The poster I received says that folks are gathering again this Saturday at the Woodstock Courthouse to support religious freedom. It is focused on Obamacare’s mandate to provide services found unacceptable by the Catholic Church.
The print on the poster is small, so click on the image to enlarge it.
The courthouse was re-named the “Government Center” by the McHenry County Board.
A press release from the McHenry County Board:
“The McHenry County Board is accepting applications from individuals interested in appointment to the McHENRY COUNTY PUBLIC BUILDING COMMISSION.
“Incumbents may apply for reappointment.
“A strong financial background is preferred with engineering and/or architectural experience desirable. One vacant position is available for a 5-year term to expire on September 1, 2017.
“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 at the County’s website at http://www.co.mchenry.il.us/departments/countyboard/PDFDocs/AppointmentApp.pdf.
“Completed applications should be returned to the County Board office no later than 3:00 p.m. on Wednesday, July 11, 2012.
“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.”
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This reminds me of my most serious policy disagreement with my father, when he served on the McHenry County Board.
He told me over a weekend meal that the County was going to add onto the Courthouse using the non-referendum power of the County Building Commission.
I reminded him that one of the issues that got him interested in County politics was the County Board’s decision to build the new courthouse without referendum approval.
And, lest anyone be misinformed, the odds are very, very good that those making the appointments want someone who will do what the County Board wants.
A lot of them were on lunch hour, but those who were not got an extra break when fire alarms went off in the McHenry County Courthouse complex.
I was operating a hand drier in a bathroom when a light above it started blinking.
It said, “Fire.”
So, back out in the hall I went and out into the 60-degree weather.
People came out into the back parking lot.
I went to get my camera, which is not allowed in the Courthouse for some reason, and started taking pictures.
Seeing no smoke in back, I decided to walk around the building.
A view of the folks standing outside in front of the Courthouse.
In front there were more people standing in the parking lot.
The Woodstock Fire Protection District station near Woodstock North High School.
As I was next to the jail, I heard fire engines coming.
It seemed like it was ten minutes since I had to leave the courthouse.
The sirens were coming from town, rather than from what I thought was the closest station, which is located near the new Woodstock North High School.
I found Judge Charles Weech after i walked around the jail (no evacuation there). I told him I didn’t envy him his job and that I was impressed by the quality of judges I had observed.
After a couple of minutes, those who were standing outside went back to work.
Ken Koehler appears on a professionally produced YouTube explanation of how Federal dollars were used to make county buildings more energy efficient.
McHenry County Board Chairman Ken Koehler and John Hadley, Director of Facilities, are featured on a YouTube presentation about the use of Federal dollars to improve energy efficiency.
New LED lights have been installed in the parking lots which use less energy. Instead of using 400 watt bulbs, the new ones are 110 watts.
Hadley talks about the retrofitting of windows, which don’t have a big payback, have gotten rid of drafts that employees used to complain about.
Skylights and new R-5 lights with motion censers were installed in the Highway Department Garage.
Also made more energy efficient was the Highway Garage. Utility costs went down 14%, Hadley reports.
Koehler says he wants this Federal program continued.
A couple of weeks ago, I noticed something that looked new while entering the courthouse.
A woman lawyer was asked to open her cell phone.
Later I talked to a courthouse employee and was told a new screening procedure had been implemented.
So, whether you are a judge or a clerk, if you work in the main government center building, you are presumably safer now than you were two weeks ago.
Yesterday, I brought up how Huntley School Board President Shawn Green, a policeman, didn’t seem to know the difference between a criminal and a civil case.
That brought to mind a chain of events in my life that started with my being sued for practicing law without a license.
[It’s going to take me a long time to get to my point about Green, so, if you aren’t interested in part of my life story, just come back a couple of days from now for the lesson of this story.]
After all, the low point in my life (besides the disappearance of my daughter Alexandra at age 2¾ ) was when the McHenry County Bar Association sued me for practicing law without a license.
My term as McHenry County Treasurer had ended. I had not followed the career path of some county treasurers and run for sheriff. (Couldn’t picture myself in that role.)
Then Woodstock attorney Joe Conerty announced that he was not going to do tax protests anymore.
I knew that there 10% of the taxes paid to the county treasurer was paid under protest. That was about $2 million in 1971. The reason was that tax districts, including McHenry County, were levying taxes illegally.
Just to give you an example, the McHenry County Board was illegally accumulating money to build a new courthouse. The members knew they were not trusted enough to pass a referendum.
The summer of my first year as treasurer, I used the budgeting skills I had learned at the United States Bureau of the Budget to estimate the county’s beginning general fund balance at the beginning of December, the start of the budget year.
I estimated it would be about $8 million.
The Finance Committee insisted it would be zero.
It was my first year, so I presented my case and sat back and waited. The December 1st balanced turned out to be closer to $10 million. I had underestimated, but I was a lot closer than the county budget’s starting zero balance.
People who paid their county taxes under protest with Conerty got a refund for the entire amount levied for its general fund. And there were other districts that didn’t meet the technical requirements of the tax laws.
In any event, in 1971 I discovered that Conerty was going to file taxes under protest for the railroads and other large property owners. He was just shedding the small tax protesters.
“Ah ha,” my unemployed brain thought.
The paperwork for filing taxes under protest is simple.
I knew I couldn’t do the legal work, so I found a young attorney and got him to agree to handle that.
I knew lawyers couldn’t advertise (hard to believe now, isn’t it?), but I wasn’t an attorney.
More tomorrow.
Yesterday, I brought up how Huntley School Board President Shawn Green, a policeman, didn’t seem to know the difference between a criminal and a civil case.
That brought to mind a chain of events in my life that started with my being sued for practicing law without a license.
[It’s going to take me a long time to get to my point about Green, so, if you aren’t interested in part of my life story, just come back a couple of days from now for the lesson of this story.]
After all, the low point in my life (besides the disappearance of my daughter Alexandra at age 2¾ ) was when the McHenry County Bar Association sued me for practicing law without a license.
My term as McHenry County Treasurer had ended. I had not followed the career path of some county treasurers and run for sheriff. (Couldn’t picture myself in that role.)
Then Woodstock attorney Joe Conerty announced that he was not going to do tax protests anymore.
I knew that there 10% of the taxes paid to the county treasurer was paid under protest. That was about $2 million in 1971. The reason was that tax districts, including McHenry County, were levying taxes illegally.
Just to give you an example, the McHenry County Board was illegally accumulating money to build a new courthouse. The members knew they were not trusted enough to pass a referendum.
The summer of my first year as treasurer, I used the budgeting skills I had learned at the United States Bureau of the Budget to estimate the county’s beginning general fund balance at the beginning of December, the start of the budget year.
I estimated it would be about $8 million.
The Finance Committee insisted it would be zero.
It was my first year, so I presented my case and sat back and waited. The December 1st balanced turned out to be closer to $10 million. I had underestimated, but I was a lot closer than the county budget’s starting zero balance.
People who paid their county taxes under protest with Conerty got a refund for the entire amount levied for its general fund. And there were other districts that didn’t meet the technical requirements of the tax laws.
In any event, in 1971 I discovered that Conerty was going to file taxes under protest for the railroads and other large property owners. He was just shedding the small tax protesters.
“Ah ha,” my unemployed brain thought.
The paperwork for filing taxes under protest is simple.
I knew I couldn’t do the legal work, so I found a young attorney and got him to agree to handle that.
I knew lawyers couldn’t advertise (hard to believe now, isn’t it?), but I wasn’t an attorney.
More tomorrow.
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