CANDIDATES 2000 

THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION IS PROVIDED BY PHILLIP A. PROSSNITZ.  THE OPPORTUNITY TO POST STATEMENTS HAS BEEN OFFERED TO THE 3 CANDIDATES IN MCHENRY COUNTY.  

Philip A. Prossnitz

Republican for State's Attorney

Dear Fellow Republican,

When I announced my candidacy for State's Attorney, I stated that Gary Pack's wasteful spending was a problem that I would examine and offer solutions to correct. The Republican Party stands for less government, not more. It also stands for elected officials who responsibly and frugally spend taxpayers' hard earned dollars.

Since late December, through the use of Freedom of Information Act requests and our review of public records from the County Clerk's and Auditor's offices, we found a disturbing pattern of overuse of outside counsel and overpayments to an outside attorney who is a friend of Pack's and who has contributed generously to his campaigns.

Outside lawyers are private attorneys to whom Pack hands out "special projects" at hourly rates, typically at $125 per hour, or roughly five times what is paid an assistant state's attorney (even when full benefits are included).

A review of Auditor Department documents revealed that in three years Pack spent $2,161,036 for outside law firms. By comparison, Lake County, with a population over 600,000, spent $1,700,000 on outside attorneys for the same period; Kane County, with a population of approximately 400,000, spent just $450,000 to $500,000 for outside help; and fifteen full-time civil assistant state's attorneys could be hired, with full benefits, for each and every one of those three years for the tax dollars Pack spent on these outside lawyers providing part-time services.

Particularly troubling is Pack's authorization of payments totaling $1,068,132.43 over the last three years to one lawyer, a friend of Pack's, and a financial contributor of over $5,000 to Pack's campaigns.

In the following billings Pack authorized to this friend from November 1998 to June of 1999, there were wasteful overpayments for this lawyer's attendance at county board meetings (Note - Separate bills totaling 27.4 hours or $3,425 were paid by Pack for this outside lawyer to additionally "Prepare" for these meetings):

Pack paid this friend for 20.0 hours to attend "County Board Meeting" on November 17, 1998. Total cost just to attend the meeting - $2,500.

The county board meeting on November 17, 1998 convened at 7:00 P.M. and adjourned at 9:30 P.M.: a 2 hour and 30 minute meeting.

Pack paid this friend for 11.7 hours to attend "Executive Session to County Board" on January 19, 1999. Total cost just to attend the meeting - $1,462.50.

The county board executive session meeting of January 19, 1999 convened at 7:55 P.M and adjourned at 8:15 P.M.: a 20 minute meeting.

Pack paid this friend for 18.0 hours on March 2, 1999 to attend "County Board Meeting - Executive Session" on March 2, 1999. Total cost just to attend the meeting - $2,250.

The County board executive session on March 2, 1999 convened at 9:37 A.M. and adjourned at 10:45 A.M.: a 1 hour and 8 minute meeting.

Pack paid this friend for 14.0 hours to attend "County Board Meeting" on April 21, 1999. Total cost just to attend the meeting - $1,750.

The county board meeting of April 21, 1999 convened at 7:00 P.M. and adjourned at 10:16 P.M.: a 3 hour and 16 minute meeting.

Pack paid this friend for 11.0 hours to attend "Executive Session - County Board" on May 18, 1999. Total cost just to attend the meeting - $1,375.

The county board executive session meeting of May 18, 1999 convened at 8:50 P.M. and adjourned at 9:27 P.M.: a 37 minute meeting.

Pack paid this friend for 2.0 hours on June 1, 1999 to attend "County Board Meeting - Executive Session" on June 1, 1999. Total cost just to attend the meeting - $250.00

The county board executive session meeting of June 1, 1999 convened at 10:10 A.M. and adjourned at 10:22 A.M.: a 12 minute meeting.

 

Pack's argument that he is buying "expertise" for the county is simply false. Pack is wastefully overpaying a friend and contributor. What else would explain:

Pack paying this friend for over 24 hours of legal work in a single day; sometimes 30, 32, 34, 35, 39, even 42 hours of legal work in a single day! Are we getting this friend's "expertise" or is this friend assigning to his young staff work Pack says he can't entrust to his own staff?

Pack paying this friend $34,092 for legal work between July 1 and July 19, 1999, to prepare for and attend two one-day hearings.

Pack paying this friend $125 per hour for paralegal services including copying and faxing.

Pack represented to the county board, "We're getting a bargain" regarding use of this outside counsel.

 

 

 

Conclusions and Solutions

 

When we hear of the federal government spending $400 for a screwdriver or $1,000 for a toilet seat, we wonder how such obvious waste could go unchecked. Well, we have wasteful government spending right here in McHenry County. What can we do about it?

As State's Attorney I will review billings and monitor outside work so that none of the abuses documented above reoccur. In future, when outside counsel is needed, I will intelligently apportion the work between outside counsel and our own full-time Assistant State's Attorneys.

The Republican Party must offer the voters a State's Attorney who is hard working and conscientious, someone who will honor that tacit understanding between elected official and taxpayer, that taxpayers' dollars will not be carelessly spent. The county needs a change for the better. That is why I am running.

Sincerely,

Philip A Prossnitz

Copyright © 2000 Illinois Conservation Voters. All rights reserved.
Revised: February 22, 2000.