Every once in a while I’ll hear someone say that the lottery was passed to finance education. If I have time, I’ll correct that impression. When I attended my second New Members Conference put on by the Legislative Research Council, … Continue reading
Since 1974 when Downtown Chicago business interests financed the referendum to impose taxes on the suburbs to subsidize the CTA, promises have been made that there would be a “Universal Pass.” If something was promised 38 years ago and has … Continue reading
Since all in McHenry County but Algonquin Township are among those who reside in the new 14th Congressional District, I thought the followed email from Congressman Randy Hultgren might be of interest: The Hultgren Huddle Dear Friend, It’s been a … Continue reading
Kevin Craver of the Northwest Herald wrote a story Tuesday about McHenry County Board Chairman Ken Koehler’s unwillingness to ask for the resignation of former State Senator Jack Schaffer from the Metra Board. The first indication I could find of … Continue reading
Almost to the day, one year after Metra Executive Director Phil Pagano committed suicide by stepping in front of the last morning train from McHenry, Democratic Party State Rep. Jack Franks decided to send a letter to McHenry County Board … Continue reading
I’ve written previously of State Rep. Jack Franks’ personal motivation for going after Metra and RTA board members, but let me remind readers that Metra Board member Jack Schaffer owns Liberty Outdoor, the company that puts up small billboards favored … Continue reading
Didn’t the “Lone Ranger” television show start with something like that? When the extension of the CTA from Jefferson Park to O’Hare was being considered, it was right after the Regional Transportation Authority was shoved down the throats of suburbanites. … Continue reading
The man more responsible than anyone else for the Regional Transportation Authority’s tripling of the RTA Sales Tax in McHenry and other collar counties has decided he doesn’t want to be RTA Chairman anyway. He told the Chicago Sun-Times that … Continue reading
When’s the last time that you heard of a government not seeking more power. Think municipalities annexing property. Think village trustees not being able to wait to have a population of 25,000 certified so it can be a Home Rule … Continue reading
I guess I shouldn’t be surprised that the RTA’s Metra commuter trains to and from Chicago are featured in a critical article on the front page of the Tribune today. The beef is that riders can’t access the internet on … Continue reading
Didn’t know an Amtrak route is planned through McHenry County. Well, if you are a regular reader of McHenry County Blog, you would. Links to McHenry County Blog’s stories follow: April 3, 2010 – Quinn Says Amtrak Going Through Belvidere … Continue reading
No loss of any consequence to McHenry County to Governor Pat Quinn’s announcement that 400 State Policemen would be laid off. We didn’t have any in the 1990’s until I asked Governor George Ryan’s Director of the Department of Law … Continue reading
The unions decided to keep their benefits. That was more important than letting the commuters ride the CTA. And the personal grief of Democratic Party Lieutenant Governor Scott Lee Cohen’s son was more important that the doomsday for CTA strap … Continue reading
Not today. Today I heard this ever-so-positive ad on radio driving to pick up my son from school. But Friday night’s and Saturday’s phone calls were something else. A woman’s voice comes on the answering machine: “Hello. I’m calling with … Continue reading
If you looked at the front page of the Chicago Tribune Sunday, you saw five candidates on top of the page. They are ones that the Tribune’s poll found leading in both the Democratic and Republican Party primaries. It was … Continue reading
As U.S. House Democratic Party Speaker Tip O’Neill said, “All politics is local.” So, I guess that puts McHenry County Blog in the right place for those who want to know about “local.” That’s what McLean County Pundit reminds readers … Continue reading
As the smallest of Chicago’s collar counties, I guess we McHenry Countians should be used to being left out. When the RTA referendum was taking in place, for instance, I had a lot of radio debates with proponents, even a … Continue reading
Every time we go to Milwaukee via the four-lane highway that connects with Illinois’ U.S. 12, I see the park and ride site on the Wisconsin side of the state line. The article you see having the RTA announce a … Continue reading
when I saw the Chicago Tribune editorial on McHenry County’s former Democratic State Representative Tom Hanahan, I sent his and my former State Senator Jack Schaffer an email asking for his memories. It gave me two of the five belly … Continue reading
