Seems to me Ms. Uhlig should respond to these questions. In public. At the next council meeting. She’s not at TOPR meetings as a private citizen, but as a member of city government. Open up Ms. Uhlig!

PD:

I think this is a great idea. If I am not mistaken, I suggested last year that if people are concerned about all of the questions mentioned they contact a TOPR board member. The general response I received was that we should not have to ask and this information should be posted on their web. I do not disagree with that idea but, it would also appear that no one who frequents the blogs has ever asked. I have never seen a post saying, “I asked so-and-so from TOPR these questions and he/she told me to pound sand”. I do not have any relationships with those who are on the board but I will be very curious to see what responses people receive.

While you are requesting assistance from the “peeps”, may I make a request? I am sure that there are people who come to this blog who see and or speak with the mayor several times per week (if not daily). Could one of you ask him his thoughts on this matter? Ask him the financial questions and if he does not know ask him why? As you correctly state,….there is the appearance of close and strong ties between Taste/Taste, Inc. and City government”.

The convenient silence from Frimark was something that was expected. For the new Mayor, this would appear to be an issue that is right in his wheel house.

I agree with Anon @ 11:12 AM. Schmidt ran on a platform of “transparency” and none of this Taste stuff is transparent, so Schmidt needs to do what it takes to get the information from Taste Inc.

Kim Uhlig should be the City’s point person in getting that info, since she’s on the Taste committee and should have ready access to it. And where’s Hock been hiding on this matter?

Pubdog – I’ve reached out to Jim Bruno in the past and he appears to be forthcoming with the financial ins and outs for the Taste. I even proposed to him to do an Q&A interview with Pubdog that can be posted for all your readers to see. He said he would do it if you wanted to. Why don’t you give him a call, set this up and hopefully put some of the rumors to bed.

When I asked Howard these questions he claimed that the Taste didn’t cost the city anything since they just moved around existing resources to be stationed at the taste instead of at their normal post. While I doubt the complete honesty (and accuracy…actually I doubt the accuracy of anything he says – even if he believes what he says) of his answer it did cause me to rethink a few things.

Give Bruno a call/email and ask the tough questions.

Anonymous on 06.24.09 12:52 pm,

Great.

Here’s my only request of Mr. Bruno, please post Taste Inc’s form 990 on the Taste Inc. website.

There. Finished. Now nobody has to play go-between.

A12:52 and A1:00,

You’re going to want to see the old and new form 990’s, as the old Taste Inc. was dissolved and a new Taste Inc. was formed.

Personally, I’m not holding my breath for anyone from Taste Inc. to produce any real documentation, even though I’ve heard rather complimentary things about Mr. Bruno. I’m also not willing to pay the IRS the fees necessary for the copies. I suppose I could make a request to the Taste Inc. agent of record for review of the documents, which by law are suposed to be made available for inspection to anyone who asks.

As we pointed out a year ago, “transparency” means that any interested person can see everything meaningful about the entity in question. So Mr. Bruno’s willingness to answer questions, while a nice gesture, isn’t really transparency. Transparency can best be served by Taste, Inc.’s posting of its Form 990 on its nifty website. What’s so hard about that?

Last year Mr. Bruno replied to a comment by then-Alderman (now mayor) Dave Schmidt, which we reproduce below because its opinions (notably, without any provable factual support) and personal anecdotes clearly illustrate why we believe Taste, Inc.’s Form 990s and similar “hard” documentation, instead of verbal warm-and-fuzzies from the entity’s spokesmen, are essential for getting at the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth about Taste, Inc. and other private community organizations:

Alderman Dave,

to your post on the last thread 7/09 @ 3:02

Addressed to you because you are probably one of the few who might be interested in facts presented by a Taste insider.

I sense you are wrong in your assessment. I was already re-evaluating my role at the Taste. Like anything else it takes a great deal of energy to do it right. I have young children and invest a great deal of time in organizations they are involved in. I fear the witch hunt this site has fostered will cause others to do the same.

Several folks have questioned the integrity and mission of the ToPR organization. I will relate a story which may help you gain some insight into the organization and what we do.

I joined the Taste by accident. I wanted a table at the canopies on courtland for a Park Ridge hoemless organization I support – WINGS – homeless mothers and kids – check them out on Saturday at the Taste.

I was told by my friend Dave Iglow that he would make sure he got a table for them if I could volunteer for a day. I worked extremely hard, met some great people who like me were commited to doing community service work, and had fun.

Cui Bono???? (who benefits? in the words of the cynic) ME!!! It is a great way to meet people, grow my business by getting exposure and it is deeply gratifying to feel like you are making a positive difference.

Cui Bono???? The merchants. They need and deserve our support. Our primary objective is to put on an event that the community can have a safe, enjoyable time at while showcasing our town to outsiders we hope will come back to shop and dine here later.

Cui Bono??? Any local charity or community service group that is willing to donate volunteer hours is given a venue to increase awareness for their organization and/or raise funds.

I believe the combination of the weather and the nameless (monikers don’t count – cynic, alpha female…etc.) people calling for transparency (there’s irony for you) do in fact threaten the existence of this organization.

Since this corporation was formed due to an inability to successfully deliver a sustainable event previously….it stands to reason that the event itself is now in jeopardy.

More irony – Bob Dudycz was the person responsible for disclosing the revenue information of the event last year. Many have taken shots here at him but that is a FACT and one that easily researched.

We have previously discussed the level of disclosure as we too see merit in the sentiments you have expressed. While we have absolutely nothing to hide it is the existence of sites like this that actually make disclosure more difficult (still more irony).

The manner in which people conduct themselves in this forum leads some (including me) to believe that no matter what we do or how well we do it, there will be people who will try to pick it apart and find fault with it.

We are all volunteers. This is but one community service organization many of us serve on, in addition to trying to have a quality family life and make a living. We try to keep things simple so we can be most effective.

I realize we are in an election year and that those who oppose Howard (I’ll bet all 7 former aldermen are regular posters here – although only two have the gumption to use their real names) will take every opportunity to attack him. As a previous poster said let’s call a spade a spade. Unfortunately, those people are creating collateral damage.

As you know, I have sent several pointed letters to you, Howard and your peers in city council in relation to the PADS issue. While we do not see eye to eye on the issue he at least had the decency to spend several hours with me discussing the issues and alternatives.

Let’s talk about some of the Taste’s donations since after all this is a witch hunt.

BTW/ this information is out there although admitedly it requires a bit of work via (phone calls) to get.

2007 –

Park Ridge Fine Arts Society – $3500
Scholarships – $2000
PRPD Night Out – $800
PR COC – Community Stars – $1000
PR Winterfest – $900

There is more. Yes including $1000 a table at the retirement party for a person who has donated thousands of hours of his time to this and other civic organizations.

You may not like the decision but remember it was made by a group of people in a private organization trying to deliver something positive for the community.

By the way a poster on the previous thread was fairly accurate in his/her assessment of our expenses and revenue. It costs a hell of a lot of money to run this event. Our goal is to give back as much as we can to the community and the other organizations serving the community while adding to our cash on hand to survive a bad weather year like we may have here.

To echo the previous poster “costs are fixed – revenue is not”

I would ask that you put on your raincoats (if necessary) and come on out and have fun anyway. I would also ask that you seek out Dave Iglow, Bob Dudycz and any other Taste volunteer and thank them for the effort they put into this.

There are no salaries, insurance or other forms of direct or indirect payment to people who work on this event. Period.
If you choose to believe the worst and create demons no one can stop you.

BY JIM BRUNO, TOPR ON 07.11.08 7:01 AM

PD:

With all respect, in todays post you ask for help from any reader who might know the board members and direct them to ask specific questions of those TOPR members that they know. Someone posts that a member is willing to do an interview with you (I have no idea if this is the case or more blog BS).

Your response is that this is not really transparency. The form 990 and not verbal communications is transparency. Don’t get me wrong, I want to see the 990 as well but my question is, if verbal communications is nothing but warm and fuzzy bullshit then why did you want you loyal readers to (apparently) waste their time asking for answers to these questions – only to receive the ole’ warm and fuzzy? If you would be willing to accept posts from these people and what transpired in their conversations as “valid”, what would be wrong with you sitting down with a board member (if in fact he is willing to meet)?

We remind you of the questions we wanted our readers to ask the TOPRs: “Why all the secrecy?” And “Why doesn’t Taste, Inc. make its books and financial records public?”

The closest Bruno came to answering either question last year was a defensive nobody-would-believe-us-anyway.

Which is why we aren’t asking Bruno or any other TOPR mouthpiece for TOPR’s financial info: We want to see it in the Form 990s signed by duly authorized agents “under penalties of perjury.”

ToPR is not required to put the Form 990 on their website. Just because they choose not put to post the Form 990 on the ToPR website does not mean they are trying to hide anything. You all (atPWD) seem to have a bee in your bonnet re: ToPR. Just send the bofd of ToPR a written request for a copy of the three prior years of the Form 990 and under IRS rules and regulations they are required to send you copies in a timely fashion. They can charge a fee for the copying. If ToPR fails to comply-they will be penalized by the IRS. Very simple. If you are so curious about the financial ins and outs of ToPR, then prepare and send the written request for the returns. Your bullying and accusations and negative assumptions are not going to get you what you want. Write the request and move on. But beware, the Form 990 may not reveal any wrong doing you seem to think exists. Financial shenanigans can still be hidden.

Anonymous on 06.24.09 10:00 pm:

The relevant issue here has nothing to do with PW’s curiosity “about the financial ins and outs of ToPR.” The relevant issue is one of the day-to-day transparency which public/private enterprises/endeavors such as ToPR (and Taste, Inc.) owe to the public that effectively underwrites them.

Since private corporation “Taste, Inc.” enjoys what amounts to a no-bid, City government-endorsed and facilitated monopoly on an unique community event for which it utilizes significant City resources (including Summit Avenue), we cannot fathom why Taste, Inc. – if it truly is not getting special treatment because of the identity/connections of its operators, or other “special interest” considerations – insists on being so secretive with its finances, especially since it seemingly never misses an opportunity to wrap itself in a mantle of hooray-for-us self-proclaimed altruism and civic duty. We would expect that such an organization would gladly provide at least an IRS Form 990-level of financial disclosure to the City and the community as a whole, on whose continued patronage and support Taste, Inc. appears to depend.

The way we see it, the more they resist even basic levels of voluntary transparency and disclosure, the more they disrespect the community and the goodwill of its residents.

PWD-have you even asked for a copy of the return? Merely continuing to request with your idea of transparency and post the Form 990 on the ToPR website is not asking them directly-to a board member-or in a written request. Try asking them directly instead of through this blog.

Anonymous on 06.25.09 8:06 pm,

Why isn’t asking them via this blog not “direct” enough a request? Why do you and others insist that some member of the TOPR be contacted privately?

By the way, congratulations for finding something you’re interested in discussing besides O’Hare.

Alpha Female-how nice of you to stick your head in the discussion. Do you enjoy tracking bloggers on this site? I could care less about the ToPR. It is a nice event that we enjoy going to. And no this blog site not a good enough place for the request by PWD for financial disclosure. PWD is not visited by everyone in PR. Perhaps the members of the board of TofPR do not even come to this site. Kind of presumptuous of you and PWD to think this is a proper channel of request for financial information. Just write the dam letter requesting the financial information PWD wants and move on. PWD and the people who control this blog are not the final say on the definition of transparency. Many organizations choose to post their 990 online as a matter of convenience. It is not a requirement.

Anonymous on 06.25.09 9:58 pm,

You’re welcome, and since I’m one of the moderators who has to review comments such as yours before posting them, really you’re very welcome.

Watchdog has not asked that TOPR post their Form 990 here, rather, Watchdog has asked that they post their financial returns on their own site.

Posting their Form 990 (or other required/relevant IRS forms) on their website would be the MOST transparent means of disclosure, unless you can come up with something more indicative of transparent disclosure than that? I can hardly wait!

This blog, and others focused on the issues of Park Ridge, are as legitimate an avenue for requesting public disclosure as any other, whether you choose to accept that or not.

Regarding who is and is not being presumptuous; your confusion on issues has been previously noted by me and others. You’re welcome again for everyone’s patience with you while you catch up. Perhaps while you take your time to more carefully read here you will see that, in fact, members of the Taste do read here.

If other NFPs post their Form 990’s (or other required/relevant IRS forms) on line for convenience, one has to ask the logical question, “Conveniece for whom?” Why would an NFP choose NOT to post their Form 990, especially after having become aware that there are people interested in seeing it, and especially after a member of TOPR admitted that the TOPR membership has discussed disclosure when he said, “We have previously discussed the level of disclosure as we too see merit in the sentiments you have expressed. While we have absolutely nothing to hide it is the existence of sites like this that actually make disclosure more difficult (still more irony).”

As an aside, the last part of that statement reads to me something along the lines of, with people paying close attention and ready to call out anything unseemly we’d rather not have to explain so we aren’t going to publish our financial statements, which also carries the distinct flavor of something that sounds like it could “look bad” for them.

But since you don’t care Anonymous, then why did you “stick your head into the discussion?” By the way, the correct expression is “I could NOT care less.”

Sorry for chiming in again and repeating something I have said before. First of all, I am all for ToPR or any other organization posting 990 and or other financila information on their website. I have no freakin’ idea why they do not do it. But there are two things that come to mind.

First, the form you are demanding be posted on their site is available. As you stated Alpha, it is available by law. I understand that the position of this board is that the relevent argument is not about the financial ins and outs but instead about transparency. Having said that is it not ironic that last year we have all this “gorilla dust” about the taste, assumptions about possible corruption, and in in the next 12 months, not one person assosiated with the board (whether in an admin capacity or a regular visitor) ever takes the very minor steps to get the information. I know that you do not see it as transparency, but anyone of us (including me) could have written a request in less time than it is taking me to type this post. You then could have 11+ months to review the data before the next taste. I have heard people on the blogs talking about participating in government and in the process. Hell, it was because people participated that we had the results of the last election (Mayor and police station issue). Sometimes we have to participate more than one might think is reasonable or necessary. But is it reasonable to bitch about potential corruption, take no EASY steps to investagte it for an entire year and then bitch about it again? Is that participating? The other day the batteries went out on my remote and I actually had to get up to change the channel – it sucked but I got what I needed.

My second point, and this is the repitition, is where is all angst towards elected officials including the Mayor. It is our elected officials who are in “partnership” with ToPR. If they do not know the financial ins and outs of that organization then they are idiots. They have a right and are responsible for managing this relationship or severing it. Again, I believe the city knows what this costs us in services provided and what we get in return and the Mayor (who I am sure many of you talk to on a regular basis) has said nothing. You would think he would have at least sent out an e-mail on the subject or formed a committee.

Anon on 06.26.09 7:55 am:

Of course we could have done what you suggest, but that would have been a lot like “enabling” an alcoholic by covering up for him and compensating for his addiction-related shortcomings.

Our goal is to help get transparent and accountable government for Park Ridge. Which means finding ways to encourage, prod or force those involved in it to do the “right” thing on their own. In this case, our tactic is to do what we’re doing to (hopefully) raise public awareness of Taste, Inc.’s disingenuousness while at the same time reducing our residents’ tolerance for it.

We do, however, share your unhappiness with our elected and appointed officials who seem to have let Taste, Inc. do whatever it wants with no transparency or accountability – just like the City has done with one of its other prominent “partners,” PRC, that continues to feed at the public trough while the City posts ever-bigger budget deficits caused, in no small measure, by the debt incurred in connection with PRC’s Uptown project.

But one thing puzzles us: If you’re really as interested in Taste, Inc.’s Form 990 info as you have repeatedly claimed to be, and as offended by Taste, Inc.’s non-disclosures as you have repeatedly claimed to be, why haven’t YOU taken those “easy steps” to obtain the forms – which you admittedly could have done in the time it took you to write your comment?

ToPR has no excuse for not publicizing everything about what it does and the money it makes/spends on it. NONE! And by not disclosing it, they are inviting all the suspicions that they are getting away with something.