McHenry County Blog

I commented on State Rep. Jack Franks’ having criticized the reapportionment process, but voting for the terribly gerrymandered map his Democratic Party leaders concocted for the Illinois General Assembly.

The article was entitled,

“Jack Franks Wants It Both Ways on the Remap”

When the congressional map came up for a vote yesterday, Franks voted, “No.”

He reversed course.

The Sun-Times had this quote from this only Democrat who voted against the new map:

“It seemed to me to be blatantly gerrymandered, and I didn’t want any part of it.

“You look at how these districts were drawn to protect incumbents in both parties.

“It was just pure power politics.

“I don’t know who cut the deals in the back room.”

You see below the Chicago area map of state representative districts which Franks voted for.

You can’t see any examples of gerrymandered districts there can you?

Nothing that snakes out into the suburbs to protect Chicago incumbents from the loss of two state rep. districts because the city lost 200,000 people over the last ten years, right?

So, it’s safe to conclude that Franks’ positive vote on the General Assembly remap followed by his negative vote on the congressional remap had nothing to do with firmly held principals.

I certainly don’t suggest that my pointing out his seeming hypocrisy previously convinced him to vote against the map that drew Franks out of Congressman Don Manzullo’s Rockford-based district and into a district that contains Joe Walsh and Randy Hultgren.

But there might be a reason that my political mind could understand for the flip-flop, the sudden Paul-like conversion on the road to Damascus.

I have been suggesting that Franks wanted to see all of McHenry County in one congressional district.

That would have given him what he would consider a “base” of over 300,000 people out of the 713, 682 people in each congressional district.

Remember that trip to Ireland with House Speaker Mike Madigan, Senate President John Cullerton and other political notables.

That was when Franks was still being coy about running for Governor.

I figured he had cut a deal to run for re-election as state representative in return for a McHenry County-based congressional district.

Shorty thereafter, Franks withdrew from the governor’s race, giving the story to the Northwest Herald.

Only the Galesburg paper noticed.

Talk turned to Congress after Joe Walsh’s narrow 8th District victory over Melissa Bean, someone whom Franks campaigned door-to-door for.

Made sense to me.

Madigan would create a district in which Franks would stand a good chance and there’s a win-win for Madigan and Franks.

Pretty good sources have told me that the relationship between Franks and Madigan are not so hot.

So a favorable congressional map would make Franks happy. He would have a chance for advancement and, at the same time, get out from under the stultifying dominance that Madigan has asserted since Lee Daniels’ lost the Speakership in 1997.

And Franks’ leaving the Illinois House would please Madigan. He wouldn’t have to worry about what Franks was going to do next.

Franks has been acting like he was preparing a run that included the southeaster part of McHenry County.

First Electric Newspaper featured a photo of Franks and Living Waters Lutheran Church Pastor Carol Gates in a short article telling of Franks’ having invited her to give the invocation prior to session in March of this year.  (Franks doesn’t send his press releases to McHenry County Blog.)

That is way, way out of his 63rd legislative district.

And Franks was soliciting campaign contributions in Algonquin Township for a breakfast fundraiser.

Not only was a mailing sent, but follow-up phone calls were made.

Algonquin Township is farther away from Franks’ district than the Living Waters Lutheran Church.

So, why was Jack Franks the only Democrat to vote against the congressional reapportionment map his Speaker put together?

I think it was because Madigan refused to give Franks what he wanted—a congressional district containing all of McHenry County.

Instead of acceding to Franks’ wishes and ambition, Madigan split off the 88,389 people living in Algonquin Township.

Apparently no one was in the “back room” looking out for Jack Franks’ interests, so he voted, “No.”

Reading my Chicago Sun-Times at breakfast I noticed two stories about Springfield.

One was of about State Rep. Jack Franks’ committee hearing about the $1 million promised to Pilgrim Baptist Church after the landmark building burned down.

The million went to the unrelated private Loop Lab School run by convicted felon Chandra Gill, it turns out, which Governor Rod Blagojevich had to pardon for the school to get the money.

Franks got his name in the paper on page 4, but appears in the headline only as “Rep.”

A second article on the same page tells of Franks’ amending his recall constitutional amendment to exclude judges.

But no headline credit for Franks again.

He deserves one and there it is right on top.

Franks and his father Herb go fishing with judges and retired judges.

Reading my Chicago Sun-Times at breakfast I noticed two stories about Springfield.

One was of about State Rep. Jack Franks’ committee hearing about the $1 million promised to Pilgrim Baptist Church after the landmark building burned down.

The million went to the unrelated private Loop Lab School run by convicted felon Chandra Gill, it turns out, which Governor Rod Blagojevich had to pardon for the school to get the money.

Franks got his name in the paper on page 4, but appears in the headline only as “Rep.”

A second article on the same page tells of Franks’ amending his recall constitutional amendment to exclude judges.

But no headline credit for Franks again.

He deserves one and there it is right on top.

Franks and his father Herb go fishing with judges and retired judges.

If you appreciate satire, you might enjoy this take on the year’s political events in Springfield by State Comptroller Dan Hynes. I found it on Capitol Fax Blog and asked the State Comptroller’s office to send it to me.

The Illinois Legislative Session of 2007: A Fable.

“Once upon a time, in a Land of Lincoln, a Governor presented a budget in a lovely town called Springfield. This Governor was great and generous and had a tremendous head of hair. And the wise and diligent people who needed to approve the budget, the members of the General Assembly, invited the Governor to their home to talk about one part of his plan. He did. And when he left their house, the members did what any courteous hosts would do: they voted 107-0 against him. And told him he was always welcome to stop by.

Though the Governor declared this a great victory, the streets of Springfield were strangely free of dancing or parades or general merriment.

Instead, a great black cloud covered the Land.

And the members of the General Assembly knew, to save the day, they’d have to agree on some kind of plan. So their leaders set down to work, day and night, and agreed on nothing of consequence.

And the cloud remained.

Now danger was approaching, and everyone said that they needed more time — so that they could call each other the worst names they could think of. Nasty, terrible names. Like when someone called the Governor a demagogue. And when the Governor called the Speaker of the House —a Republican.

And then things got even worse. The Governor said that God was on his side, and then unleashed God’s fury against a Senator from Moline. And the men who led the General Assembly insisted that they were absolutely, positively right, and whenever discussing the Governor, took God’s name in vain.

God was generally not pleased.

And the cloud remained.

But just when things looked their worst — just in the nick of time — knowing all that was at stake for the people they served, the good and decent leaders came together – in courtrooms all across Illinois. You see, the Governor had said that the members should meet at 2 o’clock. But the members decided to get together at 10 o’clock. That could mean only one thing, in the name of truth and justice, and everything good in the world: sue the bums!.

So in the happiest of happy endings, the Governor sued the Speaker of the House. And just to make sure that the Speaker’s clerk didn’t feel lonely, he sued him, too. And for a moment, the Governor thought about suing a maid at the Statehouse Inn because she had once said hello to the Speaker. But, in the rush to get back for a Cubs playoff game, he forgot all about that.

And the cloud remains over the Land.

Some say that the Governor is acting crazy. Some say that the Speaker is acting crazy. Some say that the other leaders are acting crazy.

But all of the people in the Land of Lincoln do agree on one thing. Their leaders are always, always, always putting them first.”

THE END.

If you appreciate satire, you might enjoy this take on the year’s political events in Springfield by State Comptroller Dan Hynes. I found it on Capitol Fax Blog and asked the State Comptroller’s office to send it to me.

The Illinois Legislative Session of 2007: A Fable.

“Once upon a time, in a Land of Lincoln, a Governor presented a budget in a lovely town called Springfield. This Governor was great and generous and had a tremendous head of hair. And the wise and diligent people who needed to approve the budget, the members of the General Assembly, invited the Governor to their home to talk about one part of his plan. He did. And when he left their house, the members did what any courteous hosts would do: they voted 107-0 against him. And told him he was always welcome to stop by.

Though the Governor declared this a great victory, the streets of Springfield were strangely free of dancing or parades or general merriment.

Instead, a great black cloud covered the Land.

And the members of the General Assembly knew, to save the day, they’d have to agree on some kind of plan. So their leaders set down to work, day and night, and agreed on nothing of consequence.

And the cloud remained.

Now danger was approaching, and everyone said that they needed more time — so that they could call each other the worst names they could think of. Nasty, terrible names. Like when someone called the Governor a demagogue. And when the Governor called the Speaker of the House —a Republican.

And then things got even worse. The Governor said that God was on his side, and then unleashed God’s fury against a Senator from Moline. And the men who led the General Assembly insisted that they were absolutely, positively right, and whenever discussing the Governor, took God’s name in vain.

God was generally not pleased.

And the cloud remained.

But just when things looked their worst — just in the nick of time — knowing all that was at stake for the people they served, the good and decent leaders came together – in courtrooms all across Illinois. You see, the Governor had said that the members should meet at 2 o’clock. But the members decided to get together at 10 o’clock. That could mean only one thing, in the name of truth and justice, and everything good in the world: sue the bums!.

So in the happiest of happy endings, the Governor sued the Speaker of the House. And just to make sure that the Speaker’s clerk didn’t feel lonely, he sued him, too. And for a moment, the Governor thought about suing a maid at the Statehouse Inn because she had once said hello to the Speaker. But, in the rush to get back for a Cubs playoff game, he forgot all about that.

And the cloud remains over the Land.

Some say that the Governor is acting crazy. Some say that the Speaker is acting crazy. Some say that the other leaders are acting crazy.

But all of the people in the Land of Lincoln do agree on one thing. Their leaders are always, always, always putting them first.”

THE END.