina Egan.

If convicted, each count carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The Court, however, would determine the appropriate sentence to be imposed under the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines.

The public is reminded that an indictment contains only charges and is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

Associated Press is reporting that Governor Jim Edgar appointed Tony Rezko to the Illinois Health Facilities Planning Board in 1998, near the end of his term.

The GOP-controlled state senate rejected it, along with 100+ others because they wanted incoming Governor George Ryan to make the appointments.

Rezko gave Edgar $4,000 in the mid-1990’s, AP reports,

Associated Press is reporting that Governor Jim Edgar appointed Tony Rezko to the Illinois Health Facilities Planning Board in 1998, near the end of his term.

The GOP-controlled state senate rejected it, along with 100+ others because they wanted incoming Governor George Ryan to make the appointments.

Rezko gave Edgar $4,000 in the mid-1990’s, AP reports,