VIP Thinks Above Law

A Very Important Person, or perhaps we should say a Wilmette Important Person, is in the news this week. This "public servant" publicly disgraced himself. Wilmette Life:

Police took a District 39 School Board member from his Wilmette home in handcuffs Friday night, accused of striking an Evanston police officer with his car, then leaving the scene.

Greg C. Polan, 50, was cited for allegedly disobeying a police officer, failing to give aid and information at the scene of an accident, disobeying a traffic control device, failing to have proof of insurance, and reckless driving, all misdemeanors, Evanston Police Cmdr. James Pickett said.

Polan, the owner of Alltown Bus Service, which provides transportation to thousands of area school children daily, allegedly ignored a police order to stop Friday, then struck uniformed off-duty police officer Kevin Jacobs in the arm with his 2006 Bentley Coupe. Evanston police said Polan ran a red light a block away from where Jacobs was said to have been struck.

Jacobs was unhurt.

Apparently board member Polan had a bad week, having lost a few transportation accounts. I haven't tracked this for a while, but I wonder if the PTA is still using his buses for their field trips, after many of its members supported his election and reelection? I believe New Trier High School is a customer.

A few Wilmette School Board members were in the news not all that long ago when we learned that they had, at least in the past, taken strenuous measures to have their property taxes reduced, and at least one had voted with the board majority to hire attorneys to fight property owners who sought the same relief. Story here and response.

After this "unfortunate incident" perhaps Board Member Polan will look at the bright side. If he is forced to resign, then his company will be able to bid on the Wilmette Public Schools bus contract, which I imagine was eventually the plan anyway. And The Board can appoint another crony to the open position without having to bother going through an election. Perhaps a previous board member who was an "education consultant", joining a board which also includes a lawyer who specializes in schools.

There's always enough back scratching to go around around here.

UPDATE:Wilmette blog reports Polan's court date in Skokie is July 13th.