It's A Major Award!

Pioneer Wins 37 in IPA Contest

"Pioneer Press took home 15 first place honors in the Illinois Press Association contest, announced Friday."

The Park Ridge Herald-Advocate was voted best fish wrap.

Have an indescribably beautiful weekend, and don't shoot your eye out!

Out of the Closet!

One of Norwood's Park Ridge 2004 LLC principal investors has finally come out of the closet! John Chipman, former resident and Park Ridge alderman, is finally Living Out Loud! Mr. Chipman has proudly declared to the world his orientation as an investor in a Letter to the editor :: Park Ridge Herald-Advocate.

After three years of being a closeted investor, Mr. Chipman was outted by the city's disclosure of onwership.pdf requirement. We wonder why it took so long! We're sure Mr. Chipman feels relieved to be able to finally speak openly about who and what he is.

Mr. John Chipman is now a man on a mission! Not only is he telling everyone who will listen about his pride in being an openly invested principal in Norwood's EOP project, he is also encouraging the community to embrace what he and his fellow investors are offering - a condominium project that exceeds the zoning code for density and height, and offers almost nothing in the way of real amenities to the rest of the community.

Of course, we all understand that while the community is being asked to embrace this project, Mr. Chipman and his fellow similarily oriented investors will be hoping to embrace bigger profits.

Doping the Demographics

The district 64 board and administration are supposed to plan for the future while attending to the present. We have mixed opinions on how well or poorly they have met those goals.

We do feel their efforts to see into the future through the use of a demographer is not the worst expenditure of public money on a consultant that we have ever seen. The information is valuable for planning purposes, and we are also impressed with the accuracy of the projections the district's demographer has provided.

Enrollment Expected To Level At 4,500

"Enrollment in Park Ridge-Niles School District 64 will remain generally stable for the next decade, but will rise very slightly annually to a level of nearly 4,500 by 2015.

Projections are based on estimates of fertility rates for a specified period of years and turnover of existing housing units and teardowns in Park Ridge through 2015."

Let's repeat that - "projections are based on estimates of fertility rates for a specified period of years and turnover in existing housing units and teardowns in Park Ridge through 2015." One more time - "existing housing units and teardowns in Park Ridge."

What happens to those school district projections when a city government begins giving developers approval for variances beyond the zoning code for density and height for new multi-unit condominium projects? Will the relatively predictable turnover of existing housing units accelerate? How quickly? What will the effect be?

Didn't anybody tell district 64 and their demographer about the city's big plans for big multi-unit condo developments?

Not exactly the intergovernmental cooperation the community may have hoped for.

Hey, district 64, we hope you've kept that demographer's phone number handy.

Who You Gonna Call?

Allegedly, the residents of Park Ridge's 6th ward are being represented by Alderman Thomas Carey. We haven't seen much evidence of that, but we have no reason to doubt the Cook County Clerk's vote totals. We do believe Alderman Thomas Carey does exist.

However, residents of the 6th ward had ample reason to question Alderman Carey's existence when they tried to get his phone number from directory assistance so they could ask him for help and guidance after the August Act of God. Those residents found that Alderman Carey's phone number was unlisted. And it remains unlisted.

The city's web site does list a phone number for Alderman Carey, but residents without electrical power couldn't access the city's web site to get it, and residents without computer internet access still can't.

Alderman Carey, if you did not intend to make yourself available to your constituents by the usual means, what motivated you to seek public office, besides Mayor Frimark's enthu$ia$tic $upport?

Over $3,000.00 of enthu$ia$tic $upport. That's ten times the amount the mayor gave to the Park Ridge-Niles Citizens for Strong Schools committee, and almost half of your campaign's total reported expenditures.

We expect you have shown the mayor your appreciation for his generous support.

Road Trip!

Frimark Will Lead Team To D.C. In Search Of Cash

Mayor Howard Frimark will lead a team on a trip to Washington, D.C., in October seeking federal money for several projects.

"We're following up on a list we've submitted over the last two years," he explained. He, Director of Economic Development Kim Uhlig, and City Manager Tim Schuenke plan the trip for Oct. 2-3.

The team hopes to meet with U.S. Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky (D-9th) as well as U.S. senators Barack Obama and Dick Durbin.

We've heard that the wheels of government turn slowly, and now we know why - "following up" takes two years.

We could have loaned the mayor our map of Chicago so he could have found these three elected officials' local offices some time during the last two years, but...

You see folks, it's like this...

A headline that reads "Frimark Will Lead Team to Chicago In Search of Cash" just doesn't have that same adventurous ring! Particularly when a significant portion of the Park Ridge population makes the same trip every day of the work week.

Hey Howard, you might want to go low key when you ask Schakowsky for money for Park Ridge. She may remember you used her to smear your opponent during your mayoral campaign, because your opponent received a modest campaign contribution from her - the same amount you received this past March from Jack Owens, Norwood's former variance czar. You wouldn't want Schakowsky to think you are some kind of ass, since now it is you who is asking her for money.

Flat-out!

Iraq Ridge?

U.S. soldiers walk through an electrical substation in the Ghazaliyah area of Baghdad.

By John Moore, Getty Images

Problematic power grid plagues Iraqis - USATODAY.com

No, not really - Park Ridge residents and businesses aren't suffering infrastructure mismanagement to the same degree as Iraqis. But shouldn't the residents and businesses in Park Ridge have more to look forward to than just another city-arranged bitch session?

Customers have the right to demand service from utility companies, and elected officials have the ability to help them do that.

There are utility company customers who do understand what good service is:

"When my phone system was destroyed by that flood, I thought I would be out of business for days if not weeks. Instead, Allied Tele-Com came to my rescue and had me up and running twelve hours later. Now that's what I call service!"Allegretti & Associates Mr James L. Allegretti, Attorney at Law - Welcome to Allied Tele-Com

Now that Mr. James L. Allegretti, Attorney at Law also carries the title and authority of Park Ridge Alderman, maybe he can make an effort to see to it residents of Park Ridge can some day also proclaim, "Now that's what I call service!"

We Heard It Through The Grapevine.

Norwood's condo plan was again deferred by the city council on Monday night. We hear Norwood's Park Ridge 2004 LLC has a lobbying ally on the city council.

Ever the development loyalist, we hear Alderman Robert Ryan is doing his best to engineer a council majority to give Norwood a variance or two. With Ryan's long-standing relationships in the building community, we are not surprised by this turn of Norwood's fortunes.

Without further ado, we offer to you our melodious tribute to Alderman Ryan -

For those of you who need or appreciate bad, really really bad, karaoke accompaniment, this link is for you!

Heard It Through The Grapevine

You can right click it, click open in a new window, then minimize it. Enjoy!

Ooh, we bet you wonder how we know
About you're plan to make a go
With Norwood's guys lookin' to make more dough.
Between Norwood and you it's
A dog and pony show.
It wasn't a surprise we must say,
When we found out yesterday.
Don't you know...

(Chorus)
We heard it through the grapevine
Not much backbone up in your spine.
Oh we heard it through the grapevine,
Cause some folks sure do like to drop a dime.
Robbie, Robbie, yeah.

We know voters ain't supposed to cry,
But you're leaving yours high and dry.
Choosin' you to represent their views
Means that now they're really screwed.
You could have told them yourself
That you shill for someone else.
Instead...

(Chorus)
They heard it through the grapevine
Not much backbone up in your spine.
Oh we heard it through the grapevine,
Cause some folks sure know where to drop a dime.
Robbie, Robbie, yeah.

People say believe half of what you see,
Some, and none of what you hear.
We can't help bein' confused
If it's true please tell us dear.
Do you plan to still vote "no"
Or, sell out on the new zoning code?
Don't you know...

(Chorus)
We heard it through the grapevine
Not much backbone up in your spine.
Oh we heard it through the grapevine,
Oh we had hoped you wouldn't be a slime.
Robbie, Robbie, yeah.

Caution! Genius at Work!

Gary Larson; The Far Side


























More Aldermoron gems from the city planning meeting!

On Committee Meeting Structure -

"Ald. Allegretti said he currently finds it very difficult being unable to discuss issues with other members prior to the meeting, and when they do meet, they are not ready because they are not properly informed. Ald. Wsol concurred. He believes the opportunity to learn something new from another committee member is lost."

Is there something difficult about discussing city business at open meetings in front of the public? What information is shared between aldermen privately that better prepares them for the meeting? What "something new" can be learned privately but not publicly between committee members? What aren't they ready for at public meetings? Debate? Disagreement?

Come on aldermorons, you were not elected to represent the people of Park Ridge from behind a curtain, and engage in insider trading on information.

While "Ald. Ryan believes the current arrangement is ineffective."

Here's a hint Alderman Ryan, show up for the meetings and you may find them more effective! With or without "experts" to hide your decision-making behind.

A Target-Rich Environment!

There is no end to the amusement provided by politicians. We find the fun reaches a zenith when they get together in the same room!


We read today that the Park Ridge city council held a planning meeting-pdf. back in June. They got together in the same room to do it. We are amused! Even if we had to wait three months for the city clerk to prepare and post the draft minutes.


The very first order of business was to break for dinner. You can't have your representatives starving while they plan the city's destiny.

We read that Alderman DiPietro discussed his desire to move forward on Norwood's Executive Plaza plan.

The Lord of the Manor is nothing if not a quick study in buzzword bingo lingo! Still we remain pleased that, despite his desire to move forward, he's kept the interests of the Park Ridge serf-izens in mind.


Mayor Hozo Frimark is always a source of amusement! We read that Mayor Hozo wants to form a "Citizens Advisory Task Force to help promote the new Police Station."










We hope he's just clowning around. We would hate to think Mayor Hozo is recommending that the city council use a group of serf-izens as a propoganda vehicle for moving forward on the building of a new police station. Mayor Hozo "explained it would assist by informing the community of the Council’s message and plan", but we feel he must have been joking. Surely Mayor Hozo understands it is the responsibility of elected officials to inform the community of their message and plan, even if he doesn't understand the expressly written purpose of a citizen's advisory task force is to inform the council on issues in the community.

Alderman Wsoooool man offered that he's "inclined to protect the little guy", notwithstanding his voting record.











Alderman Wsoooool man believes that the serf-izens of Park Ridge need to understand what the police are asked to do, while the police need to "develop a positive relationship" with Park Ridge serf-izens. The Wsoooool man goes on to suggest that Park Ridge serf-izens should be treated with respect by the Park Ridge police. Mind you, this is only a suggestion.


To accomplish the fulfillment of these needs and suggestions, Alderman Wsoooool man offered another suggestion - a sign design contest to promote involvement.


We speculate that the sign design contest was too complicated to implement, so the city administration decided to hand out an assortment of trinkets to serf-izens who stop by the Coffee with the Cops booth that we mentioned here.

Nothing helps a serf-izen to "Focus on the Vision" - the city administration's plan for promoting a more positive relationship between Park Ridge serf-izens and the police - like a shiny new keychain.

We would like to suggest that the next time our politicians gather to plan the city's destiny that the caterer be asked to include an assortment of herbal supplements.

Maybe if they ingest some fish oil, the serf-izens of Park Ridge would be saved from suggestions for political snake oil.

We have...

We will be back in time for the EPA Public Meeting Monday; Follow-Up PCB Testing Scheduled for Carpent

Enjoy the weekend!

Maybe It Ain't Easy Being Green?

The Park Ridge Country Club, zoned for single-family residential use under Park Ridge's old zoning code, is now zoned as "open space".

Of course, once a property is zoned as "open space", the logical thing to do is build on it - Country Club plans terrace, dining room improvements

Club respresentative and architect Andy Koglin, of PRC/Uptown Redevelopment infamy, said that the terrace would offer club members the opportunity to enjoy warm weather. "So many times we're doing weddings and events where people like to enjoy the outside," he said.

We're guessing the club's cigar aficionados will get some enjoyment out of the new 1800 square foot terrace too.

The club, according to Koglin, will be making a "sizable investment" in the "hundreds of thousands of dollars" for the improvements. All of which will be done under the new zoning code without requiring the club to get a special use permit, endure a hearing process, or notify neighbors.

According to the article, Carrie Davis, city planner for Park Ridge, said the new zoning is more appropriate for the club...the "open space" zoning is reserved for the club and the city's park areas.

Fine.

But.

If the Park Ridge Country Club isn't just paying lip service to being "open space", we'd suggest they invest some time and effort in The Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Program for Golf Courses

We note the Park Ridge Country Club is absent from the List of Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Program Golf Courses.pdf, while quite a number of local area clubs are listed, along with those in other states and around the world.

Interestingly, on the list we found Raptor Bay Golf Club, about a 20 minute drive from Mayor Frimark's "home away from home" in Bonita Springs Florida.

The Audubon program is vigorously promoted by the USGA, which says about the program: Audubon International helps golf courses enhance and protect habitat for birds and other wildlife species, reduce water and chemical use, and educate the public about the benefits of environmentally managed golf courses.

We are pretty sure participation wouldn't require a "sizable investment" in the "hundreds of thousands of dollars" - just a real committment to being not merely "open space" but truly "green space".

Cost Neutral or Neutralized Thought?

"God made the Idiot for practice, and then He made the School Board." said Mark Twain.

We read today that the district 64 board is moving forward in exploring the city's proposal to acquire the district's headquarters site for a new police station. The preliminary estimate submitted by Green Associates is in the range of $3,000,000.00, and doesn't include costs for acquiring a new site, demolition of the old site, replacement of the district's technology hub and phone system, nor any new furnishings.

The operative phrase being used is "cost neutral". Meaning, district 64 will insist that the city pay for all costs associated with a move.

"Cost neutral". Sounds pretty good.

"Cost neutral" to district 64. For the city? Not so "cost neutral".

Are the city's taxpayers all that different from district 64's taxpayers?

"Cost neutral" for whom?

Hey, Kids! Let's Put On A Show!

The Community Health Commission is putting on a show! Actually it's a fundraising dinner! And they're using taxpayer funds to do it.

The cost to the Commission will be $21 per person with a 150 person minimum; that's a minimum total of $3,150 for all you English majors out there. And we're betting there will be other costs too. The ticket price is likely to be in the $50 range. Okay English majors, you're on your own this time.

There's also a fee for a "bartender". We're thinking near beer and sparkling grape juice?

The Crystal Palace has graciously waived some fees for the event; no doubt in a show of appreciation to the city for enacting the smoking ban. Owner Sam Markos is such a kidder, and very generous with his friends too. Just ask Mayor Frimark; Sam gave him $12,000.00 just because he's known the mayor a long time and thinks he's a real swell guy.

We are sure the taxpayers won't mind feeding these people for an evening of fundraising and recognition and appreciation for all they and their "partners" have accomplished in their short existence.

They've accomplished so much! There's the ...the...uh...well...the um...eh...maybe uh...we heard something about a phone line ...and...uh...umm...

Well hell, these people have good hearts, they mean well, and they've got to eat too, ya know.

That explains it.

It appears Mayor Frimark didn't participate, as we noted, in a meeting for residents with ComEd officials because he was carefully rationing his syllabic energies for an upcoming fundraising event with Republican presidential hopeful Rudy Giuliani. But we do understand that politics is a lot more fun than policy, and the get-togethers are usually catered better too.

AP, September 6, 2007 (DES PLAINES, Ill.) - Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton grew up in the Chicago suburb of Park Ridge but the town's mayor said it belongs to Republican Rudy Giuliani.

"She's been gone a long time," Mayor Mark Frimark said after joking Thursday with Giuliani at a campaign event in a nearby suburb.

- Full report.

Mayor "Mark" Frimark? Do you think he gave that hapless reporter an alias? We would have, because we wouldn't want to take credit for that insightful gem of a quote either!

Asked for an opinion on the ownership of Park Ridge, resident and former 5th ward Alderman Howard Anderson responded, "I don't remember Giuliani ever living here, nor do I remember signing my property over to him. This may be upsetting to the local Ron Paul supporters."

We do have to take credit for that last bit. We completely made it up.

Bad Mojo.

People talk. We hear things. And we try to get the real scoop. Sometimes that is not easy to do.

What we hear today is that Nicor has been testing schools in district 64 for PCB contamination. We also hear they've found some and it will have to be cleaned up, and that district 64 has been notified of the problem.

We checked the district 64 website for an alert and found this - alerts - PCB sampling update 9/7/07.pdf That alert is not what we heard about.

We understand the desire for the quiet approach because who needs a bunch of hysterical panicky parents calling the district and demanding answers. But, we do feel the entire community should be alerted as to whether or not all schools have been tested, what the criteria for testing was, and what the results have been. We feel this may be of particular interest to Field and Carpenter school parents, as we heard it.

Keeping the entire community fully informed would seem to be a natural function for an organization said to be involved in the business of education.
--------------------------------------------------------------

Thanks for the update: 9/10/07 Letter - Carpenter School.pdf

Der Schmidtzkrieg!

Alderman David Schmidtzkrieg, representing the 1st ward in Park Ridge, wants to carpet bomb residents with information In Event Of An Emergency. That would be a big improvement over what residents are usually bombarded with from city hall.

To date, Ald. Schmidtzkrieg is the only local official we have heard quickly and publicly suggest any immediately useful ideas for addressing some of the issues faced by residents of Park Ridge in the aftermath of last month's act of God.

While State Senators Garret and Kotowski attempt to discover where God's responsibility ends and ComEd's liability begins, this municipal soldier has begun the tactical vormarsch for some real improvement in emergency response at the very local level.

Kein Rückzug, Schmidtzkrieg!

Cheers to the Weekend!

The Karma Bus!

Dooooooooood, this is too cool! Check this out man, we've got like this toooootally unexpected surplus--for Dist. 64! And like, we are toooootally stoked!

This is like right on if District 64 decides to take the deal with the city for their headquarters property! That unexpected cash is toooootally bitchin' for a move, and it's like really cosmic that some major money is just like right there!

School board member, John Heyde, says it's because of good financial planning, but doooood, the district was toooootally scrounging scratch, man! For like the last 8 years! Even B'man Martin was like, it's toooootally unanticipated. Whoa, do you think like unanticipating your financial position is like good financial planning? Whoa, that is like real heavy, man.

At least school board president, Sue Runyon, gives righteous honor to the universe by saying, "I know everybody else will say I'm nuts, but I say it's karma."

Doooooooooood! Who's driving the karma bus?

Coo coo cachoo.

Development director Derifield to retire reads one of today's headlines in the Herald-Advocate.

The mustachioed maestro of the city's Community Development department will have to be replaced, which begs the question of how effective the city's early retirement incentive plan will prove to be.

City Manager, Tim Schuenke, notes that the salary range for a replacement is beyond the current salary of $119,242.00 being paid to Derifield. Who says public service isn't rewarding? And you just can't beat a guaranteed government pension.

Derifield, himself, notes that he will probably find other employment. He is young enough to do that with many income producing years ahead of him.

If we had a crystal ball, we suspect it would tell us Derifield will go on to become a crystal ball gazer, a.k.a. - a consultant, maybe even a lobbyist*. That is usually what you become after you have worked in government. Just ask former State Senator Dave Sullivan.

With Derifield's departure, we are left to wonder if the city's Economic Development Director, Kim Uhlig, will feel more free to discuss demands for office space in Park Ridge?

Derifield has been telling city officials for years there is little if any demand for office space in Park Ridge, but we hear Ms. Uhlig has a different story to tell.

We feel she should be asked to tell it, before the city council takes Norwood's map amendment from the table for another vote.

*Our thanks to a keen eyed reader for the details.

The Ten ComEdments!

1. Thou shalt not expect thy mayor to participate at meetings for Residents vent to ComEd.
2. Thou shalt not take the name of thy utility company in vain; even after going without power for as long as 98 hours, or repeatedly suffering outages for no obvious reason.
3. Remember thy billing date and remit thy payment immediately.
4. Thou shalt not murder ComEd's designated flack catchers at public meetings; thou shall know that only angry grumbling is allowed and expected, and that ComEd designates these people for the special job of catching flack at public meetings.
5. Thou shalt not accuse ComEd's flack catchers of bearing false witness about telephone waiting times.
6. Thou shalt not adulterate thy power supply by considering solar panels for thy home.
7. Thou shalt not steal thy neighbor's electricity; thou shall ask nicely to run extension cords across public streets; thou shall be shit out of luck if thy surrounding neighbors also do not have power.
8. Thou shalt not covet reliable power service.
9. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's generator.
10. Thou shalt not expect a reasonable dialogue on any part of the Ten ComEdments decalogue.

Hold 'em.

Tonight's city council meeting won't be a full house, leaving Norwood's Park Ridge 2004 LLC to consider their odds of winning the EOP Lowball poker game.

Norwood is said to have asked the city council to delay consideration of their PUD, but proceed with the zoning map amendment approval. The council will probably delay both action items.

Norwood's pocket rockets can't win the game, leaving Norwood to check their bet, while they hope for a live hand.

The Floorman will do his best to assist Norwood's shill, but tonight's round of betting is likely to be a tight game.

The showdown is probably still to come.

Guest Essay.

We do not agree with everything this author has to say, but we thought it was a good read.

We are baffled by the lack of coverage in the local press on the illegal immigration issue and Park Ridge based, Koch Foods. Then again, the Sun-Times mandated formula for local rags rarely allows for coverage that does not reflect well on big business.

Thank you to our special buddy who forwarded this piece for us to read.

Happy Labor Day.

--------------------
LABOR DAY
03-Sep-07
By David Podvin

Another Labor Day has arrived, making it the perfect time to examine how American workers are victimized by those who pledge friendship. Conservatives never betray laborers, if only because it is impossible to betray people you openly despise. It is progressives who seduce the working class with false promises of fidelity.

In recent decades, American workers have seen their wages steadily lose ground to inflation while the monied elite have prospered. The national distribution of wealth now skews higher than ever, the byproduct of tax policies and trade agreements and illegal immigration. Conservatives have faithfully promoted the interests of the GOP’s aristocratic benefactors while liberals have failed to represent the peasants who vote Democratic.

When the Democrats took control of Congress, new House Speaker Nancy Pelosi proclaimed that working people had won a great victory. Thus far, that victory has yielded a largely symbolic minimum wage increase benefiting entry level service industry employees and few others. The Democratic Congress refuses to consider repealing the Bush tax cut that provided the upper class with cash and the working class with debt. The Democrats still support trade agreements that encourage business to replace American blue collar workers with foreign slave labor.

Then there is illegal immigration, the means by which Corporate America is repealing the labor gains of the last century. Undocumented workers do not qualify for minimum wages or medical benefits or pensions or humane working conditions or the right to organize. They possess no rights, which is why business wants them here. The Democrats want them here on the theory that today’s illegal alien is tomorrow’s liberal voter. Consequently, scheming Democratic politicians support immigration reform that will lure countless additional illegal aliens to take the jobs of loyal working class Democrats. Making matters worse, progressives smear as “xenophobic” those who view illegal immigration as a threat to the Democratic base.

Cesar Chavez viewed illegal immigration as the mortal enemy of the Hispanic American workers he spent his life defending. Chavez demanded that the Immigration And Naturalization Service deport undocumented laborers to shield lower income Americans from unfair competition. He defined illegal immigration as racketeering perpetrated by thuggish corporations.

Forty years later there has finally been a federal racketeering suit filed on behalf of the people Chavez loved. The plaintiffs are eighteen Hispanic Americans who earned twenty dollars an hour before losing their jobs to eighteen Hispanic illegal aliens who earn thirteen dollars an hour. With that illicit act, the Swift Company slashed wages in the meatpacking industry by thirty-five percent and eliminated worker benefits. As Chavez had warned, illegal immigration is crippling the working class.

Cesar Chavez was not xenophobic. He was a champion for Hispanic American laborers who are now without a champion. In fact, all American workers lack someone to fight on their behalf. Like the Democratic Party, labor unions welcome illegal immigration as a valuable source of new membership…. current membership be damned. Battered by decades of an increasingly hostile political environment, unions are more preoccupied with survival than with protecting the rank and file.

The upcoming presidential election will not provide workers with the chance to elect the advocate they desperately need. The Republican Party continues to view the working class as financial prey. The GOP presidential candidates are corporate functionaries who insist that the answer is to transfer wealth upwards, irrespective of what the question may be.

The Democratic candidates are marginally better, if “better” is the appropriate term to describe people who betray their supporters. Whenever Hillary Clinton triangulates (which is more often than not), the interests of her voters are sacrificed to benefit her ambition. Since entering the Senate, Hillary has been busy finding common cause with munitions manufacturers who desire war and media moguls who crave deregulation. Attending to these priorities has left Ms. Clinton without time to help the poor working slobs who elected her.

The relevant characteristic of Barack Obama is not that he is black but that he is so very eager to ream working class blacks. The senator supported the misnamed “Bankruptcy Reform Bill” that redistributed vast sums to corporations from lower income wage earners who are disproportionately African American. Inspirational rhetoric notwithstanding, the only black people who matter to Senator Obama eat lunch in the executive dining room.

Al Gore is the one politician who could lead the United States towards a more just economic system. When he ran in 2000 Gore courageously laid it on the line, framing the debate as “the people versus the powerful”. He declared that the federal government should actively promote the economic interests of the common citizen. When Corporate America concluded that Gore was actually sincere its media subsidiaries conducted the journalistic equivalent of carpet bombing the Democratic nominee. Thanks to populism’s enormous appeal Gore won the election anyway, but then his victory was nullified by the business wing of the United States Supreme Court.

That corporate coup d’état has been devastating to working Americans. The Bush administration has accumulated massive debt while reducing upper income tax rates, leaving John Q. Public with a staggering financial liability. Illegal immigration has increased, and the exodus of manufacturing plants has accelerated. The prohibitively expensive Iraq War impoverishes the average taxpayer as it enriches the average conglomerate.

Bush is just doing what Republicans do, which is to whore for Big Business. Democrats are supposed to stop them, but this is the part of the script that has apparently gotten smudged. The guys in the black hats are still very bad, but the guys in the white hats are no longer very good. The faithless Democratic Party has helped conservatives do Corporate America’s bidding, even confirming business acolytes John Roberts and Samuel Alito to the Supreme Court. As a result, if Gore sought and won the presidency again the corporatists would be well positioned to steal it from him again.

In all likelihood, Al Gore will not seek the presidency. Understandably, he is reluctant to experience another agonizing campaign in which triumph morphs into defeat . The man whom Americans elected their president seven years ago cares deeply about workers, but not deeply enough to endure the considerable grief that accompanies being their standard bearer.

And so, the working people of the United States are screwed. One major political party relentlessly abuses them, as does the other major political party. There is no organized movement to alter the unacceptable status quo. There is no white knight to fend off the robber barons. There is only the awesome power of the Fortune 500, a power so vast that business has already won the next presidential election. That means the average citizen has already lost, which means for working class Americans a bad situation is going to get worse.

Happy Labor Day!

Shock The Monkey!

Howard Frimark may be shocked to learn that after campaigning to become the mayor, the people of Park Ridge really do expect him to perform in that role - beyond directing the Public Works Department to make "Mayor Howard P. Frimark" signs to strategically hang around town.


Sources inside the city tell us a lot of people are asking the Mayor a lot of questions and demanding answers and action to address the problems of bad, really really bad, electric service and flooding.


Press coverage of the losses suffered by some residents have offered a mix of understanding and exasperation with city officials. When a resident finally got a hold of somebody at city hall so she could ask what to do with all her spoiled food, the answer was "I don't know". Finally! An honest answer from city hall!


Expectations for politicians performing badly, and acts of ComEdus interruptus, remain high. We suspect most Park Ridge residents have grown accustomed to being left in the dark, feeling dissatisfied.

And we don't want to make it worse by mentioning the effects of bad services on property values.