The following is reprinted from the Prairie Star Sentinel with permission. The blog is about politics. It features news and opinions with emphasis on issues facing Illinois, and extra emphasis on McHenry County.
‘Lying Jack Franks’ Chickens Out of Forum
In his typical calculating, Machiavellian pursuit of power, Jack Franks seems to be chickening out of a forum.
Northwest Herald is reporting that Jack Franks “likely will not be attending” a forum hosted by League of Women Voters.
Candidates in each race get to attend forums to answer questions, and most take the opportunity to do so.
He chickened out of a forum with Steve Reick in 2014.
The masthead of the Prairie Star Sentinel.
I believe he (or his campaign staffers) made the political calculation that he was ahead and the forum could only hurt his chances at winning the election.
It appears that he has made the same calculation this time. (I have already written twice on Jack Franks’ sleazy political calculations.)
Franks decided to host 5 town hall meetings of his own.
Jack Franks at his Algonquin Town Hall Meeting. Half of his private security force can be seen in the background.
Why he would not attend the forum is peculiar.
It’s as if he’s saying he will answer questions only on his own terms.
I wonder if he has been loading these town hall meetings up with his supporters to ask questions he has scripted answers for.
He broke his promise about how many terms he would serve in the Illinois House after it would no longer serve him and he could get away with it.
The Northwest Herald headline from early June of 2014 about Jack Franks’ promise not to run for McHenry County Board Chairman.
He broke his promise that he would not run for McHenry County Board after it would no longer serve him and he could get away with it.
All of these facts taken together create a strong case that Jack Franks likely suffers from narcissistic personality disorder. Mayo Clinic states,
“Narcissistic personality disorder is a mental disorder in which people have an inflated sense of their own importance, a deep need for admiration and a lack of empathy for others. But behind this mask of ultraconfidence lies a fragile self-esteem that’s vulnerable to the slightest criticism.”
People I know who have encountered him in the private sector as well as people who have worked for his campaign in previous years have described him as “narcissistic” and “power hungry.”
Jack Franks could prove me wrong though by deciding to get on stage with his opponent, Mike Walkup, or at least show that he has some scheduling conflict that makes it impossible for him to attend.
Northwest Herald
Franks Asks County for 2 Advisory Referendums
June 6, 2014
by Kevin Craver
“Franks made clear that he is not pushing for County Board changes as an effort to run for the chairman’s seat in two years, following the footsteps of former state senators Chris Lauzen and Dan Cronin, now chairmen of the Kane and DuPage county boards.
‘What I’m trying to do is reduce our property taxes in McHenry County and make it livable so people don’t leave,” Franks said.
‘I can promise you I am not running for county chairman in 2016.
This has nothing to do with me.
This is about good government.'”
http://www.nwherald.com/2014/06/05/franks-asks-county-for-2-advisory-referendums/a6ejr9p/?view=all
Northwest Herald
McHenry County Board election referendum on the ballot
– Voters to decide direct election of County Board chairman
January 24, 2014
“State Rep. Jack Franks, D-Marengo, in 2012 filed a bill that would have forced popular election in McHenry and Lake counties.
The bill got crushed in the House, but Franks spearheaded putting the county executive referendum on the November 2012 ballot.
The County Board voted last August, 19-4, to finally put the question to voters this March.”
http://www.nwherald.com/2014/01/24/mchenry-county-board-election-referendum-on-ballot/apxicgi/?page=2
Glad you bring up PERSONALITY DISORDERS
Regarding Franco, Cal.
This subject has been on my mind to
Point this out a few times.
The man who dellusionally believes he would be
KING of Mchenry County is a poster boy with
Numerous symptoms.
More to come on future posts.
Only a coward would refuse to debate.
He must be very concerned about having to answer unscripted questions from the voters.
Why would any thinking person vote for someone who cares not about communicating to the voters?
Is this what The voters should expect from Frank’s? Calculated political moves, instead of what is best for the people of McHenry County?
We’ve all encountered this toxic disorder at some time or another.
To ignore is torture for them and you suffer the repercussions.
To acknowledge them in any way, any manner, just feeds into their delusional view of the world and themselves.
My experiences over the years when I’ve been forced to deal with them in work environments, is to simply hope that they are somehow burned and buried in acid.
Gather a group to attend the forums and start peppering him with questions he is unprepared to answer.
Change up the questions at each forum as to keep an element of surprise for Mr. Franks.
I am not aware that Franks will be having any more forums.
And he doesn’t answer or even acknowledge all questions put in his fishbowl.
See http://mchenrycountyblog.com/2016/09/01/the-question-jack-franks-would-not-answer-at-his-woodstock-town-hall-meeting/
In 2012 Jack Franks advocated for a County Executive form of government with an elected County Executive.
That referendum failed on November 6, 2012.
++++++++
In 2014 Jack Franks advocated for a voter elected County Board Chair (instead of the elected Board in turn electing one of their own as County Board Chair).
That referendum passed on March 18, 2014.
++++++++
In June 2016 Jack Franks was advocating to place two County advisory referendums on the ballot.
– Increase the number of districts from 6 to 16, and reduce the number of board members from 24 to 16 (there are currently 6 districts with 4 members per district).
– No property tax hike if EAV decreases.
That’s when he made the statement quoted in the comment above that he would not run for County Board Chair in 2016.
++++++
Not only is Jack Franks running for County Board Chair.
Jack Franks also refuses to participate in a County Board Chair debate with his opponent, for the very position he advocated be voter elected so the voters had a say in the matter.
So while voters do get to elect the County Board Chair, they don’t get to hear the opponents debate.
It seems his desire for the County Board Chair be voter elected was more about Jack Franks than the voters.
After the Goldwater rule was passed, clinicians were barred from speculating on the mental faculties of candidates.
This article is sleazy and it’s inferences of Franks having a personality disorder is irresponsible, freckles and tasteless.
Pretty funny.
The League doesn’t even read the good questions either and has a history of being left-leaning.
Lying Jack doesn’t even want to appear with Mike Walkup, but he’s going to be bi-partisan and get cooperation with a GOP County Board?
1) Ridiculous that Franks won’t attend any debates/forums.
2) Franks has security detail? Seriously?
Chicken Franks is merely following his idol, Lady Macbeth Clinton, in refusing to allow the booblic to know what he’s really about: the aggrandizement of a phony!
freckles? LOL
LOL Franks has something against ‘freckles’ !
How about if we allow him to bring his security detail?
Or would that also be “freckles and tasteless”?
forbids psychiatrists from commenting on individuals’ mental state without examining them personally and being authorized by the person to make such comments
LOL The ‘Goldwater Rule’ pertains to
Sorry the above was posted in the
wrong order.
The ‘Goldwater Rule’ pertains to
PSYCHIATRISTS, not Cal.
Moderate, you almost seem to be
Taking these comments personally?
Yeah, that’s what I said.
And freckles…. don’t forget that. 😉
But Mike, while you are lurking, how’s editing your A-1’s and D-2’s going?
Ok Moderate
Jack Franks is a humble man, according to Moderate…
He doesn’t have a high opinion of himself.
I think I recognize the security guy from “Better Call Saul”.
Ah NO, ModerateNOT, you used a much
more general term ‘clinician’.
So you said ‘article is sleazy,irresponsible, freckles and tasteless’, hilarious compared to all the NASTY (mailings sent out about Steve Reick), dirty tricks (ghost candidates) and UNTRUTHS to numerous to count.
REALLY ?
So Freckles and Karma back at ya 😛
Ummm.
It’s not a debate.
That has been repeated ad nauseum by LWV.
Maybe if you call it a debate three times while facing a mirror it will become one.
Hey Franks (or ‘Moderate’), didn’t you mean to use the word “feckless”?
The word YOU used (twice) is ‘plural of freckle’ ( a small brown spot on skin becoming more evident by exposure to the sun )
used in a sentence:
Hopefully, FECKLESS FRANK’s record in Springfield, and his agenda with the Madigan Machine will be exposed by sunlight,
leaving voters running to the polls to vote for his opponent, Michael Walkup!
Feckless – F E C K L E S S – Feckless
You know!
I totally missed that!
Thank God you caught it Lorna