Forest Park commissioner's feuding

Forest Park has a commissioner form of government. The elected commissioners aren't just board members they are department heads too. Dan Haley, the publisher of the Forest Park Review, wrote the commissioner gov't is obsolete.

Whether you like it or not, it is the form of gov't.

So Pat Doolin and Terry Steinback felt jerked around when the Calderone-Hosty-Gillian block rejected hiring Paul Burris as the director of the Public Works Department.

"The one opportunity that commissioner Steinbach and I had was voted down by a 3-2 vote," Doolin said. "We are now, in effect, ceremonial commissioners. We can’t even choose the director we work closely with. This evening was political theater. Because of playground politics a public servant has been sent on his way. It’s a damn shame. Three beats two every time and that’s just the way it is. They have destroyed the public works department. Our employees will not have any respect for me. Our director will not have any respect for me. We went through a 15 month search process that was dismantled in 15 minutes of political rhetoric. No valid reason was given tonight not to appoint Paul Burris."