McHenry County Blog

I haven’t looked at the state of McHenry County Republican Central Committee since Republican Play Day on July 17th.

Inspired by Stephen Di Bendiedtto’s Sunday article in the Northwest Herald, I decided to take another look.

In mid-July, there were fifty-five vacancies.

Some have been filled since then. The newly appointed GOP Committeemen follow:

• ALGONQUIN 24 – Bryan Javor (Appt 7/23/12) – Crystal Lake – 119 GOP primary votes
• CHEMUNG 4 – William G Matteson (Appt 7/22/12) – Harvard -54 GOP primary votes
• GRAFTON 12 – Joseph M. Oskorep (Appt 7/27/12) – Lake in the Hills – 151 GOP primary votes
• GREENWOOD 1 – Tamara DeModica (Appt 09/05/2012) – Woodstock – 198 primary votes

One Committeeman resigned, as reported on McHenry County Blog here:

• MCHENRY 3 – Mark C Widhalm (Appt 5/24/12) Resigned 9/4/12 – McHenry – 156 GOP primary votes

So in the one year in four when most people are taking an interest in politics, McHenry County Party leaders found only four new folks willing to take on the responsibility of Precinct Committeeman, but lost one volunteer.

I’ve put the townships with GOP vacancies in rank order from lowest percentage of precincts filled to highest:

• Grafton – 42% vacant
• Algonquin – 37% unfilled
• Burton – 33% empty
• Greenwood – 25% vacant
• Marengo – 25% unfilled
• Richmond – 25% empty
• Nunda – 21% with no one
• Chemung – 20% empty

Below are the precincts in which no GOP Committeeman will be trying to help Republican candidates get elected this fall:

Algonquin Township – 37% Vacant (25 out of 68)

If nobody sent you to volunteer, but you would still like to help Republican candidates who need volunteers, email me. We’ll plug you into a campaign. The email button is on the left side of the page.

ALGONQUIN 1
ALGONQUIN 11
ALGONQUIN 14
ALGONQUIN 20
ALGONQUIN 21
ALGONQUIN 26
ALGONQUIN 27
ALGONQUIN 29
ALGONQUIN 31
ALGONQUIN 32
ALGONQUIN 35
ALGONQUIN 38
ALGONQUIN 39
ALGONQUIN 41
ALGONQUIN 43
ALGONQUIN 54
ALGONQUIN 58
ALGONQUIN 59
ALGONQUIN 60
ALGONQUIN 61
ALGONQUIN 62
ALGONQUIN 63
ALGONQUIN 64
ALGONQUIN 66
ALGONQUIN 68

Burton Township – 33% Vacant (1 out of 3)

Burton 1

Chemung Township – 20% Vacant (1 out of 5)

CHEMUNG 5

Grafton Township – 42% Vacant (13 out of 31)

GRAFTON 3
GRAFTON 10
GRAFTON 11
GRAFTON 14
GRAFTON 15
GRAFTON 16
GRAFTON 17
GRAFTON 21
GRAFTON 23
GRAFTON 24
GRAFTON 27
GRAFTON 29
GRAFTON 31

Greenwood Township – 14% Vacant (2 out of 7)

GREENWOOD 4

McHenry Township – 6% Vacant (2 out 35)

MCHENRY 3
MCHENRY 22

Nunda Township – 14% Vacant (4 out of 29)

NUNDA 3
NUNDA 6
NUNDA 8
NUNDA 25

Richmond Township – 25% Vacant (1 our of 4)

RICHMOND 2

When one compares the Republican with Democrats, one finds that the Democrats have fewer Precinct Committeeman than the Republicans have vacancies.

I counted forty-six Democratic Party Precinct Committeemen listed on the County Clerk’s web site.

Mike Tryon is the Republican Party Chairman, while Mike Bissett head local Democrats.

Free Romney signs will be available at Crystal Lake’s d’Andrea’s Thursday night.

If you were inspired by the Republican National Convention and would like a Romney for President sign, the McHenry County Republican Party will be giving them away at D’Andrea’s at the southeast corner of Route 14 and 31 Thursday night.

The faithful will gather to hear Mitt Romney give his acceptance speech.

Although Republican Precinct Committeemen were told all the 2012 Illinois State Republican slots were filled and a list was never made public, there were lots of empty seats allocated to the McHenry County Republican Party in Tinley Park.

And some people who were registered as “Guests” were made “Delegates” on the day of the plenary session, Saturday.

(In another party jurisdiction, such a request made by the party head, was denied.)

There were even names on them.

McHenry County had most of the seats in the back two rows. On the empty seats were the names of Delegates who did not attend the main session.

I checked with three and asked if that person had paid, but just not attended.  I was told nothing came out that checking account.

McHenry County GOP Treasurer Fred Wickham told me that no check was written from the Central Committee’s coffers.

Did someone pay for the delegates?

If so, who?

Beats me, but if you see any of the following, whom I did not see at the convention, you might want to ask them.

I should emphasize that it is possible that some named below were in attendance prior to the main session and went home early and there were two people on the floor I did not recognize, so did not put them in article on who went (which misses some people who attended Friday, but left before speeches).

• Joe Calomino, Lake in the Hills
• Tine Hill, Woodstock
• Al Jourdan, Johnsburg
• Carrie Jourdan, Johnsburg
• Ken Koehler, Crystal Lake
• Mary Ann Louderback, Cary
• Rick Mack, Ringwood
• Mary McClellan
• Bernard Narusis, Oakwood Hills
• Regina Narusis, Oakwood Hills
• Roberta Panfaleo, unknown
• Jack Schaffer, Cary
• Mike Shorten, Crystal Lake
• Joyce Story, McHenry
• Barbara Wheeler, Crystal Lake

I’ve written previously that McHenry County Board member Donna Kurtz was appointed March 29th as a precinct committeeman in Algonquin Township Precinct 20. (She lives in Crystal Lake Mayor Aaron Shepley’s precinct. Algonquin 10.)

That was before Central Committee Chairman Mike Tryon won re-election to the post.

On May 15th, after Kurtz was the main speaker at the candidacy kick-off for Independent State Rep. candidate Dee Beaubien, she was removed from the appointed committeeman post. No replacement was named for the precinct whose houses are roughly between the Crystal Lake Plaza and Crystal Lake Central.

Today I noticed some similar activity in Dorr Township.

When I last dipped into the condition of its Central Committee, I noted that there were four precinct committeemen from McHenry County Board member Tina Hill’s address.

That struck me as a sign of weakness in the GOP in the Woodstock area.

Dorr Township Precincts.

Bjorn GE Mattson has replaced Casey Hill in Dorr 4.

And, Alan Hill has been replaced by newly-appointed Regional Superintendent of Education Leslie Schermerhorn in Dorr 6.

One almost needs a score card to keep track of the substitutions.

Dorr 3 is still vacant, so there’s still a place for a volunteer.

And, I’m sure the other precinct committeemen would welcome help.

Dorr Township Republican Precinct Committeemen as of June 20, 2012.

Mark Daniel

In the what goes around comes around category is the lack of a quorum for the most recent meeting of the Nunda Township Republican Central Committee.

McHenry County Republican Central Committee Vice Chairman Mark Daniel is also the Chairman of the Nunda Township GOP.

Daniel is the one who took the roll when Sharon Meroni, along with 25% of the elected and appointed GOP committeemen called a special meeting on June 2nd.

You remember the one, right?

The one in which Daniel’s cell phone ring tone–the Theme from the Godfather–went off during the roll call.

(See “Tryon Meeting Boycott Strategy Works – ‘Chainsaw Jack’ Franks Gets Third Free Ride from GOP in Four Elections.”)

When I got word of the too low attendance meeting on June 6th, I emailed both Chairman Daniel and Vice Chairman Mike Shorten asking if it were true that there was a lack of a quorum.

Neither replied.

Now Mary McClellan, the Secretary of the Central Committee, has submitted minutes to its members.

Read for yourself what happened:

MINUTES OF SCHEDULED NUNDA TOWNSHIP
REPUBLICAN CENTRAL COMMITTEE, June 6, 2012

A meeting of the NUNDA TOWNSHIP REPUBLICAN CENTRAL COMMITTEE (“Committeemen”) was held at Prairie Isle Golf Course, Prairie Grove, IL at the hour of 7:00 p.m., pursuant to notice of all the Committeemen.

Mark Daniel, chairman was present.

Mike Shorten Vice Chairman was present.

Scott Brown treasurer was present.

Secretary McClellan took role stated that a quorum was not present and the meeting could not continue.

Motion to adjourn by Mike Shorten, seconded by Scott Brown meeting adjourned 7:49 pm

I missed the June 2nd appointment of Gina LeFevour to be Republican Precinct Committeeman in Marengo’s 2nd precinct.

She ran for Committeeman against Mary McCann in the primary election.

Rebecca Lee

Although a committee has made numerous committeemen recommendations to Algonquin Township Republican Central Committee Rebecca Lee, no new names have appeared on the County Clerk’s web site since May 26th.

I have emailed her several times, once pointing out that those who have said they will fill empty spots are volunteers, just like elected committeemen, and, as such, need to know that their services are valued.

A reply has not been received.

That could have been the campaign theme against Democratic Party State Rep. Jack Franks this year if the McHenry County Republican Party had fielded a candidate.

Playing into what is going to be a campaign to demonize Democratic House Speaker Mike Madigan is a front page story on the Northwest Herald that has his picture and the negative things said about him by Illinois Republican Party Chairman Pat Brady Congressman Joe Walsh.

See “Auditioning at the State GOP Convention for Illinois Scott Walker” for more detail about what Brady and Walsh said than is in the NWH Associated Press story.

AP quotes Brady thusly,

“The message we’re going to drive home is that a vote for any Democrat is a vote for Michael Madigan.”

That this is a search and rescue dog does not quite fit the role that the McHenry County Republican Party has taken in Illinois politics this year. But, if the local GOP were a dog, it would be rolling on its back waiting for Democrat Jack Franks to run its tummy. “Good boy. Nice doggy. I like you when you don’t try to bite me,”  Franks might say.

That’s pretty much what was in my article, “Every Democrat Is a Vote for Mike Madigan for House Speaker.”

If the Republican Party had put up a candidate for State Representative against Jack Franks, the NWH might have called Tonya Franklin (the only person who offered to run against “Chainsaw Jack”) and she could have said,

“That’s exactly why I am running.  If we can get rid of Jack Franks, we can get rid of Mike Madigan.”

But, no, the McHenry County GOP acted like a doggy in need of some loving.

It rolled over on its back and awaits the Marengo Democrat to run its tummy.

Since I hadn’t gotten a reply from the McHenry County Republican Party to my request for a list of Delegates and Alternates to the State Convention in Tinley Park, I decided to make my own list.

I didn’t meet the couple on the left who are sitting next to Dave Hubbard.

I know I missed one man and his wife (maybe you can identify them in the photo above), but below are the people I recognized are listed in alphabetical order:

• Pam Althoff, McHenry
• Beck Cress, McHenry
• Jerry Davis, McHenry
• Larry Emery, Crystal Lake
• Andrew Gasser, Fox River Grove
• Shawn Green, Huntley
• Damon Hill, Woodstock
• David Hill, Crystal Lake
• Michele Hill, Woodstock
• Cameron Hubbard, Crystal Lake
• Dave Hubbard, Crystal lake
• Prat Kata, Lake in the Hills
• John Landon, McHenry,
• Sharon Meroni, Barrington Hills
• Cheryl Meyer, Lake in the Hills
• Doug Meyer, Lake in the Hills
• Anna Miller, Cary
• Betty Miller, Crystal Lake
• Bob Miller, Cary
• Nick Provenzano, McHenry
• Michael Smyk, Marengo
• Cal Skinner, Lakewood
• Michele Skinner, Lakewood
• Paul Slebodea, Oakwood Hills
• Demetri Tsilimigras, Cary
• Cathy Tryon, Crystal Lake
• Mike Tryon, Crystal Lake
• Fred Wickham, Crystal Lake
• Mark Widhalm, McHenry

Let me know if I missed anyone.

That’s what I heard Illinois Republican Party Chairman Pat Brady say on WBBM radio the Monday after the State Convention in Tinley Park.

I went searching for the exact words on Chicago News 780, but couldn’t find it.

Even so, that message is consistent that given last Saturday by Brady. See “Auditioning at the State Convention to be Illinois’ Scott Walker.”

Brady pointed out that 5,000 more votes placed strategically in districts Republican House members barely lost would have flipped control of the Illinois House to the GOP.

Instead of Mike Madigan’s being House Speaker for the umpty-umpth time, Tom Cross would have presumably have been elected.

Cross is six seats short and surely has targeted them in 2014.

Madigan, of course, knows this and knows that he might lose some.

Reports that his people are helping Dee Beaubien gather signatures for her announced Independent candidacy surfaced on Jon Zahm’s “Dee Beaubien is too Liberal for the 52nd District. Don’t elect Dee Liberal” blog.

In an article entitled, “Dee Beaubien- Auditioning for Madigan’s Caucus,” Zahm reports the Madigan assistance.

Obviously still disturbing me is the McHenry County Republican Party’s deliberate abdication of its responsibility to field a candidate against Democrat Jack Franks.

The McHenry County Republican Party has foregone the long shot opportunity to provide another vote for Tom Cross in his effort to unseat Democrat Mike Madigan.

Three times out of the last four elections.

The 63rd District is a Republican district for all candidates except Jack Franks.

He has worked is assiduously, co-opting many Republicans.

In fact, he makes it a practice to call any new Republican face to make “nice-nice.”

Franks has numerous Republicans on the “Host Committee” of his McHenry County (as opposed to Chicago).

However slim the odds might be to take out Franks, however, having a Republican candidate on the fall ballot is better than putting up no one.

Two Republican County Chairman in a row–Bill LeFew and Mike Tryon–have adopted the same white flag approach.

One even attended a Jack Franks’ fund raiser!

When asked if he wanted to say a few words, took the opportunity to say some nice things about Franks.

Perhaps my idea of what a party is supposed to do is skewed.

Maybe the Chicago Tribune’s John Kass has it right when he writes of “The Combine,” a bi-partisan group of politicians and their supporters who cooperate in order to enrich themselves.

I had thought Kass limited his labeling to the Party in Chicago, Cook County and Illinois.

To the best of my knowledge, Kass has never applied the concept to McHenry County politics.

But, then again, he has never written an article about McHenry County political arena.

The biggest fund raiser for the McHenry County Republican Party is coming up in July.

It’s called Play Day and is dominated by golfing, a sport I have never taken up.

The invitation to the 2012 Republican Play Day says the cost of the dinner is $50.

But, there is a dinner at which political types and their supporters talk things over.

If I’m in town, I try to go.

Below is more information about the July 18th event:

Maybe by July 18th, the Mitt Romney campaign will have its act together well enough to have bumper stickers* (which were not readily available at the weekend Republican State Convention). Click to enlarge.