Tonight’s City Council Committee of the Whole (COW) meeting (7:00 p.m., City Hall) is scheduled to be devoted to two committees: Public Works and Public Safety. So we were more than a little curious to see that one of the Public Works’ discussion items on the agenda is titled “Subsidy for Overhead Sewers.”
A discussion of overhead sewers and their desirability as flood control measures is clearly a Public Works issue. But as we understand the English language, “subsidy” involves money; and money issues have historically been the province of the City’s Finance & Budget Committee (“F&B”), chaired by Ald. Rich DiPietro (2nd Ward).
So what gives?
Could it be that Public Works Committee chairman Ald. Don Bach (3rd Ward) is trying to hi-jack that discussion for himself and his fellow PW committee member, Ald. Frank Wsol? After all, Bach is an ardent supporter of Wsol’s plan to spend $420,000 this year alone on “rebates” of as much as $2,500 per residence for the installation of flood control systems – such as overhead sewers – even though this year’s budget is already more than $2.5 million in deficit.
Back during the F&B portion of the July 6, 2009, City Council meeting, Wsol tried to push through both his “rebate” proposal and his proposal for suspending permit fees – but DiPietro raised a point of order to those matters being presented to the full Council without first being addressed and forwarded by the F&B Committee. City Attorney Buzz Hill upheld DiPietro’s point of order, and those matters were referred to the July 13, 2009, Finance & Budget COW meeting.
At that July 13th COW meeting, however, nothing about flood control was discussed during the F&B portion. Instead, it was addressed during the Public Works portion. Although City Mgr. Jim Hock, joined by Mayor Dave Schmidt, suggested waiting until the Flood Control Task Force completes its report and recommendations for how flooding should be addressed before talking about how any of those recommendations could be paid for, Wsol continued to push for spending money on his rebate program now, even mentioning increasing property taxes to pay for his program.
It’s pretty obvious that Wsol and Bach are leading the rebate charge and don’t care whether the City has to tax or borrow that money so long as they can dish out the rebate goodies – without waiting for the Flood Control Task Force’s final report. That’s the ready-fire-aim way these things go when taxpayer money is burning a hole in the politicians’ pockets.
16 comments so far
Bach & Wsol. No rhythm.
Bach & Wsol. No rhyme, either.
Bach & Wsol. They are tone-deaf.
so what’s Allegretti’s beef with AT&T? We NEED the competition in this town and many of us hate Comcast. Giving Comcast a monopoly smells like something under the table is going on.
Allegretti’s hard to figure out, especially now that he doesn’t have Howard Frimark to carry him around in his pocket and tell him what to do.
This AT&T opposition makes no sense, especially with Comcast having a monopoly (other than those really attractive dishes that people clamp onto their chimneys)
he seems to want to FIGHT the Illinois law that prohibits the City from requiring a franchise agreement: “Pursuant to the Cable and Video Competition Law of 2007, AT & T holds a statewide authorization issued by the Illinois
Commerce Commission. As a result, the City cannot require a franchise or license agreement from AT&T.” (memo from Hock to COW 8.10.09)
Of course, I believe Allegretti thinks he can make up NEW laws.
Allegretti only likes competition for garbage haulers, not cable or taxi cab companies.
AT&T is a corrupt operation. They have far more complaints with the FCC then Comcast AND they are Cheney Bush supporters
Anonymous 547,
There are a lot of people who say all corporations are corrupt. I have a lot less problems with AT&T than I do Goldman Sucks, Skank of America & Shitty Bank.
So what if AT&T supported Cheney-Bush. They donated to McCain too. It’s not like they are asking to come to Park Ridge to start showing pornos at the Pickwick. They have been given the right under state laws to compete in the market and doing business is all they are asking to do.
5:54 I guess the “so what” is that they’re rip-offs and crooks. The complaints with the FCC are not about their political affiliations but about their service and padded billing .
Anonymous 603,
You guessed wrong. If your complaint isn’t somewhat about political affiliation then why did you bring it up?!
5:47–so that means we should allow Comcast who treats their customers like dirt, to have a MONOP?OLY in Park Ridge? I would rather break my neck putting up an antenna on my house than deal with their runaround.
Please provide EXAMPLES of AT&T’s corruptness. Or is that just what you are spewing today?
I filed a complaint with the FCC against AT&T a couple of years ago, and at that time I was told by a couple of the people handling the complaint that AT&T far outnumbered any other phone service in registered complaints. And their recent involvement with warrantless wiretapping leads me to beleive they are corrupt on many levels. I’m just expressing my opinion, but I have to say I haven’t heard of too many people being pleased with them.
We believe competition is a good thing, and so we support the entry of AT&T into the Park Ridge cable television market – irrespective of who AT&T (or Comcast) may have supported in any election.
As for warrantless wiretapping, as we understand it, that was done at the direction of the United States government under the provisions of the so-called “Patriot Act.” How that is relevant to the provision of cable television service to Park Ridge escapes us.
If Yikes wonders why I think AT&T is corrupt, I’m basing my opinion on my own experience with them and some of my friends an acquaintance’s. I personally have not had a problem with Comcast, which is not to say, there may very well be problems with Comcast. And I do beleive that being complicit with the illegal shenanigans of the Bush/Cheney crime family points to corruption.
Anon 10:58:
Not sure about the problems you reference or who exactly you have talked to. Perhaps it is not a representative sample.
I have AT&T for everything except TV (land line, DSL, cell) and am very satisfied with the reliability and the level of customer service the few times I have needed it.
I have DishNet for TV and am basically very pleased. The only downside is during bad thunderstorms the signal can be lost. I am NOT a fan of Comcast but would certainly look at AT&T if they were allowed in.
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