1. -- Another COW cattle call!
The City Council has another committee of the whole (COW) meeting scheduled for this evening. On the agenda (.pdf) are a few intriguing items such as discussion of May 2008 - January 2009 Financial Results, debt limitation, formation of an O'Hare Commission, granting additional taxi licenses, and an appeals process for denials of text amendments by the Planning and Zoning board.
The PRU Crew would like to have seen some supporting documents in relation to the council's discussion of financial results, but alas, there aren't any listed for public review on the City's website. And we aren't willing to count City Manager Jim Hock's memo (.pdf) to the council as a supporting document.
It will be interesting to see if this cabal of self-professed Republicans actually act like traditional Republicans and grant additional taxi licenses to American Taxi, ensuring business competition and expanded service options for consumers in Park Ridge. Last time the subject came up (see pg. 4 of the .pdf file), Mayor Howard was just a lowly Aldermoron on February 1, 2005 and was in his first mayoral campaign for Mayor. At that time the pro-business candidate didn't seem to think expanding the business base and competition in Park Ridge was a good idea, at least where taxi service was concerned. And then two days later, Mrs. Patricia Carpenter, wife of Lee Carpenter the then-owner of Park Ridge Taxi, made sure to express her...agreement.
Finally, we can hardly wait to hear the genius justifications for why the risk of politicizing the Planning and Zoning process is a good and necessary public policy change.
2. -- Sir Walter fails to rally!
As we discussed last week in our post Rules Are Made To Be Broken, challenges to several Park Board candidate hopefuls had been filed. One of those hopeful candidates was Mr. Walter Mizialko.
Sources tell us that after Mr. Mizialko failed to appear at not one but two hearings on the matter, the Election Board has finally seen fit to remove Mr. Mizialko from the April 2009 ballot.
The challenge against the candidacy of Mr. Brandt will continue with an appeal of the Election Board's decision to the Circuit Court of Cook County.
3. -- Give the Pub-dogs another bone!
A most excellent piece -- Put Up Or Shut Up, Mr. Ryan! The PRU Crew enjoyed it!
February 23, 2009
Another PRU Pot Luck!
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15 comments:
Crisco! Does Frimark do anything without getting greased?? Anything??
I am happy to learn that another of the SEIU candidates got bounced off the ballot. Three down, one more to go. I hope the Circut Court bounces Brandt too. He's nothing but a grump and could not possibly offer anything of value to the Park District, except maybe makeing sure the SEIU gets a payback when it comes salary time for the union members. The Park Board isn't supposed to be buddies with the union. They are supposed to be a check and balance on those kinds of forces that work against the interests of taxpayers. I am hopeful that if the Court doesn't give us a break the voters won't fall for union high jinx during the campaign.
$500 ain't $5,000, but for a small market like Park Ridge it sure looks like pay-to-play to me. And wasn't $500 the same amount that Allegretti contributed to Frimark around the time Frimark appointed him to fill the vacant 4th Ward aldermanic seat?
No wonder Allegretti has already ponied up $1,000 for Frimark's re-election campaign.
Anonymous at 1257,
To answer your question...no, not that I have ever seen.
I've been paying attention for a while now...and without fail, if Howard Frimark steps-up and pushes for something, then chances are there is some measure of personal interest in it for himself, no matter how trivial...
...even if that means speaking up for something as relatively trivial as allowing dogs to accompany owners while dining at sidewalk cafes...one of the very few issues Alderman Frimark ever put any effort into seeing passed...because, of course, he and Nancy like having their "baby's" company...
However...there's a first time for everything...I look forward to the first time Howard Frimark does something that doesn't confer upon him some measure of personal benefit...
Anonymous @ 1:35
I agree with you. This is a great message to send to SEIU; pay-to-play will not fly in Park Ridge.
The Park District will be better off without the candidates who have been bounced.
Now, I hope the voters will bounce the mayoral candidate who has shown that he has never met a pay-to-play offer he could refuse.
Anonymous @ 1:58,
You are right that $500 isn't $5000. There's one less zero at the end of $500.
In a town like Park Ridge though, where regular folks are used to giving between $50 and $100, with $100 being considered a very generous donation by most standards, $500 is a big deal contribution.
This contribution from a local taxi company was an even bigger deal though because there was a city license matter attached to it. It just looks really bad again. Here's another appearance of impropriety from Howard Frimark.
One could say that the Carpenters were grateful for his vote and did say thank you by giving him a generous donation. One might even say that they were planning on giving Howard Frimark a generous donation all along just because they really liked the man, but the timing sure does look bad and inappropriate. I have to wonder though, with all I have seen and heard about how Howard Frimark solicits donations especially from business interests, whether or not this thank you was gotten because of some arm twisting or pressure, or what have you?
I would think that the old owners of Park Ridge Taxi would say nothing but that they really supported Howard Frimark. If they said anything otherwise then they would be admitting to shenanigans, and I am willing to bet they wouldn't do that.
I just have accepted in my mind that Park Ridge needs a new Mayor if for no other reason than I am tired of all the controversey and questionable dealings of the current one.
I don't think Alderman Schmidt has all the answers. In fact, I know he doesn't because I've read his website, but I'm willing to make a fresh start with a new man who I do believe will do his best to listen to the conerns of residents and not just to those who contribute large and generous sums to his campaign.
The only man I know who has all the answers......
walked on water and turned water into whine.
He also raised the dead
but Daley and Obama are busy now with trying to ramrod their policies down our throats - like to OMP.
Ald. Don Bach needs to let go of the queen of Belle Plane as well as our 150 grand.
The city council should wake up and realize that Daley is going to rape us again with another new runway.
The folks all along Granville - enjoy the quiet. In 2010 things will change and the pro Daley alderman will in fact have to fess up that they too were intimidate by the OMP - machine.
Very sad that they have left this community, its property values and most of all our children with a mess.
As Rosemary M. put it " Do you think that someone who during the hours of darkness that bulldozes a runway - will listen yo you " ?
You were all lied to by the democrats - back then and now.
Anon at 5:37, please do not say Jesus turned 'water into whine'..he turned 'water into WINE'....
The word 'man' should be in caps since you're referring to Jesus.
Also, the street is Belle Plaine.
It was early, I know...details, details.
From the desk of Naomi de Plume:
Oh Lord. Anyone who attended the Committee of the Whole meeting last night is already starting to put together their survival kit.
The City's finances are spinning out of control, and the mayor and City Manager Hock are sitting there like twin Neros watching Rome burn while Finance Director Diane Lembesis mumbles about how everything will be great...in 20 years!
It bordered on the the ridiculous. No, it went well beyond the border. Hock issued a memo stating that the Uptown TIF Fund (a/k/a Black Hole) is soaking up an increasing amount of money from the City's General Fund, but the General Fund can't afford to kick in any more. But Hock said not to worry, everything will be fine based on projections.
Alderman Schmidt correctly recognized that Hock was starting to sound like the happily-departed Tim Schuenke who left the City in an awful mess, mostly because the Council spent freely based on his own rosy, but throughly unrealistic, projections.
This is not good. It's bad. Really bad. Better get your batteries and bottled water.
I don't know if it was intentional, but I thought that "Belle Plane" was a good pun.
One could argue the wine/whine "mistake was ammusing as well.
Anon 5:37
Think we all know about more runways but your Folks on Granville ENJOY THE QUIET is uncalled for.
Mike,
I think he may be referring to the proposed 27C runway which would be somewhere near the Granville/Glenlake corridor...
Im guessin though...
But now is the time to start asking about that one - BEFORE it is built...
hey anonymous at 5:37am--enough already of your criticizing Obama. careful, your ignorance is showing. This isnt the place for a debate on that, as we have enough problems in our own little community.
But I do not understand how you can criticize someone who has been in office for such a short time and has inherited a FRIGGIN NIGHTMARE (Schmidt, are you ready for that?). The reason we are in the mess we are in nationwide is because of Obama's predecessor.
Now go back to watching FoxNews and your one-sided life.
You are in the minority. How does it feel?
You go anony-mouse:
I watched the speech this evening and have been flipping back and forth between between MNSBC and FOX. It is facinating how both stations have completely changed their coverage since Obama was elected. The station who defended now attacks and the one who attacks now defends. Of course they are both "fair and balanced".
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