Was Keith Nygren working on November 8, 7, 6, 5, 2, 1?
"Sheriff Keith Nygren announced ... (blah-blah-blah)" is how the media releases issued on those days read on the sheriff's website. They are unsigned, so who really knows who approved them? Obviously, he didn't write them. That's why the sheriff's department has a media relations deputy, which could really be a $35,000/year civilian job, freeing up a deputy for patrol duty.
Nygren should sign all media releases issued over his name or designate a subordinate to issue them. If they are issued in his name but on a subordinate's order, then that subordinate should sign Nygren's name and clearly initial doing so. Or issue the media release in his own name and sign it. Otherwise, no one is accountable for it. That's the case right now.
Where is Sheriff Nygren these days? Is he in town? Working? Strolling in about 10:30AM, leaving for lunch and not returning to the office? Doing anything to earn his $145,000/year salary and $75,000 take-home vehicle? And benefits.
Will he take his vehicle out-of-state for Thanksgiving this year? To Minocqua for the Christmas holiday again this year? That's only 300 miles outside McHenry County. Each way.
When he drives the County-owned, police-equipped, taxpayer-supported vehicle on pleasure purposes, will he obey all traffic laws? And will he pay for the fuel burned for the 600-1,200 miles on vacation?
I remember the day I sat across from him in his office and he told me that he "had to drive 20MPH over the limit in Wisconsin, just to keep up with traffic." I shouldn't have been so polite. Instead of just remembering the statement, I should have said, "What the hell? You're the top cop in the county. You ought to be obeying speed limits, not breaking them."
He proved last January that he was telling the truth (or almost). He was ticketed outside Minocqua for 70MPH in a 55MPH zone on January 5. I wonder if he "badged" the trooper and tried to talk his way out of the ticket.
Remember the story about the Wisconsin police chief a couple of years ago who realized he'd blown past a stopped school bus? He wrote himself a ticket and paid the fine. Now, that's integrity! Next summer I'm going for a motorcycle ride to meet that guy.
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7 comments:
Can I ride with you?
While I know nothing good can come of this ... I'll bite.
You go on and on about whether the Sheriff worked on this day or that, and you have spent exactly zero time on what a sheriff does. He doesn't punch a time clock, he doesn't answer to a boss, he is not supposed to be somewhere at a certain time, unless he has scheduled it ...
I realize that you have probably always punched a clock, or performed an job where if you don't do something you don't get paid. Sheriff, State's Attorney, President of USA, County Board Chaiman are all jobs that are not your normal jobs.
It literally doesn't matter if the Sheriff is somewhere or another place ... they are in charge of very large organization, and deciding who runs parts of those organizations is what they do. Providing discipline or praise to staff, setting up policies ... creating and executing budgets, etc...
You keep making the poing that a sheriff is not like a factory line worker ... yes GUS you are right! You are right just as if you said sky is blue, night is dark, sun is warm etc... of course being right about things that no one on the planet is ever wrong about is really no accomplishment.
I think by statute the office must be open but there is no requirement for him to be there. He must have a residence in the county but after that, he can forward mail to Florida if he choses.
Am I the only one who thinks that a sheriff ought to earn his $145,000/year salary? By being in the office and staying on top of operations?
And who might even have the gumption to do something about a subordinate who reveals a confidential DEA investigation to the owner of a company that is involved, even if unknowingly, as the destination for an illegal drug shipment?
Surely, the fact that the company's owner is a big political contributor to the sheriff, an appointee on the sheriff's Merit Commission, and the mail drop for the undersheriff's far-in-advance political campaign wouldn't interfere with the admininstration of the law.
Would it?
RicochetRabbit, thanks for bringing up the county residence requirement.
Is Nygren a resident of McHenry County? Does he live here? Or does he just drop in occasionally?
Are you among those who wonder where Nygren really lives?
After all, his wife and he own a house in Cape Coral, Florida on which they claim a homestead exemption. And they own a house in Minocqua, Wisconsin.
Nygren sold his Hebron, Ill. residence in Dec. 2010, immediately after being re-elected.
As I told you before never ask rhetorical questions.
Is the sheriff a resident of the county? It really doesn't matter as the definition of resident is kinda loose.
You are trying to scrap together technicalities in order to achieve your goal of getting rid of the sheriff ... thinkin your not going to get very far ... just sayin.
Rhetorical Question: "Am I the only one who thinks that a sheriff ought to earn his $145,000/year salary? By being in the office and staying on top of operations?"
Answer: yes.
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