Certain Peoria Black Younger People and Their Ilk

From Starr Street, to Proctor Center, to Manual and Peoria High, from our poorly disciplined schools to over-crowding of our jails and juvenile courts, blockage of the streets in groups, small and large. Van Auken, no asset on our City Council, needs to be replaced next election. Those who live in her district should be working now. I'll raise money for the right person.

I don't have much hope, though. Last election, all three incumbents up for election were reelected. And expect Chuck Weaver to carefully pick his words as he is in business and a member of the upper elite who have been telling us how to run Peoria for a long time.

And today, I read that Carl Cannons, wife, Sherry, described as a youth advocate, and like all good Democrats, writes an editorial stating that Obama, who sends his kids to private schools, is doing a wonderful job and she would vote for him again.

Just what are some of the black kids mentioned above learning from their leadership in Peoria?

The results? Obvious.

P.S. Kudos to The Peoria Chronicle and Paul Wilkinson for getting out the truth, Luciano, well what would you expect him to write?

Liberal Media Fair and Balanced? My Ass

After Katrina, the media blamed the lack of response on the Bush administration's dislike of black people.
Can we then conclude from the lack of media coverage and response by the Obama administration that Obama doesn't like white people?

See Below:
Where are the Hollywood celebrities holding telethons asking for help in restoring Iowa and North Dakota and helping the folks affected by the floods? Where is good old Michael Moore?


Why is the media NOT asking the tough questions about why the federal government hasn't solved this problem?
.......Asking where the FEMA trucks and trailers and food services are?



Why isn't the Federal government moving Iowa people into free hotels in Chicago and Minneapolis ?




When will Spike Lee say that the Federal government blew up the levees that failed in Des Moines ?





Where are Sean Penn, Bono, and the Dixie Chicks?




Where are all the looters stealing high-end tennis shoes, cases of beer and television sets?



When will we hear Governor Chet Culver say that he wants to rebuild a 'vanilla' Iowa ... because that's what God wants?


Where is the hysterical 24/7 media coverage complete with reports of shootings at rescuers, of rapes and murder?



Where are all the people screaming that Barack Obama hates white, rural people? My God, where are Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt,
Oprah, and Ray Coniff Jr?



How come you will never hear about the Iowa flooding ever again? Where are the gov't. bail out vouchers? The government debit cards?



(Pictures accompanying all these comments. If you want to see them, email me and I will forward. Unfortunately, I am unable to print picutres on any of my blogs.)










More people died in these floods than from Katrina...how come the media doesn't report that?!!!!! There must be one hell of a big difference between the value of the people of Iowa and value of the people of Louisiana .
HERE'S THE REAL TRUTH:

THIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF GOVERNMENT CONTROL OF THE MEDIA, AND SOON TO BE GOV'T. CONTROL OF INTERNET, CELL PHONES, RADIO AND ALL COMMUNICATION AS WELL AS THE PRESENT NETWORK NEWS ON TV.

WAKE UP, AMERICANS...
WHOMEVER CONTROLS THE MEDIA CONTROLS THE COUNTRY! THIS IS ONLY ONE OF THE "ARMS" THAT IS NOW IN PLACE TO ACCOMPLISH THE TAKE OVER OF YOUR COUNTRY!

Pass this unedited, un-doctored, factual information forward ..... to get Americans thinking, the media WON'T!
------ End of Forwarded Message

Why All My Family and I Voted For The Democrat Slates

*Surely, I jest.

I was also wise enough not to vote for Judge Mary McDade when half the Republicans did. A quarter of them voted for Judge Kilbride. Many Republicans votede for the las two members of the Supreme Court. I hope they are noting how they are trying with Breyer, to re-write the Constitution.

Merle Widmer

When your friends cannot explain why
> they voted for a Democrat, give
> them this list. They can then pick
> their reasons from these "TOP 12"...
>
>
>
> 1. I voted Democrat because I believe
> oil companies' profits of 4% on a
> gallon of gas are obscene, but the
> government taxing the same gallon of
> gas at 15% isn't.
>
>
>
> 2. I voted Democrat because I believe
> the government will do a better job of
> spending the money I earn than I
> would.
>
>
>
> 3. I voted Democrat because Freedom of
> Speech is fine as long as nobody is
> offended by it.
>
>
>
> 4. I voted Democrat because I'm way
> too irresponsible to own a gun, and I
> know that my local police are all I
> need to protect me from murderers and
> thieves.
>
>
>
> 5. I voted Democrat because I believe
> that people who can't tell us if it
> will rain on Friday can tell us that
> the polar ice caps will melt away in
> ten years if I don't start driving a
> Prius.
>
>
>
> 6. I voted Democrat because I'm not
> concerned about millions of babies
> being aborted so long as we keep all
> death row inmates alive.
>
>
>
> 7. I voted Democrat because I think
> illegal aliens have a right to free
> health care, education, and Social
> Security benefits.
>
>
>
> 8. I voted Democrat because I believe
> that business should not be allowed to
> make profits for themselves. They need
> to break even and give the rest away
> to the government for redistribution
> as the Democrats see fit.
>
>
>
> 9. I voted Democrat because I believe
> liberal judges need to rewrite the
> Constitution every few days to suit
> some fringe kooks who would never get
> their agendas past the voters.
>
>
>
> 10. I voted Democrat because I think
> that it's better to pay billions to
> people who hate us for their oil, but
> not drill our own because it might
> upset some endangered beetle or
> gopher.
>
>
>
> 11. I voted Democrat because while we
> live in the greatest, most wonderful
> country in the world, I was promised
> "HOPE AND CHANGE".
>
>
>
> 12. I voted Democrat because my head
> is so firmly planted up my ---, it's
> unlikely that I'll ever have another
> point of view
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>

Drug Eradication Program A Tragic Failure

Some well meaning people are in disbelief when I tell them their kids, if they have the money, can bug a drug of their choice within hours and sometimes minutes. Prominent people are now speaking out about the massive failures, 40,000 dead in Mexico in just a few years, many dead from usage in the united states; figures that are hard to verify because "accurate cause of death" (my son's dead brain contained 4 different types of illegal drugs, his death was ruled 'accidental')is not a mandate to mortuaries and Coroner offices. Lives of millions, maybe a billion and growing, have been ruined by drug gangs taking over entire cities is some countries and entire communities in the United States.

Illegal drug sales make up a major part of the export income for some countries. All these drugs could be taxed in the U.S. and the and a vast number of drug enforcers could be used on preventative measures.

Forwarded to me by a friend. However, I have over one hundred articles testifying to the billions of dollars mostly wasted in drug eradication in the U.S.

It is way past time when our politicians have the guts to change something that had merit but almost completely failed.

Here is the emailed article. Pass it on.

Here is another important cross reference, to date left unexplored. At the exact time the Obama administration was wilfully allowing illegal gun shipments into Mexico, a policy at odds with foreign relations with the Mexican government, the president was castigating the state of Arizona for allegedly interfering with foreign relations with our southern neighbor for passing laws to enforce federal immigration policy... another national security responsibility the administration was smirking to advance a misguided liberal agenda.

I usually recoil from the idea of articles of impeachment, but increasingly, I think they may be warranted. Comment by Kyle Christensen

June 20, 2011
By John Hinderaker

We haven't written much about the Operation Fast and Furious scandal, which reportedly is about to lead to the resignation of the Acting Director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms. The best way to get a handle on the controversy is by reading the Joint Staff Report that was prepared for Congressman Issa's Committee on Oversight and Government Reform and Senator Grassley of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and was released last Tuesday. The report is based on testimony taken from ATF agents and, to a lesser extent, on documents produced to Issa's committee by ATF.
The report relates that in the fall of 2009, the Department of Justice "developed a risky new strategy to combat gun trafficking along the Southwest Border," which was implemented by ATF, a part of the Justice Department. The new strategy was called "Operation Fast and Furious."

The operation's goal was to establish a nexus between straw purchasers of assault-style weapons in the United States and Mexican drug-trafficking organizations (DTOs) operating on both sides of the United States-Mexico border.

"Straw purchasers" are people who buy guns from gun shops for the purpose of reselling them to criminal organizations. At the time when Fast and Furious began, a number of straw purchasers were known or suspected in the Southwest. The usual course, prior to that operation, had been to surveil the suspected straw purchasers as they bought weapons and to keep them under surveillance until they tried to sell or otherwise dispose of the weapons. At that point, an arrest would be made and the weapons recovered. Or, in the alternative, they could arrest the straw purchaser for "lying and buying," making false representations in connection with his gun purchases, and try to "flip" the straw purchaser to lead them to other drug gang members. According to the agents who testified before Issa's committee, "ATF's long-standing policy has been not to knowingly allow guns to 'walk' into the hands of criminals." It was this policy that was changed by the Fast and Furious program.

Under DOJ's new strategy, gun shop owners would be given the names of suspected straw purchasers and would report to ATF the serial numbers of guns that they sold to those purchasers. However, the purchasers themselves were not kept under surveillance and no effort was made to stop them from transferring the guns to Mexican drug gangs. On the contrary, such transfers were the hoped-for result, on the theory that identifying the guns when they later turned up at crime scenes in Mexico or on the U.S. side of the border would "create a 'nexus' between the drug cartels and the straw purchasers." Under this theory, approximately 2,000 AK-47s and other weapons were allowed to pass from known straw purchasers into the hands of the drug cartels.

It is difficult to understand how DOJ thought this could be a good idea. Almost the only way in which the illegal firearms were recovered in Mexico was when they were left at crime scenes. ATF would check serial numbers, and sometimes was able to verify that a weapon that had been bought by a known straw purchaser had, indeed, wound up in the hands of a Mexican drug gang. But so what? The authorities already knew that was taking place, and identifying the serial number after the fact would do little or nothing to help identify or catch higher-ups in the drug cartel. Intuitively, the traditional approach described above seems like a much more effective way to roll up a drug gang, which was the stated purpose of Fast and Furious.

Many ATF agents were appalled by, and rebelled against, Fast and Furious. They predicted that guns the agency had purposely allowed to get into the hands of a drug cartel would inevitably be used to commit crimes of violence, potentially against law enforcement officers. But their complaints were suppressed by higher-ups in ATF and DOJ.

The weapons that were permitted to be smuggled into Mexico under Fast and Furious contributed to the drug violence there. According to ATF agents who testified, that made ATF officials "giddy." One agent recounted a conversation with an ATF higher-up in which he asked, "are you prepared to go to a border agent's funeral over this or a Cochise County deputy's over this, because that's going to happen." Her response, in a chilling echo of Lenin, was that "if you are going to make an omelette, you need to scramble some eggs."

The inevitable occurred on December 14, 2010, when Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry was murdered by a group of illegal aliens near Rio Rico, Arizona. Two AK-47-type weapons found at the scene had serial numbers that showed they were bought by a straw purchaser named Jaime Avila, whose identity as such had been known to ATF since November 2009.

The evidence suggests that the Department of Justice immediately went into cover-up mode. In January 2011, William Newell, Special Agent in Charge of the ATF's Phoenix Field Division, held a press conference in which he announced the indictment of 20 individuals. This was presented as though it represented the roll-up of a drug gang, but in fact, most of the indictments were for the relatively minor offense of "lying and buying," and nearly all of those indicted were straw purchasers whose identities were known to ATF long before Fast and Furious began.

Since then, DOJ has attempted to deflect inquiry by quibbling over whether Fast and Furious involved "gun walking" or not--it did, under any but the narrowest definition, but the terminology is immaterial--and by stonewalling the House committee's requests for documents relating to the program.

The joint staff report whose findings are summarized in this post does not accuse the Department of Justice of bad faith. It assumes that Fast and Furious was a misguided attempt at a new anti-cartel strategy, which had the unintended but foreseeable effect of contributing to the spiraling violence along the Mexican border.

Others are not so sure. At Pajamas Media, Bob Owens speculates that the Obama administration used Fast and Furious to advance a gun control agenda:

The most damning revelations coming out of the hearings on Operation Fast and Furious held by the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform are the unmistakable indications that the program was never designed to succeed as a law enforcement operation at all. ...

ATF agents testifying in front of the House Oversight Committee could not explain how the operation was supposed to succeed when their surveillance efforts stopped at the border and interdiction was never an option.

ATF Agent John Dodson, testifying in front of the committee, said that in his entire law enforcement career, he had "never been involved in or even heard of an operation in which law enforcement officers let guns walk." He continued: "I cannot begin to think of how the risk of letting guns fall into the hands of known criminals could possibly advance any legitimate law enforcement interest."

The obvious answer is that Gunwalker's objective was never intended to be a "legitimate law enforcement interest." Instead, it appears that ATF Acting Director Ken Melson and Department of Justice senior executives specifically created an operation that was designed from the outset to arm Mexican narco-terrorists and increase violence substantially along both sides of the Southwest border. ...

At the same time in 2009 that federal law enforcement agencies (the ATF, the DOJ, and presumably Janet Napolitano's Department of Homeland Security) were creating the operation that led to the executive branch being the largest gun smuggler in the Southwest [Ed.: This characterization is overblown; the Obama administration did not smuggle guns, but did intentionally permit and encourage the smuggling of weapons that easily could have been confiscated.], the president's team was crafting the rhetoric to sell the crisis they were creating.

On television, in various news outlets, and even in a joint appearance with Mexican President Felipe Calderon, Obama pushed the 90 percent lie, implying that 90% of the guns recovered in Mexican cartel violence came from U.S. gun shops.

At the same time they were damning gun dealers in public, the administration was secretly forcing them to provide weapons to the cartels, by the armful and without oversight. More than one gun industry insider suggests that the administration extorted cooperation and silence from these gun shops.

This is an explosive accusation, for which there is no evidence beyond the circumstantial. But Eric Holder's Department of Justice needs to stop stonewalling Issa's committee and start providing clear--among other things, unredacted--answers as to who devised Fast and Furious, and why. In the absence of such cooperation, speculation will inevitably run rampant.

http://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2011/06/029290.php

Edgewild Huge Garage Sale

Located off Mt. Hawley Rd., consisting of 228 home. Sale starts at 8 AM this Saturday. Garage sales are held at individual homes.

The Widmers are participating. 10 piece used outdoor lawn furniture, white metal with beige cushions, four swivel reclining arm chairs, 2 adjustable back lounge chairs, 2 fixed arm chairs and one 60" table and one small table to be used between chairs.

One of many items I'm selling including a complete tuxedo with shirt 15 1/2 complete with shoes, 10 1/2, worn twice when I was 5 11 1/2 and weighed 165 pounds. And dry cleaned.

Hick'ry Stick Gets Loan From Peoria County Board

"I don't know how we can talk about helping small businesses (small, a $620,000.00 project?) and have them go through 'all they have gone through' and then say no", said 25 year black County Board member, Democrat Lynn Pearson. Two Democrats and 5 out of 8 Republicans voted against any loan, yet 10 board members voted to lend $88,500.00 with possibly more to come when "proper" documentation is presented.

It's beginning to look like I may have made a mistake in endorsing Rosenbaum and Fennel, both Republican businessmen, who have both voted yes on questionable spending and lending projects. Rosenbaum admitted to me after he was sworn in that he "didn't know what he was getting into".

The no voters felt the loan application was "under-documented". Under-documenting has never bothered the board on which I served 10 years. During that time loans to FireFly, RiverStation, Globe Energy and InPlay all went broke sticking the taxpayers with millions.

I questioned every loan asking for more financial information. Board members like Pearson, Prather, Baietto always voted yes even though Baietto sometimes asked questions that couldn't be completely answered.

On one of my last votes (no) was to on a loan the Redbud Ridge Custom Shop for $117,000, the presenter didn't even know whether RedBud owned their bu idling. Didn't bother anyone but myself. Friends tell me that they know of two employees who have been laid off recently.

In my ten years serving on the board, I do not recall any no votes from Pearson and Watkins, except on PDC Hazardous Waste Landfill expansion and may two other minor occasions.

Don't give all the credit to the Democrats who control the board. Former administrator Patrick Urich, told me on more than one occasion that I "kept him on his toes". However, the last two years, I was basically ineffective in stopping the County's ownership of the PRM and my belief that there was too big of a risk to build a new $70,000,000.00 (with interest and other costs) new county nursing home. I was finally joined by some Republicans but it was too late and to my knowledge, the property to build has been purchased and bids have been received for demolition, site preparation and building.

All 10 years I served on the County Board, I was retired. I did not need to cater to special interest groups nor did I ask or accept any money from them. That may not be true with businessmen now serving on the board.

Time will tell.

Pigford Vs. Glickman and Shirley Sherrod's Resignation

The question is how much money did Sherrod (personally before she resigned) and the black farmers scam from the taxpayers? And are thy still scamming. It is reported that twice the actual number of black farmers TRIED, applied for our money (are they succeeding)? than there were actual involved in the federal payout of billions.

Not hard to figure out why the country IS going broke with Obama's help with this bill.

Sorry folks, but the situation that our politicians, especially the Obama Democrats, have put us in defies description.

As the WSJ reports, "the economy is worse than you think" and I said "not true for all", including some corporations that were favorites of this corrupt administration.

For my followers, no I didn't hold my IMAX, I sold at $35.40 and $36.78. Wish I had sold my CAT stock. In fact, right now, I wish I had sold all my stock 4-6 weeks ago.

Enhancenments, Entertainment and Education

Am I opposed to them? Hardly. I am opposed to building more than this community can afford. I pointed out that we had a perfectly fine expandable museum at Lakeview with the grassy area south of the building capable of being turned into an attractive parking lot. And room to expand the space north of the museum into more museum space. We had an abundance of libraries, especially the lightly used Lincoln Library. The millions spent on the downtown library is sort of a joke or another concession to Caterpillar. Consider that approximately 10 years ago the library board thought of closing that lightly used facility and moving the offices to smaller quarters.

The ballpark? Somewhere around $6-8 million of public dollars (includes $2 million from Republican Governor George Ryan's Illinois fist program) were invested in a growing yearly loss to this investor. And attendance only slightly higher than at a park free Meinen Field.

The zoo? It is still a mystery to me where the full $27 million came from to add the addition. I believe the PPD owes money to some group, possibly the Park Foundation. Time will tell as planned additional parking does not appear to be needed and a newly designed entrance will not bring in new paying visitors.

It appears to go unnoticed that money spent on entertainment means less money so spend with merchants who offer a lasting product. And more restaurants point to the inability of younger people having ever learned to cook thus less money spent on groceries; one major reason the Cub Foods failed leaving a void in the near downtown area for those who do buy more than canned food and liquor.

As for the PRM,I find it doubtful that after people pay to park; free parking at Lakeview, after paying to enter the museum and extra for the CAT Visitor Center, buy souvenirs, etc., pay extra to see the special exhibits, at least 2 new exhibits a year are planned, pay extra to see the IMAX substitute, visit the zoo and shop at Grand Prairie stores, and eat at the restaurants, they will have expendable funds to spend on the new shops planned downtown.

None of these enhancements will pay workers anymore than a living wage as will the new schools, where the most vocal teachers complain about being overworked and underpaid.

What politicians have been promising this community are jobs that pay more than a living wage. Only a few in education and in entertainment/enhancements make that kind of money.

It has been my educated opinion that once all these new tax collecting businesses has been built, where will those in Peoria who want to make more than a living wage migrate to?

Yes, I left out the renovation of the soon to "old" Lakeview Museum to house the new Peoria Park District Headquarters and the soon to be "old" PPD headquarters renovated into the new Children's Playhouse, when the soon (maybe) to be the old BelWood renovated into some other Peoria County expansion and the now tax consuming old Hanna City Incarceration Center, now owned by Peoria County, is converted into some County expansion.....it will all end somewhere and hopefully not where the the City of Peoria now is; approximately $13 million over budget.

And somewhere along the line, CAT will need a new headquarters building and it may not be in a Democrat and bureacrat controlled, tax money sucking, State of Illinois.

What did I leave out. Oh, yes, the millions needed for new sewer renovationa and drinking water lines replacements; privately owned or city owned.

USA Today Reports U.S. Owes 62 Trillion

As the Obama administration drives business out of this country and won't budge on opening free trade with Columbia, South Korea and Panama, our debt, including interest, is growing at $58,000 per minute. Why is Obama dragging his feet? The unions unreasonable demands of excessive training of displaced workers, of course.

Obama's debt to the union bosses is affecting all of us including many union workers. Union bosses run the unions, not the workers.

Too bad.

Caterpillar says that new taxes in Illinois will cost the company and worker over $40 million a year. No wonder they appear to be dragging their feet on building a $50 million visitors center which will cost Caterpillar another $1.5 million a year in property taxes and operations.

Illinois Courts Illegals

The State of Illinois just passed a bill making it easier for "undocumented" people to get financial aid for college.

Another Business Abandons Illinois in Total

Electrolux in Bloomington closed all operations employing 180 workers and are relocating. Guess where? A "right to work state", Charlotte, South Carolina. Isn't that where Boeing opened a huge new plant today?

Interesting that the JS didn't mention the closing. But then again, most of their news now comes from out of town. Even Chris K. who was in the Editorial Department is now writing columns. Replacing Democrat Karen McDonald, a prejudiced reporter who tried to cover Peoria County meetings.

McDonald's last major story was that the museum had "exceeded" their fund raising goals. Wrong again, Karen. The headline was wrong and should have said, "PRM still short $10 million for the endowment and much of the private money is still in pledges". The new saying is 'a bird in the bush is -----worth nothing'.

But I'm told the City Editor writes the headline copy so can't blame Karen for that.

Another newsworthy note is that Texas leads the nation in new hires in the private sector. A right to work state?

Sure is. Both these states are where CAT has relocated part of their business.

Working For the Virginia Highway Department

The column, "My Summer Road of Perdition", by James Bovard, in today's WSJ, is an interesting read. Bovard is also author of 'Attention Deficit Democracy'. Bovard writes about his experience working for the Virginia Highway Department in 1973. He writes, "What did I learn as a young man laboring for the Virginia Highway Department? How to work slowly to slipshod standards".

By the end of his summer, he realized the private sector could build the road they were working on, much faster and at a lower cost. (Probably not so true in Peoria as the unionized private construction locally can't work any faster (and may not want to so no one is 'showed' up) than the public employees they try to work with in tandem. (Example, look haw fast Walsh Bros. out of Chicago finished Rt. 74 and on time).

Bovard closes his column; "The government has always been radically incompetent at imparting job skills or good work habits. Unfortunately, as long as politicians can profit from handing out jobs and paychecks, the waste and character damage will continue."

He is right, again, unfortunately. I have been observing the work habits and organization of highway workers for years. I have written several times on the subject. When I heard the astounding number of bridges that were in bad need of repair, I new that few of them would be repaired in my lifetime.

I sometimes drive by groups of union workers standing or leaning while one person works. There was a situation at University near Willow Knolls junction where so many people were standing around that I walked over and asked if they needed any help. They laughed. And I wrote about the situation at the corner of Hamilton and Jefferson where one union employee told me he stood all day and did nothing. Another sat in an endloader. I asked what he did. His reply, "I take the heavy lid off the hole in the morning and replace it at night". He didn't feel bad about his job at all. The other worker, who stood and watched all day, at least knew it was wrong. He said he knew it and was going to ask to be reassigned the next day.

Locally, when Dave Barber was hired to replace VanWinkle, I visited Barber and we talked about the situation. He said he was going to be more hands on than VanWinkle. He has been here quite a while. I have seen no improvement.

After all the stimulus money spent in the public sector, I note the worsening of the roads I travel. Now Obama and LaHood, who knows about as much about transportation as I do, tried to force Florida to take hi-speed rail money, $3.2 billion, about enough to pay for the preliminary work and then stick Florida with the $4 billion building costs, money Florida needs for infrastructure repair.

And worse yet, the financially broke California politicians are taking the $3.2 billion to build hi-speed between some points that will have few riders with the idea of hooking in the big cities later. Basackward, just like this financially disastrous administration.

Caterpillar, Market and Obama in Freefall

We can only pray that Obama is at the bottom. He is the major cause of the mess the private sector and unemployed are in. Public workers, especially union, and politicians still get their raises, keep ALL their benefits and most of them can't be fired.

Look for highway workers to work a little slower than they do now.

Everyone that voted for this dangerous man; enjoy this summer.

Wake up, Peoria. Opps, Too Late

Wake up, Peoria, has been the title of several of my blogs. Now I add, "Too Late". Here's why.


Start with the near end of the public cash sucking, union job supporting, new projects in Peoria coming to an end.

The new zoo expansion which was to have, but doesn't, a new $5 million dollar parking lot and new entrance but is still budgeted by the park district to lose $700,000 a year. ( I read in the JS the PPD is sponsoring a fund raiser to build the parking lot and new entrance)

The $92 million dollar #150 School district building projects, all borrowed money, are nearing an end. A positive? Expect test scores to skyrocket and the production of more well-rounded future tax paying citizens.

$40 million (including loan interest and related costs) Peoria Public Library projects are at an end.

Labor on the East Peoria owned sales tax paying only, Bass Pro East Peoria facility, is near an end.

Highway construction money is on hold. (Caterpillar stock has dropped almost 15% in the past 6 weeks)

There is no money for the Illinois River polluting Peoria Sanitary sewer upgrades, estimated from $100-300 million.

Construction at Caterpillar Mossville I hear is at an end as more Cat jobs head for "right to work states". (My nephew in Georgia emails me that his property tax is less than $200 on a $250,000 value residence. Peoria similarity, $7000).

The VA Clinic, OSF and Methodist appear to have finished their construction projects.

The long bally-hood Caterpillar Visitor Center is still yet to be built as Caterpillar stock plummets; again. Probably, CAT is waiting for the labor market to get cheaper which it will.

OPM by Dave Koehler will be spent out of D.C. by 2013. CAT and the big farmers will continue to get their subsidies. Schock may be around to help.

Last is the County owned nursing home, BelWood, coming in at about $75 million including related costs and interest. Union jobs will be provided to some for two years while property taxes collected to support Bel-Wood will rise. Last year $3,200,000.00 subsidized BelWood in direct and indirect taxes and this figure was estimated to rise to $8 million by the time the 30 year loan is paid off.

Unless a miracle happens and Quinn and the compassionate politicians decide to pay those Medicaid expenses at B-W in full. Present Medicaid population at B-W is 167.

I might add, BelWood supports some 160 union employees.

Not much of a peep out of the City sponsored Gary Matthews project, that could eventually cost the Peoria taxpayers $39 million but will offer union jobs for two years.

There. Then Dan Daly's vision and the vision of the movers and shakers of a world class city, will be complete with all that is left is where will labor find new jobs and where will the taxpayers find the money to pay for all this over the next 20-30 years.

I guess that's not too much to ask for as all those being paid by the government who have it made with yearly raises, great benefits, vacations, personal days off, fully paid vacations, no firing clauses, etc., unless, of course, Quinn and the Demos continue to break Illinois, China stops lending and Obama and his ilk keep expanding the public sector and Obama and our bureaucrats stumble into another Middle East War.

The museum has about a year to go before construction is done.

I project it will be losing $2 million a year after the "amazing" has worn off.

In the meantime, the Peoria Park District, using funds to support the RiverPlex, has not enough money to build the new ball parks promised several times since 2003, put up PortaPotties at the north end of Peoria Stadium where they have a couple of basketball backboards, a shelter and some playground equipment. Where do the kids pee??

And the neglected landscape in front of Lakeview Library, under contract for park maintenance, has 6 foot high thistles, probably considered by some to be a protected species.

Anyway, Peoria, wake up. You are about to become a "Henry Hollings World Class City" with a big digital screen on the riverfront.

And litter and crime free with "world class" debts.

New Baseball Fields in Peoria?

Some of the most bull crap I've read about lately and I've read a lot. Includes Illinois's top spender, Dave Koehler who wants to take his spending talents to Washington,. D.C.

Back to the baseball subject. Baseball has been dying in Peoria and is almost dead. Those who think it isn't need to get an "insider" friend to tell them the actual financial position of the club. The banks that lent them the money are probably "between a rock and a hard spot". It's hard to sell minor league ball club stadiums, I've read.

Read the attendance figures printed after each game in the JS Sports page. Back in 2002, the break even was an average of 3500 a game. Only twice has the ball club gone over those figures this year; one Dare Day and the other a low cost beer night.

the Sunday Morning league at one time drew as many as 1000 spectators. These days, the players are lucky to get mom and dad, wives, or friends, to attend.

The people who presented to an eager city council couldn't sell their "junk" in Louisville, they probably heard that Peoria "fields" City Councils who can't say no to any project they really don't understand and besides, it's OPM.

Right.

Tim Cassidy and the PPD would love to have the city build the ball diamonds. Cassidy and Noble said they were "in process" back in 2002. Look it up, JS, 11/7/03, "Park District near deal for softball fields", but "construction probably wouldn't begin until 2005 because of lack of funds".

They are still in process today, JS, 2/22/10, "Scott Loftus, supervisor of athletics for the Peoria Park District said there are plans to build four or five fields on 80 acres of property near Fox Road and Rt. 91 (still owned by Bradley, see my previous blogs) only the PPD has no immediate plans for construction". Despite all their denials, the PPD is cash strapped for any expansion. I said on many occasions that they would be. Nor will their financial situation improve as the "African Exhibit" is budgeted to lose $750,000.00 this year which I feel is conservative.

Listen carefully to what your city council people are saying. You reelected two of the three who helped put us in this bind.

Hey, who cares, it's not their money.

The Talented and Lovely Stephanie Aaron is Back in Town

I should add that Stephanie is a friend and it was she who sent this email to me.

Merle

Happy Summer Everybody -
It is finally safe to come out after that ridiculous spring - let's celebrate together! I will be hanging and playing downstate with Larry Harms this weekend along with some of the other usual suspects (namely Randy Emert and Cory Flanigan) and it would sure tickle us all to see YOU there too. Bring your appetites and your friends to Basta O'Neil's on Cummings Lane in Washington this Thursday, June 9 from 6 - 9pm. This is the LHT's regular Thursday thang and I am delighted to be crashing their party. Then on Friday, June 10, join us at the Contemporary Art Center on Water Street in downtown Peoria from 5:30 to 7:30 for a happy kickoff to your weekend. The last couple of times we have played there we've enjoyed ourselves with the original Larry Harms/Stephanie Aaron duo, but this time we're bringing back the boys to swing, swing, swing. The CAC encourages you to bring some goodies to munch on and a bottle of something to quench your thirst - Larry and I encourage you to bring your kids, your parents, your in-laws, etc. as it makes for a great night for the family.
Finally, Larry and I will be playing on Saturday night, June 11 at Beignet's on the Corner, just down the street from the CAC on State and Water from 8 - 11pm. We have some new ballads to try out - if you haven't checked out Beignet's yet, come and see us. You'll love the menu and the intimate atmosphere as much as we do. This is the place for that special evening you've been meaning to have with your sweetheart...leave the kids at home and have a lovely night, grown-up style.
I'm looking forward to getting together with my fave musicians in my fave place: HOME!! Hope to see you there too -
Stephanie
ps - feel free to reply with a note or if you wish to be removed from this mailing list, reply with "Please Remove" in the subject line.