McHenry County Blog

State Rep. Jack Franks (D-Marengo), obviously preparing for a statewide run before campaign contribution limits take effect, reported raising $1,319,769.37 during the first half of 2009.

(In case you are interested in what he spent during the last six months, click here. For the Chicago kingmaker he visited Friday, click here.)

In on the ground floor of whatever State Rep. Jack Franks (D-Marengo) is undertaking in the 2010 campaign are the following contributors:

First those donating $50,000 or more:

Eileen Franks, Eileen, Occupation: retired, Marengo – $450,000

Herbert H. Franks, Occupation: attorney, Marengo – $250,000

Deborah Franks, Occupation: housewife. Marengo – $200,000

Steven W. Kling, Occupation: Real Estate Broker, Employer: Grubb & Ellis, Hampshire – $100,000

Helen Lindow, Occupation: Owner, Lindow’s Appliance, Marengo – $50,000

None of these contributions would be legal in 2011, if Governor Pat Quinn signs the so-called campaign reform bill on his desk. While certainly not an expert on the legislation sitting on Governor Pat Quinn’s desk, the bill seems to have a $5,000 limit on contributions from individuals.

Jack Franks also loaned $150,000 to his political action committee.

$1.2 million of the $1.3 million or 90% of the money Franks is using to gain a place on the statewide ticket comes from just six contributors. All but one are relatives, I have been told.

This demonstrates how it almost a necessity to get big chunks of money from a relatively few number of donors. In the best of conditions, those making the contributions want nothing but good government in return.

Political action committees gave $45,800 of the total.

Small contributions came from the following individuals and incorporated entities. None of the money is tax deductible.

Look closely and you will see some who previously gave money to disgraced former Governor Rod Blagojevich.

The largest six-month amount I see below is $5,000, given by J.B. & M.K. Pritzker.

Large numbers of attorneys appear on the list. There are also a goodly number of firms involved in road construction, landscaping and medical care.

A contributor of $2,500 is Libertyville Judge Mary Schostok. [I talked to now Justice Schostok at the Nunda Township Republican Picnic Saturday, August 8, 2009. She told me that her husband, who has different politics from her, made the contribution from a non-joint checking account and that Jack Franks' campaign recorded it incorrectly. Schostok says a request has been made for Franks to change the way he reported the contribution.]

Several hundred dollars were given by Canadian fishing buddy Jesse White and Ed Burke. Strangely missing is Blagojevich father-in-law Alderman Dick Mell, another regular on the excursion.

Two former Republican officials are on the list:

• State Rep. Sam Vinson and
• Appellate Court Justice S. Louis Rathje

I see one contributor against whom Attorney General Lisa Madigan has filed suit.

A for-profit entity in the Mercy Health Systems constellation of entities donated $2,500. You will remember that Jack’s father Herb represented Mercy in its attempts to build a hospital in Crystal Lake.

The corporation that purchased the Woodstock Residence contributed $2,000.

The smaller contributors follow in alphabetical order:

Abbott Contractors LLC, Bartlett – $200

Action K-9 Security Inc, Chicago – $500

Advanced Practical Solutions LLC, Chicago – $2,500

Robert E. Aleksy, Chicago – $250

Ameren, St. Louis, MO – $500

Andrea A. Riala & Associates Inc., Chicago – $250

Astellas Pharma US Inc, Deerfield – $500

Attorneys Title Guaranty Fund Inc., Chicago – $1,000

Robert S. Baizer, Baizer Kolar & Lewis PC, Highland Park – $2,500

Richard Barr, Employer: PLS Financial, Northbrook – $1,000

Barton Management Inc, Northfield – $3,500

Baudin W Randal, Dundee – $500

Baxter & Woodman Inc, Crystal Lake – $250

Stella Black, Chicago – $200

BlueStar Energy Services, Chicago – $250

BNSF Railway Company, Fort Worth, TX – $1,000

Richard Boykin, Chicago – $250

Bricton Group Inc, Park Ridge – $200

Bruce Simon Consulting, Springfield – $250

Duane and Diane Bucksath, Homer Glen – $250

Christopher B. Burke Engineering LTD., Rosemont – $250

Jack Carey, Attorney at Law, Belleville – $350

John and Nancy Castle, Sycamore – $250

Clifford Law Offices PC, Chicago – $500

Cooney And Conway, Chicago – $500

Crossroads Care Center of Woodstock. Woodstock – $2,000

Lynn G. Cutler, Chicago – $250

Jim W. Demoss, Chicago – $250

Alice Dermer, Chicago – $300

George T & Beth J Drost, Arlington Heights – $500

Fidelity Consulting Group, Chicago – $250

Fletcher O’Brien Kasper & Nottage PC, Chicago – $500

Russell & Sara Foszcz, Richmond – $500

Frazier Consulting LLC, Park Ridge – $500

Globetrotters Engineering Corp, Chicago – $250

Lawrence N. Gold, Barrington – $250

Great Lakes Medicaid, Chicago – $500

GRO Horticultural Enterprises Inc, Union – $500

H S Crocker Co Inc, Huntley – $2,500

Richard D. Hannigan Ltd., Mundelein – $250

Charles G Haskins, Jr., Attorney at Law, Chicago – $250

Mark Hassakis, Mt. Vernon – $250

Keith A & Jodi B Hebeisen, Employer: Clifford Law Offices, Northbrook – $1,000

Harry & Carrie J Hightman, Chicago – $500

Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP, Chicago – $250

Illinois Governmental Consulting Group LLC, Chicago – $500

International Profit Associates, Buffalo Grove – $1,000

Intren Inc., Union – $1,250

Johnson, Willis & Shirley, Downers Grove – $250

Kamys Michael A. Law Offices, Chicago – $250

Howard Gordon Kaplan, Chicago – $250

Kraft Foods Global Inc., Northfield – $1,500

Krimson Valley Landscape Inc, Woodstock – $250

Ladden & Allen Chartered, Chicago – $200

Philip & Helene Lambruschi, Lakewood – $200

Law Offices of Rubin & Norris LLC, Chicago – $500

John G. Locallo, Chicago – $250

Edward & Tiffany Long, II, Beach Park – $250

Mackey Landscapes Inc., Libertyville – $250.

ManagCare Inc., Chicago – $500

Medco Health Solutions Inc.. Amherst, VA – $500

MercyCare Insurance Company, Janesville, WI – $2,500

Metropolitan Fire Restoration Inc., Libertyville – $1,500

Charles R Middleton, Chicago – $250

Christopher Mullen PC, Chicago – $250

Edward J Neumann, Jr., McHenry – $257.93

Larry O’Connor, Marengo – $350

O’Brien Farms Inc, River Forest – $1.500

Peter Baker & Son Co., Lake Bluff – $250

Pfizer Inc., Memphis, TN – $500

Pickering & Associates LLC, Elgin – $2,000

Prestress Engineering Corporation, Prairie Grove – $250

J.B. & M.K. Pritzker, Occupation: Partner, New World Ventures, Evanston – $5,000

S. Louis Rathje, Wheaton – $250

Edward M & Marilyn L Riley, Woodstock – $200

Eugene Rintels, Winnetka – $500

Roddy Leahy Guill and Zima LTD.. Chicago – $750

Rodriguez, Marcial and Laticia, Fox Lake – $500

Michael Rohrbeck, Chicago – $250

Arnold G Rubin, Occupation: attorney, Chicago – $1,500

Schain Burney Ross & Citron Ltd, Chicago – $250

Schnell, David and Batsheva, Chicago – $250

Michael & Mary Schostok, Occupation: Illinois Judge, Libertyville – $2,500

Schwartz, David L., Bethesda, MD – $500

Scot Forge, Spring Grove – $1,000

John Sexton Sand & Gravel Corp, Hillside – $350

Shefsky & Froelich Ltd, Chicago – $1,250

Skinners’ Amusements Inc, Crystal Lake – $250

Storino Ramello & Durkin, Rosemont – $250

Strom Neal B & Associats Ltd, Chicago – $350

Superior RX Inc., Chicago – $250

T-Mobile USA Inc, Bellevue, WA – $250

The Burnham Committee (an Ed Burke PAC), Chicago – $500

The Roosevelt Group, Chicago – $500

Thelen Sand & Gravel Inc, Antioch – $500

Ungaretti & Harris LLP, Chicago – $500

United Airlines, Chicago – $250

Sam Vinson, Chicago – $250

Michael P. Vondra, Bartlett – $300

Lawrence Jay Weiner, Barrington – $250

Mitchell Weisz, Woodstock – $250

Jesse White, Chicago – $200

Alfred W. Wieher, Attorney at Law, Hinsdale – $500

= = = = =
The photo of State Rep. Jack Franks was taken from C-SPAN during the Rod Blagojevich impeachment hearings.

Senior Chicago Alderman Ed Burke and his Illinois Supreme Court Justice wife Anne own a big house in Chicago.

Chicago Tribune reporter Tim Novak wrote Monday about the approval of zoning breaks that were necessary for it to be built next to the development in which it stands. Burke is an investor in the development.

What caught my attention in the article was Burke’s real estate tax bill on the family home:

The home is supposed to be worth $900,000. If so, that means the Burkes will pay less than 1% of the value of their home in real estate taxes this year.

Contrast that to the

the Skinner family will pay on our McHenry County home.

Our assessing officials estimate that 275 Meridian Street in Lakewood is worth about $400,000.

So, we are paying 2.2% of the value of our home in property taxes this year, while the Burkes are paying 0.95% of their home’s value.

Therein lies the dirty little secret about real estate taxes in Illinois.

Burke’s bill is probably a bit lower than it should be, but, generally, homeowners and owners of small apartments in Chicago pay about 1% of the values of their properties in real estate taxes.

Suburban Cook County residents may be a bit more, but the vast, vast majority don’t come close to a 2% level those of us outside of Cook County pay.

So, hike our income taxes 50% and we all suffer equally.

Give property tax relief and non-Cook County residents need to get twice as high a Homestead Exemption, for example, as those in Cook County to come out with the same tax relief.

If some version of the Rev. and State Senator James Meeks’ SB 750 pops up this week, I hope suburban and Downstate legislators are skillful enough to protect their already overtaxed constituents.

Maybe Sun-Times reporter Tim Novak will compare the real estate tax bills and the value of the homes of Chicago and other Cook County politicians with those of politicians outside of Cook County.

That would be a revealing story, don’t you think?

When the Regional Transportation Authority was proposed in 1973, it contained a disincentive to drive a car into Chicago’s Loop.

It was a parking tax.

I think it was 15 cents, but it was large enough at the time to deter shoppers. At least that’s what enough Downtown business owners though, because they lobbied successfully for its repeal.

Now comes a politician who was round in 1973—Alderman Ed Burke—proposing to levy a tax on the privilege of driving in the Loop.

“It would reduce the number of automobiles coming into the Central Business District. And No. 2, it would provide a revenue stream for public transit,” Burke told the Chicago Sun-Times.

Burke said he was inspired by the fees London had imposed and New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s proposed $8 fee on cars and $21 on trucks.

This is not the first time the social engineer’s approach to “solving” the mass transit funding shortfall has attacked motor vehicles.

Earlier this year, the Chicago Tribune floated one of the original RTA proponents’ ideas—an RTA gas tax. It was abolished about the same time the parking tax disappeared.

Another long-time politician, Mayor Richard Daley reacted negatively, again, according to the Sun-Times:

Let’s not rush to that and scare everybody off. We’re trying to keep businesses here…”

“Are you gonna put I on all the alderman [who] drive down every day? Do you start with them?”

“A congestion fee would have a devastating impact on tourism,” Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce President Jerry Roper added.

The Sun-Times slso dded an income tax twist:

What about those who consider a congestion fee here a back-door city income tax on suburbanites who work in Chicago?

“One could argue that, since they’re using our streets and not paying the wheel tax that Chicago residents pay, that it would be a fair way of spreading around the responsibility for funding some of our expenses,” Burke said.

Of course, if the Chicago-dominated state government had the courage, they could enact a real Chicago income tax.

Another Ed Burke said, http://thinkexist.com/quotation/those_who_don-t_know_history_are_destined_to/346796.html
“Those who don’t know history are destined to repeat it.”

When the Regional Transportation Authority was proposed in 1973, it contained a disincentive to drive a car into Chicago’s Loop.

It was a parking tax.

I think it was 15 cents, but it was large enough at the time to deter shoppers. At least that’s what enough Downtown business owners though, because they lobbied successfully for its repeal.

Now comes a politician who was round in 1973—Alderman Ed Burke—proposing to levy a tax on the privilege of driving in the Loop.

“It would reduce the number of automobiles coming into the Central Business District. And No. 2, it would provide a revenue stream for public transit,” Burke told the Chicago Sun-Times.

Burke said he was inspired by the fees London had imposed and New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s proposed $8 fee on cars and $21 on trucks.

This is not the first time the social engineer’s approach to “solving” the mass transit funding shortfall has attacked motor vehicles.

Earlier this year, the Chicago Tribune floated one of the original RTA proponents’ ideas—an RTA gas tax. It was abolished about the same time the parking tax disappeared.

Another long-time politician, Mayor Richard Daley reacted negatively, again, according to the Sun-Times:

Let’s not rush to that and scare everybody off. We’re trying to keep businesses here…”

“Are you gonna put I on all the alderman [who] drive down every day? Do you start with them?”

“A congestion fee would have a devastating impact on tourism,” Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce President Jerry Roper added.

The Sun-Times slso dded an income tax twist:

What about those who consider a congestion fee here a back-door city income tax on suburbanites who work in Chicago?

“One could argue that, since they’re using our streets and not paying the wheel tax that Chicago residents pay, that it would be a fair way of spreading around the responsibility for funding some of our expenses,” Burke said.

Of course, if the Chicago-dominated state government had the courage, they could enact a real Chicago income tax.

Another Ed Burke said, http://thinkexist.com/quotation/those_who_don-t_know_history_are_destined_to/346796.html
“Those who don’t know history are destined to repeat it.”