City of Freeport seeks 22.5% hike - The Journal-Standard

add around $75 to the tax bill of a Freeport resident owning a $100,000 home.

“If we adopt (a 22.5 percent increase), in my opinion we will still face wage freezes and possible wage reductions in the coming fiscal year,” Joesten said.

contributions to employee pension funds have once again forced the city to look at a tax levy increase. This year, the requested tax hike has more than doubled.

“The pensions are mandated by the state, it is something we have to comply with,” Gaulrapp said. “We will have to decide which services continue through the council and through the citizens.”

Click on the following for more details:  City seeks 22.5% hike - Freeport, IL - The Journal-Standard

Stephenson County Sheriff: Six deputies could be cut to meet 2010-2011 budget - Freeport, IL - The Journal-Standard

Stephenson County...covers 568 square miles. Has a population of 48,979 (2000).

Boone County is the smallest of the "northern tier" of counties, having an area of only 290 square miles  Population, 2000 census 41,784  2009 estimate  54,020  2010 projected Boone County Sheriff’s Expenditure $3.122 million. 2011 Budget $3.02 million.

 

Currently, the [Stephenson County] sheriff’s office has 24 deputies, including patrol deputies, investigators, the two traffic deputies, deputies assigned to Highland Community College, court security deputies, and the deputy assigned to the State Line Area Narcotics Team (SLANT). There are now 10 patrol deputies, with two deputies assigned on each day shift and three assigned on each night shift, Snyders said.

originally proposed a $2.15 million law enforcement budget for 2011, a decrease from 2010’s budget total of $2.338 million. The current 2010-2011 budget aims to cut this spending level down to roughly $1.8 million. To meet these guidelines, Snyders said he may have to cut approximately six deputies, including the two deputies involved in the Traffic Law Enforcement Program (TLEP).

Click on the following for more details:  Sheriff: Six deputies could be cut to meet 2010-2011 budget - Freeport, IL - The Journal-Standard

McHenry County Residents on the State payroll

This information is available direct from the QC Times using their website and filling in the appropriate information.  Click on the following:    http://statepay.qconline.com/payreports?search%5Border%5D=ascend_by_name&search%5Bname_contains%5D=&search%5Bcounty_code_like%5D=Boone+County&search%5B%3Aannual_salary_gt%5D=&search%5B%3Aannual_salary_lt%5D=&search%5Byear_like%5D=2009&search%5Bposition_title_like%5D=&search%5Bagency_like%5D=&commit=Reset

Or you may find the information reprinted on Cal Skinner’s blog as follows:

A thru Cu  Click on: http://mchenrycountyblog.com/2010/11/03/mchenry-county-state-employees-salaries-a-to-ab/

Cu thru Gr   Click on: http://mchenrycountyblog.com/2010/11/04/22181/

Gr thru Ko  Click on:  http://mchenrycountyblog.com/2010/11/05/mchenry-county-state-employees-salaries-gr-to-ko/

Kr thru Ni  Click on:  http://mchenrycountyblog.com/2010/11/06/mchenry-county-state-employees%e2%80%99-salaries-%e2%80%93-kr-to-ni/

No thru Sc  Click on: http://mchenrycountyblog.com/2010/11/07/mchenry-county-state-employees%e2%80%99-salaries-%e2%80%93-no-to-sc/

Sc thru Wo  Click on:  http://mchenrycountyblog.com/2010/11/08/mchenry-county-state-employees%e2%80%99-salaries-%e2%80%93-sc-to-wo/

Wo thr Z    Click on:  http://mchenrycountyblog.com/2010/11/09/mchenry-county-state-employees%e2%80%99-salaries-%e2%80%93-wo-to-z/

Belvidere Police Department given grant to set up patrols - Rockford, IL - Rockford Register Star

 

will allow off-duty police officers to work seat-belt enforcement zones and saturation patrols during several specified periods over the next 11 months.
The first phase will be Nov. 12 to 28. Officers will be conducting several seat-belt enforcement zones at high-traffic locations and major intersections throughout the city.

Belvidere Police Department given grant to set up patrols - Rockford, IL - Rockford Register Star

Chicago archdiocese moves to defrock pedophile priests - Chicago Breaking News

 

once a priest, always a priest. "Priesthood is ... a sacrament that is there forever. What we're doing is regularizing their relationship with the church in terms of active ministry," he said.

Historically, the church has never forcibly laicized, or defrocked (as it's commonly called), priests or deacons. They have been expected to make the request for laicization themselves. The 240 cases represent men who never petitioned Rome. The pope must sign off on each case.

In the cases of the 13 priests linked to sexual misconduct who have not resigned but were removed from public ministry, a move to defrock would evict six from the Stritch Retreat House in Mundelein, where they are closely monitored. It also would remove the monitors assigned to three priests now living in private homes. Two of the 13 must await the conclusions of canonical trials.

In addition to room and board, health benefits aside from Medicare also would cease. Laicization would not affect pensions, church officials said.

In Milwaukee, Archbishop Jerome Listecki, originally from Chicago, has moved to laicize nine men removed from ministry, saving $90,000 a year. The Chicago Archdiocese declined to say how much it costs to support the men still under the church's watch.

Click on the following for more details:  Chicago archdiocese moves to defrock pedophile priests - Chicago Breaking News

Northwest Herald |al-Qaida’s Mail bomb plot tied to Chicago?

but U.S. officials say evidence suggests al-Qaida’s aim was to blow up planes inside the U.S., either on runways or over American cities. Whether they had targeted Chicago specifically isn’t known.

Other terrorism experts float various theories for why the plotters might have chosen Chicago.

“I think the primary interest in Chicago is that it is the power base of President Obama,” said Evan Kohlmann, a terrorism analyst with Flashpoint Global Partners, a New York-based security consultancy.

Click on the following for more details:  Northwest Herald | Mail bomb plot tied to Chicago?

Fed official doubts bond-buying plan - Spokesman.com - Nov. 9, 2010

Kevin Warsh, a Fed governor, also warned of “significant risks” associated with the program, including the potential for triggering excessive inflation later on.

“The Federal Reserve is not a repair shop for broken fiscal, trade or regulatory policies,” Warsh said. “Given what ails us, additional monetary policy measures are, at best, poor substitutes for more powerful pro-growth policies.”

Click on the following for more details:  Fed official doubts bond-buying plan - Spokesman.com - Nov. 9, 2010