Politics and Gus

I'm glad that I have never been a "political" person. I've always known that I am not a good committee person and I've never wanted to be a politician.

Most committees are a waste of time, and they waste the time of many of the people involved. I heard it said once that it was a committee that was charged with designing a horse, and what they came up with was a zebra!

So it's more than interesting that I am in the race for Sheriff of McHenry County.

I've also heard it said that "To get along, you have to go along." That one, for sure, does not fit me.

Who said, "I calls 'em likes I sees 'um." Red Skelton?

I don't like deals, and I don't like deal-making. That seems to be required of politicians. If you want somebody to scratch your back, you'd better be ready to scratch someone else's back.

Well, my back doesn't itch, so keep your grubby hands off the back of my shirt!

What we'll find out in this year's race for Sheriff is whether I can reach 25,-30,000 of the "little people", the common people, the ordinary people, the special people. Not the ones at the top of the food chain in politics. Not the ones feared by the underlings.

Remember, when you walk into the voting booth and close the curtain, you are voting in private! You answer only to yourself.

I want to reach the people who detest racial profiling, who hate that senior citizens get roughed up on a police call (and end up seeing the criminal charges thrown out and then filing a civil rights lawsuit against the sheriff's department), who hate it when innocent citizens have their cars damaged in accidents caused by deputies and then not getting paid for their loss.

If you want transparency in law enforcement and fair enforcement, if you think that seatbelt campaigns ought to be abolished, then I'm looking for your vote on November 2.

You'll get a sheriff who will be in the office 50 weeks/year for the next four years, not running the office by cell phone from Minocqua, Wisconsin, or Cape Coral, Florida. I won't need a $75,000 Chevie Tahoe with leather seats to drive 3.5 miles to the office. My red Beetle is doing just fine, thankyouverymuch. And I won't even claim reimbursement for mileage driven on Department business.

And I won't need a garage at the sheriff's department to park in; I plan to park in the parking lot, just like all the other employees. And I'll continue to take my trash out right here at home; I won't be hauling my trash to the sheriff's department and dumping it in a dumpster paid for by the County.

Little things like that count with me. And I think they will count with you on November 2.