A tree obviously within 20 feet of a power line which State Rep. Jack Franks’ legislation would allow Com Ed to chop down.
I was driving through Ringwood
Chauffeuring my in-laws to their 65th Wedding Anniversary Dinner
We on the way to what turned out to be a very busy Olive Garden,.
Then, I saw one of those trees.
You know the ones.
The ones that “Chainsaw Jack” Franks thinks Commonwealth Edison should have a right to chop down.
Bad tree.
Poor tree.
Here is the ash tree that shades our home during the summer.
I sent my April 23rd storyto Wayne White, the Board Certified Master Arborist who is going to make my ask tree probably the only one left in Crystal Lake’s and Lakewood’s Country Club Additions subdivision to see if I had made any mistakes and he sent me the following email.
Here's my neighbor's ash tree. I figure my back yard will soon have a lot more sun during the morning.
From the progress of the leafing on the ask tree over our home, I sense that it about time for him to make his second sweep through Northern Illinois and Southern Wisconsin. He usually makes his second sweep in June, but the season is advanced about a month by my estimate.
"Chop 'em down" is the strategy of Lake in the Hills, as this sign indicates. Click to enlarge any image.
If you want to see what he does, this 2008 article has enough photos to show you.
This time he will be injecting the insecticide to keep the Emerald Ash Borers away into the cambium of the tree (the part of the tree that draws nutrients up to the branches), as well as spraying around the tree trunk again.
In any event, here’s what he wrote:
“Awesome story as usual…. one thing I have to compliment you on (you deserve many of course) is that unlike many other newspaper reporters I have run into over the years, you have a knack for getting the details right.
“I enjoy reading your articles as they tell the whole story without any embellishment or mistakes.
“Well done – I knew that if I had time you would have loved a picture of my new truck.
“Actually a 1998 F350 dually but it is completely wrapped in EAB fighting theme.
“For the first time I am so busy I need help and my two daughters are both working for me now.
“Both licensed with Illinois for Pesticide applications.
The directors of Country Club Property Owners Association apparently didn't heed the warnings about the Emerad Ash Borer.
“My youngest Melinda was involved doing the entire City of West Chicago contract this year. They have renewed my contract for the next 6 years for approx 1800 street tree ash.
“Roselle renewed this year for both the city and the park district (over 600 and 200 respectively).
“I also got back Downers Grove for the third year.
“Roselle is thrilled as they had a third party consultant review the ash trees in the city this year that were treated by me last year and it appears that 99% of them survived even in the face of an exploding insect population last year.
“As the first year is the hardest one to get through when starting treatment – we are well on our way to a huge success story brewing there over the next few years.
“Two weeks after my story about Arlington heights hit google alerts – the city council there voted to reimburse residents $50 per tree (one time only) for treatment of trunk injection ONLY with TreeAge – their favored treatment method.
“Why they would favor one treatment over another when they know nothing about what works is ridiculous but I feel I may have had something to do with their decision as MANY residents read my story about them and were up in arms……. It reminded me instantly of you and your never ending passion for writing on the web.
“It works. If you search ‘emerald ash borer treatment’ on google, yahoo, or bing, I come up on page one of free listings.
Here's how CCAPOA attacked the Emerald Ash Borer problem near the Lakewood's Gate 7 Beach boat ramp.
There's still time to call and make an appointment to have your ash tree treated.
“Even my website has grown in importance with google etc.
“The fact you link to it is HUGE as your site is of major importance to google because of your readership.”
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This was not a paid advertisement for the value of advertising on McHenry County Blog, but I do trade Wayne White his company’s ad for keeping it alive.
Got something to trade and want a better Google listing, shoot me an email.
John O'Neill
Two years ago, McHenry Grade School and Library Board member John O’Neill put forth a good enough effort to defeat long, long-time incumbent Democratic Party State Rep. Jack Franks that Franks re-drew his district boundaries to excise Spring Grove.
That’s where Franks lost.
No one filed as a Republican candidate this year.
But the GOP Precinct Committeemen from the House District can still nominate a candidate.
Then 500 good signatures have to be gathered for the nominee.
More actually, because lawyer Franks is likely to challenge them if he thinks he has a chance to knock the candidate off the ballot.
Can someone beat Franks, a millionaire with a bit over $450,000 in his campaign fund’s bank account?
Probably not, but I believe every public official should have an opponent.
Franks is reaching the stage in his political career where he can be painted as part of the problem in Springfield.
And, why would McHenry County Republicans want to give Franks, who sought to be named the Democratic Party candidate for Governor three years ago as his family and friends stuffed hundreds of thousands of dollars into his campaign account just before the reporting deadline, the opportunity to go elsewhere in Illinois to help elect 67% income tax hikers in electoral trouble?
We want Mike Madigan gone.
Jack Franks will always vote for Madigan for House Speaker.
Leaving Franks without a Republican opponent will make it easier for Mighty Mike to keep iron-clad control over Illinois’ failed political system.
Jack Franks could star in "The Illinois Chainsaw Massacre."
An opponent forces any incumbent to touch base with his or her constituency.
And, boy does Jack Franks need to reconnect with the folks in his district.
He voted to increase Com Ed’s electric rates. It will cost you at least $3 a month more…just for so-called Smart Meters for which I can see no added benefit. (Believe me, when power is out in my neighborhood more than one person calls the electric company.)
Was Jack Franks vote to hike electric rates influenced by campaign contributions? Take a look and draw your own conclusions.
Franks, you may remember, introduced a bill that would allow Commonwealth Edison to chop down every tree within 20 feet of a power line.
The Chicago Tribune envisioned an “Illinois Chain Saw Massacre.”
When Rockford Register-Star asked Franks how he felt about being called “Chainsaw Jack,” he said he did favor “clear cutting,” even though his bill would allow that.
“I live on a farm with a forest in back. No one can question my conservation credentials.”
Yeah, OK. If you say so, “Chainsaw Jack.”
He said his constituents wanted such deforestation (read that in the image of Chuck Sweeney’s article) after the storm last July that took out power lines and electricity for days at a time.
Just chop ‘em down. That was “Chainsaw Jack’s” answer.
But, his constituents made him do it, he said in a variation of “the Devil made me do it” argument.
Considering how disturbed folks get when Com Ed contractors buzz saw (not an exaggeration of the process) rural roads to keep tree limbs away from power lines, one would think a man who was elected 14 years ago might know that quality of life is a big reason people move to McHenry County, especially, the less congested portion he represents.
The contribution figure is probably over $1 million now.
And, when one thinks “Quality of Life,” don’t most people think trees?
Even my Chinese young political leader visitors in 2007 were enthralled with the trees, wondering who tended to them as we drove along Briarwood Drive in Crystal Lake.
There are lots more issues.
Franks is supported by Personal PAC, the most rabid pro-abortion Political Action Committee in the country.
He voted to approve Civil Unions.
He voted against helping disadvantaged inner city black kids get a decent education, caving to the teacher unions whose leaders are only interested in keeping the dues rolling in.
That was not only an appalling vote for someone who touts himself as a liberal, but the program would have saved the state $240 million a year.
Franks was close enough to Rod Blagojevich to ask that family members get patronage appointments and he was intimately involved with promoting the Crystal Lake Mercy Hospital approval.
"The Illinois Chainsaw Massacre" produced by "Chainsaw Jack" Franks.
For anybody thinking about running against Democrat State Rep. Jack Franks, check out this Letter to the Editor of the Northwest Herald from Chuck Oslakovic of Wonder Lake.
It’s entitled,
And there are eleven comments, some coming to “Chainsaw Jack’s” defense.
The letter writer said he had contacted “Chainsaw Jack’s” office a couple of times, but gotten no response.
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:
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Allan Showalter of “Heck of a Guy” blog created the mock movie poster.
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:
Below are the email addresses of the House Public Utilities Committee members:
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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:
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?
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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.
Christmas trees sales would be taxed to promote Christmas tree sales under Obama plan.
A press release from Congressman Joe Walsh:
Rep. Walsh Introduces ‘Save Christmas Act’
Washington- Today, Congressman Joe Walsh (IL-8) introduced the ‘Save Christmas Act’ to permanently end the Obama Administration’s new tax on Christmas trees.
This tax was established to fund yet another unnecessary government board, the Christmas Tree Promotion Board.
This is clearly the most ridiculous in a long list of new taxes and regulations proposed by the Obama Administration.
Walsh stated:
“The sheer audacity of a tax on Christmas trees is ridiculous.
“Are we going to start taxing Halloween candy and pumpkins or turkey and apple pie?
‘Are we going to tax the Tooth Fairy and the Easter Bunny too?
‘Are we going to tax hotdogs and hamburgers and American flags for the Fourth of July?
“Christmas has traditionally been a holiday when American families from across the country get together and just celebrate and give. And this year, when Americans are hurting and struggling to make ends meet, Christmas is more important than ever.
“This is exactly why American families are struggling.
“President Obama continues to implement unnecessary taxes to create and fund more unnecessary do-nothing government programs. If this isn’t big government, what is?”
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