Northwest Herald Reporter Discerns Real Reason for McHenry County College’s $137,750 Hiring of Tax Hike Firm

Last night in the McHenry County College cafeteria, Northwest Herald reporter Brett Rowland picked up more information that the purpose of UNICOM-ARC’s dog and pony show was to raise taxes.

So, the cat is out of the bag, so to speak, for those who didn’t read my article on November 19, 2009, entitled,

It looks like Rowland followed up with MCC Board President George Lowe after one table leader reported that folks at her table were surprised at how much a penny would bring in. (See tomorrow’s installment of my three-part report on the meeting.)

I didn’t hear any table leader mention a referendum in their reports.

But Lowe is a blunt-spoken man who answers questions.

Rowland obviously asked Lowe the right question after the meeting.

“Is this whole process about raising taxes?” should have been my question, but I had another one and I’m more into reading tea leaves, as you will see in tomorrow’s and Friday’s articles and the one from last year referenced above.

Molly Walsh mentioned the referendum possibility during his table discussion, Rowland wrote. What Rowland did not mention is that Walsh used to work for the college. (You see a photo of Rowland’s table. That’s him in the foreground listening to his table leader, Molly Walsh, giving her report.)

Former Cary resident Bill Pysson, who writes District 100 Watchdog now that he has moved to Boone County’s cheaper tax climes, wrote the following today about my article, which I posted just after midnight:

UNICOM-ARC is the company that “sold” District 100 their last building referendum. They are at it again over in McHenry County. “Community involvement” is equal to a few invited citizens and the rest school employees—who outnumber the citizens

[31] That’s the number I [Cal Skinner] counted sitting at tables. 

21 women and 10 men.

There were about 60 at the first meeting.

Cal Skinner continues to believe that spending $137,750 on this project is unmerited. St. Louis referendum tax hike facilitator UNICOM-ARC“>UNICOM-ARC is the main beneficiary.

It is certainly possible that his comment reflected the composition of those attending last night’s meeting.

In an email alerting me to his article, the tax fighter said,

“Watch out for the ‘Delphi approach’ when they try to sell this to the public. They will invite the public to a presentation of their referendum. 

“Hidden in each small group is a ‘bad cop’ individual who will attack any vocal person with real questions on the issue.”

Forewarned is forearmed, as they say.

Other articles on McHenry County Blog about this huge expenditure follow:

December 18, 2008 –UNICOM-ARC Hits Up Local Taxpayers Again 

Saturday, January 24, 2009 – MCC Tax Hike Timeline

Friday, January 30, 2009 – McHenry County College Power Elite Nominees

Saturday, January 31, 2009 – MCC Power Elite Add-Ons

Monday, March 30, 2009 – McHenry County College Inviting Public

Wednesday, April 01, 2009 – McHenry County College MAP “Engages” 60 Community Members

Thursday, April 02, 2009 – MCC MAP Meeting Light on Community Participation

Saturday, April 25, 2009 – $200,000+ for Resigned MCC President Walt Packard

= = = = =
I note that the electronic version of the Northwest Herald article now headlines the article

MCC’s MAP session raises possiblity of referendum

Yes, “possibility” is spelled wrong, but that’s not my point. The day editors have toned down the night editor’s stronger headline reading

MCC talks tax hike
Community discussion includes prospect of referendum

That pretty much shows that the newspaper headline was “off message,” as political consultants like Unicom-ARC would tell a client.

Under the process the tax hike consultant has followed previously, it’s “the people” who are supposed to urge the tax officials to raise taxes.

Today’s Northwest Herald headline clearly showed that it is the tax officials who want a tax hike referendum.

Of the 11 comments under the article, NONE is favorable to raising MCC taxes.


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