Edited by author 11-17-2008 04:55 PM
2 boards of the schools 202 and 65 - 2 sets of administration - 2 sep levies based on the boards' action.

However, it is really difficult for me to accept that a $200+million budget isn't something to worry about. Also you must remember that the schools are not entitled to sales, motor fuel, parking ticket fines and all the extraordinary $$$$$$$$$$$ the city can get. I will ask what the city portion of your tax bill would be if we did not have the other revenues. You will understand why cutting the city budget has very little to do with the tax levy - as you can see from a previous post, 70% of the $$ are collected through other sources.

Nowhere am I saying that the City budget isn't anything to worry about!

City and school officials look at rising costs and think "how much do we have to raise taxes and other sources of revenue"

The mere lowly taxpayers look at their fixed income and say "what do we have to give up?"

Ann, you seem to be one of the few on the Council who seems to know what budget constraints means.

Michele - if you had attend the budget hearing tonight you would have heard they want to raise your water bill. Since people have not be using as much they are coming up short by over 3 million dollars a year.

They also are not really sure how much the fire pension fund or police will be short yet. ( might effect you )

Also there is a 5% property tax increase to the budget built in - on top of this there is a 2.8 million dollar short fall -

Ann is very correct the city budget has many sources of funds the schools are only limited to property taxes.

It appears to me most taxpayers in Evanston really do not care - that they pay one of the highest overall tax rates around - by the way we were right at the top of the list for water bills ( number 2 ) but that is before the new round of increases they are proposing.

Vito - I do understand the budget and how it affects my constituents. It pains me that I can not share with them how they are being affected. I am happy to conduct a budget workshop but I fear no one will come. 8th warders - would you like to know more?

Junad - you are doing a disservice THEY DO NOT WANT TO RAISE YOUR WATER BILL.

Some high paid consultant said that we should. I saw no one buying into it.

On the tax increase - if it results in 5% you better fall on your knees and praise whatever god you pray to.

Two people or government helped I thank that helped me this year for property taxes this year. not much but every dollar counts. Micheal Griffen my property tax lawyer. and of course but not leasted The department of Aging/Disabiltys for the rest of help with taxes, this year. and also with the free bus and "eL" and all of the rta system rta from fillilng out the same form for the department of aging.


lowell :-)

Ann, I wish I had been able to be there last night, and I am definitely interested in the budget. I would attend a workshop.

We also often watch the budget hearings when they are televised; it is unfortunate that they didn't listen to you about that this time.

Ann,

The Evanston fiscal situation is getting absurd. Not only is the pension fund estimated to be about $146 million now, but given that we have be fully funded by 2033, I have heard numbers such as over $500 million to be kicked in by by 2033 to satisfy both the underfunding and ongoing costs. Divide that by 24 years and you get BIG numbers. Numbers that will get larger if we do not kick in more now.

Is everyone asleep?

For those that bike . . .

Beware a white (nonpassenger) van with temp license plates, starting with 207. This guy chased me down (I was on my bike), cut me off, and threatened to break my arms if I ever told him to get out a bike lane again.

He was at Howard and Clark/Chicago in a bike lane. As I biked passed I shouted "it's a bike lane." He screamed a standard FU back. While I'm making the turn onto Paulina, in front of the Howard EL, he zooms in front of me, turns at an angle, then jumps out of his van and screams about 2 inches from my face. (I recalled EPD Officer Pillars suggestions on how to handle confrontations during our Halloween Patrol meetings and followed that advice: maintain direct eye contact, diffuse the situation. So I did that.) Fortunately, after repeating the same insane scream about 6 times that he'd break my arms if I ever told him to get out of a bike lane again, he got in his van and stormed off (but not before I got his license plate number).

The driver is a white guy, in this 30s, about 6'1", weighing about 240lbs. As an FYI, I have filed a police report and CPD detectives are investigation. Meanwhile, to those that bike, be careful.

Your school boards are responsible for budgets. While school boards are to provide oversight, it seems that we need oversight on the boards. 65 has cleaned up their act and has had balanced budgets in the recent past. Nobody seems to care that 202 has the third highest per pupil expenditure in the State of Illinois. Higher that New Trier or Niles and our kids get far less. Many student programs have been cut and they have been operating at a deficit.
Nancy Bruski approached the 202 board several years ago about their practice ( NEVER adopted by 65) of giving inflated end of career pay hikes to administrators to boost their retirement pensions( which you are all
paying for while your investments decline). It was illegal in most states and when it was finally( and only recently) made illegal in Illinois, 202 found a way to get around it and continue until the last legal minute. Nancy got a formal letter from the board dismissing her concerns. They could have cared less.
Nancy went to the Tribune with the information and they ran an article on it. Publicly some board members responded that they didn't understand the issue- one even expressed the she didn't understand budgets. After the Tribune article, two board members wrote a letter to the Review, explaining that any money they used for the inflated pay hikes was not money used for students - or something to that effect- letting the public know they had done nothing wrong, that this money was alloted for administrator overcompensation. Simply absurd to think that school funds are not fungible. We need board members that have managed people and budgets and have been successful doing it.

That must have been so scary, Bernard. Glad you are okay. People are emotional and crazy sometimes. Rage is rampant! My friend was driving down Western Avenue one evening after work and there was some unannounced bike ride. Nothing was posted and there were no barricades, so she said that in intervals, one car could sneak through at a time. When it was her turn, a bunch of bikers came over and started pounding on her car and yelling threats to her. She said that she felt it was because she was a middle aged woman, they wouldn't do it to a car of young men. She was on the street and had nowhere to go until their rage was over. She made a police report.

Whether biker rage or auto-driver rage neither is justified. Nevertheless, it seems to be in abundance. I'm guessing it spikes in financially difficult times.

That is a great possibility. I have a handicapped parking spot in front of my building that I pay the city of Evanston for. One day when I arrived home after work a man sitting in a car was in my space. I informed him that the spot was for me and he became outraged. He thought that the space was for anyone and because I am relative young looking, he deduced that I have no handicap. He burst out of his car and demanded that I show him my handi(capped) card. I could hardly understand his English. I reached for my cell phone and he knew that I was calling the police. He got back in his car and went to the other side of the street and glared at me. He was out of line and so was that guy that chased you and threatened you. I wonder if he was sober.

Ann-

I'd attend a budget seminar at the Levy Center or at the Howard Street Outpost. Let's keep it in our ward.

Subject: Parolee information - Jose Clark


FYI, Somehow Jose Clark Jr. (07/18/81) was able to serve only a few MONTHS of his 6 year sentence. He was released from IDOC custody and is paroled to 2047 W. Howard, Chicago. Clark’s MO is breaking into apartment and condo building laundry rooms and prying open the laundry machines for the quarters. He usually operates anywhere from 1800 hrs to 0500 hrs in the beat 78 area.
Tim Van Dyk #199

ILLINOIS DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS
INTERNET INMATE STATUS
AS OF: Saturday, November 15, 2008
S07635 - CLARK, J JR

Parent Institution:
 Vienna Correctional Center
 
Inmate Status:
 PAROLE
 
Location:
 PAROLE DISTRICT 1
 
Discharge Reason:
  
VITALS
 
Date of Birth:
 07-18-1981
 
Weight:
 210 lbs.
 
Hair:
 Black
 
Sex:
 Male
 
Height:
 6 ft. 00 in.
 
Race:
 Black
 
Eyes:
 Brown

MARKS, SCARS, & TATTOOS
ADMISSION / RELEASE / DISCHARGE INFO
Custody Date:
 05/09/2008
 
Projected Parole Date:
 
Paroled Date:
 11-13-2008
 
Tentative Discharge Date:
  
 
Discharge From Parole:
 11/13/2010


SENTENCING INFORMATION
MITTIMUS:
 08CR1094901
 
CLASS:
 2
 
COUNT:
 1
 
OFFENSE:
 BURGLARY
 
CUSTODY DATE:
 06/02/2008
 
SENTENCE:
 6 YEARS 0 MONTHS 0 DAYS
 
COUNTY:
 COOK
 
SENTENCE DISCHARGED?:
 NO
 
 
 
MITTIMUS:
 08C22009601
 
CLASS:
 2
 
COUNT:
 2
 
OFFENSE:
 BURGLARY
 
CUSTODY DATE:
 12/21/2007
 
SENTENCE:
 6 YEARS 0 MONTHS 0 DAYS
 
COUNTY:
 COOK
 
SENTENCE DISCHARGED?:
 NO
 

All complaints regarding the accuracy of information contained in these documents should be submitted, in writing, to the Illinois Department of Corrections, P.O. Box 19277, Springfield, IL 62794-9722.