Ponzi had a bad dream last night. Mayor Elizabeth Tisdahl, donning the robes of the grand inquisitor, had condemned a Tilted Kilt to the flames for imperiling the moral character of Evanstonians. “There’ll be no ogling scantily-clad waitresses in my town,” the grand inquisitor cried. Then Ponzi awoke and realized it was no dream.
Editor’s note: Assuming the Tilted Kilt had generated the $2 million in gross revenue projected by building owner Ted Mavrakis, and assuming half that revenue came from liquor sales, Evanston would have taken in $40,000 a year in sales tax revenue and $60,000 in liquor tax revenue from the business, plus some hard-to-estimate increase in property taxes on the building and some spin-off revenue from purchases in Evanston by the business’s projected 150 employees.
Recall provision
Is there a provision in the law to recall the mayor? Can Council do anything?
Why?
Demonstrated by their collective lack of action on this and other things- the rest of the council is just as bad.
A bunch of non-progressive, moralistic, and judgmental "values police" who can't wait to shove their blue-noses into everyone's business (and drive it out of town).
I'm looking forward to the day I can afford to get the heck out of the People's Republik of Evanston and find somewhere that really is progressive, forward thinking, and doesn't tax their people to death.
Even somewhere under Sharia Law would work- at least they're HONEST about it.
TK
Why WOULD they do anything? They're as bad as Goody Tisdahl — to the stocks and pillories and the dunking stool!
Give ’em Enough Rope
A truly wonderful cartoon that captures the confused bitterness of some children who are upset things didn't go their way.
Misogyny, confusion, screaming voices, cynicism. No humor, no insight and no class. Very much like a Tilted Kilt franchise.
(Cartoon Reader's Note: Ponzi that is called a metaphor. It's funny and makes a point. Some cartoonists find them useful)
A cartoon with 60+ words on it….and we still need an "editor's note" to explain and justify it.
Tilted Kilt
What affect did the McDonalds shooting have on the children last week. Are they shutting it down? I do not see the protestors raising issues against McDonalds. Lets throw more tax revenue away. Apparently Evanston's bank account is full.
Are protestors saying that adults are not capable of determining where they should or could take their children? This is a themed establishment. If you do not like it do not go.
Anyone notice the new Hookah Lounge on McKormick & Dempster? Great example of a socially acceptable and moral establishment! I have not heard one word of protest about this place. Come on kids, lets go!
TK voted down
I find it cruelly ironic that the city wont help those who live on quiet streets where the cars drive 50 mph through moms trying to keep their kids from getting killed by cell phone toting, distracted drivers yet honor a small group of do gooders who apparently has the authority to "block" a revenue generating enterprise because somehow they have judged the attire inappropriate. I would never had patronized this bar/restaurant but do respect their legal right to open where they choose.
I only ask the fools on the Liquor Board and the idiot City council persons (who couldn't stand it until they got their egg producing chicken ordinance passed), now what do you do to develop downtown Evanston? What foolish business person would even bother considering setting up shop in the downtown area?
Mavrakis given a fair hearing?
Let set the record straight – I am not bitter – I do not know Mr Mavrakis nor was I planning on going to the Tilted Kilt.
After I read the city legal opinion on why they did not approve the Tilted Kilt It became quite clear the Mayor had already made up her mind on not approving the applicant. He was not given a fair hearing – it is also clear to me the questions the city lawyer and the Mayor were asking were to set up the denial and protect the city from a law suit.
The city asked him to waste his time and money to prepare a traffic study, that cost him $5,000. to put a restaurant in a building that already had a restaurant – please any reasonable person would have not seen the need for this.
They also asked him questions that they fed back in their denial – clearly setting the stage for this.
Taxpayers should be disgusted by this useless hearing
The Mayor did not handle this any better than she handle the branch libraries, with that she kicked the can and showed no leadership.
– We have a large staff of economic development planners who are basically doing nothing – the city recently wanted to sell the animal shelter for development – so where would they put the animals? On the street? Moral or just plain stupid.
Frankly If you want to keep on paying higher taxes – keep on stopping business from coming here- there clearly was no reasonable zoning issue involved here.
The Mayor should be required to hand out the next pink slips to city employees and have Wally stop doing her dirty work.
Got Their Kilts in a Bundle?
Ok, I get that the economy is tight. I support the right of anyone to try and open up a business where they want. I ALSO support the right of those in a community to have some standards for for the types of establishments they want in their neighborhoods. Just because we turn away a business that exploits the objectification of women's bodies doesn't mean we are against business… Just against the sleazy ones. Glad the mayor didn't sell out for an expedient buck.
2011-12 Economic Development
The biggest oxymoron is Evanston's history. There have been two businesses that I can think of right now that have been turned away from the city for dumb reasons. Gordon Food Service and Tilted Kilt. I'm sure there are more but those are the most recent. There is the ghost town of a shopping center in the trendy "West Village" neighborhood that could be something great if given the proper chance. What business owner is going to want to come in and set up shop in a town where the Mayor and council turn business away every chance they can?
We need leaders to lead and not follow small groups of vocal minorities ("friends of the library", and the "no TK people").
Sears could have been here ?
At the time, ten+/- years ago, Sears was interested in being an anchor store for the Sherman Plaza. The city council, as usual, debated so long Sears pulled out–partly by the time they had to make a decision whether to keep fighting, they had to draw in their budget.
Technically the city did not 'turn them away' but a pocket veto accomplished the same thing.
with the city's record, I suspect there are many candidate business that don't even bother starting to apply to get into Evanston.
Nonsense
"Technically the city did not 'turn them away" ?
No, in point of fact, the City did not turn them away.
Point to evidence that lays the blame with the council: newspaper articles, interviews, council minutes, committee minutes, neighborhood meetings, etc.
I had no idea
I had no ideas about Gordon Food Service being denied. Can someone enlighten me why they were turned down in Evanston?
I also know that there was a rumor that Trader Joe's was considering Evanston. Anyone know anything about that? Was it a rumor or did they give Evanston a hard look and decide not to open here?
Thanks!
Not denied…
GFS ran into the buzzsaw of Evanston's new green initiatives and probably will not do business in E-town as a result.
Thanks!
Thanks for the info on GFS. So we are 0 for 2. How many other "0 fors…" are there in Evanston? How many other businesses have been turned down? Why? Is it ideologically driven? Most likely.
The new mistake by the lake…. City of Evanston.