Speakers Tell Why Bill Prim Should Be Sheriff, Gary Rabine Says Elect Him Because “He’s Not a Politician. He’s a Great Cop.”

The second fundraiser at the Bull Valley Country Club was held for Bill Prim two weeks ago. Snow shoveling and other activities have kept me from completing this story until now.

Brian Kelly was first up to the microphone after folks had had some light refreshments. He introduced Gary Rabine.

IMG_4350

Brian Kelly at the microphone introducing Gary Rabine.

Rabine characterized Bill Prim:

“He’s not a politician.

“He’s a cop, a great cop.”

Rabine talked of the situation in the Sheriff’s Department.

“The only way it’s going to change is to get Bill Prim in office.”

McHenry County Board member Sandy Salgado spoke next.  She is the one seeking to replace the retiring Republican Party Chairman Mike Tryon.

“Enough is enough!” she said, talking of the reform that is needed in this country.

“We need to start in our own backyard.

“We went out and recruited new Precinct Committeemen.”

She told of Thursday’s meeting.

“You could not imagine a room filled with newly-energized individuals.”

Kirk, Charlie looking right speaking Prim

21-year old Turning Point Action head Charlie Kirk was next.

The day before he had been interviewed by Fox News about his carrying the free market message to college students.

While being in New York, Kirk told of being invited to a Columbia University lecture in political science by a friend who warned him not to say anything.  (And, just in case he did, the friend sat six rows in front of where Kirk was seated in the back row.)

The professor set him off by talking about “capitalists stealing our money.”

The friend turned around to urge him silently not to say anything.

But that’s not in Charlie Kirk’s DNA.

For forty-five minutes he debated the professor.

After, students came up to thank him.

“I’ve never heard the other side,” one said.

Kirk had expounded on the tenants of the free market.

He suggested that if he could take on a Columbia University professor, those supporting Bill Prim could surely knock on the doors of their neighbors and convince them to vote for Bill Prim.

Kirk urged the crowd to “bring the county back to responsible governance in the Sheriff’s Office.”

A friend of Carolyn Cox then read a statement about the problems she had with the State’s Attorney’s and Sheriff’s Office while trying to get honest prosecution of the man who tried to kill her.  (When I get a copy of the text, I’ll put it up.)

A telling comment:

“I learned there was a way things were done in McHenry County.”

Toward the end of the talk, she wrote, “We began by electing a new State’s Attorney and now we need to do it in the Sheriff’s Office.  Bill Prim can made that [happen].”

Merryman, Tom

Then Tom Merryman spoke.

He told of the abysmal situation for construction companies in Illinois.

“We were forced to go to nine different states,” he said of his family business.

“The people we fought the hardest to get ahead are supporting the opponent.

“Bill is a man of character. He not sold and bought.”

Merryman, pointing to the audience, said, “It’s the people in this room that expect nothing by truth and justice [who support Bill Prim].

“I’d like our politics to go straight.

“I’d like to be able to work where I could go home for lunch.”

He explained real estate prices have gone down 20-65% while the Sheriff’s budget went up 21% from 2008 to 2012.

Attorney Robert Hanlon also spoke corruption in McHenry County.

He concluded by saying,

“We need a person of honor and character in the Sheriff’s Office.

Bill Prim will be that man.”

Bill Prim

Bill Prim

Bill Prim was up next.

He pointed out the increase in the Sheriff’s Department budget since 2007 has been 35%.

“As a politician, I’m going to be a great Sheriff.

“As a public speaker, I’ll make a great Sheriff.

“People have given me their reputation and trusting me with it.

“It’s outstanding and humbling and I can’t thank you enough.”

The candidate repeated his intention to recruit volunteers to help the office.

He said a national study had valued such service at $23.19 per hour.

Touching on savings he thinks possible in the Sheriff’s budget, he said, “I want to make this a county where our kids can afford to come back and stay.

“I want to be the Sheriff, but the office belongs to you.

“We’ll be financially prudent,” but more important is the question:

“Can you be an honest and fair Sheriff?

“Yes, I can”

McHenry County Clerk candidate Nick Provenzano spoke briefly, as did McHenry County Treasurer candidate Jeff Thorsen.

Provenzano stated that he led the fight to freeze the county budget as well as for the referendum to elect the county board chairman at-large.

Thorsen touted his fiscal conservative credentials, pointing to “no” voted on raising the Crystal Lake City sales tax by 75%.


Comments

Speakers Tell Why Bill Prim Should Be Sheriff, Gary Rabine Says Elect Him Because “He’s Not a Politician. He’s a Great Cop.” — 26 Comments

  1. Yes, Bill Prim is a great cop.

    But in 27 years never tried to advance himself through education, and now is a politician who over exaggerates how much money he actually brought into the department that he worked in.

    And his boss doesn’t support or endorse him, he supports his opponent.

  2. That makes no sense “Oldtimer.”

    I’m guessing that Prim probably wasn’t in a position to fire a relative of his former chief.

    That’s what you’re saying, isn’t it?

  3. 27 years and never advanced his education!

    That tells me he didn’t desire to be better, he just wanted to be good enough to get along, New administrators need better education.

    Prim has none and now wants to be Sheriff…….Not

  4. I looked at Fairplays post and your post Oldtimer and I go along with Gimme, your post just doesn’t make much sense.

    Maybe if Prim was chief and it was a former commander who didn’t like him…

    There could be quite a few reasons that Prim’s former chief didn’t endorse him and maybe some of them have absolutely nothing to do with Prim’s qualifications or integrity.

    Maybe he just didn’t like him, maybe he likes Zinke better.

    Your suggestion just doesn’t ring any bells or make any sense.

    That’s all I’m saying.

    Explain yourself or let it drop.

    Give us the connection here.

    Gimme explained why it sounds dumb (and I agree) so now it’s your turn to show us what you mean.

  5. Prim is a proven MAN.

    His work and accomplishments are a testament to what good police work is.

    We have problems in this county and Sheriff’s Office that can only be taken care of by a man with productive experience.

  6. So Andy was a politician for all those years he was in patrol, k9, detectives etc?

    Just like Prim, he didn’t enter politics until this election. one huge difference.

    Prim coasted through his years at DesPlaines.

    He never spent a dime of his own money to better himself.

    Same education as the bare minimum to get hired twenty years ago. That speaks volumes about his desire to actually improve himself.

    Contrast that with Andy Zinke.

    He obtained his two year associates degree, worked toward his bachelors degree.

    Did he stop there?

    NO! He continued and got an MBA.

    That for the uneducated uninformed Prim supporters is a Masters degree in Business Management.

    Now, who is better prepared for the job at the top of a multi -million dollar agency?

    A guy with a high school diploma like Prim, or a man that has prepared himself for the job through years of hard work and self initiated education?

    Zinke is the man.

  7. It kind of strikes me as funny a few of these big money local politicos are talking about how Prim is a cop and not a politician…

    when they have only known him as a politician and seem to have zero experience with him while he was working in the scandal plagued Des Plaines PD…doesn’t it seem a bit less than honest?

  8. Pony up there Duncan McCrazy…..show us all this evidence of corruption in a lawful court.

    You are a blow hard beating the same broken drum.

    You should know that judges are forbidden from what you ask.

  9. Prim may not have tried to advance his education.

    The position of sheriff requires leadership ability.

    Leadership ability is something you have or you don’t.

    You can’t get a piece of paper (i.e. Diploma) in Organizational Leadership and immediately boast having that ability.

    I’ve had the chance to talk to a few policemen who have worked under Mr. Prim.

    I have not heard anything negative about him.

    By all accounts he is a cop’s cop who will earn the respect of his officers.

    Unfortunately I have not heard the same about Mr. Zinke.

    Why have not more deputies come forward to express their opinion?

    There is a profound element of fear among them; fear of retaliation.

    Fear of less desirable assignments or removal from the desired assignments that they have received.

    Supervisors have no union protection and unless they are planning their retirement they choose to remain silent on the issues.

    With that said, I truly believe without doubt that both candidates want what’s best for the citizens of this county.

    They just have differing views on how to get the job done.

    I think with much of the bad press for this office over the past decade it’s time for a change….

    A fresh set of eyes to look at the office and to see what can be done differently.

    As a voter I have studied the issues, formulated an independent opinion using media and going to the sources.

    I have chosen to support Bill Prim in this election contest.

  10. GulfGuy, maybe Prim doesn’t need as much improvement as Zinke.

    Where was Zinke’s degree from, the Woodstock learning center, wow.

    Prim could spend the $39.95 and get himself a mail order degree too.

    Is Leadership actually a college major.

    Maybe Andy can get his Phd from a cereal box.

    If he is so smart why did he tip off someone in a major drug investigation.

    Book smarts are no replacement for common sense.

  11. MCC, Judson University and Aurora a College are far from mail order degrees. They are all top notch in their field.

    Nearly all profession law enforcement officers now days try to attain further educational degrees to add to their skills.

    Look around at the Chiefs in the county and their senior officers.

    Most have a bachelors degree.

    Many have Masters Degrees.

    To apply for a chiefs position, the minimum requirement is a bachelors with Masters a Degree preferred.

    The vast majority if supervisors and upper command at the MCSO have degrees, How can an officer with advanced educational degrees be expected to respect and be lead by someone that never went past high school?

    Prim has not tried to improve himself and only foolish people support him

    The Sheriff of the county should have a minimum if a bachelors degree.

  12. “GulfGuy” Why don’t you go swallow that big fat ego of yours?

    It does not matter if Andy has a degree for which he has produced no proof of. Andy has demonstrated that by the way he has run his campaign, he is not capable of leading the Sheriffs Department or the people of McHenry County..

    Flipping people off at a public parade disqualifies him as a legitimate candidate.

    Further, having Cal’s blog shut down because of false allegations is not professional it is childish and vindictive.

    Further, that disqualifies him as a viable option as our new Sheriff.

    Intellectual capacity is not the same as emotional maturity, they are measured differently. By the way, Andy Zinke, lacks in both the IQ and emotional maturity department.

    We need an actual IQ on him..

    His emotional a maturity is very low and has proved this because he has acted like a child during his campaign over and over again.

    Frankly, Andy needs to go back to kindergarten and learn the rules…

    Hey, Andy might actually have to learn how to share his popcorn…lol…

  13. WOW! More of the Regime…

    Yep they are scared because the truth about corruption in Mchenry County has been disclosed to the public and now they are trying to do damage control for the Zinke Camp..

    Andy Zinke will only continue to make a mockery of McHenry County if he is voted into office..

    No amount of education will make up for all of his unscrupulous shenanigans during his campaign.

    Or, more like a circus he has conducted.

    It’s time for the people of McHenry County to take back their Government and vote for Bill Prim March 18, 2014.

  14. Andy uses his BS degree in all his press releases.

    “Drug bust nets $3 in pot and two BB guns”

    “Top ten fugitive arrested- wanted for 6 unpaid parking tickets”

    “Undersheriff receives masters degree from Kellog (cereal) University”

    “MCSO Sgt. having sex with his son, just a domestic problem”

  15. Thanks “RegimeOver” for clarifying the facts and for putting the facts about the “Regime” into perspective….

    Andy, needs a bumper sticker that says I’m an honor roll student…lol…

    Have any gold stars anyone.

    Frankly, I think he needs to go stand in a corner with a dunce cap….lol…

  16. What Regime Over, and Dunky, fail to realize is: That the problem is not netting $3 in pot and two bb guns, the problem is that the police are spending anytime at all pursuing a drug that is legal in two states.

    Regime Over and Dunky, love state power, they are only made that the so called “Regime” is not theirs.

    Still, I am pretty sure I wouldn’t carp on and on about being let go for so long.

    I would just get another job and not worry about it. But some people just can’t do that, can they?

  17. Speaking of education…

    In a recent campaign Zinke spoke of his educational achievement from “Judson Christian College”.

    I do believe the school is actually called “Judson University”.

    Did he add the word “Christian” pop in as a political tactic to appeal to a certain group?

    Just asking.

  18. So I guess the Prim campaign has gone full anti-education.

    Is he going to stop sending Deputies to continuing education to increase their knowledge?

    Is he against us sending kids from our communities to better themselves via higher education?

    The vile and anger is really extending to even attacking education and the commitment it takes?

    All the anger from the Prim camp just isn’t healthy.

    With all the favors he is going to owe Bianchi I really wonder what this county would be like with all that pre-judgement, vengeance and anger unchecked.

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