Every Once In A While!

We warn visitors in our banner, and as our regular PRU readers have come to know, the PRU Crew doesn't pull many punches when being irreverent and unrepentant. We most often write about our displeasure and disagreement with many of our local institutions, public figures, and those who step into the public policy arena. We challenge their thinking, their motives, and their actions. And no matter who they are, what title they hold, or how long they've lived in Park Ridge, if we feel they are acting like asshats, we're going to say so.

Also as our regular readers have come to know, the local press is as much a target for our criticism as are our local elected officials.

But not today.

It is with great satisfaction that the PRU Crew offers MAJOR PRUdos to the editorial writer for today's Herald-Advocate

The editor has penned a piece in celebration of Sunshine Week, which begins March 15, 2009. In the piece the writer says in part --

"While the week is widely celebrated by news organizations, it is important that every citizen recognize the importance of the openness of your government, whether it is the federal, state or local municipality. You are entitled to know how the government decides to spend taxpayer money, whom it hires to do government business and what important decisions it makes that affect you, your tax dollars and the community in which you live."

"...some elected officials would like to conduct important business in closed meetings or to keep the business conducted in those meetings private."

"So it is important that you continue to fight for openness. Because it is important for citizens to remain informed. The more information they have access to, the easier it is for people to be informed."

Bingo!

A PRU Tuesday Twofer!

#1 -- Follow the Leader!

For those of you who spent the time to read 3rd Ward Alderman Don Bachtard's letter to the press announcing Mayor Howard's re-election bid, we commend you for your endurance. You may recall the following passage from the letter, where Bachtard claims :

"We have had far fewer closed session meetings compared than other neighboring cities, and all of them have been in compliance with the Illinois Open Meetings Act. If any of them were not, I am sure Mr. Schmidt and his cronies would have seen to it that the incidents were reported and prosecuted for their own political purposes. Since this has not happened, in spite of their best efforts to try, it should be obvious that Mr. Schmidt's bellicose bellowing about transparency is motivated by his desire to win the election and has no basis in fact. Please also keep in mind that Mr. Schmidt was censured by his peers on the council for revealing confidential information from a closed session."

Well it looks like somebody did report it, and Mayor Howard and his cronies were admonished by the Office of the Attorney General. We thank one of our faithful readers for the submission.

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Publish at Scribd or explore others:

This is the incident that earned Park Ridge an Illinois Press Association 3rd Place Worsty Award. We do note that the Country Club meeting was moved back to City Hall, according to Mayor Howard, "to make everybody happy." So Bachtard's claim that all the meetings the City Council has held have been "in compliance with the Illinois Open Meetings Act" is technically correct. But that doesn't mean Mayor Howard and his lapdogs haven't tried! And it also means that 1st Ward Alderman Dave Schmidtzkrieg's "bellicose bellowing about transparency" does appear to have some "basis in fact," in addition to the citizen survey results we assume Bachtard was given a copy of.

We also see that Alderman Bachtard is listed as a recipient of a "cc" for the Madigan letter, but maybe Bachtard didn't read it because he was busy with other things -- like spending quality time with his dictionary in preparation for one of his nasty letters to the press?


#2 -- Quickie Council Recap

As expected, at last night's City Council meeting --

1. -- PRC developers got what they asked for; the City Council voted to allow the Uptown developer to rent retail space to service provider Coldwell Banker. However, semi-PRUdos for the Council requiring that, should Coldwell Banker leave the space before the term of the lease expires, PRC will guaranty the sales tax replacement payments to the City. Additionally, the sales tax replacement payments will not be added to the deductions PRC takes before it figures the 11% rate of return on the development before profit sharing with the City. Still, don't expect any profit sharing with the City.

2. -- The 5th Ward's Benedict Alderman Ryan offered a formula for figuring square footage and the allowable number and size for televisions in restaurants. We are so relieved! The change to the liquor ordinance passed with flying colors.

3. -- Alderman Bachtard and Mayor Horses Ass got blasted by one resident who found Bachtard's letter to the press, announcing Mayor Howard's re-election bid, very negative. We're wondering if this method of operating comes as a surprise to anyone? Of course Bachtard went negative on behalf of his master! That way Mayor Howard can appear to be above the fray! Look! There Goes Elvis!

The Council was also treated to citizen opinions about their conduct in failing to second Ald. Schmidtzkrieg's motion for a resolution to discuss a referendum on building a new police station. And the citizens' opinions were decidedly unhappy.

In response to a recent quote in one of the local rags, where Mayor Howard discussed the wording of the police station referendum and said, "The way Schmidt had it questioned, no one in their right mind would vote for that. It has to be a fair and honest question, " one resident challenged Mayor Howard, saying, "Come up with your own wording for the referendum question!" The PRU Crew thinks this may be the meanest thing anybody has ever said to Mayor Howard because, as most folks know, Mayor Howard can barely manage words already written for him!