"Mr. Who Knows,
I'm curious, so who are you voting for among the 5 candidates? It's easy to pick out flaws with each but who do you think is best for Evanston and why?
Your following wants to know.
I don't like any of them...none of the Democrats are willing to stand up to the unions.
I want to cast a vote for Moran, in honor of his courageous vote for the Tower..unfortunately, I think that he doesn't have a chance, and that would be a wasted vote. It reminds me of 2000, when I really didn't want to vote for Gore (Even back then it was clear that Lieberman was a skunk), and I didn't want Bush. I thought about Nader.
So we have three credible candidates: Robyn, Patrick, Eamon.
Robyn : I think that she is too friendly with the social service lobby...she wants to spend, spend, spend.
Patrick: AFSCME
Eamon: Teachers Union.
Right now, I am leaning towards Kelly - just because he supported getting rid of free rides for seniors. Of course, it was just a gimmick (the money involved isn't big enough to solve anything...and it should go to the CTA, anyway. ) Still, it is nice to hear a politician say something that will upset some people.
I haven't heard any serious talk about issues from any of the candidates. Instead, they just pander to the base. "pro choice"..."marriage equality"..."health care"..blah blah blah...that kind of stuff doesn't really distinguish a candidate in the primary, if the other candidates have the exact same positions on those issues.
I haven't heard any talk about reforming the pension problem, about the need for more development and more towers, and about how NPV needs to be applied to the state budget.
I wish that we could have a candidate with an Enquiring Mind...or even better, I wish that this country had a credible alternative to the Democratic Party.
These employees were told that they would be laid off at the end of February. However, they were given the option of leaving at the end of January and being paid for February. They were in many different departments (look at the first round of budget cuts from the City Manager.) Some were union, some not.
Yes, there really are layoffs happening in the City of Evanston. Yes, there really are union employees losing jobs. Yes, it really hurts when it happens to you.
Anonymous,
You say city employees have been encouraged to leave and then the next sentence, you say they were laid off. Which is it?
How many of these employees were laid off as you claim? And from which departments did they lose their jobs? How many were union and how many non-union?
In fact, City employees in the first round of layoffs have been encouraged to leave the City as of February 1st. So you are wrong - as of TODAY several union and non-union employees have been laid off from the City of Evanston.
Real people who paid their union dues, worked diligently for the City for decades and who had absolutely nothing to do with the current fiscal crisis. And who still have mortgages and property taxes to pay. Sad, really.
How many union employees in Evanston as of today have been laid off after three years of a severe Recession?
None. Nada. Zilch. Zero.
My statement that "NOT ONE UNION CITY EMPLOYEE HAS BEEN LAID OFF" is completely true as of today, and probably Feb. 2, 2010.
Yes, I understand unions have a contract with the city. My point is that unions in the government pose a conflict of interest and lays the groundwork for corruption and cronyism in the system when you have a political party and their politicians receiving untold amounts of money and support from unions and all the while these politicians make policy decisions that are prioritized on the interest of the unions that support them over the taxpayers who they are suppose to serve.
How can a government organization with employees operate efficiently when its employees greatly influence who runs the organization?
What kind of contract do you have with employees when you are unable to freeze merit pay during hard times? What kind of contract do you have when employees can retire at 55 and receive a very generous pension (the average is 100k a year) that now clearly is bankrupting cities and states?
The sweetheart union contracts clearly says to me - "I'll rub your back if you politicians rub mine."
This is why we find the PRESIDENT of the city union appointed by the mayor to sit on the city budget task force, making budget recommendations.
This is why we find only Democrats on the City Council.
This is why we find that our taxes continue to rise while property values plunge in a severe Recession because government leaders (Democrats) are pressured and influenced by unions and must finance the most expensive item in any budget - labor.
This is why NOT ONE UNION CITY EMPLOYEE HAS BEEN LAID OFF in Evanston. That is why NOT ONE STATE UNION EMPLOYEE HAS BEEN LAID OFF!! Remember, unemployment in Illinois is above 10 percent.
These facts alone are unconscionable.
We can see how the unions get preferential treatment and milk the system in Cook County, Chicago, Illinois and even on the federal level where Obama and the Democrats behind closed doors just gave the unions a tax freeze on the proposed healthcare bill I understand was designed in part by unions.
I have no problem with unions in the private sector. But when the unions literally decide who gets elected and then get sweetheart deals in the public sector that are not sustainable or equal, compared to the private sector then as a taxpayer I become second fiddle. I don't like that.
Yes, Wally B. says he's going to layoff some union employees. But in these hard economic times what have the fire, police and city unions sacrificed? Unpaid time off? Nope. No overtime? Nope. A merit pay freeze? No again.
Wally B. to my knowledge does not plan to layoff existing firefighter positions? This despite the fact we have two fire stations on Central Street just a little more than a mile apart. And the best I can tell, the proposals so far, including shutting down the libraries, does not come close to filling the $9 million and growing budget hole.
For the past several years, the city has avoided making hard decisions, and the problems are just shoved aside to the following year. That's because our Democrat politicians DO NOT want to layoff their union constituents.
How can Wally B. do his job - freeze merit pay for union employees, no overtime and unpaid time off and layoff employees and close down a fire station when the unions are running the show?
Does this kind of stuff happen in the private sector?
I like Evanston. I think change MUST come. And it will come in the guise of another political party - Republicans - so that we once and for all can get some sane fiscal policies enacted in our city government and where our government is run efficiently and taxpayers for once are not burdened by the costs of sweetheart union contracts and bloated bureacracy.
Reply:
Let's all concede that:
1. About 40 city jobs have been eliminated in the past couple of years through early retirement incentives and decisions to eliminate vacant positions. True, those are not technically layoffs, but they are reductions in force.
2. If the City Council adopts the city manager's budget proposal, in the neighborhood of another 40 positions will be eliminated March 1, mostly through actual layoffs.
Thanks, and on with the discussion.
Bill
To think that the Special Service Area is anything other than a tax is not to understand what it is. Of course it's a tax. It just won't be distributed evenly across the tax base.
A small group of homeowners would have this imposed on them because they live near one of the library branches. For this they will get absolutely nothing extra over what they are paying for now. And the rest of us will be able to use those branches without any additional cost.
A library district might raise taxes but since you pay $22 a year now on a $5000 tax bill ($22, folks) to double it would not be a huge imposition. The current tax rate for the libraries is $0.0044 or less than a half cent per dollar of your tax bills.
"Remember, so far, NOT ONE UNION CITY EMPLOYEE HAS BEEN LAID OFF. And, Wally B. is now recommending a merit pay freeze only for non-union employees - Union employees would still get their annual merit increase. How fair is that? Do ya think unions are getting preferential treatment?"
This claim is simply false, many of the positions being cut are unionized (most of the library staff for example). Layoffs do not spare members of the unions, though the terms under which it can be done are stricter than for non-union positions (seniority, severance, etc.)
As for the merit raise, yes it is unfair for the non-union employees, but the city has no option but to pay it for union members because it is their contract. As new contacts are negotiated such provisons will be subject to change. The city playing games with cost of living raises for non-union members a few years ago was a major part of the impetus behind the increase in unionization among city staff.
The city may be providing services that we can no longer afford, but in this instance it is not the fault of the employees or the unions.
"Remember, so far, NOT ONE UNION CITY EMPLOYEE HAS BEEN LAID OFF. And, Wally B. is now recommending a merit pay freeze only for non-union employees - Union employees would still get their annual merit increase. How fair is that? Do ya think unions are getting preferential treatment?"
Al, surely you realize that any pay freeze with union employees cannot be imposed unilaterally by the City. Union employees are covered by contracts, and these can only be modified with the agreement of both sides.
I agree that the terms of many union contracts - especially the retirement benefits - are not sustainable. But we can't have the Council just arbitrarily tossing out valid agreements made by the City - if we let them do that, then the current NIMBY majority will start downzoning every piece of land in the city.
While I do no envy the position of the aldermen who must decide to approve a budget that includes cuts, the City Manager has come up with a budget that does not increase real estate taxes, to his credit. Resident sentiment does favor no tax increase during this recession - a particularly deep recession.
Balancing the budget will take compromise and the will of the aldermen to make hard decisions. Perhaps we won't be able to make large overpayments to reduce unfunded pension obligations or restore our reserves back to an acceptable level in one year, but only fail to meet these expectations when the public deems a service to be a vital part of the fabric of the community. Keeping the branch libraries open appears to pass this litmus test. All else is in play.
Two future activities are most important, once the present budget is settled:
(1) The Mayor's Blue Ribbon Budget Committee should (in my opinion) examine major service areas in detail, with the help of each department or division head. Make appropriate recommendations that will look well into the future, and provide compelling arguments to the Council for implementation. This activity will easily fill a year's worth of monthly meetings, so start thinking about more frequent meetings! Start opening some new doors of opportunity, such as a commitment to find additional communities for water sales.
(2) We've heard a lot about how we missed revenue targets this year. Well, in a down economy, one could expect reduced revenue, and I'd expect 2010 to be similar to 2009. Do learn from 2009. Evaluate major revenue and expenditure line items. Where did we really fail? Any positives? How'd they do it? Any mid-course corrections? Deferred spending? Additional grants or ARRA funding?
Wally B's proposed budget is moving the city government closer to collapse. He is doing little to address the systematic problems facing our community. He is doing nothing to solve the real problems within the Fire Department. The worst of the city staff are not affected by his cuts. The majority of the terminations are against the service departments while the administrative bureaucracy is strengthened by his plan. The most competent members now have a further incentive to leave as soon as possible as one did last week. It is foolish for Wally B to tell the residents that their local government will be better or more efficient after his restructuring is completed.
Couldn't agree more. Close the branch libraries, they are not a necessity they are a convenience. There is still the main branch-easily accessible by public transportation. As for the firemen, don't compromise public safety, but do compromise on raises. Who gets raises these days--join the rest of us and deal with the reality of the economy.
Why is it that this editorial completely ignores the $200,000 budget cut for human services? This too is a highly controversial cut.
Sure, there aren't large numbers of residents turning out to protest these cuts the same way that is true for the libraries and media center.
Largely because these are the residents that are the most in need of help and are often the poorest and least connected to the processes of government funding.
At hearing times they are the ones home trying to feed their family, working non-traditional hours in low wage jobs (if they have a job)or as a senior citizen not willing to come to an evening hearing.
The mental health board funding for these individuals is critical. The proposed cuts equal a 24% cut for each agency. This will mean fewer clients served, programs scraping to do more with less or possibly closing programs.
This is one area where if Evanston doesn't choose to support people now, will no doubt be paying later in higher costs.
Reply:
Stay tuned. Still more research to do on that subject. Hope to have more to say about it within a few days.
-- Bill
I looked at this space a couple of times and two things sent me elsewhere. The first problem is the layout. Retailers generally require a space with more width than depth (both spaces are long and narrow) and would not work well for my business. While they could work for a restaurant, the owners (who are located on the second floor above) have steadfastly refused that option. (Personally, if I had a $61k property tax bill, once space vacant for nearly two years and the second tenant leaving, I would take whatever I could get.)
My other concern was the high rent in relation to what I could (did) get elsewhere. The card shop left because they could no longer afford to stay and my guess is The Rub is doing the same.
The real issue is what kind of return on investment will the city see. Businesses, such as The Rub do not collect sales tax as they are providing a service and not selling actually products while retail, restaurants, and others do. Property taxes aside, the owner would have to assure the city that he will only rent to business that are required to collect sales taxes for the city to see any return on the matching funds. Property taxes are due regardless and should not be used as part of the equation.
I am a big fan of TIF funds being used for economic development provided that the finite pool of money is spent in such away that the city sees actual not perceived benefits in the long run.
Why not close one of the two Central Street fire stations, located a little more than one mile apart on the same street and cut staff?
The city could cut staff at the closed fire station and then sell the building. The city could save millions right there.
The response time might increase a little but neighboring towns can pick up the slack, which they often do anyway in a major emergency.
I think the station furthest west on Central Street should get the ax.
New York City just closed 20 fire stations (15 percent) and other towns are doing the same. Why is Evanston any different?
When you've got union employees retiring at age 55 receiving I understand on average $100,000 in retirment each year, there is something seriously wrong. The pension retirement system is unsustainable and leading the state and cities like Evanston to bankruptcy - a problem that can only be resolved on the state level.
However, Evanston can do something about it - cut back on union employees, including public safety staff. A good and reasoanble start would be one of the two Central Street fire stations.
If anyone disagrees, take another look at your property tax bill. The wily Democrats, which are in bed with the unions, JUST increased our taxes to 55 from 50 percent of last year's first installment bill.
In other words, my friends, the Democrats raised our taxes in a severe Recession and the fourth consecutive year of property value decline. Our property values are sinking and our property taxes are rising. How's that working out for ya?
Every single member of the Evanston City Council are Democrats. The president of the city employees union was appointed by the mayor to sit on the budget task force, doling out budget recomendations.
Remember, so far, NOT ONE UNION CITY EMPLOYEE HAS BEEN LAID OFF. And, Wally B. is now recommending a merit pay freeze only for non-union employees - Union employees would still get their annual merit increase. How fair is that? Do ya think unions are getting preferential treatment?
Is anyone surprised the fire unions so far are not putting any skin in the game during these very hard times?
Also, most of our fire and police staff DO NOT LIVE IN EVANSTON. Think about that when the city closes down the library branches and possibly next year, the Ecology Center.
I find it unconscionable that our city leaders seem to be looking out for the best interest of the unions rather than the best interest of the ordinary Evanston homeowner.
We are in this mess in part because we have NO political diversity in our town and that our political leaders are beholden to the unions. Perhaps the taxpaying public will remember these budget shenanigans next time around.
• Gold-plated pensions for retired local and state employees have created most of the current budget gap. Did you
know that 3,597 former Illinois government employees receive over $100,000 per year in pensions? In addition,
promised pension benefits are only about half-funded, sticking future taxpayers with even bigger bills.
• By retiring at age 55 with a salary of $100,000 a year, the average Chicago suburban government high school
teacher will receive more than $3 million in total pension income, plus free top-of-the-line health benefits.
• Tapas K. Gupta, one of our state university retirees, receives a retirement pension of $390,716 a year—that’s
$32,560 a month! See the list of Illinois Top 100 Government Pension Payouts for more lavish pension examples.
Don’t let government pensions bankrupt our state
• Require all new state and local government hires to save for their retirement with their own contributions to 401(k)
programs. Then there will be no new unfunded government pension liabilities.
• Increase the amount current government employees contribute to their pensions by 5%. This will reduce unfunded
pension liabilities by $20 billion.
• Require government employees to pay 3% of their payroll for retirement health benefits and $250 per month after
retirement. Today, they pay nothing. This would save another $30 billion in unfunded health care liability.
What you can do to stop Slippery Quinn
• Contact your state representative and state senator and tell them to OPPOSE raising the state income tax and
INCREASE the amount government employees contribute to their retirement plans. Call (217) 782-4141 or
(312) 814-6440 if you need more information about contacting your state representative and state senator.
• Copy and distribute this flyer to your friends, family, and online groups. An electronic version is available on the
web at NTUI.org.
• Join the National Taxpayers United of Illinois and help fight future local and state government tax increases.
I would be very curious what current candidates have to say about this infringement on voters' privacy. Again this year, we have been inundated by political robo-calls for various local campaigns, averaging 2-5 per day - many of them repeats of the same call.
Candidates for office: while political calls might give you name recognition, I doubt that they succeed in endearing you to voters. Please reconsider this form of campaign.
What issue are we trying to address by allowing residents to get a sticker that keeps them from having to pay the meters every time? I suppose the perception is that people are not shopping downtown because they have to pay meters and if they pay in advance for a sticker, they'll drive, park, and shop more often? I don't think that's a real issue. People don't avoid downtown because they have to pay $0.75/hr to park at a meter so that they can drive to Old Orchard and deal with that parking mess for free. People come to downtown Evanston because of the attractive mix and selection of shops, restaurants, the movies, EAC, and the atmosphere. I've never decided to not go to Borders or Barnes & Noble or Panera downtown, but went to Old Orchard instead because I didn't want to feed a meter.
Anyways, I can see one benefit to the permit... maybe 2.
Pro:
- You don't have to carry around coins to feed the meters. That would be a nice convenience.
- As Mr. Perman suggested, it's another opportunity for businesses to incorporate loyalty incentives. (Although, you can support downtown businesses by taking transit, biking, or walking too. This way may reward those who only drive/park.)
Con:
- It's much more difficult to enforce time limits when you don't have to feed the meter.
- This discourages turnover... essentially every resident with a sticker gets the maximum time limit each time they park because they don't pay each use. If you have to feed the meter, you are more likely pay for what you are going to use, then be on your way. With a permit, you're more likely to take your time and be parked for longer time periods. (Some businesses may look at that as more time to shop. However, I look at it like there's a space that could've opened up for another shopper to use instead of this person hogging it and taking their time.)
- The main reason to have parking meters is to help regulate use of parking spaces. If there are no spaces available, the rate should be higher. If there are too many spaces available, the rate should be lower. If there's no cost/use of spaces each time, then you aren't directly impacted by the meter rate. Depending on what the permit cost is, you may be indirectly impacted.
- It may encourage more people to drive, to make sure they get their money's worth, rather than walk or take transit downtown.
If we want to issue a permit for parkers, one alternative might be to issue permits for parking in the garages. That may encourage people to park in the garages more often (if they've already paid for it as a permit) rather than circulating around the block looking for a space. That keeps the high-demand, high-turnover on-street spaces available under the regulation of meter rates. I'm not sure there is much demand for that though. It's still cheaper to park on the streets than in the garages now. Shopper garage permits would have to be heavily discounted to make them more attractive than parking on Sherman, Clark, Benson, and Davis.
The city is not "handing-out money". Futhermore not all applicants are guaranteed matching funds- there are certain criteria to be met. I actually voted no to a major downtown business's request for facade improvement TIF funds in 2009.
Briefly in lay-person terms, a TIF is a finite pot of money that lasts for a period of up to 23 years, plus or minus a decade in most Illinois cities. In Evanston, if your business is in a TIF District and you are willing to lay out some cash to improve the facade of your building, you can apply for a refund of your expenses up to 50%. The city's website has maps so you can check to see if your business is loacted in one.
Please go to the city of Evanston's website to educate yourselves. You can also go to www.illinois-tif.com where you will find this paragraph: "One tool successfully in use in Illinois and 48 other states to meet (these) economic development challenge(s are) Tax Increment Financing: or TIF. With this development tool, financially strapped local governments can make the improvements they need, like new roads or sewers, and provide incentives to attract new businesses or help existing businesses stay and expand. And TIF does this without tapping into general municipal revenues or raising taxes."
Evanston has six Tax Increment Financing (TIF) Districts. They are Downtown (District 1), Washington National (District 4), Howard and Ridge (District 5), Howard and Hartrey (District 3), Southwest (District 2), and West Evanston (District 6). TIF Districts are established in compliance with State of Illinois statutes. The mechanism is designed to assist financially desirable developments that but for the financial assistance would not be able to achieve. The City's TIF Districts have been very successful historically. Annual reports for each TIF District are available through the Planning Division of the Community Development Department. (www.cityofevanston.com - click Business tab, then click Economic Develeopment, then click TIF Districts). The City also has another Economic Development Fund with a finite/limited pre determined annual budget amount that is used for various economic assistance requests, including some types of building improvement.
Feel free to call the city @ 847-866-2928 or myself via my email.
Thank you,
Dan Mennemeyer
Resident
EDC Member 03-30-2011
Evanston Chamber of Commerce Treasurer 2009-2010
danmennemeyer@msn.com
The operators of the ala Card store always said it wasn't their choice to leave, but that the building's owners wanted a national franchise store, not a local business.
Don't know if that's so, but I would hope they weren't forced out just so the building owners would have a more compelling case for city funds.
Reply:
Don't know anything about your version of events, but Behles told the committee that his sister owned the card shop.
-- Bill
Congratulations to the McGaw YMCA and their wonderful 125th Anniversary event! It was a truly special evening - a great deal of fun and a very touching celebration.
I was a little sad to see the thread of comments on their story spin into a separate, heated debate on the ECMC. I know this is an open forum and strong opinons abound, but it just seems by having the discussion pop up here to take some focus from the spirit and tone of the Y's time to shine.
It is sad that on this 1 year anniversary Aquan's mom is still looking for answers. I agree with many comments that I have heard...the school is part at fault. The teacher failed to look for the child. If you don;t know where a student is that is under your care, you are responsible...call the office, get others involved to search for the child..and look in the bathrooms! Yes, I know the child had other underlying issues that may or may not have been a factor but point blank...nobody looked for this child.
"Northwestern University Dance Marathon hosts its annual Top Chef competition...on Saturday, Jan. 30...Judges include Evanston Mayor Elizabeth Tisdahl..." Someone should tell her to leave the purse at home. Or maybe a wallet? It's less visable.
I am very glad to hear this. Mr Bouzi you earned every minute of your sentence. Perhaps, while you are incarcerated, you will have some 'private' time to ponder your poor life decisions.
"Gerald McGrew" wrote:
"Mr. Who Knows,
I'm curious, so who are you voting for among the 5 candidates? It's easy to pick out flaws with each but who do you think is best for Evanston and why?
Your following wants to know.
I don't like any of them...none of the Democrats are willing to stand up to the unions.
I want to cast a vote for Moran, in honor of his courageous vote for the Tower..unfortunately, I think that he doesn't have a chance, and that would be a wasted vote. It reminds me of 2000, when I really didn't want to vote for Gore (Even back then it was clear that Lieberman was a skunk), and I didn't want Bush. I thought about Nader.
So we have three credible candidates: Robyn, Patrick, Eamon.
Robyn : I think that she is too friendly with the social service lobby...she wants to spend, spend, spend.
Patrick: AFSCME
Eamon: Teachers Union.
Right now, I am leaning towards Kelly - just because he supported getting rid of free rides for seniors. Of course, it was just a gimmick (the money involved isn't big enough to solve anything...and it should go to the CTA, anyway. ) Still, it is nice to hear a politician say something that will upset some people.
I haven't heard any serious talk about issues from any of the candidates. Instead, they just pander to the base. "pro choice"..."marriage equality"..."health care"..blah blah blah...that kind of stuff doesn't really distinguish a candidate in the primary, if the other candidates have the exact same positions on those issues.
I haven't heard any talk about reforming the pension problem, about the need for more development and more towers, and about how NPV needs to be applied to the state budget.
I wish that we could have a candidate with an Enquiring Mind...or even better, I wish that this country had a credible alternative to the Democratic Party.
Maybe I will write in "Chuckie Dawes" or "Lizard People" .
These employees were told that they would be laid off at the end of February. However, they were given the option of leaving at the end of January and being paid for February. They were in many different departments (look at the first round of budget cuts from the City Manager.) Some were union, some not.
Yes, there really are layoffs happening in the City of Evanston. Yes, there really are union employees losing jobs. Yes, it really hurts when it happens to you.
Anonymous,
You say city employees have been encouraged to leave and then the next sentence, you say they were laid off. Which is it?
How many of these employees were laid off as you claim? And from which departments did they lose their jobs? How many were union and how many non-union?
Let's hear the details.
In fact, City employees in the first round of layoffs have been encouraged to leave the City as of February 1st. So you are wrong - as of TODAY several union and non-union employees have been laid off from the City of Evanston.
Real people who paid their union dues, worked diligently for the City for decades and who had absolutely nothing to do with the current fiscal crisis. And who still have mortgages and property taxes to pay. Sad, really.
Today is Feb. 1, 2010.
How many union employees in Evanston as of today have been laid off after three years of a severe Recession?
None. Nada. Zilch. Zero.
My statement that "NOT ONE UNION CITY EMPLOYEE HAS BEEN LAID OFF" is completely true as of today, and probably Feb. 2, 2010.
Yes, I understand unions have a contract with the city. My point is that unions in the government pose a conflict of interest and lays the groundwork for corruption and cronyism in the system when you have a political party and their politicians receiving untold amounts of money and support from unions and all the while these politicians make policy decisions that are prioritized on the interest of the unions that support them over the taxpayers who they are suppose to serve.
How can a government organization with employees operate efficiently when its employees greatly influence who runs the organization?
What kind of contract do you have with employees when you are unable to freeze merit pay during hard times? What kind of contract do you have when employees can retire at 55 and receive a very generous pension (the average is 100k a year) that now clearly is bankrupting cities and states?
The sweetheart union contracts clearly says to me - "I'll rub your back if you politicians rub mine."
This is why we find the PRESIDENT of the city union appointed by the mayor to sit on the city budget task force, making budget recommendations.
This is why we find only Democrats on the City Council.
This is why we find that our taxes continue to rise while property values plunge in a severe Recession because government leaders (Democrats) are pressured and influenced by unions and must finance the most expensive item in any budget - labor.
This is why NOT ONE UNION CITY EMPLOYEE HAS BEEN LAID OFF in Evanston. That is why NOT ONE STATE UNION EMPLOYEE HAS BEEN LAID OFF!! Remember, unemployment in Illinois is above 10 percent.
These facts alone are unconscionable.
We can see how the unions get preferential treatment and milk the system in Cook County, Chicago, Illinois and even on the federal level where Obama and the Democrats behind closed doors just gave the unions a tax freeze on the proposed healthcare bill I understand was designed in part by unions.
I have no problem with unions in the private sector. But when the unions literally decide who gets elected and then get sweetheart deals in the public sector that are not sustainable or equal, compared to the private sector then as a taxpayer I become second fiddle. I don't like that.
Yes, Wally B. says he's going to layoff some union employees. But in these hard economic times what have the fire, police and city unions sacrificed? Unpaid time off? Nope. No overtime? Nope. A merit pay freeze? No again.
Wally B. to my knowledge does not plan to layoff existing firefighter positions? This despite the fact we have two fire stations on Central Street just a little more than a mile apart. And the best I can tell, the proposals so far, including shutting down the libraries, does not come close to filling the $9 million and growing budget hole.
For the past several years, the city has avoided making hard decisions, and the problems are just shoved aside to the following year. That's because our Democrat politicians DO NOT want to layoff their union constituents.
How can Wally B. do his job - freeze merit pay for union employees, no overtime and unpaid time off and layoff employees and close down a fire station when the unions are running the show?
Does this kind of stuff happen in the private sector?
I like Evanston. I think change MUST come. And it will come in the guise of another political party - Republicans - so that we once and for all can get some sane fiscal policies enacted in our city government and where our government is run efficiently and taxpayers for once are not burdened by the costs of sweetheart union contracts and bloated bureacracy.
Reply:
Let's all concede that:
1. About 40 city jobs have been eliminated in the past couple of years through early retirement incentives and decisions to eliminate vacant positions. True, those are not technically layoffs, but they are reductions in force.
2. If the City Council adopts the city manager's budget proposal, in the neighborhood of another 40 positions will be eliminated March 1, mostly through actual layoffs.
Thanks, and on with the discussion.
Bill
To think that the Special Service Area is anything other than a tax is not to understand what it is. Of course it's a tax. It just won't be distributed evenly across the tax base.
A small group of homeowners would have this imposed on them because they live near one of the library branches. For this they will get absolutely nothing extra over what they are paying for now. And the rest of us will be able to use those branches without any additional cost.
A library district might raise taxes but since you pay $22 a year now on a $5000 tax bill ($22, folks) to double it would not be a huge imposition. The current tax rate for the libraries is $0.0044 or less than a half cent per dollar of your tax bills.
"Remember, so far, NOT ONE UNION CITY EMPLOYEE HAS BEEN LAID OFF. And, Wally B. is now recommending a merit pay freeze only for non-union employees - Union employees would still get their annual merit increase. How fair is that? Do ya think unions are getting preferential treatment?"
This claim is simply false, many of the positions being cut are unionized (most of the library staff for example). Layoffs do not spare members of the unions, though the terms under which it can be done are stricter than for non-union positions (seniority, severance, etc.)
As for the merit raise, yes it is unfair for the non-union employees, but the city has no option but to pay it for union members because it is their contract. As new contacts are negotiated such provisons will be subject to change. The city playing games with cost of living raises for non-union members a few years ago was a major part of the impetus behind the increase in unionization among city staff.
The city may be providing services that we can no longer afford, but in this instance it is not the fault of the employees or the unions.
"Remember, so far, NOT ONE UNION CITY EMPLOYEE HAS BEEN LAID OFF. And, Wally B. is now recommending a merit pay freeze only for non-union employees - Union employees would still get their annual merit increase. How fair is that? Do ya think unions are getting preferential treatment?"
Al, surely you realize that any pay freeze with union employees cannot be imposed unilaterally by the City. Union employees are covered by contracts, and these can only be modified with the agreement of both sides.
I agree that the terms of many union contracts - especially the retirement benefits - are not sustainable. But we can't have the Council just arbitrarily tossing out valid agreements made by the City - if we let them do that, then the current NIMBY majority will start downzoning every piece of land in the city.
While I do no envy the position of the aldermen who must decide to approve a budget that includes cuts, the City Manager has come up with a budget that does not increase real estate taxes, to his credit. Resident sentiment does favor no tax increase during this recession - a particularly deep recession.
Balancing the budget will take compromise and the will of the aldermen to make hard decisions. Perhaps we won't be able to make large overpayments to reduce unfunded pension obligations or restore our reserves back to an acceptable level in one year, but only fail to meet these expectations when the public deems a service to be a vital part of the fabric of the community. Keeping the branch libraries open appears to pass this litmus test. All else is in play.
Two future activities are most important, once the present budget is settled:
(1) The Mayor's Blue Ribbon Budget Committee should (in my opinion) examine major service areas in detail, with the help of each department or division head. Make appropriate recommendations that will look well into the future, and provide compelling arguments to the Council for implementation. This activity will easily fill a year's worth of monthly meetings, so start thinking about more frequent meetings! Start opening some new doors of opportunity, such as a commitment to find additional communities for water sales.
(2) We've heard a lot about how we missed revenue targets this year. Well, in a down economy, one could expect reduced revenue, and I'd expect 2010 to be similar to 2009. Do learn from 2009. Evaluate major revenue and expenditure line items. Where did we really fail? Any positives? How'd they do it? Any mid-course corrections? Deferred spending? Additional grants or ARRA funding?
Wally B's proposed budget is moving the city government closer to collapse. He is doing little to address the systematic problems facing our community. He is doing nothing to solve the real problems within the Fire Department. The worst of the city staff are not affected by his cuts. The majority of the terminations are against the service departments while the administrative bureaucracy is strengthened by his plan. The most competent members now have a further incentive to leave as soon as possible as one did last week. It is foolish for Wally B to tell the residents that their local government will be better or more efficient after his restructuring is completed.
Sounds great. I guess to get the city to do what needs to be done we'll need a logo, signs, protests, etc.
Couldn't agree more. Close the branch libraries, they are not a necessity they are a convenience. There is still the main branch-easily accessible by public transportation. As for the firemen, don't compromise public safety, but do compromise on raises. Who gets raises these days--join the rest of us and deal with the reality of the economy.
Why is it that this editorial completely ignores the $200,000 budget cut for human services? This too is a highly controversial cut.
Sure, there aren't large numbers of residents turning out to protest these cuts the same way that is true for the libraries and media center.
Largely because these are the residents that are the most in need of help and are often the poorest and least connected to the processes of government funding.
At hearing times they are the ones home trying to feed their family, working non-traditional hours in low wage jobs (if they have a job)or as a senior citizen not willing to come to an evening hearing.
The mental health board funding for these individuals is critical. The proposed cuts equal a 24% cut for each agency. This will mean fewer clients served, programs scraping to do more with less or possibly closing programs.
This is one area where if Evanston doesn't choose to support people now, will no doubt be paying later in higher costs.
Reply:
Stay tuned. Still more research to do on that subject. Hope to have more to say about it within a few days.
-- Bill
I looked at this space a couple of times and two things sent me elsewhere. The first problem is the layout. Retailers generally require a space with more width than depth (both spaces are long and narrow) and would not work well for my business. While they could work for a restaurant, the owners (who are located on the second floor above) have steadfastly refused that option. (Personally, if I had a $61k property tax bill, once space vacant for nearly two years and the second tenant leaving, I would take whatever I could get.)
My other concern was the high rent in relation to what I could (did) get elsewhere. The card shop left because they could no longer afford to stay and my guess is The Rub is doing the same.
The real issue is what kind of return on investment will the city see. Businesses, such as The Rub do not collect sales tax as they are providing a service and not selling actually products while retail, restaurants, and others do. Property taxes aside, the owner would have to assure the city that he will only rent to business that are required to collect sales taxes for the city to see any return on the matching funds. Property taxes are due regardless and should not be used as part of the equation.
I am a big fan of TIF funds being used for economic development provided that the finite pool of money is spent in such away that the city sees actual not perceived benefits in the long run.
Why not close one of the two Central Street fire stations, located a little more than one mile apart on the same street and cut staff?
The city could cut staff at the closed fire station and then sell the building. The city could save millions right there.
The response time might increase a little but neighboring towns can pick up the slack, which they often do anyway in a major emergency.
I think the station furthest west on Central Street should get the ax.
New York City just closed 20 fire stations (15 percent) and other towns are doing the same. Why is Evanston any different?
When you've got union employees retiring at age 55 receiving I understand on average $100,000 in retirment each year, there is something seriously wrong. The pension retirement system is unsustainable and leading the state and cities like Evanston to bankruptcy - a problem that can only be resolved on the state level.
However, Evanston can do something about it - cut back on union employees, including public safety staff. A good and reasoanble start would be one of the two Central Street fire stations.
If anyone disagrees, take another look at your property tax bill. The wily Democrats, which are in bed with the unions, JUST increased our taxes to 55 from 50 percent of last year's first installment bill.
In other words, my friends, the Democrats raised our taxes in a severe Recession and the fourth consecutive year of property value decline. Our property values are sinking and our property taxes are rising. How's that working out for ya?
Every single member of the Evanston City Council are Democrats. The president of the city employees union was appointed by the mayor to sit on the budget task force, doling out budget recomendations.
Remember, so far, NOT ONE UNION CITY EMPLOYEE HAS BEEN LAID OFF. And, Wally B. is now recommending a merit pay freeze only for non-union employees - Union employees would still get their annual merit increase. How fair is that? Do ya think unions are getting preferential treatment?
Is anyone surprised the fire unions so far are not putting any skin in the game during these very hard times?
Also, most of our fire and police staff DO NOT LIVE IN EVANSTON. Think about that when the city closes down the library branches and possibly next year, the Ecology Center.
I find it unconscionable that our city leaders seem to be looking out for the best interest of the unions rather than the best interest of the ordinary Evanston homeowner.
We are in this mess in part because we have NO political diversity in our town and that our political leaders are beholden to the unions. Perhaps the taxpaying public will remember these budget shenanigans next time around.
I sure will.
From the National Taxpayers United of Illinois
• Gold-plated pensions for retired local and state employees have created most of the current budget gap. Did you
know that 3,597 former Illinois government employees receive over $100,000 per year in pensions? In addition,
promised pension benefits are only about half-funded, sticking future taxpayers with even bigger bills.
• By retiring at age 55 with a salary of $100,000 a year, the average Chicago suburban government high school
teacher will receive more than $3 million in total pension income, plus free top-of-the-line health benefits.
• Tapas K. Gupta, one of our state university retirees, receives a retirement pension of $390,716 a year—that’s
$32,560 a month! See the list of Illinois Top 100 Government Pension Payouts for more lavish pension examples.
Don’t let government pensions bankrupt our state
• Require all new state and local government hires to save for their retirement with their own contributions to 401(k)
programs. Then there will be no new unfunded government pension liabilities.
• Increase the amount current government employees contribute to their pensions by 5%. This will reduce unfunded
pension liabilities by $20 billion.
• Require government employees to pay 3% of their payroll for retirement health benefits and $250 per month after
retirement. Today, they pay nothing. This would save another $30 billion in unfunded health care liability.
What you can do to stop Slippery Quinn
• Contact your state representative and state senator and tell them to OPPOSE raising the state income tax and
INCREASE the amount government employees contribute to their retirement plans. Call (217) 782-4141 or
(312) 814-6440 if you need more information about contacting your state representative and state senator.
• Copy and distribute this flyer to your friends, family, and online groups. An electronic version is available on the
web at NTUI.org.
• Join the National Taxpayers United of Illinois and help fight future local and state government tax increases.
I would be very curious what current candidates have to say about this infringement on voters' privacy. Again this year, we have been inundated by political robo-calls for various local campaigns, averaging 2-5 per day - many of them repeats of the same call.
Candidates for office: while political calls might give you name recognition, I doubt that they succeed in endearing you to voters. Please reconsider this form of campaign.
What issue are we trying to address by allowing residents to get a sticker that keeps them from having to pay the meters every time? I suppose the perception is that people are not shopping downtown because they have to pay meters and if they pay in advance for a sticker, they'll drive, park, and shop more often? I don't think that's a real issue. People don't avoid downtown because they have to pay $0.75/hr to park at a meter so that they can drive to Old Orchard and deal with that parking mess for free. People come to downtown Evanston because of the attractive mix and selection of shops, restaurants, the movies, EAC, and the atmosphere. I've never decided to not go to Borders or Barnes & Noble or Panera downtown, but went to Old Orchard instead because I didn't want to feed a meter.
Anyways, I can see one benefit to the permit... maybe 2.
Pro:
- You don't have to carry around coins to feed the meters. That would be a nice convenience.
- As Mr. Perman suggested, it's another opportunity for businesses to incorporate loyalty incentives. (Although, you can support downtown businesses by taking transit, biking, or walking too. This way may reward those who only drive/park.)
Con:
- It's much more difficult to enforce time limits when you don't have to feed the meter.
- This discourages turnover... essentially every resident with a sticker gets the maximum time limit each time they park because they don't pay each use. If you have to feed the meter, you are more likely pay for what you are going to use, then be on your way. With a permit, you're more likely to take your time and be parked for longer time periods. (Some businesses may look at that as more time to shop. However, I look at it like there's a space that could've opened up for another shopper to use instead of this person hogging it and taking their time.)
- The main reason to have parking meters is to help regulate use of parking spaces. If there are no spaces available, the rate should be higher. If there are too many spaces available, the rate should be lower. If there's no cost/use of spaces each time, then you aren't directly impacted by the meter rate. Depending on what the permit cost is, you may be indirectly impacted.
- It may encourage more people to drive, to make sure they get their money's worth, rather than walk or take transit downtown.
If we want to issue a permit for parkers, one alternative might be to issue permits for parking in the garages. That may encourage people to park in the garages more often (if they've already paid for it as a permit) rather than circulating around the block looking for a space. That keeps the high-demand, high-turnover on-street spaces available under the regulation of meter rates. I'm not sure there is much demand for that though. It's still cheaper to park on the streets than in the garages now. Shopper garage permits would have to be heavily discounted to make them more attractive than parking on Sherman, Clark, Benson, and Davis.
The city is not "handing-out money". Futhermore not all applicants are guaranteed matching funds- there are certain criteria to be met. I actually voted no to a major downtown business's request for facade improvement TIF funds in 2009.
Briefly in lay-person terms, a TIF is a finite pot of money that lasts for a period of up to 23 years, plus or minus a decade in most Illinois cities. In Evanston, if your business is in a TIF District and you are willing to lay out some cash to improve the facade of your building, you can apply for a refund of your expenses up to 50%. The city's website has maps so you can check to see if your business is loacted in one.
Please go to the city of Evanston's website to educate yourselves. You can also go to www.illinois-tif.com where you will find this paragraph: "One tool successfully in use in Illinois and 48 other states to meet (these) economic development challenge(s are) Tax Increment Financing: or TIF. With this development tool, financially strapped local governments can make the improvements they need, like new roads or sewers, and provide incentives to attract new businesses or help existing businesses stay and expand. And TIF does this without tapping into general municipal revenues or raising taxes."
Evanston has six Tax Increment Financing (TIF) Districts. They are Downtown (District 1), Washington National (District 4), Howard and Ridge (District 5), Howard and Hartrey (District 3), Southwest (District 2), and West Evanston (District 6). TIF Districts are established in compliance with State of Illinois statutes. The mechanism is designed to assist financially desirable developments that but for the financial assistance would not be able to achieve. The City's TIF Districts have been very successful historically. Annual reports for each TIF District are available through the Planning Division of the Community Development Department. (www.cityofevanston.com - click Business tab, then click Economic Develeopment, then click TIF Districts). The City also has another Economic Development Fund with a finite/limited pre determined annual budget amount that is used for various economic assistance requests, including some types of building improvement.
Feel free to call the city @ 847-866-2928 or myself via my email.
Thank you,
Dan Mennemeyer
Resident
EDC Member 03-30-2011
Evanston Chamber of Commerce Treasurer 2009-2010
danmennemeyer@msn.com
The operators of the ala Card store always said it wasn't their choice to leave, but that the building's owners wanted a national franchise store, not a local business.
Don't know if that's so, but I would hope they weren't forced out just so the building owners would have a more compelling case for city funds.
Reply:
Don't know anything about your version of events, but Behles told the committee that his sister owned the card shop.
-- Bill
Congratulations to the McGaw YMCA and their wonderful 125th Anniversary event! It was a truly special evening - a great deal of fun and a very touching celebration.
I was a little sad to see the thread of comments on their story spin into a separate, heated debate on the ECMC. I know this is an open forum and strong opinons abound, but it just seems by having the discussion pop up here to take some focus from the spirit and tone of the Y's time to shine.
It is sad that on this 1 year anniversary Aquan's mom is still looking for answers. I agree with many comments that I have heard...the school is part at fault. The teacher failed to look for the child. If you don;t know where a student is that is under your care, you are responsible...call the office, get others involved to search for the child..and look in the bathrooms! Yes, I know the child had other underlying issues that may or may not have been a factor but point blank...nobody looked for this child.
"Northwestern University Dance Marathon hosts its annual Top Chef competition...on Saturday, Jan. 30...Judges include Evanston Mayor Elizabeth Tisdahl..." Someone should tell her to leave the purse at home. Or maybe a wallet? It's less visable.
I am very glad to hear this. Mr Bouzi you earned every minute of your sentence. Perhaps, while you are incarcerated, you will have some 'private' time to ponder your poor life decisions.
Awesome