McHenry County Blog

There have been many articles and one editorial about the worthiness of McHenry County Circuit Judge Maureen McIntyre to preside at the trial of Richard Daley nephew R.J. Vanecko in his involuntary manslaughter case involving David Koschman.

Today, Chicago Sun-Times columnist Mark Brown weighed in with a column entitle,

Judge should stop down — or explain why not

Starting on January 15, 2013, the Chicago Sun-Times has had at least one article or editorial every month about McHenry County Judge Maurueen McIntyre. Today, columnist Mark Brown calls for her to step down from the Cook County “heater” case to which she has been assigned.

The gist of his story is that McIntyre should step down or “clear the air” regarding the Judicial Inquiry Board investigation about her Boone County divorce.

Brown contends that Judge McIntyre does not pass “the smell test.”

And why does the Sun-Times care about Judge McIntyre?

“It is fair to ask whether this newspaper–or anybody in Cook County for that matter–would have shown have shown any interest in this judicial ethics of McIntyre’s marital finances if she had never been assigned to this case.

“The answer is no. That would have been up to the lawyers of McHenry County to raise–or ignore, as has been the case.

“But now she is, front and center in a case that has called into question the fairness of our legal system.

Derrick Brown

That’s what people want now, according to Chicago Sun-Times columnist Mark Brown.

He uses State Rep. Derrick Smith, the Democrat appointed by Secretary of State Jesse White and political allies.

Smith was arrested for taking $7,000 in bribes.

He was subsequently indicted.

Then, because a primary opponent who used to be Executive Director of the local Republican Party was on the Democratic Party primary ballot, Democratic Party leaders urged voters to elect the alleged crook, rather than the white guy Republican.

The strategy worked.

Smith won the primary election.

Primary election results showed Derrick Smith won over 3-1.

The goal of the Dem leaders was for Smith to win nomination, but then resign.

He hasn’t done it.

Why?

Presumably he needs the month and, I understand, if convicted, he gets points for resigning from the office.

Since a trial is unlikely to be finished by the November election, Smith might even be elected.

Of course, the Illinois House could kick him out of his seat.

That’s happened before and one of these days I’ll write about it.

But, back to what stimulated this piece.

Brown writes,

“While I’m also of a mind Smith should go, it bears noting we seem to have reached a point in Illinois where innocent until proven guilty no longer applies to public officials under indictment.

“Now we clamor for their immediate removal based on the charges alone.”

Is my memory correct that the Northwest Herald called for McHenry County State’s Attorney to step down until his criminal indictment was resolved?

One of the states mega-taxeating advocates State Senator and Rev. James Meeks thinks a 50% income tax is not high enough.

That’s what Chicago Sun-Times columnist Mark Brown reported yesterday.

How does Brown feel?

Here’s the end of his column:

“…I support his overall goal. If we’re going to raise the income tax, this is the time to deal with education funding, too.

“There are more legislators than you might expect who are willing to raise taxes, even in this economy, but if they’re going to take the political hit, they’re only going to do it once, and they’re going to want to have something more to show for it than getting the state’s bills paid more quickly.”

Two Chicago Sun-Times reporters called newly appointed United States Roland Burris a “liar” yesterday.

The angriest was Mark Brown.

“The problem is that if he couldn’t tell the whole truth previously, why should anyone believe he’s telling the truth now.

“I don’t,” Brown wrote.

The second was Neil Steinberg.

“Roland Burris lied on his job application. He lied, under oath, about Rod Blagojevich hitting him up for money before he was tapped to fill Barack Obama’s seat,” Steinberg said in his column.

“Any middle manager caught doing the same would be out on his ear.”

Two Chicago Sun-Times reporters called newly appointed United States Roland Burris a “liar” yesterday.

The angriest was Mark Brown.

“The problem is that if he couldn’t tell the whole truth previously, why should anyone believe he’s telling the truth now.

“I don’t,” Brown wrote.

The second was Neil Steinberg.

“Roland Burris lied on his job application. He lied, under oath, about Rod Blagojevich hitting him up for money before he was tapped to fill Barack Obama’s seat,” Steinberg said in his column.

“Any middle manager caught doing the same would be out on his ear.”

U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald now has guilty a verdict/plea from both of Governor Rod Blagojevich’s chief fund raisers.

After Tony Rezko was found guilty of assorted nastinesses, he was indicted a second time and, contemplating how long he might spend in prison if convicted a second time, he started cooperating with the government.

Now, Chris Kelly has plead guilty to income tax charges.

Might not Chicago Sun-Time columnist Mark Brown be correct that Kelly could be indicted on charges more directly related to his dealings with Blagojevich and, then, decide that he might want to cooperated just as Rezko did.

U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald now has guilty a verdict/plea from both of Governor Rod Blagojevich’s chief fund raisers.

After Tony Rezko was found guilty of assorted nastinesses, he was indicted a second time and, contemplating how long he might spend in prison if convicted a second time, he started cooperating with the government.

Now, Chris Kelly has plead guilty to income tax charges.

Might not Chicago Sun-Time columnist Mark Brown be correct that Kelly could be indicted on charges more directly related to his dealings with Blagojevich and, then, decide that he might want to cooperated just as Rezko did.

The day after Barack Obama used the phrase “Lipstick on a Pig,” three liberal writers for the Chicago Sun-Times covered the subject. Two jumped to his defense.

I can’t remember the time when

wrote about the same topic with pretty much the same twist.

Political writer Lynn Sweet wrote a balanced news story.

First in the paper was Mark Brown.

“Palin cornered the market on lipstick”

He advises the Obama campaign to “leave her alone.”

Next was Lynn Sweet’s

“Lipstick flap leaves McCain sitting pretty”

“What Obama knew or should have known was that Palin has appropriated as a signature expression the word ‘lipstick…’

“Obama had his political radar turned off on this one when it should have been on.”

On the facing page was Richard Roeper’s column:

“McCain outrage fake, but Obama knows better”

So, if a party’s candidate is not swift enough to figure out that some women might take offense at his intimating that the opposite party’s good looking female vice presidential candidate was a pig, is he up to being president?

That’s a pretty big lapse in judgment, it seems to me.

= = = = =
Thanks to Heck of a Guy blogger Allan Showalter for putting lipstick on one of my pig pictures. You can get a closer look at the pig with lipstick by clicking on its touched up photograph.

If you want to eat some good pig, although probably without lipstick, Crystal Lake’s Second Chance House is holding a pig roast at the Dole Mansion from 1-5 Sunday. $10 for those 12 and over; free for those younger.

And, an update on the pig parts shown on poster:

Thanks for the continued interest in our charity.

I was going to attempt to cook the pig again this year (sans Italian sausage) but the Board of Directors felt that my energy would be of better use by networking with the attendees!

At least that’s what they told me.

I think it might have been just a nice way of telling me they were afraid of me burning the Last Chance House down.

So they’ve decided to have the pig roasted by professionals this time!

The picture you saw on the flyer was just something our web coordinator got off the web. Hope to see you at the Dole Mansion on Sunday. I think we’ll be inside if it rains.

Gerry Winkelman

The day after Barack Obama used the phrase “Lipstick on a Pig,” three liberal writers for the Chicago Sun-Times covered the subject. Two jumped to his defense.

I can’t remember the time when

wrote about the same topic with pretty much the same twist.

Political writer Lynn Sweet wrote a balanced news story.

First in the paper was Mark Brown.

“Palin cornered the market on lipstick”

He advises the Obama campaign to “leave her alone.”

Next was Lynn Sweet’s

“Lipstick flap leaves McCain sitting pretty”

“What Obama knew or should have known was that Palin has appropriated as a signature expression the word ‘lipstick…’

“Obama had his political radar turned off on this one when it should have been on.”

On the facing page was Richard Roeper’s column:

“McCain outrage fake, but Obama knows better”

So, if a party’s candidate is not swift enough to figure out that some women might take offense at his intimating that the opposite party’s good looking female vice presidential candidate was a pig, is he up to being president?

That’s a pretty big lapse in judgment, it seems to me.

= = = = =
Thanks to Heck of a Guy blogger Allan Showalter for putting lipstick on one of my pig pictures. You can get a closer look at the pig with lipstick by clicking on its touched up photograph.

If you want to eat some good pig, although probably without lipstick, Crystal Lake’s Second Chance House is holding a pig roast at the Dole Mansion from 1-5 Sunday. $10 for those 12 and over; free for those younger.

And, an update on the pig parts shown on poster:

Thanks for the continued interest in our charity.

I was going to attempt to cook the pig again this year (sans Italian sausage) but the Board of Directors felt that my energy would be of better use by networking with the attendees!

At least that’s what they told me.

I think it might have been just a nice way of telling me they were afraid of me burning the Last Chance House down.

So they’ve decided to have the pig roasted by professionals this time!

The picture you saw on the flyer was just something our web coordinator got off the web. Hope to see you at the Dole Mansion on Sunday. I think we’ll be inside if it rains.

Gerry Winkelman

Last week was so busy I didn’t get to read the three daily newspapers that land on my driveway every morning.

When I picked up the Wednesday Sun-Times, I saw Mark Brown’s column entitled,

Apparently Brown sat in on a weekly meeting that new Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart has with the heads of various parts of the jail.

Apparently it wasn’t a pretty picture, but not as bad as it could have been.

I am sure one of the eternal problems of a Cook County Sheriff is lack of adequate funds to do what the sheriff things should be done.

Certainly the devastating Federal report, about which I wrote below, convincingly show major improvements are needed. Those changes will require lots of money.

The best chance for Sheriff Tom Dart to pry that money out of the Cook County Board is to allow the Feds to put the jail under court supervision.

Indeed, to maximize his image as a reformer, Dart could urge the Federal Court to take over the jail.

Part 1 – Pervasive Problems at Cook County Jail – Sheriff Tom Dart’s Goals

Part 2 – Pervasive Problems at Cook County Jail – 2007 Complaints of Physical Abuse to Inmates

Part 3 – Pervasive Problems at Cook County Jail – Causes of and Cures for Physical Abuse

Part 4 – Pervasive Problems at Cook County Jail – Medical Care

Part 5 – Pervasive Problems at Cook County Jail – Access to Medical and Dental Care

See Part 2.