Don\u2019t you just hate unsubstantiated rumors on the Internet? I know I do. <\/p>\n
But you know what I hate even more? When you\u2019ve been hearing the same unsubstantiated rumor in the real world for months on end from several \u201cinsiders\u201d who should know (or should know better), when you are told flat-out by elected officials (not to be quoted, to be sure), that the rumors in question are \u201can open secret,\u201d when you are even aware of newspaper columnists who have been hinting around the periphery of the story for quite some time and suspect strongly that they can not go on record because none of their sources will, and then you are told that the culmination of the series of rumors is \u201cimminent.\u201d<\/p>\n
I\u2019ve come to the conclusion that this is how unsubstantiated rumors on the Internet get started: By people like me who are sick of all the dithering around from individuals who either have the dirt and are so afraid of the powers-that-be that they refuse to go public, or are bound by some journalistic standard, or are just not able to name a source themselves, due to the excellent record of the powers-that-be in question for doing nothing that is strictly illegal, or for that matter written down. Which none of this really is.<\/p>\n
Well, screw all that, here\u2019s the rumor.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
I first heard in April from a Kane County Board member (who of course is not to be named) that the reason Phil Bus\u2019 position as Director of Kane County\u2019s Development Department was not filled when he retired last December is that Kane County Board Chair Karen McConnnaughay is holding that position for Kane County Board Member and Vice Chair (and undoubted \u201cfriend of Karen,\u201d as some have dubbed McC\u2019s loyal minions) Cathy Hurlbut. The Kane County Board Member who first told me this story went on to say that the McC crowd would like it \u2013 oh, much \u2013 if the public buys the generally encouraged idea that the position is not being filled in order to save the taxpayers money, so as to ensure that the public does not perceive this as political cronyism, therefore jeopardizing their ability to hold on to the seat this November. <\/p>\n
I asked something like \u201cyou mean hold on to the seat for the Republicans?\u201d and the Board Member expressed the opinion that it was more like “hold on to it for ‘a friend of Karen’.\u201d So the plan was to let Hurlbut win re-election to the seat in the fall, then resign, get appointed to Bus\u2019 position by McC, and let McC appoint Hurlbut\u2019s successor on the Kane County Board as well. A two-fer. <\/p>\n
It took me approximately a day to find a second (and similarly not to be quoted) Kane County Board Member who would, without any prompting beyond “what’s up with Phil Bus’ postion?” repeat this rumor to me, detail by detail.<\/p>\n
The only variation in their accounts being who, exactly, was the \u201cfriend of Karen\u201d to be appointed to Hurlbut\u2019s seat when Hurlbut wins the highest-paid-employee at Kane County lottery. Board Member #1 said rumor had it that it was to be Hurlbut\u2019s husband. Board Member #2 said one of Hurlbut\u2019s primary opponents, who had pulled out after being assured the gig was his merely for displaying enough courtesy to get out of Hurlbut\u2019s way and on McC’s team.<\/p>\n
Both of these sources were either unwilling or unable to name their<\/em> source. Both gave an answer that indicated this rumor was something more or less known by \u201ceveryone\u201d \u2013 an \u201copen secret\u201d so not something either could recall hearing in one place first. Could be. God knows I\u2019ve heard the rumor now from several other, unelected, unofficial, sources, also not to be quoted, and also unsure where they heard it first.<\/p>\n So far, so much rumor.<\/p>\n And nothing I have been able to do from April to now has allowed me to solidify this rumor into something more than rumor. Not surprising, I suppose, since I have had several people at the County tell me \u201cthese people put nothing on paper, you\u2019ll never nail it down.\u201d<\/p>\n I have, by the way, done quite a lot to try to nail this one down, including taking a side-trip through both the existing and proposed ethics ordinances. And another side-trip through the side-show that is Bus\u2019 old department \u2013 Development – at the County, which reports to\u2026the Development Committee, chaired by Hurlbut. I\u2019ve even filed a flurry of FOIA requests to try to figure out why Bus is working for the county as an independent contractor, at an amount carefully below the threshold that would require Board action. I hope to write about both side-trips in some detail and I\u2019ve turned up quite a lot of detail that I find fascinating, although I will admit that many might find it quite the boring read, since there is nothing illegal going on. Me, I am beginning to be never-endingly fascinated by the level of cronyism, the concentration of power, and the resultant culture of intimidation, that is legal in Kane County. But that\u2019s for another day, and another blog post.<\/p>\n For today I\u2019m concerned with Hurlbut, and mostly I really am concerned that if no one is willing to spill the beans this will turn into a further consolidation of McC\u2019s power, and one that the voters can\u2019t do much about after the fact, after the election. And there is precious little, frankly, that the voters can do now, even if someone can substantiate this rumor, if what I heard yesterday should turn out to be true. So let\u2019s move on.<\/p>\n On Sunday, I got a call from a friend who was driving by Mike Kenyon\u2019s (chair of the Kane County Republican Party, and Kane County Board Member) house in South Elgin, who phoned to say that in Mr. Kenyon\u2019s driveway were the cars of McC and Ken Shepro (1st Vice Chair of the Kane County Republicans and attorney for the Kane County Board) as well as several other \u201cdark and expensive looking\u201d cars.<\/p>\n Perfectly innocent Party meeting, or perhaps just an actual party? Maybe. It\u2019s graduation season, perhaps Mr. Kenyon has a graduate at his house.<\/p>\n