Cat Tax on Its Second Life

Imagine my surprise to see that the McHenry County Health Department is again floating the McHenry County Republican Cat Tax in its FY2011 “Goals.”

Don’t believe me?

Take a look at the 2011 Draft Budget, a link for which can be found on this page.

Search for page 246 in the 425 page document.

Naturally, the Board of Health did not emphasize its Cat Tax proposal, but it is the departments third goal. Higher ones have to do with internet submission of of private sewage and well permit applications and computerized food inspection and record storage system with web access. The top two priorities, plus most of the others in the list of ten priorities cost money, as you can see below. The Cat Tax is the only proposal that seems to raise cash.

Click to enlarge the ten goals listed by the Health Department in the preliminary 2011 budget posted on the internet.

Besides wondering why the final budget has not been posted, I wonder what part of “No” that the Board of Health doesn’t understand.

You may remember that District 2 County Board Member Lyn Orphal blind-sided Board Chairman Ken Koehler in February of 2007 when she advanced a motion to remove the all references from about the Cat Tax.

But Orphal didn’t win re-nomination. She was replaced by Donna Kurtz and I don’t remember if she had taken a position on the Republican Cat Tax or not.

Looking at the people up for election who supported the Cat Tax, I see all won election. One of the opponents, Democrat Jim Kennedy lost to John Jung, who voted for the tax before he was defeated in 2008 by Democrat Paula Yensen.

Dan Ryan and Yvonne Barnes, both opponents of the Cat Tax, also did not win re-nomination.  They were replaced by Diane Evertsen and Robert Novak, neither of whose stands on the issue, if any, I know.

Both Ed Dvorak, who is retiring this year, and Nick Provenzano, who took his place, voted against the Cat Tax.

Maybe the word has been passed to the Board of Health that it’s OK to ask the County Board to impose this tax a second time now that the elections are over and two Cat Tax opponents will not be serving for the next two years.

The vote three years ago was 12-10. Apparently two people were absent.

But twelve votes would have killed the tax hike, if all had voted against Tina Hill’s motion to approve the amendatory ordinance. Ties fail, you see.

It’s unlikely that Koehler has zeroed in on this issue, however.

Keely, the McHenry County Republican Watchcat, hasn't gotten too worried about the 22-2 Republican majority's sending out the Republican Cat Tax Collectors yet.

Keeley Cat isn’t too bothered yet. He doubts many County Board members have even noticed that the Board of Health is planning another assault on the kitties.

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Thanks to Gus Philpott, who writes “Woodstock Advocate,” for letting me know of what was in the Health Department’s Goals.


Comments

Cat Tax on Its Second Life — 2 Comments

  1. I was about to ask if you are always this disingenuous, but lets face it you are.

    This isn’t a “Cat Tax” its a way of making sure that domesticated animals are receiving the proper vaccinations to ensure they don’t spread disease that could endanger human lives. You may be in favor of non vaccinated animals spreading disease but I would have to say I oppose it.

  2. Keerly Cat is vaccinated and has an ID chip. t did not take paying county government to induce such action.

    Apparently you didn’t read about the first McHenry County Republican Cat Tax attack.

    It was strictly about getting more money to use for remodeling the old Crystal Lake auto insurance facility.

    It was sold, however, on the premise that it would prevent the spread of rabies from bats to cats to people.

    Missing was any requirement to vaccinate those cats most likely to get infected–barn cats.

    When one is proposing to impose a tax, which is what the current dog registration amounts to, I believe government should be straight forward. Call it what it is, rather than hiding behind some other rationale.

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