February 25, 2010

We're Gonna Need A Bigger Couch!



Because if the Park Ridge O'Hare Airport Commission gets what will be asked for (.pdf) at the next City Council meeting, we're gonna need a lot more spare change!

We understand most of our faithful PRU readers have been paying attention to the Mayor, City Council, and the City Budget problems.

We thought our faithful PRU readers may want to see an example of how Mayors, City Councils, and City Budgets can get into hot water when certain interest groups can't see the forest for the trees.

Holy wow! $500,000? Do they make couches that big?

18 comments:

Anonymous said...

At the 2/15 council meeting, the city attorney reported on a phone conference he had with an LA law firm that is well versed in this issue.

The bottom line was: don't waste your money. You're not going to beat the FAA or O'Hare Airport.

So WHY exactly are we talking about giving away $500k?

How about we FIRST decide what money we have, and THEN decide how to spend it?

Anonymous said...

"Ensure the two NW runways are not decommissioned."

Yes, I'm sure the people in the 1st and 2nd wards are 100% behind this goal.

Anonymous said...

Rumor has it that budget cuts are looming. 28 employees including Police and Fireman are going to lose their jobs. Level of service we are used to will drop. Where are they going to come up with 500K????

Steve Macko said...

I got a better idea. We can cancel the fireworks this year and just burn some 10's and 20's in Hodges Park on July fourth.

Anonymous said...

"Request City Council resolution to adopt a unified city statement against O'Hare expansion for use on the city's website and in other marketing venues."

No f...ing way!!! I bought my house four years ago because I was aware the new runways were going to open and divert air traffic farther south and away from my home.

I am not only not united in this effort I am 100% opposed. If this city spends one dime of my tax money on this I would encourage a counter suit.

Anonymous said...

The commission is a joke. Two of the commissioners have already quit.

M. Anderson said...

Well, you gotta admire the stones on these folks. Half a million at a time when the City budget is millions in the hole. I wonder if we get an interest in the Peotone Airport to boot?

I moved to Park Ridge and bought my house on Belle Plaine 13 years ago. The day I came for the inspection, I was talking with the seller and an old 727 roared over. It was so loud we had to stop talking. He shrugged his shoulders and said "It's Park Ridge."

There have been planes flying down Belle Plaine since before I moved in. They used to be pretty loud. Now that the 727s have been phased out, they aren't so loud.

We live by an airport. It opened in the 1950s. Proximity to O'Hare is a great plus for many people who travel regularly for business. When you live by an airport, planes fly over. And it shouldn't cost you $500,000 to figure that out.

Anonymous said...

hmmmm....the commission is a joke?!?!?! Well who the hell formed the commission and appointed these commission members????? This is an official city commission, correct?? An elected official must have formed the commission. I would think that anyone (including all those who come to these blogs) would know that such a commission was going to require big bucks if it was going to go forward in any kind of way - big bucks that we do not have. So who on earth formed this "joke" of a commission??

Anonymous said...

Maybe they just want T-Shirts. If they ask for $500,000 maybe they figure the City Council will settle for T-Shirts. I know it seems silly, but did you read the proposal?

Bean said...

Anonymous @ 4:38,

OMG...I don't know whether to laugh or cry...

Are you seriously, SERIOUSLY, saying that commission members, their discussions, and the discussion outcomes should be CONTROLLED by an elected official, especially THE ELECTED OFFICIAL who appointed the commission members?

Howard?...is that you, Howard??? 'Fess up!

Anonymous said...

Maybe this "joke" of a commission is why Mayor Dave didn't sound hot to trot for Ryan's finance commission idea.

Anonymous said...

Every time he speaks, Ryan wants a commission.

I hope he's a better engineer than he is a council member.

Bean said...

Anonymous @ 5:22,

It's quite possible he is a better engineer than an alderman.

It's quite possible it's easier for him to count cars than dollars.

;)

Anonymous said...

Ahhhh ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ........wheeew!!!!

Anonymous said...

I reeaaallly like the part about how the commission met it twos, so as to avoid the Open Meetings Act.

What legislative body are they in training for?

Anonymous said...

The airport commission wants a resolution from the council? They should ask the council for a referendum question instead and then they will know what the community thinks about this. I thought Don Bach said he wants to ask about funding for this in a referendum.

Anonymous said...

What is the name of this act?

The Aristocrats!

Anonymous said...

For the directionally challenged:

"Ensure the two NW runways are not decommissioned."

Yes, I'm sure the people in the 1st and 2nd wards are 100% behind this goal.

The NW runways are towards Arlington Heights and Elk Grove.

The NE runways are towards Park Ridge.

There is no plan to decommision the NE runways, only the NW.