WHO ARE THE "PRO BONO" PROPONENTS OF THE LAST 4 MILES?
A GANG OF 9 and WHAT’S IN IT FOR THEM?
A surprisingly small group of 9 persons, interconnected elitist activists have spent years promoting their obsession for landfill expansion to carefully targeted, miniscule groups of political and economic insiders in the community……creating the aura, the Hollywood set as it were, of a grand movement of the masses in support of their plans. These people represent .00009% of the population of Rogers Park and Edgewater.
Their claim that they are running through the process of public meetings to “assess” the wishes and preferences of the community itself is simply a BALD FACED LIE! It would not matter to them if 100% of the residents were against their obsession (which is close to the truth). They would and are still moving forward with it. Just read their handouts, and their public pronouncements.
Who are the gang of 9? And what do they stand to gain if their ill conceived project is ever realized?
REAL ESTATE AFFILIATIONS
(a)Paul Boyd----------------Coldwell Banker Real Estate agent, advocate for landfill expansion
(b)Dawn Wyman----------Coldwell Banker Real Estate Agent, advocate for landfill expansion
(c)Maurene Murnane--------Coldwell Banker Real Estate Agent, advocate for landfill expansion
Analysis: Paul Boyd is quoted in May, 2007, during his lecture at the Chicago Cultural Center, as stating landfill expansion will double property values in the Edgewater-Rogers Park lakeshore area. This is absurd. But Boyd apparently thinks it is a FACT. So, let us assume that the “Paul Boyd hypothesis” is true: this increase would most likely force many older persons living on fixed incomes to move, since they in no way could pay the resultant increase in property taxes. Additionally, for normal real estate sales, since commissions are proportionate to sales price, commissions to him and his colleagues would increase. So, Paul Boyd’s landfill expansion plans would yield the following for him and his two colleagues: increased listings and increased commissions in the area as people were forced to move; increased commissions on sales as values would increase.
It is more than curious that three of the most vocal supporters of landfill expansion are all residential real estate agents and brokers, working for the same company. Could it be that, with the increase in property values that they forecast, they foresee a goldmine of business? Could it be that they feel landfill expansion is good for their business? Is that why they support it? That’s our guess.
COMMUNITY GROUP AFFILIATIONS
(a)Paul Boyd----------------Edgewater Community Council, Edgewater Development Corporation
(b)Dawn Wyman----------Edgewater Community Council, Edgewater Development Corporation
(d)Thom Greene----------Edgewater Community Council, Edgewater Development Corporation, Andersonville Chamber of Commerce, Andersonville Development Corporation, landfill expansion advocate
Analysis: The Edgewater Community Council and Edgewater Development Corporation say they are in the development business. It seems they have an undue influence on things that happen in Edgewater. With the majority of their operating funds coming from government grants, one would think that they would represent a true cross-section of the neighborhood, and not be advocates for particularly narrow interests. Again we see Paul Boyd and Dawn Wyman, real estate agents, involved with this operation as well. Why is it that developers and real estate agents always gravitate to organizations like this? Could it be that they see the ability to influence decision making that benefits them? Thom Greene, hedging his bets, is on multiple development corporations and community councils. This is important, given his integral role on landfill expansion plans, as shown below.
FRIENDS OF THE PARKS
(e) Peter Kindel-----------Friends of the Parks plan advisor since 2006, Last 4 Miles architect
(f) Erma Tranter----------Friends of the Parks executive director, advocate for landfill expansion
(a) Paul Boyd---------------Friends of the Parks Board Member; major advocate for landfill expansion
(g) John Buenz------------Friends of the Parks Board Member, Last 4 Miles architect
(d)Thom Greene----------Friends of the Parks Lakefront Planning Committee-Next 4 miles, Last 4 miles architect
OTHER AFFILIATIONS
(h) Julia Bauer-------------Friends of the Parks architect, landfill expansion advocate
(i) Joy Malnar--------------Friends of the New Lakefront, Lakefront expansion designer and advocate
(c) Maureen Murnane--Friends of the New Lakefront (details on this group cannot be found)
(a) Paul Boyd--------------Friends of the New Lakefront
Analysis: The architects working on the landfill expansion are all involved for one reason: that foresee a goldmine accruing to them if and when the project is approved. First, they will receive funding to prepare preliminary plans and specifications; then funding to prepare detailed plans and specifications; during the contracting solicitation, they will be designated the managers; finally, during the construction, they will be designated project managers. Typically, the fees for these functions exceed 10% of the total construction cost. Given that the project will be in excess of $300,000,000 excluding interest, their fees will exceed $30 million. Given the certain cost overruns, they will be paid to execute change orders, new designs, new oversite at the rate of at least 10% of cost. IS IT ANY WONDER THESE PEOPLE ARE SO ZEALOUS IN THEIR ADVOCACY OF THIS PROJECT?
WE HAVE A GRAND TOTAL OF 9 CONCEIVERS OF THIS PROJECT, WHO HAVE DEDICATED THEMSELVES, SINCE AT LEAST JUNE, 2003, TO MAKING PRESENTATIONS TO SMALL GROUPS OF INSIDERS, WHO REPRESENT NO ONE BUT THEMSELVES, AND NO ONES INTEREST BUT THEIRS.
SINCE JUNE 2003, THESE 9 PEOPLE HAVE PROMOTED THEIR PLAN. DID THEY ASK YOU WHAT YOU THOUGHT FOR THE LAST 5 YEARS? NO THEY DIDN’T.
NOW THESE 9 PEOPLE ARE TRYING TO PRETEND THAT THEY ARE REALLY INTERESTED IN WHAT YOU WANT FOR THE NEIGHBORHOOD. THEY HELD A SERIES OF SHAM MEETINGS SO THEY COULD CLAIM WHAT RESULTED IS THE PREFERENCE OF THE COMMUNITY. A LIE!
THESE 9 PEOPLE CONTINUE TO PROMOTE THEIR PLAN
1000’s OF VOTERS OVERWHELMINGLY VOTED AGAINST LANDFILL EXPANSION
BUT THESE 9 PEOPLE PROMOTE THEIR PLAN AS ONE CONCEIVED AND DEMANDED BY THE COMMUNITY
DON’T LET THEM GET AWAY WITH THIS FRAUD