Q. Why doesn't Tonigan bill monthly?

A. Because he doesn't have to.

What would be behind the thinking of Special Prosecutor Henry Tonigan in his pattern of bunching billings and presenting them when he feels like it?

One answer might be that the public outrage blows over and pretty quickly becomes "old news".

And why does Judge Graham allow that?

Judge Graham seems to have given Tonigan a blank check, and it's a check that the taxpayers of McHenry County are on the hook for; apparently, they must make it good.

Since first being appointed as Special Prosecutor, Tonigan has submitted only two bills, and the total is almost $221,500. And he hasn't even billed yet for September, October, November and December 2010. How much will that billing be for? $140,000?

Why doesn't Judge Graham order even such a reasonable requirement as monthly billings?

The County Board is just blowing smoke at Judge Graham with its powder-puff Resolution. It sounds almost like, "I'll huff and I'll puff and I'll blow your house down." Only Tonigan is in a brick house.

The County Board needs to stop playing "nice" with our money and grow some backbone; it should go to court and formally - legally - request Judge Graham to order monthly billings, with detail as to what attorney worked on which matter, on what day, at what hourly rate, and for how many minutes. And how much is out-sourced, with the same detail.