Jack Franks Goes After More Chicago Money

Jack Franks, running for a McHenry Countywide office, apparently doesn’t have enough money.

He is holding another Chicago fundraiser, this time hosted by U.S. Senator Dick Durbin.

The invitation to the event, to be held at Petterino’s, is below:

The invitation for Jack Franks October 19th Chicago fundraiser hosted by U.S. Senator Dick Durbin.

The invitation for Jack Franks October 19th Chicago fundraiser hosted by U.S. Senator Dick Durbin.

Prices for the event are a minimum of $250.

Listed on the invitation are

  • Perry Browder
  • Michael Carrigan
  • Flip Corboy
  • John Simmons
  • Todd Smith
  • Chicago Federation of Labor
  • Senator Dick Durbin

Commenter Mark identifies them in the comment section.

Prices are listed on this part of the invitation.

Prices are listed on this part of the invitation.

Abby Erwin is taking reservations.


Comments

Jack Franks Goes After More Chicago Money — 31 Comments

  1. Democrat State Senator Dick Durbin fundraising for incumbent Democrat 63rd District State Representative Jack Franks who is currently the Democrat Candidate for McHenry County Board Chair.

    +++++++++

    The above flyer says:

    Please join Perry Browder, Michael Carrigan, Flip Corboy, John Simmons, Todd Smith, Chicago Federation of Labor, and Special Guest Senator Dick Durbin .

    +++++++++

    Perry Browder – President, Illinois Trial Lawyers Association; asbestos attorney and shareholder at Simmons Hanly Conroy in Alton

    “He continued his career as a felony prosecutor in McHenry COunty and later joined the law office of William Kozial.”

    Source: Madison St Clair Record, June 2, 2015

    http://www.madisonrecord.com/stories/510547671-perry-browder-of-simmons-firm-appointed-president-of-itla

    ++++++++++

    More to follow.

    +++++++++

    An Democrat US Senator from central Illinois is holding a fundraiser in Chicago in support of a McHenry County Board Chair candidate?

    Why is the McHenry County Board Chair position important to the Democrats?

    Why is Jack Franks important to Dick Durbin?

    ++++++

    Dick Durbin is a notable tax hiker.

    It is time to understand how Jack Franks legislation has resulted in tax hikes.

    ++++++

    Unfunded mandates.

    +++++++

    Legislative unfunded mandates that become law result in hiked costs, which in turn results in debt, unfunded liabilities, higher taxes, cuts, or efficiency’s are found.

    So when Jack Franks says he’s never voted for a tax hike, well, he has voted for unfunded mandate legislation that hiked taxes, and see above for the rest of that story.

  2. You know, Mark, like to play a blame game when it comes to unfunded mandates.

    Yet, you are always really sketchy when it comes to actual pointing out which mandates you are talking about.

    So I did some research tonight.

    In a recent report polling local governments, municipalities complained that the most burdensome unfunded/underfunded mandates dealt with:

    Public Pensions, Collective Bargaining, Workman’s Comp, Health Insurance, and Prevailing wage.
    I find this hilarious that you work for IDOT and complain about politicians contributing to unfunded/underfunded mandates, but you benefit from an underfunded public pension guaranteed by collective bargaining and instilled with workmans comp, health insurance and prevailing wages.

  3. I have a feeling that some Republicans are worried that Franks will win.

    Why would the blog have so many articles about Franks?

  4. Instead of talking about Franks, tell the people about Mike and all he could do for us.

  5. Michael Carrigan

    President

    Illinois AFL-CIO

    ++++++++++++

    This is the State affiliate of the national AFL-CIO.

    ++++++++++++

    AFL-CIO = American Federation of Labor – Congress of Industrial Organizations

    +++++++++++++

    AFL-CIO is a federation of labor organizations.

    It is an umbrella organization of labor unions.

    It coordinates among unions and advocates for the use of union labor.

    ++++++++++++++

    The majority of union contributions to Jack Frank PACs have come from AFL-CIO affiliated unions, umbrella organizations, their affiliates, and PACs.

    That is $674,345 of $972,510, which is 69%.

    +++++++++++++++

    Here is the high level break-down of the $674,345 in AFL-CIO affiliated contributions that have gone to Jack Franks PACs:

    IFT-AFT Teachers – $162,110

    IBEW electricians – $109,550

    Plumbers & Pipefitters (UA) – $63,800

    Laborers – $59,090

    AFL-CIO umbrella organizations – $57,820

    IUOE operating engineers – $49,875

    Firefighters – $29,350

    UAW – $27,550

    AFSCME – $23,550

    Ironworkers (BSOIW) – $23,550

    Painters (IUPAT) – $12,450

    Sheet Metal Workers (SMWIA) – $9,960

    Elevator Constructors (IUEC) – $9,500

    Heat & Frost Insulators (AWIU) – $6,250

    Bricklayers (BAC) – $5,900

    Steel Workers (USW) – $5,500

    Boilermakers (IBB) – $4,150

    United Transporation Union (UTU) – $4,050

    Locomotive Engineers (BLET) – $3,100

    Unite Here – $2,000

    Plasterers & Cement Masons (OPCMIA) – $1,290

    Machinists & Aerospace Workers (IAMAW) – $750

    Postal (NALC) – $500

    University Professionals – $1,700

    +++++++++

  6. A few specific unfunded mandates which Jack Franks voted for and became state law have been named.

    The best single resource for the unfunded mandate cost hiking laws is the report submitted by the Illinois Municipal League to the Local Government Consolidation and Unfunded Mandates Task Force.

    The name of the report is the, “Report to the Local Government Consolidation and Unfunded Mandates Task Force.”

    http://legislative.iml.org/file.cfm?key=8316

    Jack Franks was member of that task force.

    The report is dated March 4, 2015.

    The Chair of the Task Force was Lieutenant Governor Evelyn Sanguinetti.

  7. Fourth name from the flyer.

    John Simmons

    Simmons Hanly Conroy

    Alton, Illinois (they also have an office in Chicago).

    Formed when Simmons Browder Gianaris Angelides & Barnerd LLC merged with Hanly Conroy Bierstein Sheridan Fisher & Hayes LLP.

    Originally the firm was Simmons Cooper.

    ++++++++++++

    Here is a recent update on some of their political contributions, along with a few other firms.

    Madison St Clair Record

    In Six Weeks, Three Local Firms Pitch in Nearly $800K to State Dem Campaigns

    October 11, 2016

    http://www.madisonrecord.com/stories/511017806-in-six-weeks-three-local-firms-pitch-in-nearly-800k-to-state-dem-campaigns

  8. Fifth name on the flyer.

    Todd Smith is Todd A Smith of Power Rogers & Smith LLP in Chicago?

  9. Stop Franks in his tracks!

    Vote for Walkup if for no other reason then to get rid of Franks!

  10. Mark, let’s delve into the mandates that have you so twisted about.

    The mandates covered in the report Mark references cover Local Government Organization and Structure Mandates, Due Process Mandates, Service Mandates, Tax Exemption Mandates, Personnel Mandates, Pension, Property Tax Caps, Collective Bargaining/Interest Arbitration, Prevailing WAge,Public Safety Employee Benefits Act, the Disability Act, FOIA and Health Insurance.

    Of the 19 pages on the report listing the many mandates:
    -8 1/2 Pages Deal with Pension That’s 111 line items in case you were counting. So, Mark, unless you are willing to give up your IDOT state pension, looks like you are part of the problem.

    -The next section covers tax breaks, like those for lower income residents, seniors, Vets, home improvement exemption from catastrophic events and PTELL. So, Mark, unless you are heartless, these are exemption exist to help the most disadvantaged in our communities.

    -Sales tax mandates on page 11 cover non-profits and organize the sales tax code. So, Mark, unless you plan on taxing school band programs anytime soon, you might want to keep these as well.

    -Next, the Public Records and Meetings section requires compliance to the Open Meetings Act, FOIA and protecting data. So, Mark, unless you are against open meetings and FOIA, these stay too.

    -Next, Labor Relations covering equal pay, prevailing wage, workmans comp, PSEBA, Military leave, collective bargaining and Public Employee Disability Act – most of these, YOU BENEFIT FROM MARK! You work for IDOT!

    I’m not going to go through the rest, but I think the theme here is clear. Mandates are a necessary part of government and the cost incurred bring far greater public good than without them. You may disagree with some of them. You may politically disagree with collective bargaining mandate, for example. But I bet you are paying into that pension and won’t turn that away and that is the single largest underfunded/funded mandates.

    Let’s be really clear, Mark, you are the benefit of many mandates if you choose to take advantage of them, or not – or at least have the opportunity to if disaster, catastrophe or illness strikes. Illinois may have a lot of problems, but when you look under the hood at many of these mandates, a lot of them are for the public good and the taxes incurred are well worth it.

  11. Jack Franks voted for unfunded mandates that became law that hike costs.

    How are the hiked costs funded?

    Hiked taxes, cutting services, not funding pensions appropriately (kicking the can down the road, but that’s temporary not permanent relief).

    ++++++

    The worst of those unfunded mandates are pension benefit hikes.

    And retiree healthcare benefit hikes.

    Because those benefit hikes are contractual cannot be diminished or impaired thanks to one sentence added to the Illinois State constitution on December 15, 1970.

    +++++++

    Public Act 94-0004 is an example of a pension benefit hike.

    State Representative Jack Franks voted for PA 94-0004.

    Governor Rod Blagojevich signed PA 94-0004 into law.

    PA 94-0004 was covered in a comment in the following post.

    ++++++++

    McHenry County Blog

    Jack Franks’ $2 Million Pension

    August 4, 2016

    http://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2016/08/04/jack-franks-2-million-pension

  12. The Jack Franks PAC is holding a fundraiser featuring the following people supporting Jack Franks:

    – Democrat US Senator Dick Durbin

    – Trial attorney Perry Browder, President, Illinois Trial Lawyers Association; asbestos attorney and shareholder at Simmons Hanly Conroy in Alton

    – Trial attorney Flip Corboy, Partner at Corboy & Demetrio PC, a personal injury law firm that has acquired at least $3 billion in settlements and verdicts, nearly 600 in excess of $1 million.

    – Trial attorney John Simmons, Partner at Simmons Hanly Conroy, a mesothelioma law firm that has helped recover $5 billion for clients.

    – Trial attorney Todd Smith?, Partner at Powers Rogers & Smith LLP in Chicago, where personal injury lawyers have won more than $3 billion in birth injury, medical malpractice, trucking cases, and more.

    – Labor leader Michael Carrigan, President of the Illinois AFL-CIO. AFL-CIO is an umbrella union organization whose affiliates have contributed a cumulative $674,345 to Jack Franks PACs.

    – Power labor organization Chicago Federation of Labor, and AFL-CIO central labor council (CLC) that promotes union labor and coordinate among unions. Officers of the CFL are leaders of various union locals and umbrella organizations in Chicago and the Chicago area.

  13. Mark!

    Face it!

    You are a part of the problem too!

    You have a pension!

    Are you going to give up your pension Mark?

    What’s the biblical verse about specks in others’ eyes when you have boards in your own?!

  14. Unfunded mandates cause tax hikes.

    ++++++++++++++++++++++

    Here is the complete Illinois Policy Institute (IPI) report referenced above.

    The report is more comprehensive than the IPI document mentioned in a previous comment, which was a summary article about the report.

    +++++++++++++++++++

    Illinois Policy Institute

    Tax Revenues Aren’t Illinois’ Problem – Spending Is

    Summer 2016

    by:

    – Ted Dabrowski, Vice President of Policy

    – Craig Lesner, Director of Budget and Tax Research

    – John Klingner, Policy Analyst

    17 pages

    https://files.illinoispolicy.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Spending-Report-6.14.pdf

  15. What is going on?

    Are Dick Durbin, trial lawyers, and labor leaders endorsing Jack Franks campaign pitch to lower property taxes 10%?

    No.

    But Dick Drubin, trial lawyers, and labor leaders are supporting Jack Franks in the above fundraiser.

  16. Well that’s a good point.

    My point was Dick Durbin and the unions have no desire supporting a candidate that’s promoting cutting property taxes 10%.

    ++++++++++++++

    Jack Franks is on both sides of the fence.

    Property taxpayers want to reign in property taxes.

    Unions and their supporters including Dick Durbin want hiked taxes to fund pensions, retiree healthcare, salary hikes, and any current benefit hiked costs.

  17. Are you serious Mark?

    You are part of the system too!

    You want hiked taxes to pay for your pension.

  18. Jack Franks wants to lower property taxes.

    Does that mean he will fight to scale back police and fire pension benefits which he voted to hike as a State Representative.

    Well he can’t scale back benefits for current employees.

    One sentence added to the Illinois State Constitution states that retirement benefits are contractual and cannot be diminished or impaired.

    So any changes would apply to future workers.

    Legislative benefit hikes to pensions are an example of unfunded mandates.

    Such unfunded mandates hike pension costs.

    Many municipalities in McHenry County have big underfunded police and fire pensions.

    Ditto fire protection districts.

    When he voted for the legislative pension benefit hikes, most of those police and fire pensions were already underfunded.

    So if pension costs are hikes, who pays for the hikes?

    =============

    A big ticket fundraiser, $250 for an individual ticket, is scheduled by the Jack Franks PAC in conjunction with professional fundraising organization KJD Strategies of Chicago.

    Supporting Jack Franks at the reception will be Democrat US Senator Dick Durbin, union organized labor leaders, and trial lawyers.

    Does not seem like a crowd that will fight for lower property taxes in McHenry County.

    So why are they supporting Jack Franks?

  19. Has the Dustbin given up on Bustos and moving to push Franks for U.S. Senate?

  20. Current US Senator from Illinois, Dick Durbin, is 71 and his term expires in 2020.

    ++++++++

    Jack Franks, the Unfunded Mandate Cost Hiker supported by Dick Durbin, trial lawyers, labor leaders, and Jeffery Lichte.

  21. The following are listed in the flyer above as supporting Jack Franks.

    The flyer was for a fundraiser with a minimum $250 entry fee hosted at Petterino’s in Chicago

    – Perry Browder, attorney, Simmons, Hanly, Conroy

    – Michael Carrigan, President, Illinois AFL-CIO

    – Flip Corboy, attorney, Corboy & Demetrio

    +++++++++++

    Perry Browder, Michael Carrigan, and Flip Corboy also contributed to the People’s Map PAC that opposed the voter initiated Independent Maps effort.

    The Independent maps effort was aimed at redistricting reform of how legislative boundaries are drawn every 10 years by the Illinois General Assembly.

    The following Illinois Policy Institute article tells the story.

    +++++++

    Illinois Policy Institute

    Group that blocked independent redistricting reform contributed $6.6M to Madigan controlled political organizations

    November 2, 2016

    by Eric Kohn

    “Illinoisans could have been voting November 8th on an amendment to introduce fairness into the way the state draws legislative boundaries, an important aspect that determines the makeup of the Illinois General Assembly.

    But a group called The People’s Map successfully waged a legal battle to have the Independent Map Amendment tossed off Illinois’ fall ballot.”

    “The backers include four attorneys, 11 law firms, and five labor unions – all of whom have, or are employed by law firms who have, long histories of contributions to political entities controlled by Madigan:

    – Margaret Corboy and Philip Corboy, partner at the law firm Corboy and Demetrio

    – Michelle Browder and Perry Browder, shareholder at the law firm Simmons Hanly Conroy LLC

    – Illinois State AFL-CIO (Michael Carrigan is the President of the Illinois State AFL-CIO”

    http://www.illinoispolicy.org/group-that-blocked-independent-redistricting-reform-contributed-6-6m-to-madigan-controlled-political-organizations

  22. A 4th name appears on the Jack Franks $250 minimum entry fundraiser flyer.

    That is Todd Smith, who is a Partner at Powers, Rogers & Smith.

    Powers Rogers and Smith also appears on the Illinois State Board of Elections list of contributors to the Madigan linked People’s Map PAC that opposed Independent Maps.

    The attorney for People’s Map was Michael Kasper.

    That’s the same Michael Kasper that was pictured (see link below) with Jack Franks during redistricting reform hearings at Marengo High School in 2011.

    ++++++++

    McHenry County Blog

    Jack Franks Threatens McHenry County Blog

    June 22, 2012

    http://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2012/06/22/jack-franks-threatens-mchenry-county-blog

    ++++++++

    A 5th name on the fundraiser flyer, John Simmons, is a Partner at the same Simmons Hanly Conroy where Perry Browder is a Shareholder.

    Perry Browder is also the immediate past President of the Illinois Trial Lawyers Association.

  23. The 6th name on the top of the Fundraiser flyer, the Chicago Federation of Labor, is an AFL-CIO labor council affiliated with the Illinois AFL-CIO.

    So all six names on the top of the Jack Franks fundraiser flyer were among those, or linked closely to those, who contributed to the Madigan linked People’s Map initiative which defeated voter initiated Independent Maps.

    +++++++++++

    Chicago Tribune

    Editorial: Who’s Financing the Fight Against Fair Legislative Maps

    August 10, 2016

    by Editorial Board

    “You might as well call The People’s Map by a different name – Madigan’s Map.”

    http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/editorials/ct-illinois-remap-supreme-court-madigan-edit-20160810-story.html

  24. The Flip Corboy connection to Jack Franks and Michael Madigan

    +++++++++++++

    The above flyer for an October 19, 2016 Jack Franks fundraiser in Chicago promotes Flip Corboy (Philip Corboy) as a guest.

    At the time, Jack Franks was the Democrat candidate for the inaugural voter elected McHenry County Board Chair election held on November 8, 2016.

    Why would a Chicago trial lawyer be interested in Jack Franks becoming McHenry County Board Chair?

    +++++++++

    Jack Franks and the Illinois Democrat party have had a long time goal of creating a voter elected head of McHenry County.

    The reason is the Republicans dominate the McHenry County Board, so to gain political power, Democrats want more county board districts (there are currently 6) and the chance for voters to elect the County Board Chair.

    The only Democrat with enough popularity be elected to such a position is Jack Franks.

    +++++++++

    Michael Madigan is the Chair of the Democrat Party of Illinois.

    Jack Franks voted for Michael Madigan to be House Speaker (leader) in each of his 9 terms (18 years) as a State Representative.

    These two Democrats worked together for 18 years.

    +++++++++

    Jack Franks was the most visible proponent for a voter elected head of McHenry County.

    Here is how it unfolded.

    First, Jack Franks pushed for a referendum to create a voter elected McHenry County Executive.

    That referendum failed on November 6, 2012.

    Next, Jack Franks pushed for a referendum to create a voter elected McHenry County Board Chair.

    That referendum passed on March 18, 2014.

    While pushing for that referendum Jack Franks said that he would not run for County Board Chair in 2016.

    On May 15, 2016, Jack Franks announced he was filing to run as the Democrat candidate for McHenry County Board Chair.

    On November 8, 2016, Jack Franks was elected McHenry County Board Chair.

    ++++++++++++

    Shortly after elected McHenry County Board Chair, Jack Franks requested that County Board Administration hire two people who had previously worked for him to positions which did not yet exist and had not been approved by the County Board.

    The County Administration and Jack Franks controversially hired the two, without knowledge by the full County Board (Jack Franks told a selected few his intentions).

    One of those two patronage hires previously worked as a Madigoon (Michael Madigan political operative).

    ++++++++++++

    Chicago Tribune

    Madigan’s Intent on Remaining Speaker

    September 11, 1986

    by Steve Neal

    “Chicago personal-injury lawyer Philip H Corboy wrote members of the Illinois Trial Lawyers Association, urging them to buy tickets to Madigan’s party.

    ‘I know that he is opposed to any legislative regulation of contingency fees, and I know that he is opposed to any caps or damages,’ Corboy wrote.

    ‘Mike Madigan is a compassionate and understanding man.

    He understands the tort system and how it works.

    Without his help, the tort system as we know it would not have been preserved.'”

    http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1986-09-11/news/8603080639_1_mike-madigan-tort-system-illinois-house

    ++++++++++++++

    Flip Corboy and Jack Franks are trial lawyers.

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