McHenry County Blog

A friend of McHenry County Blog sent us the following information yesterday:

“Just got a recorded call letting me know that our State Representative from the 63rd District, Jack Franks, and his wife Debby will be at the Wisted’s Supermarket 21775 W Grant Hwy, Marengo, IL.

“The recording stated that they will be there to listen to what voters have to say from 9 to 11am on Saturday, March 9, 2013.”

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Perhaps constituents who have repeated tried to talk to him about his position on gay marriage will come see him.

This afternoon brought a pleasant surprise.

It was a phone call from State Rep. Jack Franks.

First time he’s talked to me since he called to criticize me in 2006 for trying to find a Republican to run against him when McHenry County GOP Chairman Bill LeFew didn’t.

Then, after he was finished venting (I have learned since such is not an exceptional reaction to his being displeased with what someone does), I told him I thought every public official should have an opponent when running for re-election.

That didn’t seem to mollify him.

So, I have to admit to being surprised to hearing his pleasant voice on my phone again.

He was reminding people that early voting starts Monday and he was asking me to vote in favor of his referendum to concentrate power in county government.  (No, he didn’t use the description this former State and Local Government lecturer uses to describe his proposal.)

Franks claimed his County Executive proposal would lead to more accountability, more transparency and lower property taxes.

He didn’t offer to put up the family fortune to reimburse folks, if his tax characterization turned out to be incorrect, but he did ask people to call him at home, if they had questions about the issue.

Of course, opponents would have no chance for the type of rebuttals that former six-year County Board Chairman Mike Tryon gave Wednesday.

But, if you want to call. the number given was 815-923-4455 (but he didn’t repeat it twice to make it easy to jot it down, so maybe he doesn’t really want you to call).

Jack Franks does not have a fall opponent on the fall ballot thanks to inaction on the part of the McHenry County Republican Central Committee, so he is free to promote the County Executive form of government referendum after he learned that Tonya Franklin would not be on the ballot.

[Franks does have write-in candidate Joe Rosner running against him.]

Here’s Franks’ 46 second pitch:

“Hi. This is State Representative Jack Franks and I’m calling to ask for you to vote for the referendum to create an Executive form of government in McHenry County.

“A ‘Yes’ vote will allow the citizens to directly elect the County Executive who will be held accountable by and to the people of McHenry County.

“There will finally be real checks and balances and a way to stop ever increasing property taxes.

“In Will County, the only county in Illinois to currentlyemployee this form of government, property taxes
are on average 57% less than in McHenry County–57%.

“Please vote ‘Yes” for the County Executive government and we can have a government that is accountable to you and actually lower your tax bill.

“Thank you.”

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This robo-call was captured by a Friend of McHenry County Blog who lives in Greenwood Township.

If you see or hear things political that you think should be shared with others please email them to McHenry County Blog.  The email address is on the left hand side of the page.

A group calling itself “Patriotic Veterans” just called to tell me that there is an attempt to place the unfunded liability of teacher pensions on real estate taxpayers’ backs.

It said the politicians should retire at 65.  (That would have been find with me, but I was forced into retirement when I lost the 2000 GOP primary election.)

More to the point the call ended with

“Press one to reach Mike Tryon.”

So, I did.

There were two rings, then nothing.

Guess the call didn’t fully accomplish its purpose.

A friend of McHenry County Blog got a robo-call, presumably from State Rep. Jack Franks, Friday morning.

Let me quote the email I received,

“We got a robo-call from . . . well, he never gave his name. . . this morning.

“The call went something like this:

Ken Koehler

‘I’ve called to ask your opinion on a bill that I have filed in the House of Representatives addressing county board chairman elections.

‘After the beep, please press 1 if you believe we should have our county board chairman elected by the citizens.

‘Or press 2 if you believe we should have our county board chairman APPOINTED (emphasis in his voice) by county board members.’”

Franks and Koehler have been having a feud. It appears to be continuing.

Franks, of course, could have his supporters pass petitions and a referendum could be put on the ballot.

But, I imagine that would be too much like work.

The robo-call came the day before the election, Monday, at 1:25 PM from 202-220-0202.

Here’s the text, read by a man with a deep voice:

Dear Neighbor-

Don’t be fooled.

Michael Walkup is a long-time Democrat.

In fact, as a Democratic Precinct Captain, Walkup campaigned for Al Gore.

Walkup ran as a Democrat against Senator Dick Klemm…twice. Walkup’s campaigns were financed by Trial Lawyers PAC.

He even declared himself as a Democrat in a non-partisan race for Park District.

And, here’s the worst part of all…Like a true tax and spend Democrat, Walkup voted to increase your taxes every year he’s been in office.

In fact, Walkup voted for a tax increase so large that it triggered a Truth in Taxation hearing to warn the public.

Don’t be fooled. Michael Walkup is a Democrat.

This Tuesday ask for a Republican ballot and vote for true Republicans for County Board.

This message paid for by Republicans for Truth and Transparency

I can’t tell you whether Walkup promoted himself as a Democrat when he ran for the Crystal Lake Park District. In fact, I saw no campaign at all.

What is left out of the message is that he ran in the GOP primary for Nunda Township Supervisor after he ran for State Senate against Klemm.

He also ran for and won the office of Republican Precinct Committeeman in his precinct west of Walkup Road and east of Oak Street.

Now, an observation about the impact of the robo-call.

Name ID counts for a lot in way-down-the-ballot races like County Board.

So from an name identification point of view, the call probably helped Walkup.

And, perhaps forgotten by the anonymous “Republicans for Truth and Transparency” is that Illinois has an open primary.

Not a secret primary, but Democrats can vote in Republican primaries.

So, if, per chance, the Democrat or Independent of a family tagged “Republican” by the firm that did the robo-calls, answered the phone and listened to the message, the result may have been to encourage those who think Republicans have too much of a monopoly on the County Board to vote in the GOP primary for Walkup.

In politics, one should be aware on unintended consequences.

Walkup ended up coming in a comfortable third with four to be nominated.

One more thought.

This fall there are two people running as Democrats for County Board.

If Walkup is perceived as a Democrat by Democrats, does anyone think that they might not vote for the two women on the ballot under the Democratic Party label, PLUS Walkup.

If Republicans vote for Walkup as one of four Republicans to try to get rid of Democrat incumbent Kathy Bergan Schmidt, and Walkup picks up the third vote from those favoring the Democratic Party, might not Walkup run first in November?

The SuperPAC supporting Mitt Romney called me today and, in a voice that sounded like a gerbil on speed, told me all sorts of bad things Rick Santorum had done.

“Santorum has a record. Don’t ignore it.”

Less than an hour later Peoria’s Congressman Aaron Schock was on another robo-call urgning me to vote for Mitt Romney.

That call was paid for by the Romney campaign.

Crystal Lake resident Paul Greenlee, one of the very few people who comment on McHenry County Blog using a real name, just commented the following under this story:

Received a phone call about 10 minutes ago, a robocall survey.

Vote McConnaghay press 1, Suges press 2, undecided press 3.

Cliff Surges

When I pressed 2 (Karen is making me squishy), it started to refer me to a choice for issues and the system just wanted to know my gender.

Clearly it was a Karen campaign call.

Putting that money to good use already.

This morning after I got home from the Patriots United Pro-Life Breakfast, the phone rang.

It turned out to be a robo-call from Erik Sivertsen.

He talked pretty fast and I only got fragmentary notes, so I tracked down the source, advertiser ReachFly, and asked for the copy, which appears below:

Did you know that MCCs Board of Trustees voted to raise tuition by 9% last Thursday?

Did you know that in that same meeting they approved nearly $4.5 million in additional spending?

Rather than take cost cutting measures to avoid a shortfall in next year’s budget they took the easy way out and just increased tuition.

I think this was a horrible decision.

Every citizen in District 528 is having to make changes to cope with these tough economic times and I believe the schools should do the same.

My name is Erik Sivertsen and I am running for MCCs Board of Trustees in the April 5th election.

This time from Paul Caprio, Executive Director of Family PAC. Here it is:

FAMILY-PAC BLASTS QUINN TAX HIKE PROPOSAL

Paul Caprio, Director of Family-Pac, today called proposals by Democratic leadership in Springfield to increase the state individual income tax by 75% (to 5.25%) “fiscal insanity which will drive more jobs out of Illinois, wreck family budgets, and result in eventual bankruptcy for the State of Illinois.”

Said Caprio,

“Nothing has been done in Springfield to address the bloated state pension systems, real Medicaid reform, workmen’s compensation, or tort reform. 

“These are the major causes of the present budget deficit. The proposal of a 75% individual income tax increase and a 49% increase in the corporate tax rate is an insult to every hard-working Illinois taxpayer.

“Democrats are trying to strong-arm this proposal through the Legislature by making political deals with lame duck legislators who will not even be representing their constituents when this proposed increase would go into effect.”

Caprio urged every Illinois taxpayer to contact their State Representative and Senator today with the message, “No new taxes.”

Caprio concluded,

“If this reckless tax increase is passed, Pat Quinn, John Cullerton, and Mike Madigan will be the pallbearers at the economic funeral of Illinois.”

Family-Pac has made more than 350,000 calls the past week to grassroots taxpayers to urge them to contact their representatives to oppose the tax increase.