McHenry County Blog

Will McHenry County State Rep. Jack Franks show that he is a "Madigan Minion" in his answer to the Daily Herald questionnaire on whether he will vote for Mike Madigan for House Speaker?

I read that House Speaker Mike Madigan’s staff talk of themselves as being “Madigan’s Minions.”

I picked up the phrase to describe Illinois Supreme Court Justice Thomas Kilbride, who only beat a decent Peoria-area Republican, State Senator Carl Hawskinson, with infusions of Madigan-inspired campaign contributions.

But the real Madigan Minions are the Democratic Party State Representatives who have elected him again and again and again for what seems like forever.

Now the Daily Herald editorial board has decided to turn up the heat on suburban Madigan Minions.

In its questionnaire, all state legislators are being asked if they will vote to re-elect their leaders.

We’ll see if there are any brave Democrats.

Or would those saying they will not vote for Madigan be considered suicidal?

John O'Neill

It’s always refreshing when candidates are willing to share their answers to candidate questionnaires.

Here’s Jack Franks’ opponent John O’Neill’s for the Daily Herald:

63rd District Representative
Party: Republican
Incumbent: No
Occupation:Business Trainer
Address: 3608 W. Clover Av.
McHenry, Illinois 60050

CANDIDATE INFORMATION

Age:43

Date of Birth: 01/10/1967

Birthplace: Melrose Park, IL

Family:Married, six children

Religion: Roman Catholic

Education/Degrees:

Civic Involvement:

• Boy Scouts #131
• Knights of Columbus #1288
• McHenry Baseball Association
• Sunday School Teacher @ The Church of Holy Apostles

Endorsements:

• Congressman Don Manzullo
• Illinois Federation for Right to Life PAC
• Pro-Life Victory PAC

Offices Held:

• McHenry School District #15 Board of Education, 2007 – Present
• McHenry Public Library District Board of Trustees, 2009 – Present

Have you ever been arrested for or convicted of a crime? If yes, please explain.Never

KEY ISSUES

Key Issue 1:Jobs: How to make the state more attractive to employers in order to bring jobs back and get the people of McHenry County working again.

Key Issue 2:Audit the State Budget: $52 Billion budget with a $13 Billion deficit, we need to dig through the budget line-by-line in order to eliminate wasteful government spending.

Key Issue 3:Unfunded Pension Liabilities: Depending on the source, we are on the hook for somewhere between $70 Billion and $200 Billion in unfunded pension liabilities.

Q & A

What should be done to solve the state’s budget crisis? What specific measures should be cut for how much in savings? Would you support or oppose an income tax increase or a state sales tax increase? Lay out a specific plan of what needs to be done.

What should be done to solve the state’s budget crisis? Before we start taxing the people during the worst recession since the great depression, when we are devastated with 10% unemployment, property values are plummeting and communities are already facing increasing sales tax hikes and property tax hikes, we need to look at the state’s budget. Only through a line-by-line audit of every department and agency will we find the wasteful government spending and ghost-payrollers. What should be done to solve the state’s budget crisis? Before we start taxing the people during the worst recession since the great depression, when we are devastated with 10% unemployment, property values are plummeting and communities are already facing increasing sales tax hikes and property tax hikes, we need to look at the state’s budget. Only through a line-by-line audit of every department and agency will we find the wasteful government spending and ghost-payrollers.

What specific measures should be cut for how much in savings? Until we complete a line-by-line audit of the budget, it will be difficult to know where we even stand and the magnitude of waste, fraud, and corruption which exists in the budget.

Would you support or oppose an income tax increase or a state sales tax increase? Oppose.

Lay out a specific plan of what needs to be done. Start with a line-by-line audit of the budget.

What is your view on the pension legislation passed last year? Do you support or oppose lower benefits and higher employee contributions for current state workers? Specifically, how should state officials resolve underfunding problems?

What is your view on the pension legislation passed last year? For the past 10-12 years the Chicago Political Machine which runs Springfield, and which my opponent has consistently supported, has dropped the ball on the budget. This so-called “Pension Reform” simply kicks the can down the road for the next General Assembly to deal with; however, I believe that we will fix it in the next General Assembly.

Do you support or oppose lower benefits and higher employee contributions for current state workers? Let’s face it, if we do nothing and the state goes broke, nobody will receive any benefits. Something has got to be done. I don’t begrudge the workers, teachers, firefighters and police officers their benefits, however the union bosses who have played the game of pitting one municipality or school district against another, threatening strikes if they don’t get their way has got to come to an end.

Specifically, how should state officials resolve underfunding problems? In an era where the taxpayers are seeing loss of jobs, pay-cuts, loss of benefits, and cuts or even loss of their retirement benefits, it is time for those who receive state pensions to face the reality the rest of us are already facing. I support a 401(k)-type retirement program for state pension recipients; credit them for their years worked and establish an account for them where they contribute to their retirement account and their employer, the state or municipal department, agency, or district will make a match, much the same way the taxpayers who fund state pensions contribute to their own retirement accounts.

Do you oppose or support civil unions? Gay marriage? What abortion restrictions do you support? What about parental notification? Late-term abortion? Should there be controls on gun ownership? If so, what would you support?

Do you oppose or support civil unions? Oppose, state Supreme Courts have already declared civil unions inadequate and an example of the “separate but equal” philosophy.

(Do you oppose or support) Gay marriage? Oppose, the simple truth is marriage by definition is a religious institution between one man and one woman and has remained so for several thousand years of human history. Those who wish to redefine it as anything else trample on the First Amendment’s Free Exercise of Religion. Those who wish to have their relationship officially recognized by the state have many avenues by which to do so; a contractual arrangement, business, and power of attorney to name but a few.

What abortion restrictions do you support? I am Pro-Life.

What about parental notification? The law should have been enacted 15 years ago when it became law yet it’s been held up in the courts for all this time. A 12 year-old girl cannot receive an aspirin from school without documentation yet that same 12 year-old girl can have a life-altering procedure performed upon her which will kill her baby and may injure, sterilize, or kill her and her parents do not have the right to know? This is outrageous.

Should there be controls on gun ownership? Minimal licensing makes sense for gun ownership, however 49 states currently recognize the right of a licensed gun owner to carry their loaded gun for self-defense. 48 recognize “concealed-carry,” Wisconsin recognizes “Open-Carry.” Illinois is the only state in the nation which requires licensed, law-abiding citizens to transport their guns unloaded, under lock-and-key. I fully support the 2nd Amendment’s Right to Bear Arms and will go so far as to sponsor a bill to recognize the right of the people to carry their loaded guns for self-defense. Many criminals already carry loaded guns, I simply wish to level the “playing field.”

Where do you stand on campaign finance caps for legislative leaders and parties? Will you vote for your current caucus leader? Do you support an amendment for a different political map system? Why or why not?

Where do you stand on campaign finance caps for legislative leaders and parties? It’s astonishing that legislative leaders, political parties, and unions are given free rein to hand money over to candidates, yet taxpayers are limited in what they can contribute to the candidate of their choice. Personally, I see the issue as a Free Speech issue; if a taxpayer is limited in the amount of money he or she can contribute to a candidate, state or federal, that taxpayer’s freedom is being curtailed.

Will you vote for your current caucus leader? I would prefer to vote for a conservative caucus leader.

Do you support an amendment for a different political map system? Why or why not? I don’t know if a remedy as extreme as an amendment is necessary, however I believe that a bi-partisan commission should have the final say in reapportionment rather than simply the party in control. We’ve seen, even in McHenry County, what happens when the Chicago Political Machine gerrymanders political districts in order to favor a particular candidate or incumbent.

Legislation recently passed that exempts the evaluations of all public workers from FOIA. Do you support such an exemption? For a certain class of public employees (e.g. police officers, road workers etc.)? Explain.

If the taxpayer is paying their salary, public workers’ evaluations should be permissible under FOIA guidelines. I find myself in the uncomfortable position of agreeing with Gov. Quinn’s Amendatory Veto and his recommendations to permit all but Police evaluations to be permissible under FOIA. Even a broken clock is accurate twice a day.

Warning on the Crystal Lake High School web site

Crystal Lake Police have released the following press release about a teen at Crystal Lake South High School who used something like FaceBook to tell of his or her intent to “bring a firearm to the school and harm staff and students.”

The full press release is below:

On Thursday, September 2, 2010 at approximately 9:45 am, Crystal Lake Police became aware that a juvenile student of Crystal Lake South High School had posted comments on a social networking site indicating the intent to bring a firearm to the school and harm staff and students.

Police personnel, in cooperation with school officials, conducted an investigation that culminated in the arrest of the student without incident.

The student was located off-campus and was found to not have any access to firearms.

There appears to be no substance to the threat.

Charges of Disorderly Conduct were sought and approved by the McHenry County State’s Attorney’s Office. The student was petitioned to Juvenile court.

Not only is Mark Kirk seeking volunteers to walk with him in the Lake in the Hills parade this Saturday, from reading the following, I see Mike Mahon is, too.

Current Happenings

We are heading into the home stretch now: only 61 day left until Election Day, November 2!

All of our volunteers are out and about in the neighborhoods, our signs are popping up like mushrooms, and the excitement is contagious.

We have some great opportunities for you to help in the last big push.

Come out, support Mike, and join us in making history in McHenry County.

Mike Mahon (in the middle) is seen campaiging at the Algonquin Founders Day Parade.

We are looking for volunteers to join us on our awesome float this Saturday, September 4, in Lake in the Hills, Mike’s hometown.

The parade starts at 10 a.m. Our parade number is 26 and line-up is on Lucerne Lane. Please email laura@mikemahon.org if you have any questions. T-shirts and water will be provided.

On September 8, we’re holding a Fundraiser for Mike at Cary County Club from 7 to 9 p.m. Hors d’oeuvres, dessert, coffee, and soft drinks will be provided. A cash bar will be available for alcoholic beverages. Tickets ($25) can be purchased at the door, on our webpage, by calling 847-515-4772 or by emailing laura@mikemahon.org.

We are also looking for volunteers for canvassing neighborhoods September 11 and/or 12th. We only need an hour or two of your time. Please call Tim at 847-515-4772.

At all of the above, we can guarantee you’ll make some new friends and have a good time. Now, especially, is the time for all good men and women to come to the aid of Mike Mahon!

= = = = =

Keith Nyrgen and his wife Marge ride in the Algonquin Founders Day Parade.

If you are wondering why you don’t read what incumbent Sheriff Keith Nygren is doing outside of what I figure out myself, it is because his campaign does not send me information it wishes to share.

Mark Kirk walked Crystal Lake's Independence Day Parade. You see his McHenry County Coordinator Cheryl Meyer under his raised arm.

Cheryl Meyer, McHenry County Coordinator for Kirk for U.S. Senate, sent the following email seeking Saturday volunteers to march with Kirk at Saturday’s Lake in the Hill’s parade.

I’m reaching out to you as precinct committeemen/women with hopes that you can come out this Saturday morning (Sept. 4) and walk with U.S. Senate Candidate Mark Kirk in the Lake In The Hills Summer Sunset Parade. This parade starts at 10am and the route is fairly short.

We will need you there by 9:30 at the absolute latest (9am would be better…), and lineup is on Foxfield Lane off of Miller Road. If you park at Sunset Park (on Miller just west of Lakewood Road), a shuttle can take you to the line up area. That way when the parade finishes, you’re right by your car.

If you don’t have a Kirk shirt we can supply you with one when you arrive.

As you all know, Republican momentum is building and Mark Kirk needs a very solid win in McHenry County.

Please come out on Saturday and walk with Mark and show everyone that Alexi Giannoulias’ days (Mark’s opponent) as a financial “mis-manager” are numbered! You should be done by 11am.

Please let me know if you can walk.

Of course, if I am there, I’ll be taking photos, but others who are not precinct committeemen might be interested. Kirk had the largest group of walkers at Crystal Lake’s 4th of July Parade.

Marengo's State Rep. Jack Franks is featured in the Windy City Times in a photo which the publication says is "from Franks' office."

The premier gay newspaper in Illinois has featured McHenry County’s Jack Franks in an article with a picture The Windy City Times says was supplied by his office.

Franks is standing with teen hero Trevor Hall, who rescued another swimmer and whom, before Chicago Sun-Times intervention, Aurora Health Care was going to charge for his trip to the Kenosha hospital.

Also flanking Hall was Franks’ Canadian fishing buddy Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White.

The averted drowning took place in Lake County, well out of Franks’ district, but he issued a commemorative proclamation, according to the the TribLocal for that area.

Jesse White Tumblers in the Algonquin Founders Day Parade.

Besides going fishing with Jesse White, Franks sponsored and got passed not one, but two House Resolutions (HR 874 and HR 904) praising the Jesse White Tumblers on their 50th anniversary.

Apparently my little article on State Senator Dan Duffy’s impeachment speech and parking space relocation found its way to Springfield.

And, from the reaction from Senate President John Cullerton’s office, I guess I didn’t pay enough attention to the coverage of the foregone conclusion of the Senate impeachment of Governor Rod Blagojevich on January 29, 2009.

The reporter working under then-Daily Herald Springfield Bureau Chief John Patterson, Nicole Milstead, wrote a story, the headline of which you see here.

Apparently, newly-sworn-in State Senator Dan Duffy’s speech was noticed in one paper covering his district.

There was even a follow-up blog interview by the same reporter, which is a little over two minutes long.

Patterson, who now works for Cullerton as Assistant Press Secretary, wrote me,

“Attached is a pdf of the Feb. 4, 2009, Senate session transcript, downloaded from the General Assembly’s public website. This is when President Cullerton made the parking assignment comments. The relevant segments are on the bottom of page 14 and top of 15 (the last two pages). This was in open session, broadcast on the speaker system and was days after the Blagojevich vote.

“The parking situation as explained in the transcript and story was this: There are 37 Democrats and 22 Republicans. Spaces were allocated based on seniority within each caucus. The result was Sen. Duffy, the junior most member, had a better spot than more than a dozen veteran Democrats.

“It wasn’t some private threat from the Senate President. He made the announcement regarding parking spot changes on the speaker system during public session of the Illinois Senate. The Duffy line was thrown in as an attempt at humor.

Dan Duffy

“At the time, Duffy took it as such, according to his comments to the Daily Herald in the above stories:

‘The Lake Barrington lawmaker took it in stride, saying he doesn’t think there’ll be any payback for his blunt impeachment trial commentary.

‘I don’t think anyone is that petty here in the Senate,’ Duffy said.

“One final thing, keep in mind that while John Cullerton is a veteran lawmaker, he’s been Senate President the same amount of time Sen. Duffy has been a state Senator. His first action as Senate President was to remove Rod Blagojevich from office.“

The relevant part of the transcript of the Senate’s February 4th’s proceedings follows:

“I understand that both caucuses will be having dinner tonight and get to know the staff better. At least that’s what we’re going to do on the—on the–Democratic side.

“Also I have a–another announcement.

Senate President John Cullerton

“You know the other day during the impeachment trial and my mind, my memory was triggered when Senator Duffy actually was speaking, because Senator Duffy is the youngest member of the Republican side that we made a mistake when we assigned parking spaces.

“And what was—just to explain it—we went Democrat, Republican, Democrat, Republican and then, of course, after we assigned Senator Duffy – he was the last one – we had thirteen more, fourteen more Democrats, who then got spaces further away than Senator Duffy.

“So, what we’re going to do is redo it based on seniority and leadership of all fifty-nine of us.

“And I think that would result in, for example, Senator Duffy, he’ll be in a different parking space than he is now – might a bit further down the driveway than he is now.

“But it’ll be done in a fair way based on seniority and leadership.

“So, just wanted to warn you that’s – we’re going to be correcting that mistake we made.”

I told John that his boss should know that humor almost never works in politics.

Even though his humor on the House floor when we served together often had me in stitches.

The Prairie Ridge High School cafeteria was filled with Pack 158 Cub Scouts this Sunday. They could eat anything they wanted and no one would know.

The last time I was in a high school cafeteria was when the Cub Scouts were having their annual Blue and Gold Awards Ceremonies.

Before that, it was either the time when

• there was a District 155 candidates’ night after which the superintendent said, “Why didn’t you come to speak to me about running?” or
• at the meeting my father called that led to the formation of McHenry County College.

But it’s time to visit District 155 cafeterias again.

Somethings happening that you might find of interest.

Let me first remind you of First Lady Michelle Obama’s campaign to get kids to eat more vegetables and less food that turns into fat.

Maybe that has something to do with this and maybe it doesn’t.

District 155 is tracking what kids eat for lunch.  Staff, too.

For those who pay for their lunch with money on a student identification card, not only the amount subtracted is recorded, but what they have purchased is saved in a computerized fashion.

What about those who pay with real money?

Their food purchases will also be tracked, because the student ID card must be scanned in order to buy lunch.

Eventually, District 155 will allow parents to find out what their teens are chowing down on.

District 155′s Jeff Puma explained the program:

The information you’re looking for is related to the new point-of-sale system, which is currently being implemented at our schools. This will allow parents to load money onto student IDs rather than sending cash with their children. This is a more secure option for our families because we can cancel an ID card and recover unused funds, but it is unlikely that cash would be returned if it is lost.

With regard to your specific questions, the system does record what is purchased by all individuals–students, staff, and guests. First and foremost, this allows the cafeteria staff to monitor inventory in order to optimize the purchasing process. It also allows the user–and in the case of a student, his/her parents–to budget more effectively by tracking purchases, if they choose to do so.

He also pointed me to what District 155 has on its web site about the change:

District 155 Introduces Point-of-Sale Lunch Purchases

System To Allow Cafeteria Purchases With Student IDs
District 155 will begin a point-of-sale payment system in the coming weeks. The system will allow students to use their student identification cards to purchase meals in school cafeterias without the need for cash. Parents will have the option to add credit onto the ID cards using the district’s Family Access website or by bringing cash or a check to the school’s designated account replenish area.

Point-of-sale purchases will be available in September once system testing is complete. At that time, parents will be able to add money to student accounts using Family Access. A tutorial and detailed instructions will be available through this website at that time.

Advantages of the point-of-sale system include:

• Allows parents to see their student’s lunch purchases.
• All account information can be viewed and managed through Family Access.
• Provides a secure alternative to cash:
  • Student’s ID will work like a debit card.
  • Reduces the need to send cash with your student each day.
  • If a student loses his/her ID, the fund balance will be transferred to a new card.
• Auto-replenish option allows for automatic reloading when your child’s balance becomes low.
• Streamlines free and reduced lunch application process.

Jim Tobin, the 1998 Libertarian Party candidate for Governor, whom Secretary of State George Ryan sent government employees on state time to keep off the ballot, has endorsed Scott Lee Cohen for Governor. Cohen won the Democratic Party nomination for Lieutenant Governor, but party leaders forced him off the ballot.

In a letter to his Tax Accountability mailing list, Tobin writes that Cohen has “signed our Taxpayer Protection Pledge” in which he promises to “oppose any and all efforts to increase state or local taxes.”

Tobin points out that Democrat Pat Quinn and Republican Bill Brady “have refused to sign.”

Tobin goes on to describe Quinn and Brady as “the tax-raising twins.”

Tobin was also the Libertarian Party candidate for Lt. Gov. when I ran for Governor in 2002.

A phone number of 312-441-0300 is listed in the letter for those who would like Cohen to speak in their communities.

Click to enlarge the images.

What unions have done has devastated U.S. manufacturing, resulting in shipping jobs overseas has gone on for decades.

In Barack Obama language, they have “transformed” from fighting abuses to abusing taxpayers and creating widespread abuses.

Unions are largely now for a privileged class with employee rights certain to ship even more good paying jobs overseas.

Crystal Lake's Davenport Funeral Home and Crematorium

For the first time, there are now more government sector union jobs than those in the private sector.

And the work rules are ridiculous.

Just yesterday, I learned of a non-AFSCME union state employee who got written up for changing a light bulb. He/she was supposed to have called an 800 number.

Unemployment is so high, it seems Labor Day shouldn’t be a day of celebration.

Rather, it should be a day of mourning about how greedy union bosses and willing Dem accomplices have lead our country into an enormous economic mess.

There used to be a normal economic cycle that had manufacturing bring our country out of a recession as it shipped more product overseas because a falling U.S. dollar made them more competitive.

There’s too little manufacturing in the U.S. for that to happen now.

Shipping more farm products overseas doesn’t spread the farm wealth very far into the rest of the economy.

There are now fewer U.S. manufacturing jobs in the computer industry than when the first P.C. was introduced.

For people who are unemployed, they can thank what union greed steadily did to jobs over time.

Liberal Illinois Dems (are there any other kind?) married the union bosses and now the tar effigy of a lack of jobs is around their necks. Perhaps feathers will be added this fall.

Republicans can kick off the official election season by reminding voters how Illinois Dems from Obama on through all of their majorities have made Labor Day now a national day of mourning for what their greedy union bosses did to our country.

Even our schools are buying Dell computers, for example, made overseas.

Buy American may be impractical, as unions have gotten their way so much, that so little is made in the U.S.A. anymore.

Lake in the Hills is still holding its Sunset Festival Labor Day Parade this Saturday, starting at 10. The parade route can be found below.

Lake in the Hills parade route Saturday.