Credit my Google search for “Jack Franks” name for this story.

How ironic is this January press release headline when compared to the cutting of last year's property tax relief benefits in half.

I wrote how the Illinois Department of Aging, now in charge of the Senior Citizen and Disabled Person Property Tax Relief program, was cutting benefits in half.

The cutback takes total benefits back to the level distributed in the early 1970’s, when I was closely watching the program in my first eight year stint in Springfield.

Today, a story in the Murphysboro American reports on a meeting of State Rep. Jack Franks’ House Government Administration Committee.

It seems that having taken control of the Circuit Breaker program from the Revenue Department that Aging Department officials have decided that they have to have those 38 ex-Revenue folks sitting right next to the other 140 employees.

The solution?

Take them out of the two state-owned buildings and put them in rented office space that will cost over $3 million over five years.

But, not to worry, the landlord, Springfield’s Charles Robbins (who was around when I was campaign manager for failed mayoral candidate Denny Kelley in 1971), will cut the price from $662,000 a year to $532,000 a year the first twelve months.

Well, we can certainly see the priorities of the Department of Aging:

Jack Franks

Employees first; seniors later…if we don’t spend it all on the employees first.

Almost forgot.

Since Jack Franks’ name in the article led me to this story, it’s appropriate for me to tell you what he thinks of the idea.

As he put it succinctly,

“Absolutely ridiculous.”