Voting is April 7th in the city of Peoria and there are a few things on this ballot I need to comment about....so my two cents....
2nd District Race: Some guy named Curphy Smith and Barbara Van Auken are running for this seat. I can't vote for this because I don't live in the 2nd but, I predict BVA will win handedly. Wait, BVA is up to her ass in a civil law suit by some Bradley frat boys over an allocation that happened September 19th, 2008. I have a post here about what I thought and this latest news is well covered here and here. I just would love to see the so-called-video (soon to be released?) of this situation. Videos don't lie and if there is one, well, let's have it frat! Curphy on the other hand is an Aaron Schock kiss ass. A couple of things here; First: most voting people in the second just love a drunken rabble rouser that will go up against big mean Bradley no matter how much in legal fees the City of Peoria will have to pay. Pay we will as I met with my friend last night who is in the know on these things and my friends says the City will have to legally defend her. If you represent the city, you can't go around like you are wearing a hospital gown. Your ass is always hanging out. BVA will get the votes. These blue bloods love this type of shit.
Second: Curphy Smith is a well educated guy and very capable of representing the 2nd. He won't win because of the blue bloods and because he thinks the museum is wonderful. If he thinks that, then kiss goodbye any funding for basic city services and police and fire. What the fuck would we need those guys for? We'll have glass towers and walkways to nowhere.
The Race for City Treasure: Let's see. We have Shadid and that douche bag Nichting running for this job. (Yes I am being polite) Bet this job pays over 6 figures a year and let's see, Nichting has been the 5th District councilman for some years now. Why oh why would Patrick Nichting all of a sudden want to serve all of us as city treasure? Well, think for a minute. Nichting has been paying into the IMRF (Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund) as a councilman for some years. You only need to pay into 8 years to become vested. So, on a councilman's wages, if you retired and the IMRF takes the last two years of your income and basis' that on your monthly retirement check, you'll be wearing a paper hat at McDonald's and having some 17 year old kid telling you to take the garbage out as a second job to survive. But, if you land a cushy 6 figure job for the city and then retire, you'll get a real nice tidy sum for your leisured years as, like I said, the IMRF figures your retirement on your last two years of income. IMO, This race Nichting is in is solely to set himself up to live off the dole, meaning us. Then heck, he could take a job delivering car parts for all he cares.
Vote Shadid. I don't know the guy but if this keeps Nichting's hands out of the taxpayer dole, then I'd vote for Idi Amin first. Page two...
The Museum Referendum: This should be defeated handedly but, and this is a big but, can we trust the vote count? Can we trust the County Board? The city would love nothing better than to sell this "sink hole" (What one of the Build the Block ads call it) to the county for 1 cent and wash their hands of this mess so they can work on screwing us for bonds on the new hotel that the private developers can't get financing for right now. In fact it seems that the Board is spending a great deal of time telling us this is what we need. They are also going to tell you that they need a bigger underground parking deck because of the zoning requirements for parking (probably $4 million more) which is bullshit because B-1 zoning has no such clause about parking. They want people to drive from Germantown Hills, enter the parking deck, secure and safe, ride an elevator to the museum, then leave the same way back to Germantown Hills. How is that going to stimulate downtown businesses when people never leave the block?? I know, tax downtown businesses 1% more to help with the new hotel! Yeah, more taxes always helps growth right? This is coming from the very same Republicans that abhor taxes.
No, you should vote NO on this because the government is involved and these are the same people that brought us the Garbage Fee (more or less). Remember Ronald Reagan when he said the most frightening 9 words a person can hear is; "I'm from the government and I'm here to help"? Be very afraid of this referendum folks because we, the taxpayers will be on the hook for this long after the movers and shakers and construction jobs are gone. Nothing will keep a Developer hanging around like keeping track of his own money and if this is such a win win, then let the Developers money flow.
Folks, It's better here and remember, there are 9 even scarier words out there; "I'm Sarah Palin, now show me the launch codes."
Good day!
14 comments:
"Developers"? If there are any of those left around here, they have no money. This isn't Chicago or NYC. It's measely little P-town, where we couldn't even get a fricking gambling boat. There is nothing here for the younger crowd except bars and chain restaurants and a ghost town open-air mall called The Shoppes. A museum downtown might actually bring shopping back downtown too. Eh, I dream big. Let's at least get a damn museum.
What about the 3rd district?
There's a third? Jus kiddin. Themis: I agree the museum is a wonderful thing, I just don't want to pay for it forever. If it is so great and going to be such a money maker, then why doesn't private investors flock to this? Why should there be a public tax to get it off the ground? How is this museum going to help downtown if it closes at 6pm? How is it going to help other businesses if people enter through an underground parking deck, go up to the museum, then exit through the deck? Seems to me they never make it out onto the streets of downtown.
IMAX Theater may help. I might support it with my paid attendance. I just don't want to pay for it with a never ending tax. Something on that block needs to generate some tax, not just absorb taxes.
And yes, there is a 3rd. I was looking forward to your comments.
Yes, the closing at 6pm is just wrong, especially on weekends. How can an IMAX survive if it all closes up at 6pm? I'm not saying this is the perfect design, but it is far better than some of the other designs. And I didn't see that the only entrance/exit is through an underground deck, so if true that is a legitimate issue too. I just don't think there are enough locals to get private investors involved, other than those who already are. I, too, will invest with my attendance, but Peoria needs some 'draw' to get other private businesses to invest in downtown. We lost the boat due to all the same crappola that seems to be going on with the museum. Frankly, I think many of the same people would be against it/were against it when it didn't involve a tax, save for Ramble.
BTW - PeoriaSpeaks.com members RAWK!
You got my vote for PeoriaSpeaks.com
Hey, PAP, don't know if you're aware, but Joe, the guy who runs Peoria dot com has been poaching blogs and putting them up as "forum topics" over there. Seems like it might affect the comments you get here if folks are commenting about your blog over THERE.
It's happening with several local bloggers. I'm assuming he's gotten permission to repost. Otherwise it would seem very inappropriate.
That Joe at Peoria.com, he's just pure evil to the core. Evil, I tell you! And he kicks babies.
and he kicks puppies too!
PeoriaSpeaks.com rawks!
and he kicks puppies too!
PeoriaSpeaks.com rawks!
Ok I see where a snip-it of my blog was posted on PDC by the admin. It contains a link right back here to my blog. I don't have a problem with that and it appears the admin is trying to incite "conversation" on the topic.
Oops! There goes the microwave bell, the cat must be done.
Themis: IMAX theaters are going broke all over the country. How long do you think Peoria could support one? Please don't vote YES on this referendum as the tax will never go away, it will be controlled by the County (not City) and they will end up raising it to support Bellwood, which is really why the County has jumped on this ship in the first place. If this thing is built, then private dollars must do it. We here in Peoria will very soon have to pay off the bonds for the failed Mid-Town Plaza and the sewer issue has yet to hit the money table. Don't be blinded by the light.
PAP, I live in the County, not the city, and at my age Belwood may be a good place for the tax $ to go! LOL
Seriously though, I get so frustrated with what has happened (and NOT happened) in my once-nice city that I find it difficult to live there. Why do people think the results will be different by doing the same old thing? So yeah, 2nd dist should vote for yet another 'businessman' for city council, Ardis should not have any competition, and thank goodness that damn Sandberg will soon be gone! Grrrrr
(Oh, and I hope those anonymous commentors do not speak for the PeoriaSpeaks forum members. Personally, I was just having a little fun with pdcjoe with my BTW above. Normally, his filter bypasses that word so it was a little test. :) Sorry, PAP!)
You forgot to mention that Van Auken is making a big cause of being strongly in favor of the museum referendum.
Post a Comment