Sunday, March 14, 2010

How many more times???

It's election year in Illinois. How can you tell?

How many times has the sheriff's name been in the newspaper since January 1st?

And twice today. In the article about yesterday's drill near a busy State highway and in a little article about a $500 scholarship being offered, according to the article, by the McHenry County Sheriff's Office.

Interested applicants for the scholarship are directed to www.ilsheriff.org, which is the website for the Illinois Sheriffs' Association for the application. However, no information about the scholarship is available on the association website. Individuals are expected to phone for information.

So my first question is, is this scholarship being "offered" by the McHenry County Sheriff's "Office" (Department)? Answer: no, it's not.

If it is being offered by the State sheriffs' association, why is our local department in the middle for applications and phone information? Why should applications be submitted through a student's local sheriff's department? Maybe the reason lies in the required essay.

Check out the 350-word essay question to be completed by students: "The Illinois General Assembly is considering legalizing medical marijuana. Senate Bill 1381 will allow individuals with certain medical conditions to grow up to six plants and possess a 60 day supply of cannabis. Do you support or oppose this legislation and why?"

The article directs students to complete the application and essay and submit them at the McHenry County Sheriff's Office by April 9.

Guess whose names will go on the watch list for marijuana possession. Wouldn't it be better for applications to go directly (and only) to the scholarship committee at the association headquarters, where they would be numbered and then considered anonymously by the scholarship committee?

The application requests intrusive information about parents, including their annual income. If a student is to be considered for a scholarship on his own merits and his essay, of what concern to the sheriffs' association is the parents' income?

And, if you'd like to see why Illinois is almost bankrupt, go to the Bill Status for SB1381 and look at the number of entries for activity on this Bill. Disgusting! And multiply that by the thousands of bills under consideration by both houses. No wonder the Illinois legislators cannot solve the financial crisis!

2 comments:

Notawannabee said...

Sounds like you're smoking some “Wacky Tabacy” yourself there Gus. Is that why you are so against the essay question?

Is there anything that law enforcement does that passes muster with you? What a cranky old codger you have become.

First of go back to the ISA web site and it does explain the scholarship. You just didn't read far enough. There are 105 awarded in the State. These are paid for by ISA MEMBERSHIPS. People that belong to the ISA support this along with many other programs such as training programs.

The essay looks to the applicant’s intellect and nothing more. What is the likelihood the applicant will be a successful student?

Just as with any SCHOLARSHIP, the association likes to make sure it goes to a needy student rather than someone who has parents making $200,000 a year. Obviously you've never had a kid apply for a scholarship as each one I've seen asks for the same info.

Gus said...

Searching on the ISA website for "scholarships", I found this information:

"Each Illinois county, whose Sheriff participates in the Associate Member program, receives at least one $500 scholarship. For every 500 Associate members in the Sheriffs county, he receives one scholarship."

The ISA website is confusing about Associate Membership, which seems to be for citizens, not for Sheriffs: "Any person interested in supporting law enforcement may become an Associate member. They will receive a personalized membership card, bumper stickers and window decals proclaiming their membership in the ISA and all publications throughout the year to help keep them informed on the activities of the Association."

The annual fee for an Associate Membership is $25.00.

It looks to me like $500.00 of the dues paid by the McHenry County Sheriff's Dept. just comes right back as a scholarship. Why pay it in the first place?