Question for the FOP

We notice the FOP site has a new site design. We aren't sure if this is related to the site failure the day of the contract announcement, but it's a new design in any event. The contact person for the FOP site itself is raguilar@chicagofop.org.

The new design company is advertised at the bottom of the main page. Clicking on the link we find the bluelinewebs.com website which boasts the design of the FOP site, the FOP gift shop and the CPD hockey team. To e-mail the webmaster, there's a convenient link that is addressed to raguilar@bluelinewebs.com.

So the question is this:

• Is an FOP Field Rep, who already makes E-5 Captain's pay (D-5 for you old timers), receives a stipend for Committee service, is reimbursed dues money for attending a minimum number of meetings and another stipend for visiting roll calls, also being paid by the membership to design and maintain a website through a company he owns?

We think it needs an explanation at the very least. If he's doing this for free, three cheers for him. If he's doing it for publicity, well, no one is blaming him for planning ahead, but should he be advertising on our site? And if he's doing it for money, someone ought to wonder.