Was Planned Parenthood Callous Video Created From Spliced Bits and Pieces By Radical Anti-Abortionists???

I am waiting for more information before I pass judgment on this purported true video. Period

Does Illinois Have the Worst Managed Highway Department in the Country? Does Peoria Have the Same Situation?

Travelling South on 121 yesterday, motorists saw a sign "Workers Ahead" and a 55 speed zone. All we encountered were 10 miles of hundreds of barrels on both sides of the highway, no blacktop drying and NOT A SINGLE HIGHWAY EMPLOYEE. As I've written before, this is not unusual for Illinois. Peoria follows the same pattern on a smaller scale. I've blogged about these ridiculous situations for years. As I drove south on University yesterday, past McClure and before Pennsylvania, signs saying "right lane closed ahead". As typical, some drivers immediately started pulling over into the left land only to find as they progressed, that the right lane was NOT closed ahead. Water pools in front of my driveway on Collingwood Cr. that freezes in the winter. An inspector, dumber than a rock, came out and said the water was coming off MY property. My neighbor and I on more than one occasion agree that the water comes from a pipe from his house with the majority of the pooling water comes off city owned property emptying in front of my house at 612 Collingwood Circle. City Manager Urich and Mayor Ardis, you both read my blogs. Why can't you do something about it? Oh, I see, the City doesn't have the money as streets are hardly a priority. I also suggest people who drive and live off Farelly St. should form an association and take your horrible street conditions before the City Council or invite City Manager Urich on a tour especially after a heavy rain. And the neglect off the streets in other parts of this All-American City are a disgrace to the residents who have no power on the Council. Sorry, I an't create paragraphs any more. Some people ask if I don't like Peoria, why don't I move. I suggest these people are slobs, hard core Democrats, work in the public sector where the term "you are fired" is extremely ever heard, etc. I am not known to run from problems.

Cat - Peoria, In Deep-Doo-Doo

A while back, I blogged that some analysts predicted Cat might fall to $70 a share. Now I predict that Cat is a $55 stock and probably lower if the Democrats retain the presidency. Fortunately, i got out of Cat at $85-86 a share but I'm not bragging. I wrongly predicted both IMAX and Taser as relatively safe bets. Maybe IMAX will get back to $35 a share by 2016 but Taser has will again peak at a lifelong high of 27 a share. When a City depends largely on the success of one major manufacturer; this manufacturers trouble can change the areas entire dynamics. My suggestion to Peoria leadership is to encourage Cat to proceed with its new headquarters but on a greatly reduced scale as I predict that Peoria will not be Cat's headquarters 15 years or sooner from today. Also, local unions need jobs. And, as previously suggested, Cat should maybe take over part of the PRM as I believe the PRM losses will eventually exceed $3 million a year. I'm sad for a lot of people who believed they had lifetime jobs and that their Cat stock would eventually go back to its peak of $113 a share. Peoria and East Peoria faces massive problems in the years ahead.Peoria, largely , as heir infratructure such as sewers, water main and streets as in seriously bad condition. If you re-read my older blogs, most of my predictions sadly came true. In many cases, I should have followed my own advise instead of listening to the overly optimistic analysts. I still own IMAX and Taser but about half the amount of stock I owned a few weeks ago.

Heddington Oaks - Peoria County Owned Nursing Home - Buyer Considering Taking a Look-See???

This 2 year old money losing $51 million (give or take a million or so) home for the poor, private and Alzheimer patients, is rumored to have a potential buyer investigating this $4 1/2 million (again, give or take a couple hundred thousand) dollar yearly loser that was supposed to be by now, self-supporting, according to former County Board Administrator and now Peoria City Manager, Patrick Urich. It also cost the property taxpayer around $1 1/2 million to demolish Bel-Wood when it should have been sold for any amount as low as $1 to a organization who knows how to run a nursing home. In 2008, only seven counties out of 102, still had taxpayer funded County Nursing homes. Tazewell County and other County residents were coming to Bel-Wood and now are coming to Heddington Oaks supported by taxes paid not by these other counties but by Peoria County property taxpayers. I strongly fought the building of Heddington Oaks. But Democrat, Phil Salzer, a nice guy and a great athletic manager, who was quoted in the jS on June 6/2009, "A simple choice: replace Bel-Wood", our administrator and everybody on the board except myself supported closing Bel-Wood and building Hedddinton Oaks. Near the end of the debate, I believe a couple of Republicans began to believe me. County Board Chairman denies knowledge of any buyer investigation but you may recall, I blogged that Bel-Wood departing Manager, Matt Neukirk, was quoted in the JS that the home would probably have to be sold in 5 years. On June 6/2009 and on June 13/2009, I was quoted on the JS Editorial page as saying "Cost too high for county to keep supporting BelWood". On June 7, 2009, the JS Editors ran this headline, "Don't add unnecessary delays for new Bel-Wood (Heddington Oaks"). In the article, they said. "only one County Board Member sought to hit the brakes on this entire project". (That was me, of course). The JS almost always supports optimistic projections for any taxpayer funded project, and to date, most all of these projections that were VERY optimistic with the problem being that the ideas seemed good, they missed these projections, some badly like the PRM, etc. This being bad forthe benefit of the overwhelming majority of the property tax payers in Peoria and Peoria County. Why are all these new under-funded projects being built driving more property taxpaying Peorians out of Peoria? You might consider as an example that at the time of the Bel-Wood replacement votes, 12 of the 18 member County Board were Democrats and Bel-Wood employed 200 union members. P.S. I was also told by resident families that there is dissatisfaction with the relatively new Heddington Oaks administration and that some of the nurses were mean to their patients. Of course, I've heard the complaints about other nursing homes but these homes are mostly totaled owned by the private sector. Hmmmm.

"Nobody Agrees With Trump On His Statement About a Muslim President Leading the U.S.A" Says the Liberal Press

Trump is often very poor in the way he expresses his feelings and the feelings of a very large number of voters. I believe Trump means that a Muslim using a strict interpretation of the Koran should not be President of the United States of America. I agree and I believe at least 47% OF THE PEOPLE, MAYBE MORE, NOT NECESSARILY THE ONES WHO WILL VOTE, agree also.

Peoria, Illinois - An Alarming Number of Vacant Commercial and Residential Buildings

I don't drive the city as much as i used to because of the terrible condition of our streets and because I don't have the "fire in my belly" I once had. And the JS apparently no longer lists bankruptcies, so you only suspect it is lack of finances that has caused many of these vacancies. As an example, when I saw the Apples building up for sale, I inquired if Apples was also for sale. I was told sharply that the business was not for sale. However, if you call the number listed in the phone directory, you will get a message from the owner announcing she has retired and there appears to be a "for sale" sign on the building. It has been printed that Peoria is listed as one of the best places in the U.S.A. to start a business. Part of the recommendation might be based on so many bargains in vacant buildings, certainly not on the number of property tax payer supported public projects that missed their optimistic projects, some by wide margins. Nor on the flow of so much business flowing crosswise over the Illinois river to the other side.

Why Trump Appeals to So Many

With voter turnout from 10 to may 23%, with so many people out of jobs or making less than a living wage, with so many on the government dole making more than a working person, with so much empathy for those who don't deserve it, with safety concerns high, with so much disappointment in the performance of so many elected officials, with our infrastructure crumbling and few dollars to fix without raising already high property and sales taxes, with pensions rates rising to affordable heights, with the rich getting richer while the middle class stagnates, with liberal colleges turning out liberal teachers and social leaders, with all forgetting the parable that "if you teach a person how to fish.......", with so many seniors on a fixed income that shrinks as the value in the dollar shrinks and return on their investments shrinks, with an unbridled flow of unskilled illegals flowing across out porous borders, with so many Independent, Republican and ordinary Democrat voters highly concerned who our next President will be, with the threat of Socialism rising daily, with an impossible National, State, County and City deficits, with a bungling and dangerous president still in office, with the MidEast in chaos, China holding an enormous amount of our debt, racial unrest led by belligerent minorities soon to be belligerent majorities, etc., no, I didn't print all the smaller failures such as the inability to find treatment for people with mental health problems, (psychiatrists are hardly even a stop-gap) with Christianity in trouble all over the world; these are the reasons many angry and semi-angry people are looking for a change. Trump, not being politically correct, has captured, at least for the present, a way out of rule of the ESTABLISHMENT, who is doing an overall poor job of governing. Sorry no paragraphs as I and other can't figure it out why my paragraphs disappear when appearing on my blog site.

Peoria Chamber Of Commerce Forgot One Thing For Certain

The almost horrible condition of the City of Peoria streets, sidewalks and curbs. When politicians and their "gofers' spend all the money on non-essentials, there is nothing left over to pay for basic services. Our city infrastructure manager says his budget is now only $4 million a year and he needs $11 million a year over the next 5 years to bring infrastructure up TO 75% OF NORMAL. And did anyone smell all the s--t that washed into the Illinois River from a City of Peoria defunct sewer system that needs up to $300 million in repairs and replacements? Is someone or some corporation paying off the IEPA??? Next blog will be on the vacant business, homes and bankruptcies which the JS and the IB don't say much about these days.

Peoria Chamber of Commerce Chief Touts the Chamber's Accomplishments

Such as the money losing supposedly privately funded ball park (approx. $6 million from local taxpayers, $2 from the fraud we had as Governor before a bigger fraud I call Blago, $1 1/2 million forgiven by the City recently and who knows about this recently ended season but attendance figures didn't look very good. Accomplishments such as he PRM whose attendance was last reported as 40% below projections, the RiverPlex who couldn't pay off the loan in 10 years as projected and maybe not even paid off now, a Glen Oak Park that is in bad need of erosion control and flowers around the LeTourneau statute, missing this year, an African Exhibit reputed to have cost around $27 million but was partially bailed out by Glen Barton and the the Park Foundation Board, clay tennis courts that were a cloud of dust, saved only by the constant rainfall, no funds for the highly touted Sports Complex on the 40 acre Bradley University swap that evidently never happened, etc. And why not some census figures from the Chamber touted Marriott complex? And why did the Civic Center lose money again when "they" said the hotel expansion was the answer to drawing bigger 'draws" to Peoria???? Did I forget the basically defunct FireFly the Chamber touted? Have some, like I and Gary Sandberg, questioned that the Chamber might be part of the problem of Peoria's anemic growth? Kind of like Freddie and Fannie and the Federal Reserve and their drag on the economy as seen again Friday. Oh, well, I was partially wrong about the Cubs much to the chagrin of local Cardinal fans who seldom packed Dozer Field this summer. What is the old saying that "liars figure but figures don't lie". Even that oldie is wrong because figures do LIE depending on who is doing the figuring. Hmm.

Chuck Weaver to Take LaHood's Political Position

Just as i predicted leaving Brian, Matt, Brad and Ryan as groomsmen. Brian's Political ambitions are dead as are McMillan's and Jones. Ryan is still "wet behind the ears" as his performance on a "going bust' City Council, has proven to date. But then he comes from the Chamber group whose President was recently Mary Ardapple of Apples, now out of business and the building up for sale. Unfortunately, she is still on the County Board where she claimed responsibility for the hiring of an out of state advertising agency to promote the $4 million or more losing Heddington Oaks. She also said she would have supported the costly taxpayer funded Hedddington Oaks, The RiverPlex and the poorly attended River Front Museum (PRM), once to be a regional museum, but now just a big money losing Peoria Museum. Ask Mary why the Museum dropped the highly touted 15% off for Peoria residents and she said she never new about that discount, just one of the dozens of broken promises made by the Museum supporters. Remember, all the elite, were quoted the the museum would even host an IMAX Theatre. Wonder how long the Big Scree substituted for an IMAX will last because word is that it is a super money loser. Back to Weaver. He is part of the establishment and will get big business's unwavering support. Maybe Spain will run for Mayor?? Hmmmmm.

Chuck Weaver Fund Raiser

When: Thursday, Sept. 17. Where: 5416 Prospect Rd. Donation is a minimum of $250.00. Sponsors are Margo Klaus (Scott's ex) and Greg Folley. I note no County Board members and only one City Councilperson are among the nearly 40 Hosts, Co Hosts and Host Committee. Expect Chuck to announce soon after that he, too, wishes to replace Darin. Chuck would win by a landslide.

Bradley University and Peoria Park District Property Swap. What Did Really happen?

Meinen Field owned by the Peoria Park District (We property tax payers) was given to Bradley University for land out at Fox and Rt.91. The Peoria Park District was to build a 40 acre sports complex. That never happened and the land Bradley paid $13,000 an acre remains farmland. So what did the Peoria Park District get from Bradley get in exchange for what is now mainly the Shea Soccer Stadium? Retired PPD Board member Jim Cummings, said some money but he wasn't sure how much and what else. So what did we property tax payers get for the swap? Did the local media ever report the financials of the swap? Of course not. Does any body really care what happens financially in this community other the dragging down of people the JS mainly and other media doesn't like? Yes, I was falsely arrested in 2013 and received only negative press despite no one from the press ever hearing my side. And, no I was never convicted of anything in my life, not even a misdemeanor. But the ability of the press to attack the small stuff and let one mayor's drunken driving rest and one prominent citizen who crashed in the entrance of Mt. Hawley Country Club, left the scene of the accident but was tracked down by police following the tracing of leaking liquid from the car to his house. But I'm easy to attack so the press made me a community pariah. Few care that I as a 39 year old non-Peoria who started with 2 employees and established an $11 million dollar company in Peoria that I sold in 1992. The company still retains my name. Does the media ever mention any of my accomplishments? That while serving 10 years (2000 thru 2010) on the Peoria County Board that I was prominent in bringing the County back to financial stability? Not that I see or hear. And no, I don't drink, smoke or have ever used drugs. But I do support the legalization of Mary Jane, because like Prohibition, the law will never stop it's illegal production, transportation or use. Might as well legalize it and collect the taxx dollars will putting those who will lose there jobs into helping the addicted and involve themselves more in preventive and educational service.Period. Back to the land swap. What did happen or was it like the ridiculous RiverPlex swap; the RiverPlex built on taxpayer land that was valued at $5 per sq. ft. and swapped for worthless land sitting idle after all these years. Where is this land located? Right behind what used to be called State Baseball Stadium which I now believe is also sitting idle or seldom used. That too, was built by property taxpayers dollars for the Southenders. This is Sunday and should be a day or rest. Unfortunately, I keep bringing up incidents most of the press, elite and Merle haters, would like to forget. And no, while I personally like Ryan Spain, I will not support him to replace Darin. Nor would I support Brian as I served with him on the County Board. I have great recall and as I type my mind flits and I get off track on my original subject. But in the end, it all seems to tie together. Sorry.

Children's Playhouse

I was criticized for even commenting on this project because I was strongly advised that no taxpayers dollars would be used on this project. That satisfied me even if I did find a $10,000 grant from I believe the "going bankrupt" State of Illinois. Whoops, here's another. "The Junior League of Peoria, get's $25,000 for Peoria Children's Playhouse", (JS, 7/29/2007). There may have been more grants that were never made public. But then came the shocker. The JS inconspicuously mentioned that the Peoria Park District, supported by property tax payer dollars, had retained ownership of the Pavilion where the playhouse is located. Did my readers know that or care? Well, I do. While I greatly support childrens play; I was a coach for many years and was still coaching tennis in my 70's; I also have long supported the concept that children should learn how to do manual labor more than playing; playing, which was natural for kids growing up in my era, perhaps the greatest era in the U.S.A ever. Why manual labor when everybody is using computers, some ask? Go figure. By the way, how is attendance at the playhouse and how do the poor kids get transportation to the site? I doubt that they arrive by City Link. Then who is paying for their transport? Want to guess? How is the Playhouse doing financially? You won't find answers to most of the questions I pose in the JS or other local media. And with all the money being spent to play, is this country getting to be a better place to live, feel safe, confident of one's future, and prosper??

Peoria's New Louisville Slugger Sports Complex

This privately owned complex had games scheduled as early as June, 2015, according to an acquaintance whose child was supposed to play ball in a league of some sort. Of course, the complex is still not open and looks like the developer should hope for a long dry fa/ll. I suspect that most of you do not know that the city issued $12 million in bonds expiring in 22 or so years to support this "private complex". Did you or doesn't anybody care? Or did most activists like me, give up caring, because politicians seldom care about people who have more facts than they have? These are taxpayer dollars which leaves the developer grinning "like a coon eating bumblebees" Before I learned of the City Council's usual generosity with your property taxpayer's money, I predicted this would be another boondoogle. My prediction remains. Some may recall that Peoria Park District President and Peoria Park District Superintendent, Bonnie Noble, boldly stated that they would open a 40 acre sports complex starting construction in 2004 and be ready for play by 2006. The JS gave a "thumbs up" to this project; the land to be used was a swap by Bradley University for the then baseball, track ect. This acreage out at the corner of Fox and RT 91. (Read my blog dated August 21, 2008. Bradley paid $13,000 an acre for this land.) But the park people couldn't come up with the money. They used it to spend millions on a 33,000 sq.ft. headquarters of course named after Mrs. Noble. And to keep the RiverPlex afloat. The JS is good at strongly supporting all the boondoggles that will come home to roost as the years go by. Then dropping the subject when their predictions prove to be wrong. Remember the continued drain on the Park; the RiverPlex, whose bonds were to be paid off in 10 years. Then extended to 16 years which means time is up. Did they complete the payout or did they extend thee loan again? Few will ever know and I doubt that few care? Back to the LSSC. Please prove me wrong.

Auto Service Agency - A Scam on Seniors??

This possible scam asks the receiver to "Please call Immediately" and gives an 800 #. The one addressed to my wife indicates they know what she drives and that it is off warranty. It says "Second notice" which is not true. I would be very, very wary in dealing with a company who lists no return address. A company that is using what "appears" to be scare tactics The "please call immediately" is a term scam artists use. I suggest all reading this to advise your elders to use extreme caution. I might add that my wife, who is not well, does not want a new car as she likes the one she has. It has been "off warranty" for 10 years. Hmm.

Why I Would Vote For the Donald - Part 3

Arrest President Obama, John Kerry, Hillary Clinton as starters and charge them with being accomplices to murder. I know you can't do this nor can any other new president. That's why I now predict that 20 years from now this country will be run by a Dictator, hopefully one tough but benevolent. Those kind are hard to find. Maybe the most notable being Tito or Flash Gordon. Stop certain ethnic groups from breeding like rabbits further increasing an unemployed underclass who become more supportive of government dependency and Socialism. Thus voting for any Democrat. Donald, are you aware that if you are one of this multitude you vote for Democrats even if you never remember or heard of their name? Donald, I know you can't do these things and that is why I won't vote for you or send you my $5. Also, could you stop people from saying the very trite statement "have a good day". Also, get the lousy black leaders who start organizations like "Black Lives Matter". One wag printed it out eliminating the "v'. Hmmmmm And by the way, y'all, have a good day. And, no my software doesn't permit me to do paragraphs anymore. Old blogs I could. Ever since I dealt with and overpaid at Nerds on Call, using my computer is a chore. That's why I use it less. Do I hear clapping in the background?? And, Donald, have you ever heard of a white guy being tackled by police in error. Why, this incident will be more seen in print and on TV than Roger Federer winning the USO? (I'm speculating but I've studied the facts. Of, course, he could have a bad day or get tackled by a black policeman as tennis rackets could be considered unlawful weapons by Obama, Durbin and all wimps or future Dictator wannabees) Could you throttle one third of the journalists and fire one fourth of the people who didn't fit anywhere in any society, so they studied journalism taught by extreme liberals or joined our security services? Please, promise by crossing your heart, that you will do these things and I'll reconsider you. Have a nice day of did I already say that? I apologize to all of you who just lost your job, had your loan you needed desperately, turned down, your dog died,your spouse just ran off with the plumber or plumberette, were robbed, raped, tackled by a cop, fondled by a cop, I was in Sarasota, twice while being held in a holding cell for an alleged offense I didn't commit. Anyway, like I said, you know, have a nice day, Donald.

Why I would Vote For the Donald - Part 2 of a Series

If he would stop being such a blowhard and retract about 25% of what he says. Convince our local understaffed newspaper to hire or have volunteers to cover Peoria County, Peoria City Council, Peoria Park District, PRM, etc. full board and committee meeting so that the community folks that care, would know more about what is going on. Maybe re-quote some people like the departed Jim Richerson wrote that the Peoria RiverFront Museum "would be the legacy of our generation". Or present City Councilman and former TEACHER was quoted as saying the USA was "never an imperialistic nation". Or re-quote Budget Analyst and latter County Treasurer, Tripp O'Conner, who said in a County meeting on May 31, 2007, that he "did NOT see a risk in lending FireFly $3 million dollars". Or what Dick Durbin, Ray LaHood, Jim Ardis, Aaron Schock (Schock suggested that Peoria would become the next Silicon Valley) August 13, 2008, JS, Steve Tarter reporting. The JS Editorial Board chimed in on 5/22/07 printing that "FireFly's Promise Trumps (no, not the Donald) Pitfalls". National City regional Doug Stewart President said that if "we are going to hit our first home run (echoing Schock) FireFly is the closest thing we got". The same now departed Doug Stewart said that the PRM would be a huge riverfront success. He was right in sAying that the PRM would need a $16 million Endowment (it has never come CLOSE) No wonder financials are a poor investment these days. And our Peoria County Board Chairman was quoted in the JS on 6/10/2007 as saying, "I see FireFly as one of the safest loans we could make. If I had the money, I'd make it myself". And David Leitch teamed up with Dick Carver saying that "FireFly was the most exciting thing to happen in Peoria since the building of the Civic Center" You may recall, Leitch was a proud and stalwart supporter of the PRM. You may recall that FireFly went 'kaput' as I tried to warn all that this would "probably" happen (DUMBASS ME) as I said, being a businessman who struggled for years because I did not have the banks lending me money I needed because the "DIDN'T THINK A FARMBOY COULD SUCCEED. MY NAME IS STILL ON THE COMPANY I CREATED AGAINST ALL ODDS 52 years later; that they needed as a starter at LEAST $200 million for marketing, a very competent sales organization, production facilities, distribution channels, etc. And a commitment to manufacturer the batteries in Peoria County. I you want to know what our leaders said about FireFly, get a copy of the JS date 6/10/2007. You see, Donald, I have copies of all the broken promises made to Peoria taxpayers over the past 20 years or so. But if the local newspaper likes you, they would NEVER go back and elaborate on failures of the 'those who know better than the dumbass voter who does his or her research'. Unless they needed a whipping boy like Ardis and Schock. Replace the Fed with something that really works. Backoff on so many insults and present more provable facts. Admit you can't return 11 million of so illegals to where they came from. And surely you know that not all of them are from Mexico. Promise to read my blogs on illegal immigration that was more reasonable but needed a lot more finessing. Enough for tonight. Remember, I'm an old fart who should be in a nursing home. I also know you nor any other new President will be able to change the downward slide toward Socialism. So, as usual, special interests and a whole bunch of people who have little idea of what is going on in the world, will decide who will try to lead us back to some sembilense of sanity