Stroll through Orland Park Mall prompts pessimism about the future

I made the mistake of going to the Woodfield Mall. I wanted to do something "different." It's not a trip that I make often, especially now that the Eisenhower/290 is under construction. But I thought, why not see something different. You know. The "grass is greener," thing. Oh the grass was greener. And lush. And fun. It's huge, it's mall stretches like a spider web that clings to your pocket book. Classy. Filled with shoppers. And not just average everyday shoppers, but shoppers who have that air and attitude of confidence. Confidence is not something you come across often these days in today's poor economy and polarized society where hate commentary dominates many of the increasingly right wing radio and news outlets. (I wish there was a "Media Woodfield Mall" I could go to in order to escape the media demagoguery.)

I say I "made a mistake" because I left the Woodfield Mall energized and confident, and a few hundred bucks short that I didn't mind spending on some clothes and gadgets for my computer and iPod. And it was with that excitement that the Woodfield Mall gave me that prompted me to make a rare trip to the Orland Park Mall, which isn't too far from where I live.

The place is depressing. It was like a bowling alley of mediocrity. Many of the clothing stores cater to the skateboard crowd and the "pants down to your butt" people who swagger around like showing their jockey shorts is something anyone wants to see.

The most exciting places were not the name-brand stores but rather the little huts in the center of the single Mall foyer, most of them sell cell phones, cheap jewelry and even cheaper shades, and pluck the wild hairs from your eyebrows with sewing string that's rolled, and pulled. Isn't that something you want to do in the privacy of your own bathroom with a tweezers. Remember tweezers? The Pagers of the "Who Cares?"  Generation?

I made my way to Macy's where I thought I might find some impressive clothing and shoes. I badly need a pair of shoes. But the pickings were thin. It just didn't feel the same as it did many years ago when I would go to Fields to buy new suits for work. Who wears a suit, anyway, in these days of "anything goes?"

I felt like I was in a Middle East Souq -- not because of the people at the mall, but the flea market circus nature of the surroundings. But it wasn't a Souq because at least a Souq has mystery and powerful aromas of food an incense.

I left that place in a state of shock and I started to notice all the retail stores that are vacant in the village. And the depression just got worse.

What's going on, folks. Doesn't anyone care about quality and class any more? Orland Park was always the place to move to and shop. There isn't even a book store in the mall. There used to be two. The food court has a lot to be desired, although Orland Park has a lot of restaurants, though my judgment is still out on them. A few I haven't visited and I am not sure I ever will.

I realized I was ding what my parents did back in the 1960s. They moved in to a wonderful neighborhood that the economy turned in to mush. And soon we were always driving to far away locations to find better things. As soon as I walked out to the parking lot, I realized I'll have to wait until the weekend if I want to spend some cash and drive back up to Woodfield Mall where the grass looks even greener after my trip to the Orland Park Mall.

What's the world coming too anyway?

-- Ray Hanania
www.RadioChicagoland.com

Bond rating companies affirm Orland Park's ratings

Bond Rating Companies Reaffirm
Village of Orland Park Ratings

ORLAND PARK, IL – The Village of Orland Park has received word from its bond rating companies that the village’s ratings have been reaffirmed and remain consistent despite the current state of the national economy.

Standard & Poor’s reaffirmed Orland Park’s AA+ rating and Moody’s Investors Service reaffirmed the village’s Aa2 rating.

Investors and financial market professionals look to these agencies for objective and credible ratings when making business decisions.

"In light of the fact that many communities are struggling, and Orland Park too has tightened its belt, it’s encouraging to have both Moody’s and Standard & Poor’s show such confidence in Orland Park," said Orland Park Mayor Dan McLaughlin.

In its April, 2009 newsletter, Moody’s wrote, "Moody’s has assigned a negative outlook to the U.S. local government tax-backed and related ratings sector. This is the first time we have assigned an outlook to this extremely large and diverse sector. This negative outlook reflects the significant fiscal challenges local governments face as a result of the housing market collapse, dislocations in the financial markets, and a recession that is broader and deeper than any recent downturn."

"Having both companies maintain Orland Park’s high rating, despite their announced negative outlooks for local government, is a testament to the village’s great staff and the team work between the Village Board and administration to solve problems and work to keep Orland Park fiscally sound," McLaughlin added.

Echoing the mayor’s comments, Orland Park Trustee Ed Schussler, who chairs the village’s Finance Committee, said, "During these difficult economic times, our Village Board and staff have worked hard to control our expenditures and maintain appropriate fund balances. The recent ratings from Moody’s and Standard & Poor’s confirm the success of our efforts."

In the United States, there are seven bond rating agencies that have received the Nationally Recognized Statistical Rating Organization (NRSRO) designation, and are overseen by the Securities and Exchange Commission in how they assign credit ratings. Standard & Poor’s and Moody’s are the best known and most influential credit rating agencies.

The mayor noted that there is another side to the rating. "It tells the business community that Orland Park is a stable place in a time of economic uncertainty.

Not only are we holding our own, but the years of stable, strong management pay off in these tougher times," McLaughlin said.

"The higher the bond rating, the easier it is for municipalities to issue debt at lower interest rates and attract more potential buyers as buyers feel the risk of default is lessened because of the sound financial management practices that must be in place in order to get a higher rating," explained Finance Director Annmarie Mampe.

Mampe added, "Commercial enterprises are attracted to a municipality with a higher rating as sound financial management should equate to lower property tax levies. A high rating tells the general public that Orland Park is doing things right --- that Orland Park is a financially sound municipality that spends its tax payer dollars wisely."

Schussler added, "A fiscally healthy village is important in attracting new businesses and maintaining a quality environment for our residents."

WAMU Takes a Whoo Hoo hit

About two weeks ago I walked into the Orland Park offices of Washington Mutual to pay my mortgage ... this time a few days early. The reports were out that WAMU, as it is called, might be having troubles.

And, being the joker that I am, I told the clerk in the office, "Hi. I'm here a few days early with the check just in case you might need the help. I'd hate to come here next week and find the doors closed and you wouldn't be able to take my money."

That's when the clerk very nicely and genuinely assured me, "Don't worry. We're doing great. Don't believe everything you read in the media."

Of course, she didn't know I was a columnist and radio talk show host. I just shrugged and handed her the check wondering what would happen if a mortgage company collapses? Do they call in the mortgage?

So I went home and told my wife, Alison, and she said, "Right. Of course they are going to tell you that. That's exactly what Lehmann Brothers was telling Wall Street the week before they collapsed."

And sure enough, my hockey mom wife hit the nail on the head when WAMU collapsed last night and it was bought up by J.P. Morgan.

Don't worry Mayor McLaughlin. I ain't leaving Orland Park that easily.

-- Ray Hanania
http://www.radiochicagoland.com/

Orland Park officials fight the use of the word "deficit"

Get ready to have sugar sprinkled all over your heads by Mayor Dan McLaughlin.

The Southtown/Star changed their headline to remove the word "deficit." Mayor McLaughlin, who only four months ago painted a rosey future of Orland Park's development for the Orland Park Area Chamber of Commerce, told members of a Village Board at a meeting that was intentionally not publicized Monday, that the village is about $4.8 million short. The village fiscal year begins Oct. 1 and during this next budget session, the village will expand the budget year by three months to carry it through all of 2009 and re-align the new fiscal year to begin Jan. 2010, village officials told the OrlandParker.com.

Officials insist that they have a "hole" or a "gap," and they desperately don't want to call it a "deficit" or a "shortfall," even though that is exactly what it means to have a budget that is short on revenues to pay for programs that are ongoing.

Either the village can find new monies or can trim existing programs.

The budget "shortfall" is no small amount. For example, $4.8 million represents about 4 percent of the village's estimated $127 million budget -- McLaughlin told the Chamber it was $127 and Grimes says it is $129. There's $2 million gine right there, or $2 million more. Who knows?

Imagine the impact on the city of Chicago with it's budget of $3.2 billion (for the corporate budget only) if they had a 4 percent deficit or a shortfall -- and Chicago City Hall reporters would use exactly those terms to describe the budget "hole."

The budget shortfall would be the equivalent of $128 million, and that would be a huge tax hole to fill.

The only way to fill deficits and shortfalls is to raise new revenues. In this economy, which was bad when McLaughlin addressed the Chamber of Commerce and sugar-coated them to applause and absolutely no critical challenge (who wantsto be on the bad side of a vengeful mayor?), it is going to be tough to raise any new revenues.

County Board dictator, er President Todd Stroger's repressive 1 percent sales tax hike slammed Cook County this week, forcing everyone to drive from the Southwest suburbs to Will County where the sales tax is far lower to save huge costs. The last thing we need is a tax increase in Orland Park.

You may not have noticed but home after home in Orland Park is being confiscated by the demons who work for the local banks, who donate huge monies to the political coffers of our elected officials. People can't pay their mortgages and it's not just that many had those rip-off balloon mortgages that exploded with increases. Gasoline prices are sky-high, thanks to President George W. Bush and a phoney war on terrorism he ordered to that Vice President Dick Cheney's company, Halliburton, can make billions in profits from the war profiteering and the crappy equipment they provide to our soldiers.

It's all tied together. No taxpayer is an island!

In the next few weeks, I'll start posting the forms and information about the procedures you will need to run for office in Orland Park and in the Southwest Suburbs. We need new faces, new ideas and a new enthusiasm if we are going to survive. There are some great leaders in office in Orland Park and other government offices, but there are far too many incompetents who think that doing what they are supposed to do is enough to earn your accolades. It's not!

Ray Hanania
www.OrlandParker.com