Jack Franks Attempt to Camouflage Past Tax Hike Votes

State Rep. candidate Steve Reick nails the evidence that State Rep. Jack Franks voted for legislation that resulted in higher property taxes in an article Reick published on his web site yesterday.

The Shell Game


Comments

Jack Franks Attempt to Camouflage Past Tax Hike Votes — 11 Comments

  1. Reick knows he’s not running against Franks anymore, right?

  2. Thanks to Steve & Cal !

    Well this IS fascinating info.

    Just shows people how dazed
    & confused Franks is, co-sponsoring, voting for this bill 4 X’s (or 5) & then
    Voting against it.

    But, when you are bought by so many
    Various groups (numerous teachers
    Unions) etc., because of campaign contributions, what is best for district
    TAXPAYERS where you came from is
    Totally UNIMPORTANT.

    Just remember Mchenry county voters
    & taxpayers, Jack Franks has approximately $572,000 (+ or -) in his campaign donation chest NOW.

    Don’t allow your votes to be bought
    By slick flyers, media disinfo, public
    Appearances & more.

  3. **Don’t allow your votes to be bought**

    You said the same thing when Bruce Rauner bought the Governor’s Office, right?

  4. Alabama, you have me confused
    With someone else.

    I only started reading & posting on
    The blog in april.

    Didn’t know my words were similar
    To anyone elses ?

    Just came out of my thoughts that
    Way, seriously.

  5. We will only be in for more tricks and dirty deals if Jack is elected to be county chairman!

    Go Steve!

  6. Is Jack Franks an Alinskyite?

    * RULE 1: “Power is not only what you have, but what the enemy thinks you have.” Power is derived from 2 main sources – money and people. “Have-Nots” must build power from flesh and blood. (These are two things of which there is a plentiful supply. Government and corporations always have a difficult time appealing to people, and usually do so almost exclusively with economic arguments.)

    * RULE 2: “Never go outside the expertise of your people.” It results in confusion, fear and retreat. Feeling secure adds to the backbone of anyone. (Organizations under attack wonder why radicals don’t address the “real” issues. This is why. They avoid things with which they have no knowledge.)

    * RULE 3: “Whenever possible, go outside the expertise of the enemy.” Look for ways to increase insecurity, anxiety and uncertainty. (This happens all the time. Watch how many organizations under attack are blind-sided by seemingly irrelevant arguments that they are then forced to address.)

    * RULE 4: “Make the enemy live up to its own book of rules.” If the rule is that every letter gets a reply, send 30,000 letters. You can kill them with this because no one can possibly obey all of their own rules. (This is a serious rule. The besieged entity’s very credibility and reputation is at stake, because if activists catch it lying or not living up to its commitments, they can continue to chip away at the damage.)

    * RULE 5: “Ridicule is man’s most potent weapon.” There is no defense. It’s irrational. It’s infuriating. It also works as a key pressure point to force the enemy into concessions. (Pretty crude, rude and mean, huh? They want to create anger and fear.)

    * RULE 6: “A good tactic is one your people enjoy.” They’ll keep doing it without urging and come back to do more. They’re doing their thing, and will even suggest better ones. (Radical activists, in this sense, are no different that any other human being. We all avoid “un-fun” activities, and but we revel at and enjoy the ones that work and bring results.)

    * RULE 7: “A tactic that drags on too long becomes a drag.” Don’t become old news. (Even radical activists get bored. So to keep them excited and involved, organizers are constantly coming up with new tactics.)

    * RULE 8: “Keep the pressure on. Never let up.” Keep trying new things to keep the opposition off balance. As the opposition masters one approach, hit them from the flank with something new. (Attack, attack, attack from all sides, never giving the reeling organization a chance to rest, regroup, recover and re-strategize.)

    * RULE 9: “The threat is usually more terrifying than the thing itself.” Imagination and ego can dream up many more consequences than any activist. (Perception is reality. Large organizations always prepare a worst-case scenario, something that may be furthest from the activists’ minds. The upshot is that the organization will expend enormous time and energy, creating in its own collective mind the direst of conclusions. The possibilities can easily poison the mind and result in demoralization.)

    * RULE 10: “If you push a negative hard enough, it will push through and become a positive.” Violence from the other side can win the public to your side because the public sympathizes with the underdog. (Unions used this tactic. Peaceful [albeit loud] demonstrations during the heyday of unions in the early to mid-20th Century incurred management’s wrath, often in the form of violence that eventually brought public sympathy to their side.)

    * RULE 11: “The price of a successful attack is a constructive alternative.” Never let the enemy score points because you’re caught without a solution to the problem. (Old saw: If you’re not part of the solution, you’re part of the problem. Activist organizations have an agenda, and their strategy is to hold a place at the table, to be given a forum to wield their power. So, they have to have a compromise solution.)

    * RULE 12: Pick the target, freeze it, personalize it, and polarize it.” Cut off the support network and isolate the target from sympathy. Go after people and not institutions; people hurt faster than institutions. (This is cruel, but very effective. Direct, personalized criticism and ridicule works.)

  7. Illinois School District Budgets for Dummies

    ++++++++

    Chapter 1: The Stealth School District Tax Hike Law

    ++++++++

    Key concept 1:

    – The Transportation Fund has no tax rate limit (uncapped fund).

    – The Education Fund has a rate limit (capped fund). The exact limit depends if the school district is a unit district (4%), high school district (3.5%), or elementary district (3.5%).

    Sidebar – Consolidating a high school district and an elementary district to a unit district allows the new unit district to hike taxes by using the higher tax rate.

    Source for maximum tax rates: Illinois Department of Revenue, Fund Max Rate and Statute Reference.

    ++++++++

    Key concept 2: Permanent Interfund Transfer

    Permanent meaning it is not a loan from one fund to another, rather, a permanent transfer.

    Interfund meaning between two funds, from for instance, the Transportation Fund, to the Education Fund.

    ++++++++

    In government and non-profit accounting, a “fund” is a mini budget within the overall budget.

    Three such funds in Illinois school districts are:

    – Education Fund

    – Operations and Maintenance Fund

    – Transportation Fund

    The school district permanent interfund transfer law applies to these three funds.

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

    Using a specific example, funds are transferred from the Transportation Fund to the Education Fund.

    Administrator and teacher salary and benefit hikes come from the Education Fund.

    +++++++

    Restating key concept 1:

    – Education Fund is capped.

    – Transportation fund is uncapped.

    +++++++

    What if the administrators and teachers want bigger pay and benefit hikes than the maximum tax rate in the Education Fund allows?

    +++++++

    Choices are:

    – If the school district’s Education fund is under the statutory maximum tax rate, it can hold a referendum to hike the tax rate.

    – Increase the Transportation Fund rate, and transfer the resulting tax revenue to the Education Fund.

    – Issue working cash bonds, and perform a transfer from Working Cash Fund to the Education Fund.

    ++++++++++

    What was the rational behind allowing permanent interfund transfers?

    Something along these lines:

    Lobby legislators and the Governor to pass a “temporary” law allowing inter-fund transfers.

    Justify the transfers by stating they will allow the school district to get out of a budget crisis, and the law will only be in effect for 3 years at which time it expires.

    When the law expires, extend the law for another 3 years, and do not issue a press release explaining the scheme.

    Do this repeatedly.

    +++++++++++

    In 2003, 2005, 2007, 2010, & 2013, Jack Franks voted for legislation extending the use of the budget gimmick known as permanent interfund transfers.

    +++++++

    Here are the funds allowing permanent inter-fund transfers:

    – Educational Fund

    – Operations and Maintenance Fund

    – Transportation Fund

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

    The following is a list of funds used by Illinois School Districts, preceded by an assigned code.

    10 Educational

    20 Operations and Maintenance

    30 Debt Service

    40 Transportation

    50 Municipal Retirement / Social Security

    60 Capital Projects

    70 Working Cash

    80 Tort

    90 Fire Prevention & Safety

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

    Jack Franks PACs have received $394,517 contributions from teacher unions.

    Jack Franks PACs have received $1,033,910 contributions from all unions.

  8. Typo.

    – If the school district’s Education Fund is at the statutory maximum tax rate, it can hold a referendum to hike the tax rate.

  9. House Bill 5529 passed the Illinois General Assembly (ILGA) on May 24, 2016.

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

    Short Description of HB 5529: SCH CD-INTERFUND TRANSFERS

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

    Synopsis as Introduced:

    “Amends the School Code.

    With respect to a school district other than the Chicago school district, provides that through June 30, 2019 (instead of June 30, 2016), surplus life safety taxes and interest earnings thereon may be transferred to the Operations and Maintenance Fund for building repair work.

    Extends the time period during which a school district other than the Chicago school district may transfer moneys from specified funds for any purpose from June 30, 2016 to June 30, 2019.

    Effective immediately.”

    +++++++++++

    There were no:

    – Committee Amendments

    – Floor Amendments

    +++++++++++

    On August 5, 2016, Governor Rauner signed HB 5529 into law as Public Act 99-0713 (PA 99-0713).

  10. Mark I had a thought . . . watching Chicago gives me great concern for McHenry County. If you converse with those on the South or West Side and ask why can’t you do anything about the Crime, etc. and I was told it is because of “White Privilege”.

    Had to think on that for a day or two . . . maybe it is the Elitist mentality, that knows the LAW and how to use it to their advantage, therefore “White Privilege”.

    Jack has learned well from Chicago and Springfield and the Board had no idea what was being done and will be done.

    Good Luck!

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