Ken Koehler Missing from Only County Board Forum, Potential Conflict of Interest Transparency Strongly Supported
Patriots United held its Town Hall Candidates’ Forum last night at McHenry County College.
Panels of county board candidates introduced themselves and answered questions.
All were asked if they had filled out the Alliance for Land, Agriculture and Water’s conflict of interest questionnaire.
Audience applause was greatest for those who had done so and downright tepid for incumbent Dan Ryan of District 6 when he said he was waiting for the State’s Attorney’s Office to review the ordinance proposed by ALAW.
An initial review, of course, has already been completed and whether or not one will voluntarily complete a questionnaire for a private organization has no relevance to the answer Ryan gave.
The District 6 panel. Incumbent Daniel Ryan, sitting second from the right of the photo is the only candidate who either has not filed the ALAW conflict of interest form or committing to doing so.
All the other candidates in District 6 have already submitted the form or, in the case of Victor Narusis, is working on it.
Another candidate, Robert Nowak, a non-incumbent and the only one of three attending from District 1–incumbents Anna May Miller and Yvonne Barnes being absent–seemed to mix up the income disclosure form already mandatory (what I call the “None, None, None form”) and ALAW’s.
District 2’s panel, however, brought the differences between those willing to reveal to reveal their property and business holdings—or lack thereof.
The empty seat in the middle was reserved for McHenry County Board Chairman Ken Koehler, who failed to attend the Patriots United county board candidates forum. He is the only one in District 2 not to have completed ALAW's conflict of interest form.
With his name placard smack dab in the middle of the table and chair empty, McHenry County Board Chairman Ken Koehler’s seat was empty.
On both sides sat two women, all of whom had filled out ALAW’s ethics form.
Koehler, so far, has not.
Having just seen Jersey Boys, all I could think of was a take-off of the son in the musical entitled, “The Boys Are Back in Town.”
What came to mind was “The Girls Are Back in Town.” I didn’t want to wake up the three “sleep over boys,” who inexplicably decided to sleep in the room with my computer to listen to the video above, but it has the right title and two minutes into the piece, a couple of women start singing, so I think it fits the story.
Patriots United Executive Director Brian Kelly informed the crowd that candidates would have an opportunity on his group’s web site why they missed the meeting, as well as answer ten or so questions.
Unlike the pre-Thanksgiving 8th congressional district event, this one was not video taped for later posting on the web site. That’s unfortunate, in my opinion, providing more weight to what I consider the false argument that national politics is more important than local political affairs.
I know for a certainty that the lower the level of government, the more opportunity a citizen has to make an impact on governmental process.
Ask the six county board members who were subjected to the voter activation from ten thousand phone calls on the issue of banning video poker (really, slot) machines by an organization associated with Patriots United, the Illinois Family Institute.
