Voters send aldermen a message

I couldn't agree more. We have pitiful services and we pay far more than neighboring municipalities for pitiful services. So cut them.

A few examples -- some minor, some major:

-- I have called the City several times about a property owner who leaves a sidewalk icy or snow covered for the entire winter. I have seen that sidewalk shoveled once in the entire winter.

-- I thoroughly investigated the summer camp options for children. Neighboring municipalities offer far superior programs at no higher cost to participants. Our city offerings are rated by many parents with whom I have spoken as just "okay." For most of the programs, they can't even tell you where they will be held because District 65 hasn't decide which schools they will let the City use for the summer camps. This is ridiculous. I want to sign up for a summer camp for my children and know with absolute certainty where it will be held. It can't be that hard to get a system where District 65 decides in January, can it? Other municipalities use schools for their programs and those municipalities knew in December 2007 where their summer 2008 programs would be held.

-- Our street is like an ice skating rink. I have seen no other street like this any where in the City area. In the past week, I have driven in Skokie, Wilmette, Glenview, Northbrook and Wheeling. Nothing comes close to the pathetic state of my own street.

-- Also, while driving in those other municipalities, I saw very few pot holes. When I saw pot holes on Golf Road or Dempster in Skokie (for example), they were fixed the next day when I came through again. Our Evanston potholes seem to have life spans rivaling our oldest elm trees.

-- Neighbors know that a particular property is being used to sell drugs. Lots of drive-up traffic with quick stops and quick exchanges at the car windows. Cops watch the property for a month then close the matter with no action (and no notice to the neighbors who raised the concerns). How can all of the neighbors know what's going on but the cops don't see it? Maybe more money should be spent on police training.

With this level of service, I conclude that the City shouldn't bother with much of what it does. I'd rather keep the money than have service like this.

Here are some suggestions:

-- Terminate 1/4 of the positions at City Hall. Every time that I call there, I feel that I am bothering them.

-- Sell all real estate except City Hall, parks, the Levy Center and the locations where they store city plows and trucks. Why do we own anything else?

-- End all subsidies for low-income housing. While we all value diversity, we have already committed significant resources to this effort. We are on the verge of valuing low income individuals above middle income individuals and that isn't right.

-- Have the City initiate a petition drive to get the issue of eliminating the Town of Evanston on the ballot. A total wasteful fiction that should be gone. The City should take the lead on doing this.

City Council:

You should feel very comfortable cutting services by 25%, as long as that means a 25% cut in staffing levels, too. Evanston's city administration and operations have lost sight of what services are, who the customer is, and what is essential. The bureaucrats have no clue that we citizens are their customers. They think they are entitled to their jobs, which many of them don't don't do; and if they do them, they do with an attitude and a chip. For example, the Superintendent of Streets and Sanitation was quoted in The Chicago Tribune saying, "I've had enough. I don't need anymore snow." Managing is not about whining, it is about clearing obstacles so your staff can do their job. She has done neither. Force her to leave; don't waste the city's money firing her. Then hire someone who knows how to manage and get the staff to do the necessary work. The condition and snow removal of streets and sidewalks in Evanston is pitiful, deplorable, and inexcusable. Don't give me the "we ran out of salt." Doesn't anyone in city hall know what La Nina means??? We're the laughing stock of the metropolitan region. Start cleaning house in Streets and San and don't stop until you've cleaned out Evanston City Hall and reduced our taxes.

Bill,

I am worried because I read things like this:

"You heard the people; they want services, Alderman Ann Rainey, 8th Ward, said."

(http://www.evanstonroundtable.com/rt_020608/news.html - Council Bytes)

Granted, that could be taken out of context by the paper, but the point is valid. If I am right, the people showing up to council meetings are a small group of vocal supporters for whatever program/policy/expense is being discussed. Many of these things should probably be reviewed for cuts.

It can't possibly be true that our aldermen are so dense that they think all of Evanston is represented by the handful of people who show up for public comment, could it?

I, for one, do not want services, I want cuts.

The manager and council seem to be terrified of cutting services. Many of us are in favor of it as an alternative to raising taxes and fees. How would you recommend we communicate that to the council? Most of us do not have time to attend council meetings. How can we be heard? Is there a magic email address we can use to get to the whole council?