Taxpayers Finance Jack Franks’ Congratulatory Messages to School Students

What appeared to be a slick method of campaigning by McHenry County Board Chairman Jack Franks turns out to be taxpayer financed.

On February 1, 2018, McHenry County Blog published a certificate received by a Johnsburg Middle School student.

You can see it below:

Subsequently, a Freedom of Information request produced the following bill for special paper on which the certificates of appreciation were printed.

It is for 5,000 sheets of special vellum paper.

Note that patronage worker Bridget Geenen, who came from Franks’ campaign operation, has her name written on the January 18, 2018, bill from Woodstock’s Copy Express.

Bridgett Geenen’s McHenry County employee identification card.

It doesn’t take a lot of intuition to guess that lots of Geenen’s time is spent

  • gathering student names from school districts
  • typing those names on certificates
  • addressing those certificates for mailing
  • postage for the mailings

And all of it is to benefit Jack Franks personally for when he runs for office again.

McHenry County Blog was willing to give Franks the benefit of the doubt by assuming that he was using campaign  money for this effort to increase his name identification.

No more.


Comments

Taxpayers Finance Jack Franks’ Congratulatory Messages to School Students — 36 Comments

  1. Cal, never assume the weasel is up to good works with his own money after all he is what he is.

  2. Re: “OMG!!! Who approved this? It has to stop!!!”

    Go to the next County Board meeting and read them, the riot act!

    Vote out the incumbents in D-6.

    Vote out Jung in D-5.

    Keep Wheeler in D-4.

  3. Pretty sh**ty deal!

    But then what do you expect? You get what you pay for!

  4. How is it that the majority of this blog is not aware of discretionary spending? Mr. Skinner, can you kindly inform the blog population on how you handled your discretionary spending as a State Rep? I’m sure they would appreciate the clarification.

  5. Call, do you know when the student received the certificate? I see that it’s dated on October 2017, but the bill for the paper was in mid-January 2018.

    If it wasn’t created until after the date of billing for the paper, we’re witness to some extreme efficiency by a governmental patronage hack. If it was done before the purchase then something else is amiss; keep digging!

  6. @Spotlight

    Discretionary spending or not, there are hard and fast limits to what public funds may be used for.

    Assuming – and I’m not saying there are such funds for Jacko – would you condone his use of those funds for a microwave for his home or campaign signs?

  7. I wonder where all these watchdogs were when Bill Prim gave Sandy Salgado $1,000 as a clothing allowance? That lasted 3 years until Franks stopped it.

    Where were these watchdogs when the treasurer used county funds to enter a parade? (Now that’s what I call a campaign event!!)
    What puts these watchdog-yahoos over-the-top? When the highest ranking county official recognizes kids and encourages them for a legitimate purpose?!Just to be sure, the local Republican party position is to NOT recognize students?

    Pretty petty and sad.

  8. The ’round mound’ and his patronage hire has time to campaign for him on the taxpayer dime while the posting of the annual summary for Bills paid and the detail for December 2017 and January 2018 remains unposted!

    Y’all who voted for him are getting what you deserve – Madiganized County of McHenry.

  9. Once a democrat, always a democrat. ILLINOIS LAND OF CORRUPTION, MCHENRY,COUNTY OF CORRUPTION!!!

  10. While you target a person who recognizes the achievements of our younger generation, I hear no mention of the taxpayers footing the bill for auditor Pam Dollman Palmers education.

    Pam’s sister currently works for the county superintendent of schools which that alone would make for a better story.

    By the way, Pam took a healthy salary from the taxpayers to the tune of 132,323.08

  11. One would think a certificate from a school principle or even the superintendent would be appropriate, but certainly NOT from an elected official, especially not on the taxpayers dime as a poorly veiled attempt a personal promotion. A nickel here a dime there and pretty soon were talking real money! Money that is causing property owners to leave McHenry County in record numbers. Something has to give! Honest leadership that doesn’t have a continuous stream of untrue statements, patronage hires, etc. would be a good start.

  12. And it’s exactly sentiments like that which is why my Mike Rein should be reelected.

    GO MIKE GO!

  13. The previous post should have read my friend Mike Rein.

    Who by the way has my most sincere personal respect

  14. It wouldn’t be so bad if the certificate said the citizens of McHenry County recognize your accomplishment but this is all about Jack.

    He should be made to foot the bill by the rest of the County Board.

    I bet they won’t.

  15. Rein and orville are just mad they never won an honor award or made it past a 3rd grade education.
    I hope the people in your district see you for who you really are and make better choices when they vote this election.
    I know I will.

  16. I should clarify, the Michael Rein who recently posted is NOT the Michael Rein who is running for County Board, there are three of us in the County. Also I realize principal is spelled incorrectly in the above post.

  17. Should the taxpayers pay for Rein’s Chiropractor lessons?
    or Orville’s pilot school?
    Why is it then, that we paid for Pam palmer to take classes at MCC??

  18. Don’t know about the tuition, but your $132,000 figure is not salary. Probably total compensation including health benefits and pension share.

  19. Reposting Because I think Cal missed my question: How is it that the majority of this blog is not aware of discretionary spending? Mr. Skinner, can you kindly inform the blog population on how you handled your discretionary spending as a State Rep? I’m sure they would appreciate the clarification on how funds can be used discretionarily.

  20. Thanks to Michael Rein for speaking up. This self promoting crap needs to stop. The taxpayers deserve better

  21. Maybe we need to get those other Michael Reins to run for County Board too.

  22. So does a County employee then take the 5,000 sheets of blank stock and then manually type each student’s name into a template and its run through a County laser printer, generate mailing labels, stuff the envelopes and then they’re mailed out of the County Government Center?

  23. Understand that the County Board Chairman’s Asst. makes around $55,000 with benefits and only a high school diploma is required!

    This is what an Asst. does and the County Board approved it! LOL

    You deserve what you get!

  24. @Jason I believe the county helps pay for classes for many employees to better themselves. Pam Palmer and other elected officials have to keep up with trends etc. Don’t care if it is a Dem/Rep. However, this is different!

  25. For taxpayer funds to be used to send out these letters, the McHenry County Board should have approved sending of the letters. The top of the congratulation letter then should have read,

    “The McHenry County Board and its Chairman”

    Then, at the bottom should have been a list of all Board Members and the Chairman AND in alphabetical order.

  26. How about the name of the Chairman in font size 8 or smaller? How about the name of the Chairman on the lower left corner of the back side of the certificate? Those in favor say aye. Tic, tock, meow, meow…

  27. Nothing personal or childish, Mr. Franks. We’re just jotting down some good intentioned ideas to make our county great again. Stay tuned…tic, tock, meow, meow…

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