McHenry County Blog

Tina Hill was smiling as broadly at Play Day as she was today when she became the third woman to chair the McHenry County Board.

After the election of officers, the new McHenry County Board Chairman (woman, what’s she want to be called?) appoints one person from each District to a Committee on Committees.

That’s the committee that recommends who should be put in what slots.

(There are temporary appointments until then in which newly elected members take the position of the person they replaced. For example, new member Carolyn Schofield is the temporary head of the Finance Committee, taking the place of retiring Scott Breeden.)

When Tina Hill announced her Committee on Committees appointments, they were all women.

One of the female county elected officials told me she was saying, “Yes!”

Here are the appointments:

• District 1 – Anna May Miller
• District 2 – Donna Kurtz
• District 3 – Mary McClellan
• District 4 – Sue Draffkorn
• District 5 – Paula Yensen
• District 6 – Mary McCann

All are veteran members, except McClellan.

At Barb Wheeler’s fund raiser for State Rep., Nunda Township Trustee Joni Smith, husband Precinct Committeeman Brent Smith, County Board member Tina Hill, County Board candidate Mary McClellan and her husband Ed.

I learned of McClellan’s support for Hill at Barb Wheeler’s Lake Zurich mid-summer fund raiser.

You will note that Democrat Yensen represents her district on the committee.

At the end of the meeting, when the men learned it was their turn to throw the Christmas Party, it was revealed that Hill and Yensen had chaired last year’s holiday festivities.

Marc Munaretto

Led by Finance Committee Chairman Marc Munaretto, the deadline to have borrowed the money allocated by the McHenry County Board under the subsidized Federal Stimulus Program was extended until the end of December for three projects previously approved:

• $15 million for the EquityOne minor league baseball stadium in Woodstock got a 16-7 vote.
• $5,932,730 for Wonder Lake’s Master Property Owners Association of dredging purposes won 19-4.
• $18 million for the McHenry County SportsPlex planned for Lakewood tallied 15-8.

= = = = =
The eight voting “No” on the SportsPlex question were Yvonne Barnes, Randy Donley, John Hammerand, Jim Heisler, Mary McCann, Kathy Bergan Schmidt, Ersel Schuster, Paula Yensen (in whose district the project sits).

The seven voting against EquityOne’s minor league baseball funding were Randy Donley, Ed Dvorak, John Hammerand, Jim Heisler, Virginia Peschke, Kathy Bergan Schmidt and Ersel Schuster.

The vote opposing the Wonder Lake dredging financing were Randy Donley, John Hammerand, Virginia Peschke and Ersel Schuster.

While Republicans were raising money in McHenry for party purposes, Democratic Party sheriff challenger Mike Mahon was doing the same in Huntley.

I went over after the GOP Play Day dinner and discovered an eating place treasure in the outside courtyard of the Parkside Pub.

Signs adorned the street, just as in McHenry.

Attending the fundraiser was the Democratic Party candidate for State Comptroller, State Rep. David Miller. Here he talks with Brian Meyers, Democratic Party Precinct Committeeman in Greenwood Township's 6th precinct.

Besides raising money, it was an opportunity for the Democrats’ candidate for State Comptroller to press the flesh.

McHenry County Democratic Party Chairman Mike Bisset talks with State Comptroller candidate State Rep. David Miller.

State Rep. David Miller drove 70 miles for the event. I reminisced about there being no roads between his Thorton Township next to Indiana and McHenry County. I remember meeting Maureen Murphy at a GOP meeting down there when I ran for State Comptroller against incumbent Roland Burris in 1982 and having a really hard time finding the bar where the event was held.

It was easier to get to Dwight than the part of Illinois where Miller lives.

As it started to get dark, I urged him to go home to his family. After all, how much flesh can one press in the Parkside Pub’s courtyard?

Independent candidate for McHenry County Judge Sally Wiggins converses with Democratic Party candidate for State Comproller State Rep. David Miller and McHenry County Democratic Central Committee Chairman Mike Bisset.

Also in attendance was Independent (I capitalize it because that word will be on the fall ballot instead of a party name) candidate for judge Sally Wiggins.

It was a delightful night for an outdoor gathering at the Parkside Pub.

Again, I ask for other candidates to send me their event photos. Time was when the Northwest or its predecessor Crystal Lake Herald covered GOP fundraisers as news events.  (I don’t remember they ever doing the same for Democrats.)

There would be a photo of candidates and/or the Play Day committee members posing in front a a big float elephant in the newspaper each year.

I remember being told of a visit by Governor Jim Thompson, probably in 1982, maybe in 1983. I was off campaigning for State Comptroller somewhere else in Illinois or in Springfield. My ex-wife Robin Geist took our daughter Alexandra, born Feb. 16, 1982. She was carrying a teddy bear that Thompson had sent to Robin’s Prentice Hospital room in a basket and coached Alexandra to say,

“Thank you for the teddy.”

Now local reporters pretty much ignore party and candidate affairs. There probably just aren’t enough of them and not enough news space.

But, back to Huntley.

One of those who attended was Mahon Pub Sikh Baba Ji, President of the Island Lake Guru Nanak Sikh Mission of America.

Sikh Baba Ji came for a short visit.  He leads the Island Lake Guru Nanak Sikh Mission of America.

Mike Mahon talks with Jeannie Marischler and his treasurer Laura Warzecha.

Mahon was courting contributors, volunteers and party people.

Mike Mahon and Tom Cynor talked.

Former Party Chairman Tom Cynor, who ran against McHenry County State’s Attorney Lou Bianchi, also attended.

Also attending were McHenry County Board members Paula Yensen and Kathy Bergan Schmidt.

When I heard of the $1,000 a year that McHenry County Board members can use to get reimbursement for county board-related expenses, it perked my interest.

Would goodies be found as they are with the Chicago Aldermen’s much larger expense accounts?

Here’s what I received when I filed a Freedom of Information request for Fiscal Year 2009, which ended November 30th. As you can see, it’s pretty obvious that the spreadsheet provided contains some reimbursements beyond the $1,000.

In fact, I learned it contains all of the expense rreimbursements to county board members, except mileage for driving to and from meetings.

What seems most significant is the large number of county board members that took no reimbursements.

McHENRY COUNTY BOARD EXPENSE REIMBURSEMENTS – FY 2009

Randy Donley

• $188.10 for 342 mile trip for 3-30-9 Rural Community Economic Development Conference
• $94.33 for hotel/food for Rural Comm Econ Dev Conf

John Hammerand

• $38, McCog (McHenry County Council of Governments) Dinner September 23

Tina Hill

Tina Hill

• $742.19 2009 National Association of Counties Conference 3-7 thru 3-10
• $28.05 Comcast broadband meeting 2/26/09
• $161.28 Rural Economic Development Seminar
• $841.12 NACO 3/7-3/10  Wash DC
• $32 March McCog Mtg 3
• $35 McCog May 27, 2009
• $34 McCog June 26th dinner
• $30 McCog Meeting July 2009
• $125 EDC Dinner Sept 17
• $38 McCog Dinner Crystal Lake 9/23/09
• $31 October McCog Dinner Mtg
• $32 November 18 McCog meeting

Ken Koehler

• 

  Ken Koehler

  $436.80 Wash DC Mtg w/Lobbyist

• $193 Paratransit/Fed Lobby/Strat Plan Dec 2008
• $76.50 Springfield Meetings Jan 2009
• $57.20 K.Koehler
• $255 DCA Lobbyist 3/2-4,2009
• $37 transportation mtg 2/17/09
• $38 EDC 2/19/09
• $12 CMAP 3/24/09
• $71 Amtrak/Rockford 3/25/2009
• $43 Integrated Justice Mtg Luncheon
• $45.25 Lakewood Issues Luncheon
• $43 Transit Grant Program Luncheon
• $129 PACE Pilot Project
• $28 Randall Rd., City CL Mtg
• $53 CMAP2030 Chicago
• $34 Public Safety Bldg Mtg
• $50 MCEDC Issues
• $26 RWSP, Chicago Water Issues
• $24 Valley Hi Issues Koehler, Dvorak
• $44 ISSSoftware Issues Koehler, Austin, Wallis
• $47.25 MCEDC Issues Koehler, Austin, MCEDC reps
• $84 Valley Hi long range Koehler, Austin, Revere reps
• $27.50 2030 plan w/Eldridge
• $47.25 Meeting w/Lobbyist – Ferguson
• $12 RTA – cab fare

Lyn Orphal

• $34 June 24th McCog Dinner

Ersel Schuster

• $173.28 Rural Community Econ. Dev. 03/04-03/05
• $64 McCog June and July reimbursement

Barb Wheeler

• $91.71 Housing Forum refreshments

Paula Yensen
$30 McCog reimbursement
$30 Feb McCog reimbursement
$34 McCog Dinner 6/24/09 3
$30 McCog July 2009
$20 MCCD Class-Creating Thriving Communities

OK. I was wrong.

I predicted last night that the McHenry County Board would approved what proponents insist on calling video poker.

But, this morning social conservatives on the board pulled off a 13-10-1 victory.

That was with the help of all three Democrats on the county board. (Counting only Republicans, the vote would have been tied 10-10.)

Lake in the Hills member Paula Yensen has personal knowledge of how devastating gambling can be to a family.

Patriots United video slot machine debate panels, ban proponents on the right, opponents on the left.

Perhaps also influencing the vote was the leadership that Democratic Party State Rep. Jack Franks has taken on the issue. He attended a Patriots United debate on the subject after returning from one of this fall’s veto sessions.

All Republicans representing McHenry County in the Illinois General Assembly except State Senator Dan Duffy, that is, State Representatives Mike Tryon and Mark Beaubien, plus State Senator Pam Althoff, voted supported video slot machines.

Voting in favor of a ban of the video gambling machines in unincorporated areas were the following, who are grouped by county board district (those up for election this year are show in bold face type):

District 1

• Yvonne Barnes

District 2

• Jim Heisler

District 3

• Ed Dvorak (retiring)
• Kathy Bergan Schmidt
• Barbara Wheeler

District 4

• Sue Draffkorn
• John Hammerand
• Sandy Salgado

District 5

• Paula Yensen
• Jim Kennedy
• Virginia Peschke

District 6

• Mary McCann
• Ersel Schuster

Voting against the ban, thus in favor of expanding gambling were the following:

District 1

• Anna May Miller
• Bob Bless
• Marc Munaretto

District 2

• Scott Breeden
• Ken Koehler
• Lyn Orphal

District 3

• Mary Donner

District 4

• Pete Merkel

District 5

• Tina Hill

District 6

• Dan Ryan

Abstaining from the vote was District 6 Republican Randy Donley.

A month ago the board voted against holding an advisory referendum on the issue. The vote was 13-11-1.

The thirteen board members who voted against allowing their constituents to vote on the issue follow:

• Yvonne Barnes (R-Cary)

• Sue Draffkorn (R-Wonder Lake)

• Paula Yensen (D-Lake in the Hills)

• Ed Dvorak (R-Crystal Lake)

• Jim Heisler (R-Crystal Lake)

• Ken Koehler (R-Crystal Lake)

• Mary McCann (R-Woodstock)

• Pete Merkel (R-McHenry)

• Virginia Peschke (R-Bull Valley)

• Sandy Salgado (R-McHenry)

• Kathy Bergan Schmidt (D-Crystal Lake)

• Barb Wheeler (R-Crystal Lake)

Voting in favor of an advisory referendum were

• Bob Bless (R-Fox River Grove)

• Scott Breeden (R-Lakewood)

• Mary Donner (R-Crystal Lake)

• John Hammerand (R-Wonder Lake)

• Tina Hill (R-Woodstock)

• Jim Kennedy (D-Lake in the Hills)

• Anna May Miller (R-Cary)

• Marc Munaretto (R-Algonquin)

• Lyn Orphal (R-Crystal Lake)

• Dan Ryan (R-Huntley)

Members of the Operating Engineers Local 150 lobbied vigorously against the gambling ban, arguing for the jobs its proceeds would finance.

In the parts of McHenry County I have been, only one Republican candidate has been invisible.

Long-time county board candidate Virginia Peschke, who can be counted upon to be an independent thinker and actually ran against Ken Koehler for McHenry County Board Chairman, was no where to be seen.

Sure, she ran first four years ago, but Democrat Paula Yensen has been working hard going door-to-door in her end of the district (the more populated Lake in the Hills and Huntley), while there were no reports of Peschke doing anything.

I saw none of Peschke’s pamphlets earlier this month at GOP headquarters on literature distribution day.

Meanwhile John Jung seemed to be working hard.

And, well he should be given the history of extremely negative campaigning by Democrats in District 5.

(See

Picking of Perry – Part 1,
Picking on Perry – Part 2,
Picking on Perry – Part 3,
Perry Takes Another Hit, and
Negative Campaigning Apparently Works.)

Frankly, I expected Jung to bear the brunt of similar negative attacks. I figured he was in the Democrats’ bull’s eye, since women are typically seen more favorably at the polls than guys.

Muddying the waters is the candidacy of Woodstock’s Frank Wedig. He is running on the Green Party ticket.

Today driving down Fleming Road I saw a

“Re-Elect Peschke – McHenry County Board”

sign. After that I saw a few others.

I don’t know if she is going to make a last week mailing to make up for not having given the precinct committeemen anything to pass out.

She certainly should.

Besides Peschke’s signs, I saw one for Yensen, her Lake in the Hills village Trustee opponent. I saw some for Green Party candidate Frank Gedig and yard sign

There were 4X4′s for Peschke’s running mate John Jung near Ridgefield.

In the parts of McHenry County I have been, only one Republican candidate has been invisible.

Long-time county board candidate Virginia Peschke, who can be counted upon to be an independent thinker and actually ran against Ken Koehler for McHenry County Board Chairman, was no where to be seen.

Sure, she ran first four years ago, but Democrat Paula Yensen has been working hard going door-to-door in her end of the district (the more populated Lake in the Hills and Huntley), while there were no reports of Peschke doing anything.

I saw none of Peschke’s pamphlets earlier this month at GOP headquarters on literature distribution day.

Meanwhile John Jung seemed to be working hard.

And, well he should be given the history of extremely negative campaigning by Democrats in District 5.

(See

Picking of Perry – Part 1,
Picking on Perry – Part 2,
Picking on Perry – Part 3,
Perry Takes Another Hit, and
Negative Campaigning Apparently Works.)

Frankly, I expected Jung to bear the brunt of similar negative attacks. I figured he was in the Democrats’ bull’s eye, since women are typically seen more favorably at the polls than guys.

Muddying the waters is the candidacy of Woodstock’s Frank Wedig. He is running on the Green Party ticket.

Today driving down Fleming Road I saw a

“Re-Elect Peschke – McHenry County Board”

sign. After that I saw a few others.

I don’t know if she is going to make a last week mailing to make up for not having given the precinct committeemen anything to pass out.

She certainly should.

Besides Peschke’s signs, I saw one for Yensen, her Lake in the Hills village Trustee opponent. I saw some for Green Party candidate Frank Gedig and yard sign

There were 4X4′s for Peschke’s running mate John Jung near Ridgefield.

Add the $2,075 to the $4,427 Lake in the Hills Trustee Paula Yenson raised previously for her attempt to pick off another Republican on the McHenry County Board and she has about $6,500 for her campaign.

She has been out knocking on doors and I expect to hear of some hit pieces similar to those that took down Republican Perry Moy two years ago. Let me know if you receive one.

Add the $2,075 to the $4,427 Lake in the Hills Trustee Paula Yenson raised previously for her attempt to pick off another Republican on the McHenry County Board and she has about $6,500 for her campaign.

She has been out knocking on doors and I expect to hear of some hit pieces similar to those that took down Republican Perry Moy two years ago. Let me know if you receive one.