Polashek expense audit

[dukesdad]

I don't see why they have phones at all. When I want to get someone's attention, I send a telegram. Never had cell phones when I was a kid and we got along just fine.

[Ted]

I don't see why they have phones at all. When I want to get someone's attention, I send a telegram. Never had cell phones when I was a kid and we got along just fine.

Nah, let's go back to the Pony Express  ... LOL

I can see one cell phone.  But, multiple cell phones from multiple vendors and charging in expenses for all of them?

[berwyn senator]

The pony express never existed in Berwyn! What I m saying is alderman years ago personally commentated with the residents in their ward,they were in touch.Why three cell phones? maybe usefull for a bookie. One is plenty,because separate numbers for business and personal can be directed to one phone with an unlimited minutes package and is cheap enough to be paid for personally!!!! Tell me why a person all of a sudden needs all this fancy furniture, how much business conducted at his home?? Alderman your not CEO's?Who gets to keep all the toys if not re-elected? Are we going to hear some feed back from these band of ??

[buzz]

The really good alderman years ago would give out their home phones,and would return their calls.

and years ago is when all this SHIT started.
It didn't just happen overnight.

[berwyn senator]

There was always shit in Berwyn as was in most towns,depending how far we go back will determine how high the shit will be piled.

[Ted]

The latest copy of the Berwyn Independent has an article about Polashek's spending. It claims Polashek spent $17,922 out of his expense account, including the following items:

A. Over $4,200 on meals

B. $5,400 on office furniture and office supplies, including a cherry wood desk, cherry wood credenza, cherry wood hutch and chairs delivered to his home

C. $3,357 for cell phone bills for multiple cell phones from at least 3 different providers (Verizon,  U.S. Celluar and N.U. Wireless).  FYI, he had cell phones from those 3 providers at the same time!

D. $767 is parking fees for parking in downtown garages

  The article also claims that Polashek charged in phone bills before he was sworn in as alderman for phone service from February, March and April of 2009.  Polashek was sworn in in May of 2009.

At this week's city council meeting, there is an item on the agenda that changes the law regarding expense reimbursement.

  The law will now require that the person requesting the re-imbursement must provide "a reasonable description of the correlation between the expenses and the requestor's official duties."

  Gee, what a novel concept - a public official should be re-imbursed for only those expenses directly related to their official duties!


Does that mean Polashek pays the city back for some of those cell phone bills, especially the ones he charged in when he was not alderman?   And, does the city get back all that cherry wood furniture?

  Maybe District 100 should do the same things with Stan Fields expense account - require a correlation between the expenses he has been charging in and his official duties.

  No more re-imbursements for money given to the Willow Creek Church. No more re-imbursements for expenses to the Lake County Press.  No more Thursday afternoon sessions at Paisans.  No more charging in lunch meetings with school board electoral candidates who are not on the board.

  It's amazing how much crap gets charged in by some of these public officials- I can understand Dunkin' Donuts (someone brings donuts to a meeting).  But, $2.59 for a cup of coffee from Starbucks?  Or flowers from a florist shop?  Or 4 bucks for a sandwich at Jimmy John's?

  Geez, mareez, give the tax payer a break.  Make a tuna sandwich at home and bring it to work in a paper bag like the rest of us normal people.

The arrogance still amazes me.

[Harry]

So are you going to bring these expenses up at the next d101 board meeting?

[OakParkSpartan]

More interesting is what the IRS were to say about "expense reimbursement" that were not for actual business expenses.  Normally, that would be treated as income, with taxes to be paid.