We’ve already addressed the landslide victory by Mayor Dave Schmidt and the mandate that a 62% – 38% margin of victory suggests. But what conclusions or inferences, if any, can be drawn from the results of the other races?
Park District Board: This was billed as the local race where Park Ridge’s senior citizens were going to flex their political muscle and punish incumbent commissioners Rick Biagi, senior Steven Hunst and senior Richard Brandt, the “Top 3” ticket (for their first three ballot positions), for their perceived “anti-senior” attitudes and actions.
All three of them were roundly criticized by their opponents – a ticket calling itself the “Bottom 3” comprised of incumbent senior Steven Vile and two other seniors, Joan Bende and James Phillips – for: (a) their support for the District’s seizing control of the Senior Center from private corporation Park Ridge Senior Services, Inc. (“SSI”); and (b) the District’s litigating with SSI over a $330,000 bequest to the “Park Ridge Senior Center” that former Park District employee Teresa Grodsky unilaterally handed over to SSI before belatedly filing a lawsuit seeking a court declaration as to whom that money legally belonged.
“Seniors” – or at least SSI-sympathetic seniors – do not appear to have been the political force they claimed to be: two of the Top 3 (Brandt and Biagi, the latter of whom was virtually demonized by some SSI members) won, while the only incumbent on the “Bottom 3” ticket (Vile) lost with almost the same number of votes as the other losing incumbent and fellow senior, Hunst.
The only woman running, Joan Bende, got the most votes of any candidate, outpolling runner-up Biagi by 554 votes. So if this election reveals any kind of political demographic, it’s probably that women are more likely to vote for women – a still controversial theory among political scientists and politicians generally because of the sexism such a theory implies.
If Ms. Bende is going to become anything more than merely the successful “token” woman candidate, we can’t wait to see what she (and Phillips) actually do about their four main campaign issues – especially the second and fourth items on their campaign flyer that address the new Centennial pool/aquatic center/water park boondoggle.
School District 207 Board:
The good news for taxpayers is that Mary C. Childers led all vote-getters, garnering 515 votes more than runner-up incumbent Margaret McGrath; and that long-time teacher/administrator-advocate, taxpayer-unfriendly Eldon Burk lost.
A bit of unsettling news in this election, however, is the open and notorious intrusion of highly-partisan Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky via her endorsement of successful candidate Jin Lee, whom we opposed because of his embrace of deficit spending and of the Consumer Price Index (“CPI”) as a factor for determining teacher and administrator pay increases – which is ridiculous unless you believe it’s the taxpayers’ duty to ensure that the purchasing power of teacher and administrator salaries is fully hedged against inflation (i.e., increases in the CPI).
Given the way the rest of that Board – except for the departing Ed Mueller – has constantly rolled over when it comes to increases in teacher and administrator compensation despite the overall decline in D-207’s ranking vis-à-vis other Chicago-area public high schools, we don’t see any good coming out of either non-resident Schakowsky’s involvement in a local non-partisan election, or the election of one of her endorsees.
And if the rumor is true that both McGrath and successful quasi-incumbent Carla Owen boycotted the non-partisan candidates’ forum held on March 21 at South Park Fieldhouse because it was sponsored by the Park Ridge Republican Women, that adds further tarnish to the process
On the other hand, D-207 Board president (and former Maine Twp. Regular Republican Organization president) Sean Sullivan has been a dependable rubber-stamp for non merit-based pay increases, so disregard for the taxpayers appears to be truly bi-partisan at D-207.
School District 64 Board: If you don’t think D-64 Board president John Heyde was extremely interested in the outcome of this election, think again.
Heyde made two e-mail appeals for the re-election of his right-hand man and potential heir apparent, incumbent Scott Zimmerman, and Zimmerman’s informal running mate, Terry Cameron, in the last 10 days of the campaign.
Not surprisingly, Heyde’s appeal on behalf of Zimmerman and Cameron also falsely labeled challengers Ben Seib and Dathan Paterno as “slated by the Park Ridge Republican Women’s Club” – even though that organization “slated” no candidates, and endorsed no candidates, in any non-partisan local election. The fact that a couple/few members and/or officers of that organization, acting as individuals, supported Seib and Paterno wasn’t lost on Heyde, but just ignored in his efforts to make sure he and his pet superintendent, Phil Bender, wouldn’t have to deal with the only two candidates whose campaigns stressed accountability and fiscal prudence.
Fortunately, Paterno won. That arguably gives the taxpayers two voices – Paterno’s and first-term Board member Anthony Borrelli’s – on a Board where they previously had only one, Borrelli’s. Whether those two can develop any traction on a Board dominated by Heyde and Zimmerman will depend on how newbies Cameron and Vicki Lee, and first-term Board member Dan Collins, react to a slightly more balanced Board.
We endorsed Collins two years ago in the belief that he would bring some fresh and independent ideas to the Board. Up until now, he has been little more than an empty suit and automatic vote for anything Bender, Heyde and Zimmerman want. And while we hope we’re wrong about Lee, her ultra-lightweight campaign (mom, PTO president, works well in groups, wants positive change) gives every indication that she will be a reliable rubber-stamper in the tradition of the departing Sharon Lawson and the half-term removed Genie Taddeo.
Whether Cameron, now that he’s actually been elected, will be willing and able to climb out of Zimmerman’s shadow and start looking out for the District’s taxpayers – and its students – more than for the District’s teachers and administrators, will be a major point of interest over the next two years.
Park Ridge City Council: We hope both Nick Milissis (2nd) and Roger Shubert (4th) will earn their Watchdog endorsements right out of the gate.
We also have high hopes that Ald. Marc Mazzuca (6th) will have learned a few lessons from his slender 20-point victory over Vinny LaVecchia – including that there’s more to City government than drilling down to the center of the earth on the issue of water rates, and that rubber-stamping every non merit-based pay increase that comes down the pike is horrible public policy.
And we hope LaVecchia maintains the level of interest and energy he displayed during the campaign, both in keeping an eye on Mazzuca’s performance and in promoting his ideas for improving Park Ridge’s retail base in ways that make sense and produce results.
To read or post comments, click on title.
41 comments so far
How come no comment on the referendum that passed? Out of all the results you have reviewed, that to me was the biggest shock / surprise / result of them all!
EDITOR’S NOTE: We were neither shocked nor surprised, and can’t understand why you were.
But to answer your question, we expect to address that referendum in a separate post.
I’m all for accountability and fiscal prudence but I am still wary of a school board candidate, now board member, who unabashedly espouses controversial partisan views, which have no place on a non-partisan governing body.
I know people are entitled to their own views, but spewing hatred for liberals and Obama, for example, on social media, doesn’t seem like a very prudent move on his part.
He claims he can keep his position neutral but his Twitter feed, for example, indicates otherwise. Maybe you should ask him, since on April 11 he said “Someone should interview me right now; I’ve got all kinds of brilliant stuff swirling around in my head.”
In any case, it seems that this seat may be just a quick stepping stone for him, as he said on April 13 “Then I’ll just have to get elected to the state legislature…” after asking what he could do help D64 avoid Common Core and being told he can’t do much at the local level.
EDITOR’S NOTE: What issue(s) currently facing the D-64 Board are inherently “partisan” such that a position taken on them by a Board member must itself necessarily be “partisan”?
Frankly, if Paterno brings even one semi-brilliant idea to the D-64 Board, it will be the first one in quite awhile. D-64 Boards seem to prefer mediocrity except for teacher and administrator compensation, where it has proved to be outstanding.
The reason why I was very surprised by the referendum passing was because the swimming pool issue was not put on referendum (although you fought valiantly to have put up to a referendum).
I thought with the increase in taxes related to paying off the bonds for the pool, there would be a backlash about acquiring the land and having an additional increase in taxes.
The pool and park acquisition have benefits to the users, but it will not be cheap.
It’s not like the economy is growing at a fast clip and there is more supply for jobs then demand. The acceptance of paying higher taxes for the Park District surprised me.
Maybe it is time to fix up the library (or put it on a referendum) since the residents are in the mood to spend money. I am kidding of course, but these days who knows what would pass.
EDITOR’S NOTE: The OPL group ran a great campaign – aided substantially by the District staff, which seems to have blurred the line between permissible information and outright politicking.
If both projects had been put to the voters, at least one of them would not have passed. But by railroading the Centennial project past the taxpayers without a referendum, and doing it during the holidays when people are less likely to be paying attention (which is what they teach in bureaucrat school), that never really showed up on most voters’ radar.
The roof at the Community Center is still leaking despite several attempts to fix and reroof over the last couple of years. On May 2, the PRPD board is going to vote to approve spending millions of taxpayer dollars to buy a park. Let’s hope that a rare moment of clarity hits the PRPD board members, including the cheerleader of government waste Mel Thillens, and the majority votes not to take on millions in debt when it is clear the PRPD cannot properly manage and maintain what they already own.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Don’t hold your breath…any “moment of clarity” disappeared, along with any “moment of integrity,” back in December when Centennial was approved without a referendum.
When officers of a partisan political organization personally use their names and titles to confer viability on their political endorsements, and when their pitches do not explicitly indicate that the pitch is not being offered by the organization and is not necessarily reflective of the organization’s views, you have an oopsie of sizeable proportions. Why you chose to ignore the obvious in this case is, well, obvious.
EDITOR’S NOTE: We are unaware of any officers of the RWOPR using “their…titles” in connection with any candidate for the D-64 Board, or any Park Ridge candidate – unlike D-64 Board president John Heyde, who did use his title in advocating for his candidates
The loss of financial watchdog and quality control gadfly Steve Hunst is a real loss to the Park District. He took major flak in his first term for not hewing to the usual line that “the professionals” should be left in peace to do their thing, but eventually, most of the board concurred and hired an executive director, Ray Ochromowicz, who had a clue. In contrast, the City has financial watchdogs but nobody effectively concerned with service quality; the School Districts appear to have no watchdogs except Borelli and only sporadic concern for quality indices. Since there was no justice in Hunst’s loss, clearly the public rejected both slates’ directive to keep it simple and vote for the top three or the bottom three. Instead, they went eensie, meensie, mine-sie and got a couple of gold ones along with the dross. It’s a mystery how Hunst lost and Schmidt won since they are both very budget-minded. It’s even more a mystery how Schmidt won and so did the epic nice-to, the Youth Campus park. But that’s what keeps it interesting.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Hunst was a situational “financial watchdog” who had no problem signing onto a $7.1 million Centennial project without a referendum while at the same time pushing a $13 million Youth Campus Park, happy to have his cake and eat it, too, at the taxpayers’ expense.
I reluctantly voted for the Youth Campus park because I wanted to see the land preserved, although I was uncomfortable with all the bells and whistles the Park District was adding in to almost double the acquisition cost.
I was disappointed that the Park District steamrolled the new Centennial Pool past the taxpayers without any referendum using a bait-and-switch inducement of a “lazy river” that isn’t scheduled to be part of the initial construction and may never be built. That is dishonesty in my book and I don’t like it, which is why I voted for none of the Park Board candidates.
The community as a whole has lost all credibility when it comes to complaining about taxes.
How the hell do you whine about “we can’t afford it”…..”our taxes are outrageous”…..when the community just voted to raise our own taxes by over 300% of our recent city levy increase (for how many years???) for the luxury of a park?
EDITOR’S NOTE: We aren’t sure what exactly you mean by “over 300% of our recent city levy increase” – except that it sounds a lot worse than the actual number of dollars the Youth Campus Park is supposed to cost the average homeowner. But irrespective of the cost, at least the taxpayers got to vote on it. And Director Mountcastle has something (counting the new Centennial, TWO things) to brag about at the next parks & rec conference that don’t raise HER property taxes one bit.
@6:19, depends on what you mean by brilliant. If you mean coercing the schools to promote creationism over evolution then Paterno’s your man. His Twitter feed clearly indicates he wants to promote his conservative agenda in any way he can. And why he is even asking his Twitter followers for advice is bizarre to me.
In any case it’s telling that he stuck to finances and accountability during his campaign and didn’t mention any of these other ideas to the general voting public.
While I don’t believe he can get much traction at this point, I do think, at the very least, being focused on his own long term partisan agenda doesn’t bode well for his inclination or ability to focus on the district’s most pressing issues in the short term.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Where does Paterno write/say that one of his goals as a D-64 Board member is “coercing the schools to promote creationism over evolution”?
We’re content with “finances and accountability” when we’ve currently got, and for as long as we can remember have had, a D-64 Board and Administration that is terrible – to the point of butt-ugly – on both.
It is called approximate math. A 2.5% increase in a 10K property tax bill (approx 1K) to the city) comes to $21.50. The “advertised price of the park for a typical PD house is over three times that.
There are many things the PR citizens could spend our tax dollars on. It’s called choices!!! We could increse our taxes for city projects, or increases services, or community groups, or infrastructure and on and on. All these things cost money. We could also decide to not raise our taxes and keep the money ourselves….perhaps take the family out dinner.
We chose a park. Although I voted no on the referendum, I have no problem with that at all. I have stated here before that the increse will not create a crisis in our family budget. I cannot see myself using the Park much as we tend to use centennial, but I am sure it will be nice.
What I am saying is that when you hear people complaining about taxes….and we cannot afford this or that it is simply not true. Stop bitching!! We can afford anything we want. In these “dire economic times when so many are struggling” we just gave ourselves a hefty tax increse for a park.
EDITOR’S NOTE: We suspect most of those doing the “bitching” didn’t even vote this election – because we know that over 60% of our registered voters didn’t.
Don’t consider it “a hefty tax increase for a park” – consider it the Mountcastle Monument, compliments of Mel Thillens and supported by intriguing $1,000 contributions to OPL from both The Youth Campus itself and Uhlich Children’s Advantage Network, 3737 N. Mozart Street, Chicago, IL
And let’s not forget the “scare” story planted with the H-A’s accommodating Jennifer Johnson less than two weeks before the election, where Youth Campus Board chairman Tom Murphy warned that the referendum’s failure could result in the return of that property to housing foster children and/or wards of the state. We heard THAT sent a shiver down the spines of a number of 1st Ward residents.
the 2.5 should have been 2.15….sorry for the error.
Anon 605am- The great thing about local politics is that voters truly have a voice to say what they think their taxes should go to.
It’s sour grapes to say voters got conned into investing in a new park. It wasn’t a close vote. In fact, many people came out to just vote FOR the park, and really didn’t know anything about the other races. Park Ridge is changing. We look around neighboring suburbs and see the parks and services they have and are shocked as to why “self-elite” Park Ridge doesn’t have these things.
Voters in Park Ridge chose to invest in the our city and pay more taxes.
However, voters in Park Ridge do not like giving their money to community groups where no one seemed to know where the money actually went to. Voters in Park Ridge do not like the high salary/benefit package of public works. One reason the mayor won was because he represents so many taxpayers that are sick of typical city govt that just automatically grows each year without real question.
The mayor has picked up where most of the city council has failed. The council initially said they wanted a PW contract that didn’t spend more….then it comes back where that didn’t happen. Every alderman besides Knight just shrugged and voted for the contract that went against council directive. The mayor stood up for taxpayers and said no. Just watch and see which council members will have the guts to stand up to public works.
All that to say, that Park Ridge taxpayers aren’t necessarily anti-tax, they want it spent efficiently and with purpose.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Saying that “many people came out to just vote FOR the park, and really didn’t know anything about the other races” is no more credible than saying that many people came out to just vote AGAINST the park.” Either one of those, or even both, could be true. So what?
Unlike with the $7.1 million Centennial Pool boondoggle, the taxpayers at least got a vote on this expenditure – but only because the Park District didn’t have the non-referendum bonding power to ram this project down the taxpayers’ throats.
2009 Election- 8,698 voted in mayoral race
2013 voters- 9,182 voted in mayoral race (9157 voted for/against park).
Turnout was higher, and I’ll say it’s because of the park, which won clearly so that’s why I say more came out to vote for the park.
My bigger point was, that voters in Park Ridge can’t be tied into a box about taxes. It’s much more complex than saying we are anti-tax.
EDITOR’S NOTE: We disagree with your first point, but agree wholeheartedly with your last point. But both are opinion and anecdotal rather than “fact.”
8:24:
Where in my post(s) do I ever say that anyone got conned??
The referendum passed because as PWD the PRPD ran a savvy campaign. A campaign that included misinformation, manipulation and outright lying to the taxpayers. And the OPL conned taxpayers into voting to spend their tax dollars to benefit just a few.
The referendum was put on the ballot in April instead of the national election in November because the PRPD was banking on low voter turnout giving the referendum a greater chance of passing.
The PRPD illegally used taxpayer money and employees to campaign for the referendum. A PRPD elected official-Mel Thillens who coincidentally was not running for re-election- served as the chairman of the political action committee Our Parks Legacy to push the referendum. Not a conflict of interest?
The PRPD misrepresented the revenue potential for the proposed YC park indicating that it would be revenue neutral. So in addition to the increase in taxes to cover the cost of the bonds-the YC park will drain money from other areas of the PRPD to cover the operating loss. But Gayle Mountcastle gets a nice new office while other PRPD properties continue to go to hell. Hope it is big enough to fit her ego in.
The wording of the bond referendum was nothing short of fraudulent purposely crafted by the PRPD board so that it did not mention that PR taxpayers would see an increase in their taxes to pay for the PRPD issuing $13,200,000 of “its” bonds.
Both PR Baseball and Football-501(c)(3) organizations-gave $1,000 to the Our Parks Legacy group to help pay for the costs of the political action committee. PR Soccer sent out emails in support of the referendum. Is this an appropriate use of funds by non-profits?
Not a proud day for the PRPD or frankly the taxpayers of PR.
EDITOR’S NOTE: So, you don’t think the folks who run those Park District-affiliated kids sports programs dug into their own pockets – rather than into the fees paid by the parents of all the participants – to come up with those donations? And you don’t think the folks who run those affiliates asked the permission of all those parents of program participants for their authorization to use program fees to make those donations?
Are you ever cynical!
Geez 11:05 get over it. Not everything is a nefarious plot to bilk taxpayers out of their hard-earned money for personal gain.
And it’s rich that you would complain that parks are deteriorating when it’s residents like you, who likely have refused over the years to agree to any tax hikes that might improve the parks, who are partly to blame.
As for your comment, “And the OPL conned taxpayers into voting to spend their tax dollars to benefit just a few.” How hard is it to understand that just because you don’t live directly adjacent to open space or a park that it still does benefit you? A town with more amenities makes it more attractive to prospective residents, who bring in more tax dollars, to name just one.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Hmmmm…so are you saying that turning the Youth Campus into an amenity like Youth Campus Park is going to “bring in more tax dollars” than 20 or 30 homes there? And your authority for such a comment is what exactly?
Once a voter blundered into Paterno’s scary Flat Earth/Good Ole Days political blog and alerted some others, he cannily shut up about the worst of his ideas long enough to get elected. But the Tea Party ladies you won’t admit exist supported him very, very actively, and that should tell you or your readers something. If not, just check out Paterno’s political blog before he has the sense to take it down tonight. Every generation has its versions of the John Birchers; like Paterno, many of them are tall, dark, handsome and very pleasant and reasonable-seeming, although most are in IT or banking, not child psychologists. Parents should keep a close watch on what District 64 does about educating students on life’s realities in the next four years. Keep in mind that your kids will be going to school with kids whose parents think the 1950s are where we should be, and that fear and ignorance are good tools for teaching values.
EDITOR’S NOTE: “Flat Earth”? “Tea Party ladies”? “John Birchers”?
Sounds like if anybody has an agenda of “fear and ignorance,” it’s you.
Most residents did not view the Park Board exercising its legitimate authority to approve a redo of the much-used, obsolete and failing Centennial Pool facility a capital crime. Of all the things you could beef about, this is easily the weakest.
EDITOR’S NOTE: You’re right: Depriving the voters of an ADVISORY referendum vote on the borrowing of $6.3 million so you can spend $7.1 million on an outdoor water facility that’s only usable 3 months a year and doesn’t include the “lazy river” that was (according to your own poll) the most desirable feature of the entire project, after several previous pool referenda failed, isn’t a “capital crime.” But a strong argument could be made for a significant period of incarceration.
And when one considers that the District actually stripped itself of its ability to purchase the Youth Campus property by committing to the Centennial Pool project without a referendum, is even more irresponsible.
So the same people that came out and voted to send the Mayor back to office with a mandate (5,597 votes), also gave the D. 64 candidates a similar mandate as well: Scott Zimmerman garnered 5,097 votes, (the inexperienced) Vicki Lee with 4,501 votes and the Heyde-backed candidate Cameron with 4,433 votes.
Too bad the candidate endorsed by this blog as well as the “private citizens” girl-team of Susan Sweeney and Charlene Foss-Eggemann barely squeaked a fourth place finish and a “victory” with less than 4,000 votes (3,860 to be exact).
Poor, little Ben Seib, the other part of the dynamic duo of the “Paterno-Seib” tag team, came in a near, photo-finish last place with remaining candidate Rick Van Royen (who barely had any yard signs or other visibility), both with about 3,100 votes.
Some community members would love to see either Ms. Sweeney or Ms. Foss run next time for School Board, rather than search for “qualified candidates” who share their political values. That would be partisan politics at its best! But then again, it is much easier to criticize from the outside than to roll up your sleeves, run for office (get elected) and explain your position to the voters.
FYI–keep your eyes on both doctors, they may be looser than you might think when it comes to taxpayer dollars. The podiatrist is a strong proponent of adding $5.5 million in air conditioning at a school so the “poor children” (including Borelli’s) can have some relief for the week or two when school gets a little too uncomfortable at the Park Ridge Country Club annex, I’m sorry, I mean Field School.
Let the spinning begin …
EDITOR’S NOTE: You’ve provided more than enough of your own “spinning,” starting with your silly attempt to claim Zimmerman received a “mandate” similar to Schmidt’s 62%-38% beat-down of Ryles.
When you refer to a School Board run by Ms.Sweeney or Ms. Foss as “partisan politics at its best,” are you suggesting that current board members like Heyde, Zimmerman and Fioretto are political eunuchs when it comes to their support of their identification with, and support of, Democrat or Republican candidates in partisan races? As for rolling up one’s sleeves and running for office, first-time candidate Susan Sweeney got 18,000+ votes (47.12%) running a state rep campaign against a Boss Madigan-endorsed lackey. Compared to that kind of race, running for the D-64 board would be a walk in the park for her.
But to once again prove the old adage that even a blind squirrel can occasionally find an acorn, you got one thing right: taxpayers should keep their eyes on D-64 Board members Tony Borrelli and Dathan Paterno – along with the other five Board members. That’s because no local taxing body spends taxpayer money so liberally – and with so little accountability or measurable return on investment – than D-64, especially when it comes to what it pays its personnel compared to ISAT scores and the trends of those scores.
While we ourselves have questioned the cost-benefit of fully air conditioning schools that aren’t generally in session during summer months, the decision to air condition D-64 schools was made years ago – so the only question that remains is why Field and Carpenter have been discriminated against all this time, especially when back in 2011 Supt. Bender’s solution to that discrimination was to send kids home from those school on days when the heat index reached 110 degrees?
Does that kind of command decision-making, when combined with top-drawer teacher/administrator compensation and amediocre ISATs – make him worth the $225K or so he’s being paid?
Anon 7:25 is clearly part of the special interest group that wants to silence any opposition to someone watching out for taxpayers on the school board. Instead of substance, this group is skilled at scaring people….as long as they can get 70% of our property taxes without producing the results this investment should be producing.
Anyone who reads this board, please look at your tax bill. The schools are the reasons your taxes are what they are, and anon 7:25 comments will be the type of comments directed at anyone that even dares ask for accountability.
PWD you can keep pretending that Paterno isn’t an extremist but the fact is, he is. I very much appreciate your ability to see through or beyond partisanship, because for the most part the right-left divide doesn’t affect/influence local politics (yes I know there were some exceptions this time around). He is someone who clearly thinks it should and that is something to be concerned, even alarmed, about.
EDITOR’S NOTE: We’re not “pretending” anything. Give us some specifics that demonstrate his extremism…and, while you’re at it, explain how that would adversely affect his service on the D-64 Board.
And while you’re at that, can you explain what the current (and past) D-64 board members have achieved through their presumed political neutrality that Park Ridge taxpayers should be doing handsprings over – other than running up our tax bills on the 4th highest paid administrators and the 25th highest paid teachers?
I have read his blog and there are some things there that make me a bit uncomfortable. That said, the guy has not yet done a single thing in his newly elected role. There has not even been a meeting, let alone an on the record comment or vote.
The fact is he received the required amount of votes for him to be on the board. If (and it is a BIG IF) Dr. Paterno attempts to implement these “ideas” that concern you, the voter and those who send their children to D64 will have ample opportunity to fight back. Beyond that, I think the current make up of the board will prevent any book burnings or what ever else you fear.
Take a deep breath…..and enjoy your paranoia!!
EDITOR’S NOTE: And just because you’re NOT paranoid doesn’t mean they’re NOT watching you.
4/23/13 at 1:27-I think you are naive to think the PRPD and the OPL did not manipulate the referendum. And they are glad that there were enough naïve voters who said yes to spending $18,000,000 on a park on an extreme end of town. You actually think you will benefit from it-but unless you live in reasonable proximity to the park all you are getting is higher property taxes.
People do not move to Park Ridge for the parks. And they likely won’t sight this as a reason even if the YC is built out as the PRPD campaigned. But if our taxes keep going up and up with out much to show for it except one nice park three blocks from Niles and a nice office for the PRPD admin staff-then most of us will have a harder time selling our property if we want to move.
EDITOR’S NOTE: If anybody really believed that more parks really would make Park Ridge measureably more desirable, then the Park District was negligent in not exercising eminent domain over the Youth Campus years ago and acquiring it – while at the same time ridding the community of a constant source of aggravation to the neighbors and a constant source of police calls.
Just more incredible anecdotal nonsense.
US news recently ranked maine south 27th in Illinois for 2013 and district 64 kids feed into MS and if you pull out the selective enrollment (Chicago magnet) high schools where educators get to pick their students from a large pool of qualified applicants, Maine south moves up to about 21 in rank. So why is 25th in salary (where are those rankings listed?) so out of line with the rather subjective achievement rankings?
EDITOR’S NOTE: Because the measurable achievement (via ISATS) of D-64 schools are a long plunge from 25th (in teacher compensation) and 4th (in administrator compensation). And because a major variable could be that Maine South might be earning its ranking by actually doing a much better job of educating those D-64 kids than D-64 is doing.
@7:39. No. He/she said nothing about accountability or fiscal prudence, which I think many taxpayers/voters support. It’s Paterno’s other agenda, the one he was less forthcoming with in his public campaign profile, that we need to be alarmed about.
EDITOR’S NOTE: If you’re not “alarmed about” objectively measurable student achievement that comes nowhere close to the lofty ranking of its teacher and administrator compensation, maybe you should be.
Or get yourself elected to the state legislature, where you can spend your time trying to legalize gay marriage, or finding a way to end run the federal ruling invalidating this country’s last concealed carry ban, while our state is going more broke by the day.
7:25 here – 7:39, you could not be more wrong. One can be a social moderate or progressive and still be a fiscal conservative. They used to be called Good Government Republicans. Probably before your time. And Dear Editor, with your blind support of Paterno, whose blog you could easily search out and probably have, you are once again showing that you don’t care how many hostages are killed as long as the bank robber is apprehended in the process. Surely we are not so bankrupt in conservatives willing to run for office in a 52-ish percent Republican community that we have to settle for the Paternos.
EDITOR’S NOTE: When we’ve got second/third rate D-64 schools despite top-shelf teacher and administrator salaries, Paterno’s social philosophy isn’t near the top of our lists of concerns. But if high priced, mediocre-achieving political correctness is your thing, then you can’t do better than a few more years of the folks that brought it to you.
Regarding the editor’s comment:
the decision to air condition D-64 schools was made years ago – so the only question that remains is why Field and Carpenter have been discriminated against all this time,
The answer is that issues relating to O’Hare expansion provided the funds for airconditioning at Roosevelt, Washington, Franklin and Lincoln. Carpenter and Field under the 2005 Record of Decision standard issued by the FAA do not qualify – though Park Ridge has challenged that the standard is outdated. The federal grant money was given to “sound proof” the schools because of flight paths that make airplane noise loud enough that children cannot hear the teacher when the windows are open. Carpenter was originally on the list to get a similar grant and then taken off the list based on noise level monitors data. See local paper articles on the topic – follow the links below:
http://triblocal.com/park-ridge/2010/05/11/roosevelt-elementary-receives-4-5-million-federal-grant-for-noise-mitigation-from-nearby-ohare/
http://triblocal.com/park-ridge/community/stories/2010/11/carpenter-school-fails-re-test-for-airport-sound-insulation-funding/
EDITOR’S NOTE: So because there are no federal handouts, the kids at Field and Carpenter are supposed to sit and swelter? No matter where the funding comes from, it’s still discrimination on D-64’s part.
7:25 & 1:47
Quit beating around the bush. Do you think the taxpayers of D-64 are being represented on the board? Do you think there is proper transparency? Do you think there is any effort to control short-term and long-term costs?
One thing we assume about Paterno is that he is not part of the interest group that represents administrators and the union. Be honest, that’s why you are obfuscating. Scaring parents and voters is a trick that your interest group has perfected.
EDITOR’S NOTE: It has always been easier for D-64 to scare parents than to improve performance; and it has always been easier for parents to accept mediocrity rather than controversy.
I hold out hope for results-oriented, accountability-demanding board members and administrators (who in my opinion are vastly more overpaid than teachers are with vastly less to show for it) — without having to settle for those who want to influence our children to be racist, sexist, homophobic, zenophobic, obedient to authority but not collegial in work style, reflexively violent — you know, all the stuff that made “real” Americans in the good ole days.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Kind of like baseball fans blaming the manager and coaches when the players can’t hit or field?
When you find whomever is influencing our kids to be “not collegial in work style,” let us know and we’ll gladly join you in kicking the ever lovin’ crap out of them!
The ranking of MS as either 27th or 21st should make every taxpayer step back and ask why the heck the D207 teachers are the highest paid in the state and MS only ranks 21st or 27th in achievement. Many other suburban high schools in areas with lower incomes, lower real estate taxes, lower home values rank far higher than Maine South. The administrators of D207 and the teachers should be held accountable for this. If you want to be the highest paid then you should earn it and deserve it. Neither case can be made if MS is only 27th.
Yes there are other factors that come into play in student achievement, but one would think PR students not only have a well funded school system with all the opportunities but also stable home situations and involved parents. So why is MS ranked so low?
8:44 I’m not the person you are addressing but I see where he/she is coming from. I am just a resident, no special interest group here. Paterno’s political views are worrisome to me — and to numerous friends and neighbors with whom I’ve discussed the recent election. But as someone else noted he hasn’t done anything yet in his new position. Let’s not assume he’s scheming to brainwash anyone or to subvert the system in a way that’s detrimental to our kids. But let’s also not assume that anyone who questions his views is part of the teachers union and/or afraid of accountability.
As for PWD’s comment “It has always been easier for D-64 to scare parents than to improve performance.” That is such a low blow. Again, I’m not a teacher or an administrator. I’m a parent who is grateful for the good work they are doing. (Not that I didn’t say perfect.) I think they deserve our gratitude more than the contempt so many are quick to throw at them.
EDITOR’S NOTE: D-64 teachers (and administrators) receive our “gratitude” twice a month, and will continue to receive it for the 30 or so years after they retire. If you’re grateful for mediocre results, that doesn’t say much for the ability of the kids, now does it?
Some of us with absolutely no connection to D64 or the teacher’s union and with much affinity for your fiscal accountability position still feel that the likes of Paterno represent the biggest threat to education. If you think this is paranoia or funny, look at Texas and its smaller soulmate states. However, one good thing about Paterno is that he will scare the crap out of the go-along gang and will force accountability, good cop/bad cop style. I enjoy the heck out of Borelli and hope that’s who we see in Paterno, not Rick Perry.
EDITOR’S NOTE: What exactly is/are “the likes of Paterno”? And don’t give us any of that “not collegial in work style” horse hockey.
PubDog, you continue to feign ignorance as the Paterno’s far right political leanings, but it’s all out there on his blog and Twitter feed, as well as in the books he has published.
Recently tweeted by Mr. Paterno:
“Agreed. I’d say that the origin of all matter requires intelligence. I find Hawking utterly unconvincing.”
Also from his blog where he expands on his support for creationism:
“Reason not only suggests, but dictates that the universe was not self-created. This does not necessarily mean the God of the Bible; there are other, sufficient reasons for that hypothesis. But the God of the Bible begins with reason, continues with reason, adds significant observations, and then, when these two become sufficient, the Bible’s explanation for the universe becomes authoritative. You’ve got it backwards. Perhaps you have been taught incorrectly.”
On his website “Policology” Paterno sets out the following goals for the website:
-Embolden patriots to fight for conservative principles with honor and virtue
-Teach conservatives how Psychology intersects with politics
-Educate conservatives about the Left’s “playground politics”; teach conservatives how to fight on the liberal playground while rendering their Alinsky tactics impotent
-Equip parents to raise civic-minded ladies and
gentlemen
Paterno’s recently co-authored book Ladies and Gentlemen is intended to be a clarion call to Tea Party Patriots and Conservatives. From the Policology website, this particular review sums it up pretty neatly:
“Every great war has heroes and heroines. Conservatives have had Sarah Palin and Rand Paul. Their forces now include Dr. Gina Loudon and Dr. Dathan Paterno, the perfect combination of brainy and bold, stirring and sensible. They aren’t doctors for nothing. With surgical precision, Ladies & Gentlemen reveals the history, diagnosis, and treatment plan for our great nation. The prognosis is good–if we are courageous and wise enough to fill the prescription and take our medicine.” Steve Bannon, Executive Chairman, Breitbart News
It’s one thing if the editor/writer of this blog is in agreement with Paterno’s various ideologies, but to pretend that people are being disingenuous by pointing out Paterno’s own words and political stances is what is truly disingenuous. Taxpayers and parents of children in D64 have every right to be concerned about a school board member holding and potentially pushing his creationist views (as well as his other poltiical views) onto matters of curriculum.
EDITOR’S NOTE: We don’t give a rat’s derriere about “left” or “right,” “Red” or “Blue,” “D”s or “R”s, and all the babble that passes for public debate these days. We think Sarah Palin is one of the sickest jokes SNL’S Tina Fey and Jim Downey ever came up with; and we’d bet our standard crisp $1 bill that Mike Madigan has a “666” tattooed somewhere on his carcass. But none of that means jack – nor should it mean jack – for local government.
What we care about are ideas – and the competence, honesty, integrity, transparency and accountability by our public officials in the implementation of those ideas. Based on those criteria, what passes for “leadership” at D-64 is a joke, if not a mini-fraud on the taxpayers.
We’re not sure what you or anybody else means when you refer to “matters of curriculum” at D-64, but from the consistently mediocre performance of its students on standardized exams like the ISATS – despite having extremely well-paid teachers and administrators – we’re not seeing anything from D-64’s curriculum to write home about. Add to that Maine South’s continuing decline in the high school rankings as those mediocre-performing D-64 kids feed into it, and we frankly have to question the intelligence and judgment of people like yourself who seem so insistent on whistling past the graveyard.
“Add to that Maine South’s continuing decline in the high school rankings as those mediocre-performing D-64 kids feed into it…”
This piece of misinformation, yet again. You have no problem ripping people to shreds when you think they’re offering up anecdotal evidence…yet this little tidbit you insist on repeating is about an anecdotal as it gets.
Also, I don’t think people are “whistling past the graveyard” just because they are concerned about more than just return on investment as it pertains to our tax dollars and the schools.
It would be great to ignore the left/right divide when it comes to local politics. But when you have someone like Paterno, who’s not only perpetuating the divide but covertly trying to bring it into our schools, it is indeed something to be concerned about.
EDITOR’S NOTE: No, the decline of Maine South in the rankings of Chicagoland public high schools – based on ISAT scores – can be documented by reviewing the reports that the Sun-Times and the Tribune have issued for the past several years.
If you want to pay premium dollars for mediocre education – and want the rest of the community’s taxpayers to do the same – just say so. No need to hide behind some neo-McCarthyist conspiracy theory (with “conservatives” substituted for communists), or try to make Paterno into some kind of bogey man just because he doesn’t share your particular socio-political views.
School vouchers.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Third rail.
“We’re not sure what you or anybody else means when you refer to “matters of curriculum” at D-64”
This has got to be one of the singly most disingenuous things you have ever written on your website, PubDog. Really, you’ve truly outdone yourself this time. Stop weaseling around already, you know damn well that matters of curriculum have to do with what is or is not taught to students. The Merriam Webster dictionary speficially defines curriculum as the courses offered by an educational institution, and I and others here are using that standard definition when referring to the word curriculum.
If you support introducing creationism into the D64 curriculum then just own that and admit it, PubDog. Mr. Paterno has not prevaricated when it comes to his support for the theory of creationism, to the contrary he has been quite upfront about it both on his blog and his twitter feed. It is not at all a logical leap to be concerned that as a school board member Mr. Paterno will attempt to push science curriculum taught to D64 students to also include creatonism.
As to whether introducing a religious philosophy such as creationism into the coursework taught to D64 students will potentially increase test scores? If that is the direction in which you are going I can not even begin to take you seriously, either as a writer or an attorney, as you should already be well aware of the First Amendment issues involved in teaching religious theory to public school students.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Okay, let’s cut to the chase, Mr/Ms. Anonymous: Is “creationism” the sum total of your beef with Paterno? Or is that just your jumping-off point for an endless series of socio-political issues on which you disagree with Paterno and that you will try to turn into D-64 “curriculum” issues?
We don’t consider “creationism” to be a “religious philosophy” no more than evolution can be considered a “secular philosophy” – which is why many/most Christians reportedly also believe in evolution.
As for whether or not you take this editor “seriously,” he doubts that the word has yet been invented to measure how little – above absolute zero – he cares. But feel free to take your readership to another blog – perhaps Park Ridge Underground might be more to your liking.
As an atheist conservative who voted for Paterno (knowing in advance the views he holds) I believe the question here is whether anyone honestly believes he will try and use his (limited) influence on the board to push creationism and other admittedly “dark age” ideas on the entire school curriculum, rather than simply try and focus on fiscal and performance matters? Not that the possibility didn’t cross my mind, but my gut feeling is that it is highly unlikely, whereas Zimmerman’s continued mediocrity is a sure bet. It was an easy vote!
A side note is that I decided a while ago that I would have to intellectually accept compartmentalization as a real factor in the world and deal with it. For instance, I would also use the services of a tailor, landscaper or chef who held similar religious views to Paterno. And I don’t make a point to boycott Roman Polanski films, even if I don’t respect him as an individual. You simply can’t go through life viewing everything so black and white and expect to be able to then make the best, most rational, most beneficial decisions.
EDITOR’S NOTE: PublicWatchdog loves black and white – because it’s simple and straightforward. All that “nuance” stuff is just a way for weaklings to try to hide their weakness.
8:59-Leave this site for a few minutes and do some research. The decline in the ranking of Maine South as it relates to other high schools in Illinois an our area is real and as PWD points out widely reported. This is not misinformation.
And as concerned as you are about some of the troubling views of Dr. Paterno, you should also be even more concerned about paying with your tax dollars administrators and teachers at MS the highest average salaries in the entire state while the academic achievements of the MS students on an overall basis continues to fall.
“No, the decline of Maine South in the rankings of Chicagoland public high schools – based on ISAT scores – can be documented by reviewing the reports that the Sun-Times and the Tribune have issued for the past several years.”
Of course. What I was referring to is your insistence, both implicitly and openly, that it’s the D64 kids who are dragging MS’s ranking down. You have zero evidence to back that up.
EDITOR’S NOTE: It must be all those uneducated graduates from St. Paul of the Cross, Mary Seat, and St. Andrews.
9:23:
I do not disagree with your general position on creationism etc. What I do not understand (as I said in a previous post) is how the hell you can go completely off when he has not done anything. Do you believe that the other board memebers are closet right wingers who have simply been waiting for a leader or someone to give them cover??
Do you not think that if Paterno heads in this direction we will have an opportunity to fight it??
Honestly you remind me of the folks back in 2007-2008 who said Obama was going to round up all the guns!! People screamed and yelled and posted quotes about what he said. Here we are 5-6 years later and he has done absolutely nothing to take away guns form anyone.
“But feel free to take your readership to another blog – perhaps Park Ridge Underground might be more to your liking.”
LOL, PubDog, where would the fun be in that?
“We don’t consider “creationism” to be a “religious philosophy” no more than evolution can be considered a “secular philosophy”’
Well the problem you have right there is that in part you are conflating creationism/intelligent design with evolution. The former takes issue largely with the scientific theory of the Big Bang, in no small part because creationist believe that it isn’t possible to have such order created out of nothing and chaos. By extension, the only way that the universe could have been created in the manner that it was is because God did so in a purposeful and deliberate manner. By the way, the Big Bang Theory came about after astronomers were able to watch other universes unfold through high powered telescope, not just by waxing philisophical about how our universe came to be.
Evolution is very much a matter of hard science. Evolutionary principles can be reproduced in practice repeatedly, that is through the scientific method of undertaking the same steps in a closed lab situation and creating the same outcome. That Labradoodle puppy your neighbor brought home is evolution in action, as is the corn in the Cheetos you bought at the grocery store last week. Breeding and cross-breeding animals like dogs demonstrates evolutionary principles by showing how they can be bred to encourage (or discourage) certain traits or characteristics. Likewise, with the corn example it was bred to be drought and disease resistant and to provide a higher yield tha corn varieties of 50 plus years ago. That the hand of evolution has been forced in these examples does not negate the reality that those species have in fact evolved and remain in those evolved states when they continue to reproduce.
Creationists do also take issue with the idea that the human species has evolved in any way from earlier primates. But while the science behind that is not completely iron clad it makes sense in the bigger picture of how science has proven the evolution of animal and plant species over time.
As to Mr. Paterno, it concerns me that this is the only vaguely educational issue upon which he has gone on record regarding his opinion, both on his blog and twitter. He isn’t blogging about teacher accountability, or financial responsibility or textbook selection processes, etc. So again, I will point out that it is not unreasonable to have concern that this is going to be something he will bring to the table as a newly minted School Board member.
EDITOR’S NOTE: As far a we’re aware, nobody has come up with the explanation of how the infinitely compressed speck of universe that started the Big Bang came into being. Whether its creation was “God” is beyond our pay grade, but as we’ve previously said: many/most Christians – who believe in God – also believe in evolution.
But this is all a sideshow to the only issue we care about: Will Paterno try to find ways to provide substantially more value – objectively measured by actual performance – to the taxpayers AND THE STUDENTS of D-64 than the current Heyde/Bender clown car, and recently-past D-64 boards and administrations, have delivered? High prices and mediocre performance should be intolerable to anybody but the extravagant and the mediocre.
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