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.