Wherefore Art Thou Robert Ryan?

I am a resident of the apparently under-served 5th Ward in Park Ridge. Yes, 5th Ward Alderman Robert Ryan has the worst attendance record among all the aldermen, according to recent media coverage by our local newspaper. The Save Cumberland Coalition is a bit....hmmmm....how do you say?...confused....Ryan has introduced himself to us, his merry little band of constituents, and we have voiced our concerns about the Cumberland Extension. He was indeed present at the Public Safety Committee meeting that we all attended, and then again at the City Council meeting we attended as well. His words to us?
"It's never going to happen."
Now, those words should be uplifting to any group seeking support from their fearless aldermanic leader. We should all be able to breath a collective sigh of relief and do the happy dance in our Cumberland driveways.
But, now that his record has been revealed, "Ryan’s many absences have not deterred him from making decisions on significant City issues, however, and his decisions have often been contrary to the expressed desires of his constituents."
How should I process that bit of information?
Should I assume that he does indeed hear all of us? Should I assume he needs a hearing aid? Should I consider him Mayor Frimark's rubber stamp extraordinaire? Do I rush him to the hospital for a brain scan?
"Ryan missed only one Council meeting, but was MIA for a whopping 12 committee meetings in his first year in office even though he chairs no Council committees, and does not serve as a Council liaison to any other City committees or commissions."
As the Herald-Advocate editorial pointed out, he has “one of the lightest loads on the council.”
"He bucked an outpouring of opposition from his 5th Ward constituents when he voted to give the politically-connected developers of Executive Office Plaza a variance to add 8 units more than what the is permitted by the City’s zoning code. He also bucked his constituents living near St. Mary’s Episcopal Church with his support of a PADS homeless shelter there."

Does he know where we live? Should we send him a post card, "Wish You were Here?"

He is the only representative the people of the 5th Ward have to represent their interests in the City Council. If he doesn't show up, does that mean his constituents didn't show up either? Gee, why doesn't he call one of us to sub for him?

Are we supposed to wait for him to represent our concerns? The Save Cumberland Coalition isn't likely to wait for evidence that Robert Ryan has been listening. It is my fervent hope that we will actually run into him at a city council committee meeting..errr...maybe.....? Then we can get re-acquainted...again....
Cumberland Patriot