Cut The Fireworks?  Some residents are wondering why, in these tough economic times with all sorts of budget cuts still being debated, the City would spend any money at all on its 4th of July fireworks show, traditionally held on July 3. 

Although local business (and holder of the City’s website design contract) Americaneagle.com is paying the cost of the fireworks themselves (approx. $18,000) for the second straight year, the show will still cost public funds for police, fire and related City services – despite this year’s event being shifted to Friday, July 2, to avoid overtime costs for weekend duty. 

Should the City cut the fireworks entirely, even with the fireworks donation, in order to avoid those personnel and related City costs?  That’s something the mayor and the City Council surely can talk about in connection with the mayor’s budget veto. 

Or maybe the folks at Taste of Park Ridge NFP (“Taste Inc.”) can offer to cut some of its $23,000 subsidy from the City to help out with the cost of the fireworks show?  Or is the $3,000 Taste Inc. reportedly is paying Rainbow Hospice for the gorilla “in the park” (is it really going to be “dressed” in one of those orange “Tastee” t-shirts?) all the “charity” Taste Inc. can afford this year? 

The Early Line On Veto Over-ride.  According to this week’s Herald-Advocate article (“Mayor keeps promise to veto ‘unrealistic’ budget,” May 4), 1st Ward Ald. Joe Sweeney and 2nd Ward Ald. Rich DiPietro have said they will vote to uphold Mayor Dave Schmidt’s veto of the recently-passed City budget.  Sweeney voted against passage, but DiPietro apparently has reconsidered his “yes” vote. That leaves Schmidt’s veto one vote short of being upheld. 

Third Ward Ald. Don “Air Marshall” Bach could have been expected to be that third vote, given that he voted against the budget the first time.  But according to the H-A article, Bach is “speaking with more residents before deciding how he will vote in response to the mayor’s veto.” 

Hey, Don, are those the same residents who you said told you to support the $2.4 million giveaway to a going-out-of-business Napleton Cadillac after you indignantly told Bill Napleton you would never buy another Cadillac from him?  Or has your newest BFF (and former Frimark, current Mulligan) political consultant, Linda “Linda Ski” Sczepanski moved into Park Ridge? 

You Go, Girl!  Maine Twp. H.S. Dist. 207 has not been covering itself in fiscal glory lately, having somehow “missed” a $17 million shortfall that caused it to lay off 75 teachers.  So we need to give a Watchdog bark-out to Dist. 207 board member Margaret McGrath for giving us hope that at least somebody over at District headquarters “gets it.” 

As reported in this week’s H-A (“Delay in money from state prompts review of finances,” May 4), Dist. 207 is still facing a deficit of between $4 million and $9 million, depending on how much state revenue the District actually receives.  Rather than wish and hope, Ms. McGrath wisely is arguing for more restraints on spending: 

“There’s a negative impact to borrowing a lot of money to spend short-term,” she warned, while advocating for controls on expenditures so that fund balances can be maintained to prevent annual borrowing 5-10 years down the road.    

Exactly, Ms. McGrath.  That’s the kind of common sense viewpoint we were hoping for when we wondered, immediately following your election in April 2009, how long it would take for you to become “a real force” on the Dist. 207 board.