Four years ago, following then-Ald. Dave Schmidt’s defeat of then-mayor Howard Frimark, we congratulated Schmidt in our 04.09.09 post and identified five significant tasks facing the new mayor – given that he was going to be inheriting a Council majority of Frimark alderpuppets Jim Allegretti, Don Bach, Tom Carey and Robert Ryan.

Those five tasks were: (1) prevent the alderpuppets from moving ahead with Target Area 4 of the economically-debilitating Uptown TIF plan, using a mayoral veto if available; (2) stop the deficit spending and straighten out the finances; (3) change the Culture of Secrecy by cutting down on closed sessions; (4) make useful information more readily available to the taxpayers; and (5) make a “sound appointment” as his replacement First Ward Alderman.

Four years later, it’s clear that Schmidt has succeeded on the first three, partially succeeded on one, and had one mooted by First Ward voters who elected Schmidt pick Ald. Joe Sweeney to a full term in 2011.

And four years later, Frimark is back – this time with a surrogate in likeable puppet candidate Larry Ryles, who not only has never held elective office in Park Ridge but who hasn’t even run for one.

Ryles is such an empty suit when it comes to the substantive issues facing the City that even the Park Ridge Journal’s endorsement of Schmidt noted how Ryles was “not being willing to discuss with the Journal his positions on local issues in the same setting with Schmidt” – the first time we can think of where a challenger adopted a “rose-garden” strategy.  Ryles’ attempts to hide in plain sight – which included not even attending City Council meetings – were the main reason ran a series of “What Would Ryles Do” posts on 09.05.12, 11.26.12, 12.17.12, 12.26.12, 01.31.13, 02.13.13 and 03.13.13.

Not surprisingly for a candidate backed by Frimark, Ryles has picked up some interesting special-interest support – a couple of which deserve special mention.

The first is a $1,000 contribution from the Operating Engineers union that represented the City’s public works employees in the just-concluded contract negotiations.  Those negotiations resulted in yet another across-the-board, non merit-based wage increase that Schmidt has indicated he will veto.  As best as we can tell, that’s a first-ever attempt by a union representing City employees to get involved in City politics; and it suggests the union believes Ryles will be a much softer touch than Schmidt.

We’d bet on it!

The second is a $10,000 contribution from something called the “Citizens for Non-Partisan Local Elections,” a seemingly “shell” organization that received the $15,000 remaining in the treasury of the old Homeowner’s Party (the “HOs”) when it shut down a few years ago in the aftermath of its seven aldermanic candidates getting thrashed in the 2003 City elections, after years of piling up victories in uncontested ones.  As a result of that $15,000 bequest, from time to time we’ve referred to this new “party” as the “New HOs,” and we take a small amount of pride in having speculated on both the Frimark-backed Ryles candidacy and the New HOs’ involvement back in our 06.25.12 post.

Although the New HOs is nominally operated by former 1st Ward ald. (and old HO) John English, we hear its behind-the-scenes movers and shakers include: Frimark’s former alderpuppets Allegretti and Bach; former 4th Ward ald. (and Frimark backer) John Kerin; former 5th Ward ald. (and Frimark backer) Steve Huening; and former 7th Ward ald. (and Frimark backer) Frank Bartolone.  Whether their fingerprints ever actually show up on the New HOs paperwork remains to be seen.

While we could go on a lot longer about why Ryles is just Howard Frimark in a red beret, we won’t because Schmidt should win or lose based on his record, one that has been the most public and transparent of any mayor’s in Park Ridge’s history.  And on that basis alone, he’s earned our endorsement…and your vote.

UPDATED 04.05.13:  It looks like the Illinois “Combine” – that aggregation of Democrats and Republicans who share the same political bed and gorge at the same public trough – has found its way to Park Ridge.

According to a flyer e-mailed by Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky’s office, she has endorsed mayoral challenger Larry Ryles in what is legally a “non-partisan” election that historically has been considered out-of-bounds by the area’s Dems and GOPers.   Whether that’s what will become standard operating procedure from here on, or just a one-time deal for Rep. Schakowsky, remains to be seen.  But it speaks volumes about the importance of Tuesday’s mayoral election.

We wonder how cozy self-proclaimed “Republicans” like Howard Frimark, Don Bach, Dick Barton and Jim Allegretti are under the same covers with Democrat Schakowsky?  This being Illinois, we’re guessing their answer would be: “Very.”

Coming Next:  Aldermanic Endorsements.

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