ISP Website - Misleading

On September 15 I wrote with excitement about G-Rod's August 8th announcement related to Photo Speed Enforcement (PSE or "PhotoRadar") on Illinois highways. I thought that all my emails, faxes, letters and prayers over the years had done some good.

Well, thinking doesn't make it so. I got to wondering when the State legislators had put one past the public by enacting the new law to allow PSEs. It turns out they haven't.

So, G-Rod was tooting his horn, and Illinois State Police Director Larry Trent was holding the music. From the looks and smell of the big announcement on the homepage of the Illinois State Police (isp.state.il.us), it looked like a done-deal. Half-baked, is more like it. Now I wonder why the State Police are misleading the public by keeping this announcement on their website.

In the words of one legislator, "The ISP website is misleading."

For the life of me, I can't figure out what the legislators are really waiting for. The technology exists. Troopers, prosecutors and judges can be educated. And the defense lawyers will be happy with the boost to their income from all the speeders who flock to their doors.

Speeding in Illinois will never be stopped or even slowed by troopers' writing one ticket at a time. While the trooper is writing that one ticket, hundreds of speeders fly by undisturbed.

If Photo Speed Enforcement cameras were mounted over each lane of traffic on Illinois highways and placed at five-mile intervals around Chicago on interstates, other limited access highways (such as the Elgin-O'Hare Speedway) and the Illinois Tollway, it wouldn't take too long for speeders to catch on and slow down.

Just imagine a speeder from Wisconsin entering Illinois near Beloit and heading for Indiana. At $100/ticket, he'd probably get nailed 6-10 times! Talk about a revenue-generator! Illinois would come sailing out of red ink and head right on into a balanced budget and big pay-offs of State debt.

Drivers today ignore the "Speed Enforced by Radar" signs, but maybe that would change.

And once again Illinois highways would become safe for the three of us today who already obey speed limits.

At What Cost?

Today's papers reveal George Bush's secret "vacation" to Iraq - just a little week-end jaunt, don't ya know? What a joke!

What is this trip costing taxpayers? How many planes? How much fuel? Planning. Secret Service. Security.

That guy and Gov. Rod must be out of the same mold. Total insensitivity to the world around them. Is he trying to boost his ratings?

Where's the countdown meter on Bush? How many more days until January 20?

And what will a Presidential Library cost? Let it be filled with all the books Bush has read. One room ought to do it.

How Times Do Change

Remember when, and it wasn't all that long ago, that fireworks broke out on the Square (well, near the Square), when Fat Tony's Comics put an A-frame advertising sign out on its sidewalk to attract business? Tony's was on Washington (or is it Church St. there?), just west of the train tracks.

As I recall, it was a small sign - just something to alert passersby that his store was there. Oh, all the gnashing of teeth and wringing of hands - and threats of fines.

Well, apparently times have changed. I'm not sure who the sponsor of this sign is (and another sign just like it over at the top of Main Street). From the looks of the logo the sign could belong to the Chamber of Commerce.

Now I don't oppose tasteful, professionally-created, small A-frame signs. They can compliment a business and draw attention not only to the business that is advertising, but to other merchants.

So thanks to the City for relaxing its sign ordinance and realizing that merchants who stay in business pay sales taxes. Well, actually it's the customers who pay the taxes; the merchant just collects and forwards them.

Resign or Be Impeached?

This is not the question.

If Blago conducted himself in an impeachable manner, then impeachment proceedings should commence. Now! What are our elected reps waiting for?

This might hasten his resignation. The threat of impeachment will not faze him. Action is what will get his attention.

And if he resigns? Should that halt impeachment? What are the consequences of impeachment and then a finding of guilt, should such a finding result? Only loss of office?

Or is there something more severe?

Elected Representatives, stop posturing and blowing hot air. Act!

Thursday = Gorski Decision?

On Thursday, December 18, Judge Maureen McIntyre is to rule on the what might be popularly called "the Gorski case" in Woodstock. It's not really the "Gorski" case, but there is one man who is affected most by this decision - Sgt. Steve Gorski, a 19-year veteran of the Woodstock Police Department.

The case is really the City of Police (its Police Department) vs. the City's Board of Fire and Police Commissioners (the City's 3-man civilian advisory board related to fire and police services). In other words, the City is getting hammered two ways by legal expenses. It's paying for BOTH the Plaintiff's expenses and the Defendants' expenses, except it isn't paying for one employee's defense expenses - yet.

Ten months ago Woodstock's Board of Fire and Police Commissioners dismissed all charges against Sgt. Gorski and directed the police department and the City to pay Sgt. Gorski all of his back wages. Unfortunately, instead of reaching for the checkbook, it sent the City Attorney to court to allege that the BOFPC had not made the right decision and had not made its decision in the right way.

The Board had accepted Gorski's attorney's request for a directed verdict in favor of Gorski, which meant that, in spite of 4 1/2 months of wrangling, statements, testimony, TIME, LEGAL FEES, the Board did not need to hear anything from Gorski before ruling in his favor. In other words, Chief Lowen had not proved his case and could not fire Sgt. Gorski. For more information about this case, search on this site for "Gorski".

A month later the Chief filed for an Administrative Hearing in Circuit Court. And there the matter has dragged on and on. Could the judge have ruled in April? Probably.

Prediction 1: Judge McIntyre will rule against the Chief and uphold the decision of the BOFPC. If she does, how fast with the City pay Gorski?

Prediction 2: If Judge McIntyre rules in favor of the Chief, the case goes back to the BOFPC.

If that happens, a Special Meeting of the BOFPC will have to be called, unless the Board malingers and delays to its March 2009 meeting. What will happen at this meeting? The Chief has already completed his testimony, so he shouldn't be allowed any opportunity to speak further. The Board will hear from Gorski. What will they ask? His name, rank and badge number. Will they need to hear anything else? Not at all.

The Board has already ruled that the Chief didn't make his case. The problem was that the City Attorney apparently believed that the Board did not have the right to grant the request for a "directed verdict." So the Board will need to hear from Gorski.

The Board doesn't need to hear much from Gorski, since it has already decided that the chief did not make his case for firing Gorski. So the Board might ask this question of Sgt. Gorski. "Is there anything you would like to say to further destroy the chief's case?" He'll be polite and professional and answer, "No."

He could tell the 3-man Board what he thinks is the real reason for being in the crosshairs of the chief's sights. So that all is clear here, the only conversation I've had with Steve since becoming aware of his case is to ask about his health. You know, the ol' "How are you?" Steve has good legal representation, and he has done what every good law client should do. Talk only to his attorney.

Thursday, December 18, 2009. 9:00AM, according to the court clerk. Room 201. But I've also heard 8:30AM, so that's when I'll be there.

A request to the Court and to the attorneys and all who will testify. Please speak up so that you can be heard in the courtroom. Too often judges permit testimony in hushed tones that cannot be heard.

The Good Ol' Days

In the early 1970s, when I was in the life insurance business in Denver, a client gave me his last copy of the gimmick Annual Report that his company had purchased. I was slow to return it, although I always reminded him that I had it. I figured he might give it to someone else, who wouldn't return it. Years later, he found more copies of it and told me I could keep the copy I had.

I always intended to make a slide show (hey, I know that concept is out-dated now) out of it and get 35mm slides to show the report at meetings.

A few years ago I made a copy of it but still never got it into a PowerPoint presentation.

And, then, this week I received an email with a link to http://www.nultech.com/ Take a look at its Annual Report. It's a kick.

Frucall - a new pricing service

When you head out to shop for a certain item, do you ever wonder if you are getting a good price? or the lowest price?

A new online service, also available from your cell phone or PDA, is Frucall. For complete information, go to www.frucall.com

When you are in a store and looking at an item that is screaming your name and "Buy me. Buy me", just check the price by dialing 888-DO-FRUCALL and entering the UPC. You'll need to sign up (free) for the service first, and then be ready to shop. Frucall will check prices from online services for you.

There are excellent reasons to buy from the retailer in whose store you are standing. You may get great customer service. You can ask questions and get your answers on the spot. You can take the item home with you right then.

We do not want a town with a bunch of kiosks with computer ordering stations and no retail stores, so be sure to support your local merchants. If there is a wide disparity in pricing between the item's price and pricing via the Frucall service, you might ask the retailer for a discount for immediate purchase.