Peoria Riverfront Museum Now Funded - Probably Not

If you are remotely interested in the museum muddling, you need to click on my recent blog on the funding problems and scroll to comment #3 and click on Rick's url. Rick has put this parody into a video. He has got it all right including the planetarium funded by NASA and mostly installed since 2008 at Lakeview Museum. Remember when the PRM was to have 110,000 sq. ft. but had to scale it back due to lack of community interest and poor fund raising, (remember that the 2010 County funded survey indicated that 67% of those polled were not in favor of the museum or more museum taxes) along with rising costs, to 81,000 sq. ft. or 83,000 whichever figure they use on a certain day?

As to the low bid on the museum building saving taxpayer dollars, probably not a dime. Remember the teensy-little 1/4% sales tax that will raise between $72-80 million from you, the buyer in Peoria County; of that amount $41 million (so far) has been pledged by the Peoria County Board to the PRM. (Two no votes, Widmer and Harding) The overall cost of the PRM alone is estimated to be $94 million with the CAT VC bringing the total project to an estimated $145-147 million. But the County would need to take another vote, probably a super-majority vote, to extend the figure to more than the $41 million already approved by the County Board. No, they would not need a new referendum, as the facility tax approved by referendum could net $56+ million and ALL of it, by board vote, could go to the museum eventually.

Since so many pledges are going bad and over $14 million had been SPENT before a spade of earth was turned and since approximately $16 million will be paid on fees and interest, the County of Peoria, who will own the museum and attachments, will still have approximately $15 million to spend on other County projects.

It is my understanding that our County Administrator is trying to figure out how to get the supposedly $8 million saved on construction to be used to underwrite part of the overall museum cost including the missing $7 to $12 million underfunded Endowment.

Don't believe Ransburg for a minute when he says that he is going to raise $10 to $20new millions from the private sector. That could only happen if a few of our multi-multi millionaires in Peoria decide to fund it in return for the building or some parts of it to be named after their family name.

Otherwise, I know Leitch, Koehler and Risinger are still trying to get the Quinn promised $5,000,000.00 (and a lot more)from the almost bankrupt State of Illinois, a State funded by fees and taxes all paid by you.

Hey, those of you that so strongly supported this b----------e, double or triple your pledges and pay them before the end of the years, all along getting a break on what your taxes will be in the future. If I had the money, I can see it now "the Merle Widmer Storage Room" or the Merle Widmer Restrooms". I said "if", didn't I?

In the meanwhile, don't miss Rick's Video. It is great. Ranks right up there with "I 'wished' I was in Peoria, how I miss those girls in Peoria, Peoria, tonight."