Oak Park Journal photo

There are new signs on the walls of each Elementary School in Oak Park.
I have heard many speak of our losing Civil Liberties since 9-11 and I
do send money to the American Civil Liberties each year and then some
because I do treasure my freedoms in this great land we call home.  Is 
there something evil afoot in Oak Park when we have signs so strongly
written to our children and citizens of this town?  I was told that the School
Board had to put something up or the Police would not be able to remove
people who were causing trouble.  That’s the reason the signs are there,
but why so angry?  What’s this $750.00 fine, I am told off the record by
Police and administrators that it will not be enforced like it reads.  Does
that make sense to put up scarey signs that will not be enforced?  Will
there next be a fine for walking to school?  How about a nice simple sign
that said you can not skateboard on the building, on the walls, etc and that
damage to property will be billed to the parents.  It might also be nice to
allow the children a place (a skateboard park perhaps...).  We could just
leave the signs up, look like a fascist town, and ignore the signs teaching
the kids about bluffing, it might help the kids when they play poker as 
adults.

PS
Shouldn't we encourage bike riding as much as possible???

October 14, 2001
Imaginary Sky Marshals Get
Paid Real Money
by Ed Vincent

Why is it the other day a person was able to actually gain 
access to the pilots cabin, and force two military jets breaking
the sound barrier over Chicago to escort the airliner to O'Hare
field?  Were the Sky Marshals in the bathroom?  Did the 
Sky Marshals miss the flight?  The Imaginary Sky Marshals
were perhaps there providing  imaginary security for the airlines. 
How much does imaginary security cost?  Billions I am
told and why be concerned it's only tax dollars.

When the short sighted leaders of the airline industry 
contributed to the hijackers success by ignoring the warnings 
of the past, how many lost their jobs?  NONE.

Why did they turn their eyes elsewhere when the 
Israelis had solved the main problem of hijacking years ago 
by securing the pilots cabin?  Could it have been a cost 
saving profit motive or was it just plain stupid and cheap? 
In either case it didn't really matter since Uncle Sam would
bail them out and be the insurance company for their lack 
of action by their board of trustees. 

It's interesting how big government (from a Republican 
perspective) doesn't look so big when you're helping out
big people.  The billions that have gone to the airlines to 
pay for their poor business decisions years ago are still not
making their way down to the employees.  There are even
some airlines who invoked a clause in their contracts with 
the unions that allow them to lay-off employees without 
any compensation in times of an emergency.  I guess this
is an emergency of the rich and indolent since some 
employees with as many as 30 plus years have been
terminated without any compensation and offered jobs in 
other cities that they would have to pay to get to
themselves-big hearted and even bigger hearted when your
boss just got billions of dollars handed to him.

Argenbright  Security, that is the largest security firm 
providing protection for airline travelers, was fined 
$1,000,000.00 last year by the FAA.  The fines were levied
against them for problems in their performance.  Problems 
like hiring some 50 known felons to provide airport security. 

William Barbour, the president of Argenbright  Security, 
stated that the security level his company provides for European
airports was higher than security in the United States, where 
only  $7.00 an hour is paid.  Is $7.00 an hour considered a
good wage to pay someone who is helping to insure your life? 

I think we all get what we pay for and $7.00 an hour must be
a good wage to some. 

Why do they have higher security in Europe?  Europe demands
it and the United States airlines must want to save the money 
for their fat cats.  Now that there is talk about re-enforcing the 
cabin doors at least we are headed in the correct direction,
but we are taking too long to get there.  I had written before 
that if the cabin doors were secure you could hand out knives 
to all people on board and even show them how to sharpen them
while flying instead of taking scissors away from our grandmothers. 

Here is something that could be done immediately and not in 
an imaginary sense.  Use the National Guard to have two persons
sit in first class and guard the cabin doors until they are replaced 
with secure doors. Instead of having the Guards looking pretty 
standing by the $7.00 an hour security experts have them actually 
providing security in full military dress on board the planes.

Use tax dollars to pay the Guard and bill the airlines for the cost
of the Guard until the doors are changed.  If the airlines are
unable to correct the doors quickly, fine them and stop supporting
their stupidity with more tax dollars.  Why would someone choose
to use the airlines without having security that amounts to 
something more than imaginary.

The security would be increased immediately if the National 
Guard was put on the planes and not paid to watch $7.00 an
hour workers.  It might be time for shareholders to look at 
voting in new boards, people that actually make reasonable
choices about life and profits.
 

The American airlines should not be surprised over the loss
of stock values or riders.  The CEOs of the major air carriers
should resign their positions for what they have allowed to
happen to their respective firms.  The only airline with proper 
security for today's climate is El Al, the Israeli airline.  I am
not referring to their extensive questioning of patrons, but 
rather their well thought out security used on their cabin 
doors.  That's right, cabin doors, the Israeli airliners have 
two doors to their cockpit, and they are not made of wood
and no access is granted to anyone for any reason at anytime
during flight.  If this sounds smart, it is, and it would have
worked for us too.  It would, and it will cost more money to
put in secure doors, but not that much.  If you have one 
secure door in place you could actually give scissors to 
passengers instead of taking them away from dangerous moms. 

We could spend less time on discussions of civil rights and 
individual freedoms  if we had the right doors in place. 

I thought I was clever when I came up with the idea of the
secure door to the cabin area, but then found out that Israel
and numerous security reports had stated the same years 
ago in reports-GOODBYE CEOs and don't let the unsecured 
door hit you in your cheap butt. 

A quick note to the folks at Boeing, CEO folks that is; start
putting secured doors in all new commercial aircraft, also a
toilet and refrigerator.  If this were done you might very
well get more business and thanks from a safer public.
 

I have been phoned and emailed today by numerous
sources and all of them have had one view and one
view only…the dealings with Tasty Dog stink.

This afternoon I was in a local business and saw on
their television a report on Channel 5 from NBC.  They
were showing some photos just like the ones that I had
finished taking a half an hour ago.  Channel 5 gave a
brief synopsis of the Tasty Dog situation and promised
their viewers to keep them informed of how things go.

When I first heard of this planned building and expansion
of living space for Oak Park I had the belief that this was
going to be some amicable transition.  I thought the Tasty
Dog business was going to be moved to a location across
the street from their current position (south-west corner of
Lake and Euclid) to the one at Euclid and Lake on the
north-west corner.  Tasty Dog has been in business at its
current location for some 22 years.  This is a business that
has helped out countless numbers of local schools, homeless shelters,
non-profit organizations, and special citizens needing work
for the challenged.  I have written this far and have not even
mentioned the food yet.  I personally love their cheeseburgers.
Their cheeseburgers are the best for a thousand miles.  Back
to the story though, the calls came in and I asked my questions
and listened to the answers.  I spoke to some people, not in the
VMA, not in any political position, just regular citizens, and
they were all at this meeting where they spoke to the Village 
Board.  I am told though that the vote to seize and condemn
the Tasty Dog property under the Village’s use of Eminent
Domain came before the public had a chance to voice some
of their concern and displeasure with even the thought of
destroying a local small business.  There are questions of
the ethical nature of such a move, to obtain private property
for the use of the Village and then turn it over to another
private party for development (perhaps a straw dog from hell).

I won’t comment on the legal aspects now, that really should
be for an attorney.  I would like to comment though on what
I heard happened when the wife of the owner of Tasty Dog
addressed the Board of Trustees of Oak Park and told them of
her pleas to have the Village leave her and her husband alone,
and let them stay in business.  I am told from multiple sources
that some of the Village Trustees snickered at this commentary.
This “snickering” was reported by several sources and I am 
told one of them spoke out to the Board and admonished them
for that behavior.  This Board has done a lot of nice things
for this town and its citizens, this sounds like a very low
point in their history..  Since the folks who own the Tasty
Dog business do not own the property, nor the building,
their 22 years of tax paying, labor, and kindness to the town
will be up the creek.  I guess they are suppose to carry out what
they can from the building and make room for the fat cats.
Their location meant a lot, but without a building they are dead
in the water.  The Village will not have to worry though since
there is only one person against the establishment this time and that
person is Mr. John Troelstrup.  The worst that can happen to the status
quo is one person looses his or her contested seat.  They don’t
really need to do anything except hide from the news cameras,
now that the networks are involved.  Maybe there could be write
in votes, but is that a real threat?

The process sounds real bad here, given the fact these folks are public
servants and leaders when they behave.  Perhaps they should
purchase 139 South Oak Park Avenue and move Tasty Dog into
there.  I would buy the first sandwich.  I would stand in a long line
too.

Commentary by Edward Vincent

This is not a perfect world.  I am upset with many of us who
allow the mentally ill to wander our streets in a time of economic 
success and prosperity.  Many of the homeless should be 
institutionalized and only the bums should be seeking charity. 

We must all vote for the next President of the United States of 
America.  I like Ralph Nader and much of what he and his
party stands for, but they don't have a chance to win-only to upset.
Nader and Buchannan should have been able to debate with the 
major party nominees.

If you can get $12,000,000.00 from the taxpayers you should be
allowed to debate on the public airwaves.  Why then would I back
the Democratic ticket in this race?  The Democratic party, too 
conservative for these booming times, still remembers the rights 
of women, and the duty of looking after the educational
needs of all of our children.  In the third debate Gov. Bush said 
that he saw nothing wrong with religious groups making use of 
school property after school let out.  I believe he forgot about 
the separation of Church and State, I know he did in Texas where
the Supreme Court of the United States had to remind him
about Christian Prayers before football games.  There is nothing 
wrong about being a Christian, a Jew, a Moslem, or any religion 
you choose to follow.  This country was established though by persons 
who left England because the Church of England was too close to 
the Crown and government.  Did George Bush forget this, or did
he not know it?

Look No Further

Oak Park Village Trustees should look at Deputy Chief Richard Tanksley
with real interest.  If they are following procedure in looking out of the
department for a new chief, this should be set aside.  It is somewhat 
insulting to the fine group of potential candidates on the current Police force.
There are other persons other than Deputy Chief Richard Tanksley who
could fill the shoes of a new chief for Oak Park.  Mr. Tanksley though
is best suited to deal with Oak Park and its' future.  Any police officer
can enforce the law, but to lead a department and set a standard for
other officers requires an additional plus.  I have seen  Deputy
Chief Richard Tanksley working with young and adolescent persons
during the years.  During the Midnight Madness events of the past, during
the Oktoberfests, and other happenings in our village.

When a punk kid puts on an attitude, starts to create a situation, wants to
develop a confrontational problem with the police department, Deputy
Chief Richard Tanksley will step in and  let the person know what is expected
and what is the law.  Mr. Tanksley also has a good heart, he knows this
community and likes the town.  He is honest, fair, firm, astute, responsible,
respectful, and a fine leader for Oak Park to choose as a new Chief of Police.

Oak Park has had an interesting history with 290 (Eisenhower Expressway). 
If you take a good look at the existing construction you will note some rather 
unusual features.  Oak Park only has center exits and entrances.  Why is this so?

Looking West not too busy here, only during
rush hours....

Oak Park and its leaders did not want to loose more land than needed to
install the expressway in the first place.  Local leaders also made sure that
the depth of the expressway was considerable and made its passage
through Oak Park almost a secret.  Early maps show the town before 
the expressway and the land that would be lost to the expressway. 

Oak Park unlike Forest Park won two things in its favor. One, Oak Park
had no side exits like Forest Park and two, Oak Park had the
great depth and concrete walls in place, Forest Park no, Maywood no,
Hillside no.

Look at the depth as you go west on the 290 and see how shallow it goes
when not passing under a bridge, this was done because it was cheaper
and the towns effected did not have the required clout at the time.  Now 
is a time to see if we still have some clout and better yet, some good
ideas for expansion.  Oak Park could keep the States efforts in the courts
for years and prove difficulty for the loss of  land to occur.  I have a
better idea, one that would require no loss of land and have minimal
impact overall on the environment and neighborhood.  Leave the walls
where they are right now and use the land for expansion where the CTA
train is.  Make the CTA a subway for the short distance of Oak Park and
use the new land for the two new lanes suggested by some transportation
planners.  The cost to do this would be less than removing walls,
removing buildings, changing streets, reducing property values,
and having exits on the sides.  Take a look at the 290 and imagine the 
different ways to increase the size.  Let us know if you have a different idea
that would benefit Oak Park.

click on Image for larger view.

Many people are asking themselves what is going on with all these price increases for gas.  It is true that OPEC lowered prices per barrel by increasing production some three months ago and now they are waiting for another week to decide if they want to produce even more oil.  There is also the concern that with newer requests or demands by law that our car fuels be cleaner in the Midwest, cost will go up. 

Well, they have gone up, to say the least.  Without going to Europe you can feel like you’re there when you fill your gas tank.  The problem in the Midwest smells funny to me and it does to the Federal Government, too. 

I bought gas in Ottawa, Illinois a week ago for $1.59 a gallon (regular) and here in Oak Park it was $1.99.  It seems interesting that our local gas stations are all 40 cents more per gallon.  There are a few gas stations that seem to be taking a smaller bite out of our wallet, or credit cards.  In Ottawa and Utica, Illinois I bought gas in major gas stations like Mobil and Amoco. In Oak Park you should forget the major brands, with the exception being Clark Gas on Madison Street (one block West of Ridgeland).  The three local gas stations that are the lowest in price are Clark on Madison, Petro on Madison (at Kenilworth), and Thornton on Harlem (one block north of the expressway).  We have been noting the prices for the last week and all of these stations have stayed about the same between themselves and about 10 cents or more per gallon less the other major stations.

 On average gas station profits are about 12% for the gas sold.  There are other ways, too, that stations make money; oil, food, washes, papers, and the list goes on.  With taxes being the same locally it is nice to see some competition at work here. 

The EPA, commenting on our “Midwest gas prices”,  has stated that they can find no reason for such a large amount of money demanded per gallon based on production costs.  The industry and their spokesperson say the opposite.

 The FTC is looking into the possible charge of ‘price gouging’ as pertaining to these incredible prices.  The other point worth mentioning here is that in Colorado the price was $1.59 while it is $2.20 a gallon here for the same gas.  In short this means that if your vacation plans take you outside of the Illinois area you should be alright.

If the devil is behind all of this, he is heating hell with our gas and charging the shorter amount of supply to capitalism.  If you could buy your gas on the internet this would all be moot but locality counts for a lot when it comes to brick and mortar businesses. 

The Best buys in gas locally again are the following gas stations:

Clark on Madison, Petro on Madison (at Kenilworth), and
Thornton on Harlem (one block north of the expressway).