Park District Provides Real Choices

The Park District is providing a contested race, with six candidates – Rick Biagi, Richard Brandt, Scott Duerkop, Pawel Matula, incumbent Nick Milissis and Steven Vile – seeking four seats.

Brandt is the last man standing of what was originally a slate of candidates promoted by the Service Employees International Union that represents a number of Park District employees.  The other three SEIU candidates, however, weren’t able to figure out how to file their nominating petitions correctly, so they were bounced off the ballot.  Kind of makes you wonder about the competence of the SEIU, doesn’t it?

Even if we discounted his SEIU affiliation, Brandt has shown us nothing that qualifies him for a seat on the Park Board.  But it’s that SEIU affiliation that is troublesome, especially because the Park District has been in ongoing negotiations with the union.  Putting Brandt on the Park Board sure seems like letting the fox into the hen house.  That’s enough to get a “No” from us.

As for Vile, the only thing we know about him is that his signs often appear in tandem with Mayor Howard “The Liar” Frimark’s, proclaiming either “Vile” “Frimark” or “Frimark” “Vile.”  While we concur with both sentiments, that’s not a sufficient qualification for the election of Mr. Vile to the Park Board.

That leaves Biagi, Duerkop, Matula and Milissis, who are running as a “ticket” under the tutelage of Frimark cronies Dick Barton and Bob Dudycz.  That alone is a reason to be wary of what agenda(s) these fellows might be bringing to the Park District, especially given the lightweight nature of their “4 the Parks” campaign literature.

As for Milissis, we keep hearing rumors that he is being groomed by Frimark and Friends for a spot on the City Council, which would explain Frimark’s appointment of him to the City’s civil service and fair housing commissions within the past few years. That’s not enough to disqualify him from the Park Board.  

His Park Board meeting attendance record since his appointment to the Board a little over a year ago, however, has been nothing to write home about.  And, so far, his most notable accomplishment as a Park District commissioner seems to have been his leading the charge in kicking the SEIU candidates off the ballot. That suggests he’s a lot more of a politician than a public servant – which is reason enough for us to give him a “No.”

We don’t know a whole lot about Messrs. Biagi, Duerkop and Matula – as we said earlier, their campaign literature re-defines “vanilla” and doesn’t give us a lot to go on.  But when compared to their competition, they end up being the tallest midgets in this particular circus.  Let’s hope they grow into the job.  

District 207 Provides “Hobson’s Choice”

Unlike for the District 64 election, the General Caucus of District 64 and 207 occasionally doesn’t stand in the way of a contested race, and this is one of those years – with 6 candidates vying for 4 seats.

But unlike with District 64, which draws the vast majority of its students from the friendly confines of Park Ridge, District 207 draws from a much larger territory, the majority of which is outside our boundaries. That adds another dimension to this race: provincialism, primarily a Park Ridge v. Des Plaines celebrity death match.

Many people we have heard from insist that Park Ridge needs to maintain dominance of this 7-member board “or else.” Or else what?  Those barbarians from D.P. will gerrymander the district so as to require at least one-half the starters on the state champion Maine South football team to attend Maines East or West?  Or do the same with the Maine South Constitution team and the Hawkettes?

Puh-leeze!

On the other hand, after attending a few District 207 school board meetings, we can’t totally discount some level of bizarro behavior from people who seem to have a chip on their shoulders – and maybe deservedly so – about the emoluments of growing up in “Pleasantville.”

Carrying the Park Ridge banner this year are incumbent board member Ed Mueller and newcomer Margaret McGrath.  Both are attorneys, but we won’t hold that against them. At least not yet.  But, unfortunately, neither one has given us a whole lot to get excited about, at least not judging by their campaign materials.

Mueller has sent around a mailer [pdf] that, to put it gently, underwhelms – especially for a guy who has sat on this board since 2001.  Okay…frankly, it’s pretty damn pathetic!  After 8 years on this board, is this the best “case” this guy can make for re-election?  Eddie, you’re a high school board member, not the heir to the House of Windsor. Do you really think the voters are going to hand this to you just because you live in Park Ridge and bear the Mark of the Caucus? 

As for Ms. McGrath, we saw her at the Park Ridge train station the other morning, so we’re giving her some bonus points for that effort.  We also got one of her flyers [pdf].  100% better than Mueller’s, but also not overwhelming – platitudes instead of principles, and devoid of anything substantive on finances and academic performance. 

She believes “That the entire community benefits from providing the best education possible to all children” and “That a great education system helps define and strengthen a community.”  Sorry, Ms. M, but that’s the kind of stuff that comes out of a can, like artificial cheese.

Looking at the rest of the field, there are incumbents Eric Leys and Marijo Bustos, and newcomers Eldon Burk and Jerry Kellogg, all of (shudder!) Des Plaines. 

We think that District 207 has its flaws, but it appears to be much better run, and has higher achievement levels when adjusted for its varying demographics, than District 64.  That suggests keeping incumbents Leys, Mueller and Bustos in office.  And of the three newcomers, we give the nod to McGrath, despite the Cheez Whiz, because (a) we see a whole lot of potential there, and (b) she is, after all, one of “us.” 

So go ahead and call us “provincial.”  But leave our Hawkettes alone!