Friday, May 06, 2005

Blogger's Block

Sorry, temporary I assure you.

Where to start again? I will quote from Machiavelli’s writings: “To see him and hear him should seem to be all mercy, faith, integrity, humanity and religion. This character must be disguised well. Practice deceit. We are so simple and so ready to obey present necessities that one, who deceives, will always find those who would allow themselves to be deceived.”

Just quoting someone famous in history. That quote has no bearing in what I’m writing, but I’ll just throw in some other quotes I’ve picked up here or there.

On 4/22/05 the JS quotes City Councilman Chuck Grayeb, talking about his support of the city water company buyout, and saying he wants “vigorous, open discussion and that he want multiple forums be held live on radio and television.” He stated “I have absolute confidence the public has become more supportive since the referendum and will be even more supportive as we provide them with information. I think we need to have a very wide open public discussion.”

On 3/30/05, the League of Women Voters and the Peoria Area Chamber of Commerce sponsored a forum on the question of the water company buyout. The only council members to show up were Jim Ardis, and Gary Sandberg. About 40 people, including President Terry Gloriod of Illinois American Water Company attended this open publicized forum. If Grayeb was in the audience, the JS writer and I didn’t see him.

Hmmmmm?

Quotes by numerous “buy the water company” people “water rates in Peoria area the highest in the State, Country, you name it.” A document I received from the Illinois State Water Survey listed 32 communities in Illinois and their cost of water per thousand gallons. In a comparative analysis of water costs, Peoria was listed as 14th.

Hmmmm?

“We don’t want a foreign country owning our water.” This statement was made by a city councilman. No city owns their water. Water is classified as a Natural Resource and is owned by the U.S.A. Most any high school student should know that.

“PPD officials want the Peoria Zoological Society to have raised 90% of the cost of the 25 million dollar zoo expansion before construction starts.” (JS article by writer Sarah Okeson on 4/15/05.”) An article on 5/2/05 says the Society is $7,500,000.00 short of 26 million needed for this project. (it’s easy to throw in another million in just 17 days) I have heard from a reliable source that the PPD plans to make up the shortfall by including it in new bonds this fall or sooner. The PPD has 16 more years to pay off the bonds for the building of the RiverPlex. Watch to see how “creative” park officials get in sliding this highly potential taxpayer boondoggle past the taxpayers!

In announcing the pending retirement of Barbara Manz Drake, Opinion Editor of the JS, I quote Managing Editor Jack Brimeyer, “every once in a while, you run into a person with innate curiosity, intense passion for people and a soul-felt sense of fairness.”

Having not blogged for a while I better stop as this old heart has had about all it can handle today.

Back tomorrow with more quotes.

P. S. Gary Sandburg, did you use a quote from one of my blogs (Opposing Views, dated 4/22/05) on the floor of the City Council Tuesday night? I got my 1968 quoting of George Keenan from the Wall Street Journal. Even though I feel exactly as Mr. Keenan wrote, I couldn’t write anything that eloquent!! Mr. Keenan says that so many of our “leaders” have no doubt about the correctness of any of their views. Too bad.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

"On 3/30/05, the League of Women Voters and the Peoria Area Chamber of Commerce sponsored a forum on the question of the water company buyout. The only council members to show up were Jim Ardis, and Gary Sandberg. About 40 people, including President Terry Gloriod of Illinois American Water Company attended this open publicized forum. If Grayeb was in the audience, the JS writer and I didn’t see him."

...and probably 35 of the people there were somehow involved..either with the League or City or Water Company......

Shows the people of Peoria don't WANT to listen to the facts...they have their mind made up on rhetoric. Even if all 40 people had no affiliation, it's still said. There were more than 40 votes cast in that election.

Merle Widmer said...

The citizens of Peoria did make up their minds early on this city buyout plan. They don't want the city in the water business!! Chuck Grayeb can host as many forums as he likes, the voter and taxpayer wants city hall to do a better job on what they are susposed to do, its called core business. The people supporting Grayebs erroneous position stand to profit somewhere down the line. Do you really believe Jeff G., Sandra B. and Diane are really concerned about the average citizen. I think not. But maybe you agree with the 81%, I can't tell from the wording of uour post.