Where's the fairness in this?
In my 40 years of operating Ye Olde Town Inn in Mount Prospect, I have never seen such a blatant abuse of Mount Prospect taxpayers' money for the benefit of one individual or business.
I am, of course, speaking of the village permitting the owner of the Blues Bar, Errol Oztekin, to be the sole benefactor of a public event by adding a "Blues Festival" to the upcoming Fine Arts Festival.
The Fine Arts Festival is a Mount Prospect event, held on public property, organized by a public commission and promoted with public funds. As a taxpayer I'm entitled to question the mayor and trustees how Errol Oztekin gets the sole privilege of profiting from my taxes.
I would have, as I'm sure other Mount Prospect businesses would also, been willing to sponsor a Blues Festival or even participated if I knew I could. Heck, I think a Blues Festival is a good idea, and I'd rename my restaurant Ye Olde Blues Inn and kick in money to pay for all the entertainment and more just for the exclusive perks alone.
What business owner wouldn't like having their village board sanction and tax dollars pay to promote their business by having public employees hang a banner on their building, being the only one on fliers and with a link on their village's web site.
Should the mayor, trustees, village manager, special events committee or Mr. Oztekin claim the Blues Festival will benefit all Mount Prospect businesses, then the village should stop exclusively promoting Mr. Oztekin's bar by telling people to visit the Blues Bar web site for details and that the party continues at the Blues Bar; and start promoting all the businesses so their hard-working, taxpaying owners can directly benefit also.
Furthermore, if the mayor, trustees, village manager and special events committee claim Mr. Oztekin came to them with the idea, then shame on them for giving Mr. Oztekin the entitlement to exclude others and kudos to Mr. Oztekin for having the influence to get the exclusive use of a public event and taxpayers' money for his personal promotion.
Tod Curtis
Mount Prospect