By The Rules!

According to the rules, the Mayor votes to break a tie or when a super majority is needed to pass some item of council business. Rules are rules. Even in Park Ridge, Mayor Howard sometimes decides to follow the rules -- and Mayor Howard has cast tie-breaking votes at council meetings.

Like the time Mayor Howard cast the tie-breaking vote that would have given his friend and campaign contributor, Bill Napleton of Napleton Cadillac, $2,000,000.00 in tax benefits and an additional payment of $400,000.00 to clean up any contamination of the old Napleton Cadillac dealership.

Mayors casting tie-breaking votes happens in many other towns too. Mayor Howard's good buddy, Mayor Tony Arredia (R-We got the casino license!) of Des Plaines, has cast tie-breaking votes too. And at least one resident of Des Plaines was inspired to thank Mayor Arredia for his tie-breaking vote in the Journal and Topics' Speak Out! section:

Thanks mayor for tie-breaking vote

Mayor breaks 4-4 tie in favor of 1% property tax levy for 2009. Congratulations to Mayor Tony Arredia for breaking this most contested vote in the city council in all these weeks of discussion. I'm sure he was under a lot of pressure to do otherwise. My hat goes off to you mayor for siding with all of the taxpaying citizens of Des Plaines. Frank from Des Plaines.

We wonder if anyone besides Bill Napeton thanked Howard Frimark for his tie-breaking vote.

The PRU Crew is also wondering if the City Council, busy changing the way city business is discussed and managed, would consider changing the rules for when tie-votes need to be broken.

We feel the taxpayers of Park Ridge would have a better chance if the City Council were to consider the following option --

Bachtard Strikes Again! And Again! And Again!

As most of you know, the 3rd Ward's Constitutional UNscholar provides a lot of entertainment value for the PRU. If this clown didn't have a vote on the city council we'd be content to just point and laugh! But that 1/7th vote puts a bit of a damper on the comedy routine known as the Frimark administration.

Bachtard's first appearance on our blog was due to his taking part in telling the Park Ridge police department that he, along with 4th Ward Alderman Jim Allspaghetti, does not appreciate full enforcement of the Zero Tolerance law by police in Park Ridge.

At a later date, Bachtard went on to let everyone know how courageous he is for becoming an alderman on the Park Ridge city council, which inspired us to write an Ode to Alderman Dreadbach.

Bachtard continued to provide comedic value when he infamously rebuked Bill Napelton, telling Napleton he had no intention of every spending his own money at Napleton Cadillac ever again, right before he voted to give Napleton $2.4 million dollars of our money.

And who could forget Bachtard's self-described "sensationalist approach...to have a discussion on the elimination of the Tree Preservation Ordinance...His intent was to capture the attention of the community and it did just that (.pdf)", because as we all know, if there's anything the residents of Park Ridge need it's a "sensationalist approach" to public policy, and representatives who "capture the attention of the community" by making false statements about their intentions.

Given Bachtard's track record, it came as no surprise to the PRU Crew when we read that Bachtard again used a sensationalist approach in addressing the O'Hare Noise Compatibility Commission (ONCC) by suggesting that Park Ridge may be better off rejoining the Suburban O'Hare Commission (SOC). In a report in one of the local rags, Bachtard said, "I don't personally believe SOC is going to do us any good," he said, explaining that he believed the city's past involvement was a "miserable failure" which cost the city millions of dollars, largely in legal fees." The report states Bachtard's sensationalist approach was "intended to put pressure on the O'Hare Noise Compatibility Commission and the Federal Aviation Administration to share "accurate" information with communities surrounding O'Hare." Because as we all know, a heaping helping of hollow sensationalism is exactly what's needed when attempting to address serious issues of public policy.

So we have to ask, if Bachtard admittedly uses "sensationalist approaches" to serious discussions of important public policy issues and problems, what do you suppose he's using in his approach to political issues?

GIGO! And Not GIGO!

The GIGO factor is shorthand for "garbage in, garbage out". We've got a lot of that going on today, and the PRU Crew has other things to do so we aren't going to be digging for anything today. We're going to leave it up to our readers to share with each other what they know about any of these subjects --

1. -- CVS Pharmacy is working behind the scenes with elected officials and city staff to move forward on their plans to build on the old Napleton Cadillac site. We recall Alderman Robert Ryan (5th Ward) saying he agreed that the site should conform to the city's comprehensive plan and be residential. We have not heard if Ald. Ryan is doing anything to follow through on that statement on behalf of his constituents.

2. -- Mayor Howard is telling people that the Illinois ACLU is planning to take up the cause of homeless shelters, and will be suing the city on behalf of the homeless, PADS, and the PRMA. One of our sources tells us that unless homeless shelters are planning on performing abortions, the Illinois ACLU isn't likely to take much of an interest, but you never know.

3. -- Mayor Howard is telling people that lawsuits have been filed against the city as a result of the Ekl audit being made public. We've got information that says that is false.


And Not GIGO --

The Park Ridge City web site has a very good explanation of the reverse 911 call system available for reading. We're not sure exactly which city staff member is responsible for putting together the information, but we feel the effort to answer the questions residents raised about the issue is excellent.

And The Award Goes To.....!!!

...Mayor Howard P. Frimark, for...

Confidential information should not be released

I read with interest and dismay, Jennifer Johnson's July 31 article on the possible acquisition of the Napleton Busse site for a police station. Aldermen Schmidt has again chosen to betray the confidence of his fellow aldermen by publicizing closed session discussions.

We have previously been advised by the city attorney that the topic of acquiring real estate by the city is appropriate for closed session discussion. The city attorney has told us that this not only includes discussions of the amount to be paid, but also includes discussing the advisability of acquiring a particular property.

The reason the Illinois legislature has created this as a permissible subject of a closed meeting is obvious. Once the marketplace learns that a government entity is even interested in acquiring a particular property, the price is driven upward. The legislature was trying to protect the public treasury and the taxpayers whose hard earned dollar fund that treasury.

We in Park Ridge know that Alderman Schmidt marches to his own drummer and does whatever he pleases, even when he knows the Council is acting legally and even if he knows that his actions are taken at the taxpayers' expense.

However, I wish to express my disappointment in the Pioneer Press for printing his inappropriate breaches of confidence. We assume that Alderman Schmidt will answer to his electorate for his indiscretions. But, it is irresponsible for the press, knowing that a closed session is legal and knowing that disclosure will be costly to the public, to publish information from that closed session.

Howard Frimark

Mayor, Park Ridge

We're pretty sure we don't need to deconstruct this drivel point by point, because we're pretty sure PRU readers have a superior grasp of not only the Illiniois Open Meetings Act, but also the snivelling bullshit that regularly pours from the mind -- we use the term loosely -- of Howard P. Frimark in his effort to smooth the way for "Friends of Frimark."

Have a wonderful long weekend!

It must be like being high all the time!

In our last post, we hoped PRU readers would "critically consider" what was published in last week's Herald-Advocate.

If you read the Herald-Advocate, then you may have read their article What should be on the Napleton Cadillac site, about a meeting between approximately 50 residents and 5th Ward Benedict Alderman Robert Ryan. If you read that article, the following paragraphs may have struck you as something to critically consider:

Residents asked Ryan what they could do to get the land rezoned for townhouses or condominiums which are recommended in the 2002 Uptown comprehensive plan. Ryan said he did not know and would need to ask staff.

Acting Director of Community Development Carrie Davis told the Park Ridge Herald-Advocate that a request to rezone property can only be made by the property's owner.

"The owner is the only party that has the ability to bring forth the request for a zoning change," she said.

Davis also clarified that the Uptown plan's recommendations are not absolute: "It is not something that says, 'this is something that has to happen.' It is something the city uses as guidelines for determining the future land uses," she said.

Apparently Ryan wasn't fully aware of the residents' concerns, at least not enough to have consulted the City's Zoning Ordinance before attending the meeting. It has been reported that Ryan carried with him to the meeting a copy of the City's Uptown plan-.pdf, instead of a copy of the City's Zoning Ordinance.

News Flash for Ald. Ryan!!! Your constituents are already aware of what is contained in the Uptown plan. Didn't you think maybe they would want to know about the Zoning Ordinance too?

But o.k., we know Ald. Ryan is a busy guy with not enough time to show up to all required meetings, let alone look up local zoning laws. So when in doubt, ask a city staffer. And that's what the reporter for the Herald-Advocate did, which brings us to Ms. Carrie Davis, acting Director of Community Development. As noted above, Ms. Davis said, "a request to rezone property can only be made by the property's owner." (emphasis added)

We would like to now take the opportunity to introduce Ms. Davis -- and Ald. Ryan -- to the City's Zoning Ordinance-.pdf. It is a useful tool when conducting the job of Director of Community Development -- or Alderman -- in either a real or merely "acting" capacity.

A quick search of the Zoning Ordinance may even lead someone to the following:

4.8 ZONING AMENDMENT

A. Purpose

The regulations imposed and the districts created by this Ordinance may be amended from time to time in accordance with this Section. This process for amending the Zoning Ordinance text or the Zoning Map is intended to permit modifications in response to changed conditions or changes in City policy. Amendments are not intended to relieve particular hardships or confer special privileges or rights upon any person or party.

B. Initiation

An owner of any property in the City or the City may propose text or map amendments.

Does that say what we think it says? Does that say that an owner or the City may propose text or map amendments? Are "text or map amendments" the same thing as the "zoning change" Ms. Davis talked about?

The last paragraph of the Herald-Advocate article says:

Ryan promised residents he would support their desire to make the properties residential. "I think it's important to follow our [Uptown] plan," he said.

No time like the present to keep that promise, Ald. Ryan.

As for Ms. Davis, by our count she's 0 and 2 in knowing the critical information available in the Zoning Ordinance, and providing that information to those with questions about a zoning issue.

And finally for residents with concerns about zoning issues or anything else...as one of our more friendly correspondents likes to quote, "Trust, but verify."

Council Capers Recap!

Again, we thank our PRU readers for being patient while we organize our sources.

At last night's City Council meeting, our illustrious representatives again voted to go into closed session to discuss the acquisition of property for a new police station. Our sources tell us Alderman Dave Schmidtzkrieg (1st Ward) reminded the Council that they had not yet decided the key issues of size and expense for such a project. Ald. Schmidtzkrieg further stated that they cannot discuss the acquisition of property without deciding those issues, in open session.

The 4th Ward's representative, Alderman Allspaghetti, then asked Schmidtzkrieg if he would "respect" the vote of the Council to go into closed session or if he would disclose what was discussed. Schmidtzkrieg responded that he "didn't know what [he] would do", but he would abide by the rules of the Illinois Open Meetings Act and that he was prepared to be "condemned" again for his actions.

Then Alderman Frank Wsooooolman (7th Ward) offered that his intention in asking for this closed session was in accordance with the Illinois Open Meetings Act which allows public bodies to discuss "strategy for obtaining real estate", and that this was a protection of the taxpayers from those who may try to "manipulate" the market. What Ald. Wsooooolman doesn't seem to realize is that public bodies have the right to condemn property and pay fair market value for it, should anyone attempt to "manipulate" the market. What Ald. Wsooooolman also doesn't seem to realize is that the issues of size and expense for a police station should be determined before the Council engages in their "strategery" on land acquisition.

And the entire PRU Crew is willing to bet their briefs that the property discussed in closed session last night was the now shuttered Napleton Cadillac dealership, a prime piece of private commercial property on two main drags. Mr. Bill Napleton, a very special Friend of Frimark, is no doubt grinning from ear to ear about this real estate flip. Why work selling cars when you can "manipulate" local government into a deal that may provide you with a windfall of as much as $5 million? The PRU Crew has suspected for a while now that Bill Napleton never had any intention of maintaining a Cadillac dealership in Park Ridge, and the more we watch this deal evolve, the more convinced we become.

Also at the City Council meeting last night, Adrienne Timm of St. Paul of the Cross read a statement saying that the Park Ridge Ministerial Association and St. Paul of the Cross "continue to be sensitive" to the concerns of the community and will now seek to open a PADS homeless shelter at St. Paul of the Cross this coming October, instead of at St. Mary's Episcopal church. Ms. Timm was standing in for Father Carl Morello, who was presiding over SPC's eighth grade graduation festivities and waxing pastor-al about taking the "higher road" in life.

Apparently Father Morello's "higher road" doesn't include telling his congregation about things like the proposed PADS shelter coming to St. Paul of the Cross even while waxing pastor-al about the PADS program this past Sunday. While leaving out details from one's discussion of a topic isn't the same thing as telling a lie, and while telling a lie isn't one of the "Seven Deadly Sins", failing to mention key details probably is considered bad behavior.

But maybe Father Morello was so proud of his sermon last Sunday that he simply forgot to mention the new location of the proposed PADS homeless shelter. By the way, Padre, pride is one of the "Seven Deadlies." But you already know that, right?

After the PRMA--St. Paul of the Cross announcement, Cumberland Avenue resident Mr. Chris Harris addressed the Council to ask about the funds requested from Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky's office. Mr. Harris also asked "who will benefit" from the "Cumberland Avenue Connector Project". Mr. Harris noted that the request for funds also included that the project "proposes to increase speed" in order to move traffic through Park Ridge faster. He went on to say that Park Ridge is primarily a residential community that already gets more than its fair share of truck and cut-through traffic. Mr. Harris concluded his remarks by asking, "How does this (the proposed Cumberland extension) benefit residents and businesses in Park Ridge?" The PRU Crew feels that is an excellent question, Mr. Harris. We can't wait to hear what the pols' answer is.

Finally, Mayor Howard's rubber stamps on the Council took the opportunity to stick it to former Chief of Police, Jeff Caudill. As we told you yesterday, the Council was supposed to "approve payment to former Police Chief Caudill." Instead, in a vote of 4 to 2 (Bach, Allegretti, Carey and Wsol to Schmidt and DiPietro -- Ryan missed another meeting) the Council chose to hold the payment over the head of the former Chief of Police to ensure his "full cooperation" in the Ekl Williams investigation of the Park Ridge police department; even though the original separation agreement calls for Mr. Caudill to do exactly that. We're not sure about PRU readers, but the Crew feels that this dangling carrot bears the faint aroma of a bribe. More bluntly stated, it now appears as if Caudill's "cooperation" will be measured by the pleasure or displeasure of Council members and the Mayor in reaction to whatever information Caudill gives to Ekl Williams. And the delayed consideration of agreeing to the payment may reflect that pleasure or displeasure.

And we can't get past the Council's double-dealing on the terms of the agreement. If waiting until after the investigation to agree to a complete severance package for Caudill, to ensure his cooperation, is now so important, why wasn't it important before? Before the investigation began? Before "progress" reports had been received?

And finally, how the hell do you screw over a 30+ year employee like this? By nearly all accounts, Caudill served this community well. And we have yet to hear any substantive grounds for why the Mayor and his rubber stamps pushed for Caudill to resign.

We guess this is what passes for "doing business" in Park Ridge.

Buckle up, Park Ridgians! Remember to keep your hands and feet inside the hand basket, and try to enjoy the ride.

Another Comment in the Spotlight!

Yesterday a PRU reader asked:

"I know this does not apply to today's discussion but, I thought there was a state law, or perhaps fed, which says that an employeer with over ? employees must notify the state if they intend to close. Does this apply to Napleton?If not, if Napleton's employees are union did they have to inform the union of their intention to close?I just can't get it out of my mind that Napleton did not know he was going to close when working on the city donation to him. A. J." April 15, 2008 7:38 PM

You jogged our memory banks, A.J. Yes, there is a Federal and State of Illinois law that does require notice. That law, the Illinois WARN Act - "Applies to employer with 75 or more full-time workers" and says in part:

The Illinois WARN Act requires employers to give 60 days notice to employees and their unions, the Illinois Department of Commerce & Economic Opportunity’s Bureau of Workforce Development and the Illinois Department of Labor, of a plant closing or mass layoff.

The law does not appear to apply to Napleton. We understand from what has been reported that Napleton Cadillac had about 50 employees, and we don't believe they are in a union.

It also appears the local rags have been ratcheting up their game and taking advantage of this newfangled thing called the Internet! On Monday, both the Journal & Topics and the Herald-Advocate posted online updates about the City Attorney's opinion on the Napleton deal.

The PRU Crew is going to go ahead and take a little credit for lighting a bit of a fire under the local rags' backsides. We have noticed that since Mr. Craig Adams became employed by the Journal, the quality of their content has definitely improved. We've also noticed that as of late, Ms. Jennifer - Rip Van Winkle - Johnson seems to have entered a brave new world of reporting. And considering all that has already taken place among elected officials in their various meetings this week, we are actually looking forward to reading what the local rags have to say about it!

It also appears from the reports that Mayor Howard is giving the City Attorney, Buzz Hill, the credit for the City's position that the Napleton deal is D.O.A. The City Attorney's memo says in part:

"It is clear that if any one of the dealerships moves from Park Ridge, the City has no obligations whatsoever to Napleton under the Agreement. Paragraph 8 of the Agreement states:

“Once any one of the Dealerships is moved, the City shall have no further obligations pursuant to this Agreement.”

This includes both the sales tax rebate obligation and the $400,000 Environmental Reimbursement Obligation.

I have informed Napleton’s attorney of this position. As soon as I am directed to do so, I will give written notification as required by the Agreement. Napleton then will have 30 days to notify us that he has convinced GM to change its position and keep the dealerships in Park Ridge."

Of course, giving the City Attorney credit for protecting the interests of Park Ridge taxpayers is the right thing for Mayor Howard to do, because many of us remember exactly what the Mayor's position was:

"Frimark said he has asked City Attorney Everette "Buzz" Hill to review the economic incentive agreement "and see where we stand." Frimark told the Park Ridge Herald-Advocate, however, that while the sales tax rebate is void, he believes Napleton is entitled to receive the $400,000 in clean-up costs which would come from Uptown Tax Increment Financing (TIF) funds.

"I believe that's still going to go forward," Frimark said." - Herald-Advocate, April 10, 2008

Lesson #2: Pay Attention or Pay Up!

Back in early October, we told you about the City Council's Finance & Budget committee. In that piece we said, "We sure do hope the Lord of the Manor is paying attention, because his won't be the only ass that could get bitten by something that creeps up from behind."

And some serious budget issues have crept up, which is why the Finance and Budget committee will be conducting a Finance and Budget COW - Committee of the Whole (.pdf) tonight in the City Council chambers.

With the surprise announcement of Napleton Cadillac's closing, additional expenditures for the police department audit, some goofy "vision plan" thing, the expense of improving air quality at the "new" Public Works Service Center, and Lutheran General Hospital's lack of cooperating on an increase in the parking garage tax, the City Council has a lot to discuss and much bloody red spending to staunch.

As quoted in an online update by one of the local rags, the Lord of the Manor, 2nd Ward Alderman Rich DiPietro said, "There will have to be some compromises made Monday night...I anticipate a lively discussion."

Like we said, things can creep up from behind.

And as an old bus driver used to say on a route once travelled by one of our crew, "Keep an eye on your pocketbooks, ladies and gentlemen, we have some special guests on board today."

Napleton's 'Dear John' Letter.

Click on the image for a larger view

We thought PRU readers may want to see what Mr. William F. Napleton had to say to his benefactor, Mayor Howard Frimark, and the City of Park Ridge about the closing of Napleton Cadillac. We also thought it would be a nice accompaniment to the coverage of this story in the local press today.

Napleton to close Cadillac dealership in Park Ridge

According to the article:

"Susan Garontakos, a spokesperson for General Motors, said President Bill Napleton voluntarily opted to close the Cadillac-Buick-Pontiac dealership, located at Greenwood Avenue and Busse Highway.

"He made the decision to go away from the business," Garontakos said.

Mayor Howard Frimark and Deputy City Manager Juliana Maller met with Bill Napleton on Monday, and Frimark told the City Council it was General Motors that pulled the dealership's franchises. Garontakos said this was not true, and that it was Napleton's decision to close the dealership, not GM's."

We can hardly wait to see that full page ad!

Helluva job, Howie!

Council Roundup!

We hear it was a long city council meeting last night. After the usual opening niceties of declaring April to be Fair Housing Month and some recognition awards, acting City Manager Julianna Maller requested that the acting Director of Community Development, Carrie Davis, brief the Council on a March 31, 2008 meeting between city staff, the Park Ridge Ministerial Association, Benedict Alderman Ryan and Mayor Howard regarding the proposed PADS shelter.

Everyone was reassured that it is "typical" to meet with "potential" applicants to lay the groundwork for future action. Ms. Davis also said such meetings are necessary because such proposals effect many layers of city government. Ms. Davis also referred to PADS as a "franchise" that deals with the provision of shelter to the homeless, and that the Park Ridge Ministerial Association believes there is a "gap in services" for the homeless in Park Ridge.

Acting City Manager Maller then told those assembled that St. Mary's has been asked to provide more information and that if the council chose to they could refer the matter to committee for discussion to talk about the process. Ms. Maller requested direction from the City Council.

Ald. Dave Schmidt (1st ward) then remarked that he hoped the City Attorney would provide his legal opinion in a written memo with supporting citations and cases. Ald. Schmidt said he has looked at case law on the subject and that this is a confused area of the law, but that all signs point to PADS needs to get a special use permit. Ald. Schmidt went on to caution those in attendance, who are opposed to the PADS shelter, that there is a balancing requirement in the law. The city can require standards, but those opposed to the shelter can't simply say they don't want it; there must be a compelling interest for the city to protect. All that leaves the PRU Crew to wonder, what's more compelling than the protection of our kids, ourselves, and our property?

Benedict Ald. Ryan (5th ward) then spoke about his last Saturday morning meeting with area residents and the Ministerial Association. He spoke of the many questions raised and believes that residents had taken time to think through their concerns, and that the Ministerial Association had also taken time to think through the issue, for the two years they have been thinking through the issue. Benedict Ald. Ryan said everyone needs to find a "way forward" and that the special use was not the issue. Ryan wants to see everyone engage in dialogue to have a better understanding. Ryan said he's asked that a public meeting will be held by the end of April, and that the Ministerial Association has said they would do that.

Ald. Rich DiPietro (2nd ward), addressing the actual request of the acting City Manager, said he hoped the Council would choose to discuss the PADS subject as a committee of the whole.

Mayor Howard said he has asked that a City Council workshop be put on by the Ministerial Association, and that he's also asked the City Attorney for his opinion, and he encourages everyone to listen to the City Attorney's opinion.

Ours has got to be the most work-shopped City Council in the history of municipal government!

The next item on the agenda was supposed to be a vote to accept the proposal from Ekl Williams to do an audit of the Park Ridge Police Department. Some of you may recognize the name of Ekl Williams -- their firm represented the female bartender who was beaten by Chicago Police officer, Anthony Abbate. However, Ald. Frank Wsoooool man (7th ward) requested that the matter be deferred for two reasons, 1) A resident of the 7th ward has purportedly asked Ekl Williams for representation, and 2) a source has referred to allegations raised against attorney Terry Ekl by a group calling itself Citizens for Legal Responsibility.

We have no idea whether or not the resident seeking Ekl's representation has a beef with the Park Ridge police or not. The PRU Crew did do so some very quick online searching and found some very disturbing information about Mr. Ekl. None of which we will discuss here today. We aren't even certain it's the same Mr. Ekl. But if it is, we would hope there would be no further consideration of Ekl Williams for the police department audit.

The Council voted unanimously to defer the matter.

Next it was time for Citizens Wishing To Address The Council On A Non-Agenda Item. Mayor Howard warned that he would be "very strict" in enforcing the Council's 5-minute rule for speakers.

The Unfriendly Ghost of the 6th Ward, Ald. Thomas Carey, inquired that this was for address to the City Council on Non-Agenda items, stressing the Non-Agenda aspect, and as you will see he was roundly ignored.

Our sources tell us that the count of for/against ran 7 to 17 with 1 "don't know exactly". Most all of the speakers who rose to support the proposed PADS shelters were the pastors and PADS volunteers, while those who voiced concern and or objection to the proposal were residents.

Father Ted Stone from Mary Seat of Wisdom was the first to speak, saying that they have had 20 "clients" coming to MSW asking for help and that they, MSW, hasn't been able to help. They have wanted to find a way to help and make provisions for temporarily homeless people. Other members of the clergy also spoke in similar terms offering that sheltering the homeless is a mandate to churches and that they too were looking for dialogue on this issue.

Those with PADS volunteer experience spoke of how much more they got from the experience than they have given and that but for the grace of God...etc. etc. etc. One of the PADS volunteers said she has never felt threatened and that she has never observed people congregating outside shelters waiting to get in, vomiting on the street, or urinating in public. The woman reported that late arrivals receive a police escort and that, in her estimation, homeless people are no different from anyone else. The PRU Crew suggests this woman make an immediate visit to an optometrist.

The members of the public who spoke against the proposed PADS shelter offered nearly unanimous feeling that the biggest problem with the homeless shelter is location, location, location. But many reiterated the "stealthy" way the project has been handled. Two residents, Pat Livensparger and Judy Barclay, were also adamant about the zoning code and the necessity for PADS to seek a special use permit through the proper procedures.

The citizens' address to the City Council ended at about 9:15 and everyone took a break.

The Council then resumed business on the topic of the first reading of the special use permit for Christie's Carousel of Learning Child Care Center at the Park Ridge Presbyterian Church. They spent nearly an hour discussing the placement of a dumpster in the church parking lot, and the size of arborvitae bushes to be used to screen residents' view of the unsightly sight of children playing on the Christie's playground. At one point in the discussion, Christie's attorney Jack Owens seemed to be begging the Council to please just tell them, Christie's, what they want and they will do it! But City Councils being what they are, the discussion continued on and on. Two residents in the area of the Park Ridge Presbyterian Church spoke of their concerns about the child care center moving into their neighborhood, but ultimately the City Council voted unanimously to approve the first reading of the Christie's special use permit.

Then the council again voted unanimously to approve a 3 year contract with a new tree care service and to raise the water and sewer taxes.

Next up, Fire Chief Dubowski attempted to entertain the crowd with talk of disaster plans and emergency preparedness. Our sources report that Chief Dubowski was their favorite speaker of the evening because he kept it short.

Finally, under New Business, Ald. Don DreadBach (3rd ward) asked why Maine East can't have a digital bulletin board and learned that the Park Ridge zoning code doesn't allow them. Maryor Howard then offered that Maine East will be submitting a request for a text amendment to change the zoning code to allow for electronic bulletin boards. While Benedict Ald. Ryan passed out a summary of research he's done on the process of building a new police station.

The most interesting item under New Business came when Ald. Wsoooool man mentioned the rumored and confirmed closing of Napleton Cadillac by May 2, 2008, then asked that the City Council review the gift contract that had been given to Napleton to see if this closing renders the contract null and void, because he thought that the City should not be "fooled twice".

Mayor Howard, who took much credit for having negotiated this deal, then said he had been called by Napleton that day and had been told that General Motors had pulled their franchises from the Napleton location at Busse and Greenwood. Mayor Howard then lamented the sad story of the current conditions of the car sales market.

The PRU Crew is wondering why Mayor Howard did not mention this rather important matter under the council agenda item where it says "Reports of City Officials - Mayor", or is that space expressly reserved for political idiocy like pseudo-condemnations?

Alderman Dave Schmidt then asked that Napleton and PRC be made aware of the fact that the City will be reviewing the contract so that they do not proceed with their closing on the old Napleton site under the impression that they City will still be paying money for the clean-up of that property.

Mayor Howard said he thought Ald. Schmidt shouldn't make such "wild statements", to which Ald. Schmidt replied that his was not a "wild statement" but rather a "caution" to all parties involved that they should not proceed without being fully informed of the current circumstances.

Watch for Mayor Howard and others to still push to give Napleton and PRC the $400,000 to clean up the old Napleton site. What you will hear is how terrific that redevelopment will be, and your taxpaying support will be expected. Of course, you will also be expected to forget that the reason for this whole incentive deal in the first place was to get Napleton to keep their Cadillac and Buick dealerships in town.

BOHICA MAXIMUS!

Business As Usual!

There is one thing we can say about the Frimark administration: there's never a dull moment, if you like confusion and stupidity.

Tonight's City Council meeting agenda is chock full, and if the meeting goes as we expect, there will be plenty of confusion and stupidity.

We hear that the City may take the position, along with the local Ministerial Association, that the proposed PADS homeless shelter is a "religious ministry" and may not require a special use permit. The PRU Crew disagrees.

The St. Mary's Episcopal Church Messenger (.pdf), characterizes the Journey's from PADS to Hope organization as a "ministry" and concedes that the PADS program is a new ministry for local churches. Last we checked, the Journeys from PADS to Hope organization is a social services program that does not conduct religious services. We hate to nit-pick, but ministering to those in need is not a function of religious beliefs. It's merely a function. And in the PRU Crew's opinion, the PADS function of the Journeys organization is a lack-luster performer.

We hope the City isn't confused about that and will require that the proper procedure for receiving a special use permit will be demanded of PADS, just as it is being demanded of Christie's Carousel of Learning Child Care Center, which the City Council will be voting on tonight.

The City Council will also be voting tonight to hire Ekl Williams to do an "audit" of the Park Ridge Police Department. The PRU Crew feels Ald. Wsoooool man (7th ward) is correct when he questioned the final bill the taxpayer's will get stuck with after this audit. We also wonder why Mayor Howard Frimark was allowed to be a voting member of a City Council subcommittee? In any event, we believe the outcome of this investigation is somewhat preordained. We got a hint of things to come from a quote by Ald. Allspaghetti (4th ward) in a recent article in one of the local rags, when he said, "I think a lot of our problems retired," Allegretti said. "But that being said, there are still problems that need to be addressed and looked at." Look for former Chief of Police, Jeff Caudill, to take the blame for all things wrong in the police department. And we expect that, despite Allspaghetti's disparaging comment, the non-disparagement clause in Caudill's separation agreement will be cited when the City refuses to release the findings of the audit in full.

At tonight's meeting, we are also hoping to learn more from Mayor Howard Frimark and the City Council about the rumored closing of Napleton Cadillac. And what effect, if any, such a closing would have on the recently inked deal to give Napleton a total incentive package of $2.4million for staying to do business in Park Ridge.

Finally, we hope at least one of our representatives will cast some light on what the PRU Crew believes may be another illegally closed meeting being orchestrated by Mayor Howard in his efforts to woo the new City Manager candidates. There are restrictions in the Illinois Open Meetings Act that require the recording of verbatim minutes (.pdf - pg. 5 & 10) for closed sessions. Does the Country Club have recording equipment? Will the private Country Club allow the public to attend the open portion of the meeting to observe the open session vote to go into closed session?

That Explains It!

In both of the local rags this past week, we got to read about Mayor Howard's views on the Napleton deal, which the Mayor's tie-breaking vote assured would give his campaign contributor, Napleton, as much as $2.4 million over the next 15 years.

The Wednesday rag ran Mayor Backs Incentive Vote, while the Thursday rag had a special "Guest Essay" under the Mayor's own name.

Members of the PRU Crew have had the dubious privilege of reading things the Mayor has actually written, and while it cannot be proved at this time, it is universally believed among the Crew that the Mayor's pen never met paper, nor did any of his fingers touch a keyboard during the production of that essay. And if you've ever heard the Mayor speak, then you are already aware that the Mayor's having dictated his thoughts is not even close to a possible reality in this lifetime - nor the next.

However, since the Mayor put his name on the "Guest Essay", we will move forward as if he really did author the thing, and we will explain to you all the things the Mayor didn't tell you in either of those pieces.

We read in the first piece that Mayor Howard said of his vote on the Napleton deal, "I'm not ashamed of my vote at all." Translation = "I'd do it again." Believe it people; he sure will.

The first article also quoted Frimark as saying, "43% of our sales tax comes from automotive: car dealers and gas stations" What the Mayor didn't tell you is that the roughly $5.9 million dollars in total sales tax revenues collected accounts for only 11% of the City's total revenue income of almost $53 million.

Property taxes ($15 million) account for about 30% of all revenue collected. All other revenue is split among 5 other sources of income. The City earns more from the sale of water ($6.5 million), and almost as much from the utility taxes it collects ($5 million) as it does in sales taxes.

Further, that 43% includes ALL automotive categories not just gas stations and car dealerships, but also car rentals and repair shops.

One of the City's greatest revenue streams comes from a category of income called "other"; about $12 million. The revenue sources for "other" include income from various fees, such as ambulance, gasoline, food and beverage taxes, etc.

It seems to us that the $200,000 in sales taxes generated by Napleton may be a 6% contribution to the City's total sales tax revenues, but it is less than .5% of the City's total income. So the PRU Crew isn't exactly sure what would be so tragic about losing the Napleton dealership to some other municipal suckers willing to bribe a car dealership to locate in their town; and that's if you are willing to believe that Napleton would high-tail it out of Park Ridge for "greener" incentive pastures.

Here's what we think: Napleton isn't going anywhere for the foreseeable future. They have already invested in their new site at Busse and Greenwood. And more significantly, Napleton has more clout in Park Ridge because of that 6% addition to the City's sales tax bottom line than they would have in any of the larger, more sales tax rich surrounding towns like Niles or Des Plaines. And Napleton is probably well aware that when it comes to generating sales tax revenues, what they are talking about generating in Park Ridge would be nothing more than a pimple on a flea’s sales tax ass in Niles or Des Plaines. Napleton knows this. Des Plaines' Mayor Arredia and Nile's Mayor Blase know this. And so do Mayor Frimark and his council bobble heads, even if they don't want to share that knowledge with you.

The Wednesday rag goes on to report that Mayor Howard said Park Ridge taxpayers, "...hear you're giving (Napleton) $400,000," he said, but he explained the town would eventually get that money back after the town homes are built and property tax starts coming in at a higher rate."

There you have it folks. You'll get the money back, as long as you are willing to tolerate more town houses being built into an already saturated and slumping housing market, not to mention the greater residential density and traffic the project will bring to Uptown and the surrounding neighborhood.

Of course, the taxpayer's of Park Ridge know that they wouldn't have to "get that money back" if it hadn't been given away. And most Park Ridge taxpayer's also seem to have a healthy respect for the idea that government should keep its nose out of private business transactions between two privately held businesses.

In the Mayor's essay, he elaborates on what he said about the use of Tax Increment Financing (TIF) funds in the news piece; that, "The agreed-to contribution of up to $400,000 will be generated by the project itself and is consistent with the intended use of TIF revenues. None of this revenue comes from the taxpayers of the city of Park Ridge."

That is such a remarkably stupid statement, we aren't sure where to begin to unravel the idiocy.

TIF funds are, in fact, revenue from the taxpayer's of the City of Park Ridge. Period. Whether the taxes are generated within the TIF district or not, ALL OF IT is taxpayer money. Those residents and businesses located within the TIF district are as much Park Ridge taxpayers as are the folks at Boardwalk, Park Ridge Point, Edison Park Homes and every other property owning and property tax paying person or business in Park Ridge.

Because TIF funds are held separately from the general City fund used to pay for services for Park Ridge residents, that DOES NOT MEAN IT ISN'T MONEY COMING FROM PARK RIDGE TAXPAYERS! And every dollar of TIF revenue given to a private interest is a dollar less that the City has to spend on infrastructure within the TIF district; or to retire the TIF debt sooner so that our local School District and Park District can realize the full benefit of Uptown redevelopment along with the rest of Park Ridge's taxpayers.

Furthermore, the longer the TIF fund takes to break even, the longer taxpayers outside the TIF district will have to cover increasing expenses for City services, including those demands for services within the TIF district. And the City's general fund is forced to advance money to the TIF district for anything not covered by the generation of enough TIF funds.

The Mayor's essay also says, "Napleton will be investing $2 million in improvements into his dealership. This will be used to help remodel the facilities at their new location on Busse and Greenwood."

What the Mayor fails to tell you is that the remodeling of Napleton's new location is required by their franchise agreement. Perhaps Napleton Cadillac would remodel their new facility anyway, without the franchise agreement. But they have to, and now the taxpayers of Park Ridge will be paying for yet another deal between private businesses: Napleton and the manufacturers for whom it serves as a dealer.

Mayor Howard's concluding remark in the Wednesday article is, "The agreement benefits both of us"

Yeah...both Mayor Howard and his campaign contributor, Napleton Cadillac.

Nuts!

We hope readers can spare the time - it's a long one today, and it's all about the Napleton give-away.



We are going to begin with a positive shout out to 2nd Ward Alderman Rich DiPietro. We are told the Lord of the Manor stuck to his guns and ultimately voted against the Napleton give-away. After explaining the proper motion procedures for dissenting committee chairman to his fellow council members, Finance and Budget chairman DiPietro then referred the Napleton motion to fellow Finance and Budget committee member, Alderman Tom Carey - the Unfriendly Ghost from the 6th Ward - who then referred the motion to 4th Ward Alderman Jim Allspaghetti - who is not a member of the Finance and Budget committee - who then finally moved to motion the Napleton matter before the council, and then moved to amend the Napleton motion to include an escalation.

Did everybody get all that?

DiPietro went on to explain his "thoughts and feelings" about the deal, and that by his calculations the amended deal only allowed for a 2% escalation each year, which DiPietro said he didn't think was enough and that, though he would be voting in favor of the amendment, he would not be voting in favor of the main motion - the final Napleton give-away.

When Allspaghetti was asked to explain how the escalation was arrived at in his amendment, Allspaghetti was quick to give "credit" to Mayor Howard Frimark for having "sat down with Napleton to get more for the city".



When all faces in the room turned to the Mayor for further explanation of his fabulous negotiating skills, Mayor Howard let it be known that Napleton told him "cars go up about 2% per year."



Clearly, when it comes to 'The Art of the Deal', Donald Trump's got nothing on this Mayor! Of course, nobody bothered to ask the Mayor if he'd made any effort to independently verify the information from Napleton because everybody can be pretty certain that he didn't. And we all know how Mayor Howard hates to micromanage things.

Benedict Alderman Robert Ryan (5th ward), offered that the Napleton deal was "fairly consistent with the other deal at Greenwood and Dempster", and thereby demonstrated to all present that he does in fact read the local papers, and he can sometimes offer an opinion without being expressly directed by the Mayor and/or City Manager.



Once again, the men of the hour at the city council meeting were Aldermen Schmidtzkrieg (1st ward) and the Wsoooool man (7th ward). If it weren't for these two council members, the citizens of Park Ridge wouldn't have any consistent representation in city government at all. They continue to deliver the representation goods.



Both Schmidtzkrieg and Wsoooool man made every effort to dissuade their council peers from going down the dubious path of providing private business with gifts of taxpayer dollars.

The Wsoooool man deftly explained that this was a bad deal for the City of Park Ridge, by noting that the $400,000 being given to Napleton would return a mere $540,000 upon completion of the deal. But that if the city were to put that same $400,000 in a regular bank account earning somewhere around 3% interest, the return to the city would be much better. The Wsoooool man then repeated a question he'd asked earlier, "How is this deal to the benefit of the city?"

The Wsoooool man also asked Mr. Napleton if he would be willing to waive his right to protest his property tax assessment on his Greenwood and Busse property for the duration of the deal, since that could have the effect of reducing the property taxes paid to the city. Mr. Napleton indignantly refused, bemoaning the increases in taxes on his property, and saying that Napleton files a property assessment complaint every year.

Mr. Napleton also indignantly refused to answer when Alderman Schmidtzkrieg asked Mr. Napleton the price for the property being sold to PRC Partners. Mr. Napleton responded by saying, "That's none of your business!" Mr. Napleton then asked Alderman Schmidtzkrieg, "How much did you pay for your house?!" Schmidtzkrieg replied, "Hey, that is none of your business. I'm not the one here asking you for money!" Though Mr. Napleton did answer that the property being sold to PRC Partners was appraised between $4 million and $5 million.

The PRU Crew's got news for everybody - property sales prices are a matter of public record; it's the figure upon which property transfer taxes are calculated and collected by municipalities, and the figure upon which Cook County bases your assessment and calculates your property tax bill. And if you are sick and twisted, like certain members of the Crew, you can read through the property transfers when they are printed in the local papers.

And the PRU Crew has very special news for Mr. Napleton; not only are property sales prices a matter of public record, but so are property assessment complaints; including the appraisal figures used to argue for the assessment reductions being sought - assuming of course, that Napleton goes the usual route of contracting for a new appraisal every three years as part of their assessment complaint process...

Seven residents rose to address the council regarding the Napleton deal. All seven of those residents raised their objections to the deal. But resident Steve Schildwachter best summed up the matter by saying, "This sounds like corporate welfare."

The vote on the amendment to the Napleton deal was 6 to 1, with Schmidtzkrieg voting "no".

The council then returned to discussion of the main motion at which time the Unfriendly Ghost from the 6th ward put on a rather impressive display of his skill at memorization. As Alderman Tom Carey ran through a prepared list of rhetorical and actual questions, the city manager was given the opportunity to regale the entire assembly with bullshit propaganda. Murmurs heard throughout the audience and reported to us are that Mr. Carey's list of questions were probably not his own; the language used was decidedly un-Carey-teristic of the Unfriendly Ghost; many believe the questions were designed to give the Mayor and City Manager "soft targets" to hit the stump on Napleton's behalf.

And again, Mr. Carey, the Crew believes you may be salvageable. But until you let go of the Mayor's coattails and get yourself clean from behaving like a trust fund junkie, you aren't going to cut it.

Schmidtzkrieg also introduced an amendment to remove language from the deal giving Napleton the entire $2.4 million they were asking for. That amendment was defeated in a 4 (Bach, Allegretti, Ryan and Carey) to 3 (Schmidt, DiPietro and Wsol) vote.

When the council finally returned to the main motion of the Napleton deal, all the amending and motioning and numbers just became too much for the Unfriendly Ghost, Alderman Tom Carey. This 33.33...% representative on the Finance and Budget committee just could not grasp the addition of all those big numbers, and admitted he was confused and offered that maybe the matter "merits a deferral so it can be fully understood".



Mayor Howard offered that Mr. Carey "had to understand", and repeated to Mr. Carey the numbers in the deal that Mr. Carey had just admitted to not understanding. It then appeared to become understood by Mr. Carey that it was time for him to be quiet.

Which then left the spotlight to, by all accounts, the star of the evening - 3rd Ward Alderman Don DreadBach. In what can only be described as "DreadBach Unplugged" (we've also heard, "unglued" and "unhinged"), DreadBach began his statement by remarking that he had been uncertain about what to do with regard to his vote on the Napleton deal. So, he did what he says he always does, "I asked my constituents". DreadBach revealed that there are 30 people on the planet who support the Napleton give-away, and all 30 of those people live in the 3rd ward of Park Ridge.



Then DreadBach let it be known that he drives a Cadillac, and that he bought his Cadillac from Napleton, but the next time he buys a Cadillac he was going elsewhere. So too would the people of Park Ridge! He told Mr. Napleton that he (Napleton) had lied to the council, and disrespected the council and the people of Park Ridge! But that he, Don DreadBach, would be voting in favor of the deal.

Or more succinctly stated, "Thank you Sir! May I have another! Here's your money!"

With DreadBach's moment on center stage having come to a close, a final vote on the Napleton deal commenced.

Wsooool man voted "no", Schmidtzkrieg voted "no", the Lord of the Manor voted "no", DreadBach voted "yes", Allspaghetti voted "yes", Benedict Ryan voted "yes", and after a moments hesitation the Unfriendly Ghost voted..."present".

After a brief thud of realization descended upon the room...

Mayor Howard Frimark, whose administration will soon be conducting a budget workshop at which his administration will have to find a way to eliminate a $600,000 budget deficit, while also managing nearly $47,000,000 in total city debt that is costing the city close to $5,000,000 in annual interest...

Mayor Howard Frimark, "artful negotiator" of a whopping 2% equivalent annual rate of return on this "investment" in the Napleton car dealership for the people of Park Ridge...

Mayor Howard Frimark, receiver of a $1,000.00 campaign contribution from Napleton Cadillac...

Mayor Howard Frimark, preeminent representative of the people of Park Ridge...

Mayor Howard Frimark cast the tie-breaking "yes" vote to give Napleton Cadillac $2.4 million dollars of the Park Ridge taxpayer's money over the next 15 years.

Super Scoopers!

The Pub-dogs completely scooped us yesterday! We hear Alderman Schmidtzkrieg (1st ward) may have been their source for the "confidential" documents they have posted. We hear Schmidtzkrieg also provided copies to the local press.

We give Schmidtzkrieg a big hairy high-five for open and honest government, but we've got to say, "WTF?! Is the PRU Crew chopped liver?!"

All in good friendly competition. By whatever means the people of Park Ridge have access to information about the actions of their government, we're okay with that.

If you haven't had a chance to read the Pub-dog's Adding Insult To Injury post, we strongly encourage PRU readers to pay a visit to PublicWatchdog.org.

Here's a Pavlovian excerpt to get you started:

Adding Insult To Injury

Last week we wrote about how lame-duck City Mgr. Tim Schuenke was aiding and abetting Alderpuppets Robert Ryan and Tom Carey in their proposed giveaway of as much as $2.4 Million of our money to Napleton Cadillac and PRC LLC, even as he was proposing a $600,000 deficit budget for 2008-09 and warning of future financial problems. (“Another Done Deal?”)

But Schuenke apparently isn’t content simply to throw away our money – he and his allies, including Mayor Howard Frimark, also want to keep us in the dark about how it’s being done.

Let’s start with the Napleton/PRC fiasco. Even though the agenda for tonight’s City Council meeting shows that the Sales Tax Rebate Agreement is scheduled for a vote, the City/Schuenke have deprived the public of the ability to read and consider for themselves the terms of that agreement by not posting it on the City’s website (as of 12:01 a.m. today). Although PublicWatchdog published that agreement [pdf] on January 11 (“The Napleton $2 Million Secret”), that’s no substitute or excuse for the City Manager leaving it off the City’s website of materials related to tonight’s meeting – unless, of course, his goal is to keep the public in the dark.

And that’s not the only thing on tonight’s agenda that Schuenke, et al. seems intent on concealing from us...more>
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The PRU Crew had planned for today to provide our readers with a report on last night's city council meeting. But our sources are reporting some bizarre behavior on the part of council members. So we are going to hold off, try to confirm what we've been told, and see what the Wednesday rag has to say.

We can tell you that Mayor Howard cast a tie-breaking vote that gave his generous contributor, Napleton Cadillac, the $2.4 million deal the car dealership was seeking.

FriMack Daddy!

Park Ridge's own Mack Daddy of municipal give-aways, Mayor Howard Frimark, will undoubtedly be providing more of his "escort services" to Napleton Cadillac at tonight's city council meeting, if tonight's city council agenda (.pdf) proceeds as schemed. Usually we would provide a link to the relevant documents, but the city hasn't seen fit to post the deal documents on its web site. --Update 12:50 pm; the city web site now lists the Napleton Documents for review, but those documents still do not contain the document of the deal pending before the city council tonight.

Mayor Howard has been escorting the Napleton deal through municipal channels for quite a long time now. He made sure he had a spot on the city's "negotiating team" that has been meeting with Napleton to create this deal. Of course the PRU Crew feels obligated to point out that it may be just a bit of a conflict of interest to have Mayor Howard, a recipient of a generous campaign contribution from Napleton, on the Napleton "negotiating team" - but hey, we're all friends here!

Mayor Howard even showed up at the Finance & Budget committee meeting (.pdf) where the Napleton deal was discussed and voted on; providing his very visible, public support for the deal. Two of Mayor Howard's favorite alderpuppets, Carey the Unfriendly Ghost (6th ward) and Benedict Alderman Ryan (5th ward), made sure FriMack Daddy got what he wanted. By some miracle, the Finance & Budget committee chairman and Lord of the Manor, Rich DiPietro (2nd ward), voted against the deal. We expect the Lord of the Manor to come through with another of his ass-covering compromises, but we would sure be happy to be wrong about that.

And while we're paying attention to the scheming taking place at Friends of Frimark" headquarters...

Some PRU readers may be interested in noting another meeting set to take place this evening; tonight's city council workshop agenda (.pdf) The topic will be the police station. The PRU Crew notes that there is no place on the workshop agenda for comments from Park Ridge serfizens and that the issue is not scheduled for discussion on the regular agenda of the city council.

The PRU Crew strongly believes that the current police facility is unacceptable. We hope the city council gets off its yacking ass and finally begins actually doing something to address the gross conditions of the current facility. We aren't convinced that a new police station needs to be super-sized, but we are convinced that our police department has wrung every ounce of functionality it can get from the current facility.

But we will never condone the hiding of information, nor the circumventing of public review and input on any matter of the public's business. That is exactly what the city council will be undertaking this evening in the closed sessions on the agenda.

And finally on tonight's agenda, we noticed that there's a big F-U to the Public Safety rank and file (.pdf) in the form of a city council resolution. We bet City Manager, Tim Schuenke, would never ask the council to pass that kind of resolution about the funding of his generous pension. We sure hope the city council doesn't pimp our Public Safety personnel by passing that thing.

Serving It Up!

As the old saying goes, there's never a cop around when you need one. If you are very lucky, you never need one. But most of us at some time in our lives usually need one. And having the assurance that when you need a cop you can call for one costs money.

In today's Park Ridge Herald-Advocate we read that the soon-to-retire City Manager, Tim Schuenke, is blaming a projected city budget deficit on an increase in police and fire pension funding. While the former City Treasurer, Carl Brauweiler, took a break from napping to call a spade a spade: "He said budget deficits are due to an excess of city expenditures, and that police and fire pensions should not be singled out as the primary cause."

One of the Crew's favorite blogs, BurbCopsChicago, has something to say about the matter of pensions, and we agree with them.

Think carefully now, of all the things your government provides to you through use of your tax dollars, what are the things you would be happy to eliminate? Police? Firefighters? Paved streets? Sewers? Give-aways to car dealerships?

Speaking of Driving...

visualparadox.com

We think that we shall never see
The lovely Park Ridge money tree.
It must exist, we truly feel
Or why give Napleton a deal?

Yes, dear readers, we're sad to say
But another deal is on the way.
It's in the works at City Hall
Where "Friends of Frimark" often call.

A story in the press last week
Gave to us all a little peek,
Of what is up and soon may come
To Howard Frimark's good ol' chum.

We invite you now to go see
And read the plans for your money.
About Napleton Cadillac,
The Pub-dogs ain't just talkin' smack.