Send in the Clowns, Too Late, They Already Bought Us….

God I love this town.  Politics and deals being made behind the scenes so we plain old dumb folks can sit back, relax and enjoy the community and watch it grow, not.  Backroom deals?  In Peoria?  Say it isn’t so…

What the hell am I talking about?  Well, for one, CJ has a great post on the Kellar Branch rail line and how it seems that “family” has gotten together and bought the line so they could most likely make an anal retentive walking trail out of a perfectly good rail line.  Read CJs post and jump back here as I agree with all his points.

Ok, for those that don’t know, Kellar Branch rail runs from downtown through the north end and up into the Heights, through that bustling community and out past Junction City which is owned by a guy named Alexis Khazzam, not to be confused with the kid in the 60s show that yelled “Shazam!” and was transferred into a super hero gay looking dude with a cape (Captain Marvel)  and would fight crime although “our” Khazzam has enough money and apparently a wealthy and savvy father in law to buy anything he wants including train sets, read, rail line.  Ironically, Captain Marvel’s alter ego was named Billy, not to be confused with Billy our hero blogger who neither wears a cape nor flies.

OK, back to the father in law, Thomas Leiter,  who apparently is the dude that bought both CIRY and PIRY lines which, if he wanted to, and will probably will do, is going to abandon the line opening up the rail to be made into a trail.  He apparently has been making backroom deals to acquire the railroad and it’s rights.  I guess if you have the money, you have the right to make deals but when it comes to public property or the rights to which the rail sits on, owned by us, the City of Peoria, well then we should at least know by being informed from our council representatives.  But noooooo…… Some one pass the meat tray please.  Is that wine?  Another martini Barbara?  Pass the rail line deed please.

This will also open up all our wallets, again, because that “black hole for money” better known as the Peoria Park District will most likely have to pay to keep the upkeep on the trail which means tax dollars.  Yep, folks, we the taxpayer get it in the ass again all so a small elite group can don their spandex and walk/run/ride the trial. Why hell, with the trail and the new museum, shit, all those tourists dollars rolling in one won’t even smell the shit in the river from the sewer overflow while strolling the safe riverfront. Bang Bang

Only thing is, I’ll bet the trail south of the Heights, through the north end and down to the Riverfront won’t hardly be used.  Why?  Well it won’t take long for Peoria’s scumbags to figure out that easy robbery targets will be using “their” path through the neighborhood.  Hell, even Mr. Rogers can see that the police will have a hard time protecting a big stretch of the trail.  But you can bet it will be used out north past Junction City were the elite like to sweat and stop for lattes.  Or do the elite even sweat? 

No matter.  What’s business and jobs to Peoria?  An industrial park that was serviced by a rail line goes under completely. Who cares?  What do jobs matter here?  Of course there are plenty of jobs in the service or custodial fields, ya know, waiting on the wealthy and cleaning up after them? Unfortunately, these jobs don’t provide wages to buy homes, cars, washer machines, refrigerators, and flat screen TVs.  Even Stevie Wonder can see that with all the Rent A Centers and cash Stores this town supports, good paying jobs are far and few between.  Hell, we can’t even support a Krispy Kreme doughnut shop in Peoria.  How uppity is that?

Once again, our “movers and shakers'” our leaders, which we seem to vote in term after term, got it wrong again.  What do I know?  I’m just a Peorian, a homeowner, a taxpayer.  How dare I question how some zealots spend my money.  Why the nerve!  Peoria has it ass backwards again especially if this rail to trail is allowed to go forward.  It’s not a matter of sore losers, it should be a matter of priorities.  Sound business decisions which of late, seem far and few from our city government.  

We need to drop the frills, the museums, the San Diego Zoo in Glen Oak, where our winters would freeze the balls off a moose let alone a giraffe. We need to stop providing yet more money to the Park District.  Wait until they announce that the RexPlex is in need of millions of dollars in repairs and upgrades.  Think not?  Remember where you read it.

How many cities have a feces alert when it rains?  We do. How many cities have a Mayor that prays for crime to go away, does nothing about crime, then is amazed when a higher court overturns a conviction from our State’s Attorney’s office and allows an idiot kid, who fired 5 shots in a high school to hit the streets in 3 years? Too little too late Mayor?  To be fair here, the Appellate Court thought the sentence was a tad too long.  After all, it was only five shots in a crowed hallway at a high school.  Poor misguided youth must have been scared the cops would beat him. Those judges in Ottawa need this kid to move into their neighborhood when he’s released.  Maybe he can do some yard work for the judges??

Our State’s Attorney is also prosecuting 3 police officers for allegedly beating up a known street thug and drug dealer (who is now serving time)after a cross town high speed chase because of a video which only shows part of the arrest?  It’s a police video no less.   Me thinks the police may act a tad bit slower when responding to crime.  After all, we can’t mess these criminals hair up while arresting them but damit, we’ll have a trail!

Wow, rails, trails, crime, frozen balls on giraffes, lions and tigers, oh my. We seem to have our priorities backwards here in AIROEP.  

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Where’s Our Heads Department…

The city is going to cut services to the neediest part of the population first and then you can bet it will filter right up to the middle income folks via higher costs to put out your garbage, get a six pack of beer, higher property taxes if you own a home, a water fee based on your usage, never mind we have the garbage fee on our water bills now, which doesn’t go to garbage at all.  But hey, a water usage fee will apply to all and just not residential.  Will it?  Will St Francis Hospital and Methodist pay the usage fee?  I’ll bet they will weasel out of it but other businesses will and they will pass this cost on to you, the consumer which will make it even harder for small, local businesses to stay afloat, and then we might have even more empty store fronts.

Never mind the high salaries this city pays to top police officers who push a desk, or the city manager, or the city clerk.  Never mind the money spent on logos, promises to various developers in TIF districts which never appeared. (see ballpark)  Nor the loss of money spent on that new building on Main Street which sits mostly empty.  Please don’t recall the millions promised for that new hotel downtown which has brought more developers forward to ask for millions from us for their hotels.  Or the great museum that is still millions underfunded yet we will pay for a tax very soon for it’s building even though CAT seems to have backed out on their part. 

Forget the funds spent on ornamental lighting in neighborhoods and arbors, just for looks.  Or money spent to move a street for a baseball park, which was to spawn growth around it after it was built.  It hasn’t.  Never mind the sidewalks and hanging baskets in Ren-Park which the city paid for for hospital development. Nothing has happened there.  The hospitals are building out north on Route 91, not in Ren-Park as envisioned.  Then when someone wants to tear down an old Walgreen’s which has been empty for years, build a useful apartment building with some light retail, what happens?  People bitch because they don’t want this or that or a parking lot or a pool or the color is wrong or the sidewalks aren't wide enough or a buffer zone isn’t correct or a window faces the wrong way.  Fuck, no wonder businesses find it tough here.  You have to please every single swinging dick that comes along.  Maybe they should just forget it and leave the rotting Walgreen’s where it is.

Then you got those that fight over the schools.  The public schools which here in Peoria are made up of over 70% poor children because the upper crust as flown to Dunlap or across the river.  Never mind the District 150 has very dedicated teachers and is dealt the students they have.  They can not pick and choose.  We have parents who berate and constantly question every aspect of the administration of our schools.  Of course no one on Wisconsin Ave is doing anything right.  Never mind the money has dried up because the city has made TIFs and Enterprise zones out of most of it’s boundaries stifling much needed funds for our schools.  Yet, no parent addresses this or even questions the raping of the district by Knapp in 1999 with the teacher’s contract.  That contributed to today’s money woes too.  One wonders how one could sell and market homes in Peoria out on side of their mouth while bashing the school district 24/7 out the other.  Even the term “Wacky Wednesdays” hurts the schools image even though the shorten Wednesdays has been seen as correct by an outside consultant. Bet that chapped some asses?

And while we are on schools, watch the shit hit the fan when Ross again doesn’t get to be President of the school board.  She shouldn’t be either simply because she thinks it is her turn she should have it.  Wrong, she isn’t qualified to be Board President, no matter how long she has taken up space on the Board.  It is Ross’s attitude that she deserves to be President because she is entitled to be President.  Entitled?  Well, whether she gets it or not, she won’t change a thing.  Why? Because people have drug our public schools through the mud for so long, that even if they got their way 100%, the district’s image is ruined.

Before we start hurting the poor and low wage earners of this city with cut backs and additional fees for services, we should start at the top.  No police Captain deserves a 6 figure salary here nor does any city administrator. Want 6 figures?  Go to New York.  We don’t need to support Heartland Group or the Chamber of Commerce or the Visitor's Bureau.  They have all failed miserably.  Otherwise, how can they explain the lack of support for the museum and other pet projects or the failed and often flooded riverfront?  Upper city staff should see a cut in pay and benefits, not the guy/gal that is out cleaning and fixing or streets. The city council shouldn’t see any pay at all until the city is in the black, crime is down, and our schools are properly funded. When those things start to happen, then you deserve pay as you are then doing your jobs.  Quit frankly, some on the council should hit the door but their heads and egos wouldn’t fit.

If that means you quit, so be it.  I don’t know why we always have to look outside Peoria for people to lead us or run our services.  Look at what happened with the Superintendent of Schools (read Royster), or for a police chief, or City Manager.  I truly believe Peoria has talented people right here that will step up if given the chance.  Outsider’s come in, say they love the place, get a great contract (something they will gladly deny a union worker)  and when the shit hits the fan, they are gone with a nice stimulus package in their wallet, to the next town. Just because you pay more doesn’t mean you always get the best.

Bottom line, with a new hotel and museum this town will look great.  Too bad it will be mostly empty. 

Some Explaining Department…

I was going to turn on Comment Moderation because my famous asshole friend appears to have managed to use Chinese language characters and is posting comments to my site.  After checking the IP addresses of people that visit, none were from China or Korea.  But, there are some with the “famous” IP address of my hateful friend.  I am not going to moderate comments and will just delete the Chinese ones that come in.  I want people to tell me what they think whether they agree or disagree with my opinions.  I don’t mind and can take the criticism but I will not tolerate someone picking on my employer as I don’t mention my employer here.  That is where I draw the line.

Other things going on around here is the Hardy Boys showed up last week to install a sidewalk up Laramie hill from Antoinette St to Harmon Hwy on the east side where there has never been a sidewalk before.  People walk in the street to go to Madison Park and it is dangerous with the traffic.

Why do I say the Hardy Boys.  Because it apparently takes two to three city supervisors to get them to work and they love to park their brand new with new city logo SUVs across my driveway.  The company doing the work is a private company so I guess the city wants to make sure the grant money is well spent.

Grant money?  Yes because our 1st District councilman, Gulley, can’t seem to get any funds other than one time grants for the south end and then the council throws us a bone. “Look, we’re putting money into the neighborhood!”  I say horseshit!

More like, when money comes around on the horse shoe, Van Auken and Spears say “Sit Gulley,  Roll over Gulley, we need the money for ornamental lighting or drainage or a new arbor Gulley.”  So we here survive on the lonesome once every ten year grant.

The sidewalks they are putting in come without curbs and without storm drains.  Just cut a path with an end loader, lay the concrete, and you’re done!

Well almost except the Hardy Boys hit an AT&T buried cable which meant all through the holiday weekend, the street was closed while 10 AT&T trucks worked on the cable.  Oops!

Which brings me to today coming home to find two city cars blocking the street so they could talk. (Don’t they have cell phones or radio?)  A truck was trying to get around them while they blocked the street.  This truck was towing a long trailer loaded with construction stuff and I was trying to come the other way also trying to get around them.  Would they move?  Nope.  The truck was idling, waiting as was I when the truck’s engine stopped.  Wouldn’t start. Guess whose driveway it blocked?  No place to park as the city has cars parked everywhere as do the construction people. 

It wasn’t the truck’s fault.  It was the city’s fault.  Want to save money City of Peoria?  We could do save with less supervisor SUVs.  

Headlines I’d Like to See Department…

Hog Farm to be built at Weaver Ridge….

A hog farm will be built just inside the Weaver Ridge sub-division to the right of the golf course.  Peoria City Zoning, which couldn’t be reached for comment said the farm will comply with current non existing zoning laws they never follow.  City Council will vote on the farm Tuesday and with a landscaping fence and a few bushes to be installed by the developer as a buffer. It is expected to pass 11-1.

 

Two Traffic Lights are timed by the City….

Two traffic lights were finally timed by the city street department today.  Workers finally read the instructions that came with the up to date traffic signals and figured out to sync these lights together so traffic could actually make two traffic lights in a row.  They refused to publish the location of these signals. Sadly there is no hope for the University overpass signals and traffic will be forced to stop at each signal and watch the next one turn red or as it is known at the street department, The Sterling Ave Syndrome.

 

Peoria Public Schools to open in Fall…

Despite what the news is reporting and what some parent groups are doing, school will start in the fall and children will go and be taught.  “This has been happening in Peoria for over the last 100 years and will continue.” a board member wishing not to be identified said.  A spokesperson for an angry parent group said they will try and disrupt anything and everything the Board and school admin does and will continue to give the schools the bad reputation they deserve and make sure it is broadcast so the whole community suffers  rather than work with anyone who can’t see past their narrow ways.  One parent protestor going by the name “DV” said she’ll continue to disrupt board meetings with her rants while selling homes outside District 150.

 

Well Known Blogger to run for City Council….

Billy Dennis, a well known blogger and publisher of The Peoria Pundit has decided to throw his size 11 hat into the ring for At-Large City Council run.  Mr. Dennis, while eating pizzas at Whitey’s Bar and Lap Dance Grill said he would smoke (no pun intended at the pig farm) any and all that came up against him in the race. Mr. Dennis also said he was tired of sitting at the Journalist table listening to the constant haggling from some council members during meetings.  He has decided he can fit into the horseshoe and if elected hopes to enjoy the free meat tray provided to council members before each meeting. 

 

Local Blogger Witnesses Tragic Death….

CJ, a local blogger that runs a very popular blog site here in Peoria witnessed a tragic incident last night at a neighborhood community meeting hosted by Councilwoman Barbra Van Auken.  It’s still not sure if CJ’s quite demeanor and the fact that he can sit perfectly still at any meeting and wait to the end to ask a question had anything to do with Ms Van Auken’s demise.  CJ has been known to be confused with the statue of Abe Lincoln at the County Courthouse while waiting for a bus. When CJ finally got a chance to ask a question, it so infuriated Van Auken, her hair spontaneously caught fire.  Some quick thinking citizen acted quickly and threw a bucket of water on her to stifle the flames and she melted.  “I’m melting….” were her last words.  Ms Van Auken narrowly missed another tragedy when a house fell inches from her some years ago.  Arrangements to be announced.

 

City to Buy Used Blimp….

The City of Peoria is buying a used Goodyear blimp at a mere $150,000 so the city council, mayor, and city staff can take developers up on a slow ride over our city and show then the exact boundaries of TIF District’s and Enterprise zones.  Councilman Sandberg again reject the buying of this blimp saying that it was a waste of money and besides, all of Peoria is already in a TIF or an Enterprise Zone, so what’s the point?  The Mayor stated this blimp will spurn economic development and might even reduce crime.  “A low flying slow moving blimp will help act as a deterrent towards criminals on our streets.” the Mayor said.

 

City’s New Blimp Crashes!

The City’s recently bought blimp crashed today.  It is suspected that while flying low over the East Bluff, a gang member took a random pop shot at the blimp causing it to explode and crash into 3 empty and neglected rental houses.  The city zoning department said it was a shame because they were just hours away from acting on these abandon homes before the blimp crashed into them.  No word on who was on board the blimp but fear is all was lost.  Only 17 clipboards and a hair piece were found at the scene. 

 

Have a Happy Fourth of July!!!!

Born on the Fourth of July Department…

Well Saturday is the Fourth of July and we Americans will do what we are excellent at doing.  Spending money, eating out, and just plain old partying to celebrate our Independence.  From what though?  I mean, the original day was to celebrate our independence from England and the fact that we are a country on our own.  Now, we seem to be a country lost.  It seems we are no longer a government by the people for the people but are run by special interest groups, political action committees (PACs) and oil executives backed by Wall Street rip offs.

Yes this puts a spike right through the ol cook out and fireworks.  On the national level, we are fucked.  Locally, our city council can’t even come together on garbage collection. We are taxed without proper representation because these people in power dream up ways to tax and tax us again.  Yet we blindly go on like sheep.

That all aside, I am going to celebrate the Fourth for two reasons.

Reason one; I am a Viet Nam era vet and even though at the time I came home, I couldn’t even wear my uniform without getting a slur and at times spit on, I am going to honor the veterans of our country by displaying my flag.  The American Flag.  I am not going to put a yellow car magnet on my car or a sticker that says: “Support Our Troops” because people who do those things are to me phony son of a bitches.  Oh OK, I hear these people.  They say we support our troops, but as long as the bombs don’t go off in my suburban backyard and damage my boat, Ski-doo, or my 8 ton SUV I need to get to the mall.  These type of people have never really witnessed what a war really is or the death that goes with war.  They are just concerned as they watch the evening news from their tri-floor country estate with their 2 and a half kids and dog.

Americans have become too soft, greedy, and yes, we have become corrupt,  It is going to cost us sooner or later and I am afraid it will be sooner rather than later.

I don’t talk much about my experiences when I was overseas and I have only told a few people about the time I saw a LTJG (that’s lieutenant junior grade, US Navy) get his face blown off.  I still think about that day every now and then but maybe that is what gives me balance and why I am so cynical sometimes.  I don’t know. Read my friend’s blog.  He knows where I am coming from and he has been in worse.  He knows. Thank you Larry.  You served.

Reason Two; I was born on the Fourth of July.  So I guess I am a real live nephew of my Uncle Sam.  I have great memories of my birthdays when I was a kid growing up in a neighborhood that close off our dead end court and held a huge Fourth of July bash. 

Whatever your celebration, stop and think about the people, the veterans, all of them, that gave so much so you can party without fear of a bomb going off, or the secret police coming and arresting you in the middle of the night. 

I thank our fore fathers for their courage to start our country and I thank our soldiers for their courage to keep our country safe.  I just wish we could roast a politician at each party across this nation and along with them, a lobbyist.  I still feel bad that I gave away my uniform when I came home.  Not like I could fit into it today though.

As for support…been there done that.

Happy Fourth of July! 

PAP Eats Crow Department…

Yes, when I’m wrong, I will admit it just thank the Lords of Cobalt that doesn’t happen very often…

You know the speeding ticket I posted about?  And.. How I wondered if a certain police officer wasn’t writing tickets just to be handing out tickets to innocent people?  That officer was Officer Greg Metz.  Anyone who has been around Peoria any length of time and has gotten a ticket, probably knows of Metz. 

I was wrong.  I was speeding and I deserved the ticket.  I am going to class to not only have the ticket removed from my record, but to help me review my driving habits and hopefully be safer in the future.

How did this come about?

First, the car I have just went out of warranty.  Ever since I bought the car new, it has had a mystery chime.  Now every time an idiot light appears, the low fuel light comes on, or any indicator suggesting oil change etc etc, it chimes.  This chime happens about once a month and yet nothing appears.  The dealer has gone through the car with a fine tooth comb and even changed the software for the computer system, yet, the mystery chime prevails.  I have given up trying to figure out why it chimes and just live with it. What does this have to do with Metz and speeding?

Not more than a day after I got the ticket, I was watching the speedometer on my car closely, more so since the ticket.  Much to my surprise, the speedometer dropped to zero and bam! the chime went off.  No sooner than I could say; “What the f…..”, the speedometer went back to registering the current speed.  That was it!  The mystery chime was the sensor that records the speed of the car and it was failing every now and then.  The dealer said it shouldn’t cost more than the rights to my first born white male and while they were checking it, they said it probably will register off the real speed of the car by as much as 5mph, maybe more until the computer is reset. (By stopping the engine, then restarting the car)

Ok, back to the ticket day.  The police car I saw at Nebraska was not Officer Metz, but another officer.  My radar detector was going off not because of this squad car, but because a block up at Meadows and Sheridan, Officer Metz was doing radar.  I didn’t see him sitting there on my left and when I saw the police car coming up from behind, I assumed it was the car I saw at Nebraska.   I assumed wrong.  He probably did get me dead to rights.  Assumption is mother of all screw-up's.  I should know this by now.

My faith has been fully restored in our fine officers and in Officer Metz.  Good thing I didn’t get out and poke Officer Metz in the chest and tell him; “Do you know who I am!” “I’m a blogger!”  I’m sure that would have worked. Time to review my driving habits.

So, How long does one heat crow in the microwave? 

Police State Department…

Let me throw this out….  Police here in Peoria write tickets.  For speeding and running red lights and usually when we are caught, we either think; “I wasn’t speeding or the light was still yellow” or sometimes we know we have been busted and take our licks.

Then there is a Peoria Police Officer by the name of Greg Metz.  Anyone who has had a ticket by him, remembers it.  He is highly decorated and lauded by the Police Department and has probably written more DUIs downstate than anyone.  That’s a good thing. But consider for moment….

About 3 years ago, I was driving west on Main Street just passing Bourland in the right land.  Traffic was fairly heavy and the light ahead at University just went red.  I was slowing and noticed an officer going east on Main, turn on his lights, pop a U-turn.  I pulled even closer to the curb, by the Chinese place next to One World, thinking he must have a call and I need to give him space.  Much to my surprise, he pulled up behind me.  Got out and pronounced I was going 36 in a 30.  What?  That is impossible and I told him he must be mistaken.  After all how could he have picked me out in all those cars, popped a U turn and pulled me over.  I got the ticket and he apologized for stopping me and told me to take the class to get it off my record.  That was Officer Greg Metz.  Ok, can’t fight this, so I took the class, paid $125 to do it, and the ticket is gone. Hey, maybe I was speeding and day dreaming.  He’s an officer of law, why would he say I was if I wasn’t?  How did he catch me?  He was going the other way and there were a lot of cars around me?  Oh well..

Now today, driving north on Sheridan Rd.  Doing 30 mph and come to the light at Nebraska. On my right is a police car that is stopping because the light just turned red for him.  My radar detector is going off like crazy.  It’s Metz.  The light goes green, I head north on Sheridan with 3 cars behind me.  As I approach McClure I can see in my mirror the flashing headlamps and red and blue lights of a police car going up fast from behind.  The cars behind me, all 3 of them pull to the side as he passes and I do too.  Surprise! He pulls in behind me.  What the fuck?  41 in a 30!  Bullshit.  He asks for no license, no insurance card, just the year of the car.  Goes back and within 3 minutes, I have a ticket for 41 in a 30 and it says at Meadows and Sheridan.  I couldn’t have gotten a car up to 41 by Meadows Ave if it was a dragster! That is just a block past Nebraska.  I say that is impossible.  He says.  “It is, just take the class!”

Ok, I can whine about this but what good what it do?  I’ll take the class and be out $125 again.  But, what if Officer Metz is just writing tickets to be writing tickets?  What recourse do we have?  I was not speeding and how could he tell I was with 3 cars between us?

I am now convinced that Metz is a cowboy.  He’d write his mother a ticket and like the time on Main St he was wrong and he was wrong again.  My respect for the police has just dropped a bit today because this guy writes tickets and nobody calls him on it.  Who would know?  I mean, a highly decorated cop against your word?

It scares me……. This time it really does because I was aware of him at the light, my radar detector was sounding like a trapped bird, and I was watching my speed.  Yet, inside of 3 minutes, I got ticketed for going 11 mph over the limit.  Bullshit.

Maybe someone should hold some of our officers responsible for their actions? Who is to say that Metz simply was making his monthly quota?  Who is to say that an officer like Metz, can’t simply pick someone out and write them a ticket?  Who is going to fight it? Nope, like sheep, we simply either pay or take the class and hope we can avoid contact the next time….  No, after thinking about this and the last time, I am sure something is wrong here. Because of the last time, I was fully aware of Metz and my actions as far as my driving.  I was fucked.  Now Metz owes me dinner at least.  After all, dinner and a good screwing go hand in hand right? 

Yeah yeah, shut up and pay the fuckin ticket.  Move on…..