Wednesday, August 31, 2011

County should pay up now!

The McHenry County Board should pay up now! The Special Prosecutors completed the job they were hired to do. The fact that they did their job and didn't "win", doesn't matter.

The fact that the County entered into a blank-check arrangement does not excuse the County from paying. Attorneys Tonigan and McQueen should stop fooling around and submit the rest of their bills. Let the taxpayers know the bad news without further delay.

Why the attorneys have failed to submit bills since November is unknown. Any computer program can produce billings. They know how much they are going to bill. So bill it!

Let the County Board members squawk. Let the taxpayers scream. The fact is that the County Board must have given Judge Graham a green light with no speed limit; i.e., he is allowed to approve billings without review by the County, and that is what he has done.

Of course, voters can and will remember this on the next Election Day. Stop the run-around. The County Board should have demanded statements on a monthly basis from the special prosecutors from the beginning. Why didn't they?

Attorneys don't work for free. The special prosecutors knew the previous months' work costs by the 15th of the following month and could have printed and mailed statements, probably with 15 Days Net or 30 Days Net. Are they charging 18% interest on past-due amounts?

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