McHenry County Blog

I mentioned earlier that my neighbor kitty-cornered across the street had his Obama and Jim Roden signs stolen and I think I mentioned that my Romney sign had been knocked down five times before it disappeared.

This morning as I was driving my son to school I noticed that both my and my neighbor’s Romney signs had disappeared.

So, when I got back home, I replaced them.  I even put my Romney sign in a more prominent place.

The signs in front of Cal Skinner’s home.  The one at the corner is for Congressman Peter Roskam.  On the other side of the street people will have the opportunity to vote for another Republican, Randy Hultgren.

And added another sign saying “Vote No.”

That’s a follow up to the four by four sign against the “County Czar” on the other side of the mail box.

Not favoring concentration of power, I shall be voting against Jack Franks’ County Executive referendum.

In a comment under a Republican sign theft story is posted this comment from Becky Deignan, who lives in Cary:

“The Obama yard sign from my front yard was stolen again this year.

“I decided to protest instead of playing cat and mouse games.

“Please click to see. http://www.facebook.com/becky.deignan

“I will send Cal a photo of this that he can post. My comment is below.

In place of a stolen Barack Obama sign people driving past this home will see three protest signs: “Fear & Repression,” “Resting Place of Stolen Obama Sign,” and ‘Unbecoming and Un-American.”  There is also a “No Trespassing” sign.  Maybe there is a hidden camera, too.

“Yes! I absolutely realize that elections are not won by yard signs.

“However, yard signs do indicate that a person has given some thought to a candidate, and is willing to be counted as a supporter…perhaps, even be open to debate, and tha…t is a good thing.

“It strengthens and enhances conventional wisdom.

“It makes us stronger. No one has a lock on the truth.

“Even simple signs are a form of political expression, a form of liberty, a right enshrined in our bill of rights.

“This is why I get so angry, when any side steals signs from any side!

“Social/peer intimidation of political expression is a bad thing.”

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I agree completely.

My wife says she noticed my neighbor across the intersection was missing his Obama and two Jim Roden for County Board sign as she drove to church this morning.

Andrew Gasser was out working Algonquin Precinct 33 this weekend.

It’s located between Algonquin and Fox River Grove on the east side of the Fox River.

Nice peaceful area.

He came upon vandalized signs.

Yvonne Barnes, Mitt Romney and David McSweeney.

Yvonne Barnes’ sign was ripped from its wire.

Can’t say I have seen where someone has felt so strongly against a candidate that her cardboard sign has been ripped.

The sign vandal on River Road ripped Yvonne Barnes’ .

But, that’s what happened to Yvonne Barnes’ sign.

A Mitt Romney’s sign was crumpled into a ball.

And Romney’s plastic sign was balled up.

The photo of the downed David McSweeney sign includes a nice shot of River Road with the Fox River in the background.

Republican County McHenry Board candidate Mary McClellan sent the latest evidence that local Democrats are not confident that Barack Obama will win Illinois.

Below are the pictures she took of two defaced signs at the corner of Route 176 and River Road:

The word “Fraud” is scrawled on top of this defaced Romney sign.  The initials “IARS” also appear, as well as a reference to a web site.

This Island Lake defaced Romney sign seems to be spray painted.  The message seems to be the same as above, but the vandal apparently ran out of space.

And, here’s the evidence:

Some took a knife or box cutter to this “Vote No County Executive Referendum.”

Looks as if it is in Woodstock near the Ace Hardware.

Look what reached by inbox from Wisconsin.

It was obvious that feelings were running hot in the recall election in which Republican Governor Scott Walker soundly defeated Tom Barrett.

Want to know how high?

Take a look at the sign vandalism below:

A "Stand with Walker" sign has been split in half. Next to the defaced sign is another saying, "Democrat Freedom of Speech."

No, we’re not talking about Congressman Joe Walsh today.

We’re talking about Joe Gottemoller, the mild-mannered attorney who is running for the McHenry County Board in District 3.

He put out his distinctive signs early in the campaign.

Before the first snow.

With his long last name, he figured out he could gain name identification by emphasizing his first name.

Now, one of his signs is missing a big circle where the “Joe” could be found.

Joe Gottemoller's first name got excised from one of his four by four foot yard signs.

At first it seems like a stunt worthy of Chicago politics.

You know, one where someone throws a brick through the front window of your campaign office.

Or, even more likely to be newsworthy, sets off a small bomb that does minimal damage to your office.

But, thinking about it a bit, I figure some guy named Joe probably just wanted to put his name on his bedroom wall.

This is as good a place as any to share Gottemoller’s walk piece and a letter sent to potential constituents:

The front of Joe Gottemoller's walk piece. "Together we can promote a smaller and more fiscally-sound government for McHenry County," he says.

The back of Joe Gottemoller's walk piece features his family and an endorsement from State Senator Pam Althoff.

Here’s the letter he sent out last week with people endorsing him along its letterhead (click to enlarge):

Joe Gottemoller's letter touts endorsements by the Northwest and Daily Herald, plus gives some of his background.

On Gottemoller’s letterhead are Aaron Shepley, Pam Althoff, Don Brewer, Steve Cuda, Dan Curran, Ralph Dawson, Sam Diamond, Robert Fetzner, Richard Flood, William M. Franz, David Gervais, Nancy Gonsiorek, John Heisler, Bill LeFew, Bob Miller, Gary Reese, Fred Roedinger, Brian Sager, Jim Thorpe and Barb Wheeler.

Gottmoller’s web site can be found here.

A press release from State Rep. candidate Danielle Rowe brings that question to my mind.  Is is opponent State Rep. Kent Gaffney or David McSweeney who doesn’t want Rowe’s name to be seen?

DANIELLE ROWE WON’T BE INTIMIDATED BY CHICAGO-STYLE BULLYING TACTICS

ISLAND LAKE - In the latest Chicago-style intimidation tactics used against tea party conservative Republican candidate for State Representative Danielle Rowe, Rowe’s billboards have disappeared from multiple locations throughout the district.

The billboards were 4 feet tall by 8 feet wide, solidly constructed on sheets of plywood, pegged into steel poles, pounded down two feet into the ground, and valued between $1500 and $2000.  They are not to be mistaken for paper signs on wire hangers commonly found on the side of the road.

A report has been filed with the Wauconda, Island Lake and North Barrington police departments. Rowe billboards were reported as stolen from Rand Road/Route 12 & Bonner Road in Wauconda, Roberts Road in Island Lake, and Route 59 & Route 22 in North Barrington.

Wauconda small business owner Kevin Kennebeck had a billboard stolen from his private property.  Kennebeck, the owner of Performance Paving, put up one billboard in Island Lake last Sunday and it was gone the next day.  Another billboard went missing last Tuesday.  When asked if he thought this was a planned and coordinated effort to remove the billboards Kennebeck responded, “Most definitely. They would have needed post pullers to take these billboards out.”

Danielle Rowe billboard on Bonner Road on February 18th.

Danielle Rowe's billboard on Bonner Road went AWOL on March 1st.

Republican leader Brent Smith was one of the many concerned citizens who alerted the campaign that Danielle Rowe’s billboards were missing.

“In addition to being the Chairman of the Nunda Township Republican Party, I am a worker for many campaigns.  I do police everybody’s Republican signs.  I think it’s wrong.”

Danielle Rowe said, “I have run a positive campaign based around the issues that affect people’s lives. I am focused on taking our state back and someone else is focused on taking my signs.

“Local business owners and taxpayers who are working hard to build a thriving community have donated their time and money to support my campaign.  To have the fruits of their labor taken away from them in this way is the sad part.”

Rowe is unfazed by these bullying tactics.

“I am ready to fight the political establishment and represent people who work hard and play by the rules, only to fund a government that doesn’t,” Rowe said.

“I will remain focused on repealing the Chicago Democrats’ tax increase, reforming public sector pensions, stopping runaway spending and borrowing and restoring a business climate that creates jobs.”

Rowe believes the best way for people to express their outrage over these tactics is to vote.  “We need citizen legislators who will serve and represent the people in Springfield.  We need to send a message that we have had enough of the political establishment,” Rowe said.

“I encourage the people of the 52nd District to vote now at an early voting center through March 15 or come out to vote on Election Day, March 20.  We need a revolution and we need to take our state back.”

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As I have mentioned previously, I witnessed two young men taking down a 4 by 8-foot sign on Route 14 between Barrington and Inverness during a raging rain storm.  The sign had been put up by Mike Salvi, who was running against incumbent State Rep.  Verna Clayton.

Confronted with the question, "Are you taking Joe Walsh signs?" the Demcoratic Party operative says, "No, I was putting up signs. I hope you don't take any signs."

I haven’t done a story on sign stealing, but it certainly is happening. I should have taken a photo last week of the missing Mike Mahon sign between the Keith Nygren and Sally Wiggins signs on the northeast corner of the Crystal Lake Blacktop and Hillside Road.

But I didn’t. Just imagine the image, please.

Here’s Joe Walsh’s press release:

Joe Walsh Signs stolen by Bean Operative from Maryland Democratic Party

At approximately 11:30 PM last night, an automobile registered in Maryland, was involved in the alleged theft of Joe Walsh for Congress campaign signs in Hainesville, Illinois.

The theft occurred at the intersection of Illinois Route 120 and Illinois Route 134.

Steve Tucker, a volunteer in the Joe Walsh for Congress campaign, and another volunteer, were sitting in a car at the 7-11 gas station across the street, and observed the passenger of a car with Maryland License Plate (8 MD 1526) remove three Joe Walsh for Congress campaign signs from the shoulder of the road and replace them with campaign signs for Melissa Bean.

The getaway car was registered with a specialty license plate issued by the State of Maryland for the Maryland Democratic Party.

Tucker was able to begin recording video of the theft as he pulled up behind the automobile.

After Tucker confronted the passenger about the theft, the woman driving the getaway car could clearly be heard on the video yelling “Get in the car, quick”.

The video has been released on www.YouTube.com and is titled “Joe Walsh Sign Theft”.

"Get away" car's plate has an American Flag on the left. The number looks like 8MD 1526.

A Police report was immediately filed with the Grayslake Police Department by the Walsh volunteers, and the three Melissa Bean campaign signs that were placed along Illinois Route 120 by the passenger in the automobile were retained as physical evidence by the Grayslake Police Department.

The video is also being reviewed.

Criminal charges are pending.

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So, this Walsh volunteer is a man after my own heart.

Take your camera.  Never can tell when there will be a story right in front of you.

I looked here for the license plate type, but couldn’t find it.

I looked here and couldn’t find it. Maryland has a lot of different plates.

Then I looked at a link sent with the press release.

If it's the same series, what Steve Tucker says in the video, "Busted," is probably correct.

The “MD” doesn’t stand for “Maryland” or “Medical Doctor.” It seems to stand for “Maryland Democrat.”

Mike Mahon and volunteer post a sign.

Mike Mahon was busy at work putting signs up throughout the county Saturday. They weren’t going in the public rights-of-way. They were being put on donor’s private properties, the campaign says.

Earlier this week the McHenry County Highway Department took down four Mahon signs, believing they were in violation of local rules.

A Mahon campaign contact reported it had

“been graciously loaned hundreds of the latest and most compact outdoor infra-red and night vision capable motion activated video and still photo recorders, which instantly send any new data to the campaign’s servers and cell phones, they were immediately aware of the fact that the signs had been removed.

“Once the Highway Department was contacted, they realized the signs should not have been taken down and the signs were returned immediately and are already re-posted.”

Sounds like stealing campaign signs might have a penalty in this Democrat’s campaign.

I can’t wait for the first infrared video.