The Chronicle strikes again!
If you don’t read the newspaper, you’re uninformed. If you read the newspaper, you’re mis-informed. ― Mark Twain
This story rapidly begs the question, “How can anyone further embarrass and humiliate the Kane County Chronicle when they’re doing such a bang-up job of it themselves?” Despite that overly high hurdle I promise I’ll give it my best shot.

Playing off another pointless report by our I-have-to-justify-my-meaningless-existence-any-way-I-possibly-can Auditor, Penny Wegman, fake reporter Brenda Schory and the Chronicle lambasted Kane County for hiring IT Director Roger Fahnestock’s wife without disclosing their relationship before bringing her on as a temporary employee.
For reference purposes, Suzanne Fahnestock spent three months working directly under Chairman Corinne Corrine Pierog setting up vaccination sites and addressing the issues that would inevitably come up.
First, heading back to the day you were born, how many folks have you met with the surname “Fahnestock?” I’ve met exactly two – Roger and Suzanne – and I’d bet good money that’s two more than you’ve ever encountered.
Second, Suzanne Fahnestock worked as Director of Elections for Kane County Clerk Jack Cunningham for at least five years, so every last Kane County employee knew they were married. It’s not as if they were trying to pull the wool over anyone’s eyes.
Third and most ironically, it was Schory’s over-the-top coverage of the tuition reimbursement non-story that made the name “Fahnestock” a semi-household name. That means that no one within the sound of my voice failed to realize they were related.

But that didn’t stop Schory from going on ad nauseum about this “heinous” example of rampant nepotism at the hands of the nefarious Kane County government. And this supposed “revelation” comes after Schory told anyone who would listen that Fahnestock was having an affair with an underling which amounts to the kind of kind of character assassination that really oughtta be the subject of a libel lawsuit.
Unfortunately, that won’t happen because Roger simply lets Schory’s bitterness and vast stupidity roll right off this back. But I do know someone who will soon sue Shaw Media and these malicious and pointless stories on Roger Fahnestock will be exhibit one.
Furthermore, it’s not as if Suzanne Fahnestock was incapable of doing the job. As Chairman Pierog told the Chronicle, “My god, she created miracles. Would I hire her back? If the need came and the opportunity presented itself, without question. She knows how to fix operations.”
Though I’d never want to have to endure her again (she’s a rather “fascinating” individual), having worked alongside Suzzanne at the Clerk’s office for two years, I can personally attest to her ability to get things done. Running a successful election is never an easy task.
Put more simply, if Schory shared a quarter of Fahnestock’s general competence some folks might start believing the Chronicle’s a real newspaper.
Oh! And the frosting on the Chronicle flakes is, at the outset of her article, Schory admitted she
FOIAed a County report that was readily available on their website. You can’t make this stuff up.
The Wegmans are hoist by their own petard
When karma lands, it lands hard – Tom Fitton
It certainly does, particularly when it descends directly upon those souls who would claim to govern us.
In what can only be described as a fascinating fiscally responsible turn, the Kane County Board opened discussions about eliminating the Auditor’s office, a move which would put Penny Wegman out of our collective misery. While it may not have been one of the primary factors, Wegman’s persistent publicity seeking proclivities certainly haven’t helped her case here.

The Board is also considering the Recorder’s office to be equally as obsolete which would mean the end of Sandy Wegman’s reign. As we’ve previously postulated, Kane County government shouldn’t be a jobs program for the Wegman family.
But if we think beyond the individuals involved, there’s real merit to these proposed consolidations.
The majority of Illinois counties have long since placed the recorder’s responsibilities under the auspices of their county clerks because they already deal with vital records and it’s much more cost effective than maintaining a separate office. Do we really need two highly paid elected officials to do basically the same job?
And with the exception of former Auditor Terry Hunt’s tenure, that office has become the vestigial tail of county government.
Hunt’s predecessor Bill Keck may have been a good guy, but he didn’t dare go to the bathroom without Her Majesty and former Chairman Karen McConnaughay’s express written consent. So, he basically got paid 100 grand a year to be an office decoration.
Worse yet, given the unbridled stupidity of the average voter, the job no longer requires any accounting background rendering it even more impotent. Prior to the anti-Trump movement sweeping her into office, Penny Wegman’s entire accounting skillset consisted of regularly overdrawing her checking account.
The Kane County taxpayer would be better served by a hiring a financial professional to work under crack Finance Director Joe Onzick who’s done a great job of maintaining his political independence. That means eliminating the auditor’s office would be another cost-saving move.
Of course, the Wegmans are collectively shrieking about this heinous example of a political vendetta run amok, but perhaps Sandy should’ve thought through the ramifications of her family co-opting two of the seven County six-figure salary offices before she got her daughter elected.
Somehow the Chronicle didn’t recognize the real nepotism story here.

But after all is said and done, the hilarious irony here is, prior to Penny Wegman becoming auditor, how many times did any of you read a news story about the recorder or auditor?
That’s right. None!
It was Penny Wegman’s counterproductive self-aggrandizing propensities that made she and her mother a target, so they have no one to blame but themselves. Regularly embarrassing the County and the Chairman will only get you so for.
The tuition reimbursement non-story and Suzanne Fahnestock temporarily working for the County are both issues that should’ve been resolved internally as former Auditor Hunt would’ve certainly done.
Oh! And does anyone really think Schory, who can barely tie her own shoes every morning, was smart enough to FOIA that temporary worker Auditor report? Of course, she wasn’t! Wegman whispered in her ear one more time, and just like an overly obedient lapdog, Schory came running.
This is nothing more than a classic case of be careful what you wish for. The narcissistic younger Wegman insistently shouted “look at me, look at me, look at me,” and now that people are finally paying attention she doesn’t like it. Her $65,000 non-bid office remodeling boondoggle hasn’t exactly helped her cause, either.
Meanwhile, I have to give our we-never-met-a-tax-we-didn’t-like Kane County Board members real credit for coming up with a possibility that not only cut costs but increases efficiencies.
I knew they could do it if they put their minds to it.