Advice From Retiring Congressman

Retiring Congressman Ron Paul told Bloomberg TV Thursday that America has already fallen off the fiscal cliff and blames government benefits for President Barack Obama’s re-election.

Paul told Bloomberg TV that in a pure democracy, “the majority dictates against the minority. So right now, the majority are receiving a check,” and those receiving government benefits do not want them to stop coming.

Words Of Wisdom

"Liberty cannot be preserved without a general knowledge among the people, who have a right, from the frame of their nature, to knowledge, as their great Creator, who does nothing in vain, has given them understandings, and a desire to know; but besides this, they have a right, an indisputable, unalienable, indefeasible, divine right to that most dreaded and envied kind of knowledge; I mean, of the characters and conduct of their rulers."

--John Adams, Dissertation on Canon and Feudal Law, 1765

McHenry County Board Meets Thursday Morning

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 8—

9:00 a.m. – McHenry County Board –

Meeting in the County Board Room, County Administration Building, 667 Ware Road, Woodstock. 

 The meeting is being held on Thursday, due to the General Election taking place this past Tuesday, when the Board would normally meet..

The Board is to consider a Resolution Requesting an Exception from a potential conflict of interest involving the 2012 Community Bock Grant Program Funding between Pioneer Center for Human Services and McHenry County Board Member Sandra Fay Salgado.

A number of resolutions are being presented for Board action including

• Setting meeting dates for the Transportation Committee meetings for the coming year
• Appropriating funding for roadway lighting and traffic signal electrical power.
• Resolution Awarding a Contract For FY 2013 Traffic Signal and Highway Lighting
• Maintenance Contract and Appropriating Funds
• Resolution Awarding a Contract For FY 2013 Traffic Signal and Highway Lighting
• Maintenance Contract and Appropriating Funds
• Resolution Accepting Sign Material Bids and Appropriating Funds
• Resolution Appropriating Funds For Additional Thermoplastic Pavement Markings
• Resolution to Provide On-Call Professional Bridge Design Services and Appropriating Funds
• Resolution Appropriating Funds For Ice Control Maintenance Materials
• Resolution Adopting McHenry County Snow & Ice Control Policy 
• Resolution Requesting the Approval of the McHenry County 2013 Annual Action Plan forHUD Programming

Under Transportation matters the following resolutions are being presented for approval

• Resolution Setting the Meeting Dates for the Transportation Committee For 2013
• Resolution Appropriating Funds for Roadway Lighting and Traffic Signal Electrical Power
• Resolution Awarding a Contract for FY 2013 Traffic Signal and Highway Lighting
• Maintenance Contract and Appropriating Funds
• Resolution Accepting Sign Material Bids and Appropriating Funds
• Resolution Appropriating Funds for Additional Thermoplastic Pavement Markings
• Resolution to Provide On-Call Professional Bridge Design Services and appropriating funds
• Resolution Appropriating Funds For Ice Control Maintenance Materials
• Resolution Adopting McHenry County Snow & Ice Control Policy

MCC Entrance Closed Beginning Thursday Until November 28

An emergency sanitary sewer repair began on Monday, November 5 at McHenry County College, 8900 U.S. Highway 14 in Crystal Lake. The project began near the campus’ main Entrance 1.

Tomorrow, Thursday, November 8, Entrance 1 (stoplight entrance) will be closed for the day. The construction will then proceed through Parking Lot B the week of November 11, restricting some parking areas. Employees and students will be notified with additional updates as they become available.

Entrance 3 (Lucas Road) will remain open. College officials anticipate work will be completed by November 28

Government At Work

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 7 –

1:30 p.m. – Crystal Lake Public Library Board

The Library Board Trustees are meeting this afternoon in the Library Director’s Office at the Crystal Lake Public Library.

6:30 p.m. –McHenry County Historic Preservation Commission –

Meeting in the Planning and Development Conference Room, McHenry County Administration Building, 667 Ware Road, Woodstock.

Following a number of committee reports, the Commission is to discussion the National Endowment for the Arts Funding Guidelines for “Our Town” status of CLG Grant.

Also for consideration is the status of Landmark Photo Display / Administration Building.

7:30 p.m. – Crystal Lake Planning and Zoning Commission –

Meeting in the Crystal Lake City Hall, SMK Center – The Other Side – 93
Berkshire Drive, Unit –G. This petition for a public hearing is being continued to the November 19^th Special Planning Zoning Commission meeting. A variation for a Night Club (without alcohol) is being requested.

Milestone Therapy – 400 S. Federal
A motion is requested to set a public hearing date on November 19, for a Preliminary & Final PUD/Plat of Subdivision for a Medical Office building.

Dalzell Jewelers, 39 N Williams Street

A request is being made for a Special Use Permit for a used Merchandise store. The Commission is to hold a public hearing on the request.

Whitey’s Towing (Teckler Industrial Triangle) – 710 Eastgate Alley –
This petition was continued from the October 17, meeting. A variation is requested to allow an 8-foot variance in the corner side yard setback.

Switzer Center – 7109 Pingree Road--
A rezoning from “M” Manufacturing to the “B-2” General Commercial is being requested for this property.

Walmart – Lutter Center – 1205 S. Route 31 --

PUD Amendment is being requested for color changes to the building’s exterior.

Words Of Wisdom

"We should never despair, our situation before has been unpromising and has changed for the better, so I trust, it will again. If new difficulties arise, we must only put forth new exertions and proportion our efforts to the exigency of the times.

 --George Washington, letter to Philip Schuyler, 1777

BE SURE TO VOTE TODAY

A REMINDER

If you haven't already voted, be sure to do so before polls close at 6 p.m. 

Not sure where to vote?
Your voter registration card tells in what precinct you reside.
If necessary, call the  County Clerk's Office 815-334-4000  
 

Words Of Wisdom

"Liberty cannot be preserved without a general knowledge among the people, who have a right, from the frame of their nature, to knowledge, as their great Creator, who does nothing in vain, has given them understandings, and a desire to know; but besides this, they have a right, an indisputable, unalienable, indefeasible, divine right to that most dreaded and envied kind of knowledge; I mean, of the characters and conduct of their rulers."

--John Adams, Dissertation on Canon and Feudal Law, 1765

Do McHenry County Voters Really Want An Executive Form Of Government?

FACTS: Under the County Executive form, there is less accountability and less transparency. Today’s county board is subject to the Open Meetings Act. All business, including committee meetings, is conducted in public and in front of the press.
 .
A County Executive (as an individual) is not subject to the Open Meetings Act. He/she can create the budget, redraw county board district boundary lines, and conduct a great deal of business behind his closed office door. Even more alarming, a County Executive can award no-bid contracts up to $25,000 to anyone he/she wants with no county board oversight. In addition, today’s county board chairman is elected for a two year term and during that time he is directly accountable to the 24 county board members, and by extension, the voters.

The day-to day operation of the county is led today by a hired professional (not a politician) who can be fired at any time by the county board.  A County Executive is elected for four-year terms, and can only be removed if he/she is convicted of a crime. Otherwise this individual has a full four years to implement an agenda.
 
Proponents’ Claim: A County Executive form will lower your taxes.
 FACTS: A change to a County Executive form of government increases the size of government. McHenry County currently has a 24-member county board and one of those individuals is selected to serve as chairman for two-year terms. Will County is the ONLY Illinois county to utilize a County Executive form of government, and a visit to their web site (www.willcountyillinois.com) clearly shows that they have a 27-member county board with one member selected to serve as chairman, plus an entire list of Executive branch employees, including: County Executive, his Chief of Staff, his Manager of Operations, his Finance Director, his Legal Council (serves in addition to the State’s Attorney), his Communications Director, and his Public Information Officer.
 
Proponents’ Claim: Will County has lower taxes than McHenry County.
 FACTS:  Proponents continue to use an “apples to oranges” tax comparison between McHenry and Will counties. McHenry County has four voter-approved and mandated tax rates that do not exist in Will County. This includes our Valley Hi Nursing Home, Senior Services, Veterans Assistance and Mental Health services. These four districts represent approximately 30% of the McHenry County tax bill.  In addition, Will County has a much larger industrial tax base (24% in Will vs only 14% in McHenry). They do not account for this disparity in their numbers.
 
Proponents’ Claim: A County Executive form will not create a new layer of government.
 FACTS: This is absolutely false. Today McHenry County does not have an executive branch of government. If the referendum is successful, a County Executive and the staff members mentioned above will be added.
 
Proponents’ Claim: Most of the United States is governed by the County Executive form.
FACTS: In reality, there are only 14 states that offer the County Executive as an option, and two of those states require it. In Illinois, even though it has been available to counties for almost 30 years, only Will County has chosen to use it. Ballot initiatives in other counties regarding making the change to a County Executive have failed by large margins.
 
Proponents’ Claim: The County Executive form leads to better representation.
FACTS:  To the contrary, a switch to a County Executive weakens county-wide representation. Today, McHenry County is divided into six geographic districts, and voters from each district send four people to the county board to represent their interests. Each vote, including that of today’s county board chairman, carries the same weight. Majority rules all decisions and the chairman’s job is to implement the majority votes of the board. A County Executive would have Governor-like veto power over the actions of the county board. Additionally, today every county board district is represented on each county board committee. A County Executive would be under no obligation to provide similar county-wide voices on committees since he puts the committees together without input from the board.  
 
If you have not yet seen this short video which summarizes the many reasons why you should vote NO to this ballot proposal, please take three minutes to watch my closing remarks at the recent forum on the county executive proposal.
 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=epcWExi4W7Q
 
Again, please take time to vote, as the consequences of this election are significant.

Unique High School Fundraiser

Jacobs High School Students are engaged in a rather unique fundraiser to benefit victims of Hurricane Sandy.

Students are being asked to donate loose change. The change is being collected in jugs for each class. Students are asked to toss in their loose change in the jug for their class.

Money measuring posters are up in the commons to track how much each class has every day. The winning class will get to choose a teacher to wear the Eagle costume the entire day. Additionally, Student Council will match whatever the student body donates.

The money will go to the Red Cross to help Hurricane Sandy victims.

New Member Of McHenry County State's Attorney Office

Louis A. Bianchi, McHenry County State’s Attorney, is pleased to announce that Daniel J. Wilbrandt has joined the McHenry County State’s Attorney’s Office as an assistant state’s attorney in the Criminal Division effective November 5, 2012.

Daniel has received tremendous hands-on experience by interning in the McHenry County State’s Attorney’s Office for the past three years.  During that time, he tried 26 cases, wrote and argued numerous motions, and drafted countless research memos. 

Daniel received his Juris Doctor, cum laude, from The John Marshall Law School of Chicago, Illinois, in June, 2012.  While in law school, Daniel wrote for The John Marshall Law Review, acted as a teaching assistant in Lawyering Skills/Legal Writing, and was a semi-finalist in the Dean Fred F. Herzog Moot Court Competition.  Daniel received his undergraduate degree in Speech Communication, Pre-Law in May, 2006, and his M.A. in Communication, May 2009, from the University of Illinois

Government At Work

Tuesday, November 6--

7:30 p.m. – Crystal Lake Public Library Board of Trustees-
Meeting in the Library Director’s Office at the Crystal Lake Public Library, 126 Paddocks Street, Crystal Lake.

7:30 p.m. – Crystal Lake City Council –

Meeting in the Crystal Lake City Council Chambers, 100 West Woodstock Street.

The Council will consider a request for a Temporary Liquor License for the St. Thomas the Apostle School PTO.

Also a request by the Crystal Lake Camber of Commerce/Sister Cities Committee for a Class 19 Temporary Liquor License request.

D & J. Guns is requesting a Temporary Use Permit to allow a series o gun shows to be held in the Holiday Inn, 800 S. Route 31.

Two zoning matters are being presented for Council approval. One is for 73 Lincoln Parkway for a special use permit to allow an accessory structure over 600 square feet and a variation to the required five-foot side yard setback to allow the garage to be 3.82 feet from the property line.

A simplified residential variation is being presented for the Council’s approval to allow a covered front porch to encroach 10.8 feet into the required 25.5 foot average front yard setback.

A resolution is being presented for Council approval regarding cooperation with the Crystal Lake Library Board regarding expansion plans for the library, depending upon what decision is to be made by the Library Board regarding that expansion.

The Council is to discuss a proposed barrier median along East Crystal Lake Avenue, east of the railroad tracks. This also includes the designation of East Crystal Lake Avenue from Main Street to Erick Street as a Class II Truck Route.

The Council is being requested to authorize the execution of a High School Resource Officer Agreement with Community High School District 155.

A traffic control ordinance is being presented the Council for the intersection of Dearborn Court and Illinois Route 176.

The Council is also being requested to increase the number of garage sale licenses to any one person from two licenses to three licenses within a twelve-month period and provide revisions to the requirements for the placement of garage sale signs.

The Council is being requested to approve a resolution authorizing the purchase of one 2013 Ford Taurus through the Northwest Municipal Conference Suburban Purchasing Cooperative.

MCC Board Committee Meeting This Evening

McHenry County College Board Evaluations and Policy Committee is meeting this evening at 6:30 in the College Board Room.

The Committee is to continue review of the Board Policy Manual and the Internal Policy Committee update.

Government At Work

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 5—

8:15 a.m. – McHenry County Board Law and Justice Committee –

Meeting in the McHenry County Board Conference Room, County administration Building, 667 Ware Road, Woodstock.

The Committee is to consider the Public Defender and State’s Attorney’s Office Case Management System as well as a resolution authorizing the acceptance of the 2012 State Criminal Alien Assistance Program Award.

7:00 p.m. Crystal Lake Public Library -
A joint meeting of the Planning and Public Relations Committees of the Crystal Lake Public Library Board of Trustees will be held in the Library Director’s Office at the Crystal Lake Public Library, 126 Paddock Street, Crystal Lake

Words Of Wisdom

"Everything that is right or reasonable pleads for separation. The blood of the slain, the weeping voice of nature cries; tis time to part."

--Thomas Paine, Common Sense, 1776