McHenry County Blog

There have been a fair amount of comments on the story about McHenry County College President Vicky Smith wanting all communications to and from employees to go through her.

An employee left a comment about his or her contract that readers might find interesting.

The gist of it is that the contract in question does not prohibit employees in that bargaining group from talking to MCC Board members.

Here’s the comment:

“I agree with so many bosses.. if the spirit is of efficiency and lean management- this is fine.

I”f it becomes a means to limit my communication with the Board as an employee- it is just plan wrong-

“I am a taxpayer and MY contract does not include any language that limits my contact with the trustees.

“If I have something I would like brought forward without a filter, I feel as a taxpayer I am free to do so.

“It does not matter what Vicky’s contract says-

“MINE does not limit me from access to the Trustees.”

Included on the Tax Rate Calculation page of the McHenry County Clerk’s Office are totals for taxes levied on property within TIF Districts.

Tax Increment Financing Districts are mechanisms that allow municipalities to pry money out everyone in McHenry County who have property outside of the district in question.

This past year the following was taxed so that city councils and village boards could have what amount to unaccountable petty cash funds to distribute to those with property within the TIF districts.

Here’s who taxed the rest of us for how much:

• Cary – $115,681.46
• Cary 2 – $17,531.96
• Crystal Lake Virginia St. – $84,186.88
• Crystal Lake Main St. – $48,186.88
• Crystal Lake Vulcan Lakes – $25,112.22
• Fox River Grove – $501,280.62
• Harvard 2004 – $217,092,10
• Harvard 2005 – $203,854.06
• Harvard – $104,076.14
• Marengo Northside – -0-
• McHenry – $501,261.32
• Woodstock – $648,210.88

Interstate Bakeries told its striking union workers that it would close the company if it didn’t accept the contract terms offered.

The union apparently didn’t believe the ultimatum.

The company just announced it will seek to shut down operations.

I found the following information on the Chicago Tribune’s Real Estate page on the internet.

It has an interative map of McHenry County (and all other parts of the six-county Chicago metropolitan area) that tells what has happened to real estate values in municipalies with enough sales from which to pull statistics.

In McHenry County, I was surprised that homes in my village of Lakewood (a suburb of Crystal Lake) have held their value better than anywhere else.

• Lakewood: +17.65% with current median value at $353,250. (Our home is a bit below average.)
• Crystal Lake: -32.98% with median value at $157,500
• Huntley: -39.59%, median at $193,000
• Lake in the Hill: -34.08%, median at $147,000
• Algonquin: -25%, median at $147,000
• Cary: -39.77%, median at $156,000
• Fox River Grove: -42.609%, median at $154,750
• Oakwood Hills: -18&%, median at $164,000
• Island Lake: -30.06, median at $114,000
• Holiday Hills: -100%, but median given at $0, so obviously there is a glitch in the data
• Woodstock: -42.14$, median at $136,000
• McHenry: -31%, median $138,000
• Lakemoor: -29.37%, median $117,250
• Johnsburg: -48.38, median $175,000
• Wonder Lake: -27.13%, median $119,500
• Ringwood: -19,2%, median $201,000
• Richmond: -36.45%, median $197,000
• Spring Grove: -33.52, median $232,500
• Marengo: -42.65%, median $117,000
• Union: -1.59%, median $310,000 (something seems a bit wonky with the median average number)
• Harvard: -50.5%, median $99,000
• Hebron: -31.03%, median $130,000

Other communities have no information.

A press release from State Senate candidate Karen McConnaughay about her opponent Cliff Surges questions about her contributions from labor unions:

McConnaughay proud of hard line with public employee unions

Support from building trades reflects commitment to improved transportation and efforts to spur economic growth in the Fox Valley

Statement of State Senate Candidate Karen McConnaughay (R-33) March 7, 2012

Karen McConnaughay

I am one of the few candidates for office who can say that they took on the public employee unions and won. That is certainly not an achievement my opponent can claim.

When I sought to end Kane County’s duplicative role in administering state health programs and eliminate over 60 union jobs, AFSCME fought tooth and nail. I worked to secure county board support and eliminate those jobs, reducing the size of county government.

I have not sought nor received any contributions from public employee unions, like AFSCME or the IEA.

I believe that these unions are a major factor in the erosion of public finances at the state, federal and local level.

I have always taken a hard line with public employee unions.

But as a county chief executive, I also understand that we are legally bound to deal with the unions representing public employees. I always seek to deal fairly with every party of every negotiation but I put the taxpayers’ interests first.

The union support I have received has been from the Building trade unions who form the backbone of our construction industries.

As an enthusiastic advocate for enhanced transportation improvements and better infrastructure in the rapidly growing Fox Valley, we share a common goal–To build the right projects at the right place at the right time, so we can enhance our quality of life, create jobs and improve transportation. This support for improved transportation is why the building trades support my campaigns.

As usual, my opponent betrays his fundamental lack of knowledge of the challenges we face in government.

Instead, he tries to conjure up some sort of controversy where none exists.

He knows that a discussion of the issues, rather than political mudslinging, will show how inexperienced and unprepared he is to provide the new leadership we need in Springfield.

The bottom line is that a relatively small percentage of the donations I have received have come from the building trade unions because I share their desire to undertake the projects we so desperately need to improve transportation in the rapidly growing suburbs.

They want jobs and I want to see them have jobs. When the building trades are busy, it means our economy is booming, and that is something we all want to see.

A press release from State Senate candidate Cliff Surges criticizing his questioning his opponent Karen McConnaughay’s contributions from unions.

Surges calls on McConnaughay to explain Union Contributions

Gilberts, IL – On last Monday evening at a candidate forum at Del Webb’s Sun City in Huntley, Karen McConnaughay called herself a “union fighter” that has “stood up to unions” as Chairman of the Kane County Board. However, once again, a search of her campaign financial disclosure forms shows she has taken $64,367.00 (see attachment) from unions as campaign contributions since 2003. The source for this information is the Illinois State Board of Elections website.

In her own literature, and in the “United to Restore Freedom” candidate questionnaire, which can be found on the Illinois Review Blog, McConnaughay states she is opposed to PLA’s (Project Labor Agreements), opposes the Prevailing Wage Act, and supports right-to-work in Illinois.

Someone who is truly supporting these positions cannot justify taking such a large sum of money from labor unions.

“This contradiction of words and actions, especially concerning campaign contributions, is a repeating pattern in her history and indicative of how Ms. McConnaughay has eroded the public’s trust.” Cliff Surges stated.

“How can we trust a career politician who tells the voters what they want to hear by taking positions on public issues like these, while taking massive amounts of campaign cash from the very organizations that oppose those positions?

“Who will Ms. McConnaughay really represent if elected in Springfield, the voters or the Unions which have funded her campaigns?”

The contributions found by the Surges’ campaign follow:

A press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Rockford:

TENTH NORTHERN ILLINOIS RESIDENT SENTENCED ON FEDERAL DRUG CHARGES

ROCKFORD — A Cary, Ill. man was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Rockford for his role in a drug conspiracy in Northern Illinois from January 1999 through March 2010.

ROBERT S. CAIN, 49, who pled guilty on August 5, 2011, to conspiring to manufacture and distribute marijuana, was sentenced to 140 months in federal prison without parole, 5 years of supervised release following his release from prison, as well as being ordered to pay a $1,000 fine and a $100 assessment by U.S. District Judge Frederick J. Kapala.

According to the written plea agreement, Cain admitted that as early as January 1999 through March 2010, he and his co-defendants conspired to grow and distribute more than 1000 kilograms of marijuana.

Cain admitted that he and his co-defendants would illegally grow and store their supply of marijuana in residences they leased or purchased, then sell the marijuana to drug dealers.

In 1999, Cain and co-defendant Graham Scott McGill rented a house in Bull Valley, Ill. McGill equipped the house to grow the marijuana.

The two defendants recruited others to assist in the marijuana growing operation and McGill had friends sell the marijuana.

The house in Bull Valley was used to grow marijuana for approximately 4 years.

In addition, other homes were rented or purchased by one or more co-defendants and installed with equipment necessary to grow marijuana indoors, including homes in

• Kildeer,
• Union,
• Woodstock, and
• Marengo, Ill.

The conspirators used profits from the illegal sales of marijuana to purchase houses, vehicles and other assets, concealing
their purchases by falsely titling them in other individuals names.

Eight coconspirators previously pled guilty to conspiracy to manufacture and distribute marijuana and were sentenced as follows:

• CHARLES P. PERSICO, 34, of Hoffman Estates, Ill., was sentenced on November 9, 2011, to 135 months in federal prison without parole, 5 years supervised release following his release from prison, and ordered to pay a $100 assessment;
• JONATHAN S. ROMINE, 34, of Lake in the Hills, Ill., was sentenced on October 24, 2011, to 46 months in federal prison without parole, 5 years supervised release following his release from prison, and ordered to pay a $300 fine and a $100 assessment;
• ROBERT STRINGINI, 73, of Schaumburg, Ill, was sentenced on September 27, 2011, to 60 months in federal prison without parole, 3 years supervised release following his release from prison, and ordered to pay a $2,000 fine and a $100 assessment;
• LORETTA CATTANI, 58, of Union, Ill., was sentenced on November 1, 2011, to 22 months in federal prison without parole, 4 years supervised release following his release from prison, and ordered to pay a $100 assessment;
• SAM STRINGINI, 34, of Schaumburg, Ill., was sentenced on October 5, 2011, to 58 months in federal prison without parole, 5 years supervised release following his release from prison, and ordered to pay a $100 assessment;
• ROBERT E. NELSON, 58, of Evanston, Ill., was sentenced on August 31, 2011, to 43 months in federal prison without parole, 5 years supervised release following his release from prison, and ordered to pay a $5,000 fine and a $100 assessment;
• CLAUSEN JOHNSON, 46, of Crystal Lake, Ill., was sentenced on October 6, 2011, to 37 months in federal prison without parole, 4 years supervised release following his release from prison, and ordered to pay a $100 assessment; and
• VINCENT FASANO, 49, of Roselle, Ill., was sentenced on October 19, 2011, to 4 months in federal prison without parole, 2 years supervised release following his release from prison, and ordered to pay a $2,500 fine and a $100 assessment. In addition, Fasano was ordered to forfeit property located in Delevan, Wis.
• Also charged in the case is GRAHAM SCOTT McGILL, 59, formerly of Johnsburg, Ill., who remains a fugitive.

In addition to the above defendants, JEFFREY W. ROMINE, 32, of Woodstock, Ill., pled guilty in a related case on May 13, 2011, to use of a communication facility in facilitating the conspiracy to manufacture and distribute marijuana. Jeffrey Romine was sentenced on August 16, 2011, to 48 months in federal prison, one year of supervised release following his release from
prison, and a $100 assessment.

The sentencing was announced by Patrick J. Fitzgerald, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; John J. Riley, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Office of the Drug Enforcement Administration; Alvin Patton, Special Agent-In-Charge of the Chicago Office of the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division; Keith Nygren, McHenry County Sheriff; and Larry Lindeman, Director of the Lake County Metropolitan Enforcement Group.

The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph C. Pedersen.

A press release from Cary Elementary School District 26:

Board and CEA Reach Tentative Agreement on All Issues

The Board of Education of Cary Community Consolidated School District 26 and the Cary Education Association, which represents the teachers in labor negotiations, announced today that on Wednesday evening they reached a
tentative agreement on all outstanding issues.

The parties have been in negotiations since November in an effort to reach agreement on a new contract.

The previous collective bargaining agreement expired at the start of the 2011‐2012 school years.

The terms of the contract will be presented to the teachers for ratification next week and the Board of Education soon after. Details of the agreement will be released after ratification.

= = = = =

Unlike McHenry County College, which released a summary of the contract its board will approve tonight, local school boards, such as Cary’s, won’t let taxpayers know how the bulk of their taxes will be spent.  Typically, 80% of a school district’s operating expenditures go for salaries.  Some, of course, are for non-teachers, but faculty salaries make up most of that 80%.

I cannot understand why this does not disturb more people.

The last time the big balloon rat was in Crystal Lake, it was across Rakow Road from its intersection of McHenry Avenue.

Yesterday it was on Route 14 in front of where Colonial Cafe used to be. Some clothing store is taking over the space, has demolished the old building and is in the process of construction.

The rate is an expression of organized labor’s displeasure of where the contractor is procuring workers.

So are the union workers carrying picket signs.

I was disappointed, but not surprised, when District 300 did not reveal the details of its teachers’ contract prior to its early June public vote.

The 2008 Huntley School Board allowed taxpayers to read the document before it was approved.

I figured the teachers’ contract approved at an official open meeting of the District 300 Board of Education would be posted immediately after the meeting. It wasn’t.

Details were released, but not the document that was voted upon.

Just a summary.

I had been told that District 300′s teacher contract would be made available by July 15th.

When that date came and went, I emailed asking where the contract was.

Communications Director Allison Strupeck replied yesterday,

“We had anticipated the document would be completed by mid-July.

“There are numerous parties involved in finalizing all of the wording and details.

“We have a legal obligation to ensure that all parties have been able to thoroughly vet the document before it is finalized and published.

“A very conservative estimate of the remaining steps in this process would be another couple of months.”

Undoubtedly those who are teachers in this school board budget meeting audience from 2006 know what is being changed in the contract after agreement was reportedly reached.

Taxpayers do not.