Recently in Napergate Category

Frequent and longtime guests and participants of this forum will recall discussion about how Naperville deploys its police force, and debate about whether the city needs such a presence of officers downtown.

We're about to find out. To help plug an $11 million shortfall, Naperville is looking at reducing its workforce by 40 positions citywide. To show how deep the cuts would go -- and just how serious this economic situation is -- nine positions would be eliminated from the police department, including the third downtown beat officer, its second crime prevention officer and its domestic violence investigator.

Do you think this forum played any role at all in the proposed cuts city officials are considering? Are you surprised by the cuts, or are they what you expected? (We've known for some time a hiring freeze was in place.) How well do you think city officials listen to input from constituents? How concerned are you about staffing cuts affecting public safety operations--in the police and fire departments?

Okay - you wanted it you got it. Moderator Jim here to open this new thread for the home page. The old threads, as you know, are easily accessible, but here's another one due to popular request. However, I would like to make a point that Ted has repeatedly made and I have reiterated. We here at the Naperville Sun can do nothing to further this matter without having access to an ongoing investigation, documentation and cooperation from the Napergate Man. So, please let's try to refrain from blaming the messenger.

The Naperville Police Department complied with our Freedom of Information Act request for a report of the July 8, 2006 arrest of Basim Esmail, the liquor store owner behind the series of Napergate ads that ran in The Naperville Sun years ago. Here's a copy of what they gave us.

With all the attention on the election this week, few noticed the city council met. In what must have been a record-short 40-minute session conducted by a body known for often convening past midnight, the council continued discussion about taxing downtown restaurants in order to pay for a new parking deck next to the downtown library.

Was Basim Esmail, the liquor store owner who orchestrated the Napergate series of newspaper ads in the 1990s, unfairly targeted for arrest and harassment by Naperville police in 2006?

In Sunday's Sun we feature - or revisit - the case of the Napergate Man. A liquor store owner who believed he was unfairly targeted by Naperville government officials back in the early '90s, he battled long and hard against City Hall and won. He became such a thorn in the side of city officials they eventually setlled with him after a lengthy court battle.

Although the Napergate man was a local businessman, his case does have some parallels with the current federal civil rights lawsuit brought by Councilman Dick Furstenau against the City of Naperville and several of its officials. We thought this was the right time to go back and take a look at the Napergate man and you can read all about him ONLY in this Sunday's (1.20) Sun. Be sure to tell us what you think - or, if you want to get the party started now, fire away you bloggers. And, try to stay warm this weekend. It's hard to type with frostbitten fingers.

We've got a host of personalities populating this corner of cyberspace. Who do you like, and why?

Time's up: A year has passed since the Naperville City Council imposed a one-year no-build restriction on 6 acres near Plainfield-Naperville Road and West Street, between two bodies of water owned by the Naperville Park District. Unless the City Council takes further action, a developer could move forward with plans to build homes on the land. What should happen with the Ponds of Hobson West?

In response to a comment by Marybeth posted today, we have a Napergate ad that ran in The Sun.

NOTE: There's more discussion about Napergate where it started in the Free Form Friday thread and in some of the Furstenau threads.

Every so often we like to ask Potluck visitors to suggest what topics you want to discuss. So here's your chance. Tell us what issues you want to talk about.