Wow!!! Community groups….you have a very definite and loud opinion!! TOPR…..again very definite opinion!! Fireworks…..??????? Why no opinion on that one??? Very interesting.

Some residents are wondering? Who? Which ones? Do tell, because certainly I’m not wondering, nor are my friends, or my neighbors…
We know you’ve got an axe to grind with Taste, so please tell me what that has to do with fireworks.

One must conclude you would make a negative reference to Taste regardless of the topic of the day – do you do this to pull attention away from your subject about fireworks – Schmidt’s big campaign contributer tony savanascini.

The transparency hypocrisy wrapped in irony of the current mayor’s big campaign contributor having a city contract – you don’t mention it.

It boggles the mind what this mayor is involved in.

He contributed to Schmidt??? How much???

First, thanks to Tony and the AmericanEagle.com team for the contribution. It is things like this that make our town so wonderful.

Perhaps the city could sell t-shirts, glo sticks and preferred parking at the Taste. According to sources quoted in the PRHA, that works acceptably enough to defray the cost of the fireworks’ city service bill. With three days to hock wares the Taste the city should do better there than at the few hours of fireworks.

Or even better, let’s get the city and event coordinators together to determine a realistic figure for all these services. $20 – 23,000 for public service OT for each event sounds like other budget items are being thrown in there, especially when the city report itself listed just over $11,000 in “Direct Additional Expenses” for each of the Fireworks and Taste. I mean, as much as we all love them there, does either event really need every public service person on site enjoying the show?

The city could create an itemized price sheet ($X per hour for police security, $X per hour for traffic direction, $X per block for public works clean up, etc), and the special event and city could determine together the public service needs of each event. Then working together, the city and event could figure out how those costs are defrayed: direct tax revenue, event fees, city invoice to the event, or glo stick sales.

Of course, I used the concept of “working together” quite a bit in that scenario. Is anyone interested in that? Or is everyone more interested in political volleyball?

I am the owner of Americaneagle.com, Inc., which is headquartered in the Chase Bank building at six corners. I am also a Park Ridge resident (1st Ward) and taxpayer, as well as a friend and the single largest campaign contributor of former alderman/current mayor Dave Schmidt in his successful mayoral bid.

Americaneagle.com has over 160 full-time employees nationwide, of which close to 150 work here in Park Ridge. For those who may not know, Americaneagle.com also provides website services to the City of Park Ridge (one of approximately 100 municipal or other governmental websites we designed and service), and it has done so for the past several years. Over those years we have been paid approximately $34,000 by the city, all under contracts that are matters of public record. Our contract for the just-completed city website re-design was for $19,500 (part of the total 34k we’ve received in total).

Last year, in response to reports that the Fourth of July fireworks show would be cancelled for lack of funding, Americaneagle.com offered to donate those fireworks. That offer was happily accepted by then-mayor Howard Frimark and the Park Ridge City Council. Under similar economic circumstances this year we made the same offer, which mayor Dave Schmidt and the City Council also accepted. The total cost of those fireworks is approximately $38,000.

We are proud to be active members of the Park Ridge community. We also believe in the importance of the 4th of July as a holiday that should be celebrated and enjoyed by all Park Ridge residents. To the extent we can contribute to that celebration by donating the fireworks, we are happy to do so.

Tony Svanascini
Americaneagle.com, Inc.

anon on 05.07.10 11:44 am: “Community groups” – private organizations taking public money; “TOPR” – private organization taking public money; “fireworks” – public event (City of Park Ridge & Park Ridge Park District) getting private money from Americaneagle.com.  If that doesn’t sink in the first time, move your lips when you read it again – or just read it out loud.

FireInTheQuarry on 05.07.10 2:48 pm: See above.

TASTE THIS on 05.07.10 3:15 pm: What part of “holder of the City’s website design contract” don’t you understand? You may want to try moving your lips when you read, too.

Tell the truth.

Editor’s Note: About what? 

The new website is awesome as well! Wish there was a blog for the council though…

What about the 20K it costs the city?? I thank American Eagle for their very generous donation but what about the money that the event costs the city?? You are saying it is OK for us to spend it?? We can afford the 20K?? that is not what the Mayor says. The Mayor says we are getting killed.

Editor’s Note: What “20K it costs the city”?  And, no, we are not saying it is okay for Park Ridge to spend it – we’re saying that’s a City administration call.  But we definitely would rather see the City spend taxpayer dollars on a City-run event like the fireworks instead of giving it to un-accountable, non-transparent private companies.

Tell the truth about what Watchdog and Americaneagle are really after.

Tell the truth.

Editor’s Note: PublicWatchdog has always been about TOPR paying its own way rather than freeloading on the taxpayers’ backs without disclosing chapter and verse of exactly how much money it is making from the event – and exactly who its vendors are that are indirectly benefiting from those public funds and TOPR’s monopoly of that major “City” event. 

Anon @ 4:31, world domination? what the hell are you taking about?

Is watchdog run by Americaneagle? That wouldn’t make sense as Tony isn’t type type to hide behind a blog… anonymously…

Editor’s Note: No.  Or, to play that same game, no more so than PRU is run by Taste of Park Ridge NFP or Center of Concern. 

With regards to the editor’s note at 4:29, AGREED!

So now you are saying that city run equates to transparency. Please see your story dated 8/29/08. Here is a quote….. “causes us to inquire once again about why the Park Ridge Kiwanis Clubs purportedly gets an “exclusive” food concession deal for the event, especially without any known contribution by them to the cost of the event?

We reiterate that we’ve got nothing against the Kiwanis, but if the taxpayers continue to fund a substantial part of the fireworks show that enables the Kiwanis to fundraise on an “exclusive” basis, we think that, at the very least, the Kiwanis owes those same taxpayers answers to the following questions: (1) How did they get an “exclusive” deal? And (2) What kind of profit, if any, do they make off the show? We also think it would be a fine gesture for them to produce a financial report documenting the revenue and expenses they generate from this event”.

So they got back to you with a satisfactory answer?? I think you can find the report you requested from Kiwanis right next to the one you requested from TOPR!! Going off your own words, even you have issues with both. You are not happy with the tracking of revenue from either event.

Meanwhile, the mayor says that things are sooooo bad that he cannot in good consience give money to meals on wheels.

Editor’s Note:  We have not said, nor are we suggesting, that “city run equates with transparency.” But “City run” – even under prior administrations – has a certain measure of legally-required accountability that none of these private organizations share, nor apparently want to provide voluntarily.

And as we’ve said before, if Meals on Wheels or any of these other private companies or organizations wants tax dollars, let them contract with the City for fees for services rendered.

“Criticism is necessary and useful; it is often indispensable; but it can never take the place of action, or be even a poor substitute for it. The function of the mere critic is of very subordinate usefulness. It is the doer of deeds who actually counts in the battle for life, and not the man who looks on and says how the fight ought to be fought, without himself sharing the stress and the danger.” (1894)
Theodore Roosevelt

So, while the city has determined that both need to use public service support, there is one basic distinction between the Taste and the Fireworks:

The Fireworks uses taxpayer supported entities, the City and Park District, have to plan, fund, set up and break down the event and have one sponsor who picks up a big part of that, the rockets.

While the Taste uses private funds and citizens to plan, fund, set up and break down the event, and has many sponsors who support the entire event.

Editor’s Note:  And the City is legally accountable to the taxpayers while Taste Inc. is accountable only to its owners, and banking undisclosed profits while sucking up $23,000/yr. of taxpayer funds.  So your point is?  

Mr. Svanascini:

Two things. First thank you for the donation you and your company have made and your involvement in the community in other areas.

Second, that is a great quote. I think it applies in many areas depending on one’s view. It applies to this thread as it relates to you. It also applies to things said on the blogs about TOPR. It also applies about many things said about elected officials. Anyway, thanks again for all you do!!!

Note to all the hysterical folks…American Eagle has been the City’s website company since before Schmidt was even elected alderman. He has never had any say or input into who the City hired as a website company, nor, for that matter, did Mayor Frimark. It is STRICTLY a staff function.

So why is this being brought up? Because it gives the muckrakers a chance to muck…or is it to rake?

Editor’s Note:  Because the folks behind Taste Inc. want to deflect scrutiny.  Back in May 2005 an ignorant and negligent City Council let then-mayor Frimark float TOPR to his buddies at Taste Inc. with City subsidies and no accountability, which continues to today.  If Taste Inc. wasn’t raking it in, there would be no reason for all the secrecy.  There would be no reason for them not to open their books.  But at $23,000 a year, they get more money than most of those community groups included in the $186,000 giveaway – without even being included among those community groups. 

Let me see if I got this right.

The fireworks has city services provided in order to conduct the event.
It also has a private company provide money to pay for the heart of the event

–the fireworks display itself. (free to the public -except for preferred

parking)

So Private company pays for the actual event and city and park district

provide the ancillary services of traffic control, cleanup etc at levels

they determine as evidenced by the recent HA article.

So according to Pubdog and Mayor Schmidt, that is a workable solution.

The TOPR has city services provided in order to conduct the event.
It also has a private company provide money (by way of acquiring sponsors) to

pay for the heart of the event —-the tents for the food vendors and the

entertainment and stage (and kids’ activities) (all free to the public)

So Private company pays for the actual event and the city provides the

ancillary services of traffic control, cleanup etc. at levels it determines

as indicated by city manager hock according to past CC COW meetings that can

be seen on melidosian motionbox.

according to pubdog and Mayor Schmidt, that is….

wait, it is the same scenario.

Both events have a private entity providing funds for the bulk and namesake

of the event and both events have city provided services.

The fireworks publicizes americaneagle who stepped up to provide funds to

make the event possible.

The Taste publicizes many sponsors who stepped up to proivide funds to make

the event possible

An amount of parking revenue is directly generated from the fireworks and an

amount of sales tax revenue is directly generated from the Taste food

vendors.

The only major difference that appears is that:

the 3 hour fireworks event costs the city about 3,000 dollars per hour

whereas

the 33 hour Taste event costs the city about 300 dollars per hour

in terms of the levels of service the city provided last year in Direct

expenses.

Editor’s Note:  No, the only major difference is that the costs (and whatever profits) for the fireworks – other that whatever “profits” Kiwanis makes on its “special” concessions deal – are a matter of public record, while Taste Inc. sucks $23,000 out of the taxpayers and doesn’t account to anybody for its profits or what it pays its favored vendors.  So the fireworks are transparent and accountable, while TOPR is opaque and secret.  And since 2005, Taste Inc. hasn’t had the decency to provide the City with a Form 990, or a detailed accounting.  Sweet deal for the Tastees, real bread and circuses.

That is a silly comparison. The fireworks are traditionally a government-sponsored event, not a moneymaking event. It would not pay itself back for city worker time. The Taste is privately-sponsored and does make a profit. They do have the ability, and some say the duty, to pay the city back out of those profits for city worker time.

Editor’s Note:  Just because the City is “government” doesn’t mean that it is forbidden from generating a “profit” from the fireworks show.  It could, for example, enlist “sponsors” – like Taste Inc. does – to cover the costs beyond the fireworks cost that Americaneagle.com is covering.  It could take a piece of the “profits” Kiwanis makes on its exclusive(?) food vending operation.  Whether that’s something the City should do is debatable, but it could be done in those ways and others that have not even been explored.

Wait a second. Explain to me how you can say these two things in the same sentence. 1. “other that whatever “profits” Kiwanis makes on its “special” concessions deal”.

2. “the fireworks are transparent and accountable”

You have an organization makeing money off ot this and have no idea how much. With all the folks who attend that event I am guessing it isn’t chump change. Why is that acceptable to you in one case but not in another??

Second, you still have not addressed the main issue I have which is if the Mayor is taken at his word about the dire position we are in with the budget and we cannot afford to continue to give money to community groups (while we lay people off), how can he/you justify the expense for the fireworks the city will still have to pay for services provided?

Editor’s Note:  The City’s (and Park District’s) portion of the fireworks show is transparent and accountable to the taxpayers, or at least it is supposed to be under existing law.  The “special deal” Kiwanis food concession is neither transparent nor accountable because, like Taste Inc. and the community groups getting $186,000 this year, Kiwanis is a “private” organization that does not have to account to the taxpayers for what “profits” it makes off whatever “special deal” it can get from the City.

And as we have said in this post and in other Editor’s Notes to this post, if the City chooses to cut the fireworks to save money, we can live with that.  But as a matter of governmental policy, given a choice we would rather see the City cut giveaways of public funds to non-transparent, non-accountable private community groups before it cut the fireworks funding. 

Is that clear enough for you? 

“Even in the best of times, it is questionable whether taxpayers should fund private charitable and cultural groups. These are far from the best of times” You then go on to talk about the layoffs. Mr Mayor. Why not come right out and say it directly? We all have varying opinions on this but you seem to be trying to soften the blow. You talk about questionable and then say it is becuase of our financial condition. Just come out and say it. You are clearly directly in line with the people on this blog. You do not believe that the city should be funding any of these things (including CoC? – period. It is ironic you were silent about it for so many years. Why tap dance around it.

Pubdog,

you obviously don’t deal in facts. Kiwanis did not do concessions last year. Nor are they doing it this year. It did not make any money for them. The provided the volunteer labor to run the concessions and then used the any profit earned to give to charitable causes in the community.

A student group from maine east ran the concessions last year and not sure who is doing it this year.

Editor’s Note:  We do not recall writing that Kiwanis did concessions “last year,” but if we did we apologize for that error.  That we do “deal in facts,” however, is effectively admitted by your statement that “Kiwanis did not do concessions last year,” which implies – correctly so – that Kiwanis ran concessions at prior years’ fireworks shows.  

silly questions, but thought they should be asked.

What if pubdog and the mayor are wrong in their accusations about the community groups and Topr and Kiwanis? What if these groups did what they said they were doing and were opting to operate within the laws that apply to them?

Will pubdog and the mayor publically and profusely with equal fervor and frequency apologize to all of these groups?

I’ll start calling myself papa smurf now, because I’ll be blue in the face from holding my breath before pubdog or mayor would do that.

Editor’s Note:  We don’t claim to speak for the mayor, but PublicWatchdog’s point is not whether any of those groups “did what they said they were doing and were opting to operate within the laws that apply to them.”  Our point is that, as a matter of local governmental policy, the City should not be donating to private entities funds it takes involuntarily through exercise of its taxing powers, irrespective of whether those donations are direct contributions of money or indirect contributions through the unreimbursed provision of City services.  So, “Papa (or Mama) Smurf,” we hope you look good in blue.

I think we should look into the cold weather today as well, Schmidt must have something to do with this… I don’t ever remember it being this cold this time of year in Park Ridge.

Editor’s Note:  Good point.  Anybody taking bets on whether he will work his weather magic by calling down a blizzard on TOPR this summer?  Or maybe just a plague of locusts?

More muckraking. The mayor has never accused a community group of anything. He supports community groups, but does not think it should be done with taxpayer funds. What the mayor has said is that the Taste makes a profit and should use part of that profit to pay back the city for services rendered. The rest of the drivel on this string of posts is made up by someone with an axe to grind. Or shpoudl I say a few axes to grind.

11:41:

Gee you are right!! These are people with an axe to grind!! Let’s close down this blog!!! If you look at the history and the totality of the posts here, it is clearly designed simply to slam Mayor Schmidt and make it more difficult for him to do his job. By the way, my sides hurt from laughing!!

So, why doesn’t the mayor ask the Taste to show exactly what he wants to see? Why doesn’t the mayor try to figure out how to eliminate the city services special events use, or put forward an exact plan as to how the city should collect payment for those services. You know, come up with a plan.

Or would the mayor prefer to just do more speachifying, naming problems without coming up with solutions?

Solutions require working with people, and leading them, to a situation that works.

The big question is, why would the mayor spend so much time naming the problems, without offering a concrete plan for the solution? Why try to build up public anger without publically demanding some sort of specific recourse?