Hello let me introduce myself, I am Nick Cohan I live in Nameoki township and have been around 60 years. I am new to this Granite City Gossip it gets a little nasty in here. FYI I hold no ill will towards anyone I only want the best for the Taxpayers of Nameoki Township
Big Daddy Bill said I and not schooled in Nameoki shenanigans for the record I was raised in Nameoki township meetings My father was a single parent raising myself and an older brother. I went to all Township meeting with him as a young man because he was a single parent raising two children My dad was tax Assessor for 24 years I have been to more Township meetings than Big Daddy Bill ever thought of going to. I am sure I was going to township meetings when he was sh*ting yellow and his momma was selling mustard. I know big daddy Bill understand satire .
My dad Joseph Cohan held the Tax Assessor job for 24 years I think he retired in the mid 70”s —I know Helen Hawkens and the real Mr Bill Handfelder remembers my dad well Carl Macious won the assessors job after my dad retired from that position. I can remember going to a township meeting and the then current road commissioner Charles Hanks threatened my dad after the meeting with bodily harm I understand very well how nasty it can get. I remember our home on Rhodes street was shot at several times I remember counting at least 15-20 bullet holes in our home—it happened so much the Madison police wouldn’t t even respond to the call after the first 3-4 times this happened over a period of several months The house has been sided since then but I drive by the old house today and can still see where the bullets hit our front concrete steps . My father was a full time tax Assessor he had his office in our home on Rhodes St in Madison Il I remember well after 4:00pm when all the deputy assessors went home and he was closed for the day he was still answering the phone during tax season up until 9:00PM. The phone rang non stop after the tax bills were mailed out I remember back then you had to go out to measure home for the assessment – my dad employed summer help a few times to get the job done to go out and measure homes with him. I did that job for two (2) weeks with him he took a some heat from Taxpayers for nepotism I had just turned 16 and it was my first job he let me go after two weeks because it upset the taxpayers. I can’t ever imagine my dad holding two positions with the Township and for sure not employing me or any other family member full time as his helper like they do now My dad was a Notary Public he never charged a fee for being a notary to anyone My dad always lowering taxes for the one who came in to protest their taxes he was very mindful of the people and how hard they worked for their money. My dad worked from home that was before they moved the office to where it is now on HWY 162 he always cooked lunch for the deputy assessors at his expense I remember he would cut the staff during off season and only had on deputy on staff till the tax bill would come out--- he was mindful of how he spent taxpayers money.
I remember when he retired and passed away I was going through his things and I found many letters from Taxpayers dated after he retired expressing how much they will miss him – I remember one letter saying “Joe you were truly a public servant you will be sadly missed” I can also remember one local business man coming to our home after he retired and said to my dad “Joe you were the only Politian that never ask me for money” and he handed my dad a $100.00 bill. Politics was nasty then and it is even worse now I remember my dad saying many time growing up saying “boy the only thing worse that a Politian is a lawyer” My dad was not a Politian he was an honest hardworking Statesman who loved and cared for people. I love and miss my dad very much--- todays Politian’s should take note of my dad and how he acted during his days in politics . Nick Cohan
on May 17, 2014, 7:17 pm