Manzullo Finds Scholarship for Veterinarians in 1,990 Page Health Care Bill

Posted on by October 31, 2009
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16th District Republican Congressman Don Manzullo comments today on the newest version of the Democratic Party’s Health Care Reform Bill in his most recent press release. You can read it below.

You may remember that the former version was about 1,100 pages.

In the video below, Manzullo points out there are no provisions to restrict medical malpractice and there are scholarships for veterinarians.

Manzullo sees no relevance between the veterinarians’ scholarships and lowering the cost of health care for human beings.

He also notes the increase in taxes on medical devices and wonders how that can lower health care costs.

Here is his press release:

Manzullo Finds Troubling Provisions in Speaker
Pelosi’s 1,990-page, $1 Trillion Health Care

Bill[WASHINGTON]  Congressman Don Manzullo (R-IL) today started reading the Democrat’s latest health care bill — nearly twice the size as the original version — and is already finding provisions that concern him.

The 1,990-page bill costs more than $1 trillion, increases taxes, cuts Medicare, and threatens the private health insurance of millions of Americans, could be on the House floor for a vote next week. In this video, Manzullo highlights some of the troubling provisions he is finding as he reads the bill.

To watch the video, click here:

Republican Precinct Committeemen Filings as of Friday – Filing Deadline Monday

Posted on by November 1, 2009
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Here are the citizens who have through Friday identified themselves as willing to serve the Republican Party.

There are folks who have not filed for Republican precinct committeeman who will on Monday (I shall, for instance, file in Algonquin Township precinct 7).  But any precinct listed below which has no name should be considered fair game for anyone who wants to be on the ground floor of the Republican Party in McHenry County.

Any precinct for which there is not candidate can have a person appointed by the person elected Republican Party Chairman.  State Rep. Mike Tryon currently holds that post.

Precinct committeemen petitions can be found by clicking here.  You need to fill out and file this statement of candidacy, as well.  Both must be filed by 4:30 Monday afternoon in the McHenry County Clerk’s office.

PRECINCT and CANDIDATES who have filed so far are listed below:
RILEY – KATHLEEN J MEYER
MARENGO 1
MARENGO 2 – CHESTER L MAZURKIEWICZ
MARENGO 3 – MARY LOU ZIERER
MARENGO 4
DUNHAM
CHEMUNG 1 – GLENDA L MILLER
CHEMUNG 2, 3, 4 + 5
ALDEN
HARTLAND 1 – DIANE EVERTSEN
HARTLAND 2
SENECA 1 – * ERSEL C SCHUSTER and R MARK GUMMERSON
SENECA 2
CORAL 1 – * PAMELA K PALMER
CORAL 2
CORAL 3 – SHAWN GREEN
GRAFTON 1 – MICHAEL SKALA
GRAFTON 2, 3, 4. 5
GRAFTON 6 – HARRIET FORD and BLAKE HOBSON
GRAFTON 7 – FREDRICK W WICKHAM
GRAFTON 8, 9
GRAFTON 10- LLOYD EVERBARD
GRAFTON11, 12
GRAFTON 13 – EUGENE T (GENE) GOEGLEIN
GRAFTON 14
GRAFTON 15 – DANIEL P RYAN
GRAFTON 16, 17. 18
GRAFTON 19 – SAMUEL F PAGLINI
GRAFTON 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25
GRAFTON 26 –  LINDA MOORE
GRAFTON 27, 28, 29, 30, 31
DORR 1, 2 3, 4, 5, 6,
DORR 7 – TINA R HILL
DORR 8, 9, 10
DORR 11 – JOHN P JUNG JR
DORR 12, 13, 14
GREENWOOD 1, 2 3, 4, 5
GREENWOOD 6 – BRIAN SAGER
GREENWOOD 7 – MONICA S YOUNG
HEBRON 1
HEBRON 2 – RUTH ANZINGER
RICHMOND 1 – AUDIE BEESON
RICHMOND 2
RICHMOND 3 – TAMARA A VALENTINE‐GARZA
RICHMOND 4
BURTON 1, 2, 3
MCHENRY 1 – RICHARD E MACK
MCHENRY 2 – GERALDINE “GERI” DAVIS
MCHENRY 3, 4
MCHENRY 5 – KATHY DUDDLESTON
MCHENRY 6, 7
MCHENRY 8 – BOB ANDERSON
MCHENRY 9
MCHENRY 10 – MARSHA A NELSON
MCHENRY 11 – PAMELA J ALTHOFF
MCHENRY 12
MCHENRY 13 – NEAL A SCHEPLER
MCHENRY 14 – JOYCE R STORY
MCHENRY 15 – STEVEN J ROONEY
MCHENRY 16 – GREGORY L FOREMAN
MCHENRY 17, 18, 19
MCHENRY 20 – JOHN O’NEILL
MCHENRY 21, 22, 23
MCHENRY 24 – LEWIS F MATUSZEWICH
MCHENRY 25
MCHENRY 26 – ANDREW “ANDY” GLAB
MCHENRY 27 – ROBERT M KOEHL
MCHENRY 28. 29
MCHENRY 30 – THOMAS QUAMME
MCHENRY 31
MCHENRY 32 – SANDRA FAY SALGADO
MCHENRY 33 – JOHN D HAMMERAND
MCHENRY 34 – KATHLEEN KUCHTA
MCHENRY 35 – BRENDAN MURPHY
NUNDA 1
NUNDA 2 – ROBERT L BORCHERT
NUNDA 3, 4
NUNDA 5 – HOWARD PARTH
NUNDA 6
NUNDA 7 – KELVIN LEE JENNINGS
NUNDA 8 – KATHY CORWIN
NUNDA 9 – BERNARD V NARUSIS
NUNDA 10
NUNDA 11 – MARK DANIEL
NUNDA 12
NUNDA 13 – JAMES BECKER
NUNDA 14 – PATRICK COLLINS
NUNDA 15 – JOSEPH GOTTEMOLLER
NUNDA 16 – JAMES SCHLADER
NUNDA 17
NUNDA 18 – DAVID R GERVAIS
NUNDA 19 – WILLIAM DOUGLAS MANN and JON HEIDEMAN –
NUNDA 20
NUNDA 21 – BRENT A SMITH
NUNDA 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27
NUNDA 29 – BARBARA WHEELER
ALGONQUIN 1
ALGONQUIN 2 – KENNETH D KOEHLER
ALGONQUIN 3 – MICHAEL E. “MICKEY” BARNAS
ALGONQUIN 4
ALGONQUIN 5 – CHARLES A LUTZOW, JR
ALGONQUIN 6 – JOSEPH STEFANI
ALGONQUIN 7, 8
ALGONQUIN 9 – DAN SHEA
ALGONQUIN 10
ALGONQUIN 11 – DOUGLAS S BLASINSKI
ALGONQUIN 12, 13,
ALGONQUIN 14 – ANDREW KIVARI
ALGONQUIN 15
ALGONQUIN 16 – LOU ANNE MAJEWSKI
ALGONQUIN 17
ALGONQUIN 18 -JEROME C MAJEWSKI
ALGONQUIN 19 – JOSEPH STECKER
ALGONQUIN 20
ALGONQUIN 21 – MARK GUERRA
ALGONQUIN 22 – LOWELL A CUTSFORTH
ALGONQUIN 23, 24
ALGONQUIN 25 – THOMAS P MCDERMOTT
ALGONQUIN 26
ALGONQUIN 27 – ELAINE MULLIGAN
ALGONQUIN 28, 29
ALGONQUIN 30 – MARC J MUNARETTO
ALGONQUIN 31, 32
ALGONQUIN 33- SHANNON (SEAN) MURPHY
ALGONQUIN 34
ALGONQUIN 35 – KAY STANISH and DAVID K LING
ALGONQUIN 36 – MICHAEL W TRYON
ALGONQUIN 37 – JACOB JUSTEN
ALGONQUIN 38, 39
ALGONQUIN 40 – MALLORY A ROSENCRANS
ALGONQUIN 41, 42, 43
ALGONQUIN 44 – PATRICK COLCERNIAN
ALGONQUIN 45
ALGONQUIN 46 – KATHLEEN “KATHY” R DeRAEDT
ALGONQUIN 47 – REBECCA M LEE
ALGONQUIN 48
ALGONQUIN 49 – DEMETRIOS TSLIMIGRAS
ALGONQUIN 50 – LINDA (LYN) ORPHAL
ALGONQUIN 51
ALGONQUIN 52 – ROBERT LEE
ALGONQUIN 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 62, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68

= = = = =
The plea for precinct committeemen was found on the web site of the Western Kane County Republican Organization. Compare it to the one maintained by the McHenry County Republican Central Committee.

Message of the Day – Imagination

Posted on by October 31, 2009
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Whose imagination should I write of today?

My son’s with his insistence that he wanted to be a yellow airport rescue truck just like he saw on the fire truck video?

Or my wife’s, who put together this Halloween costume when our now 12-year old was 3?

You will notice that the Styrofoam bumpers, spray painted black, come from a computer box and the hose is a clothes dryer hose.

My son loved it.

Message of the Day – Wind

Posted on by October 30, 2009
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Rain and wind really.

As I was picking up my son at Bernotas Middle School, these two girls were walking into the wind.

The first one was having a tough time with her umbrella.

I thought the fuzzy spot on the photos was the wind vibrating the umbrella too fast for the shutter speed, but now I think it might just be a rain drop on the windshield.

Schedule for Electronic Slot Machine Gambling Votes Set in McHenry County

Posted on by October 30, 2009
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John Hammerand, Chairman of the McHenry County Board’s Liquor and License Committee has informed McHenry County Blog that the question of whether an advisory referendum will be put on the February 2nd primary election ballot will be voted upon November 3rd.

About a month later, the question of whether to ban video poker, as it is euphemistically called by proponents, will be discussed December 1st.

= = = = =
From left to right are McHenry County Board members Bob Bless, Mary McCann, License and Liquor Committee Chairman John Hammerand, Assistant State’s Attorney’s Sara Jansen and Cynthia Schaupp and County Board member Barb Wheeler.

Young Republicans Staging 8th Congressional District Debate at MCC

Posted on by October 30, 2009
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Jon Heideman, McHenry County Young Republican Education Committee Chairman, announced today that the YR’s will sponsor a November 20th candidate’s night at McHenry County College’s Conference Center.

Six candidates are listed. Not all have filed their petitions in Springfield.

The winner will face off against Democrat Melissa Bean.

The press release follows:

MCYR will be co-hosting the 8th Congressional District Debate on November 20th, 2009 at the McHenry County College Conference Center Building “B” at 7:00PM.  A representative from each of the groups hosting the event will sit on the panel and ask the participating candidates questions.

The Republican Candidates for the 8th Congressional District are:

Dirk Beveridge
John Dawson
Christopher Geissler
Maria Rodriguez
Joe Walsh
Greg Jacobs

MCYR members have the privilege of crafting questions the candidates will be asked.

Please send your questions to

educate@mchenryyoungrepublicans.com.

Please also let us know if it is OK to use your name when asking the question.

Jack Franks Prospects Among Republicans in Crystal Lake

Posted on by October 30, 2009
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As readers know, I have been watching State Rep. Jack Franks (D-Marengo) prepare to run for Congress in a newly reapportioned 2010 district.

Should he succeed in capturing a congressional seat which contains all of McHenry County, one can almost predict a continuing downward spiral of the obviously deeply split Republican Party.

Franks was intimately involved in the township election cycle, even sending out campaign pieces which boldly proclaimed his political action committee paid for them.

But, here’s a canny new twist.

The 10-year legislator, who is superb at garnering publicity, whether it be with a bulk-buying prescription drug program or hinting at running for governor, was advancing his congressional ambitions in Algonquin Township this fall.

How?

The Franks campaign sent out invitations to his Bull Valley Country Club fund raiser to Republicans.

I’m talking hard core Republicans.

I didn’t make the list, but avoiding an article like this might be the reason.

But, it wasn’t just a mailed fund raising pitch.

A while later someone called on the phone to ask for a donation.

So, why would a state representative try to raise money in the hometown of the McHenry County Republican Party Chairman and fellow state representative Mike Tryon?

If one were planning on running for United States Representative in a district that contained all of McHenry County, how would a candidate do it?

Now, remember that Franks has hundreds of thousands of dollars that he cannot spend on a congressional campaign.  There are campaign limits on Federal contributions, but not for state campaigns.

But, he can spend it on a state legislative race.

Franks used part of that money to introduce himself in the Mike Tryon part of McHenry County.

And with Republican opponent John O’Neill running against him for state representative (not known until after the fund raising pitches in Algonquin Township), it is easy to predict that a lot of money will be spent identifying every possible supporter in his own district. That information, of course, will form the basis for his 2012 campaign for Congress.

No one has ever said that Jack Franks is not a canny politician.

The Reverend and State Senator James Meeks Beginning to See the Light on Reforming Schools

Posted on by October 30, 2009
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It has taken a long time for the Reverend and State Senator James Meeks to gain the courage to tell the truth about Chicago schools and point out paths to improving student performance.

Knowing the influence of Chicago school teachers, many of whom are undoubtedly in his mega-church (Salem Baptist Church), his coming out in favor of vouchers, which would give parents the power to select the school of their choice, is truly a bold move on Meeks’ part.

Read his words in a Chicago Tribune op-ed piece yesterday:

“For the first time in my personal and political career, I am exploring the idea of vouchers and charter schools to help facilitate choice and enhance academic performance.

“Why should we continue to make investments in a system that is bankrupt and weighed down with bureaucracy?

“We must begin making decisions that are in the best interest of children, such as mandatory teacher evaluations. Since the will to change the system is nonexistent, we should allow students the flexibility to attend schools outside their district. What once worked before, such as the local school councils, may have run its course in today’s competitive environment.

“They say the definition of insanity is to do the same thing over and over again and expect different results. We can no longer afford to have the blood of every child on our hands.”

I don’t know if Meeks will expend as much energy on trying to provide parents the tools to extract a decent education from Chicago (and, maybe even private) schools, but he deserves an “attaboy!” for opening his eyes.

It won’t rank with the opening of Paul’s eyes after he was struck blind on the road to Damascus, but it is the type of leadership that resulted in the Cook County Board’s banning of video slot machines in unincorporated areas.

Would I be being picky if I pointed out that the Heartland Institute has been advocating the logic of vouchers for well over a decade?

Don Manzullo Puts $280,000 into Federal Budget for McHenry County Water Activities

Posted on by October 29, 2009
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The money, officially called a “congressional earmark,”
unofficially, “pork,” is in the budget concerning Interior-Environmental agencies.

This the second grant that the 16th District congressman has obtained for the McHenry County Board to finance water-related activities.

The subject was taken up in earnest by the McHenry County Board after the A-LAW (Alliance for Land, Agriculture and Water) referendum to create a water authority covering large parts of McHenry, Boone and DeKalb Counties was defeated at the polls in 2007 by development interests.

Manzullo’s press release follows:


Manzullo Secures Another $280,000 to Help McHenry County Preserve Abundant Drinking Water Supplies
(CRYSTAL LAKE) The U.S. House today approved another $280,000 in federal funds to help McHenry County officials ensure abundant and safe drinking water for residents for generations to come.

The funding, secured by Congressman Don Manzullo, is included in the FY 2010 Interior-Environment conference report, which the House passed today. The bill also includes a Continuing Resolution to keep the federal government operating through Dec. 18. As a result, the bill must be passed by the Senate and signed into law by midnight Saturday when the prior continuing resolution expires.

Manzullo previously secured $295,000 in federal funds for the McHenry County Groundwater Protection program two years ago. That funding helped pay for the installation of observation wells and equipment to monitor groundwater supplies and quality throughout the county. The new funds will be used to develop a 3-D hydro-geologic modeling project and a groundwater flow modeling project to provide a much more exact measurement of the county’s groundwater resources.

“The preservation of abundant, safe groundwater supplies is especially vital for McHenry County because – unlike the other collar counties of Chicago — it does not have access to Lake Michigan water and relies solely on aquifers for drinking water,” Manzullo said.

“I congratulate county and community leaders for coming together three years ago and creating the McHenry County Groundwater Protection Task Force, and recognizing groundwater preservation is key to McHenry County’s superior quality of life. That’s why I requested and secured these funds that are vital to McHenry County’s future.”

Another Ponzi Scheme – This Time by Matthew Scott of Elmhurst

Posted on by July 13, 2010
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What is it about the Bernie Madoff wanna bes?

Why are there so many Ponzi schemes being uncovered by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Chicago?

Take a look at the latest details outlined in the following press release about Matthew Scott of Elmhurst:

WEST SUBURBAN MAN CHARGED WITH DEFRAUDING 60 INVESTORS OF $28 MILLION IN ALLEGED “PONZI” SCHEME

“CHICAGO – A west suburban man is facing federal fraud charges for allegedly luring at least 60 victims to invest approximately $28 million in a business that he falsely represented purchased used high-speed commercial printers that were re-sold for a substantial profit and using the money instead to make ‘Ponzi-type’ payments to earlier investors.  The defendant, Matthew Scott, was charged with mail fraud in a criminal information filed today, announced Patrick J. Fitzgerald, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Robert D. Grant, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

“Scott, 50, of Elmhurst, was president and sole owner of a printer repair company known as Gelsco, Inc., located in Northlake.  Between early 2000 and March 2009, he allegedly fraudulently obtained at least $28 million from at least 60 investors, and caused a loss of at least $4.5 million, according to the charges.

“Scott will be arraigned in U.S. District Court on a date yet to be determined.

“The charges allege that Scott falsely told investors that their funds would be used to purchase, or finance the purchase of, printers that had a value of more than $100,000, which would be sold to third-parties.  He allegedly further told investors that there were specific buyers and sellers of printers, when, in fact, he and Gelsco did not purchase or finance such printers.  Instead, Scott allegedly fabricated false purchase orders, invoices, promissory notes and other documents that he provided to investors.

“As part of the scheme, Scott falsely told investors that Gelsco increased the cost of the printers approximately 20 percent and earned substantial profits, usually within 90 days or less, which he promised to split with the investors, the charges allege.

“Throughout the duration of the alleged scheme, Scott had to continually raise funds from investors to make payments to earlier investors, all of which he concealed and intentionally failed to disclose to new and old investors alike.  In May 2008, Scott obtained a $300,000 bank loan by falsely representing that the loan would be secured by a printer that was being sold to a third party, and by providing fraudulent documents as proof of the purported sale, according to the charges.

“The government is being represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jacqueline Stern.

“If convicted of mail fraud, a defendant could receive a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000, or the Court may impose a fine totaling twice the loss to any victim or twice the gain to the defendant, whichever is greater.  The Court, however, would determine the appropriate sentence to be imposed under the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines.

“The public is reminded that an information contains only charges and is not evidence of guilt.  The defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.”

Larry Tyree, Former McHenry County College Interim President, Selected Interim President of Florida Keys Community College

Posted on by October 29, 2009
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If you had your choice, would you spend the winter in Crystal Lake or the Florida Keys?

The McHenry County College Board selected Larry Tyree to be its interim president after Walt Packard was handed his walking papers last spring, albeit with a golden parachute costing taxpayers something in the range of $200,000. He left after only about a month in Crystal Lake for family reasons.

Now Tryee, has landed a similar gig at Florida Keys Community College, according to a story in KeysNet.com.

The story says that Tryee could receive almost $200,000 for working a full year on the job.

Ironically, the woman he is replacing also has a golden parachute.  One question the Florida community college has that MCC did not is what office Tryee will occupy. The outgoing president in the Keys has not yet vacated the president’s office.

The headcount at the college is about 2,000.

Northwest Herald Follows Bloggers’ Lead on Nygren Family Homestead Exemption Story

Posted on by October 28, 2009
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I see the Northwest Herald has run a story today about McHenry County Sheriff Keith Nygren’s family having received two Homestead Exemptions, one in Florida and another Illinois.  (The Nygren home photo above comes from the web site of the Lee County Appraiser.)

The NW Herald story comes almost a week after former Democratic Party Coroner candidate Dave Bachmann’s blog, Dirty Keith vs. Dirty Harry posted the information.

The Herald’s “hook” was that Green Party candidate for sheriff, Gus Philpott, who publishes the blog Woodstock Advocate, wrote stories about the subject.

Nice to know the Herald reporters are still checking out what stories they might have missed by reading the blogs the paper refuses to identify by name.

Used to be, stories would even link to the blogs in question.

Not anymore.

The internet version of the story was posted at 1:20 AM, but revised over nine hours later at 10:58 AM, as you can see below.

The change I found quoted Sheriff Nygren. The printed version reads,

“…If I spend a couple of days there a year, that’s it.”

The current internet version reads,

“On Wednesday, Nygren clarifiied a previous statement and said he spends a few days at a time in Florida, which amounts to a few weeks overall. ”

The only new information I saw in the NW Herald article is that the Nygrens will owe “about $1,100” to Lee County, Florida, local governments because of Nygren’s McHenry County 2007 and 2008 Homestead Exemptions.

Jim Ryan for Governor – Take 2

Posted on by October 27, 2009
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One of the men I ran against in the 2002 Libertarian Party candidate for governor has been indicted.

You remember him.

The laughing stock of Illinois, if not yet convicted felon, Rod Blagojevich.

The other one was Republican Jim Ryan.

They both had a lot in common.

Both were chickens.

I called them “JimRod, the Two-Headed Chicken.”

The cartoon you see above by Alex Raffi was commissioned by the campaign.

We also had various people—some of whom still probably wish to remain anonymous—wearing a two-headed chicken suit. The second head was floppy and I never did decide which head represented which candidate.

Ryan and Blagojevich not only refused to debate me, deliberately deciding not to participate in the Illinois League of Women Voters after I met the League’s qualification of having polled higher than 5% in a third party poll (the 1,000 person Daily Southtown newspaper poll), but they were not even brave enough to walk past me on the way to one of their “power party” only debates.

I remember the WGN-TV one vividly.

Upon learning that I was standing at the front entrance of the studio (JimRod and picket sign wielding supporters having been banished to the street entrance), both candidats’ vans drove all the way around the parking lot—they wouldn’t even drive past the entrance—to a side studio door to enter the building.

When the gathered non-WGN camera folks figured out what was happening, there was a rush to the eastern edge of the building to get their shots.

I wonder if Ryan will deign to debate others who file for the GOP nomination for governor.

Four File to Oppose Melissa Bean

Posted on by October 27, 2009
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In alphabetic order, four people filed to opposed 8th District Congresswoman Melissa Bean right at 8 AM:

  • Dirk Beveridge
  • John Dawson
  • Christopher Geissler
  • Maria Rodriguez

The three men have a Barrington zip code, as does incumbent Bean. Rodriguez is village president of Long Grove.

The simultaneous filing allows them to be in a lottery to determine ballot order on the GOP primary ballot on February 2nd.

Republicans Line Up for February 2nd McHenry County Board Primary Election in Districts 2, 3 and 6

Posted on by October 27, 2009
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Republican voters in half of McHenry County will see contests for county board as of the first day of filing.

In District 2, which has Crystal Lake south of Crystal Lake Avenue, most of old Lakewood and the Algonquin Township part of Lake in the Hills, the following have filed for election:

  • McHenry County Board Chairman Ken Koehler
  • McHenry County College Board member Donna Kurtz (pictured left) and
  • Incumbent County Board member Lyn Orphal

Petitions for Crystal Lake City Council member Ellen Brady Mueller were being passed, but were not turned in to the McHenry County Clerk’s office, so it could turn out to be a four-way race.

In District 3, comprised of Crystal Lake north of Crystal Lake Avenue up to McHenry and over to the Lake County line, the following filed:

  • Veronica Armstrong of rural Crystal Lake
  • Former County Board member Nick Provenzano of McHenry
  • Karen Tynis of McHenry and
  • County Board member Barb Wheeler (pictured right), who lives in Crystal Lake

In District 6, which makes up most of least populated townships of the county, plus the Sun City part of Huntley sees four people for the two GOP nominations:

  • Richard Draper of Wonder Lake
  • Diane Evertsen (pictured right) of Harvard
  • Vic Narusis of Woodstock (pictured below right) and
  • Incumbent Dan Ryan of Huntley

Incumbent Mary McCann has not filed. Neither have Mark Shepherd or Nick Carroccia, both of whom had reached the “mentioned” stage of the campaign.

In District 5, which is half represented by Democrats and consists of Woodstock, most of Bull Valley, the Grafton Township part of Lake in the Hills and most of Huntley in McHenry County, an expected contest did not manifest itself.

Only McHenry County Board member Tina Hill and former County Board member John Jung filed. Petitions are expected to be filed by former McHenry County Regional Education Board of Trustees member Dave Fredericks and former District 200 School Board member John Vrett.

District 1 Republicans incumbents Anna May Miller and Yvonne Barnes are thus far unopposedin the GOP primary. Only incumbent Sandy Salgado has filed for re-election in District 4.

= = = = =
This is probably as good a time as any to remind candidates that McHenry County Blog is wiling to run their press releases the way weekly newspapers used to.  Just email them to me.  A photo would be appreciated.  Informal is preferred to posed.

Only One Democrat Files for McHenry County Board

Posted on by December 22, 2009

And, it’s not incumbent Democratic Party Board member Jim Kennedy.

The first day of filing only District 4 Democrat challenger Jeff Thirtyacre turned in his petitions.

There is no indication that Kennedy will not file for re-election.

Incumbents up for election in the McHenry, Richmond and Burton Township district are Sandy Salgado and Pete Merklel.

Nygren Florida Home Has Homestead Exemption – Part 4

Posted on by October 26, 2009
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“This is one of those things that the Nygrens were caught in a situation that’s nobody’s fault,” McHenry County Supervisor of Assessments Donna Mayberry told me this morning, as I inquired about the family’s having Homestead Exemptions in both McHenry County and Lee County, Florida.

The little saga unfolded on McHenry County Blog over the weekend after the discover was reported on the blog written by 2008 Democratic Party Coroner’s candidate Dave Bachmann:

Dirty Keith vs. Dirty Harry

The existence of the Florida Homestead Exemption was reported on Friday, the Illinois State Board of Elections web site–reported voter registration of Marge Nygren on Saturday and the McHenry County Homestead Exemption on this year’s bill for the Hebron home on Sunday.

“We took it off,” Mayberry told me.

“They did not want the exemption here.”

Mayberry wrote a letter to the Lee County Appraiser on March 16th. You can see it below (click to enlarge):

It reads, in relevant part,

“In our county, we do not have an application process to obtain the owner-occupied exemption.

“The local township assessor makes the determination of eligibility and certifies the information to the county.

“As a result, the Nygren property in Illinois received the exemption in 2007 and 2008, even though the property owner had not requested it and did not intend to have it.

“Unfortunately, we do not have a legal mechanism to remove the exemption for prior years. A Certificate of Error can only be done to lower the tax a property owner owes, and then only in the following calendar year, during which the taxes are due.

“Therefore, I am unable to remove the exemption for the two years in question.

“We are removing the exemption for 2009 and all subsequent years. There will be no Owner Occupied Exemptions applied to the property owned by the Nygren’s here in McHenry County.”

I pointed out that the $5,500 exemption appears on the Nygren tax bill this year, which is the 2008 tax year.

“You know what, it would be on 2008’s (the tax bill payable in 2009),” Mayberry explained.

“I can’t use a Certificate of Error that raises taxes because of ‘due process.’

“So by the time it came to light, it was too late for 2009.”

“When?” I asked.

“I wrote a letter down there dated March 16th.”

Congressman Don Manzullo Announces Another Run

Posted on by October 26, 2009
1
Among others filing petitions for election or re-election was 16th District Congressman Don Manzullo. His press release follows:
Manzullo Seeks Re-election to Continue Serving Northern IL in U.S. Congress

[ROCKFORD] With a sharp focus on putting Americans back to work, Congressman Don Manzullo (R-Egan) kicked off his 2010 re-election campaign today by filing his petitions to continue serving the great people of northern Illinois in the U.S. House of Representatives.

A nationally recognized leader in the mission to strengthen manufacturing in America, Manzullo will continue to seek opportunities to create jobs and improve the lives of the people he represents in northern Illinois’ 16th Congressional District. The District includes the counties of Winnebago, Boone, Stephenson, JoDaviess, Carroll, Ogle, most of McHenry County and parts of Whiteside and DeKalb counties.

“It is an honor and a privilege for me to represent the people of northern Illinois in the United States House of Representatives,” Manzullo said. “Our nation is at a crossroads on many issues, and we must focus on the need to put Americans back to work.

“My American Jobs Agenda would create economic opportunities for our entrepreneurs to survive these difficult times, thrive again, and create needed jobs for Americans. It is a stark contrast to many of the job-killing policies Congressional Democrat leaders are pursuing that will penalize employers and put more Americans on the unemployment lines. I seek the opportunity to continue my mission to strengthen manufacturing in America and put Americans back to work. At the same time, I will continue to fight wasteful Washington spending and reckless tax increases that threaten the pocketbooks of the people I represent.”

In Washington, Manzullo serves as the senior Republican on the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Asia, the Pacific and the Global Environment, and he’s a member of the House Financial Services Committee. He continues to co-chair the bipartisan House Manufacturing Caucus and he was named Chairman of the Republican Policy Committee’s Task Force on Manufacturing. He created the Export Controls Working Group and was named as a commissioner to the prestigious Congressional-Executive Commission on China, which battles human rights abuses and religious persecution in China.

Through these committee assignments and leadership positions, Manzullo is able to continue his mission to make U.S. manufacturers more competitive at home while leveling the playing field for American workers competing with overseas companies that often do not play by the rules. Most recently, Manzullo has been leading the charge in Congress to protect the U.S. patent system that spurs American innovation and jobs. He is also leading efforts to reform our export control policies to strengthen national security and create jobs for Americans.

In northern Illinois, Manzullo will continue to work with local officials and business leaders on major projects that will provide job opportunities for generations to come. He has helped spur new initiatives in northern Illinois focused on improving transportation, increasing access to health care, protecting children from Internet predators, developing renewable energy, improving education, strengthening manufacturing, bolstering public safety, helping our veterans, and protecting the environment.

Congressman Manzullo annually earns recognition as a “Taxpayer’s Hero” from Citizens Against Government Waste, a “Taxpayer’s Friend” by the National Taxpayers Union, and a “Friend of Agriculture” by the Illinois Agricultural Association. He has also been called “Senior Friendly” by the 60 Plus Association, and he received the “Guardian of Small Business Award” from the National Federation of Independent Business numerous times. He has received several endorsements from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and the National Association of Manufacturers has consistently honored him with the “Award for Manufacturing Legislative Excellence.”

In addition, he was recently honored with the “Distinguished Community Health Superhero Award” from the National Association of Community Health Centers, and he received a Certificate of Excellence from the National Breast Cancer Coalition.

Attachments to the press release can be found at the links below:

An American Jobs Program

Major Accomplishments for Northern Illinois (includes earmarks)

Don Manzullo Legislative & Administrative Victories

Nygren Florida Home Has Homestead Exemption – Part 3

Posted on by October 25, 2009
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Inspired to look further into McHenry County Sheriff Keith and his wife Margarete Nygren’s ownership of a home in Cape Coral, Florida, by the blog

Dirty Keith vs. Dirty Harry

McHenry County Blog has been reporting the details of this Lee County residence.

Two days ago, it was reported that the home has a Florida Homestead Exemption. Yesterday, the question of the exemption holder, Margarete Nygren’s apparently being registered in both Florida and Illinois was explored.

Only “bona fide Florida residents living in the dwelling” can received such an exemption.

Apparently, one spouse can claim to be a resident of Florida, while another resides officially elsewhere.

In the Nygren family, wife Margarete applied for the Florida exemption.

In the Florida Homestead Exemption rules is the following (printed in boldface in the original):

“In addition, if you are married, your spouse cannot receive exemption, tax credit or rollback in any other jurisdiction. (Emphasis added.) Section 6 (b) Article VII, Fl Constitution states that not more than one exemption shall be allowed any individual or family unit. You will be asked to sign an affidavit stating that you have been informed and that you are responsible for removing any other exemption in order to qualify in Lee County.“

Therein lies the problem.

Look at the McHenry County tax bill for the Nygren’s Hebron home. Look on the lower right hand side.

The property received a Homestead Exemption of $5,500 this year.

There’s an old song entitled, “Love and Marriage.”

I remember dancing the cha-cha to it in a class right after we moved to Salt Lake City in 1953 from Easton, Maryland. Another line is

“You can’t have one with out the other.”

Of course, we are no longer in the moral universe of the 1950’s, but something similar seems relevant here.

If the song were entitled,

“Homestead Exemption,”

one of the lines might be

“You can have one, but not the other.”