Job hunting in McHenry County?

Thanks to Cal Skinner's blog this morning, I learned of a jobs fair being held tomorrow, Tuesday, February 23, at the Church of the Holy Apostles, 5211 Bull Valley Road, McHenry, Ill. Hours are 10:00AM-3:00PM.

This jobs fair is sponsored by John O'Neill, Republican candidate for the Illinois House of Representatives - 63rd District.

So, if you are looking for a job (or a better job), dust off your suit or "business attire", print some clean copies (that's plural!) of your resume, shine your shoes and be there!

For information about John's campaign, go to http://www.electjohnoneill.com/

And be sure to read Cal's blog at www.mchenrycountyblog.com today and each day.

Investigation estimated to cost $100K

The Daily Herald (www.dailyherald.com/) has a Community News story online this morning on the estimated cost to McHenry County taxpayers for the probe into whether political work was conducted on the taxpayer's dime at the McHenry County State's Attorney's office.

The price tag for this probe is estimated to be $100,000. Attorney (and former Lake County judge) Henry Tonigan III grabbed the brass ring on this one. He was appointed as the special prosecutor and has already billed McHenry County $34,231 since September. The Finance Committee of the County Board is expected to ask the Board to authorize up to $100,000 for this little venture.

Who splits up the pie? Tonigan's Barrington firm, Kelleher & Buckley, and Attorney Thomas K. McQueen.

According to the article, State's Attorney Lou Bianchi "...repeatedly has denied the accusations."

Also according to the online article, "Tonigan has given no indication as to when he might wrap up his investigation, and did not return a call seeking comment last week."

Well, of course not. There is still $66,000 on the table; errr, I mean a lot of investigation yet to be done.

Too bad I didn't read this article sooner. I'd have attended the Finance & Audit Committee's meeting at 9:30AM. Well, that probably isn't where the fireworks will be. The next County Board meeting is Tuesday, March 2, 9:30AM.

The next Finance & Audit Committee meeting is Tuesday, March 9, 9:30AM. And the County Board meeting after that is Tuesday, March 16, 7:00PM.

Restorative Justice Event - March 27

A restorative justice event sponsored by the Joliet Diocese Peace and Social Justice Ministry and Restorative Justice Committee will be held in Joliet on Saturday, March 27, from 9:30AM-3:00PM. The topic for the event is "Children: How they are affected by the criminal justice system." Registration opens at 9:00AM.

The event is for teachers, catechists, youth ministers, those working with prisoners, advocates for restorative justice, family members of people who are incarcerated, persons who have been incarcerated and anyone who is interested.

See program details at www.paxjoliet.org/events/Restorative_Justice_event_2010.pdf

Location: Sacred Heart Parish Hall, 337 S. Ottawa St., Joliet, Ill.

Reservations are requested by March 18. The suggested donation is $15/adult or $10/student. There are several ways to make your reservation:

1. email to jenruh@dioceseofjoliet.org
2. mail to Peace and Social Justice Ministry, Diocese of Joliet, 402 S. Independence Blvd., Romeoville, IL 60446, or
3. telephone 815.834.4028

When you make your reservation, please include your name, phone number, email address, parish or organization, if any, and any diet restrictions.

If you are reading this after March 18, call anyway. If you can't afford the $10-15, call anyway.

Congressional Reform - 2010? Not likely!

I don't know who wrote this, but this is how you fix Congress!!!!!

A friend sent this along to me. I can't think of a reason to disagree.

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Congressional Reform Act of 2010

1. Term Limits: 12 years only, one of the possible options below.

A. Two six-year Senate terms
B. Six two-year House terms
C. One six-year Senate term and three two-year House terms

(Serving in Congress is an honor, not a career. The Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators, serve your term(s), then go home and back to work.)

2. No Tenure / No Pension:

A congressman collects a salary while in office and receives no pay when they are out of office.

(Serving in Congress is an honor, not a career. The Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators, serve your term(s), then go home and back to work.)

3. Congress (past, present & future) participates in Social Security:

All funds in the Congressional retirement fund moves to the Social Security system immediately. All future funds flow into the Social Security system, Congress participates with the American people.

(Serving in Congress is an honor, not a career. The Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators, serve your term(s), then go home and back to work.)

4. Congress can purchase their own retirement plan just as all Americans.

(Serving in Congress is an honor, not a career. The Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators, serve your term(s), then go home and back to work.)

5. Congress will no longer vote themselves a pay raise. Congressional pay will rise by the lower of CPI or 3%.

(Serving in Congress is an honor, not a career. The Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators, serve your term(s), then go home and back to work.)

6. Congress loses their current health care system and participates in the same health care system as the American people.

(Serving in Congress is an honor, not a career. The Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators, serve your term(s), then go home and back to work.)

7. Congress must equally abide in all laws they impose on the American people.

(Serving in Congress is an honor, not a career. The Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators, serve your term(s), then go home and back to work.)

8. All contracts with past and present congressmen are void effective 1/1/11 .

The American people did not make these contracts with congressmen; congressmen made all these contracts for themselves.

(Serving in Congress is an honor, not a career. The Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators, serve your term(s), then go home and back to work.)

OMA training for Woodstock BOFPC

Last May the City Attorney for the City of Woodstock sent a rather stern letter to the three members of the Woodstock Board of Fire and Police Commissioners (BOFPC) and its attorney about a violation of the Illinois Open Meetings Act (OMA). In that letter it advised the Board that they were to receive training in the OMA law at its next regular meeting.

That was in May. So far, no OMA training has taken place at a regular meeting. Or at a special meeting.

It seems to me that this training is not "optional" for the BOFPC. The Mayor and the City Manager were greatly displeased with the failure of the BOFPC to observe the OMA law. Since the BOFPC members are appointed by the mayor and serve the City, there shouldn't be any hesitation or reluctance to follow the letter from the City Attorney.

But it hasn't.

Will OMA training be on the agenda for the March 1, 2010, Regular Meeting of the Woodstock Board of Fire and Police Commissioners?

Undersheriff appointment - how? when?

At the February 10th meeting of the McHenry County Sheriff's Department Merit Commission I intended to ask the Commissioners how the position of Undersheriff is filled, should a vacancy occur. A rumor had been floating around that Gene Lowery was interested in the Deputy Chief's position at the Crystal Lake Police Department, following Dennis Harris' retirement.

The scheduled regular meeting was canceled at the last minute for lack of a quorum. Some will likely accuse me of suspecting a conspiracy to withhold information about Lowery's move, which had not yet become public knowledge; bring it on. Did anyone "request" three of the Commissioners to duck the meeting? Who was the third Commissioner to notify the secretary (or Chairman) that s/he would not attend? (Does the chairperson have a standing conflict, due to her employment as Human Resources Director for the City of Woodstock?)

If they were aware of Lowery's application and strong chance of selection, shouldn't they have made every effort to be present at the meeting, so that business could be conducted?

Some say that the lieutenants' and sergeants' eligibility lists have expired, and an agenda item was "Extension" of those lists. Without a quorum, no action could be taken. Does that mean the current lists continue or that now there are no lists of eligible candidates for any open positions?

So, what is the process for filling the Undersheriff's slot when Lowery leaves the sheriff's department and moves to Crystal Lake P.D.? Does Sheriff Nygren merely tap the person he wants as Undersheriff and appoint that person? Or does this position require a vote by the Merit Commission? Does the County Board have anything to do with the appointment? Is there a "short list"?

The next scheduled meeting of the Merit Commission is Wednesday, March 10, 10:30AM, at 667 Ware Road. Please mark your calendars now, Commissioners.

Self-written search warrants - look out!!!

How would you like to go to prison for telling the truth? Could you violate the Patriot Act if you tell the truth? You've got to watch this!

Andrew P. Napolitano is a 59-year-old former New Jersey Superior Court Judge. He is a graduate of Princeton University and Notre Dame Law School. At Princeton he was a founding member of the Concerned Alumni of Princeton along with Justice Samuel Alito.

Judge Napolitano is the youngest life-tenured Superior Court judge in the history of the State of New Jersey.

Click below and listen to Judge Napolitano's important message to all Americans.

www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=7n2m-X7OIuY

Freeedom must be defended!

This crusade by Judge Napolitano is not new. Do a Google search for "self-written search warrants", sometimes referred to as national security letters, allow Federal agents to bypass Constitutional safeguards. Read Constitutional Chaos: What Happens When the Government Breaks Its Own Laws.