During the week between my being nominated for
chairman of the Knox County Board by our Democratic Party caucus and the county
board organizational meeting, I was congratulated by friends of both political
parties and some unidentified. They assumed that because the Democrats held a
majority on the county board, that I have completed ten years on the board,
have years of background in government and administration, worked for the Knox
County Democrats for over thirty years, that I would be elected chairman.
To their surprise and anger, I answered, ÒI donÕt
think they are going to support me.Ó
But this is politics. A mix of thwarted personal ambition, petty
jealousy and a large dose of male chauvinism and you have the real recipe for
what happened December 4th when I was not elected chairman of the
board. I thought the purpose of a caucus was to work out differences in private
and emerge united. Apparently for some members that is true only if they are
nominated.
Three Democrats elected on the Democratic ticket, with
financial help and support from the county party organization and one actively
recruited by the Democrats, voted for a Republican chairman. For only the
second time in a century, the Democrats had control of the board and the
possibility of another two years of leadership and control of appointments
So, we lost our opportunity for leadership and
deserved to lose it. Even though our party chairman, Norm Winick, blithely says
this kind of party desertion has happened before, I can only remember one time,
and that was when Leo Hennenfent, a Republican, voted for Lomac Payton, a
Democrat, for chairman because he was angry he wasnÕt going to be appointed
chairman of the nursing home committee. The Republicans were furious and I
doubt they ever forgave him.
Two of the Democrat party-switchers were mad they
werenÕt nominated by the Democratic caucus to be chairman and vice chairman
again. Even though they were both supported two years ago by the Democrats at
the board organizational meeting. Dana Shallenberger (God rest her soul),
hadnÕt participated in the caucus and it took three votes of the board and some
serious arm-twisting from me for her to finally vote for Jan Occhi for chair.
Occhi received my support then and for most of the last two years. She probably
worked harder than any county board chairman and presided over the board
experiment to meet as committee of the whole instead of the traditional
committee system. The board did not renew the contract of the county
administrator, so for the second year of her term, she was left in charge of
about everything, with the strong assistance of County Clerk Scott Erickson.
I enjoyed serving on the board most of these last two
years. The board was issue-oriented and not partisan and I received far more
information than during previous terms. Jan was fair during board meetings and
members received equal treatment and recognition. But, there were some serious
administrative problems developing and the general consensus among board
members was that the leadership should change.
Greg,
ÒChopsÓ Bacon, was the third member to cross party lines and doesnÕt seem to
understand that if he hadnÕt been recruited and supported by the Democrats he
wouldnÕt even be on the board. There is a time and place for loyalty to the
party. I also figured that being a hard-working cable guy and member of ABATE ,
Chops would be more independent on the board. But he likes being one of the
boys and thinks itÕs cool to be part of ÒWayneÕs World.Ó
Some
claimed I didnÕt try to mend fences after the caucus. They are right. If my
life or that of a loved one were at stake, I might kiss someoneÕs rear-end, but
not for the county board chairmanship. I felt nothing but hostility from Dale
Parsons, Jan and Chops and had nothing to offer them. They participated in the
caucus - it was their responsibility to honor the caucus decision.
Before Thanksgiving I started an e-mail dialogue with
Allen Pickrel, now chairman of the board, about the upcoming election for
chairman. I thought we had a good relationship, and silly me, I trusted him to
keep our conversations confidential. In fact, I told him that. A week ago I learned that one of
my private e-mails to him had been reprinted, copied out of context, and mailed
to my Democrat supporters for chairman. Nice.
But there was also triumph last week. I completed my
last class for a MasterÕs Degree in Political Science at Western Illinois
University. I finished eight graduate courses in 18 months and will finish my
thesis next semester. Actually, I am qualified to be a county administrator,
and with my administrative experience in the work place and volunteer
organizations, if I had been elected chairman of the county board, the county
would have had a hell of a deal for a $35 per diem.
My concern now is that all board members are given an
equal opportunity to represent their constituents in committee work and
assignments. ThatÕs just good government, which should be our top priority.
Caroline
Porter is a freelance writer and represents District One on the Knox County
Board. She can be reached at cporter@galesburg.net.