Open Letter to District 150...

Dear District 150,

I defend you every chance I get on my blog and in comments on other blogs.  I have had threatening phone calls for my opinions but I have always thought our District is doing the best it can.  Now I am sure the reasons behind the recent firing will come out in the long run and just maybe all the Pundits on these blogs will be wrong, I sure hope so.  In fact I am confident it will.

I am positive that the Administration, staff, and teachers are working for the greater benefit of our kids.  I know this is true because unlike many other media outlets, including so called media blogs, I have seen the successes that this District has turned out first hand.  I know many teachers and I know how hard their jobs are.  My own son, while not a District teacher, is a high school teacher and I know first hand his dedication. His entire K through 12th grade education is from District 150 and he graduated with honors from ISU.

I know the demographic of children you have to teach with a majority being from poor and sometimes broken families. We have 13 and 15 year olds pulling armed robberies in Peoria and I know this District doesn't have the choice to pick and choose it's students like a private school has.  You work with our children the best you can and I firmly believe despite the picketers and nay sayers that pop up every so often like a spring tulip, this District deals with the cards it has the best it can. 80% of the bad perception this District has comes from fewer than 3% of those who make the most noise.  Sometimes these people may be right but if they are wrong, then like I have seen over the years, they disappear, but the damage is done in the eyes of the public.

I truly believe that MR Hinton and his staff are not there to see how much they can loot from the system.  Nor do I believe that all the teachers are incompetent.  We have some very talented and highly educated people in our District and that is why after over 30 years of observing your meetings, I know that the children have always been Job 1.  This despite the various groups of parents parading their demands and pointing of fingers either at meetings or in blogs.

I have no problem with concerned parents and taxpayers wanting to know how things are being decided.  It is our right to know and sometimes it seems you, the District ignore these rights but then running a multi million dollar District like ours is complex and can be confusing to the lay person on the sidelines and a simple explanation would go along way for us folks.

That is why despite the fact this latest issue of a firing of a Principal, alleged theft of funds will be handled by those in the know and I truly hope that if any wrong doing has been done, it will be corrected.  I will not jump on the band wagon of speculation like is being done in the media and on some local blogs.  It seems many there on these "blogs" are either laid off lawyers, brain surgeons, or rocket scientists and they have all the answers.  If some cases, they have already made up their minds.  I'll be satisfied to wait.

Why? Well, you are about to seat a new Board member and although I do not know her I know of her and I think she'll be truthful to the public she serves. I think the other Board members will also see this investigation through properly. 

I know that in every business, government and private, there are those that ride the gravy train and "milk"  for all they can get.  You have people that get 13 sick days a year and think they MUST use everyone no matter how much it costs the company. 

I also believe that most those that serve on the School Board do so giving of their time and experiences even if it's just life experiences. They are not paid one dime.  I do think one board member sits there because simply she can and even though I don't agree with her 99% of the time, she is there and they all work.  I see no free trips to the Bahamas for these people nor do I see free cars, but I do see scorn and resentment thrown many times at these people by those who seem to come out of the woodwork, then in a few years are gone. 

I wish you the best District 150 and I believe that these trying times will pass as they have in the past with other problems and you will prevail. 

Thank you,  Randall L Emert Sr   Peoria Anti-Pundit.

Things I know....

1. Dick Cheney is on TV telling everyone who will listen what he thinks is right and Obama is wrong.  Trouble is, the last 8 years, Cheney hasn't been right once.  Time to go hunting Dick.

2. We, or those that cared enough to vote, voted a new tax for a museum.  There are so many things that Peoria needs but it is a museum we will get.  Read Lollygaggin and see what Peoria faces.

3. Shep Smith on Fox News restored what little faith I had in Fox News, and that isn't much.  He had the balls to say torture is torture and America shouldn't be fucking torturing.  (his words)

4. Stay the fuck out of Wal-Mart when East Bluff Barbie is there, or at least keep your eyes up.

5. Seems like CAT is now wondering that maybe committing money to the new museum right now isn't such a good idea. I think they will build their Visitor Center when economic times dictate it feasible.  After all, laying off thousands of workers and then spending millions on a Visitor Center seems cruel and not real smart.  I'll bet the VC is on hold too.

6. Peoria.com wants to do a podcast between me and the Peoria Pundit because we seem to rub each other the wrong way.  I told them no and I'm not a big fan of Peoria.com anyway because I just don't plain like one of their moderators.

7.  My police friend told me there is much more to the story on this latest District 150 cluster fuck.  The firing of a Principal.  My friend told me the shit hasn't hit the fan as of yet and there is much much more to the story. Stay tuned. (and No, my friend wouldn't tell me either)

8.  I'm sick of rain!!!!  Please copy/paste this and send it to me in July when we haven't seen a drop of rain and my lawn is used by the neighborhood cats as a huge litter box.

9.  I predict that on December 1st, 2009 not one shovel of dirt will be moved down on the Sears lot.  Nothing will have changed and they will blame it on the economy.  Yep, it's the economy stupid.  Too bad 75% of those that didn't vote for the tax couldn't take the time to get off their asses.

10.  East Peoria is getting a IHop and another fast food chain in their "downtown".  If this is economic development, lining up fast food restaurants, then I'm Richard Nixon.  It just means that your teenager can get a job or a laid off CAT worker can get two jobs. "Hi, may I take your order?"  Please pull forward to the next window."

11.  I will continue to laugh at East Peoria's downtown growth because a giant strip mall doesn't mean downtown,  unless they get a Red Robin, Outback, or a Famous Dave's.

12.  Finally relieved that code enforcement nailed my neighbors across the street for using a junk car as a gate to keep their dog in the yard.  Yes, they push a non running car across their driveway to close it off so their dog can run around and then park on the grass and make mud ruts with their other car.  Never mind selling the junk car and buying a gate.  Geez, the only thing missing from their house is wheels.

and lastly...

13.  I stopped at McDonald's (against my better judgement) for breakfast at 5am and used the drive thru (against my judgement). I was the only car there.   I ordered two bacon/egg biscuits.  That's it.  Nothing more and it came up on the screen as just that.  I got home and they fucked that up. I got two bagels with egg. 

My Look on National Politics...

I don't dwell here on national politics all that often.  I like to leave it up to O'Brien as he seems to post my point of view on national politics but I did notice something the other day I thought was interesting....

Overall Americans are concerned about the economy, which includes jobs or lack there of, education, health care as our country's baby boomers begin to age, the War on Terror (Iraq) and the World's view of America as a super power and leader of freedom.

These are all worthy issues to be sure and like it or not, we have a President that is been in office just under 100 days and is, IMO, trying his hardest to right our country after 8 years of the most borrow and spend administration in history put us where we are today.

You'll notice that the Democrats are not on TV talking about who got us here so much as they are trying to make us believe they have a plan and it will work.  Hell, Obama doesn't even want to prosecute for past crimes many see the past administration of being guilty of.

Now with that said, all one has to do is flip over to Fox News channel, in particular, Fox and Friends in the morning to find out what the GOP or Right is worried about.   As some very good looking woman with a very short skirt on and her legs crossed tighter than a bull's ass at fly time showing an awful lot of thigh, will look you in the eye and say Michelle Obama is showing way too much skin with her sleeveless dresses.  What?

The party of no ideas, the GOP, the party of the "grand tent" which so far as offered up nothing but the same cut the taxes for the rich which hasn't worked for over 8 years as no new ideas but in this day of worries here are their's.  These are the ones Limbaugh and Hannity and FOX dwell on 24/7. (My comments follow)

Is Obama a true American citizen?  Yes he is.

Obama take away your guns.  They have been saying that since Clinton first took office. The 2nd Amendment is safe and you'll be able to keep your AK47 for rabbits and relatives you're sick of.

Obama isn't making us safe.  Like Bush really did?  More like luck and we have an ex-Vice President that is saying he wants an attack on America so he can say; "I told you so!"  What a sick bastard.

Obama is really a Muslim.  Yes, that is still flying around as you can tell that every Right news outlet uses President Obama's middle name, Hussein to make it sound foreign.

Michelle Obama dresses are too revealing.  Yep, seen the Fox News women??  Well, she is one of the best looking first ladies we have had in a long time. Of course Mrs Bush (Dubya's wife) is a good looking woman but the wife of Bush I, isn't she on the One Dollar Bill?

Obama is setting up training camps to re-educate the Right's youth in, I think, the Socialists Doctrine.  Yeah, right, like with everything going on in this country, Obama is going to spend more money training fat white kids from the south. We got Fox News brain washing them now.

Limbaugh and others want our President to fail.  Get this, to save our country.  That's almost laughable except there are idiots who believe this nut. Shouldn't call them idiots, maybe ditto heads. Imagine if you said that about Dubya after 9/11.  You would have been un-patriotic and deported.

Waterboarding is not torture.  It has been considered torture in this country since 1898.  If it isn't torture, then why won't Sean Hannity volunteer to show it isn't?  Because these slick white boys, Hannity and Limbaugh, have NEVER ever served a day in the military.  Most of these talking heads on FOX have never seen a day in the military so they know torture.  Yeah, right.  Limbaugh wasn't drafted because of a butt boil, no kidding. 

The horrors, Obama shook hands with Hugo Chavez. He is pandering to our enemies.  Is he? I'd rather know my enemies than not know where they are coming from.  Chavez even gave a book to Obama as a gift.  This shows at least he thinks Obama can read and that is more than Chavez thought of Bush. Hell, that is more than most of us thought of Bush.

Obama knelt before an Arab.  Yes he did showing respect.  Maybe that is why Bush held hands while walking with the Arabs?  Many on FOX forget that don't they?

You see that pattern here?  Nothing to right our country's problems. These are the KEY topics from the grandest party on Earth, the GOP, and it has nothing to add but misery, speculation, and fear.  The GOP is not worried about fixing our country.  They are trying to divide us even more.  People who still buy into this garbage scare me the most.  More than any terrorist. In fact, the terrorists sit back and watch us destroy ourselves and it started with 9/11 and the gullibility of the people who believed in Bush, Cheney, and Rumsfeld.  

Then FOX tried to highjack a Libertarian Tea Party and use it as an Obama bash ignoring that the biggest spending by government in history was by their man Bush.  The highjack didn't work and yet to this day, Fox is still reporting on it.

We need to come together and get our country back on track and we need to stand by the man we elected democratically in this country. That was the true tea party, election day 2008.  Whether his policies are right or wrong, that is yet to be seen and it will take years to tell, not less than 100 days.  The GOP has become nothing more than a small tent or sideshow.  Only thing missing is their big floppy shoes.  Many have the red nose already.  If they won't get onboard, then Congress and the President is right to move on without them.

(I garner my views from various sources. Like it or not I can not stomach the hate from Fox and the Right.)

Watch Them Pull a Rabbit Out of Their Hat...

If you have been out north lately (Peoria) and haven't seen the old K's building of late, what a shock.  OSF (yes the hospital) has revamped the whole building into a rather good looking building and are using it as their north professional campus or something all the while, the addition they are building downtown is huge and moving at lightning speed.  Methodist is building something huge out on Allen Road while they too, are building onto their downtown hospital.

It looks like the medical business isn't hurting at all in this economical crisis has it?  I mean, sans CAT, they are the biggest employers in the area but at least 75% of their employees make minimum wage. 

Also take note that none of these hospitals has so much as picked up a twig along that great TIF known as RenPark.  You know, Main Street where we paid to have utility poles moves, new sidewalks, ornamental lighting installed, and pay to have city workers water hanging flower baskets so the city could entice the medical profession to build labs and other buildings to support the hospitals.  Even the sign that says something new is coming to the old Walgreen's on Main Street is starting to fade. It's only been there, what, 3 years?

And we trust our city leaders to manage and build this museum which is next to the Gateway Building, which bleeds money, which is next to the "pad" which has 2 restaurants and as many vacant buildings if you don't count Heartland Group in one of the buildings  and already needs $$$ in repairs because the stairs are crumbling and because the parking deck floods every other year.

Now standby for the bestest of the best.  Remember the Garbage Fee?  Well that is about to become the 5% (if they don't change that) water usage fee.  Yep another tax but this tax they will tell you is fair because now everyone that uses water will pay.

So, let's recap.  A TIF that has failed (there's a surprise).  A new tax for the museum.  The HRA tax extended because of a remodel job on the Civic Center even though it didn't add one seat and oh, don't forget, the bond payment is due on Midtown Plaza which we will have to pay and restructuring of yet another new tax, the water usage fee and there is no word if this will even replace the Garbage Fee.  By the way, what the fuck is a "water usage fee" anyway?  Isn't that why we pay the water company? To use water? 

And people had a tea bag party to voice concerns over taxation.  Wow, where were you people the last 8 years or so?

Wow, Help Please Department...

Wow, Please help me understand here. District 150 is considering closing some Primary schools, 2 in the north end and 2 in the south end.  These schools are all Title 1 schools and all these schools are not making AYP. (Not making state test scores)

OK, according to this POST on CJ's site, this person named PrairieCelt has authored a post, using very clear stats from the State's own school report cards. Here are the schools: Tyng, Garfield, Irving, and Kingman.  Be reminded that the District is building new schools.  Go read the post and soak the numbers.  It's not the post that got me it was some of the comments.  I want someone to clear this for me:

EmergePeoria writes: "District 150 deserves to have a Class Action lawsuit brought against it for constantly pushing black children to the back. Look at the desegregation information - Whitaker clearly states that they would make the decision that would have the least impact on white children. They have failed three generations of black families. THREE GENERATIONS"

I ask: How? I say Black families and yes even the NAACP have failed themselves.  Children having children is not family and this has been happening for more than 3 generations.  Pekin High School, which is 99% white has failed AYP and goes in restructuring next year so color has nothing to do with it.  It seems that the NAACP plays on the problems of blacks in this community and that is how they make their living.  Maybe if they took a more proactive role in helping blacks, the blame game would disappear.  The fact is, Blacks make up the majority in our schools and if a minority is being hurt, then it is white children.  Where is the suit for that?

Another commenter Sharon Crews writes inpart: "I can remember in the early 1970s when I worked Headstart, a team of us (2 black and 1 white) traveled together all day–which meant eating lunch at a restaurant. We weren’t welcome any place past Main Street–and that one place where we were welcome was hard to find–entrance off an alley.

I say: Wow Sharon, go to acting classes?  Such drama.  I worked with 2 fellow blacks in the 70s and we traveled all over Peoria. I never recall having a problem getting lunch anywhere. I swear to God, you must have slipped a med someplace.  Please, don't confuse this with me denying discrimination, I am not.  It still happens today. But come on Sharon, really? 

There are other comments like,  this is a huge plan to create other Title 1 schools for more money and someone wondering why if 70% of the students are poverty, then why aren't all the schools Title 1? or this....

Commenter By The Way sez: "If you look inside schools that are not “Title I” schools, they are also warehousing low income and minority children who attend schools on a waiver in certain classrooms."

What?  Parents are getting wavers to satisfy the District's warehousing or hiding of kids? Does the District have a black helicopter?

I think too many people are giving this District way too much credit.  They couldn't be this smart to warehouse kids, sweep black kids into warehouses, close schools for no reason other than to create other Title 1 schools for more money.

Here is the whole problem.  Many many years ago, when our great city leaders were annexing northern parts of various townships into the City, they should have, as should the school board at the time, demanded they pay school taxes to District 150.  Nope, Vast areas where annexed, million dollar homes were built and taxed but for Dunlap schools thus land locking District 150. City leaders then, as now, don't seem that concerned about District 150.  In fact some of the big movers and shakers, like the Head of the Heartland Group don't even live in Peoria and their kids don't go to Peoria schools. The first thing a young couple with kids buying a home wants to know is; How are the schools? 

So as Peoria's inner city rots, so goes the demographics that goes with it.  Here we are, today.  Dunlap is rolling in cash because of inaction many years ago by District 150.  Our city leaders in a misguided attempt to spurn economic growth have made TIFs almost every 5 blocks robbing still more needed funds from the schools. That hasn't worked so far.

I know, I'll take the heat for this but it seems to me, yes, the post will generate 100s of comments on CJs site from people telling how this District is fucked up.  I wish I had the magic bullet.  I see it as a parental responsibility for their children issue and I see it as an administration that must trim itself before it can be taken seriously. I see it as white flight to the burbs where people didn't have to pay into District 150 and got better schools in another district.  I see it as city fathers ignoring for years the rot of the south end, the north end and more recently east bluff and center bluff.  As these homes were sold and then rented and allowed to decay, came the poverty that comes with that type of decay.  Maybe you have heard of the term?  Ghettos? Slums?  Whatever.

I see this District has been dealt the cards they have to play.  They aren't pretty by no means and yes, they may have thrown away some aces or some kings, but they have the cards they have. It is not their fault entirely so some tough choices are going to have to be made, like closing old run down schools.  Building some new schools (no one builds old schools) and restructuring and cutting services.  the money tap has run dry, plenty of blame to go around, but the last thing they need is a crowd with torches threatening them every inch of the way.

I am sorry, I am just laid back by some of the comments.  Yes these schools are in trouble but I ask this; How can you force this District to make AYP, get schools off Title 1 rolls (which is really a free lunch to the poor and this is grossly abused) when the kid and their parent (one in many cases) don't give a rats ass about the school unless the kid is caught doing something?  Then it's the school's fault for catching the kid.  That is where 70% of these kids are coming from. By the time these kids hit high school (if they make it) you get the kind of stuff seen outside Peoria High School any given afternoon.  Fights, kids smoking in gangs, police cars, and a District that needs a full time armed police force.

Pekin has none and I'll bet Dunlap has none sans a liaison officer.

I don't understand.... I guess for some, it's easy to jump on the "I'm being warehouse, discriminated, bandwagon when the crowd is roaring.  Sadly, this hurts those that really do suffer in a world of discrimination.

From what I read on this post, the fix is setting fire to the whole place.  It's like setting fire to your bed to rid it of your partner. You both lose.  

My fix, more City leaders should take a much more active roll in helping our schools as should community leaders like Don Jackson, The Heartland Group, churches, pastors, everyone.  If all these groups put the time and effort that was put into the Build the Block campaign, or the effort that was induced into moving a street for a ballpark, or the efforts to build a new hotel or relocate a strip club, I think this community can find a cure and save our schools. The way we have ignored District 150 is like ignoring your gas gauge on your car and then wondering why it won't start.  It is not the fault of this District their schools don't make AYP or that they qualify as Title 1.  It is the fault of this community as a whole.  Think of what could be done if just the City spent what the Build the Block did on just improving the image of our schools.  Then, with all the resources of this community, we could rebuild this district second to none.  Nope, a few of us continue to hash it out on a blog, in front of the District's offices, and in the media.  Enjoy your museum because at this rate, no one is going to be able to read any of the exhibits.

Now over to Billy's site to read about what Schock is up to as I have had enough school stuff for now.

Hey Teabaggers! Department...

Here is a graph on income taxes.  For low wage earners, the rate has been pretty much stagnant for years but for upper wage earners, the rate drops quite a bit.  Up until 2004.  Begs to question what is wrong with these people at Fox and those that listen and believe that tribe?  Your beloved Reagan for most of his administration never had it as low as now.   By the way. 39% taxation is considered Socialism so we have been in Socialism for a lot the last 20th century.

Before you all go out and have these revolutionary uprisings why don't you people step back and put into perspective what income taxes used to be in this country and what is needed now to bail us out of our troubled times.  In the Leave it to Beaver era, taxes were much higher as were they for WW II era.  During the Reagan years, the middle to lower income tax rates spiked up a bit but the rich got a break.  We survived and yet people let Fox News whip themselves into a lather for what most at these demonstrations don't even understand.  They just there to hold a sign because Fox told them to. The fact is that anyone making over $250,000 are going to pay more and 99% of those at these tea bag party's, their taxes are going down.  For the very very rich, it is a 3% raise.  You don't see the Bill Gates type people out there demonstrating.  Only the mis informed masses that don't understand show up to carry signs.  Ted Nugent showed up, sure.  They sobered him up and he got paid.  

I think the Right is grabbing at straws and talk of revolution and hate is doing worse damage to our country with Hannity and his irk.  Like I have always said, Hannity's America scares me more than Osama Bin Laden.  For those who don't know the difference, Bin Laden was the one responsible for 9/11 that Bush never caught.

Maybe we all shouldn't be so quick to jump to conclusions when this President has been in office only 3+ months trying to get us out of an economic disaster that happened on the Bush watch.  Makes me wonder that if Bush had announced a 3% tax increase on the wealthy how fast Glen Beck or Limbaugh would be writing checks to save or country and paying taxes would be a patriotic duty.  Just because your guy lost, doesn't mean Obama, who won the election by the way, is wrong.  Why can't the Right give it time like they would have for Bush?

Stop being sheep.  If Fox News said cliff jumping was patriotic, then thousands would jump off cliffs.  Maybe that is what they should do.  Joe the Plumber can be first.

 

 

I Told You So Department...

Well I told you so.  I knew the city was going to have to defend Van Auken when she tried to throw her weight around last summer at a frat house.  You can read the PJS story HERE.

It's a shame that we have to foot the bill to defend her for something as a council woman she shouldn't have done.  I mean, I have gone before the council to complain about neighborhood issues to have the Mayor tell me that I should go through the channels and that there are proper ways of dealing with city related issues.  Believe me, when I have exhausted all the channels, then I go before the council and ask but Van Auken seem to think she is above that and can take matters into her own hands and now it is going to cost the taxpayers money in an already scarce money environment.

Well, whether she was re-elected or not, she was the district rep at the time but it is beyond me why the 2nd District would want this type of representation. Speaks volumes to some of those blue bloods who think they are above everyone else.  Maybe the Moss-Bradley Association should foot her legal bill.  No, their money probably came from the city anyway.  How about Van Auken footing her own legal bill?  Something us regular folks would have to do if we screwed up and she simply screwed up that night.  She should pay.

Billy Dennis has informed me via email that seriously, I am not banned from his site, Peoria Pundit, no matter what server it is on this week.  OK, that was a cheap shot, but it seems MY posts land in his spam filter but others never seem to have that problem.  At any rate, I am glad Billy and I can agree to disagree and throw the jabs and still be somewhat civil, well to his credit, on his part anyway except I think I am owed an apology for that needless attack on my reasons for not running for City Council.  I felt I didn't need to tell why I backed out but apparently Billy thought different. I mean, he has demanded the same from me for a lot less IMO. Well, these are the days of our lives.

On April 7, 2001 Hannity on his program said he didn't understand why the Left was so spiteful because our new President, George W Bush was elected fair and square and now FOX and Hannity seem to be the voice of the revolution.  I don't understand why the Right with the voices of Limbaugh and Hannity and others are so hateful towards a President that has been on the job not even 4 months.  Is it because he is black?  Black? That color was near absent from the recent Tea Bag parties, did you notice? Even the Governor of Texas is talking about succession from the Union.  Good, build the wall around Oklahoma and let the Mexicans into Texas.  Christ, I have never seen a bigger bunch of cry babies and sore losers than those portrayed on Fixed News, or better known as the Right.  Funny how these people, mostly making under $250,000 a year protesting got for the first time in years, a tax cut.  Yet, here in Peoria, at our tea party, some admitted to voting for the Block.  A TAX INCREASE.  Hypocrites one and all.  These people are being lead like sheep with the hate talk from Limbaugh and Hannity. Imagine saying George Bush was anything after 9/11?  My God, you would have been called unpatriotic.  Told "America! Love it or leave it!"  Well, Boss Limbaugh, the drug addict, if you think it's so bad here, go! 

God, that felt good and for the first time in a lot of years, I am glad to be Liberal.  At least I don't advocated overthrowing the government because the guy I voted for lost.

Tea Anyone Department...

I went to a tea party this afternoon and arrived at the corner of Jefferson and Main streets here in Peoria at about 12:10pm.  I pulled to the curb where some older guy said I should honk to show support.  I asked a group, about 40 that heard me, "How many of you voted for the Block?"  Quite a few hands went up.  I said; "Well you voted to raise your own taxes!  Hypocrites!"  Time to leave the tea party.  They didn't like that response. 

Republicans...someday we will be allowed to hunt them. 

 

Ed note:  Blog Peoria is in the crapper again.  Suspended and I also found out, disagree with the blog father, you get banned. ouch!  Those poor bloggers that use Blog Peoria getting shit on again.

On To business Department...

Ok , with that hot air out of the way, Mr. Dennis did post and interesting piece about permeable concrete and some drainage problems, in this case on Humboldt Street in the south end. You can read it here.

Now while I don't think those of us that live and own homes here are lab rats and I don't even come close to being a city engineer, I do know something about temperatures in this climate of Peoria and of rats. Our rats here in the south end are some of the cleanest and best groomed rats one will ever see.  In fact, I saw one the other day, half the size of a dog with a beautiful gold chain around his neck.

I digress.... Let's see, concrete that is pervious or allows water to drain through it. It seems that Barber, our Public Works Director sees this as a neat fix to the lack of sidewalks and storm sewers on one south side street.  Even a poster on Billy's site thought it was neat and was considering doing a driveway with the stuff.

Well, even the simplest minded person who has lived here any length of time knows that it gets cold in the winter and hot in the summer and during the spring and fall, it can change very quickly from one extreme to the other.  In fact, I have always said that this is the only place on Earth where one can die in the blizzard while mowing the lawn.  That said, it doesn't take a brain surgeon to see that after a season or two of freeze thaw, freeze, thaw, then heat, this concrete will break up.  In fact, isn't this how they make gravel?

If we lived down south where the climate rarely fell below freezing, this might make sense.  Here in Peoria?  This is just nuts and Billy is right, this is being rolled out like the City gives a damn about drainage in the south end.  This is truly putting lipstick on a pig.  What is needed is storm sewers with curbs for water run off and with curbs, usually sidewalks.  This could have been done in some part with the stimulus money but our councilman and his cohorts decided a roof on a non profit building was more important.  I wonder what cocktail party that decision was made at.  That alone is hard to believe that a "shovel ready" project like sidewalks in a badly needed and neglected part of Peoria was pre-empted by a frickin roof on a privately owned building for a not for profit group. 

Try this type of fix in Rolling Acres where drainage has been an issue for years.  That would go over like a concrete cloud but those "poor" folks in the south end need help so let's pass this shit on to them.  That'll shut them up.  Maybe lab rats is a good analogy,

Mr. Barber, pack your concrete where the sun doesn't shine.  While Humbodlt street has problems because, and get this, LACK OF SIDEWALKS, CURBS, AND  STORM SEWERS, so does many of the other streets in the south end.  Griswold, Latrobe, Fremont, Antoinette, Hayes, Arlington, Kneer, Folkers, and Grinnell just to name a few streets in the south end.  All these streets have the exact same drainage problems Humboldt Street has.

Mr. Gulley, where are you?  That grant you got last summer for sidewalks on Antoinette Street between Griswold and Laramie hasn't helped at all as far as drainage but then that wasn't why they were slapped in was it?  They were slapped in. I invite anyone to come by and have a look on how they did this installation of new sidewalks without a single foot of curbing or without a single storm sewer drain.  Just plowed through our yards, laid a concrete sidewalk, patched driveways with rock or asphalt, put down the original dirt and rock they dug up, threw straw on it with grass seed and they were gone.

We now have a mud slide when it rains, and all that grows out of the rocky dirt and straw is garbage truck tracks, beer bottles, and McDonald wrappers.  Gulley, you should be whipped for this.  Lab rats indeed.

Here Billy...

I need to make some things clear....

One, Billy Dennis has basically called me out for not mentioning that is friend known as "eyebrows" (I'm too lazy to look up her name, Laurie...) got elected to the school board in one of my rants.  I did mention a new person was indeed elected to a board seat but no name.  Wow, how hard to figure that out to those that read the blogs?  Also, that I can bitch about the 1st but was too chicken to run for the office once I found out Gulley was running.  As usual, Billy is full of shit. Read his bullshit post here as it is beneath him to write like this.  I remember him calling me out via email demanding I make an apology for something I post some years ago on another blog.  I refused and it was for even less than this shit he is throwing at me.  I called "someone" his girlfriend.  What a fuckin hypocrite!

First, I did not run because my sons and my wife asked my not to.  They didn't want the headache and the phone calls that would come with it invading our family life and they would have been coming because Gulley has been non effective the last 5 years.  Why, because I was just getting through fighting a hell of a disorder that no doctor knew where it came from but knew it would be a long haul to get rid of.  That took a toll on them, my wife seeing her husband become a cripple almost overnight and for 3 months and my sons seeing their dad having to be helped to the frickin bathroom to do what a lot of us do for granted everyday.  I couldn't even feed myself for a month.

I rarely disclose personal info here about me, but I had a serious neuro disease (THIS is close)strike me in March 2006.  I was off work for almost a full year.  I lost my ability to walk at one point.  I had all the scans and MRI's anyone would want in 2 weeks while they tried to pinpoint what I was hit with.  It was during this time of barely being able to use a mouse to surf the internet, I discovered the local blogs.

My doctor, Dr. Cheng, a neuro surgeon at Proctor who I see approximately every 6 months to make sure what I have is still in remission, also recommended that I didn't need the added stress in my life that would come from being on the city council.  He said that although a reoccurrence was unlikely, I shouldn't press my luck.

I am sure that would have been stressful for me if elected as I am not a budget or number person and I don't have all the answers like some bloggers seem to have or commenter's that troll the blogs seem to have.  I thought my 50+ years of living in Peoria and life's lessons and common sense would be enough.  I thought I could grasp that taxpayer money is better spent on taxpayers, not developers.  How hard is that?

My family and my doctor convinced me otherwise.  I withdrew even though at the time Councilman George Jacob came to my home and offered support and encouragement.  I thought that was nice of George (and yes, I can call him George) He also told me he didn't think Gulley would be running for re-election.  Even Gary Sandberg offered his advice and support.  That was humbling for me. Shit, I didn't even need 40 signatures to get on the ballot.  No, I wasn't chicken shit Billy, not at all.

I think the reason Gulley decided to run was because I decided not to and he knew that he would have no opposition to expose his crappy record such as it was.  His representation of the 1st has been a joke to say the least.  Barbara says "Sit Clyde!" and Clyde sits.

So, people, that is the reason I didn't run and yes I do bitch, complain, and I do point out what I think is just plain dumb decisions I see in our City.  I have the right too unless Dennis or Bush has revoked those rights.

Some don't like me, fine, some like what I read, fine.  I am not a journalist major, nor do I have a degree but then if I did, I wouldn't rub it in your face every other post either.  I just write what I feel and if you like to read and comment, great.  Is that clear enough?

 

PS. Curphy, I was hoping you would win the second and if I could have voted in the second, you would have been the man.  OK, thanks for clearing up the point about you not kissing the ass of Aaron Schock. 

Let Me Make This Perfectly Clear Department...

Apparently some people have me all wrong on a few things.  I can't wait for the museum to be built.  I just didn't want it built with taxpayer monies but that point is moot.  I will probably be one of the first in line for this when it opens.  I love Planetariums although I think the one we have now here in Peoria is run in a rinky dink manner.  It has a beautiful star projector yet when you go to a show, you are presented with a slide show at the level of a 9th grader.

I used to go to Planetarium shows in Hawaii when I lived there and the shows would blow your socks off.  I mean they used the star projector and some small props and added music to make the show a wonderful experience.  Like simulating clouds, using a water pistol, shooting it into the audience to make it fell like a light rain was clearing out and seeing the starry night in it's full grandeur.

IMAX is another draw for me.  If you have never seen an IMAX movie, well, they are really cool.  I just hope that is what Peoria gets and not a knock off.

Do I think this will be a boon to downtown?  Anything to draw people downtown will help but again, I think just the museum alone won't be the fix.  I just don't trust those in charge to do the right thing.  I am sure there will be design changes because of costs, things will be removed, changes will be made and the museum we all think we are getting will be far less than we expected.  I hope not.

Some may remember the Civic Center and how big it was originally going to be.  Some said Peoria could not support a huge arena and theatre.  Construction costs kept rising and both the arena and theatre were downsize from the original plans.  Oh how we wish we could get those seats back now.  No amount of remodeling will increase the seating capacity of either venue and if you ever attended anything in the theatre, the seats just suck.

I want this to all work more than ever because now, we, the public, are invested.  Too many times in the past we have seen slick talking developers and statisticians show up and show us numbers on how things will go and most times, they are wrong.  They were really wrong most recently at Mid-Town Plaza.  They were wrong so far around the ball park that the city spent $3 million moving a street and much more buying out a dry cleaner to make room for this park and the future development we were promised.  Nothing has come to past in this area.  How are we to trust these people? 

With the elections over, it appears Peorians have elected more of the same type of leadership as Van Auken was re-elected, Riggenbach, a newcomer to the council, was elected in the 3rd and he seems to have the same tax and spend "their" money mantra. He was for the museum tax. 

So here we go.  Something finally on the Sears block, a new hotel (maybe) being built with, I guarantee, with our help (read taxpayer money) and a somewhat suspect track record on past promises.  All I ask is this; if this fails, if this museum crashes because it wasn't built as promised or because it didn't turn out to be the draw we needed, if we, the taxpayer end up on the hook for this and the new hotel, like we are on the hook for Mid-Town, then we should be allowed to impeach the City Council members if they are still serving, and tar and feather them.  That's all.  I think that is fair. After all, they are using our money freely.  On the other hand, this could work and all of the movers and shakers and council people will look like brain surgeons.  We'll just have to wait and see....

Oh, I have one other concern or request.  Will you people stop protesting every decision District 150 makes.  Some schools will have to close and yes Tyng may be one.  90% of you protestors haven't set foot inside Tyng and probably have to Google it to find it.  Same with Garfield.  Now the District is hunting for a new Super and Treasure. Please. No more sign carrying protests.  The way some of you blog and comment on blogs about District 150, the way you research numbers and stats, why don't you use that energy to help or run for a school board seat instead?  You got one new seat now. Ya know, if one bitches all the time or long enough, one tends to think of you as a bitch.

Hey, I like Peoria and I think Peorians have the right to bitch and complain but we also have the duty to support Peoria. When I travel, I proudly tell people that I am from Peoria, Illinos.  Sometimes I get a great response and sometimes they say; "Oh Big Al's?"  Yeah, that hurts a bit. Still that is why I shop in Peoria, eat in Peoria (despite the HRA Tax), and live and pay property taxes in Peoria.  It is our right to critique our elected officials and yes, to protest at school board meetings.  We have our problems and really no more than any city our size has and all are fixable. 

Outsiders,those that live across the river or in our other burbs,  just love to throw their two cents in and they love it when we have strife here.  Their grass isn't always greener but the fact that they focus on Peoria shows that without Peoria, this area would be one big trailer park with nothing but McDonald's and Hardee's with a Wal-Mart in the middle.  How Peoria goes is how this whole area goes. I hope I was clear. 

I Voted No and All I Got Was A Stinking Museum...or...Tax The Shit Out of Me Department...

I made it back from good ol Mississippi and Memphis. The weather was warm spring like for the south and I get home and it seems Peoria is still in a bag of shit.  38 whole degrees this morning as I write this.

I see Peoria elections ran the same as they always do.  No one gets out and votes and then the small percentage that do vote change the way all of us have to live.  Yes, I am talking about the public service tax.  We have it now and you can bet like the HRA Tax, it will never ever go away.  Why don't these people just come to my door, take the money out of my wallet, pee on my leg, and thank me.  That way I won't even have to leave the house to vote.  Well, they got their money, now I'll sit back and see how they fuck up the rest of it.  IMAX hasn't signed on and they are still $10 million short.  It will be interesting since 409 people basically decided this was better for us.

I got caught up reading some of the other blogs but I can see Billy has moved yet again.  Then if he isn't complaining about some newspaper, it is about government workers not losing their jobs. Yeah, everyone should be unemployed.  The he has a piece on how newspapers prepare two stories for different outcomes. No kidding?  Never seen that before, like.....Dewey Wins!.  It didn't take long for Vespa to post and kiss his ass.  "Ha! Good catch. I do sometimes wonder how they can crank that stuff out so fast"    Oh puke.

I see nothing really changed on the City Council. Apparently more people in the 2nd approved of Van Auken's back room deals, drunken late night visits to frat houses, and her shinny deals that get arbors built, not at the expense of the neighborhood they are for, but at all our expense.  I sometimes stop up on Rebecca Street and get out and hug that arbor. After all, it represents none of the sidewalks or storm sewers Gulley got for the south end in the last 5 years.  In fact, I wish Gulley would get liquored up and do some door knocking on some of the crack houses around here.  I guess I'm jealous.

Riggenbach (elected by 13 votes) is now on the council which means we will continue to see many 10-1 votes. Hard to believe these Republican or Conservative types love to raise our taxes, but he was for the museum. We get what we vote for and now we will get more of the same.  Now you know why Peoria suffers when it comes to basic services, crime, and back room deals a plenty.  Get your lipstick out folks, we have a new hotel coming.

It's going to be an interesting summer.  Hotel, CAT visitor center and the building of this museum, money changing hands in backrooms and at cocktail parties, developers getting in line for hotel cash, the economy where some of Peoria's stimulus money went to a new roof on a private non for profit building (which happens to have the movers and shakers wives working at) police officers being indicted, businesses being robbed at all hours,  (My God, they robbed Jimmy John's in the Metro Centre) and people are getting shot in front of their homes. 

Here is my take: *IMAX will not sign, we get Mickey Mouse battery operated theater instead.

*The $10 million doesn't happen, up goes the Garbage Fee.  After all, we are committed now, right?

*CAT announces that the Visitor Center has to be put on hold for 6 months.  Means another dirt hole.

*Bonds will be sold, holding the citizens of Peoria responsible for most of the debt on the new hotel. Guess what happens in a few years?  We pay.

*Van Auken's lawsuit from the frat boys will end up costing us, the taxpayer money in lawyer fees and a quite settlement.

*Gangs will still rule at Steampit Days.

*Joe's Crab Shack will go under leaving yet another empty building downtown.

Good to be back in the saddle again.....except I smell horseshit.

Some Info Department...

I just want to say thanks to all those that stop by and read here and put up with my shit.  I have meet some of you in person and your kind comments are very appreciative and to those that sneered at me, well, thanks for having a bad aim.  PAP is going on a small recess for the next few weeks. 

I hope the elections go well and the Build the Block is defeated and Shadid is elected City Treasure. I voted early and would it not be a true commentary on what is happening in Peoria if General Parker beat Ardis for Mayor?  Holy cow, someone would have to stop by The Home for the Gifted and get Lyons so he could appoint a new ruler. At any rate, I hope all the districts get what they voted for.  I know that in the first district, we'll get what we've gotten for the last 5 years....nothing!  I stand in the ass kicking machine daily and pull the rope many times for not running against Gulley.  My cat could have won. At any rate....

Happy Palm Sunday and Happy Easter or whatever you may believe in.

Ooh Ooh That Smell, Can You Smell That Smell...

Well, Gary tells how it's really done behind those closed doors.  If true, and how can it not be, then anyone voting for BVA must be a nut that enjoys this type of policy where the haves get it and the have nots don't.  I'm sure this post of Gary's is gonna kill any booty time he had so why would he make this up? 

How can Peoria ever turn itself around when this is how politics is played and don't hand me that crap that this is how it's done.  It's time we the citizens took back our town and show these ego maniacs the door.  Otherwise, Gray is right, it'll be more of the same.

Here, cut and pasted is what the Councilman wrote on the PJS blog:

Gary Sandberg

Oh my gosh, something else to agree upon. What’s going on out there at 1 News Plaza? What I wish the newspaper would point out in this race is specifically the incumbents voting record. Yes, her defenders say she represents them and use the late night/early morning intoxication incident with a fraternity as the perfect example of that support. I think it unfortunate that everyone forgets the more critical action that the incumbent made almost three years earlier when Bradley University petitioned to amend their Institutional Plan to allow a new Fraternity/Sorority on Fredonia four doors down from the fraternity which the intoxicated incident revolved. At that time, the District Council representative could have required a ‘break from the past development practices’ that the City knew as well It gets warm in the Springdid NOT provide adequate protection for surrounding residential homes. She could have required that Bradley move the activity areas that had developed historically and before we knew better from the rear of the fraternity/ sorority properties to the front away from the adjoining residential properties. Yes the patios, the parking, and the garbage areas that conflict with quiet, quality, residential living could have and should have been moved to the north side of each fraternity along the ragged edge of Bradleys Plan. This would have been accomplished by vacating Fredonia Street to Bradley, allowing Bradley to reconstruct perpendicular parking on Fredonia instead of off alley and putting the patios between the existing and new fraternity structures. Those items were suggested by me to her, both prior to the meeting as well as at the meeting. She chose NOT to require any of those possibilities into the Amended Plan. Bradley got exactly what they wanted and yet another fraternity/ sorority were allowed to be constructed with all the problems that go along with it by a 10-1 vote.
A year after that Bradley vote, another zoning issue came before the City Council, a request for a replacement billboard located west of Knoxville approximately 58 feet from residential property on Linn Street. Now a little lead up information…….. Since 1989 large Billboards have been required to be separated from residential areas by a 500 foot (almost two city blocks) radius. The billboard that was being sought for replacement for one had been on property owned by Dr. Floyd Rashid behind the old Peoria Ford property and was constructed without permits many years before the requirement of 500 feet and prior to Dr. Rashids ownership of the underlying real estate. Across Knoxville is/was the old Hardees adjacent to OSF owned properties. With the purchase of Dr. Rashids property for the new Interstate/ Knoxville interchange, there was fear that Dr. Rashid would purchase the Hardees parcel and a large billboard would/could them be established on that side of Knoxville over 500 feet away from residential, but in front of OSF. Several Council members wanted OSF to purchase the old Hardees and NOT Dr. Rashid. They also feared he could/would increase the purchase price for the Hardees parcel for OSF. A small isolated parcel was owned by the State after the reconfiguration that had inadequate access off the end of Linn Street where Linn Street dead ends for the interstate. A plan was hatched lead by Council Member Nichting, Manning, and VanAuken to acquire this parcel from the state, rezone it for Special Use for Billboard and then sell the Parcel to Illinois Outdoor Advertising, thus preventing a billboard from being placed on the property east of Knoxville well away from residential property. That passed the City Council 10-1. The Billboard Company VERBALLY AGREED to remove another existing billboard from the Sheridan Triangle area next to Loucks and close to the incumbents home if allowed this billboard that is within 58 feet of residential property. Before the first use of the Billboard, the Billboard Company was back before the Zoning Commission and the City Council requesting the Special Use to be modified to allow one face of the previously approved billboard to become an electronic Las Vegas style billboard. Despite the facts that most of the landscaping conditions, screening and access requirements from the earlier approval were never started, yet completed, this modification also passed 10-1. Another time, when the effects of bad zoning practices and the resulting changes in regulations was circumvented for expediency of the politically connected. And how many of you would want to own a home 58 feet away from a billboard, let alone one that changes its face every 10 seconds
Then just over 7 months ago, again on Knoxville, a petition to remove the existing Taco Bell and replace it in exactly the same place and configuration came thru the Zoning Commission. Now forget that during the 60s and 70s home owners regularly testified against the addition of drive ups next to their back yards and that zoning regulations allowed these sorts of high traffic / high commotion activities and that back then these Commercial uses could be located directly adjacent to residentially zoned properties with NO SCREENING. Since 1989, landscaped Transitional Buffer yards with solid screen fencing have been the regulations. In 2006 when the City Council adopted the Land Development Code for this area, the principals of New Urbanism would require that building be situated AWAY from the residential uses along Linn Street and orientated toward the Knoxville street. Additionally, under the Land Development Code, A solid garden sound wall would be required between the commercial use and adjoining residential use. Now the Developer hired his well connected mouth piece, the same mouth piece that represented the Developer of Cub Foods and assured the City Council that 43% of the sales at Cub Foods would be new food sales to the City of Peoria just 10 years ago, and this agent said the Developer was going to spend $1,800,000 rebuilding an 2,900 square foot fast food restaurant that sells tacos for 79 cents each. That ladies and gentlemen equates to over $620 per square foot (the new museum is estimated to cost $200 per square foot), the incumbent buys into it hook, line, and sinker. Not a description of an intelligent, critical thinker from my perspective. Now you ask where the surrounding neighbors to voice opposition were. They left in the late 70s or early 80s after the noise and commotion from the disparate uses took their toll and the property became rental, and lets face it, the landlord lives somewhere else and the tenant doesnt really care. 10 -1 Again the Developer got exactly what they wanted and the protections learned from past poor zoning practices were abandoned for the expediency of the present. Instead of turning this into an opportunity for quality change, the incumbent led the way for another 40 or 50 years of no protection of surrounding residential quality of life, just as she did at Bradley and up the street. How many of you want to live with your back yard 16 feet away from the drive up lane of an all night fast food restaurant?
Listen, Learn, Lead was the incumbents slogan four years ago. In this Second District voters opinion, if she is listening, she is listening to only the few and NOT the many, if she has learned anything, it is to trade votes and punish those who disagree and she, by her voting record, is leading Peoria to more of the same, a community where the protections for quality residential living in every District is swapped for Pay to Play decisions, Ill vote for what you want, just vote for what I want that will continue to deteriorate the inner City Districts. GO to the State Election website and see who is donating to not only the incumbent, but also all the all the candidates and dont be surprised when MORE OF THE SAME HAPPENS IN THE NEXT FOUR YEARS. If you do the same thing over and over and expect a different result, you are insane.
I will be voting for Curphy Smith. I also urge everyone in the Third District to vote for Beth Akeson. I know she has a new and better vision of Peoria and especially its older neighborhoods. Older neighborhoods lost value incrementally, one little project or decision by one little project. Beth understands it is in the same process of little projects and little decisions then and only then will value return. It is NOT with the big Cub Food, Southtown, new Hotel, Ballpark, or museum. I must admit I cannot speak with the same level in confidence in Curphy in getting it, but I know the Incumbent has done little or nothing to earn my vote this time. With that I can only believe Curphy can and will get it.
By the way, Curphy has NO IDEA I am writing this or wrote this. I fully supported the incumbent four years ago as a candidate, As Council representative for the Second District, she is NOT that candidate, nor is she the woman whose values, principles, and priorities I fell in love with in 1982 and eventually married for 13 years. She turned into more of a Sheriff in the middle of the night than the previous Councilwoman ever was and less of an advocate for those homeowners she represents on Tuesday night.
That incremental change starts with a 10-1 vote becoming 9-2 with Beth Akeson and hopefully an 8-3 with Curphy Smith, who knows, maybe, it will be in that incremental way, only one vote at a time that thru critical thinking, standing on principles and not on trading values that eventually, a new course will evolve for an new vision of what all of Peoria can be for all and not at the expense of the home owners, residents, and property owners, silent or unconnected.

 

Same for Nichting running for Treasure.  Quietly several years ago, he intercedes and gets the treasure salary raised from $72K to $92K, then tells people he has no desire to run for office all the while paying into IMRF and taking out the paper work needed to run for treasure knowing full well his good friend was retiring from the job.  Now, if elected, when he pays in to IMRF at that treasure salary, his fat little retirement check will support him nicely considering the financial brain he is, his business is just outside of filing for bankruptcy. Yep, the guy who wants us to trust him with the city's money has his own business going under.  Not to worry, airhead Vespa question Nichting on this on her blog (Peoria Pundit)  and he told he was not padding his retirement.  Stick to real estate will ya and the Tooth Fairy is real.

Then, we got these same people who want the museum built come hell or high water (pardon pun) and on the taxpayers dole.  I'll bet that new tax, if it passes, will end up funding Bellwood and anything else the county needs for well after the 20 years.  Ever seen a politician that made a tax go away?  They'll tell it will, like Van Auken did when she was seeking the 2nd District seat.  After she got elected, it was fuck you.  We still have the garbage tax.

If we vote for these people and this museum, then we are the suckers.  The movers know it and are counting on us to be just that, suckers.  Someday, maybe we'll be allowed to hunt these so called public servants, but until then all we have is the vote.  So, Vote out BVA (if you can), Vote NO on the Public Facility Tax (they aren't even trying to hide it's purpose), and show Nichting he's gonna have to work instead of retiring on the public dole.  If we vote these same people in then we should expect what we have gotten in the past.

Nothing will change......