Jack Franks Still Running for State Rep. – Part 42

Imagine my surprise when the Northwest Herald ran the State Rep. Jack Franks’ patronage memo to Governor Rod Blagojevich’s administration asking that his family and friends be put on state commissions or in state jobs.

True it wasn’t a news article.

A Franks opponent to his election to Chair the McHenry County Board named Chris Lawrence, who is from Cary, sent the following text of the memo published by McHenry County Blog a long time ago–2008:

To the Editor:

Which local lawmaker recommended family and friends for state jobs to the Blagojevich Administration in 2003?

You can read the text of the memo below to see Franks’ wife, father, and fellow Democrats were at the top of the patronage list. I shudder to think what appointments Franks would make if elected McHenry County Board Chairman.

M E M O To: Margaret Houlihan
From: St. Rep. Jack D. Franks
RE: Positions with Gov. Blagojevich Administration
DATE: February 27, 2003

The following are individuals who we had requested be considered for jobs with the Blagojevich administration. They are prioritized as follows:

1. Deborah Wolf Franks for a commission;
2. Herbert H. Franks for a commission;
3. David B. Franks, a non-paid position with Boxing Commission;
4. John Bartman, a position with IDOT;
5. Michael Dalessandro, position as Highway Maintainer with IDOT;
6. Judge Erin O’Connell-Diaz, position with the Illinois Commission;
7. Nancy Vazzano, managerial position with any public service department;
8. Fred Shay, management position, primarily Info Technology and IDOT Aviation;
9. Susan Van Weelden, Commission;
10. Bill Clow, any public service department;
11. Mary Kennedy, any public service department

Keep Chicago politics and corruption out of McHenry County.

Reject Jack Franks for County Board Chair in November.
Don’t think it’s for real?
Take a look:
Franks Partonage Req Memo 2-27-03

Is Jack Franks still running for both State Representative and McHenry County Board Chairman?

Click here to find out.

We do know on Sunday, May 15th, Pete Gonigam reported,

“Franks qualified that saying he’d give up the Rep. race if the Committee can pick another candidate who’s both ‘electable’ and holds a political outlook consistent with his own.”

Maybe Gonigam caught Franks off-guard…before he honed the message he would later give all other reporters.

I imagine it’s hard to find someone whom Jack Franks thinks is as good as he thinks he is.


Comments

Jack Franks Still Running for State Rep. – Part 42 — 7 Comments

  1. Imagine to Rod’s surprise when Jack was the lone Democrat in the House calling for Gov Rod’s impeachment.

  2. hahaha, Chgo Politics at its finest we do have cell room next to blago’ s I understand..

  3. Perhaps Blagojevich should have responded positively to Franks’ request to appoint his relatives.

  4. When the two are compared, objectively, Jacko comes out as far worse than Blago could ever be.

    For one thing, Blago will readily admit he’s a huckster …. hypocrite Jacko would never come clean!

  5. Democrat Speaker of the House Michael Madigan appointed a panel to impeach Governor Rod Blagojevich.

  6. Yep , love that picture of Blago & Franks being in cells

    Next to each other.

  7. Jackie is helping the Republican Party with a good explanation of the difference between nepotism and patronage.

    The first three on the list is nepotism.

    The remainder of the list is patronage.

    Clear, concise, and to the point.

    Perhaps we should just publish this letter as an example of the differences between the two.

    Didn’t I see #7 on the list just author an LTE supporting Jackie? I wonder why?

    Dem machine politics at its worst. Great example to share with voters

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