McHenry County Blog

A high power line fell on Main Street in Crystal Lake next to Best Buy. Shouldn’t upkeep of such high power lines be the responsibility of the company given a monopoly to deliver electricity?

The two roll calls on the Com Ed/Ameren electric rate hike bill have appeared here before.

Some might wonder why I feel so strongly about this legislation that will ad $6 a month to most homeowners’ electric bills.

The reason is that I was told on a train ride to Springfield in the 1970′s that by Samuel Insull‘s secretary that he got the Illinois General Assembly to create the agency because he was tired of having to pay off legislators. Insull figured, it seems, that buying off a majority of the ICC would be cheaper (probably easier, too).

Now that the Commerce Commission is not acting like the electric industries handmaiden, electric utilities seem to have reverted to the original way of doing business.

And, as far as the money being needed to upgrade the electric grid, I’d ask, “Wasn’t keeping the infrastructure in top shape part of the deal with Com Ed and Ameren were given their monopolies?”

State Representatives voting for the Senate Bill 9 who represent part of McHenry County are Republicans

• David McSweeney
• Mike Tryon
• Barb Wheeler
• Tim Schmitz

Democrat Jack Franks voted, “No.”

In the State Senate those voting in favor were

• Pam Althoff
• Karen McConnaughay

Dan Duffy voted against the bill.

Those who voted to allow Commonwealth Edison to raise electric rates in the Illinois Senate.

Dumb electric meter.

It’s not a big secret that I thought the Com Ed-Ameren Smart Meter bill was a scam.

“It’s going to save money.”

That was the pitch.

Now Statehouse News has come up with price tags.

Take a read:

“Anne Pramaggiore, president and CEO of Commonwealth Edison, or ComEd, said in a news release that ‘customers will be able to see for themselves the benefits of this exciting technology as they take greater control over their energy consumption.’

“The smart meters are expected to increase annual electricity costs by an average of $36 annually for ComEd customers and $3.40 for customers of Ameren, southern Illinois’ utility.”

See how much Illinois State Senators who voted “Yes” got in campaign contributions here. Here is the Senate Roll Call.

Here is the House Roll Call. The vote was taken without debate.

Jack Franks communicated his switch to vote in favor of the electric rate hike bill to television reporter Charles Thomas.

Democrat Jack Franks could not resist getting publicity for switching his vote to Com Ed’s position.

Not only was State Rep. Jack Franks spanked by the Chicago Tribune Sunday, but Chuck Sweeney, the political columnist for the Rockford Register-Star took negative notice of his Com Ed tree removal legislation, House Bill 3884.

The Rockford Reg-ster-Star got "Chainsaw Jack" to blame his tree massacre bill on a constituent concerns for a four-day power outage after last summer's storm.

After hostile reaction from those who consider quality of life quite an important reason for living in McHenry County, Franks has figured out his bill to allow chainsawing every tree within 20 feet of an electric line “too severe.”

That sounds like his reaction to the blowback from his co-sponsorship of the bill to allow red light cameras.

He even features a video on his web site on the issue.

It reminds me the “NOT ME”-themed cartoons of Family Circus.

Opposition came from municipal leaders, the McHenry County Defenders the Fleming Road Alliance and The Land Conservancy of McHenry County.

The Land Conservancy of McHenry County had this to say about "Chainsaw Jack" Franks' bill- "From community character and property rights perspectives, this bill is a disaster. If passed, it has the potential to literally destroy the character of communities by giving the power companies the right to REMOVE trees that they deem a hazard -- regardless of whether or not that tree might be a 200 year old oak that was there long before their company (or the state of Illinois) even existed." "

The Environmental Defenders of McHenry County picked up on the email alert from Lisa Haderlein of The Land Conservancy of McHenry County and sent our one of their own, which you see in part below:

“There is a bill in the Illinois House that would give the electric utilities the authority to remove any trees that can grow taller than 25 feet and are growing within 20 feet of their lines.”

Haderlein characterized the bill as “the ComEd Clear Cut bill.”

Franks told Sweeney, ““I’m not happy with the way it was drafted, that’s why I didn’t call it for a vote,” said Franks.”

Right.

The outcry from your constituents and potential constituents had nothing to do with your rapid retreat, your backing and filling.

The Chicago Tribune used the same movie title in one of its editorial headlines about "Chainsaw Jack" Franks' Com Ed clearcut bill.

The final two sentences in Sweeney’s column about his talk with “Chainsaw Jack” seems to refer to McHenry County Blog:

“Franks strongly objects to some bill opponents who are calling him ‘Chain Saw Jack.’

“’I don’t want to have clear-cutting going on,’ he said. ‘I live on a farm with a forest in back. No one can question my conservation credentials.’”

Well, maybe it’s not Franks’ “conservation credentials” that should be questioned.

Maybe it’s his judgment.

But, if the tool fits, maybe the nickname is appropriate.

What an argument for term limits and, lacking that, a Republican opponent who will knock on the door of every home with a tree within 20 feet of a power line and tell the owner, “‘Chainsaw Jack’ introduced a bill that wold have allowed Commonwealth Edison to chop down your tree without even telling you, let alone getting your permission.”

Did this satirical movie poster inspire a Chicago Tribune headline?

Who could have known that the Chicago Tribune would take on “Chainsaw Jack” Franks and use “Illinois Chain Saw Massacre” in it’s editorial sub-headline?

But there it was.

A whole editorial aimed at the overreach, no, that’s too mild a word for an editorial that uses the words “chop, chop, chop” to describe the Chainsaw Massacrer from Marengo.

“To his credit, State Rep. Jack Franks, the bill’s sponsor, has pulled back his measure for refinement,” the editorial points out.

“Pulled back?”

Franks stirred environmentalists and those who just like to walk along wooded streets to white hot anger.

The McHenry County Conservation District sent a letter.

The Environmental Defenders of McHenry County sent out a blast email.

Think maybe Franks’ office got enough emails to make him realized he had stepped into the Briar Patch?

Hey, a chainsaw could fix that problem, too, right?

The editorial bemoans the vague language in the bill which will allow Com Ed and Ameren to “butcher” some trees and treat others kindly depending on a utility’s “whim” and the “influence of those directly affected.”

See comment under this article of Franks’ throwing his weight around with Com Ed tree trimmers:

Jack Franks Shows Tree Killer Side

The Chicago Tribune's featured editorial on Sunday, March 11, 2012, was about "Chainsaw Jack" Franks' bill to allow Com Ed and Ameren to level every tree within 20 feet of a power line.

“Public relations’ hornets’ next” is used by the Tribune to describe what would happen if the bill passed and wooded suburban streets came under Franks’ chainsaw massacre.

Franks’ (House Bill 3884) will allow clear cutting within 20 fee of a power line, making “thousands of trees into live bait for the chain saw crews.”

No replacements necessary.

The editorial mocks Franks’ attempt to define what trees could be planted under electric power lines as those which would not grow more that 25 feet tall.

“More sawdust,” the editorial writer concludes.

The utility would have to consult the 1,300-page “Manual of Woody Landscape Plants” to figure out if the tree might grow more than 25 feet. To no one’s surprise, the maximum heights vary, depending on local conditions.

Lots of look – alike trees out there, too.

Will an arborist be assigned to every tree trimming crew?

And the new labeling requirement in “Chainsaw Franks’” bill?

A “do not plant under power lines” tag would have to be attached to every tree that might grow more than 25 feet.

Another example of what the Democratic Party is known as the Party of Regulation.

The editorial suggests that chainsaws carry the warning, “Do not apply moving blades to operator’s neck.”

“If Franks needs to build a new chopping block for Illinois trees, we hope a subsequent draft better balances the interests of utilities and nature-lovers,” the editorial concludes.

Plus asking utilities to bury more lines:

“Chain saws down. Shovels Up. Dig.”

= = = = =
Allan Showalter of “Heck of a Guy” blog created the mock movie poster.

It hasn’t been a good week for Democratic Party State Representative Jack Franks.

“Chainsaw Jack” got lots of blowback from his venture into playing gofer for the electric utilities of Illinois.

Look at these trees next to the sidewalk and electric power lines at Crystal Lake's Main Beach. Under "Chainsaw Jack" Franks' bill, Com Ed would be permitted to chop them down.

He quickly figured out he did not have the juice to get his bill to allow Com Ed and Ameren to cut down ever tree within twenty feet of a power line and turned the hearing into a “subject matter” hearing only.

What happened?

Locally, opponents mobilized.

Although Franks introduced the bill on November 21, 2011, amendatory language didn’t show up until February 21, 2012, a week before Franks received a $1,000 contribution from Ameren (Com Ed’s monopoly counterpart in Central and Southern Illinois).

A hearing was set a week later.

McHenry County Conservation District leaders reacted negatively to the language, sending the letter you see below to Franks:

The day of the Public Utilities Committee meeting, on which Franks’ serves, the Environmental Defenders of McHenry County sent out an email to its members urging them to contact Franks in opposition to tree demolition bill.

Jack Franks

Today Franks told Republican colleague Mike Tryon that his House Bill 3884 needed an amendment and that he probably wouldn’t call the bill.

And today was a worse day for Franks than the day of the Committee hearing.

Franks carried his fight with the McHenry County Board to the House floor.

His bill to force election of the County Board Chairmen in McHenry and Lake Counties in an at-large election was voted upon.

“He didn’t even give the voters a chance,” Tryon told me of the bill.

Franks astonished Tryon by explaining on the House floor that the idea came from DuPage County Board Chairman Dan Cronin.

“This could have been an ‘Elect Jack Franks for Life’ bill.

Tryon, a former McHenry County Board Chairman said,  “That’s not what McHenry County needs.  We need a facilitator, someone to make sure the County Board policies are being followed.

“We pay an administrator,” he stressed.

“We don’t need a ‘Boss Hog’-type.”

There was a vote on that House Bill 3953 today and it went down in flames.

16 votes “Yes” and 100 voting “No.”

Tryon argued against the bill, as did newly-appointed State Rep. Rita Mayfield, who served on the Lake County Board prior to being appointed to fill a vacancy last summer.  Mayfield explained that the Lake County Board was unanimous in its opposition to Franks’ bill.

The way things work in Springfield, her membership in the Black Caucus brought all of them to vote “No.”

As the roll call was being taken, retiring State Rep. Dave Winter stood up to observe that it appeared that Jack Franks was going to join “The Century Club.”

That’s a designation used to mock those who manage to get a bill out onto the floor, but who see it go down in flames with 100 or more of the 116 members voting against it.  When liberal Robert Mann chaired the Criminal Justice Committee, his criminal bills regularly got slaughtered by his generally “law and order” colleagues.

The 16-100 roll call on House bill 3953 calling for the at-large election of county board chairmen in McHenry and Lake Counties follows:

State Rep. Kent Gaffney one one of 19 people who voted for Jack Franks' House Bill 3953 to force at-large election of the county board chairmen in McHenry and Lake Counties.

Now Franks isn’t the only McHenry County State Representative to have achieved that “honor.”

Yours truly, Cal Skinner, Jr., got the Century Club “award” on June 7, 1994, when I filed an amendment to Senate Bill 1595 that would require the DCFS to

• “maintain a central registry of all cases in which the Director of Children and Family Services, following an investigation and hearing as provided in this Act or the Department’s rules, determines that a person who is certified as a school teacher or administrator in Illinois is a perpetrator of sexual or physical abuse of a child,
• “the Department shall send the name of such person, by mail, to the chief administrator and president of the school board of each school district in this state and to the chief education officer of each state, the District of Columbia, and each territory of the United States.

“The Department shall make available to members of the public, upon request and without charge, copies of any information contained in the register maintained under this Section.”

I think the amendment was inspired by a former principal of Lundahl Junior High School in Crystal Lake named Virgil Lauglin, who led one of my honorary pages into a life of homosexuality, even molesting him in his Lundahl office, but it may have been a teacher there whom DCFS found had abused a student either sexually or physically or both.

When the “problem” with the principal was discovered, he was allowed to quietly resign and move to Iowa.

Exporting such “problems” or covering them up since then would have been a lot more difficult had my amendment be adopted in 1994.

Needless to say, the teachers unions killed the proposed amendment to Senate Bill 1695.

Click to enlarge the image above, examine the names, and you will find some current political figures who wouldn’t want this roll call used against them.

Only two besides myself were brave enough to vote for it:

• Bernie Pedersen and
• Al Salvi

Two, Terry Parke and future Congressman Jerry Weller, voted “Present.”

One of the best pieces of legislation I ever lost.

Apparently “Chainsaw Jack” Franks didn’t have enough lubricating oil to get his bill (House Bill 3884, email addresses of Public Utility Committee members included in linked story) to allow Commonwealth Edison and Ameren to cut any tree it wanted to destroy within 20 feet of any power line…even it it’s in your back yard.

See all those trees beyond the trampoline? Under "Chainsaw Jack" Franks' Com Ed tree destruction bill, all could be cut down.

That means residents and local officials who know how wholesale slaughter of trees along roads and in back yards have at least another week to make their opinions known.

Here is the way that the Illinois Municipal League described the hearing:

“Legislation to authorize utilities to remove vegetation planted within 20 feet of a utility pole or overhead electrical conductor received a ‘subject matter only’ hearing in the House Public Utilities Committee on Tuesday, March 6.

“The IML has concerns with the legislation and was fortunate to have an expert witness, Mike Brunk, testify against HB 3884 (Representative Franks, D-Woodstock). Mr. Brunk is the City Arborist for Urbana, Illinois.

“Mr. Brunk’s testimony informed the Committee of alternative ‘best practices’ to manage vegetation and prevent interference with power lines.

“While the bill was not called for a vote, the members of the Public Utilities Committee expressed an interest in the development of solutions to ensure the protection of public safety and the preservation of electrical service during storm scenarios.”

State Rep. Jack Franks (D-Marengo) is using up a lot of political capital carrying Commonwealth Edison’s chainsaw.

He has introduced legislation (House Bill 3884) which will allow electric utilities to chop down any tree within 20 feet of a power line.

As you drive around, look at the trees within 20 feet of a wire.

How barren will the streets look after the chainsaw massacre?

"The Illinois Chainsaw Massacre" has its premier showing in the Illinois Public Utiities Committee March 6, 2012.

Another article may be of interest:

Fellow Democrat Finds “Chainsaw Jack” Franks Got $1,000 from Com Ed Ally Ameren

Below are the email addresses of the House Public Utilities Committee members:

• Andre M. Thapedi (rep32district@gmail.com)
• Angelo Saviano (skip@skipsaviano.com)
• Brandon W. Phelps (bphelps118@gmail.com)
• Charles E. Jefferson (staterepchuck67@aol.com)
• Constance A. Howard (howardca@ilga.gov)
• Dave Winters (‘repwinters@aol.com‘)
• Ed Sullivan Jr. (ILhouse51@sbcglobal.net)
• sther Golar (esthergolar@sbcglobal.net)
• Franco Coladipietro (franco@il45.com)
• Frank J. Mautino (patti76th@ivnet.com)
• Fred Crespo (fred@fredcrespo.com)
• Jack D. Franks (jack@jackfranks.org)
• Jil Tracy (jiltracy@jiltracy.com)
• Jim Durkin (repdurkin@hotmail.com)
• Karen May (karen@repkarenmay.org)
• Kay Hatcher (info@kayhatcher.us)
• Linda Chapa LaVia (chapa-laviali@ilga.gov)
• Luis Arroyo (RepDistrict3@gmail.com)
• Michael G. Connelly (Repconnelly48@gmail.com)
• Mike Bost (rep.bost@hotmail.com)
• Mike Fortner (mike.fortner@sbcglobal.net)
• Patrick J. Verschoore (pverschoore@qconline.com)
• Richard Morthland (reprmorthland@gmail.com)

= = = = =
The poster was designed by Allan Showalter, who writes “Heck of a Guy” blog, where today you can see some of Showalter’s suggestions for a new McHenry County Seal.

Just in case you haven’t read the latest piece from “Tree Hugging” McHenry County Blogster Cal Skinner, you need to in order to set the stage for this follow-up article.

Here’s where you can find it:

Jack Franks Shows Tree Killer Side

And, if you don’t want to read it, Franks introduced legislation on February 28th, an amendment to his House Bill 3884, which will allow Com Ed and Ameren to cut down any tree within 20 feet of a power line.

Scott Summers speaks at a McHenry County College Board meeting.

As the headline of this piece indicates, the following observation comes from a Democrat on the same primary ballot as State Rep. Jack Franks.

His name is Scott Summers.

He is so dedicated to preserving the environment that he took the train home to Harvard after an organization meeting of the Green Party, on whose ticket he has run for Congress and State Treasurer.  (I took him to the train station after covering the meeting before the GOP organization meeting.)

In any event, now running as a Democrat for the McHenry County Board, Summers posted the following comment under the above referenced story:

From the Illinois State Board of Elections website (www.elections.il.gov):

Donated to: Supporters of Jack D Franks

Contributed By:
Ameren, P O Box 66892, St. Louis, MO 63166
$1,000.00
2/21/2012

Ameren is the Com Ed of Central and Southern Illinois.

Coincidence?

= = = = =

Franks was elected in 1998 and when this year is up will have served 14 years.

No one is running against him as a Republican…yet.

If anyone is interested in doing so, please email (address on the left hand side of the web site) or call me at 815-459-3505.

The McHenry County Republican Central Committee has the right (and I would argue the obligation) to make sure Franks has opposition…for this and a number of other reasons.

A notice from the Huntley Area Tea Party:

How to find the meeting.

Who: The Huntley Tea Party
What: Smart Meter Awareness Meeting- What’s coming your way?
When: Wednesday, February 22nd,
6:30-700 PM: signup, meet and greet
7:00 PM: Presentation
Where: Cosman Center [Park District building], 12015 Mill St, Huntley

This meeting will feature a presentation on Smart Meter Issues affecting every household in Illinois. The process of imposing Smart Meters in McHenry and Kane counties is in the planning stages.

For over a year, the Tea Party of Naperville has been leading the effort to prevent the Village from imposing Smart Meters on all residences of the community.

Thanks to their research efforts, we have the details on the privacy, health, safety and other consequences of installing Smart Meters in our area.

Our speaker is Bill Broderick, who will lead the powerpoint presentation and discussion.

Some of the topics include how the power grid and Smart Meter interact, what data is transmitted, breach of privacy and health issues.

= = = = =

I wonder if any of the legislators who voted for the Com Ed/Ameren rate hike bill (Com Ed refer to it as the “Smart Grid” bill) will attend the meeting.  Here’s the House Roll Call.  Here’s the Senate Roll Call.

Dan Duffy at a Town Hall Meeting in Prairie Grove.

An email from State Senator Dan Duffy:

26th District Legislative Update

Dear Friends,

Today Illinois faces problems like never before. Our state is in need of strong leadership. As your representative in Springfield, I am working to promote a job-friendly environment and restore common sense, efficient policies to state government.

Spending is out of control and the budget is completely out of alignment. In January, I voted against a 67% tax increase which unfortunately passed. Our state deficit continued to grow even after passing the largest tax hike in state history. Clearly, we can not tax our way out of this mess. The answer is not increased taxation, but effective, efficient government.

I have consistently opposed additional borrowing in order to meet Illinois’ financial obligations.

Unfortunately a budget passed which increased spending and once again deferred millions in Medicaid payments.

I advocated for a smaller, smarter government in order to balance our budget and restore Illinois’ fiscal health.

In November, I voted against a bill that would increase your monthly utility bills to fund so-called “smart grid” upgrades to our power infrastructure. I do not believe the state should further burden the people of Illinois in the middle of a deep recession.

This year I also continued to fight corruption in state government and spoke out against “pay-to-play” political appointments.

It is an honor to serve the 26th district in the Illinois State Senate. Your concerns and questions are very important to me. Please do not hesitate to contact me with your feedback so that I may better serve you!

Very truly yours,

Dan Duffy
State Senator 26th District

This is the configuration of the new 26 State Senate District where Dan Duffy is running for re-election. It was drawn by Elgin political consultant Drew Veenerman. Click to enlarge. Note that it goes into Downtown Crystal Lake.

After the letter came the following press release:

Dan Duffy

Duffy Says Budget Biggest Issue in Illinois

Senator Duffy has argued for spending restraint insisting that the state must live within its means. Duffy voted against the 67% tax increase in January 2011, and opposed additional borrowing and increased spending. Legislators must identify real solutions that deliver services more efficiently.

During the 2011 spring legislative session, Senator Duffy and others offered a detailed “reality check” plan that would eliminate the deficit, phase out the tax increase, and revitalize the state’s economy by supporting Illinois’ job creators. The “reality check” plan outlined a menu of specific efficiency measures that, if implemented, would put Illinois back on the road to a balanced budget – without sacrificing essential services.

Some of the specific suggestions included combining the Treasurer and Comptroller’s offices to save as much as $12 million dollars. The plan also included meaningful public employee pension reforms which would save the state as much as $1.35 billion immediately, with additional savings in the years ahead.

Government pensions are more generous than those received by private sector tax payers. Some government pensions offer retirement at age 55, require minimum pension contributions, and have free health care. Many pension recipients receive more than $100,000 per year in benefits. This is not fair to the hard working citizens of Illinois whose tax dollars are paying for these overly generous benefits.

Illinois families have learned that in lean times they must spend less to keep their household budgets balanced. It is time the state learns to do the same!

Duffy Opposes Utility Rate Hike

Com Ed electric poles on Randall Road.

During the fall veto session the legislature voted to override a gubernatorial veto on Senate Bill 1652, a piece of legislation that uses rate hikes to fund upgrades to the state’s power infrastructure.

In debate, Duffy raised concerns that campaign contributions had influenced votes on the legislation. Campaign finance watchdogs estimated that ComEd and Ameren spent in excess of $930,000 in campaign contributions to legislators while discussing the “smart grid” legislation. Duffy also opposed the clause in the legislation which guaranteed profits to the power companies for decades to come.

Senator Duffy noted that it may not be the appropriate time to be moving forward with the new “smart grid” legislation. In theory meters may provide better information about how to cut energy use and save money, but the meters are expensive. The cost will be passed on to consumers through rate hikes. Additionally, if consumers want to see the full benefits of the upgrades, they must add complicated in-home displays and integrate home-area networks which will take data from the meters to control appliances and other pieces of equipment.

Duffy voted against the legislation over concerns that it placed an unfair financial burden on Illinois citizens to fund the upgrades.

Duffy Fights “Quinn pro quos”

This year, Senator Duffy continued his crusade against what he calls “Quinn pro quos,” or political appointments to elected officials, their top donors, and their family members.

In the fall veto session Duffy spoke out against the $117,000 a year appointment of Jennifer Burke, daughter of powerful Chicago Alderman Ed Burke and Illinois Supreme Court Justice Anne Burke, to the Illinois Pollution Control Board. Duffy said,

“This is typical pay-to-play politics—the same bad policy of appointing politically connected people to high priced board positions. How would the typical person in Illinois even know how to apply for a position like this?”

In February Duffy introduced Senate Bill 1935, a measure that would prohibit the spouse, child, or spouse of a child of a state official, from being appointed to any state board or commission.

Duffy Continues Fight Against Red Light Cameras

Dan Duffy

Senator Duffy believes we should do everything possible to keep our roads safe. However he feels red light cameras are all about revenue, not about safety.

The US Department of Transportation statistics show that an average motorist could drive a billion miles – the distance from Earth to Jupiter and back – before being involved in and accident that resulted from turning right on red. [emphasis provided]

In March, Duffy introduced Senate Bill 26, a measure that prohibits a county or municipality from using a red light camera to issue violations to drivers who enter an intersection to turn right on red, where it is a legal maneuver.

Duffy debated that if the issue was truly about safety, municipalities should remove cameras from right turn lanes and install “no turn on red” signs at troubled intersections.

In the fall veto session, Duffy voted against using red light cameras as “speed” cameras.

Senate Bill 965 allows a special feature on the red light cameras to be switched “on”, which in turn allows the cameras to monitor the speed of automobiles as they pass by.

The cameras will then issue tickets to cars driving over the speed limit.

The ticket goes to the car, not to the driver. In debate on the Senate Floor the Senator spoke out against the legislation saying,

“I’m against this big brother piece of legislation.”