Jack Franks Makes Another Promise

The Northwest Herald headline about Jack Franks' promise not to run for McHenry County Board Chairman.

The Northwest Herald headline about Jack Franks’ promise not to run for McHenry County Board Chairman.

Whenever Democratic Party State Rep. Jack Franks makes a promise, his constituents ought to get nervous.

I admit that I wasn’t paying attention to Franks’ first campaign against appointed State Rep. Mike Brown in 1998.

I had a fall race of my own.

But others including the Northwest Herald took note of his promise to serve only three terms.

I first started noticing when I saw him scirm on Dennis Miller’s radio show when Miller brought it to Chicago.

Read this 2009 article and you will see why:

Jack Franks “Bridles” at Dennis Miller’s Suggestion of Term Limits

Franks had already broken his term limits promise.

After that I started listening to people who had heard Franks’ campaign speeches in 1998. I found two witnesses who heard him promise only to serve three terms.

Then in March, Republican opponent Steve Reick nailed Franks on breaking his term limits’ promise:

Jack Franks Breaks Term Limit Pledge

Reick found two Northwest Herald articles (Sept. 20, 1998, and Nov. 4, 1998) in which the campaign promise was memorialized.

Now comes Jack Franks with a promise not to run for McHenry County Board Chairman.

I have observed how about sixteen years in Springfield that Franks has to be getting tired of the drive. I suppose he is rich enough to have someone fly him down and back, but no one has told me that is going on, so I assume he is still driving.

So, please excuse me if I put his promised June 6th in the NW Herald in the same category as his promise to serve on three terms.

You, of course, are welcome to do otherwise.

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While we are on the subject of broken campaign promises, are there others people remember that are attributable to Jack Franks?


Comments

Jack Franks Makes Another Promise — 11 Comments

  1. I’ve heard that it doesn’t take all that long to get to Springfield when you drive 90-100MPH.

  2. It might be an easier task to list campaign promises KEPT by ALL politicians.

    Franks seems to be more Republican than most of the titled Republican politicians in McHenry County.

    One note on term limits that never seems to come up.

    Will we be paying handsome pensions to all these bozos after a one or two term limit?

    If so, we better get ready for higher taxes to afford this!

  3. Why would you want to be Board Chairman of McHenry County?

    If I was given the choice to either a Representative or Board Chairman.

    I would take the Representative position.

    Can someone tell me why he wants the Board Chairman position?

    What am I missing.

  4. He provides no answers to the tax payers…

    He is serving himself, not the people.

    One big helping after another….

    He loves Gordy’s popcorn with lots of butter.

    Hey Jack, it’s time for the people of McHenry County to Start holding you accountable…

    When Nygren and Zinke are gone, there will be no more of those famous Tv shows Let’s Make a Deal” and “The Price is Right”

    TIme to step up to the plate Jack and talk to the tax payers..

    You have a lot of explaining to do…..

  5. Brent, the chief executive role is just that, a chief executive.

    Being chairman is far more prestigious than being 1 of 118.

    Also look at Franks career.

    He’s more about rhetoric, and less about substance.

    Of all the bills he’s proposed or passed, are any of them effective?

    The only bills I can think of are symbolic.

  6. Jack has ‘snowed’ Republicans for a long time with the assistance of the McHenry County Republican party and other local elected officials such as Wheeler, Tryon and Althoff.

    With the recent rejuvenation of the McHenry County Party I expect to see a change in this area.

    Oh! What time does the movie start?

    How many more committees will you Chair to reduce government without doing anything of substance such as tackling the public sector unions and the Prevailing wage requirements?

    Jack is only allowed to vote for or against legislation when Madigan does not need his vote.

    Gay marriage is a classic example.

  7. Allen – In my opinion, I would rather be downstate as a Representative.

    Since you are closer to the action, deal making, and lobbying.

    Being the Board President actually means you have to do something other than being about rhetoric.

    Once you have been elected by a district you will almost always have enough votes to win your seat every two years.

    Since the Board President, if I am wrong I apologize in the future will be elected by the county.

    Franks would then represent one of the smallest population areas in the county.

    He would easily lose his seat to someone from larger communities.

    I don’t see the Franks name pulling votes from the larger communities where he is only known by name and not representing those individuals.

  8. Remember that in the referendum which passed in the 2014 Primary, the County Board Chairman will be directly elected AND he/she does not have to be a member of the County Board.

    But… just because he broke his term limit promise doesn’t mean we should assume he will break all of them.

    I’m sure he has kept promises as well.

    I don’t see him running for that position.

    He’s busy enough in Springfield.

    If anything, I think he’s more likely to run for US Senate in 2016 against Mark Kirk or Governor next time around. (Senate would be perfect if he’s all about rhetoric.)

  9. Let’s examine Jack’s history of promises and statements

    On his first campaign, he said he would self limit his time in office to 3 terms.

    That was 9 terms ago and now he is running for his 10th term.

    Promise not kept and he continues to break it.

    FAILURE

    Didn’t he state that he would not run for Chairman of The County Board?

    Yet now he is running for that position, while he continues to run for the legislative seat he now holds.

    Did not follow through.

    FAILURE

    Claims to fight to reduce real estate taxes, but during his 18 years in the state legislature as a key player iin the party that was and is in power, real estate taxes are now the highest in the country, and our state is now bankrupt…on his watch.

    FAILURE

    Now he wants to bring his brand of Chicago and Springfield failed politics to our county.

    When I look at his record on the above, what comes to mind is a carpet bagger.

    He will bring his approach to his home town and county should the people be foolish enough to elect him.

    I see him as a carpet bagger in his own home town.

    Send him packing on both positions for which he is running.

    We want results, not empty unfulfilled promises.

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