We’ve often written about “freeloaders”: people and organizations looking for some kind of free or discount ride at the expense of Park Ridge taxpayers.  And we often describe them as “shameless” – and the complicit governmental bodies they put the arm on as “spineless” – because in a battle between the shameless and the spineless, the shameless almost always win.

Today’s featured freeloaders are the folks who run the Park Ridge Historical Society (the “PRHS”).

As reported last week in the Park Ridge Herald-Advocate (“Park Ridge Historical Society seeks Solomon Cottage agreement,” May 17), the PRHS wants the Park Ridge Recreation and Park District to let it “share” the Solomon Cottage on the Park Ridge Youth Campus property the Park District is in the process of purchasing.  The PRHS wants to turn that building into a Park Ridge “history center” that would be open one day a week, while allowing the Park District the “shared use” of the building at all other times.

So far, so good.  Or at least inoffensive.

As reported in the H-A story, however, the PRHS doesn’t want to pay any rent for its use of the building.  And if that’s not cheeky enough, it also wants the Park District (a/k/a, the taxpayers) to pay not only the cost of bringing that building into building code compliance (at an estimated cost of $120,000), but also the cost of the additional “build-out” work to make that structure more suited to the PRHS’s needs.

Oh, and did we mention the PRHS wants a full one-year’s notice should the Park District ever decide to end that sweetheart arrangement?

We must confess that when we hear stuff like this, our first reaction is to reach for a Louisville Slugger (the classic “Hank Aaron” model A99: wide-grained white ash, 35 inches long, 33 ounces, medium handle, medium barrel) and consider tapping a little sense into the heads of the particular freeloaders.  Fortunately for all involved, that urge usually passes before it is acted upon; and, instead, we choose to publicize that freeloading with the intent of shaming the bejeebus out of its perpetrators.

In this case, the lead “perp” is PRHS’s treasurer (and former 1/2-term First Ward alderman), Kirke Machon.  But unless Machon has gone rogue, the other officers and directors of the PRHS also need to “wear the jacket” for the kind of shamelessness articulated by Machon, to wit: “We don’t envision spending our money fixing that building up” unless the PRHS is going to own it.

Fair enough, Captain Kirke.  How about your organization proceeding at warp speed to purchase Solomon Cottage from the Park District?  Or why not agree to a long-term lease at a rental that would cover the amortized cost of both the compliance and build-out work – with all of the PRHS’s officers and directors personally guarantying that lease so the taxpayers don’t get stiffed?

One doesn’t need to be able to solve the Kobayashi Maru to recognize the PRHS proposal as a totally one-sided “heads the PRHS wins, tails the Park District/taxpayers lose” bet.  But apparently that one-sidedness is not enough to discourage the Park District from doing its Gumby impersonation and twisting itself into whatever shape might make the PRHS happy.

For example, the H-A article reports that Park District Executive Director Gayle Mountcastle, while noting that the Park District has never before provided “build-out” funding for any if its affiliated organizations (of which the PRHS is not one), didn’t rule out that possibility.  Meanwhile, Board president Rick Biagi talked about using tax dollars to make the Solomon Cottage “habitable,” but not customized for the PRHS.  And Board member Jim O’Brien, while questioning the Park District’s need for any more “shared space,” nevertheless suggested that the Parks Foundation might work with PRHS to fundraise for the building improvements.

Balderdash!

While we are grateful for the efforts the PRHS has made to preserve Park Ridge history, an historical society is to the Park District pretty much what an accordion is to deer hunting.  Consequently, there is no reason to make the PRHS a Park District “affiliate” – especially if that’s only being done so that the Park District can try to justify giving PRHS rent-free use of the Solomon Cottage or any other Park District facility.

If the PRHS wants to use Solomon Cottage, it needs to put some significant skin in the game, with “skin” meaning greenbacks.  And the folks at the Park District who are supposed to be the stewards of our Park District and our tax dollars need to stop encouraging and enabling freeloaders of every stripe.

To read or post comments, click on title.