Like our previous pieces on the Taste of Park Ridge – both the event and the private not-for-profit corporation (“NFP”), Taste of Park Ridge, Inc. (“Taste, Inc.”) – our post “After the Taste: The Culture Of Secrecy Continues” (September 3) got no responses that could clearly be identified with any officer or director of Taste, Inc.

We did receive a few comments, however, which suggest some clarification of our position may be needed. 

For example, we wrote that Taste, Inc. is not legally permitted to make a “profit,” a short-hand explanation of NFPs which at least one reader may have interpreted as meaning that Taste, Inc.’s income cannot exceed expenses, or that it cannot accumulate assets.  What we should have said is: an NFP like Taste, Inc. cannot have shareholders and cannot distribute its profits (or its assets) to its members, directors or officers other than as reasonable compensation for services rendered, or as reimbursement for contributions made for the NFP’s benefit. 

But the one point we continue to stress is that there is something just not quite right about a community organization like Taste, Inc. making such an effort to downplay or conceal its corporate status.  We also can’t help but wonder why Taste, Inc. doesn’t post its IRS Form 990 (or 990-EZ) on its fancy website so that anybody interested in the finances of Taste, Inc. can see them without having to request those reports from Taste, Inc.?

Maybe Taste, Inc. president Dave Iglow (Pine’s Mens Wear of Park Ridge), or vice-president/secretary Albert Galus (Academic Tutoring Centers), or treasurer Jim Bruno (Chase Bank), or directors Dean Patras (Broadway Livery Service), Sandy Svizzero (Parkway Bank & Trust Company), Barb Tyksinski (All on the Road Catering) and John Warnimont (Activision Electric), would like to explain all the secrecy?  Why aren’t they interested in giving the community that keeps their NFP in business a look inside its finances and how it operates?   

While they’re at it, maybe they could tell us why Taste, Inc. gave $1,000 to then-Taste, Inc. vice-president Bob Dudycz’s campaign fund last September?  And if they’re really in an open and honest mood, maybe they could try answering some of those questions we posed in Time For A Transparent “Taste” – Part 2 

After all, if there’s no Culture of Secrecy, why are they hiding?