Contradictions!

You need educatin'! But you're so ignorant you probably wouldn't understand! So we're going to spend your money educatin' you but when all is said and done, if you tell us something we don't want to hear, then we'll know you're just too stupid to understand!

So goes the cluster fuck otherwise known as the Park Ridge O'Hare Airport Commission.

Last week the City Council was treated to a special power point presentation by Mr. Steve Tauber of Chevalier, Allen and Lichman, LLP -- the storied California law firm brought in by the more litigiously bent members of the PROAC to educate the City Council on possible legal strategies for fighting O'Hare expansion.

Our sources report the entire special meeting and power point presentation was eerily reminiscent of the sad SOC (Suburban O'Hare Commission) days gone by and woefully light on substance. Though nobody is saying with any certainty if the Aldermen heard anything persuasive in the presentation, we're told the City Council sat and listened, politely.

And if certain members of the PROAC are to be believed, the City Council is in for a whole lotta listening on down the road.

As our faithful PRU readers may recall, the PROAC asked for funding from the City Council, and 3rd ward Ald. Don Bachtard obliged their request with a suggestion to increase the price of vehicle stickers, making it possible for the PROAC to receive $165,000 in public funds for their efforts.

The PROAC's funding request breaks-down into three areas -- $105,000 for a lobbyist, $50,000 for an independent environmental study, and $10,000 for community education.

That last $10,000 the PRU Crew finds to be a source of twisted amusement -- especially since we are unaware of anyone who is unaware of O'Hare airport and the noise it produces! But it seems, certain PROAC members have convinced themselves of the ignorance of the Park Ridge population.

For example, at the April 28th meeting of the PROAC (.pdf), during discussion of a possible referendum question on the topic of O'Hare, the following is noted in the meeting minutes --

"Commissioner Kutt mentioned that, if it is a referendum, perhaps the residents would start to really look at the real issue and take a true understanding of what the enormity of these numbers mean to us."

"Commissioner Donovan asked if a referendum was really necessary. The aldermen were elected to make decisions. He is not convinced of the intelligence of the public on this problem. They do not know how bad it is. They do not know how simple the solutions are. It is easier to educate the City Council and have them make an educated decision, as opposed to trying to educate everybody."

"Commissioner Kennedy commented that the current level of knowledge in the community regarding changes to the airport and the effect on the community is not sufficient for a referendum to pass and it would take a huge educational push on the Commission’s and whoever else’s part to let them know what the changes are going to be before it would pass. That is going to be part and parcel of what the OAC wants to do: Educate the people about the changes and get them involved. But it is setting up another hurdle for the Commission."

The PRU Crew's very favorite quote is that of Commissioner Donovan.

You see people, the PROAC members are convinced of your profound ignorance on the issue of O'Hare expansion and they intend to use your money to educate you. But they also seem pretty convinced of either your inability to be educated or their inability to educate you.

The PRU Crew finds the sentiments expressed by the PROAC members to be a twistedly delicious intellectual contradiction. And so we are looking forward to the members of the PROAC resorting to the path of least resistance -- educating the dumbest collection of Aldermen ever assembled at 505 Butler Pl.

Does anybody get the feeling the next funding request from the PROAC will be money for another lobbyist -- for the purpose of educating the Park Ridge City Council?