McHenry County Blog

John Heisler has filed the required Statements of Economic Interest with the County Clerk for twenty years, but, with his mother dying in hospice care, he didn’t remember to attach a copy of the receipt to his Statement of Candidacy and petitions.

That got him kicked off the ballot Thursday by the Nunda Township Electoral Board.

The Board consisted of Trustee Tom Palmer, who chaired the meeting, Trustee Jim Schlader and former Assistant State’s Attorney David Stone, a Nunda Township resident.

Nunda Township resident Russell Scott, a McHenry resident, bought the complaint against Heisler in a professionally-prepared legal document.

When asked to testify, Scott said, he was “just going over the paperwork and I didn’t think it met the requirements of the State Board of Elections.”

When asked he said he stood on the arguments made in the objection that he filed.

“No one is here on behalf of the candidate,” attorney Scott Puma then announced.

“The objection is basically one of a legal question,” Electoral Board member Stone, an attorney, explained.

The Election Code requires a receipt from the candidate’s Statement of Economic interest to be attached to the petition filing.

Stone noted that the objected had cited three cases “which basically cover every conceivable situation.”

And, their message was that the attachment was a “mandatory requirement.”

“I’m of the opinion that the candidacy of John A. Heisler is invalid,” Stone concluded.

Schlader said he had a copy of from the County Clerk and asked, “Does it have to be attached?”

He said the copy had been “left in his box.”

Stone asked whether he got the copy before or after the filing and Palmer answered, “Well after.”

“I also declare that his petition package is invalid,” Schlader said.

Palmer agreed.

Stone then made a motion to take Heisler off the ballot.

Puma produced a resolution which the Electoral Board members read the document (that’s what the members are doing in the photo above).

After reading it and making a minor correction, the Board adopted the resolution unanimously.

That means the following candidates will be on the ballot for Nunda Township Supervisor:

• Bridgett Provenzano (current Township Clerk and wife of County Board member Nick Provenzano)
• Kelvin Lee Jennings (current Trustee)
• Kerry Leigh (Oakwood Hills Trustee)

McHenry County Board member Donna Kurtz, seeking re-election for the first time after running first in her initial attempt in 2010, held a fund raiser Wednesday at Park Place, the old American Legion Home in Crystal Lake.
Some people got into the baseball theme.

Early in the event, which started at 5:30, State Rep. and McHenry County Republican Party Chairman stopped by and dropped off a check, Kurtz said while introducing elected officials and candidates in attendance.

McHenry County Sheriff Keith Nygren and his allies seemed to gather in one main floor room, while Lou Bianchi and his friends were in the other.

Nygren’s choice to succeed himself in 2014, Andy Zinke, was nowhere to be seen, but both opponents Bill Prim and Jim Harrison were meeting and greeting folks.

There was some cross-pollination with Zane and Rose Seipler and Eileen Marhoefer sitting in a corner booth within site of the Nygren table.

Dr. Anne Majewski chatted with McHenry County Sheriff’s candidate Bill Prim before the speeches began.

In introducing the event’s keynote speaker, McHenry County State’s Attorney Lou Bianchi, Kurtz told of Bianchi’s going “with his gut as to what was right to change the way things are done.

“When he did that, down upon him came a brick wall,” she continued, referring to the two indictments by Special Prosecutors that were so weak that Bianchi’s attorney did not even have to put on any evidence before the Judge found him not guilty.

“But he stuck to his dreams,” Kurtz concluded as Bianchi climbed the stairs to a roomful of applause.

Bianchi pointed out that “Donna is our client” as a member of the McHenry County Board, as are all elected officials.

“Our lawyers enjoy working with her,” he continued.

“She does a fine job representing her constituents [and is] one of the hardest working members on the board.”

Bianchi said Kurtz tries to understand all the issues before voting on resolution.

And she “speaks her mind.”

Kurtz was also praised for asking questions that need to be asked.

She was characterized as “an independent thinker.”

Kurtz then took the microphone.

She praised Cardelli for his “courage” in voting against the Algonquin Township officials pay raise.

She praise Jane and Bill Franz for giving of themselves to Crystal Lake for over 40 years.

She praised Pat Owens and The Advantage Group, often known by its acronym TAG.  They have done substance abuse for twenty-five year Kurtz pointed out.

“Over 1,000 people treated each year…25,000 lives changed for the better,” the County Board member explained.

Speaking of her public service, Kurtz said that you “have to have in our heart goodness and honesty.

“Everything I do has to be about you.

“It can’t be about me.

“Pursue our dreams and they will come true,” she concluded to rousing applause.

In a Veterans Acres picnic, the Nunda Township Republican Central Committee hosted area residents and politicians Saturday afternoon.

I got the privilege of introducing the two newest candidates for McHenry County Sheriff, Jim Harrison and Bill Prim.

Although sitting about ten feet away, Sheriff Keith Nygren’s choice, Andy Zinke, who announced over a year ago, didn’t show any desire to meet his rivals.

Both Harrison and Prim talked to the crowd.

Zinke left the Nunda Township Republican Picnic before the speeches were given.

Listed below are the precincts in the hotly contested 52nd House race.

That’s where Independent Dee Beaubien, with Democrat Mike Madigan’s help, is challenging Republican primary election winner David McSweeney.

You will note that many precincts are empty.

In addition to McSweeney, State Senator Dan Duffy is running a contested race in the same part of McHenry County.

Campaign finance logic dictates that joint attack mailings will be made against Dave McSweeney and Dan Duffy  by the pro-abortion Personal PAC.  After all, they are both pro-life and agree on many other issues.

Besides Madigan’s providing two staffers (see here and here) and Personal PAC’s having targeted the district, Planned Parenthood is also getting deeply involved.

Wouldn’t you think the McHenry County Republican Party would have as its highest priority finding people willing to work for McSweeney and Duffy?

Do they really want another probable vote for Madigan for Speaker to come out of a McHenry County district?

Having demonstrated that a majority of the Committeemen wanted to make sure Democrat Jack Franks could cast his eighth vote for Mike Madigan for House Speaker by their refusal to allow Tonya Franklin the opportunity to challenge him, you can understand why some might make that conclusion.

Do “Actions speak louder than words?”

By looking at the unmanned precincts, one can easily conclude that the Nunda and Algonquin Township Republican Parties have some other agenda that is more important than electing Republicans who will fight Mike Madigan in Springfield.

Under the procedure ostensibly being following County Republican Party Chairman Mike Tryon, a precinct committeeman in Algonquin Township himself, only when a Township GOP Chairman recommends a person will Tryon use the appointment power given to him by State Statute.

So who are the two Township Chairmen?

• Nunda Township Republican Central Committee Chairman (also Vice Chairman of the County GOP organization) Mark Daniel and
• Algonquin Township Republican Central Committee Chairman Rebecca Lee (Township Road Commissioner Bob and County Board member Anna Miller’s daughter)

Wouldn’t you think their highest priority would be to find people willing to help McSweeney and Duffy win the empty precincts?

There are two empty precincts in Nunda Township’s portion of the 52 State Rep. District and fifteen in Algonquin Township.

52nd REPRESENTATIVE DISTRICT

(47 entire) (10 splits)

Nunda Precincts and Committeemen

1 – Donald C Kopsell (Appt 6/25/12)
pt of 2 – Robert L. Borchert
4 – None
7 – Kelvin Lee Jennings
9 – Bernard V. Narusis
pt of 12 – Mary McClellan
pt of 14 – Patrick Collins
pt of 22 – Joni M Smith (Appt 5/24/12)
23 – Scott E. J. Brown
25 – None
26 – Kathleen R. Reiland (Appt 5/24/12)
28 – Mary Donner (Appt 6/25/12)

Algonquin Township Precinct Committeemen
1 – None
pt of 2 – Kenneth (Ken) D. Koehler
3 – Michael E. Barnas
4 – Andrew Gasser
5 – Charles A. Lutzow, Jr
6 – Anne Majewski (Appt 3/29/12)
8 – Neils Kruse
9 – Dan Shea
pt of 10 – Aaron T. Shepley

12 – Raymond G. Chisholm
14 – None
pt of 15 – Thomas Kantner (Appt 3/29/12)
16 – Lou Anne Majewski
17 – David W. Miller
18 – Mary Cardelli
20 – None

21 – None
22 – Lowell A. Cutsforth
23 – Anna May Miller (Appt 3/29/12)
29 – None
30 – Riley Quinlan
31 – None
32 – None
33 – Sean Murphy
34 – Joseph Powalowski (Appt 3/29/12)
pt of 35 – None
39 – None
40 – Mallory A. Rosencrans
41 – None
pt of 43 – None
44 – Patrick Colcernian
45 – Sharon Ann Meroni
46 – Kathleen R. DeRaedt
47 – Rebecca M. Lee
48 – Timothy J Corr (Appt 3/29/12)
49 – Demetrios Pete Tsilimigras
50 – Linda (Lyn) Orphal
55 – Derek Lee (Appt 3/29/12)
56 – Eugene F. Sittinger
59 – None
60 – None
pt of 61 – None
64 – None
65 – Eleni K. Markos Tsilimigras (appt 5/26/12)
67 – Robert Miller (Appt 3/29/12)

= = = = =
My email is on the left, just in case anyone gets inspired to want to help McSweeney and Duffy.

In the what goes around comes around category is the lack of a quorum for the most recent meeting of the Nunda Township Republican Central Committee.

McHenry County Republican Central Committee Vice Chairman Mark Daniel is also the Chairman of the Nunda Township GOP.

Daniel is the one who took the roll when Sharon Meroni, along with 25% of the elected and appointed GOP committeemen called a special meeting on June 2nd.

You remember the one, right?

The one in which Daniel’s cell phone ring tone–the Theme from the Godfather–went off during the roll call.

(See “Tryon Meeting Boycott Strategy Works – ‘Chainsaw Jack’ Franks Gets Third Free Ride from GOP in Four Elections.”)

When I got word of the too low attendance meeting on June 6th, I emailed both Chairman Daniel and Vice Chairman Mike Shorten asking if it were true that there was a lack of a quorum.

Neither replied.

Now Mary McClellan, the Secretary of the Central Committee, has submitted minutes to its members.

Read for yourself what happened:

MINUTES OF SCHEDULED NUNDA TOWNSHIP
REPUBLICAN CENTRAL COMMITTEE, June 6, 2012

A meeting of the NUNDA TOWNSHIP REPUBLICAN CENTRAL COMMITTEE (“Committeemen”) was held at Prairie Isle Golf Course, Prairie Grove, IL at the hour of 7:00 p.m., pursuant to notice of all the Committeemen.

Mark Daniel, chairman was present.

Mike Shorten Vice Chairman was present.

Scott Brown treasurer was present.

Secretary McClellan took role stated that a quorum was not present and the meeting could not continue.

Motion to adjourn by Mike Shorten, seconded by Scott Brown meeting adjourned 7:49 pm

An email from Sharon Meroni, who organized the effort to get Tonya Franklin on the ballot to oppose Democrat “Chainsaw Jack” Franks.

Meroni, a write-in candidate for Republican Precinct Committeeman in Fox River Grove, did something I have seen no other GOP Precinct Committeemen do since 1966–she got a Special Meeting of the Central Committee.

I want to thank the spirited coalition of supporters for Tonya Franklin’s application to be placed on the Republican ballot against Jack Franks.

We worked hard to get our vote.

We failed.

Truthfully, that still hurts.

I am new to McHenry County Republicans.

Many of us are.

This project to get a legitimate vote for or against Tonya’s application had positive momentum with the goals to inform fellow committeemen (and precinct captains) while providing a venue to vote.

My personal disappointment at being denied that vote is raw.

I work at Defend the Vote every day and actually suspended my research to fight for the committeemen’s vote with the McHenry County Republican Party leadership.

That is how important this matter was to me.

This fight wasn’t planned.

Rep Tryon asked us to find a candidate.

We did so, and we stepped up to support that candidate.

The discovery process of learning that Rep Tryon was actually actively suppressing the legal vote of the Committeemen was just that; a discovery process.

It was disappointing.

One unavoidable outcome of the meeting is on-the-record proof that our own party leadership literally actively worked to defeat the committeemen’s effort to have the vote Illinois law and McHenry Count By-laws specifically provides for.

Rep Tryon has never responded to the charge that he failed to set up the required meeting, despite being given ample notice that the vote from the “committee that was not a committee” (in his letter redefined as the Executive Committee) was not authorized in Illinois Law or in McHenry County Republican By-Laws.

In addition, Rep. Tryon made the political and tactical decision to cancel the meeting required by McHenry County By-Laws, and which should have been held on May 17th.

If this meeting had been held, Committeemen would have had the vote (for or against Tonya’s application) that is entitled as solely ours by Illinois law.

When we asked for this May 17th meeting to be scheduled, Tryon’s leadership responded with silence and then a cancellation of a meeting that was never scheduled.

When we asked McHenry County Republican Committeemen for a special meeting and achieved the 25% required in McHenry County Republican By-laws, Tryon’s leadership responded with two blasts from an email intimating it was not a legal meeting and that the Chairmen would not attend…Leaving the definite impression the June 2nd Special Meeting was not legitimate.

Then Chairman Tryon and Vice Chairman Mark Daniel showed up to Chair the meeting.

Chairman Tryon admits on the record, more than once, that it this was a legitimate meeting, but we needed a quorum.

When committeemen questioned Chairmen’s obvious manipulation to suppress a quorum, he literally ran off the stage.

Disappointing?

Chairman Tryon was unable to speak to us.

While emotions were high, we were not shouting; Committeemen who had the floor, asked for accountability.

We had lawyers and parliamentarians there to assure the meeting was professionally run.

Our attorney, a skilled election lawyer named Laura Jacksack, and the parliamentarians were instrumental in guiding the meeting. (You guys were great!)

It was an exercise in Liberty!

The result, Chairmen Tryon, who was unable to withstand scrutiny, ran off the stage.

Unlike the email from Mike Tryon sent twice before the Special Meeting to discourage attendance at the gathering called to select the two missing members of the 63rd State Rep. District Representative Committee, this email from GOP Executive Secretary Geri Davis reached my inbox:

Thank you to all of you who called and left messages today asking what the outcome of the “special meeting” was this morning.

Geri Davis at a GOP Central Committee meeting in Johnsburg that did not muster a quorum.

The meeting was not held due to lack of a quorum, in fact, the numbers were not even close.Chairman Tryon and Vice Chairman Mark Daniel handled this situation professionally and respectfully.

They are to be commended for their patience.

While we appreciate the efforts of those who tried to promote Tonya Franklin as a Republican candidate to run against Rep. Jack Franks and we agree with the Republican principle that everyone has the constitutional right to run for public office, they still must follow the rules in addition to being qualified and experienced to take on the challenge.Ms. Franklin chose not to run in the Republican Primary for personal reasons.

Perhaps sometime in the future she will chose to pursue public office again, time will tell.

In the meantime, when you see Chairman Tryon and/or Vice Chairman Mark Daniel express your thanks for their tireless effort.

Geri

Davis, a Precinct Committeeman did not attend.

For a more extensive explanation of what happened, click here.

This fall, the Republican Party’s “showroom” in the 63rd State Representative District will be as empty as the closed Ford dealership in the Vulcan Lakes TIF District on Route 14 in Crystal Lake.

The McHenry County Republican Party has thrown in the towel for the third time in four election cycles.  Once on Bill LeFew’s watch, twice on Mike Tryon’s.

“Chainsaw Jack” Franks and his family can have a rip snorting celebration tonight.

The long and the short of the Special Meeting Saturday morning was that Tea Party-inspired Tonya Franklin’s supporters could not muster the 40% quorum.

A humorous moment occurred while Vice Chairman Mark Daniel took the roll call.  His cell phone went off.  The ring tone was the theme from “The Godfather.”

62 of the 155 elected and appointed Precinct Committeemen were needed.

There were not that many.

Even County Board Chairman Ken Koehler, with whom Franks is having the closest thing to a blood feud as I have seen in local politics, and who told me and Tonya Franklin at his fund raiser that he would be in attendance, was absent.

Only 38 were in attendance, so “unfortunately we don’t have a quorum,” as Tonya Franklin’s attorney Laura Jacksack explained to the crowd.

There was discussion of adjourning the meeting to a time specific.

Melissa Denker, who was sitting behind me next to Mike Shorten, said, “I don’t have time for that.”

“This is not an official meeting of the McHenry County Central Committee,” Tryon explained.

“This is a Special Meeting called by 25% [of the Committeemen].”

Tryon invited Tonya Franklin to the podium. I only got snatches as she shed some tears while giving what I would call a gracious concession speech.

Tonya Franklin addressed 38 assembled GOP Precinct Committeemen and observers after it became clear that the quorum of 40% (62) were not present.

“Well, we put up a good fight…”I’m crying but I’m so appreciative that you’re here.

“This took a lot of hard work.

“When they said, ‘Nobody knew me,’ we proved them wrong…

“We should not let an election go uncontested…

“I’m just a Mom and I really are.

“Patriots inspire me

“Under Michael Madigan Illinois has the 47th worst state for business.

“I was hoping you all had a candidate.

“I want to be a Precinct Committeeman. I’ll walk.

“I don’t know if I’ll be back to run again, but [I'll work this year to elect Republicans].”

“I’m crying but I’m so appreciative.”

Afterward, Tryon asked for questions and discussion.

Tonya Franklin’s daughter asked why Tryon had rejected her mother.

“I’m not a Boss Hog kind of person,” the mild-mannered Chairman said.

“If we go into closed session, I can [answer that question].

“We have aired this in public.

“Our bylaws are online.  I wouldn’t have wanted that.”

Tryon mentioned “that kind of energy going on,” but I didn’t catch the context.

He stressed that political parties are “private.”

“We don’t have to air our differences in public.

“If we’re going to have discussions, bylaws, we should have [discussions in private].

The woman who initiated the call for the Special Meeting, write-in winner Sharon Meroni said, “The truth is that you sent out an email discouraging people from coming.

“Now, you’ve stated this is an official meeting.”

“Why wouldn’t you appoint my Mom?” Tonya Franklin’s daughter reiterated.

Mike Shorten moved to close the meeting, which was seconded by Melissa Denker.

I pointed out that Tonya Franklin’s daughter would not be allowed in a closed meeting and argued against shutting out the visitors and Woodstock Advocate reporter Gus Philpott (wearing a name tag that said, “Media, but not the Northwest Herald”) and the NWH’s Brett Rowland.

Eleven of the 38 raised their hands in favor of closing the meeting, so it was kept open.

“When I was approached by Sharon,” Tryon explained, “I met for breakfast with three of our Vice Chairmen and [others of the Executive Committee whose identity I did not catch].

“[We] asked

• why she wanted to try,
• [about] her platform,
• what she had done [about] putting together a campaign plan.

“The Executive Board made a decision not to recommend [her].”

Tryon pointed out there were “two schools of thought:”

• that Franks should be kept busy
• that fielding an opponent would allow Franks to raise more money and get involved in local elections

He also pointed out that he didn’t remember that Central Committee having had a quorum in the last six years.  “There may have been one.”

Meroni asked about the “official letter” Tryon sent out.

“I asked Geri to draft a letter to explain what’s [happening].

“I feel like a rag doll being pulled apart.

“You’ve been criticizing me.  That’s unsettling to me.

“I don’t read blogs,” Tryon said.  He noted that he had been reading McHenry County Blog for the last few weeks.

“I my stop reading them for good.  For good health, I’ve decided to stop reading them.”

Someone in the audience (I believe it was Betty Miller) said,

“You have nobody.

“You can’t find anyone?”

At that point, Tonya Franklin said,

“I could win.”

Steve Verr, who ran against Ann Hughes, Mike Brown and Tom Salvi in Republican primary elections for State Representative asked Tryon,

“Did you approve of that letter?”

“I did,” the Chairman answered.

“Then I think the Democratic Party has seized control of the Republican Central Committee.”

At that point, Mike Tryon walked out of the meeting room at d’Andrea’s.

After Tryon left, Verr was heard to say,

“I’ve been living with this [for a long time].

“This is the rottenest county in the rottenest state.

Tonya Franklin addressed the dispersing crowd by saying,

“Thank you all for coming.

“Let’s keep it positive.

“I’m not better than nothing now.

“No one’s running against Jack Franks.”

It remains to be seen if Franks will try to expand his base into the Crystal Lake-Lakewood-Lake in the Hills District 2 to campaign door-to-door against Koehler.

I can tell you that Franks was actively seeking money from solid Republicans in my precinct a couple of years ago.  There was a mailing followed by a phone call.  Maybe he was looking for more Republicans to put on his “Host Committee.”

To the surprise of many, GOP Chairman Mike Tryon was in attendance and chaired the meeting.

Tryon had sent out an email twice and a letter to some Precinct Committeemen (not including yours truly) basically urging people to stay home, declaring,

“Please be advised that this meeting is NOT a Central Committee meeting.”

Nevertheless, instead of driving south to his vacation home in Missouri, Tryon drove back north to Crystal Lake after the legislative session ended Thursday.

When asked later in the meeting if he had approved the email that he said that he had asked Executive Director Geri Davis to draft, he admitted he had read and approved it.

Another anonymous email (“Concerned Citizen”) made the rounds–again, not sent to me–which I reproduce below:

Dear Committeemen and Committeewomen:

As a concerned resident and voter in McHenry County, I respectfully request that you not attend the unofficial, unsanctioned and improper gathering being planned by Cal Skinner in a desperate, last minute attempt to slate a woefully unqualified candidate to run for state Representative.

The process fails to adhere to McHenry County GOP by-laws and is marred with distortion. Nothing is wrong with a candidate running for office, but this charade is an affront to primary voters that deserved the opportunity to make up their own minds. With what little we know about Ms. Franklin already, local residents are right to be worried. Primary elections are meant to vet candidates for a general election and it is obvious why this candidate found it beneficial to skip that step.

If case you haven’t already seen today’s Northwest Herald, please read the article below. Following the article, also see another copy of an letter from Chairman Tryon explaining the situation and detailing why Ms. Franklin’s candidacy was declined.

Thanks for your service and taking the time to read this message.

In addition, the entire Northwest Herald article on Tonya Franklin was reproduced, with the following emphasized in yellow:

“Tryon pointed out that the May 24 date of the letter could mean only nine days’ notice was provided…

“‘The fact is, the party’s resources are very limited and have to be managed very strategically. Even the energy needs to be strategically placed – the energy to get [52nd House candidate] Dave McSweeney elected, to get [Mitt] Romney elected in our county,’Tryon said.’“The election just isn’t about one race – it’s about strategically placing your party’s resources to be as successful as you can.’”

I’m trying to remember assistance the local Republican Party did in the Twenty-one times I was running for the Republican nomination or was the Republican candidate for office. Some committeemen passed out literature in person. I’m sure others made mailings. There were marked sample ballots some years.

I do remember my campaign’s being assessed hundreds of dollars to pay for the printing of the literature.

Basically, though, candidates are on their own.

And most campaigns will have less effort put into them this summer and fall than Tonya Franklin and her volunteers put in over the last two weeks.

= = = = =

Other scuttlebutt picked at the meeting is that a lot of courthouse folks can expect to be giving depositions as a result of Special Assistant State’s Attorney Bill Caldwell’s motion for sanctions against Zane Seipler.  This was in Seipler’s over two-year unsuccessful attempt to get Associate Judge Thomas Meyer to appoint a Special Prosecutor to investigate whether or not Sheriff Keith Nygren used county-paid resources to advance his election.

Led by Sharon Meroni, a successful write-in candidate for GOP Precinct Committeeman in Fox River Grove, over 25% of the members (both elected and appointed) of the McHenry County Central Committee agreed to call a 9 AM  special meeting on Saturday, June 2nd at d’Anrea’s at the corner of Routes 14 and 31 in Crystal Lake.   (Tonya Franklin will be there at 8.)

There is some irony that Meroni selected the same location where the local GOP organized last month, but forgot to name two 63rd Representative Committeemen, who, along with Chairman Mike Tryon, have the statutory authority to nominate someone to run against “Chainsaw Jack” Franks.

Tryon might still be in Springfield, if the General Assembly runs overtime, or on the way home for the 9:30 AM meeting.

The question running through my mind is whether Tryon will pass the word to

• give “those Tea Party insurgents” their candidate with the full expectation that he can say, “I told you so,” when Tonya Franklin loses to the 7-term Democratic Party veteran this fall or
• use every means possible to obstruct the nomination of opposition to Franks, a candidacy which, most assuredly, will not please the senior and only Majority Party member of the McHenry County legislative delegation.

In either eventuality, Tryon will alienate a faction of the GOP.

He can go with

• the faction who attend Jack Franks’ fund raisers, even speak in praise of Franks at them when asked, those whose names appear on Franks’ “Host Committee,” those who actively campaign for Franks, the ones who refused to support John O’Neill two years ago or
• the faction who thinks the Republican Party should not roll over and wait to be patted on the stomach by Jack Franks as he does his best to co-op every Republican of any power or potential power

Kind of tough to please both.

The blowback was signaled in this comment from John Smith (maybe  pseudonym, maybe not):

“Congratulations, but all you have done is get a meeting on the calendar.

“Now you have to get a quorum of committeemen there at the meeting next Saturday morning. Impressive feat to call a special meeting, but calling a meeting and conducting it legally are 2 different things.”

“Smith” is correct, of course.

Either Tryon or Vice Chairman Mark Daniel will be chairing the meeting.

The chairman can either be accommodating or hostile.

Daniel has already turned thumbs down on Tonya Franklin and Tryon has refused to call a special meeting and cancelled the regular meeting set out in his organization’s bylaws.

The potential exists that the judgment of both could be overruled by the meeting the Saturday after next.

No politician wants his subordinates to overrule him.

So my guess is that neither will want to appease the supporters of Tonya Franklin.

Will 40% of the Precinct Committee show up?

Maybe those who agree with the four who interviewed Tonya Franklin behind the locked doors of my former legislative office in the Crystal Lake Plaza will adopt the strategy of ignoring the meeting.

If not, there won’t be a quorum.

If enough follow that course of inaction, committeemen who have never talked to Tonya Franklin will not get the opportunity to judge for themselves whether she would mount a credible campaign against “Chainsaw Jack” Franks.

They’ll have listened to the one-sided pitch of someone opposed to Franklin and decided to condemn her candidacy in absentia.

Even Christ, one might remember, got a chance to present his case to Pontius Pilate before he was crucified.

If there is a quorum, will a majority be willing to vote for two “63rd District Representative Committeemen” who will then proceed to the Starbucks on the Woodstock Square (to be in the 63rd District, a requirement) to nominate Tonya Franklin?

No guarantee that will be a result of the meeting.

Majority rules.

If Tonya Franklin’s allies can’t muster a majority of whoever shows up, the majority could refuse to appoint the required two 63rd District Representative Committeemen or appoint two who would agree with Tryon’s and Daniel’s and his interview committee’s negative recommendation.

I make no prediction on the Saturday meeting results any more than I’m willing to predict when the Northwest Herald will write a story about Tonya Franklin’s quest.

The McHenry County Republican Party bylaws say that there was supposed to be a meeting of the Central Committee last Thursday, the third Thursday of the month.

Earlier this week I emailed newly-elected Vice Chairman Mark Daniel and asked him when the notices would go out for that May meeting.

The reply?

“May has been cancelled.

“Will have one in June.”

Of course, the deadline for presenting a party nomination and 500 “good” petition signatures in June 4th.

I also asked Daniel, one of the four Precinct Committeemen who interviewed Tonya Franklin, the Tea Party-inspired candidate volunteer,

“Got a candidate yet?”

I have yet to received a reply.

Other articles that might be of interest follow:

4/29/12 Help Wanted – GOP Opponent for Labor-Lawyer-Lobbyist Democrat “Chainsaw Jack”

5/9/12 “Chainsaw Jack” Franks’ Drano Bill Makes Menards’ Shelf

5/9/12 Clock Is Running on Finding GOP Opponent for Jack Franks

5/10/12 Republican Candidate Steps Forward to Challenge Jack Franks

5/11/12 GOP Interviewing Committee Turns Thumbs Down on Woman Who Volunteered to Run Against Jack Franks

5/11/12 Jack Franks Now Free to Help Democrats Running for the McHenry County Board

5/12/12 Who Could Name a Candidate to Run Against “Chainsaw Jack” Franks?

5/13/12 The McHenry County Committee Who Interviewed Tonya Franklin for State Rep. Vacancy against Jack Franks

5/16/12 19 Days Until Jack Franks Gets a Third Free Ride from McHenry County Republicans

5/17/12 18 Days Until McHenry County Republicans Give Democrat “Chainsaw Jack” Franks Ability to Campaign Statewide with Impunity