“Reward Your Friends, Punish Your Enemies"

I had heard the rumor that McHenry County Board Chairman Ken Koehler had told those thinking of voting against him that such action would result in their not getting a chairmanship.

If true, Koehler, re-elected in early December over challengers Barb Wheeler (whom you see at the left being hugged by Koehler after he beat her) and Marc Munaretto, did not apply that guideline uniformly.

Otherwise, Marc Munaretto would not have been re-appointed Chairman of the Finance Committee.

He was the only exception, however.

Challenger Wheeler was stripped of her Planning and Development Committee chairmanship and even denied a vice chairmanship, usually a pretty meaningless position.

First term Lake in the Hills Democrat Jim Kennedy, who voted for Koehler, on the other hand, landed two vice chairmanships:

  • Law and Justice and
  • Liquor & License

Let’s see what happened to those who voted for candidates other than Koehler.

Republicans voting for Barb Wheeler:

Sue Daffkorn – District 4
Virginia Peschke – District 5
Dan Ryan – District 6
Sandra Salgado – District 4
Barb Wheeler – District 3

Like Wheeler, Sue Draffkorn ended up as neither a committee chairman or vice chairman.

Long-time member Virginia Peschke, who was chairman of the Public Health Committee and who previously ran against Koehler, ended up a complete backbencher.

Dan Ryan was not selected to be neither a chairman nor a vice chairman.

Sandra Salgado also didn’t place in the chairman, vice chairman derby.

Freshman Democrat Kathy Bergan Schmidt, who also supported Wheeler, had to settle for being an ordinary committee member like the rest of Wheeler’s supporters.

Randy Donley, who supported Munaretto, also finished out of the money, so to speak.

“Reward your friends, punish your enemies” is old political advice.

Koehler seems to have followed that advice, except for Munaretto.

Maybe Koehler concluded that his political coalition didn’t have anyone as qualified as Munaretto to head the Finance Committee.


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