Here are the notes of McHenry County Regional Superintendent of Schools employee Edgar Pereda, who is Director of Evergreen School, of a phone conversation with County Board Chairman Jack Franks:
McHenry County Board Chairman Jack Franks in “I’m the Boss” mode.
Around 2 pm a representative from Mr. Franks office called and asked me to please call Mr. Franks. I called Mr Franks and he asked me if he could call me back because he was on a conference call.
2:58 pm
JF: I’m investigating testimony made by the superintendent in front if the board.
(I was taught in my homeland security days that anytime someone leads with I’m investigating or I’m writing an article on… to always direct questing to a higher pay grade)
ME: I advised Mr. Frank’s that all questions should be directed to the regional office.
JF: (at this point in an aggressive tone) Are u telling me that you are refusing to answer my questions… do you know who I am? I’m the Chairman of the McHenry County Board … I’m your boss.. now are u gonna answer my question?
Me: Sir, it’s not that I’m refusing to answer..I’m directing you to the regional office.
JF: (in menacing aggressive voice) you are refusing to answer my fucking questions… I served with James Meeks and I have done budgets for him… u can haul your ass down here and have you testify in front of everyone…. Now..do u want to answer my questions?
Me: I apologized Mr. Franks but I’m gonna direct your questions to Mrs. Schermerhorn.
JF: I’m a goddamn tax payer and u are refusing to answer my questions…is this how you would respond to a taxpayer.
Me: Mr Franks, if it was an interested parent I would describe the program but since you started off this conversation with “this is an investigation” you are no longer an interested taxpayer.
JF: You better tell your lawyer and get him ready because your refusing to answer my questions. Who hired you…?
Me: Leslie did…. Actually Joe Williams hired me..
JF: Oh, I know Joe. Are you gonna answer my questions.. you are discriminating against me.
Me: Sir, I would love to help but…
JF: HUNG UP ON ME
THIS IS MY RECOLLECTION OF THE CONVERSATION. HIS TONE THROUGHOUT WAS MENACING AND INTIMIDATING. HE HAD MORE OBSCENITIES THROUGHOUT THE CONVERSATION. MRS. HERZOG WAS ALSO PRESENT IN THE ROOM AND WITNESSED THE HARRASSMENT.
The Regional Superintendent of Schools (RSS) is a separately elected public official who does not answer to the Chairman of the County Board or even the County Board for that matter.
The County Board (not the Chairman) approves the budget for that office but is also constrained by the School Code in that respect.
People who are hired by the RSS are similarly not under the management control of anyone in county government but answer only to the RSS.
You Were Warned…..
My dearly respected sunshine blogger: Thanks for underscoring the aggressive tone of voice coming from menacing Jack D. Franks during that telephone conversation. The immense readership of this McHenry county, forever rural, God-and-country-first, pro-life, pro-gun, sunshine blog (about 9 lonely pathetic souls) unanimously condemns Jack D. Franks for the abominable act of swearing. To make it worst, Jack D. Franks hung up with capital letters. Outrageous. Blatant racism, xenophobia, and homophobia are fine here, but using obscenities is unacceptable. Stay tuned…22 days…tic, tock, tic, tock, tic, tock, meow, meow, meeeeeeooooooooooowwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww…
Franks is clearly a deeply disturbed individual.
People like Franks are drawn to the Democrat Party because this is where they find refuge
from reality.
Do not forget, Franks is in office because of Republican voters.
He is very a efficient bully.
If you step out of line he will get his union thug buddies to put a blow-up rat in front of your place of employment until management fires you!
It is unbelievable he still gets the support he does from other County Board members – evidence that the only reason they ran as Republicans was because the majority of voters in this County are Republican (soon to be past tense due to the exodus).
A blow up rat has become a ‘badge of honor’ for standing up against the status quo.
So much for ‘civility’.
Someone should tell Franks his job entails setting an agenda and running the meetings.
He’s no executive of the county.
Oh, tell the board members that too.
There are equally unhinged people in both parties.
It’s a function of personality, not party.
You were warned…..
One sec, pulling out the latest Property Tax Bill breakdown.
Ok, Waterboard em Jack!
Let me get this right. Franks is mad because he could not get answers to his questions yet he refuses to answer questions from the public during any county board meeting?
ROTFLMAO!
This should not be about political party… This is about his agenda to get rid of the Regional Office of Education. The ROE is there to support and assist member districts and teachers of the county.
Perhaps there is a reason that the words “Jack” and “Ass” are so often conjoined!
Well would never think I could ever be on the side of Jack Franks but, in this case, I am.
Having had many many dealings with this Regional Superintendent office it’s enough to make even the most controlled person angry.
They have lied to me, they have lied about their education, they have lied about me and my family, they have lied about policy, they have not been able to answer even a simple question, they have hung up on me when i was able to very politely shown them they are wrong, they are in general incompetent and I do NOT believe a thing that any one of them would say.
I side with Mr. Franks..why could he not just get an answer?
What is the nonsense of being referred to the RS of Schools.
Governor Blagojevich wanted to GET RID of the Superintendent of School’s role entirely.
I couldn’t agree more..Useless waste of money and a pool of patronage…
But look what happened to him ? …
We MUST eliminate this office in the State of Illinois
@Cynthia it is very simple it is not Jack Franks job to go over and intervene with whatever questions he had!
If he wanted questions answered, whether you like or dislike the office of the Regional Superintendents office or not, he should have went to the Leslie’s office and asked her the questions.
She is the one in charge of the office!
So if Jack Franks goes to an employee in the Circuit Clerk’s office and starts asking them questions should they answer to the KING JACK FRANKS or go to the elected officials office to get answers?!
How about the Treasures Office, County Clerk, Sheriff, States Attorney?
She is an elected official with her own department.
Just because Jack doesn’t like her doesn’t give him the right to go behind someones back.
Cynthia you are making your decision on your own experience that you don’t like!
You want to get rid of the ROE take it up with your State Rep or State Senator!
But to say Jack was right is ridiculous!
I agree that the ROE is a useless vestige of a bygone age and should be eliminated.
However that does not excuse the Chairman from abusing his authority and going off on someone.
The County Board Chairman is not the “boss” of anyone, except maybe the two shills who work directly under him that were foisted on the Board after his election.
He has absolutely no authority to try and give orders or compel answers to anything, even from real county employees, much less than from those who are employed by independently elected officials.
Only the County Administrator can do that and even he can’t for employees of the ROE.
You….. Were……. Warned.
This bully has got to go!
Who does he think he is, oh I forgot he knows who he is!
He has no sense of respect, dignity, or good manners.
I’m sorry I ever voted for him!
One thing for sure, I won’t ever do so again.
Why didn’t JF contact the Regional office directly?
Didn’t this guy, Jack Franks, just get quoted in the paper about civility and the point of no return?
But he swears at school employees??
lol
…And what was up with that line about discriminating?
Jack has a really lame habit of bringing up his “religiosity” at every time it’s politically convenient.
It’s a bit stale, and nobody feels sorry for you, Jack.
Your people are doing pretty well, first off.
Second, when you bring it up on irrelevant matters, it kind of makes you look like an identity hustler and a phony.
I think it’s going to be hilarious when Jack is primaried by an actual progressive. Because we all know Jack doesn’t have the clout to get a statewide job, so he’s going to remain in county government… or try to.
Flat Earth, why didn’t he contact the Regional office directly? Because he wanted to exert authority he doesn’t have to accost her employees.
Why didn’t he contact the Recorder directly before releasing a defamatory Press Release full of BS!
He does not reign over
other elected official’s offices.
Treasurer, Auditor, Sheriff, Recorder, Clerk, ROE, States Atty, were elected -by the people- to run their offices.
Franks was elected to do two things:
Set the agenda and
facilitate the board meetings.
That’s it.
The guy can’t even do that.
He hired 2 patronage hires to do his work.
And we pay for him needlessly growing his office expense in their salaries, benefits and pension!!!!
He thinks he’s boss of the county administration staff too.
He isn’t.
They are under the County Board’s authority.
Not his.
Did you read the article in McHenry Times?
That ‘Civility Award’ he got was the first ever, (probably made up by him) and given to him by a friend of his.
His friend would not talk about it to the paper.
Usually when people hand out awards they’re glad to talk about the long standing award by their organization and the recipient.
It’s a B.S. political stunt.
Herbie’s little boy is a stain on McHenry County.
You.
Were
Warned.
Because so many asked, I’ll pen another.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
‘Franks, the Artful Dissembler’ or ‘The Great Valley Hi Rip-Off’
Here’s the ballad of the “the Jackal” called Franks
Scammer in politics and crooked failed banks.
By the gate that leads to his ill-gotten hoard,
How he was done in by a youth who had him floored.
Old Jackanapes Franks was no man of peace –
His beard and palms ran thick with grease:
His paunch was huge and his speech was ‘skid-row’
And he swindled the taxpayers high and low,
Scores of weak Board members groveled to try
The favors he sold – and remained to buy,
Scores of these RINOs later on
Found that their flashiest promises were ‘GONE!’ –
Some in the front and some behind
Some were roarers and some went blind –
Scores of rubes, over their Franks-bought tax-deeds,
Cursed old Franks and all his misdeeds.
But old Jackanapes in his throne sat still –
And ever he scammed for a new Little Poison Pill!
Yet a judgement was brewing for the sly Jackal Franks,
Like a witches’ cauldron, it reeks and it stanks!
And the youth that brewed it has eyes of blue,
And his cheek was beardless and boundless too.
Softly he mused o’er a Guinness stout thick:-
‘By the Beard of Orville, I’ve got the trick!’
Then he rose from his stool with an artless grin,
And called cashiered Colonel Wilcox in:-
‘Colonel’ he said ‘Hasst aught for me
In the way of a ‘disaster’ with lots of ironic glee?’
The Colonel pondered and answered slow
“There’s a red-roan ‘gelding’ that’s bound to ‘No-Go.’
At the next Committee, It ain’t no use
Excep’ for kickin’ RINOs to the deuce,
It’s the Great Valley Hi Tax Scam!”
The boy’s close-cropped brow went beyond it’s normal ken,
Was deep with thought for a moment. Then
The crafty Colonel was richer by ten.
‘When the next Committee sits’ quoth he,
‘O tear up that Valley Hi shakedown for me.’
So the counter-plot was laid and the long weeks passed
And the Valley Hi ‘gelding’ was duly cast.
They led him in chains to the CoW grand meeting hall.
And gave him his gram’ through a hole in the wall.
The youth mixed it well. When morning came
The red-roan measure was strangely tame.
He bit not nor kicked nor essayed to slay
And it and the boy went to Woodstock that day,
Till they came to the gully of the creepy Franks
Who was there transfixed, scheming new taxing pranks.
The stripling stated his funds were quite low
And he came only to sell Franks good ammo.
Then filthy old Franks with his eyes agog
Broke the Tenth Command of the Decalogue,
For the Valley Hi Scheme was a monster in size and thews
And stood over sixteen hand in its accumulated tax-shoes.
‘Boy, you’ve given me a Great Idea’! Franks said,
‘A brand new way to keep the taxpayers bled!’
He haggled an hour, that dealer thrifty
Till the price was lowered to $6 million, most shifty.
And the money would be taxed in new C-notes
While Franks calculated his extorted votes.
The boy left him – and ‘The Jackal’ just smiled –
‘By Dybbuk, how mad is this pink-faced child!
I will stuff that scheme with silver-tongued swill
And resell it to the RINO Board, then head to Brazil.’
For a clear eight-fifty!’… and e’en as he spoke
The Devil they’d hid in the “Valley Hi Hoax” woke!
Then the head-ropes snapped and the heel-ropes drew
And the taxpayers squealed as the ‘Hi Scam’ blew through
And Franks’ minions ran as rats run for life
And the whole County exploded at Franks’ latest tax-knife
Till the berserk-rage of the Valley Hi rip-off was o’er
And was laughed off the County Board floor.
Then a veil was lifted from Frank’s reptile eyes
And he raised his snake eyelids and plucked his hoglike thighs
Felt his tense pulse slacken – the muscles still –
And fathomed the Trick of his ‘Valley Hi Pill!’
His own old dodge that had brought him so much pelf
Had the boy turned Franks against his own crooked self!
Did he swear, though his three best schemes were lame
And all of the County would hear of his shame ?
Did he seek the law courts? With teary eye,
He hailed a shyster that jingled by,
What passed between them? I cannot say,
But the old Jackanapes did finally fade away.
As if awakened from a decades’ old spell,
Taxpayers began to drive Franks back to Hell.
‘Twas the Valley Hi Scam what woke them all up,
And sent Franks packing in a big blow-up.
Our McHenry County sunshine blog; where xenophobia, blatant racism, sexism, cats, political signs, shotguns, and literature meet and coexist in perfect harmony. Stay tuned…tic, tock, tic, tock, tic, tock, meeeeeoooooowwwwwwwwwwww…