Above is the 2009 Caucus Candidate page from the District 64 & 207 General Caucus website. If you want to know more about the candidates and the reasons the caucus selected them, you're out of luck looking on the General Caucus website.
Despite the fact that each of these candidates submitted their resumes and filled out a questionnaire for the Caucus, it seems that mums the word when it comes to sharing that information with the voters.
All of the slated candidates for seats on the District 64 School Board are going to be elected, because they are running unopposed -- we expect each of these candidates will cast a vote for themselves and each other, and that will clinch the deal.
The PRU Crew doesn't feel unopposed candidates are the worst thing ever to happen in an election, and we don't dismiss the quality of an elected official's work because he or she ran unopposed. However, we do feel that unopposed candidates who do absolutely nothing to let the general public know why they are running, what they think about issues, and don't bother to show up at public forums to give voters a chance to get to know them or ask questions, aren't worth voting for. The PRU Crew will not be casting votes for any of the District 64 School Board candidates.
The candidates selected by the General Caucus for seats on the District 207 School Board are running in a contested race. You may have seen their signs around town, or met one of them at the train station this morning.
Mr. Ed Mueller and Ms. Margaret McGrath will be getting the unanimous votes being cast by the PRU Crew. We feel Mr. Mueller has a proven track record of fiscal responsibility on the District 207 Board and Ms. McGrath's Park Ridge residency alone is enough for us to want to keep those seats occupied by Park Ridge residents.
The other candidates running are incumbents Eric Leys and Marijo Bustos, both residents of Des Plaines, and newcomer Eldon Burk, also a resident of Des Plaines. District 207 Board members not up for re-election this cycle are Joann Braam of Des Plaines, and Donna Pellar and Sean Sullivan of Park Ridge.
We expect both Mr. Leys and Ms. Bustos to be re-elected, along with Mr. Mueller, and we have no objections to their retention as board members.
This means the battle will be between Ms. McGrath of Park Ridge and Mr. Eldon Burk of Des Plaines. Do the math people.
The PRU Crew would hate to see the opportunity for Park Ridge based representation for a fourth seat on the District 207 School Board get lost, with Park Ridge representation left to Mr. Mueller, Ms. Pellar and Mr. Sullivan -- we'd like to think we can offer something better than Mr. Sullivan, and we believe Ms. McGrath is it.
We also believe Ms. McGrath's professional experience as an attorney, specializing in the administration of corporate pension funds and employee benefits, is experience that far outweighs her likely challenger for the open seat -- Mr. Eldon Burk, a retired educator who once served as assistant superintendent at Maine West for 29 years. Mr. Burk's background as a Des Plaines Library Trustee, former assistant superintendent, and educational foundation member isn't nearly enough for us to want to forgo voting for Ms. McGrath. Further, as reported in the press, Mr. Burk is an advocate of spending District 207's reserve funds and expanding programs for ESL (English as a Second Language) students. The PRU Crew sees red flags waving in the background behind Mr. Burk.
April 1, 2009
The Never Raucous Caucus!
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68 comments:
FACT CHECK, people!
What are we supposed to fact check? I don't get it.
Anon@2:11 --
PRU.ADMIN was yelling to the sky. The post today was fubar. We got some of the details and numbers way off. Everything should be correct now.
Apologies from the humbled Crew.
District 207 has over $100 Million in reserves in the general education account -- that is almost 100% of the operating budget which is unheard of. I'm always surprised that more folks don't complain about that. I think it's important to have a healthy fund reserve (40-60%), but 100%? And when they do spend money, they spend it on lights and artificial turf at Maine South.
I think your rationale of having people on the Board from Park Ridge is short sided -- especially when the incumbents have allowed money to be hoarded -- how about lowering taxes????
Anon@2:55 --
We are never short sided.
Are you suggesting that spending down the reserve would lower taxes?
You were an English major, weren't you?
Still, you are entitled to your opinion, just as we've offered ours.
I was short sided once, but I saw a doctor and had that taken care of.
I was short sheeted once in college, but that is another story
My house is vinyl sided...does that count?
From Golf Digest:
"Short-siding often occurs when you've tried to take an aggressive line to a tucked pin--and missed. Here I'm short-sided: less green between the ball and the hole than there is on the opposite side of the hole. I short-sided myself several times at this year's U.S. Open in Tulsa.
If there is anything worse than being shord sided it is short siding ones self.
I know this is off topic but I am uncertain who to vote for.
The current mayor, I really do not wish to vote for....reasons all known.
The other candidate, wants to build a 3-4 story hotel just about in my front yard on the Higgins corridor for tax revenues he feels would be greater then from just private businesses. With all the old and new hotels proposed on the Chicago side of Higgins, traffic, and all the other concerns with the casino...do we really need or want a hotel of any size in the Mr. K site?
Anonymous 4:38,
What a freakin' crybaby whiner you are. Why don't you get off your butt and walk A WHOLE BLOCK EAST and ask those folks how tough it is living ACROSS PETERSON Ave. from a 3 story building.
The answer is that it would be a developer who would be building a hotel. Schmidt doesn't try to play money man developer with other people's money, namely our money by giving it to his pals. Frimark can't get enough of giving our money away to his pals and protecting his other pals.
The other answer is that hotels bring in a lot more money than many other private business.
Get a freakin' clue.
Here's your freakin' clue. Read today's Journal where it is mentioned, along with at a previous city hall meeting where Mr. Schmidt mentioned it himself. The condos you are talking about are residential. They are quiet neighbors. Their lights go out at reasonable times. They don't come home from the casino or other places at all hours of the night with unruly behavior, making noise when one is trying to sleep. The office buildings are closed after business hours. It's not the size of the structure that is a concern, but the havoc that comes with a 24/7/365 business. People staying at these type of hotels are there for their entertainment usually and are living it up. They have no ties to the community as a business does. They will not care if they disturb the peace. And then there is a safety concern as well. Were do they go when they loose everything at the casino. The closest neighborhood to burglarize?
Duh - of course it would be a developer building the hotel, I didn't expect to see Mr. Schmidt there himself.
I am so tired of hearing all the cry baby'n about money, money, money. Sometimes one has to do what is right, regardless, to keep Park Ridge a wonderful place to live. So you are saying let's sacrifice the safety and tranquility of a neighborhood for a lousy buck?
to the person who doesn't want a hotel there...it's probably going to happen whether you want it to or not. Frimark wants to put an office complex there and Schmidt thinks it would be better used as a low-height hotel.
Go to the meetings...make your voices heard, and tell them that if/when they put something there, to make sure that the neighborhood is respected.
Get involved. Stop complaining and be PRESENT and COUNTED.
Anon 4:38 -
Another Idiot that bought a house by the airport and expects peace and quiet. Quit being a chump. Schmidts gonna do whats best for city. If that means a small hotel - 2 -3 stories, I'm sure you can deal with it!
Get a clue!
Idiot already goes to meetings and is involved, and has been in contact with both parties. Idiot also didn't say a darn toot'n thing about the airport. All Idiot is saying/asking.....is what is the better choice.....what we have now, or do I sacrafice my neighborhood and property value so that the city gets more bang for their buck?
I early voted for Margaret McGrath. I saw her at Republican Women of Park Ridge Forum. I think she will be a great asset to the D207 School Board!
your negativity is amazing.
You only read what you choose to, not everything going on.
We live in homes where there were NO AIRPLANES flying over. then all of a sudden, they are practically landing on our roofs. We would have known about it if our mayor had attended the meetings. He didn't. He was too busy making his back door deals.
Next time you start spewing your nonsense to people in public, pay attention to the people you are talking to. They are not listening to your negativity. MOVE ON, bitter man.
If the hotel goes in, Western ave will be a short cut from casino to hotel. That's a children's bus route by the way not to mention other security issues already mentioned.
Amen 6:24.
About D207-it is ridiculous to spend that kind of money of a field and lights for a small group of people to use. The field will not benefit the entire student body and is really being put there because as Principal Claypool and others have said the fb team won state so they deserve it.
If D207 are sitting with one year's worth of revenue in reserve then the book and school fees should be lowered. How much profit should there be in book and gym uniform sales? Why the heck should freshman fees be around $500? That is crazy. The school district should provide the books the students need for class-we should not be paying for them. Yearbooks-fine, but we should be be paying for textbooks.
I love PRU. It is such a great place to talk about things that are viewed as "taboo" by the local media. But, and I mean this in the nicest way, for the next week we should all put away blabbing here in cyber land and pick up the phone, or walk over to our neighbors house and tell them about Dave Schmidt and why think he will make a good Mayor. Every day we should contact ten people. We have preached long enough to the choir; it is time to take it on the road.
Western Ave is a shortcut? Since WHEN? It doesn't go all the way through to Higgins.
You must live in Frimark-land, where you just make things up as you go to stir up controversy.
Why is it ya'll don't want a PADS shelter because of reffraff in your neighborhood, but it's fine to have hotel riffraff in ours?
Anon@7:04 --
You win the clueless commenter of the day award.
step away from the computer, Linda. you're getting tired as the final week of the campaign goes on and you are supporting the losing candidate!
I got smart regarding the D207 Maine South Book fees. They mail you the book list during the summer. I went online and bought most of the books off of Amazon.com and my total fee bill (including the books off of amazon) was less than 200.00. Don't buy the books from the school!
Anon@7:06 --
Check your DNS, that was one hellaciously delayed comment.
We're going to see if anything's up with Google too. A lot of heavy delays today.
[laughing]...missed YOU PRU!
5:53 PM
I stay in a lot of hotels, including low-rise ones (Courtyards) like Schmidt is talking about for the Higgins corridor, and I have never experienced the "Animal House" environment you're suggesting.
Occasionally somebody can get a tad boisterous, but a call to the front desk usually quiets things down fast.
Did you just get back from Spring Break in Cancun and are now concerned that a Higgins Corridor hotel will have the same wild atmosphere that you and your rum-soaked amigos created down there?
for those of you that are true Park Ridgians, that live by the country club, there are still those of us common folk who live on the south end of town. Here's the street deal. Greenwood is a mini Cumberland and Peterson is a mini Higgins, Western is right in there as a short cut for people as well who do not want to drive the main streets and cut through our neighborhood like it was the Indy 500.
Anon@7:32 --
The good news is, there aren't many Country Clubbers who read here.
The bad news is, you're preaching to your own unrecognized kind.
I gotta step outta my 'hood and drive up and down Western to Higgins. It's quite a new thing, from what I hear.
I hope to smoke what those peopel are smoking.
WESTERN DOESNT GO THROUGH YOU MORONS!
Hey 654,
That's my point! A hotel will want drive access between Higgy Baby and Western, thus a short cut, you short circuit.
Also My kids play babseball in the park down the street and there is organized football there too. Limos and Taxis will use Western to avoid traffic. More hazards.
Hazards? - the kids or the taxis? "the kids" is what Schmidt says.
I am looking into my crystal ball, Linda-ski, and I see that the Illinois A-G is going to pay ya'll a visit real soon.
Good luck to you in your smear campaign.
Are you gonna be Howie's friend in JAIL?
it's like someone put crazy pills in the water of Park Ridge today!
It appears the General Caucus is so UNraucous that posters here have almost completely ignored the issue of the candidates and the caucus. Preferring instead to have fun with other topics.
So noted.
This is probably a circumstance the General Caucus officers prefer.
AG threats? Isn't Schmidt a lawyer? It's all gonna be investigations and lawsuits as the kids dodge taxis to catch foul balls.
By "fun" do you mean talking about issues that will threaten kids lives?
Anon at 7:54 --
As has been pointed out to you, Western Avenue deadends into Peterson Avenue, which then continues east, without an outlet south, until Cumberland Avenue.
Any Taxi or Limo travelling South on Cumberland or west on Higgins, to a hotel at located at the Mr. K Garden lot, is not going to go to take some bizarre and circuitous route to avoid travel on Higgins to that 1400 Blk. location.
Any taxi or Limo travelling south on Dee to a hotel at that location would have a last chance of cutting east at Devon, but then have to continue all the way to Cumberland and head south to Higgins to then go back west to that 1400 Blk. location.
Your suggestion that taxis and limos would find any route through your area to be shorter than the straight shot of either Dee or Higgins is a tad daffy.
Your suggestion that a hotel developer would demand access from Higgins through to Western is, at best, a tad daffy.
Now, do you have any thoughts concerning the School Board elections and the governing bodies that account for almost 2/3 of your property tax bill?
I am reading the anti-hotel posts, and I just have to ask them if they think that Higgins Rd is a Berlin Wall? If Higgins is a good place for a hotel, then a developer will build it. If it's not on the Park Ridge side it'll be on the Chicago side. You will have all the same worries, but no revenue. Think about what you're saying.
Anon at 8:04 --
You are precisely correct.
However, to clarify the PRU position -- the Crew is not at all wedded to the idea of a hotel.
We do look forward to development in that area that is in keeping with the greatest interests of and benefits to the entire Park Ridge community.
Pru Admin,
Yes I do have some thoughts that I think you'll enjoy spinning.
One thought is to give the atheletic program their field and lights. The football team has been competitive statewide for years and they just won a championship.
My thoughts, in general, are based around rewarding acheivement. I'm comfortable with my tax dollars supporting the good will our fine young men work hard to bolster. And I will vote accordingly.
Anon at 8:12 --
Thank you for your thoughts on today's post topic. I hope you aren't too tuckered out by the effort.
Enjoy the rest of your evening.
I would prefer to see them focus on ALL sports, not just football at ONE high school. Boys sports AND girls sports.
Has anyone seen the advertisement for Melissa Etheridge coming to the Horseshoe Casino. Has anyone been to a concert at the Allstate Arena lately? Traffic on the surrounding streets comes to a complete standstill as people try to get into the parking lot or merely pass thru the area to get to their homes. Now try to imagine that same traffic on Devon, Greenwood, Cumberland, Western. Sure, the Casino venue probably won't be as large as Allstate venue, but the access roads are not Mannheim or Oakton either. The south side of town will be encased in traffic, with cars darting up and down the side streets trying to find a way around the gridlock. Try to get home before it starts, Keep your kids home! Then pray you don't need to leave your house. Call Dan Kotowski, Pat Quinn, Dick Durbin. We can't have a casino in a residential part of town.
I get it: football = dumb
Now I'm tuckered. Nighty night.
Anon@8:19 --
We think concerns over increased traffic are very legit. But unless the Des Plaines casino will be hosting shows, and it is not unreasonable to assume it may, then the gridlock you're talking about probably won't come to pass -- simply because casinos don't have start and end times like shows do.
Also, should the Des Plaines casino also host shows of some kind, the venue is not at all likely to rival the size of the AllState Arena or the Horseshoe Casino -- though we aren't sure of the exact seating at Horseshoe.
football = dumb ???
it's a weird day here on Walton's Mountain!
Anon at 8:21 --
I am at a loss to understand how you arrived at your conclusory non sequitur.
You there! -- 8:26
???!!!!!
>:(
From what I've heard about the Casino, they DO plan to have shows there. Even a small scale venue will create havoc, because shows have specific start times which will inevitably result in traffic jams as our streets are primarily one lane with a parking lane.
I get it..its one person trying to create hysteria. Those MSW neighbors are bored with their whole thing, emailing people, trying to blame the PADS fiasco on Schmidt. Stirring up stuff about the candidate's private life got boring too?
Let's start up some drama about the casino now! wowee! We CANT, for God's sake, have a QUIET DAY! After all, it's Lent. We Must, We Must continue to lie and make up things that just aren't true.
Now how about we get back to the topic at hand?
Gypsy
What are the lies and untruths? And how do we know you're the teller of all things true? Oh I get it you mentioned Lent.
To the common folks on Peterson,
Due to fire escape and fire fighting codes, there will be a Peterson/Western drive through the hotel.
If you have hundreds of people sleeping there a night, the litigious issues will mandate this access.
There will also be a need for some heavy duty insurance representation. I do not mean the kind from a small town agent, rather the bully big stickin' corporate insurance lawyers you find downtown.
CHA CHING for the firm!!!
933-you are out of your mind.
I know this is off topic, but I have to ask, is anyone really buying what Howard Frimark is trying to sell these days?
Howard Frimark is a vulture picking over a 20-years dead carcass...
...but enough about Nancy.
mean
Truth.
to the point
Anonymous 4:38,
You are really freakin' clueless.
1300 Higgins, A WHOLE BLOCK EAST of the Mr. K, is a 3 story office building.
Go take a look. Then ask the neighbors how hard it is to have that office building ACROSS PETERSON.
You are not a business traveler at all or you would know what somebody else here said, these places are usually very damn quiet.
You want condos instead? You think residences with their own stereo systems and visitors will be quieter?
You are living in freakin' clueless la la land.
Higgins is a commercial stretch, there is going to be developments along commercial stretches, or is that something you didn't notice when you moved in. You thought the world ended past that fence you're looking at out your front room window.
Wow $100 mil in thwe bank, maybe we should elect the 207 board to our City Council.
Lights and Turf at M South:
Well they built the school on a dump in the 1960's and ALL the sports teams run into glass and surfacing garbage from time to time, ask any alum. SO I think that the turf is money well spent considering the upkeep cost of the fields. The lights, well West and East have them so South not having them is "not fair".
I really don't think this part of the election is that big of a deal at this point. The 207 board has acted appropriatley.
So did Howard Frimark buy the half-page ad in the "Special Edition" Journal Election report BEFORE he got their endorsement or afterwards?
Were they trying to save some integrity by at least making it a tepid endorsement?
I have an idea that will put your concerns to rest...
Toll Booths... yep just a few strategically placed Toll Booths on those over used streets will not only ease your traffic concerns but it will also make up for those back room deals made by Friman that have cost you taxpayers in PR so much over the years of the Friman Dictatorship.
I'm sure any hotel corporation that wants to call PR their home would gladly contribute to the community that they want to be part of... if not, the can take their proposal and move it on down the road... go a bit farther west.
Residents of Peterson,
12:14 is exactly the mindset we are dealing with. Remember that on April 7.
WOW
If a developer proposes a hotel on Higgins, the very first thing that will occur is a public hearing before the Planning and Zoning Commission during which the residents can and should show up and express their concerns. If the hotel cannot be situated in a way that addresses the concerns of the neighbors, then it is entirely possible that the Commission would give it a thumbs down.
I know Alderman Schmidt believes that any hotel, or any other development in that area for that matter, needs to be compatible with the surrounding neighborhood. He believes the vast majority of the traffic would be approaching the hotel from O'Hare and would have absolutely no need to traverse the neighborhood behind it.
Whatever happens in the way of proposed development on Higgins, Alderman Schmidt is NOT in favor of cramming something down the throats of the neighbors.
Go to the following link if you wish to view the Park Board meetings and watch any of the candidates (one anways) and sitting board in action.
http://www.prparks.org/pages/page_board_videos.htm
In answer to some repeated inquiries --
I'm a tad befuddled by your constant barage, as our regular readers know our general set of extensive guidelines.
No bullshit. No libel.
Our regular readers don't always understand where the line is, but we don't often have too many issues.
However, you seem to require an explanation with more words. And here it is --
We do not publish anything having to do with innocent family members or private matters between family members. Ever.
I hope that is clear. If you spend time pondering each of those words, you may come to understand their meaning and our intention.
If by some chance something has been allowed to slip past our moderators, please provide the information here and I will remove the offending comment.
Carry on.
I guess I did not submit my first try correctly so I will try again.
Bill, are you saying that the paper sold thier endorsement for the price of a half page ad?? Did you not notice the rest of the paper - there were ads from about 20 candidates! Is a local newspaper not a valid way for a client to reach their target voters?
Based on your theory, Mark Thompson from Des Plaines should feel very stupid. He bought a half page ad and they picked the other guy!!
I am all for finding and prosecuting all corruption. I already voted for Schmidt and nothing that has come out since that has made me regret that vote. But your post is absurd. Just because a paper or person disagrees with me does not mean that they are corrupt.
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