It's no wonder Rene Carmego got his panties in a bundle about me getting my mitts on this document. It shows DevCorp North is nothing more than a legalized form of the mafia.
And they've got the 'Skimming off the top' part of the job down to a science.
When it's all said and done, DevCorp North is going to get a hefty chunk of your tax money in 2008 - even if the programs they forced upon the tax payers work, or not.
And believe me, for the second year in a row, I witnessed the commissioners go through the motions. They have very little say in where the tax payer money goes. This is all predetermined by Gina Carrusso with the City of Chicago's Department of Planning. It a city template.
Each type of service has to pay DevCorp. Take safety for example. DevCorp North is going to make $8,354 to keep SSA #24 safe.
That's the same amount ($8,354) DevCorp North takes from SSA #24, doing these brief studies of the SSA Administrative Services, Open meeting act, which they never are in compliance. Yet in the budget, they claim they do.
What also is totally amazing, Kimberly Bares skims over $20,000 dollars for her own personal self. She even takes from the fringe benefits section. When it's all said and done, Bares is raking in nearly $100,000 for herself in 2008.
Layering the administrators. A host of other lower level paper-pushers dip their hands in the tax payer funded piggy -bank, while DevCorp North is paying it's janitors slaves wages.
Paper-pushers like Dan Butts. He skims from Special Service Area tax #24 too. Over $8000 buckeroos.
Rene Caremgo - not only does he skim, he looks like he gave himself another raise. He's up to $51,000 dollars a year.
Like I said, It's no wonder Rene Carmego didn't want me to get my hands on this document. It clearly shows DevCorp North is pilfering far more than they deserve.
BLOGNOTES: And where were the commissioners? Were they watching out what's good for the neighborhood? Did they remotely contest this blatant tax payer rip-off with a 'NO' vote? Didn't the skimming of nearly half the tax payer money being collected bother them? Not a chance. No one wants to upset Queen Kim.
Last years 2007 SSA #24 Budget meeting notes.
Also DevCorp North held a Special - Special Service Area Tax #19, Howard Street at the same time. This was on the other side of a divider wall. Kimberly kept going back and forth, so I assume she was working out her 'Skimming off the top' deal from Special Service Area tax #19 too.
14 comments:
One question: how can I join this orgiastic dynasty of gravy? srsly. I would LOVE $10,000 extra a year for showing up at an office a few times a month. srsly.
I find this post amusing. First, it's funny because this issue seems to get no traction from your readers, judging by lack of comments. I mean, if you have an SSA, that means you have employees to run it. Employees get paid. End of story.
Second, funny coz after I read this post I clicked over to Toni's blog, who posted a link to the News Star story about the Morse Theater. That story said: "the McGhees are working with Morse Avenue's Special Service Area (SSA) commissioners to come up with 100 additional parking spaces, which will help other stalwart, neighborhood institutions, including the Heartland and Lifeline Theater."
So that's just one thing that those guys are doing to earn their pay.
Third, funny because I also noticed another story in the same issue of the News Star about how SSA money is being used to paint murals on the walls of the el viaduct. And employees who get paid by the SSA have to arrange that stuff.
So, I don't know, but it looks to me like those guys are earning their pay.
I am unfamiliar with Kimberly Bares background, but her salary seems a bit high considering the lackluster results we've seen thus far and considering the size of the organization and in comparasin to like-sized non-profits.
Perhaps people hesitate to comment on other people's salaries because that is a very personal issue. That was what kept me from commenting, but I can't say for others.
I don't think anyone would say they do nothing. It's more that some question the effectiveness. I know Renee and think he is very committed to RP and seems very sincere to me. I can't speak for anyone else there as I do not know them.
i agree with rp- people work, they get paid, the world goes round. $100K is good money, but it is hardly excessive for a management position.
It is rather high for a management position with such a small team of reports, that isn't directly connected to revenue generation, that doesn't require any particular technical or professional skills, where hard outcomes and high quality product/service isn't a necessity and where the size and scope of the organization is so limited.
It also seems out of proportion to what her direct reports are paid - the gap there is quite substantial. What is so different about these positions that such a jump is justified?
To be fair, that salary isn't 100K - that's salary + fringe, which is probably predominantly health insurance. Actually the salary/benefit ratio isn't all that wonderful.
You sound awfully blasé about 100K salaries, been there...but your comments don't have the ring of reality about them.
RPN: The SSA hasn't delivered those parking spaces yet. Difficult to parse exactly who's doing the work there anyway. As for those murals, how about this: if those murals, rumored to cost 40K, show no signs whatsoever of peeling, bubbling or flaking by the time the SSA delivers the parking for the McGhee's soft opening, the DevCorp team gets a 10% raise. The catch: no "restoration work" on the murals can be done between now and the time the parking becomes available.
Oh wait, that won't work. The murals are hardly dry yet and they are already peeling. Nevermind.
I think what would benefit is if there is any comparable information of other wards. What are the standards for pay of SSA employees?
You want to see a model SSA. Try SSA #18.
This SSA has very low administration fees and provides what it was intended to do.
The street has award winning festivals that draw hundreds of thousands of people a year, visitors from around the world.
It's clean, it's friendly and has profitable businesses and business owners that care about the street and neighborhood.
If DevCorp could do it like this, I'd easily get off their back.
Facts about NAMA and SSA #18.
It taxes it's property owners way less than the administration fees DevCorp North skims for SSA #24. My last look was $83,400 a year.
It's mission statement is the same. Maintenance and beautification, business promotion and retention.
Heya one and all,
I am real close to moving to RP but I want to read what you guys REALLY think about your neighborhood. Already I think it sucks. And I’m not even there yet! I’m a straight up single guy whose tired of the ‘burbs and wanting to get back into the mix. But maybe RP isn’t the place to spend my hard earned $. According to what I’m reading, RP is nothing more than a drug market run by gangbangers and crooked politicians. Say it ain’t so! Otherwise I’ll take my gentrifying, law abiding, ass elsewhere.
Hemps - The politics suck, but the neighborhood is cool. Come look before you decide against moving here. We get worked up because we love it so much.
RPNayboor is obviously a Joe Moore boot licker.
Hemps...oh hemps. Are you for real? The second appearance of this charming comment on this blog is a bit odd. Diversionary tactic anyone?
If you are for real, you've already gotten much good advice and encouragement elsewhere. If you are not, here's a little advice from me, should you choose to join us in our little heaven on earth: Meshuga zol er vern un arumloyfn iber di gasn!
True. Could we be seeing RPN's salary information on a blog any day now...?
It is interesting to see the detail lines on this report. I am trying to imagine how it can cost so much for each of these individual things.
If a public hearing were held, and the service providers subpoenaed to testify on these amounts, it might be easy to show how they did not do the work.
If no alderman will motion for hearings on this kind of activity, then the public could hold a meeting and call on them to sit in the hot seat. If they did not show up, it would be a tacit admission that they are afraid of something.
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