Money hurts ...

... but not enough.

Some people believe that the only way you can "hurt" a company (business, organization, government) is to get in their pocketbooks. Hit 'em in the checkbook and profit account, and they'll straighten up. Does that work? Will it work at the McHenry County Sheriff's Department?

In my opinion, no.

A $300,000 settlement negotiated by the risk management operation of McHenry County with Jerome and Carla Pavlin is not going to smack Sheriff Keith Nygren where it hurts.

Just what is it going to take to get his attention and force correction at the McHenry County Sheriff's Department?

What it is going to take is a new sheriff in town. A new name and face at the helm. Somebody new in the big, over-size chair in the corner office. A different name on the door, over the word "Sheriff".

Voters had better bring in Mr. Clean in November 2014. There isn't going to be any special election in November 2012 for the unexpired term of Nygren.

How much more damage will occur while Nygren is in office? How many more lawsuits are there against the Sheriff's Department because of actions of some of Nygren's deputies? Do they same names keep occurring in citizens' complaints and lawsuits?

Would Nygren be willing to change the rules and send disciplinary matters to the Merit Commission for all suspensions of five days or more? The current policy is "more than 30 days". If Nygren disciplines a deputy or supervisor "for 30 days or less" with no pay for some infraction (sometimes actually a crime that could charged and prosecuted), the public will never hear about it. There is a huge difference between not complying with Departmental policy and committing a crime; that distinction is too often lost on Nygren.

Are there any good candidates for the office of Sheriff who will clean up this mess and restore the integrity, honor and respect of the Sheriff's Dept.?