Sunday, March 28, 2010

Mayor Esslinger: Working for Himself

No surprise here:
Records obtained by The Northwestern show the mayor approved many of the fees that could be repealed. Esslinger voted to increase live music/jukebox fee, mechanical devices fee and the limited service restaurant inspection fee during meetings in 2003 and 2006 while a member of the council.

Esslinger said his experience owning Screwballs since last summer has changed his perspective on fees businesses have to pay.

[...]

Oshkosh Tavern League President Pat Purtell said his organization did not lobby for the changes, but welcomes rolling back any fees on its members. He said Esslinger had complained to him shortly after he purchased Screwballs last summer about the fees.
Some of these fees seem a bit over the top. Others, like the $20 per electronic gambling machine could be increased, since those things make a goddamn killing.

The real problem I have with this story is that it's a perfect example of how Esslinger operates. The only times he ever seems to want to do something is when he sees something that effects his everyday life. As a result, the city might lose up to $50,000 a year in revenue and might also have to fork $15,000 (this year) for an antique fire engine it will get basically railroaded into buying.

And for what reason? Because Esslinger doesn't want to pay $360 in fees? We don't know if we should all be astonished by just how transparently self-interested this move is or amazed at how petty.

6 comments:

Thoroughly Disgusted Stewie said...

Whenever this crap is gonna be discussed in council I hope you have a live chat so I can sign on and use your wee portal to send as many Lethal Hate-beams to this little Pukehead as humanly possible.

How does he have the balls to even attempt this? What rhymes with "attempt"? Contempt that's what. Which is all he shows for "The People". If you want to look into a man's soul, give him some power. Then you will see what he's made of.

Has anyone observed that the Server of this Platter O' Shit (McHugh) has acted like an obedient puppy-dog following the whisperings of Team Esslinger in the past? and have they speculated out loud that while M may have served this dish, the idea may not have originated under that fuzzy mop?

Those with strong stomachs may find amusement in whatever game of Logic-Twister that Palmeri will eventually contort himself into to justify this bullshit. He'll try to resist, but eventually he'll have to since his balls are cradled in the same jockstrap as Esslinger's and so he'll have to "defend himself". Or turn on lil Paulie, wouldn't THAT be funny.

Bar owners make money selling substances. Not everyone metabolizes these substances the same. Some addict easily, it ain't a "moral issue". The cost in dollars and human pain is off the charts and no end in sight. The social costs are enormous. And of course I mean the amount of government dollars spent on all types of "clean-up" work that ensues from substance issues. If the Pushers of a legal substance make their very profitable living off this situation, the LEAST the bastards can do is fork over a few Simoleans to the government to help with the clean-up work. and, that won't even come close to being any kind of 'restitution" but they could at least make a token gesture.
And they even live in a recession-proof world, the economy goes bad, drinking gos UP.
Good for you Paul, good for you.

Road Trip Stewie said...

...or maybe it will be time once again for Palmeri to announce a sudden non-"Green", gas-guzzling road trip again. Just to get the hell outta Dodge till things get more comfly again

Since, you know, that fooled everyone the last time.

Jb said...

Yeah, we're definitely going to be doing a live chat for the next City Council Meeting. No need to worry about that.

Jef Hall said...

When is the next meeting? They said 2 weeks, but that is election day...

CJ said...

Take a few minutes and send an email to your city councilors too. Get enough with the same message and we can be as effective as we were when the city was about to buy the chamber building to increase Ackcess's tenancy rate or the time the EAA was going to build their project with our without TIF although they were asking for funds. Or the time McHugh wanted to ban cottonwoods.. *L* Ok, that one got laughed out of the meeting. But the others were being seriously considered. Get on the horn and make a little pre-meeting noise.

Anonymous said...

Meetings are always the second and fourth Tuesdays of the month. There were 5 Tuesdays in March so that messed up the "every other week" schedule some might be thinking of.