Archive for November, 2011

Addressing Media Coverage of the DeKalb’s Latest “Surplus”

Author: yinn

Nov 11

The Daily Chronicle is irritating me this week.

DeKALB – It wasn’t long ago that DeKalb had only a $22,000 surplus in the general fund.

Now, with the Fiscal Year 2011 audit almost complete, city officials say they are looking at a $6.3 million surplus.

The DeKalb City Council on Monday will be asked to amend last year’s budget, allocating $3.6 million of that surplus into eliminating the deficits found in funds for the city’s airport, workers compensation and capital projects.
[...]
The big gains in the general fund came from a variety of sources, Assistant City Manager Rudy Espiritu said, but primarily can be credited to a bigger return on investments, bigger gains in city revenues and cost-cutting measures such as the 20 layoffs the city approved in 2010. [emphasis added]

This is not the first time they’ve mentioned only the layoffs and left out the Voluntary Separation Program (VSP) and in this case it’s not forgivable. Why? Because the VSP was specifically designed to help eliminate General Fund deficits that, earlier in the year, were projected to grow to $5 million by 2012.

Let me put it another way: they mostly closed the gap by getting rid of people, but that doesn’t really fix the things that need fixing. Here’s the comment I left at the DC website: Read the rest of this entry

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Site News: We’re Six

Author: yinn

Nov 10

Oops, I missed City Barbs’ anniversary! We turned six on November 6.

Though it’s usually my name on the byline, this is more a community blog than most ever realize. Thanks to those who have mentored, visited, contributed articles, commented, phoned with tips and e-mailed suggestions.

Thanks also to site founder Joe and to my husband, who gave me a nudge at the right moment.

And to Mac McIntyre, who always has advice when I ask for it (and sometimes when I don’t).

This is post number 905.

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Political What?

Author: yinn

Nov 7

This morning I read Daily Chronicle Editor Jason Schaumburg’s weekend column. He supports term limits to fix what ails our governments.

The line of reasoning goes like this:

Term limits would curtail the influence of money and lobbyists in government. They would attract the right kind of candidate to seek office. If money and greed are out of the equation, political lifers make way for public servants.

If we don’t allow candidates to stay in Washington or Springfield too long, then they can’t become puppets of the lobbyists pouring money into their coffers.

The President has a term limit, yet he’s raised more money than anyone in history, and it easily could be argued he’s somewhat beholden to the big donors.

The only way to take money out of the equation is to take money out of the equation.

But how about term limits for the unelected? Appointed administrators wield real power locally and consolidate that power over time with favors borne of generous spending limits. In DeKalb, there’s not even an expiration date on the city manager’s contract to prompt a performance evaluation and open council vote on retention.

Lastly, there’s this at the end of the column:

Road to the White House can be found at Daily-Chronicle.com/whitehouse. On it, you’ll find stories about the presidential race, bios for the Republican candidates, Twitter feeds for the candidates, polling data and more.

If you are a political junkie, you’ll want to bookmark this website.

It bothers me — in general only, no particular reflection on Mr. Schaumburg — that if you’re interested in campaigns, politics and/or policy, you get labeled a “junkie” like there’s something deviant about you. It’s another symptom of what ails us, methinks.

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Sampling of Electric Bills, Old DHS and New

Author: yinn

Nov 5

This is a comparison of two months’ worth of electric bills for the old DeKalb High School on South Fourth Street, which is now Huntley Middle School, and the new DHS on Dresser Road.

Billing
Month		Charges
for the
Month
- Old DHS		Total
Balance
Due
- Old DHS		Charges
for the
Month
- New DHS		Total
Balance
Due
- New DHS
Totals16,947.4947,172.1478,601.7482,385.55
June
2011		9,032.9225,431.1653,494.1436,726.05
July
2011		7,914.5721,740.9825,107.6045,659.50

No, the figures for the June charges and balance due for the new DHS were not accidentally transposed! There were significant downward adjustments made on that bill.

That is one reason why I am making no claims about the bill charges being particularly representative. Also, both schools were probably atypically open a lot due to the big move and construction/remodeling work. These figures just give you a ballpark idea of the new operating expenses we’ve taken on, no more.

The DHS charges were actually a bit lower than I expected. It’s the amount in unpaid balances that is startling. The only electric bills kept paid up were charges of about $50 per month billed to “DeKalb Booster Club” at the old DHS. Also, there was $338 charged for this period in late fees.

Natural gas service charges, not included here, ran no higher than a few hundred per month but again, District 428 has not been paying these bills in full.

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Filed under: Dist 428

Depending on City Officials for Truth about Legality of Library Expansion? Please.

Author: yinn

Nov 1

It was a toss-up whether to focus on DeKalb Public Library’s ongoing coyness about its expansion plans, or the role of local media in covering for it. How about a bit of both.

Today’s WTF moment is brought to you by the Daily Chronicle in “DeKalb officials expand on library land process, say everything appears kosher”.

City attorney Dean Frieders said the city council does not have to give its approval for the land purchase because it would be funded with “relatively short-term financing,” in the form of a bequest, rather than a tax increase, a mortgage or a municipal bond to purchase the land.

And, ahem, TIF money.

Here’s the comment I left on the story.

The development agreement may give the council a “say,” but according to library law the council does more than that — council makes the call. At any rate, why are we listening to the same city officials who flip-flop about whether council has the authority to set the library’s levy (it does), and who refuse to insist the library make its annual report to council using the same detailed report it sends to the state? Perhaps it is time for our state’s attorney to step in, at least to ask for an opinion from the Illinois Attorney General.

The alternative is to go to court. Read the rest of this entry

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