Emtpy Offices - Troutman and Ogilvie

Is anyone surprised that indicted ex-Chicago Alderman Arenda Troutman didn’t leave anything in her office for her 20th Ward successor Willie Cochran?

After all, this is the woman that had this fun-loving photograph on her web page.

The only thing like that was what I saw when I walked into the Governor’s office across the hall on from the State Treasurer’s second floor banking office after being sworn in as state representative in January 1972.

Governor Richard Ogilvie had been defeated by Dan Walker.

The place was vacant and empty.

I mean e-m-p-t-y.

Nothing on the bookshelves, except for one report.

It was the report attorney Richard J. Kissel had written on the McHenry County ‘s assessment mess. It was issued right at the end of Ogilvie’s term after earlier hearings in at least Woodstock and Cary. I’m sure no one else would have had any interest in it.

Kissel came to my attention because Ogilvie had him write a report on the Cook County assessment mess under Cook County Assessor Parky Cullerton.

I badgered the Ogilvie folks to even out their examination of assessment problems by looking at Republican McHenry County.

I still remember what the Greenwood Township Assessor said when I revealed at the Woodstock hearing how Greenwood Township’s assessment level was one of the, probably the highest level in McHenry County.

Of course, all were and are supposed to be the same.

“They did that to me?!” the conscientious assessor exclaimed in disbelief.

Ogilvie’s people were probably as angry at Walker as Clinton’s were at George W. Bush when they took all the “w’s” off the key boards.

This is only one of the articles on McHenry County Blog this weekend.