Let them eat cake

The $1800.00 send off wing-ding given Steve Etheridge is raising some eyebrows in Moline.

The bill for a going-away reception for former public-safety director Steve Etheridge is causing the city council to look at its policy Tuesday regarding such events.

The bill, pulled off the list of bills to be paid at last week's council meeting by Ald. Dorothy Armstrong, 7th Ward, was for $1,828.50.

The party was held Jan. 26 at Centre Station, Moline. The city was charged $7 a person for appetizers for 200 people, $1.90 a soft drink for 100 people, and $238.50 for gratuity.

Ms. Armstrong said she felt the bill was excessive, and she didn't believe that the city paid for going-away parties for everyone. "We had a cake for Dale Iman (the former city administrator) when he left," she said.

Well... maybe they were just really happy to see him go?

Public representitives routinely spend sums far in excess of this for dinners and fundraisers, but it's from their own campaign funds, not coming out of a city's cash-strapped coffers. For instance, Denny Jacobs dropped $9,401.05 at the same place for an August 25th fundraiser last year.