Get Your Town of Cicero Rubber Chickens
Cicero has long been a town whose motto should be, "Do as I say, not as I do." In the latest story to come from our suburban neighbor to the west the Sun-Times reports that the town has spent over $600,000 since 2005 on giveaways such as pencils, ice scrapers, pencils, pens and highlighters, and other crap tchotchkes from a company owned by a member of a town board. To make sure that nepotism - a Cicero town tradition - is also covered, the woman who sits on the board is also the daughter of Cicero's town trustee.
Rosemary Konz sits on a Cicero town board that weighs in on real estate development in the burb, owns a Downers Grove-based business called You & Me that specializes in customized ca-ca like this that the town gives away to seniors, schoolchildren and area residents. Among the items purchased by Konz's company, emblazoned with the name of Cicero Town President Larry Dominick, over the years include:
- 9,500 backscratchers
- 30,000 custom balloons
- 11,200 beach balls
- 4,000 ice cream scoops
- 4,000 sticks of lip balm
- 5,000 nail files
- 5,000 mouse pads
- 250 rubber chickens
That is stuff you couldn't give away as prizes at a carnival.
Konz, the daughter of Cicero Town Trustee Lorraine Walsh, doesn't disclose that her company does business with the town in annual statements, despite language in the statement specifically calling to do so.
Town spokesman Ray Hanania said he doesn't see a conflict of interest here. But financial records show the fortunes of Konz's company have benefited greatly from Dominick's tenure as Cicero President. From 2002-2005, You & Me did $57,000 in total business.
