Peoria Politics as Usual

I quote from an article in the Times-Observer dated 3/05/05 in which departing Peoria interim Police Chief Poynter was quoted as saying violent crime in Peoria was up 3% in 2004 compared to 2003. The article says robbery rose 20%, aggravated battery jumped 47%, arson leapt 20%, burglary dropped 5% and car theft dropped 8%.

In a paid political ad in the Observer dated 3/30/05, Dave Ransburg talks about his leadership in action, taking credit for reducing crime by 23.5% from 2000 thru 2004. Hmmmmm. But Dave has taken credit for an awful lot of things including the concept of the growth cells.

Ransburg also says he has increased funding for public safety by $2.7 million since 2000. Doesn’t sound like much to me when you consider the City of Peoria put $4.7 million in the infrastructure supporting the money losing RiverPlex and about the same amount for the attendance missing ballpark?

As a bit of trivia, I received a call today, the caller claiming that a prominent doctor in town received a phone call asking the doctor to take down the “Ardis for Mayor” sign in his yard. When he said no, the caller alleges that the doctor received a call from Ex-Mayor Jim Maloof who also asked that the Ardis sign be taken down and Maloof was also told no. This is typical of the current power structure and is similar to events that happened in my own recent campaign where businesses and individuals were threatened with the loss of any more business if my signs weren’t taken down at once.

Speaking of Jim Maloof , Maloof signed and paid for an ad in the Observer dated 3/30/05 supporting Ransburg. I quote from this ad as follows: “I urge you to vote for and re-elect him (Ransburg) on Tuesday, February 22, 2005”. Oh well, some “leaders” are used to signing whatever is in the stack on their desk!!

Not trivia at all is a letter sent over the signature of David P. Ransburg, Mayor, to the President of a local landfill owner dated 3/21/05 with a copy from the Mayor’s office addressed to “The Honorable & Mrs. Merle Widmer”. The envelope was stamped 3/29/05. In this letter to the landfill owner, Mayor Ransburg says “it is important that the public be fully informed, well before you present your case to the County Board for their approval, which I understand is May 1”.

The mayor has stuck his nose in a project in the County of Peoria over which the mayor or the City of Peoria has no more say than Peoria County has say when the city annexes more county farm land for housing expansion. Had he written this letter as a citizen he has every right to do so and every right to give his input to the County.

Yes, Mr. Mayor, Carol Trumpe, Land Use Committee Chairperson, Patrick Uhrich, County Administrator, David Williams, County Board Chairman, I as County Board Vice Chairman, our County Attorneys and The EPA, will make sure the public is fully informed before we approve or deny any County Landfill Project. According to all the above named County officials, Mayor Ransburg had no conversation with any County authority before he wrote this letter on an official City letterhead to this landfill owner.

There is no project slated to come before the County Board regarding any landfill project on May 1 or any time in the immediate future. Before any landfill project comes up before the full County Board, the County is obligated by law to inform the public and hold meetings for public input and the Mayor can attend or input his opinions as a private citizen. We will also make the decision to approve or deny.

We are perfectly able to handle Peoria County business, using public input and our own capable judgment and to uphold the laws of the land as we are sworn to do. We have always made it known that we wish to work more closely with all public entities and the citizens of Peoria and Peoria County.

It is possible the copy of the letter sent to me by the way it is addressed “The Honorable and Mrs. Merle Widmer” and on a mailing label, was part of a larger mailing. If so, this is a dirty trick to embarrass County officials and make the Mayor look like a “white knight” riding out to protect the uninformed.

There is a lot of arrogance shown by some of our “leaders” and many of want to see changes. That is why so many of us are saying “it is time or past time for a change”.

Get out and vote for change!!