Democratic Party challenger Dave Bachmann sent this reply to McHenry County Blog comments from a guy who calls himself Rhino on an article about unionization of the McHenry County Coroner’s office:
Dear Rhino:
Thank you for your comments to Mr. Skinner’s story on the coroners office desire to unionize.
I am deeply sorry that you have misinterpreted any and all of my statements. I believe I made just one statement regarding the numbers of employees of the coroners office.
Via my vast experience in the death care industry, 30 years worth.. in several countries, inclusive of working with the Department of Justice Criminal Division in the 3rd largest city in the world, I made a simple and verifiable business calculation. I stand by my assessment.
I too have been a proud Union Member, and clearly, running as a Democrat, strongly support all workers rights to join a union. Work environment security is of high concern to my management style, and as you might have noticed in my statement, that I promised to
“Protect employees private time, as well as provide time off for emotional healing when necessary.”
I also sighted the deplorable weekly hours I was forced to work as a young mortician. Eighty hour weeks were not at all unusual.
I searched my statements to back up your assertions. I could not find a single instance where I made any of the statements you had attached to my candidacy.
Your comment stated that the current deputies work “unbelievable hours.”
That is a shame. Proper time management is essential, as well as having a boss who is also willing to roll up his sleeves and work, both day and night calls, in the office and in the field.
Hence, ONE position I believe can be eliminated to save tax payer dollars. My letter your commenting on, clearly states this.
I believe we have a fundamental disagreement with the duty of government and its responsibilities to its citizenry.
I am a fiscal conservative, and will work to help conserve tax dollars.
I am sorry you don’t agree with this fact.
I’m not a tax and spend thinker. I look for ways to save money in business, as well as protect my workers.
It can be done, believe it or not.
As we all are acutely aware, today, more than ever, due to the current climate of unemployment, high fuel charges, many UN-insured workers just one pay check away from losing everything, I feel it to be my duty to be judicious with your money as I am sure you to are a tax payer.
If it helps you to understand who I am, I am a cancer survivor who at a critical time in my own life, was forced to lengths of going to pawn shops selling off personal property just to pay for airfare to go back and forth for my life saving medical treatments.
I know first hand, how life can throw you a curve ball at any given moment in time.
In truth, a savings here, and a savings there, can all add up.
Would you not agree that a reduced tax bill each year would be a nice bonus from your elected officials being trustworthy of your hard earned dollars?
I know the Coroner’s job extremely well, sir.
Its mission is to NOT be a Medical Examiner’s office, by statute.
Thus, I have a fiduciary responsibility to all McHenry County Tax payers, to protect their hard earned dollars.
This has nothing to do with winning an election. It would be my sworn duty to do so.
A coroner and a Medical Examiner are two totally different systems.
We have law enforcement specifically trained to handle certain cases involving death scenes, as well as the State of Illinois Crime Lab and specialists who are called in on an as needed basis vs. paying for thes
e people to sit around full time at a rate of pay that would break a county budget. Also, to pay at least 3 licensed pathologist to staff a Medical Examiner’s office would be so costly, we could never pay the bill.
Are you aware that the coroner does not do any autopsies, Rhino?
This is why we contract them out and they come to our county facility.
It is for these very reasons, counties voted to keep the coroner’s system instead of a medical examiners system.
Rhino, how many murders do we have in McHenry County each year? Many years, none. Other years, MAYBE, one or two.
MOST of the coroners calls are phone releases.
DO you want to pay a licensed pathologist over $200,000 per year each, to sit around day after day, taking phone releases?
You also mentioned, investigations that would be improperly handled.
This has already been done by our current coroner and her large staff in 2006, having missed as many as 17 deaths at the Woodstock Residence.
I had nothing to do with that sir or madame.
Ms. Lantz did.
Death rates NEVER more than double in any given year… Ms. Lantz and her staff had a duty to begin asking questions long before many allegedly had their lives taken prematurely.
But she did not…You failed to mention that in your comments, Rhino.
If you were educated in the death care industry, you would know death rates follow a 5 year pattern.
Three years are usually exact, one year will show a slight dip and another year would show a SLIGHT increase.
It would have been as simple as keeping a spiral notebook with each health care facilities name on it with its death count. Taken home each night, so each facility could be checked upon any death calls, and noted. Hence, this situation would have been caught sometime in May of 2006. Sometimes, Rhino, the simplest methods of facts are, as you state, 19th century, work very well. Obviously, it would have in this case.
As far as delayed burials, I don’t understand your thinking on that issue as doctors are contracted with the county to come in and handle autopsies. These doctors, are in addition to the current staff. I used this as well in my factoring the numbers.
As a current licensed funeral director, this, too, will save tax payer dollars in that the state of Illinois mandates that a licensed funeral director MUST be in attendance when removing a remains from the county morgue or any other facility. I can serve as such, to save funeral home dollars, which in turn will also save tax payers money.
My 30 years having served THOUSANDS of grieving families in several countries and in many of our own states will serve our McHenry County citizens as well.
My resume has already been built and I will not be a burden upon the taxpayers to help build my resume. I am extremely well qualified, and by statute, actually over qualified for this position. I possess hundreds of letter of thanks from the many families I have comforted in great time of tragedy. So, I dismiss your assertion of my inexperience. However, it is the pattern of the old regimes here in the county. However, I will not stoop to this level, I don’t have to. My professionalism is clear cut and well earned over 30 years.
If the Deputy Coroners choose to unionize after 28 years of not wanting union representation, I support and give my blessing. I only questioned the timing Rhino. However, you did not provide an answer to that on behalf of the person for whom you hide your name behind.
This being said, I will not engage my campaign, in negative rhetoric as Ms. Lantz had done in the primaries toward a gentleman whom I deeply admire and respect, Mr. Louis Bianchi.
I hope you can re-read Mr. Skinner’s story, and you will see none of the assertions you have made are true under my name.
Thank you again.
David J. Bachmann
