McHenry County Blog

“I don’t think I could have been more victorious,” Barrington Hills resident Sharon Meroni told me after the the conclusion of her challenge to Independent judicial candidate Sally Wiggin’s candidacy.

“I have respect for her for doing that (revealing a copy of her birth certificate),” Meroni added.

"No Politics in My Courtroom" reads the card of Independent candidate Sally Wiggins.

Wiggins reaction:

“I have no problem disclosing that I was actually born in Harvard.

“I’m proud to have been born in the USA.

“By doing that she no longer has a forum that should be decided in Springfield.”

Sharon Meroni

In her statements to the McHenry County Officials Officers Board, Meroni expressed her frustration on not being able to find a way to verify that those running for public office were actually citizens.

She related how McHenry County Clerk Kathie Schultz had told her how the voter registration process does not check to verify citizenship.

In a court suit trying to require candidates to reveal their birth certificates, Meroni learned that the place to make that objection was during the five-day petition challenge period after candidacy filing.

That’s was Meroni did this year.

Meeting with an Illinois State Board of Elections hearing officer, they both agreed that her challenge had nothing to do with whether the number of signatures filed were enough. It was strictly whether the candidates challenged were United States citizens.

Meroni thought that presentation of birth certificates would be the way to go.

When one applies for a passport, one has to provide an original birth certificate. (Someday, I’ll write the story of how my son and wife got a passport, but how I was initially rejected, even though I provided my birth certificate.)

Sharon Meroni holds up the page of the Sally Wiggins' motion to dismiss that contains a copy of Wiggins' McHerny County Birth Certificate.

So, to get back in the country one needs more evidence of citizenship than to run for office to govern other citizens.

Wiggins offered up a copy of her birth certificate, filed in the McHenry County Clerk’s Office, in a motion to dismiss Meroni’s objection. She also noted that she had signed a notarized Loyalty Oath, which states that she is “citizen of the United States.

When the hearing got to the point of Meroni’s being asked to offer evidence, she stated what anyone who had taken a logic course would offer:

“I’m asked to prove the negative…an impermissible barrier…”

Some elements of the media have treated Meroni, who admits to having been on the TEA Party Express, where “nobody knows” one does not have to prove citizenship to run for public office.

Her goal is to have all candidates have to provide they are citizens, either born here or naturalized. I imagine this was inspired by President Barack Obama’s unwillingness to let people view his paper birth certificate.

Before the hearing reached the evidentiary stage, Wiggins, Meroni and Wiggins’ attorney Margo Ely conferred behind closed doors.

But, Wiggins did not share the contents of the motion to dismiss behind closed doors.

“I didn’t know she had posted her birth certificate.

“Now that’s she’s done that, I say she really complied with my request.

“She has cooperated in such a wonderful way.”

Hearing Officer Don Leist then asked,

“Do you wish to withdraw your objection?”

From left to right are Hearing Officer Don Leist, McHenry County County Clerk Katherine Schultz, McHenry County Circuit Clerk Katherine Keefe and Chief Deputy State's Attorney Tom Carroll.

“Based on her having tendered her birth certificate, I withdraw my petition.” Meroni said.

Serving on the hearing board were County Clerk Schultz, Circuit Clerk Katherine Keefe and Assistant State’s Attorney Tom Carroll.

Other reporters in the room were the First Electric Newspaper’s Pete Gonigam, the Daily Herald’s Chuck Keeshan and Iris Bryan of the Town Crier.

A paragraph from a Chicago Tribune article about Illinois Tea Party demonstrations:

“A typical protest will draw a few dozen vocal participants, including last month’s rally at the Schaumburg office of U.S. Rep. Melissa Bean intended to persuade the Democrat to oppose the health care bill. While most merely waved U.S. flags, some directed their ire at Obama.”

Admittedly this photo shows both sides of the March 16th demonstration outside Melissa Bean's office, but folks who were there told me there were more than a couple of dozen opposing Bean's voting in favor of President Barack Obama's health care plan. Check out other photos and the video in the links below.

Take a look for yourself at this demonstration outside Bean’s office.

Check out the video in this article.

Do you see “a few dozen” or can you count a few more?

Here’s another chance for you to count noses in front of Bean’s office.

Part of the July 4th Tea Party demonstration in Crystal Lake last year.

Information about the April 15 2010, 3-6 PM Tea Party demonstration on Route 14 in Crystal Lake can be found here.

Details about Tuesday’s Tea Party Express 1 PM stop in Rockford can be found here, map and all.

And, if you are interested in seeing what happened in Crystal Lake last July 4th, take a look at this article and this one.

April 15, 2009, at the corner of Route 14 and Main Street.

Here’s last year’s April 15th demonstration on Route 14 in Crystal Lake.

Algonquin Rout 62 demonstrations April 15, 2009.

Take a look at Algonquin’s.

Shot of last year's April 15th Tea Party crowd in Cary.

And, Cary’s.

As the Tribune says,

“Just a couple of dozen.”

And, no one is going to show up this year, are they?

When we at Wisconsin Dells, we again stayed at the Kalahari Resort.

The bottom of one of the larger waterslides at the Kalahari Resort in the Wisconsin Dells.

The main draw was the water park, of course, even though the lazy river was closed “because someone did something bad,” according to one of the lifeguards.

The “bad” was seen being scooped up with a net by my son and his friend.

They must have put a good dose of chlorine into water. Maybe enough to cause the rash on my son’s face on Saturday night.

While walking back to the room on the far, far side of the resort we passed a banquet room filled with political types.

There seems to be a vibrant contest of lieutenant governor in Wisconsin. There were signs for Dave Ross, Brett Davis and Rebecca, who must have a long last name, because it isn't on her poster. (I looked it up. It's Kleefisch.)

Posters on the door.

Former Congressman Mark Neumann had his gubernatorial pamphlets at the front table. It turns out he is a homebuilder, just as Bill Brady, the Illinois GOP candidate for governor.

Pamphlets on the check-in table.

On the way to a restaurant (ribs for me), we passed the room again.

$35 a ticket. Hear the Republican primary candidates in Wisconsin.

There were some folks sitting outside whom I took to be staffers. Most had the name “Lee” on them.

Conquering my inhibitions, I asked,

“What’s a Lee?”

Turns out one of the young people was Chad Lee, the Republican candidate for Congress in Wisconsin’s 2nd District. That’s located north of Rockford.

Wisconsin 2nd District Republican congressional candidate Chad Lee was sitting outside the banquet.

“I’m running against the Nancy Pelosi of the Midwest,” he told me. He added that he was a businessman and had no primary opponent.

He handed me his card.

The front of the campaign card Chad Lee handed me.

“You’re name doesn’t stand out enough,” I told him.

The front of Chad Lee's last palm card.

He handed me another card, which I think he said was the fourth version, the first one being the fifth version.

I suggested that his name was easier to read on the fourth version, although looking at the fifth version more carefully, I do like the way his face is presented. But I do think more contrast would be helpful on the name, rather that the shaded effect you see.

Learning we were from Illinois, he told me his grandfather was a Chicago fireman who had retired in Monee, down in Kankakee County.

Thinking of the April 6th Rockford Tea Party Express stop, I’m wondering if Lee will attend.

The Rockford TV stations do cover the southern part of his district. Since Joe Walsh, the GOP candidate from the 8th district is attending and virtually none of his constituents can view Rockford TV, it seems to me that it might be worth the time for Lee to try to get some Southern Wisconsin face time on TV.

I even sent him an email suggesting that.

Not only will the TEA Party Express make a stop in Rockford on April 6th, but we’ve got a local one scheduled on April 15th.

If will be from 3-6 in the afternoon on Route 14 near Main Street.  Parking is suggested in the former WalMart lot behind the old Baker’s Square restaurant.  Plenty of space in the closed businesses nearby.

Guess that’s a reminder to get to work on my income taxes, instead of writing articles.

Photo from a Rockford Tea Party rally.

The following press release has been received:

Announcing Tea Party Express on April 6th in Rockford, Illinois

(Rockford, Illinois) – March 17, 2010 – Join us for the biggest Tea Party Express national tour to date for one of only two stops in Illinois.

On April 6th at 1 pm in Rockford, Ill (home state to President Barack Obama and Senator Dick Durbin and of course Lincoln and Reagan) the Tea Party Express will stop in Rockford on the Tea Party Express Tour taking the Tea Party message across the nation all the way to the White House in Washington, D.C. on April 15th:

“You, the politicians in Washington, have failed We The People with your bailouts, out-of-control deficit spending, government takeovers of sectors of the economy, Cap & Trade, government-run health care, and higher taxes!

“If you thought we were just going to quietly go away, or that this tea party movement would be just a passing fad, you were mistaken. We’re taking our country back!”

Find the Tollway at Route 20 south of Marengo or Kishwaukee Valley Road going west from Woodstock and you are on your way to Davis Park in Rockford. (Get a more detailed map across Boone and Winnebago Counties, if you take the Kishwaukee Valley Road route. You want to end up on Rockford's Spring Creek Road at the top of this map. There are lots of tricky turns.)

This family-friendly rally encourages all citizens who want lower taxes and less government to participate by bringing their American flags, patriotic attire, and signs to display the spirit of the Colonial Patriots of the 1775 Boston Tea Party, which lead to American Independence July 4th, 1776.

Here's a street map closer to Davis Park.

Re-affirm your commitment to our Constitution and our freedoms by being part of this energizing event on Tuesday, April 6th, 1:00pm, at Davis Park 329 S. Wyman Street in Rockford.

Guest Speakers include:

Joe Walsh at John O'Neill's corn beef and cabbage fund raiser.

RockfordTeaParty will also have a food drive to replenish the Rockford Food Pantry Coalition from 1 pm until the Tea Party Express Buses leave at 4:30.

For more information visit our website.

www.RockfordTeaParty.org