McHenry County Board member and Algonquin Township Republican Party Chairman had a letter published yesterday in the Northwest Herald.
It is published below with the permission of the author:
Don’t Let Jack Franks Bring Madigan and Springfield to McHenry County
To the Editor:
The McHenry County Board passed a BALANCED budget – can Madigan, Franks, and Springfield say that?
No.
The McHenry County Board has LOWERED its budget – can Madigan, Franks, and Springfield say that?
No.
The McHenry County Board has LOWERED its levy – can Madigan, Franks, and Springfield say that?
No.
The McHenry County Board is not broken like Jack Franks wants you to believe.
In fact The McHenry County board moves with diligence in a fiscally responsible manner – something that cannot be said for Madigan, Franks, and Springfield.
Andrew Gasser
The McHenry County Board has held the line on taxes while Madigan, Franks, and Springfield have increased their budgets and levies. In fact, it takes a combined effort of numerous media outlets across the state to get Springfield to do anything.
The only thing broken is Mr. Franks’ pledge [see Northwest Herald articles at link] to us, the residents of McHenry County, that he would run for only three terms as state representative.
Mr. Franks is now serving his ninth term. But more importantly, and very disturbing, Mr. Franks has voted for Mike Madigan as speaker NINE times.
Nine times Mr. Franks has voted to subjugate McHenry County to the fiscal insanity that Madigan and Springfield enforce upon everyone in Illinois.
You are the company you keep.
Many residents have moved from Cook County to escape corruption so why should we vote for someone who has embraced the power that comes with supporting Mike Madigan and Springfield?
Don’t let Jack Franks to bring Madigan and Springfield politics to McHenry County.
I’ve never been affiliated with Jack, however this isn’t and never has been about Jack or jacks inadequacies.
This Is However about michael walkup and his short comings!!
Gasser is afraid he will have to be accountable to a real chairman.
Gasser afraid of the little liar?
I do not think so!
Stand4truth may want to change his handle.
Jack is the most self serving politician in this county.
Only if Hillary and Bill moved here would that change.
I would select Queen Erin as the most self serving politician!
Bhahahah
Gasser, hire someone to do press for you because yesterday, you were against all GOP Mayors, today you are for the GOP candidate for Chairman and yesterday you said in 2017 you are mobilizing Republicans against Republicans.
Thanks for the morning chuckle, Cal!
I love watching the GOP county of McHenry bicker among themselves about issue then point to the Democrats as if they are the ones to affect the property taxes in McHenry and dysfunction in McHenry County. \
Democrats in Springfield voted for consolidation and elimination of certain levels of governments.
The GOP in Springfield did not support that and of course MCHenry County FAILED miserably with township (that antiquated form of government) consolidation.
McHenry is a red county.
Your challenges have been created by your beloved party.
Stop looking to the other side for scapegoats.
You have no none to blame but yourselves.
DMAC57 is right.
100% right you are Sir.
Andrew Gasser just admitted that property taxes are high because of Republicans.
Cool.
As long as people continue to pretend the battle before us is Dems vs. Reps, all efforts toward better government are for naught.
Many purported Republicans wouldn’t know what Republicanism is if it slapped them in the face.
And therein lies the problem.
Good call, Paul.
The only purpose “stand4truth” has is to twist the truth.
Sheesh, he’s good at that!
The liberals never answer the question about the complete lack of Jack’s accomplishments.
There are none except getting elected.
They talk about him being a fighter for the people on taxes, but he and his party have failed in epic proportions. The facts don’t lie.
Illinois, under Madigan and Jackie has the highest taxes of any state in the union, and Madigan and Jackie and the Dem party have bankrupted the state.
They ignore the fact that he has not followed through on his campaign promises, just like they ignore Hillary being am liar.
They ignore the fact that Jackie is just a follower of whatever Madigan wants him to do, which is clearly evidenced by Jackie voting to keep that disaster as speaker 9 out of 9 times.
When discussing Jackie’s myriad of failures, they don’t want to get into the obvious, that would mean they would have to admit that he and the Dem party are CURRENTLY practicing patronage with the Franks -Bartman connection, and that goes back to Jack’s shameless request to to Blagojevich of all people, for a patronage handout job for Bartman,which did happen.
Just admit that in the state of Illinois, Dems are the party pf political favors and patronage, from Chicago to Springfield. They are also the party of financial ruin, Now they want to bring that to McHenry County.
No thanks, Franks.
Paul,
I agree that we Republicans have some house cleaning to do.
It starts with publicly calling out everyone who practices or supports nepotism and patronage regardless of party affiliation.
We need to remove them from office as they come up for election.
We need to replace them with better candidates, and there are better choices out there.
We also need to openly and publicly call out the democrats who are hiding within the Republican party.
In my opinion we should publish the facts that demonstrate who and what they really are, and we should put on a full force frontal attack.
Remove them and replace them with true conservatives.
The time for being polite about this is long gone.
Admittedly, I am the new guy here, and do not have the years of experience in dealing with these issues that others do.
But it is clear to me that what has been done and allowed in the past, for whatever reasons, with respect to RINOs and patronage/nepotism, has not been positive for our governance nor our party.
I believe it is time to take the gloves off.
Andrew Gasser is the greatest threat in recent memory to the liberal McHenry County political establishment.
Gasser has a willingness to take on political correctness, dare to challenge the establishment’s “sacred cows” that create and fund their power, and the integrity to publicly call out people out for their actions on both sides of the aisle.
So if you are part of the establishment:
• Bob and Anna Miller
• Lou Bionchi
• Carolyn Schofield
• Jack Franks
• Pam Althoff
• Barb Wheeler
• Geri Davis
• Joe Gottemoller
• Mike Tryon
• Bill LeFew
• Mary McClellen and Ed Gil
(just to name a few), the thought of Andrew Gasser leading anything is downright horrifying.
If Gasser gets in power he will actually change things for the better and he is a proven winner.
So when the politicians gather along with the like of “moderate”, “stand4truth”, and “Dirty Gasser” at their parties and they start talking how to get rid of him it is for good reason: Gasser is a threat, they are already in power, and they are making fortunes with their “family businesses” being funded by the local taxpayers.
I am one of those people that you have taxed to death.
I am one of those citizens who watches as all of you “Republicans” vote for reckless and dangerous spending.
The local Republican Party has lost its way and the new people, like Andrew, will bring it back.
There is no infighting.
To the many people who are watching this from the outside they are only observing the conservatives rise in strength locally.
Whenever I see people ripping Gasser a new one I know he did something right.
The handwringing in the comment section today……
Attacking Jack Franks on breaking his term limit promise and support of Madigan hasn’t defeated him in the last several elections.
What makes you think it will defeat him now?
Definition of insanity?
Why avoid the issues?
Jack opened the poker game with his 10% tax cut salvo.
So do you call, raise, or fold?
You obviously want to lead, Andrew.
So lead.
If linking Franks with Madigan has not been negative for Franks, why did Franks stop putting Madigan’s name on his fundraising invitations?
John Radke,
I agree with almost everything you have said. However, you speak of nepotism and patronage, but I remind you that, while I believe patronage is very much more a problem than nepotism, patronage was very intentionally removed from the resolution that these local GOP’s have adopted.
I would argue that by intentionally removing patronage, as has been done in each of these resolutions that have been passed, that patronage is not considered an issue or, at the very least, certainly not an issue that was cause for concern among these GOP organizations… hence, their choosing to look the other way on this issue.
If this is not the case, then one can not help but beg the question, “Why was patronage removed from these resolutions?”
Gasser is no leader he has attached himself to the low hanging fruit.
Nepotism is nothing without is twin patronage.
I ask every elected official to remove not only nepotism but also patronage and then we can say we have started somewhere.
Until than Gasser it has been said by others and myself go back to your mama’s basement and keep typing your comments on this blog.
Until than you have accomplished nothing.
This thread is about Andrew G calling
Out Jack Franks on JUST a FEW of
His MANY HYPOCRISIES, which the person
On the street needs to know about !
Jack Franks is trying to bring the Madigan
Mob, bag of dirty tricks into Mchenry county
Government after 18 years of helping create
The big mess in Springfield.
For me, this is about individuals,
Their actions, words & NEVER their
POLITICAL party .
Andrew Gasser & Mike Walkup
ARE the REAL DEAL.
THEIR actions sync up with
Their words.
Jack Franks has been a career player
POLITICIAN for soooo long , he has no
Idea how he looks to someone who looks
Slightly below the surface & does a little
Homework.
Thank YOU Andrew G for calling out
Jack Franks on a fraction of his political
CRAP he spews out all the time !
Paul,
The ATRCC has stated many times that an actionable definition of patronage is far more complex than nepotism. The decision to move forward with nepotism alone for right now, was done ONLY so that we could get movement in the right direction.
There was and is no clandestine reason for not try to cover both at the same time.
This was discussed OPENLY and the related discussion was live streamed when we made this decision.
If we had waited to nail down patronage before we took a step in the right direction with a statement on nepotism would likely mean we would still be just talking and not doing anything.
That has been a problem with local politics and this party for far too long.
I am sure you have heard the wise statement that you eat an elephant one bite at a time.
It would be very unwise to try to swallow an elephant whole with just one bite.
That certainly applies here.
Those who think or claim otherwise did not take the time to do their homework on the discussion the night we passed the nepotism resolution, or they have an agenda to diminish the good work that was started and not yet completed.
This is not the first time this issue has been raised and answered.
While you may not like the answer, it is, nonetheless, the truth
If you have a clear concise and actionable definition of patronage that you would like to share with me or others to help us resolve this issue faster, I would certainly make myself available to discuss it with you, or you can email your definition to me.
Rest assured, there is nothing we would like more than to nail this down and begin the real work of calling those out who practice the black art of political witchcraft, by feeding at the stench filled, festering feedbag of political handouts to family and friends.
BTW, Franks shameless patronage and nepotism letter to his buddy, Blagojevich could be used to help clarify the definition.
Line 3 and above is nepotism.
Line 4 and below is pure patronage.
Bartman is line 4.
Josie Brown,
Exactly what are YOU doing to fight either nepotism or patronage?
Come on, show us all your plan and your vast results.
We all know the answer to that is NOTHING!
You are just a whiner who takes cheap shots at those who are trying to make a difference.
I care not what you think, and less about what you say.
I would say or what you do, but we know, that is NOTHING/
John and Gasser
What have you done you are the ones claiming victory and how you make such a difference.
Why don’t you start in the Republican Party Sheriff Prim, Auditor, County Clerk, Assessor, all county office’s.
Sandy Salgado, Pams sister, not to mention all the people prim hired when he took office from Cook.
Oh that’s right you do not want to rock the boat.
However, you would rather use this to your own political agenda
Where’s the beef?
Almost 9 completed terms (eighteen years), as State Representative, Illinois has suffered under corruption… where governors have been sent to jail, the state is billions of dollars in debt and Franks is coming to save McHenry County from bad government?
And then there are the nameless people who cannot identify themselves, they are quick to knock everyone who questions the savior Jack Franks by using hidden names.
They are cowards (maybe even Jack Franks himself), because every word one says is fabricated and turned around as a negative.
In plain English, what in his 18 years as State Representative done besides promise the world?
He is leaving because he says he can’t get anything done now as State Representative?
and Jack Franks wants to come to McHenry County to fix things?
If he could not get anything done in one office, what makes him think he can in a Republican McHenry County boardroom?
. As if that were not enough, he attacks and have hidden followers attack under ficticious names…
It does not sound like the right approach to get people to work together if he alienates everybody against him.
How many years will it take him to get anything done there…
My biggest knock is “What has Jack Franks Done” 18 years nearly 2 decades and his biggest accomplishment are what?
It seems the only thing he does is causing controversy and whining.
He has been paid well over his time in office and with retirement benefits to boot.
What is your ROI (return on investment) for Illinois taxpayers?
No excuses… Other than promises which politicians break as quickly as they come of their mouth, why should any voter think of Jack Franks as the savior of McHenry County?
It’s easier for someone to stir the pot about others than to defend the man Jack Franks and his near empty resume?
What has he led the charge with other than getting in line to vote not his conscious, but Mike Madigan’s demand?
Cal,
The Madigan issue doesnt resonate with low information voters.
That’s why it hasn’t worked trying to tie Franks to Madigan.
But, keep on trying!
It’s worked well the last dozen times you’ve brought it up in past elections, right?!?!?!
Lol
At this point in politics, no one wants to be associated with Mad Mikey Madigan or Brown Noser Cullerton.
The people are awake, listening and very angry at the current state of affairs in government and politics across Illinois.
Illinois, is the most dysfunctional and corrupt State in the Country.
McHenry County is the most corrupt County in the State of Illinois!
Gasser, is a reformer, who has nothing but the best intentions, and says it like it is!
Josie Brown,
Obviously you need an education on the process.
The people who engage in nepotism or patronage will be dealt with as they come up for election. Until then, other than just whining like you alwways do, little can be done effectively.
So that is how those situations will be addressed.
Franks and Bartman are coming up for election so we will deal with them now.
There are a number of people who will be coming up for elections next winter. We will deal with them then, when it makes sense. Your suggestions demonstrate your complete lack of understanding how to accomplish change.
You have an overly high opinion of your very limited insight. My only agenda is to get good people with integrity elected in this election., and to do my best to point out how some candidates have made promises that they have not fulfilled and work my butt off to see that those people do not damage our county. Whether you agree with my perspective matters not. I have no interest in holding an elected government position.
I don’t care a hoot what you think about me, my motivation or the people I support. You are just a whiner. You do nothing yourself to improve the situation, you just sit in the shadows on the bench and take shots at people who are in the game. You should find something productive to do with your time. There is no value in your comments or what you may think is your insight.
You are not even a very good whiner.
Josie…nepotism won’t change when less tan 10% of the electorate come out and vote. Heck even one of the commenters here is a supporter of nepotism. Between he (township supervisor) and his girlfriend working for him…together they bring home $150K of property tax money every year.