City Council meeting

[Berwyn Patsy]

fyi city council meeting tuesday 04/26/05 at city hall 2nd floor 8:00p.m.
where is the agenda posted on the web?? maybe someone can post the agenda  on this
bulletin board.  It was helpful for last months meeting. 

[markberwyn]

Mr. Castrogiovanni gets appointed by the mayor to the library board, I see.

[jqpublic]

I don't think the outgoing band of gypsies ought to be allowed to appoint anybody to anything.

[troy]

I guess we know why, despite being Republication,  all of his *attacks* were aimed at O'Connor, and not shared between both major candidates.  He must have been promised a position within the new administration and now that the election swung the way it did, the best they can do is the Library board.  Couple things:

I think he may only be filling in as a replacement for the remainder of a retiring member's term (rumor)

and

It'd make sense that the incoming Mayor would have to right to review any appointed officials just after taking the oath.  In this case, after the slander that went on pre-election day, I'd be surprised if the new Mayor didn't exhaust every possible avenue to reduce the presence of Castrogiovanni.

[jqpublic]

It's too bad about Castrogiovanni. I thought he made some decent points in the mayoral debate but he turned out to be just another mudslinging shill.

[pkd50]

The appointment to the library board is a harmless post.  O'C will have the real power.  He's already handing out jobs, or at least one job that I know of for sure.  We have just replaced one machine with another.  Let's hope it's better. How could it not be?  We should see big big improvements around here.  He has all but one alderman on his side, so anything he wants (or promised) should pass with no problem. 

[markweiner]

Who is the Alderman not on Mike O's side, which means one Democrat is on Mike O's side?

Do tell.  By the way, who is this?

MarkWeiner1@hotmail.com

[OakParkSpartan]

I'm guessing Lovero is on Mike's side.  Basing this solely on a friends comment that he was agreeing to everything Nona said at the previous committee of the whole.  Note this is heresay and my interpretation based upon that heresay, so probably isn't worth much ;-).

[T-Stan RPCV]

Gone From City Hall - Thank you for taking the time to post your thoughts.  I believe that an open discussion on this board with anyone who has a deep understanding of Berwyn, as you obviously do, can only improve the dialog.  We need the insights of those who are not buddies with the IVB to help keep them honest.  I hope you continue to participate.

Most people in politics will not contribute to a board like this because statements will get taken out of context and it is next to impossible to defend yourself.  Although I appreciate your communication and hope it continues, I don't want to disappoint;

In 2001, he was not Committeeman, yet helped to get Nona Chapman elected. She in turn promised him a spot on the Library Board. She never followed through.

This is exactly what's wrong with politics in Berwyn! Don't you get it? People think if they help someone they deserve to be rewarded.  Political favors such as this, while common, are in my mind a form of corruption.  Even if it's for an unpaid position.  If Nona made a promise, shame on her, if she had followed through with it, that's a bigger problem. 

If you had read the Gazette during the campaign you would have read the article where O'Connor was the one who offered the Committeeman a position on the Police and Fire Commission, which pays $6000 per year, if he would step out of the race.

The Gazette discreditted itself early in the campaign with blatent political bias.  Your statement, may or may not be valid, but please use another, more credible, reference for supporting documentation.

If I recall it was O'Connor who kept slinging mud, making threats and getting personal. O'Connor is nothing more than a liar and a con-artist.

Woodward was by far the worst mudslinger I've ever witnessed.  I'm not sure that O'Connor is entirely honest (what politician is?) but his campaign propaganda was far less derisive compared to Woodwards.  I agree with you that Castro may have been the better candidate.  However, he was not innocent.  The Rep. party distributed attack flyers against the IVB in the 3rd ward when all other candidates were running a positive campaign.  Castro simply did nothing to get my vote.  I really had to dig to find out what he stood for.  If he's not going to work to get my vote, why should I think he'll work for me in city hall?  Unfortunately I've never seen a perfect candidate, but O'Connor appeared to be the best choice and I believe we will see improvements under his charge.

[pkd50]

Hooray for Gone from City Hall.   Everybody thinks the O'C is the second coming.   Let's wait and see.

[markberwyn]

I don't think Mr. Castrogiovanni being on the library board reflects anything horrible. But my problem with the guy was that he was soactively duplicitous during the mayoral campaign; he postured as the above-the-fray intellectual when it was convenient but allowed was happy to be an anti-IVB pit bull when he (or the Gazette) felt it was politically expedient for him to be that. A politician who displays himself as that willing to be used is a hard politician to get behind. He gets another line on his resume -- fine. But, for anybody who remembers how he acted in the last campaign, he's pretty well scotched his credibility.

Pkd50: If anybody thinks Michael O'Connor looks like the second coming, it's only because because recent actions of BRDO knuckleheads have made normal human beings look downright holy.

[Face Reality]

Our wonderful city is in for alot of trouble.  Just wait and see.  In 4 years, all the lemmings who put their Messiah on the throne of Mayor will be sorry.  Too bad he didn't really 'earn' his votes.  All the votes for O'Connor were merely anit-current administration votes.  We already have an overcrowding problem (residences as well as parking) so why would The Purple One want to flood South Berwyn with Condo's? 

T-Stan-  You must have no clue how the political game is played.  You don't think that the over-inflated Purple One didn't make job promises? Remember that house on Oak Park Ave by the viaduct that had the huge O'Connor sign?  The owner is a printer by trade but O'Connor has promised him a job.  I can't wait to find out what.  Remember Debi Suchy who ran for 2nd Ward Alderman under Bojovic?  After she lost to Marzullo she went to support O'Connor (originally was an independent, went to the New Democratic Party, and then back to the IVB......what loyalty!) and she was promised a job at City Hall.  Anything to get herself and kid a job. Either Mary Drenth's job (Mayor's secretary or Alba Lovero's job as City Collector.  Mary is supposed to retire in September and Shaughnessy asked The Purple One to let Mary stay on.  O'Connor agreed.  A gentlemen's agreement.  Then he re-nigs and says "his people" says it's not a compatible match.  Who are his people?  That position is totally up to O'Connor.  He can't wait until September to replace her after she retires? No, let's screw up a womans life and have her lose her retirement pension and get Suchy in there.  Suchy has no morals or values either.  Some people will do whatever it takes to get what they want and could care less who they hurt or run over in the process.  How many other jobs has O'Connor promised?  What kind of transition will we have?  Not a good one.  This town will be in turmoil.  Do you know that it is a felony to offer a candidate a position?  O'Connor offered Castro a job, offered !!!!!!!!!! a job.  You want to talk about honesty?  O'Connor and his lemmings sure ain't it!

[T-Stan RPCV]

When did I ever say O'Connor is innocent?  When did I ever imply that he would not pay back political favors?  It is how the game's played but doesnt make it right.  I found it interesting that a politician openly endorses this behavior on a public message board.  I guess I don't have a clue, I would have thought it prudent to keep these types of dealings a little more private.

Welcome back  

[pkd50]

Fasten your seat belts!   We're in for a bumpy ride!!!    I hope O'C has some smart people around him.  Me thinks there is a ringer among us who will be running the show.  O'C ain't bright enough to do it alone.

[markberwyn]

Wait and see, indeed. All the huffing and puffing on this thread reads mostly like sour grapes from people who are bummed that people they like didn't get installed in political positions they wanted.

I agree with Face Reality that many -- even most -- of the votes for O'Connor were really anti-BRDO votes. But it's the BRDO's own damn fault for not floating a campaign that adequately responded to the rage people were feeling against the old-line dems. O'Connor saw an opportunity to turn that rage into political success. That, last I checked, that's called playing politics, and the IVB did it better than the BRDO this time around. I hope that his administration doesn't result in the arrival of the National Guard in Berwyn to keep order -- something that our old friend Tisbuy once said would happen. But I kinda doubt it'll come to that.

[Face Reality]

May 10th will be a circus sideshow.  26th Street will be closed from Wesley to Euclid (The Purple One originally wanted 26th closed from Oak Park to East, but it didn't fly.)  There will be a tent set-up and a party of sorts.   How tacky! There will be Police and Explorers (why Explorers, I don't know.....not a smart thing) everywhere.  Just another opportunity for The Purple One to display his arrogance and his over-inflated head.  Give this Tisbuy guy some credit.  He just may have known what he was talking about.

[markberwyn]

Inauguration parties are "tacky" now?

[jqpublic]

  Give this Tisbuy guy some credit.  He just may have known what he was talking about.

Sure looks to me like Tisbuy is back.

[Face Reality]

Tacky when it is on the street.  Have a celebration inside a restaurant or somewhere.  I think it would be safer.

[markberwyn]

A parade, some tents, and -- as you say -- police presence. What's the danger, exactly?