McHenry County Blog

Low rollers are invited to Algonquin’s Port Edward Monday night for a $55 fund raiserfor the McHenry County Republican Party.

The invitation to the House Republican Organization and McHenry County Chairman’s Circle Whiskey Tasting and Dinner.

High rollers are invited to October 24th dinner at Crystal Lake’s 1776.

Click to read the details of the HRO-Mike Tryon’s Chairman’s Circle fund raiser.

Both the local Republican Party Chairman’s Circle Political Action Committee and the House Republican Organization will benefit from $150 a person event.

It’s being called a “Whiskey Tasting and Dinner.”

The money raised will go to help oust Mike Madigan from his Speaker-for-Life post and toward the Victory 2012 campaign effort.

Surf and turf, the invitation says.

In my comparison of the resources of the Republican and Democratic Parties in McHenry County, I just revealed what is in the official party treasuries.

The Democrats look as if they have more. They reported having $7,620.53 at the end of March. I pointed out, that figure had already been augmented by their annual Jefferson Day Dinner.

The Republicans reported having $7,188.71 in the bank.

Mike Tryon

But, since at least McHenry County Treasurer Bill LeFew was Republican Party Chairman there has been a hidey hole for big contributors.

Current Chairman Mike Tryon calls his the McHenry County Chairman’s Circle (MCCC). It’s officers are

• Mike Tryon – Chairman
• Ken Koehler – Treasurer

Previously, Blake Hobson served as Vice Chairman.

The fund received $2,925 in contributions below the identification level and $8,625 above the $150 level.

$11,550 in all during the first three months of the year.

Below are the contributors made public:

• $1,200 – Robert & Paula Gray, Prairie Grove
• $1,200 – John & Heather Horeled, Crystal Lake
• $500 – Arlington Park Race Course, Arlington Heights
• $500- Citizens for Pamela Althoff, Crystal Lake
• $500 – Citizens for Beaubien, Barrington
• $500 – Mathewson Right of Way Company, Chicago
• $500 – Gary Overbay, Gary, Crystal Lake
• $500 – Republican Womens Club of McHenry County, McHenry
• $500 – Robert Stephenson, Barrington Hills
• $450 – Ernest & Cheryl Riggen, Morrison
• $450 – Committee to Elect Michael Tryon, Crystal Lake
• $400 – James F. Bishop PC, Crystal Lake
• $300 – AT&T Illinois Employee PAC, Chicago
• $300 – Susan Barkley, Crystal Lake
• $300 – Exemplar Financial Network, LLC, Crystal Lake
• $300 – George R. Greenlee, Crystal Lake
• $300 – Chas. Herdrich & Son, McHenry
• $300 – Innovative Component Sales, Inc., Huntley
• $300 – Heidi Kang, Algonquin, IL 60102
• $300 – Leslie Schermerhorn, Chicago

So what does Tryon spend this money on?

$1,054.59 on small stuff.

Joe Walsh at the 1776 event.

Here’s where the other $6,200 went:

• $5,582.25 – 1776 Restaurant, Crystal Lake, [Joe] Walsh Event
• $348.49 – AT&T, Aurora, Phone Charges
• $269.75 – Mailways Enterprises, Inc., Crystal Lake

The Democrats' 2010 booth at the McHenry County Fair.

It’s an off year for partisan politicians, but you’d think parties and candidates would be trying to raise money.

Must be a tough economy, because the McHenry County Democrats didn’t even try.

No receipts and $5,140 in the bank.

The County GOP raised $20,810, but spent $12,435.

Left to spend?

$12,064 when one adds in the beginning balance of $3,689.

Republican Party Chairman has his own leadership fund apart from the Central Committee. It’s called the Chairman’s Circle.

The 2011 GOP McHenry County Fair booth.

$1,266 raised, but $1,000 of that was a loan from Tryon’s state rep. campaign fund.

Left to spend?

$314.

The only local element of the Republican Party showing much activity is the Nunda Township Republican Central Committee. (Picnic this Saturday at Veterans Acres in Crystal Lake at the Rotary Building.)

There’s a bit over $2,000 in its bank account with solicitations having been sent to all possible candidates.

So, one can conclude that party resources are slim.

The final frame of the video below.

Only ten people have watched the YouTube appeal for contributions to end Democratic Party dominance in Springfield when I captured this image.

Don’t know if it is on cable because I don’t watch much TV.

The video appears to be one that is running elsewhere with voice overs from various local leaders.

The other committee of McHenry County Republican Party Chairman and State Representative Mike Tryon is called the McHenry County Chairman’s Circle.

It has had a lot of activity in the past, but little during the last six months.

The fund started with $11,800.

It raised no money.

It gave $1,000 to both Bill Brady’s campaign to the McHenry Township Republican Central Committee, plus $500 to the House Republican Organization.

Right in the tip of the "V" is where the McHenry County Republican Party has maintained an office for the last year and a half.

Other expenditures of $3,400 seem primarily for utilities for the Crystal Lake Plaza GOP office.

$6,300 is left.

McHenry County Republican Party Chairman (and State Rep.) Mike Tryon formed a political action committee separate from the Central Committee.

I thought you might find the contributors and expenditures of interest. They are included in the PAC’s campaign disclosure filing this month.

The price to join the group of inside advisors seems to be $500, although more seems to be welcome.

Here are the contributors:

• Algonquin Township Highway Commisisoner Bob Miller’s PAC – $500
• State Rep. Mark Beaubien’s PAC – $500
• Alliance Contractors Inc – $1,000
• Robert Boncosky – $500
• Randy Donley – $395.20
• Blake Hobson – a $500
• Howard Green Company, Cedar Rapids, IA (John Smith’s Smith Engineering was acquired by HR Green) – $500
• Human Resource Techniques Inc, Algonquin Karla Dobbeck is its president) – $500
• Innovative Component Sales Inc, Huntley (Mike Skala is its president) – $2,500
• Kathleen Kuchta – $500
• Donald Lewis – $500
• Madsen Sugden and Gottemoller – $500
• Marc Munaretto – $500
• Gary Overbay – $500
• Tom Zanck – $500

About $3,500 of the money raised has been spent on “Roundtable Breakfast Meetings” at Crystal Lake’s 1776 restaurant and Richard Walkers Pancake House. I’ve been told candidates were “vetted” at some such meetings.

Richard Walkers Pancake House

• 8/12/2009
• 8/12/2009
• 9/15/2009
• 10/23/2009

1776

• 8/30/2009
• 9/8/2009
• 9/14/2009
• 10/12/2009
• 10/23/2009
• 12/2/2009
• 12/9/2009

In addition utilities have been paid at the campaign office and a camcorder purchased for the Young Republicans.

The fund has $11,800 in the bank.

Reported last night were four contributions for McHenry County Republican Central Committee Chairman Mike Tryon’s private Chairman’s Circle.

Here are the donors:

$2,500 – Claire & Vic Narusis, Woodstock
$500 – Emtech, Woodstock
$500 – Jean A. Rinn, Crystal Lake
$500 – Valley Aggregates, Woodstock

Tryon also reported a $1,000 contribution to his state rep. PAC from TitleMax Corporation A/P of Savannah, GA.

Reported last night were four contributions for McHenry County Republican Central Committee Chairman Mike Tryon’s private Chairman’s Circle.

Here are the donors:

$2,500 – Claire & Vic Narusis, Woodstock
$500 – Emtech, Woodstock
$500 – Jean A. Rinn, Crystal Lake
$500 – Valley Aggregates, Woodstock

Tryon also reported a $1,000 contribution to his state rep. PAC from TitleMax Corporation A/P of Savannah, GA.

Going to the McHenry County Republican Central Committee was

$550 – William Rinn of Crystal Lake
$500 – Dee Dee Wamberg, Barrington Hills
$2,100 – McHenry County Chairman’s Circle

Two other contributions went to Chairman Mike Tryon’s Chairman’s Circle:

$1,000 – Tom Zanck, Woodstock
$500 – Mark Gummerson, Woodstock

Tryon’s legislative political action committee pulled in

$1,000 – Illinois Construction Industry PAC, Springfield
$500 – Wal Mart Stores, Bentonville, AR

Going to the McHenry County Republican Central Committee was

$550 – William Rinn of Crystal Lake
$500 – Dee Dee Wamberg, Barrington Hills
$2,100 – McHenry County Chairman’s Circle

Two other contributions went to Chairman Mike Tryon’s Chairman’s Circle:

$1,000 – Tom Zanck, Woodstock
$500 – Mark Gummerson, Woodstock

Tryon’s legislative political action committee pulled in

$1,000 – Illinois Construction Industry PAC, Springfield
$500 – Wal Mart Stores, Bentonville, AR