Aldermen

[OakParkSpartan]

Aren't they supposed to set policy?

Look at the agendas going back to May...not a SINGLE item introduced to improve the city.   They can't think of ONE thing for improvement?

[Mike Phelan]

Brian,

You really can't fault them.  Most of them only have half of a brain and that statement is being generous in relation to a couple of them.  Besides, that's what the majority of Berwyn voters want.  I've said it before, Adolf Hitler or Charlie Manson could be on the ballot and as long as they have a "D" after their name they are almost assured of getting elected.

Mike

[MRS. NORTHSIDER]

Brian,

You really can't fault them.  Most of them only have half of a brain and that statement is being generous in relation to a couple of them.  Besides, that's what the majority of Berwyn voters want.  I've said it before, Adolf Hitler or Charlie Manson could be on the ballot and as long as they have a "D" after their name they are almost assured of getting elected.

Mike

That's awfully nice of you to say since you belonged to that group once upon a time.   What else can I say?  Get a life.  Things must be dull in Texas if you still feel the need to look in on BTF.  Of course, despite all that I don't like about Berwyn I still don't want to move to Texas anytime soon.

[Mike Phelan]

I never belonged to the Democratic Party or whatever they are calling it these days.  Get a life?  I have one.  There's no reason to resort to name calling.  I saw the writing on the wall so I decided to move on.  I log onto Berwyn Talk Forum very rarely and I do so just to see what is going on and how the elected officials are spending my money.  I still own five properties in Berwyn.
You see that's the beauty of life in this country, while it's messed up it's still the best place to live.  You can choose to live in Berwyn until they crank you down if you like and I can choose to live in Texas, Tennessee, Florida or anywhere else for that matter.
How any of you can stomach to stay in a place full of Todd Stroger's, Pat Quinn's and Michael Madigan's, etc. is beyond me.  I guarantee you there are many people living in Illinois that aren't even aware they are now paying 5% in state income tax.  Quinn was pretty crafty when he incresaed it by 67% on January 1 of 2011, the same day the federal government instituted the 2% reduction in the social security tax as an economic stimulus of sorts.
People in Illinois never got the stimulus because as soon as you got it the state of Illinois took it away.  When it doesn't get extended again next year you will all be losing another 2% in your paychecks.  I hope you enjoy giving it all away because that is all you are doing.  Very soon people will begin leaving Illinois in a mass exodus.  You will see it is only a matter of time. 

[buzz]

How any of you can stomach to stay in a place full of Todd Stroger's, Pat Quinn's and Michael Madigan's, etc. is beyond me.

It's better now.  You're gone, so is Stroger.

[berwyn man]

Wal-Mart money must be real good in Texas low life

[Mike Phelan]

How any of you can stomach to stay in a place full of Todd Stroger's, Pat Quinn's and Michael Madigan's, etc. is beyond me.

It's better now.  You're gone, so is Stroger.

They are like cockroaches.  For every Todd Stroger you get rid of, there are fifty more you can't see.  By the way, you keep telling yourself it's better even though we all know it isn't.

[Mike Phelan]

Wal-Mart money must be real good in Texas low life

That's nice, when you can't argue the facts you resort to name calling.  The reality is that your state is heading down a road of insolvency and you're either too blind or too stupid to see it.

[Ted]

They are like cockroaches.  For every Todd Stroger you get rid of, there are fifty more you can't see. 

Mike is right.  Just look at Berwyn's new state senator.

  Just look at the ostriches in Springfield on the pension problem.

Just look at what's happened in Bellwood and Bridgeview.

  Just look at the Chicago teacher's strike - a 15%  pay raise over 4 years that cannot possibly be paid for yet the teachers are still on strike because they don't want to be graded.

Heck, just look at Berwyn - Look at the promotion of Tom Skryd.  Look at the city's pension problem.  Look at the increase in hiring of patronage workers while at the same time taxes are increased by 15% in a single year and the debt is astronomical.

  Just look at the fact that we are back to having firemen and policemen acting like precinct captains for the DCOB.

  Springfield Inc. and Crook County are never going to change.  Neither will the Berwyn thugocrats or the Cicero machine who controls our high school district for the benefit of Cicero patronage workers.

  Yet, the people running for Congress, state house and state senate have no opposition in the general election.  Republicans have just given up even trying to put up a fight in many places.

  Riddle me this - Why would a suburban district containing Riverside, Brookfield, Justice and Hickory Hills not have a Republican running for the state senate?

It's understandable why people are so sick of the political situation that they move.

[OakParkSpartan]

They are like cockroaches.  For every Todd Stroger you get rid of, there are fifty more you can't see.  By the way, you keep telling yourself it's better even though we all know it isn't.

Bingo.

And the vast majority have no idea how it is affecting them.  Look at your property taxes.  Are you getting more/better services for the increase?  Or was a bunch of wealth just transfered from you to a small group?

[Mike Phelan]

Brian,

It's all disgusting.  Why is it no one seems to remember the 15% property taxes that the majority of your city council voted for to balance the budget a couple of years and not a single one of them offered any creative alternative solutions.  Why people aren't outraged over this kind of stuff is beyond me.

Mike

[Ted]

  Why is it no one seems to remember the 15% property taxes that the majority of your city council voted for to balance the budget a couple of years

The 15% tax rate increase did NOT balance the budget. Let's be clear about that.

[buzz]

and it has not been "forgotten".