Saturday, August 30, 2008

Grundy County Rants, Raves, and Elections

24 comments:

Anonymous said...

Why won't the county stop filing suit against itself?
Time to work with the VAC, get a mediator if you can't communicate. Very sad....
More to say later.

Anonymous said...

Yes, this is something I don't understand: an entity trying to defeat itself from without. You would think that it could make any changes from within to survive. Maybe, it doesn't want this aspect of itself to survive.

Anonymous said...

Do political entities and attornies share a symbiotic relationship? Does the more wealth an attorney get from supporting a political figure/entity, the more powerful the political figure/entity?

Anonymous said...

5:48 AM:
I agree, but what a waste of focus, emotions and of course money.
Its time to find the facts, but remember, not all fact leads to truth.
This should be a platform explained by all county board candidates. and....
6:28 AM:
Power should have nothing to do with this..exercising their power [attorney or political figure] only opens the door to prove their own bias against a certain group of veterans, discrimination against the less fortunate veteran.
"We the people" means all, not just the ones "liked" by those in power.

Anonymous said...

I was looking for information on the Grundy County "chapters" of the Democratic and Republican Parties. The sites I found are very old with no current information. Does anyone know their current sites? Thank you

Anonymous said...

Seems to be alot of unanswered questions out there.......[taken from "General Rants and Raves"].

1. What is the status of issues with the HD enviornmental director, certain inspectors, the county code for resaurants?
1a. Is Sept 5, 2008 6:25 AM correct in his observations?

2. Did "the clowny health department" poster dated
August 27, 2008 11:52 PM
find a resolution to his complaint?

3. Whats going on with the Planning and Zoning office, drainage, drunken inspector, straw house issues?

4. Anyone know why the board seems to have such an issue with providing funding for the coroner's office?
[from the MDH website]

5. What is the status of VAC litigation?
5a. What are the real issues? [from Grundy County Rants, Raves, Elections]

6. Do we need an independant Grundy County "WatchDog" group?

Anonymous said...

Does anyone out there care about the answers to these questions?

Anonymous said...

Why is the county board trying so hard to keep it a secret that they have decided the health department employees will NOT be receiving any raises this year, even though the rest of the county employees will? Oh wait, I know...they don't want this information to leak out to the public BEFORE the elections for board members. And why is it that the new county board secretary received a 13% increase last year and will receive 6% this year? Must be the short skirts she wears. And why hasn't the morris daily herald picked up on this story?

Anonymous said...

Why isn't anyone talking about the fact that the county board gets to approve taking out $10 million in bond debt without asking the taxpayers for their approval at the ballot box. How is it that the county can legally do that? Can someone please tell me?

Anonymous said...

But....
What are the county Health Departments of Will and Grundy saying about the EPA's win and one million dollar fine against "Crane Composites" of Channahon for it's violation of the Clean Air Act, dating back to and continuing since 2003? Read the USDOJ Civil Action Case 1:08-cv-04735.

What are the local environmental health risks of this issue? It appears too late for preventative action, but how about some solid, non political education to the public?

Maybe its not always about the Tritium in our water...

Verity Quest said...

Here is a link to the civil complaint filed 8/20/08 by the USA and the State of Illinois against Crane Composites, Inc (formerly known as Kemlite Company).

http://www.usdoj.gov/enrd/
Consent_Decrees/Crane_Composites/
r_Crane_Composites_ComplaintFinal.pdf

Verity Quest said...

Here is a link to the consent decree filed 8/21/08 regarding the Crane Company.

http://www.usdoj.gov/enrd/
Consent_Decrees/
Crane_Composites/
r_Crane_Composites_Consent
_DecreeFinal.pdf

Anonymous said...

Dear verity quest:
After reading the complaint and consent decree...your thoughts?

Anonymous said...

re: October 8, 11:15 am
Did you ask them?
What did they say?

Anonymous said...

It appears that no one will come forward to answer the many questions on this page.

Could it be they are afraid for their jobs?

Lack of transparency and accountability runs rampant at the county level.

Its time for change.

Anonymous said...

From the Morris Daily Herald Blogs regarding the tragic deaths of the Jahn family VS charged DUI's and this county's charges and sentencing:


Feet to the Fire wrote on Nov 10, 2008 2:39 AM:

" We need to look over the shoulders of our elected State's Attorney's and Judges to track their records on prosecution and sentencing. If they let people slide like this their name should be listed in the paper along with everyone else involved as a reason for the accident happening in the first place. Remember they work for us. "

-----------

To Feet to the Fire wrote on Nov 10, 2008 6:45 AM:

" While I agree....just how do you propose to do this? There is no transparency of local government. It appears they believe they are above this. After all, "what do ignorant voting citizens know about the law, about taxes, about due process, about any type of governance at the county level"...for any of the county services"?
They choose to keep it this way.
Until enough voting citizens become active players in the process of demanding transparency and accountability in county government...we will all soon forget.
And that is what our officials count on.

When you say "Remember, they work for us"; yes they do, but what apathetic employers we all make. "

----------------

My comment is this:
No I am not "Mercandante".
But....I do agree with the above posts....how many other county citizens are on board?

Anonymous said...

wow the goetz chic a vet at driving drunk has she spent any time behind bars ?

maybe the states att will send her away for a while. we could only hope

Anonymous said...

Very interesting that the county can't settle the health department contract, says it can't afford to give the employees a pay increase due to the cost of living (and these employees are being paid substantially LESS than the other county employees) but yet the county can afford to buy the county administrator his own county vehicle which he drives back and forth to work??
The county would rather continue to pay their negotiator and attorney rather large sums of money as opposed to finding a way to settle the health department contract. It's even been said by the negotiator for the county that if the health department doesn't accept the proposal given by the county board, the county will close the health department...i wonder what the county residents would say to this? no more free immunizations for children, no more senior services, no more help to the mentally ill...i think it's very irresponsible of the county to say such statements without asking the tax payers...just my thoughts

Anonymous said...

November 27,

They did it to the County Home, didn't they?
What were the legal fees for that transaction?

Start circulating your petition now if you want to prevent closing of non-mandated services and consolidation of the remaining mandated services with another county.

When a past administrator who said she was hired to "straighten out the health department" apparently failed, closing and consolidation would make sense to these board(s).

Or maybe the question should be, will these governing board(s) ever understand and support the importance of innovative, quality healthcare in the community setting?

When you think about it, the end result of the sale of the County Home has produced a community service of much better quality. Maybe the County should just get out of the business of healthcare all together. It appears that local government and quality healthcare do not mix.
...just my thoughts.

Anonymous said...

RE: Anonymous,November 27, 2008 11:49 AM;

Have you asked each individual County Board member these questions?

I think the taxpayers would like to hear their individual answers. It may be important when making a decision at the voting booth of the next election. - transparency and accountability.
Why wait for the generic news release statement made by each candidate a week before an election? Get it out in the open now, educate the voters.

Anonymous said...

Did Skep and Sledge fall off the face of the earth?

Anonymous said...

You can thank Blago and the Illinois legislature for the economic trickle down effect to the Health Department. The majority of services if not all are funded in some way, shape or form by grants from the state. And the state is 6 months past due in payments of operating funds to the Health Department. That being said, the County needs to commit to supporting the health care of its residents. Cut funds for hiring new County police officers or not giving them a raise and there would be an outcry from the public. Cut funds for the Health Department and, oh well, that is expendable. People need to educate themselves about the services provided by the Health Department and the effect they have on the community. Consolidate services with other counties - how do people needing these services get there? Kids not allowed to go to school because they can't afford to get their immunizations? Too bad. Measles, whooping cough outbreaks? Don't say it can't happen here and people do really die from these diseases! Biological terrorist attack or pandemic outbreak? Katrina taught us how much we can rely on outside resources. It would be every county for themselves - oops, we only have mandated services. 1 communicable disease person, 4 in environmental health. You really want to see an economic impact on the county, do away with public health. The SARS outbreak in Canada taught us a very important lesson - public health had been underfunded for years, and when push came to shove, there weren't enough resources available.
People needing the services of mental health - not in Grundy County! Take a look at the waiting list. Seniors needing assistance with the new Medicare regulations, drug plans, economic assistance - let them travel to Will County for that. And let us not forget WIC/Family Case Management that provides health screenings and education, food supplements, and assistance for women, infants, and children of Grundy County. With our economic decline, case load has increased substantially to hundreds over the number financially supported by the state. The Health Department can't turn them away, but I guess the County Board can. To underfund the Health Department is to devalue the important work that they do. They have been last on the list for years. This administration professed to be different. Apparently not. God bless the work that all Health Department employees do and God help us if we lose their services. Rarely do so few do so much for so long without being compensated. People do not know how fortunate they are to have them.

Anonymous said...

Dear Anonymous 12/25/08 at 7:42 am:
As I read through these posts, my first reaction is that not much has changed in the provision of County government healthcare programs.
I tend focus on logic which often makes people nervous, but here we go.

If our tax dollars are to be spent for the good of the people of Grundy County and you truly believe by NOT giving the Health Department employees an "adequate" salary increase which in turn will cause healthcare programs to be at risk, why have you not spoken out publicly? Spoken out from behind the hidden curtain of an anonymous blog?
You state: "People need to educate themselves about the services provided by the Health Department and the effect they have on the community." Why are you not out educating “the people” - in the public media - without anonymity? Is not a huge component of healthcare – whichever discipline you are involved in - education?

You ask: "Consolidate services with other counties - how do people needing these services get there?" A question that has been asked for many years by the mental health division in regards to both the adults on their waiting list and the innocent Mentally Ill / Seriously Emotionally Disturbed child who goes without treatment.
While speaking of the Grundy County child with Mental Illness/Seriously Emotionally Disturbed, why was that program cut to shreds?

If what you say is true: "With our economic decline, case load [WIC/Family Case Management program] has increased substantially to hundreds over the number financially supported by the state. The Health Department can't turn them away, but I guess the County Board can." I ask: Can you really give quality care to "hundreds over the number..."? Was it not long ago that for this very stated reason, you requested that the age eligibility for services of WIC and/or Family Case Management be decreased? and was approved by the Board of Health? When did that happen and what was the age eligibly decreased from and to? How many children were lost in that change?

I still have to ask why you have not been vocal about these issues PRIOR to your lack of a salary increase. I believe if you were truly concerned about public policy not being met, you would be objecting loudly prior to this date, would you not?

When you state: "To underfund the Health Department is to devalue the important work that they do. They have been last on the list for years"; You have answered your own question. Unfortunately, it is my opinion that it is your union that has aided whomever “devalues the important work they do” by aiding in the slashing your "value".

As one last thought; “You can thank Blago and the Illinois legislature for the economic trickle down effect to the Health Department.” Of course the state is six months behind in their payments…..the County Board has experienced this many years back in the funding of the County Home….why after all of this time in dealing with state and federal government healthcare funding, the County Board has not set aside a “contingency” fund to insure that services continue to be provided until the state comes through with their check? Are there underlying reimbursement causes? Meeting minimum standards?
Somewhere “We the People” has turned into “We the dollar”. Good Luck all.

Anonymous said...

After a little investigation as to your claim of the following:

"You can thank Blago and the Illinois legislature for the economic trickle down effect to the Health Department. The majority of services if not all are funded in some way, shape or form by grants from the state. And the state is 6 months past due in payments of operating funds to the Health Department."

With due respect, I am not finding documentation that the state is behind six months in payments of operating costs to the health department, at least from the Human Service/Healthcare Agency warrant prospectives. (Illinois State Comptroller website)

I certainly may have missed something. But it appears with these seven Human Service/Healthcare contracts between the GCHD and the State of Illinois, payments have been on target.

Regardless, I still believe that as the county is experienced in delays of state and federal funds for healthcare programs, I do hope they would provide a "contingency" plan should delays occur. [which would show their committment to the healthcare of the Grundy County public.]

If the findings in my investigation are correct, then someone has lead you down the wrong path for sake of your debate. If so, I would then ask are there other issues of reimbursement or meeting standards for which payment is based?

If I am incorrect, please inform us as to the specific facts.

Kathy Wills