Courthouse Scandal Circa 1968

My first car was a hand-me-down from my father.

It was a Mercedes diesel, bought in 1964.

1964 Mercedes Disel

My father’s 1964 Mercedes Diesel looked like this.

When he showed up at my Oberlin College in it in my senior year, I wondered how he had been able to afford it with two kids in college.

It wasn’t very stylish.

Mercedes had put little fins on it that almost looked silly.

Anyway, when I came back from my first job–Budget Examiner in the United States Bureau of the Budget–to run for McHenry County Treasurer that was the car I got to drive.

Great mileage and I later discovered on trips to Springfield, it would run very fast for a very long time.  Not must pickup though.

There was a problem during very cold times, however.

The car wouldn’t start if the fluids were very cold.

So, Mercedes had included a place to plug in the car.

My parking spot was behind the Old Woodstock Courthouse from 1966-70.

The bottom floor right in front of my parking space was where the County Treasurer’s Personal Property Division was located.

The Personal Property Tax was a hated tax amounting to under $100 a year.  It was levied on cars and furniture.

We now pay more in state license plates fees each year.

I ran an extension cord through the window to my car.

One week I opened the Crystal Lake News, a tabloid run by Marge Rom, and found a photo of my car plugged into county electricity to heat the block.

Scandal at the Courthouse.

Now I see the push to provide free electricity to charge electric cars.
Electric car chargersAlthough such a proposal was rejected by the McHenry County College Board when the south parking lot was repaved, there are two spots there today.

MCC’s Christina Haggerty found

“the money for the charging stations came from award money from the American Association of Community Colleges. SEED stands for sustainability, education, and economic development. The College won an award for community engagement in January 2015.”

[I wish someone would pay for the fuel to run my car.]


Comments

Courthouse Scandal Circa 1968 — 25 Comments

  1. Cal, your stories are so interesting.

    Youngsters don’t appreciate the wisdom of the old folks, like we were taught back in our day.

    When I was young I thought I would be venerable like my elders when I reached that stage of life.

    Boy, was I ever wrong.

    I may be old school, but I really appreciate you sharing your knowledge.

  2. Cal using county property for free is no different today than it was yesterday it is still a benefit you were not entitled to have.

    So Cindy you brown nose all you want that does not make it ok for taking something you are not entitled to. Have regardless how interesting it may seem.

    Listening to Hannibal talk about how he killed people in silence of the lambs was interesting to as well but did not make what he did right.

  3. Nice comparison.

    Very liberal of you to compare an anecdote to a murderer.

    Your Tavistockian brainwashing is showing.

    BTW The word too means also.

  4. Liberal HAHA .

    Free electric sounds like liberal to me Cindy I bet you are an Obama lovin Hillary supporter.

  5. **[I wish someone would pay for the fuel to run my car.]**

    You mean, just like how you ran an extension cord out your office window to charge your car?

  6. Nobody was charging anything.

    Do you people not know how to read?

    Now I am really concerned about all those government workers that are plugging in their cell phones and laptops to charge on our dime.

    Oh, and it is probably costing us so much money when they heat their little bodies in our government offices.

    You people are really a hoot and half.

  7. To be fair, I recall Cal using the same car to haul mail for the Treasurer’s office to the post office at no cost to the taxpayers.

    Jack Schaffer

  8. Cindy, you have become this condescending patronizing person.

    Or maybe you have always been that way and you are becoming worse.

    Your’e not as smart as you think you are.

    Maybe, you should park your white horse at the gate

    Little Ms know it ALL!

  9. How is what I said to Cal arrogant?

    You must have not used your thesaurus lately.

    Why the name calling?

    What is the problem with you having to constantly attack?

    You got something to say about Cal’s story?

    Then go right ahead.

    Be my guest.

    But harping and gibbering on about me doesn’t make you look very intelligent.

  10. Cindy you said: “You must have not used your thesaurus lately”

    That is a statement that says you think you are smarter than everyone and you are not.

    Making comments on this blog and calling everyone idiots does not lend credence to any of your beliefs or arguments.

    Try again and you might actually have a valid point.

  11. The electricity was not used to charge the car.

    The car had a diesel engine.

    It was used to heat keep the oil warm enough to start on really cold days.

  12. One again, and still yet, Fighting Denise has proven she is not to be taken seriously at all.

    SHe labors under so many misapprechensions, I am astonished by the level of incompetence.

    Jesus is no respecter of persons.

    Stop accusing and remove the mote in your own eye.

    The valid point is precisely what Cal patiently and laboriously once again explained in very simple terms.

  13. Once again Pam has proven she doesn’t have a brain!

    Why don’t you and the guy who left the State of California because of criminal allegations go take a much needed rest on your ocean front property in Arizona.

    Oh that’s right, he must might throw another temper tantrum and leave the State.

    No news there.

  14. Denise’s incoherrant babbling leads me to believe she might need a wellness check.

  15. Fighting Denise?

    Why do you keep calling me Pam?

    And why do you think I drink alcohol?

    As with everything else you post, you are absolutely wrong on both accounts.

  16. Randy and the Rainbows:
    Oh, Denise, dooby do,
    You are cuckoo
    Denise, dooby-do

  17. The governments of the world have “controlled” weather for many decades.

    You need to come out of your sedated co-coon and step into reality.

    And stop talking to your imaginary friends.

    They are steering you wrong.

    Perhaps you’ve even heard of HARP.

    Just not smart enought to wonder what that was?

    Jet streams?

    Cloud Seeding?

    Agent Orange?

    Oh, forget it.

    Just start here. http://www.geoengineeringwatch.org/documents-library/a-recomended-national-program-in-weather-modification-icas-report-10a/

  18. Oh, Denise, dooby do,
    You are cuckoo
    Denise, dooby-do
    You are through,
    Denise, dooby-do
    Denise, Denise
    Doesn’t have a clue.

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