Caterpillar closed up $1.87 today at approximately $35 plus a share but still down $50 a share from their 52 week high of $85 plus. Anyone owning just 1000 shares at $85 would still have seen their net worth drop by $50,000.00 in less than 365 days.
At the same time Caterpillar announced higher than expected excavator sales in China attributed to China's stimulus plan which puts more money into infrastructure as opposed to Obama's plan to put more money into government and social programs. CEO Jim Owens announced concern over the protectionism attitude building in this administration and the Democrat congress. Much of the concern is the "buy American" in the stimulus package and is definitely a export trade stopper already showing up in high tariffs imposed on U.S. goods entering Mexico. Mexico's move was to offset our unions move to stop Mexican truck drivers operating in the U.S.
Caterpillar does about 65% overseas, higher than I thought if the report I'm reading is correct with less than 10% of this business in Asia. I'm guessing but I believe "overseas" includes Canada and Central America.
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Place the Blame Where Most of it Belongs
That's right. It was and is a long way from the Republicans fault that we are in the mess we've been and are in. I also have to keep reminding people, the Democrats have controlled Congress since 2006.
The liberal media is largely responsible for trying to "make" the news fit their liberal beliefs including an article in the JS by Liz Sidoti of the AP who was drooling over Obamas 100 days successes. "She writes "Obama has applied the the same "no drama" leadership and calculated approach to governing as he did in his campaign".
Right. He is still the charming, fluent demagogue that he has been most of his adult life. The liberals and the liberal press wish the annointed Obamas to someday be king and queen except I believe the Obama's ambition is to go beyond those titles.
Anyway, whether the author is legitimate or not, the message is. It's written far better than I could express.
Merle Widmer
Subject: A Marine Sergeant Major speaks out!
Retired marine speaks clearly
Too bad we don't have folks on Capitol Hill willing to speak out like this. J.D. Pendry is a retired Marine Sergeant Major who writes for Random House. He is eloquent, and as taught by the Marines, he seldom beats around the bush!
'The Axis of Idiots'
Jimmy Carter, you are the father of the Islamic Nazi movement. You threw the Shah under the bus, welcomed the Ayatollah home, and then lacked the spine to confront the terrorists when they took our embassy and our people hostage. You're the runner-in-chief.
Bill Clinton, you played ring around the Lewinsky while the terrorists were at war with us. You got us into a fight with them in Somalia and then you ran from it. Your weak-willed responses to the USS Cole and the First Trade Center Bombing and Our Embassy Bombings emboldened the killers. Each time you failed to respond adequately, they grew bolder, until 9/11/2001.
John Kerry, dishonesty is your most prominent attribute. You lied about American Soldiers in Vietnam. Your military service, like your life, is more fiction than fact. You've accused our military of terrorizing women and children in Iraq. You called Iraq the wrong war, wrong place, wrong time, the same words you used to describe Vietnam. You're a fake. You want to run from Iraq and abandon the Iraqis to murderers just as you did to the Vietnamese. Iraq, like Vietnam, is another war that you were for, before you were against it.
John Murtha, you said our military was broken. You said we can't win militarily in Iraq. You accused United States Marines of cold-blooded murder without proof and said we should redeploy to Okinawa. Okinawa, John? And the Democrats call you their military expert! Are you sure you didn't suffer a traumatic brain injury while you were off building
your war hero resume? You're a sad, pitiable, corrupt and washed up politician. You're not a Marine, sir. You wouldn't amount to a good pimple on a real Marine's butt. You're a phony and a disgrace. Run away, John.
Dick Durbin, you accused our Soldiers at Guantanamo of being Nazis, tenders of Soviet style gulags and as bad as the regime of Pol Pot , who murdered two million of his own people after your party abandoned Southeast Asia to the Communists. Now you want to abandon the Iraqis to the same fate. History was not a good teacher for you, was it? Lord, help us! See Dick run.
Ted Kennedy, for days on end you held poster-sized pictures from Abu Ghraib in front of any available television camera. Al Jazeera quoted you saying that Iraqi's torture chambers were open under new management. Did you see the news, Teddy? The Islamic Nazis demonstrated another beheading for you. If you truly supported our troops, you'd show the world poster-sized pictures of that atrocity and demand the annihilation of it. Your legislation stripping support from the South Vietnamese led to a communist victory there. You're a bloated, drunken fool bent on repeating the same historical blunder that turned freedom-seeking people over to homicidal, genocidal maniacs. To paraphrase John Murtha, all while sitting on your wide, gin-soaked rear-end in Washington.
Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid, Carl Levine, Barbara Boxer, Diane Feinstein, Russ Feingold, Hillary Clinton, Pat Leahy, Barack Obama, Chuck Schumer, the Hollywood Leftist morons, et al, ad nauseam: Every time you stand in front of television cameras and broadcast to the Islamic Nazis that we went to war because our President lied, that the war is wrong and our Soldiers are torturers, that we should leave Iraq, you give the Islamic butchers - the same ones that tortured and mutilated American Soldiers - cause to think that we'll run away again, and all they have to do is hang on a little longer. It is inevitable that we, the infidels, will have to defeat the Islamic jihadists. Better to do it now on their turf, than later on ours after they have gained both strength and momentum.
American news media, the New York Times particularly: Each time you publish stories about national defense secrets and our intelligence gathering methods, you become one united with the sub-human pieces of camel dung that torture and mutilate the bodies of American Soldiers. You can't strike up the courage to publish cartoons, but you can help Al Qaeda destroy my country. Actually, you are more dangerous to us
than Al Qaeda is. Think about that each time you face Mecca to admire your Pulitzer.
You are America 's 'AXIS OF IDIOTS.' Your Collective Stupidity will destroy us. Self-serving politics and terrorist- abetting news scoops are more important to you than our national security or the lives of innocent civilians and Soldiers. It bothers you that defending ourselves gets in the way of your elitist sport of politics and your ignorant editorializing. There is as much blood on your hands as is on the hands of murdering terrorists. Don't ever doubt that. Your frolics will only serve to extend this war as they extended Vietnam. If you want our Soldiers home as you claim, knock off the crap
and try supporting your country ahead of supporting your silly political aims and aiding our enemies.
Yes, I'm questioning your patriotism. Your loyalty ends with self. I'm also questioning why you're stealing air that decent Americans could be breathing. You don't deserve the protection of our men and women in uniform. You need to run away from this war, this country. Leave the war to the people who have the will to see it through and the
country to people who are willing to defend it. Our country has two enemies: Those who want to destroy us from the outside and those who attempt it from within.
Simper Fi,
J. D. Pendry - Sergeant Major, USMC, Retired
This is a savvy man. He has nailed it down pretty good.. Too bad it won't do any good. There won't be 1 in 10 that receive it that will forward it. It sure loses steam that way.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The liberal media is largely responsible for trying to "make" the news fit their liberal beliefs including an article in the JS by Liz Sidoti of the AP who was drooling over Obamas 100 days successes. "She writes "Obama has applied the the same "no drama" leadership and calculated approach to governing as he did in his campaign".
Right. He is still the charming, fluent demagogue that he has been most of his adult life. The liberals and the liberal press wish the annointed Obamas to someday be king and queen except I believe the Obama's ambition is to go beyond those titles.
Anyway, whether the author is legitimate or not, the message is. It's written far better than I could express.
Merle Widmer
Subject: A Marine Sergeant Major speaks out!
Retired marine speaks clearly
Too bad we don't have folks on Capitol Hill willing to speak out like this. J.D. Pendry is a retired Marine Sergeant Major who writes for Random House. He is eloquent, and as taught by the Marines, he seldom beats around the bush!
'The Axis of Idiots'
Jimmy Carter, you are the father of the Islamic Nazi movement. You threw the Shah under the bus, welcomed the Ayatollah home, and then lacked the spine to confront the terrorists when they took our embassy and our people hostage. You're the runner-in-chief.
Bill Clinton, you played ring around the Lewinsky while the terrorists were at war with us. You got us into a fight with them in Somalia and then you ran from it. Your weak-willed responses to the USS Cole and the First Trade Center Bombing and Our Embassy Bombings emboldened the killers. Each time you failed to respond adequately, they grew bolder, until 9/11/2001.
John Kerry, dishonesty is your most prominent attribute. You lied about American Soldiers in Vietnam. Your military service, like your life, is more fiction than fact. You've accused our military of terrorizing women and children in Iraq. You called Iraq the wrong war, wrong place, wrong time, the same words you used to describe Vietnam. You're a fake. You want to run from Iraq and abandon the Iraqis to murderers just as you did to the Vietnamese. Iraq, like Vietnam, is another war that you were for, before you were against it.
John Murtha, you said our military was broken. You said we can't win militarily in Iraq. You accused United States Marines of cold-blooded murder without proof and said we should redeploy to Okinawa. Okinawa, John? And the Democrats call you their military expert! Are you sure you didn't suffer a traumatic brain injury while you were off building
your war hero resume? You're a sad, pitiable, corrupt and washed up politician. You're not a Marine, sir. You wouldn't amount to a good pimple on a real Marine's butt. You're a phony and a disgrace. Run away, John.
Dick Durbin, you accused our Soldiers at Guantanamo of being Nazis, tenders of Soviet style gulags and as bad as the regime of Pol Pot , who murdered two million of his own people after your party abandoned Southeast Asia to the Communists. Now you want to abandon the Iraqis to the same fate. History was not a good teacher for you, was it? Lord, help us! See Dick run.
Ted Kennedy, for days on end you held poster-sized pictures from Abu Ghraib in front of any available television camera. Al Jazeera quoted you saying that Iraqi's torture chambers were open under new management. Did you see the news, Teddy? The Islamic Nazis demonstrated another beheading for you. If you truly supported our troops, you'd show the world poster-sized pictures of that atrocity and demand the annihilation of it. Your legislation stripping support from the South Vietnamese led to a communist victory there. You're a bloated, drunken fool bent on repeating the same historical blunder that turned freedom-seeking people over to homicidal, genocidal maniacs. To paraphrase John Murtha, all while sitting on your wide, gin-soaked rear-end in Washington.
Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid, Carl Levine, Barbara Boxer, Diane Feinstein, Russ Feingold, Hillary Clinton, Pat Leahy, Barack Obama, Chuck Schumer, the Hollywood Leftist morons, et al, ad nauseam: Every time you stand in front of television cameras and broadcast to the Islamic Nazis that we went to war because our President lied, that the war is wrong and our Soldiers are torturers, that we should leave Iraq, you give the Islamic butchers - the same ones that tortured and mutilated American Soldiers - cause to think that we'll run away again, and all they have to do is hang on a little longer. It is inevitable that we, the infidels, will have to defeat the Islamic jihadists. Better to do it now on their turf, than later on ours after they have gained both strength and momentum.
American news media, the New York Times particularly: Each time you publish stories about national defense secrets and our intelligence gathering methods, you become one united with the sub-human pieces of camel dung that torture and mutilate the bodies of American Soldiers. You can't strike up the courage to publish cartoons, but you can help Al Qaeda destroy my country. Actually, you are more dangerous to us
than Al Qaeda is. Think about that each time you face Mecca to admire your Pulitzer.
You are America 's 'AXIS OF IDIOTS.' Your Collective Stupidity will destroy us. Self-serving politics and terrorist- abetting news scoops are more important to you than our national security or the lives of innocent civilians and Soldiers. It bothers you that defending ourselves gets in the way of your elitist sport of politics and your ignorant editorializing. There is as much blood on your hands as is on the hands of murdering terrorists. Don't ever doubt that. Your frolics will only serve to extend this war as they extended Vietnam. If you want our Soldiers home as you claim, knock off the crap
and try supporting your country ahead of supporting your silly political aims and aiding our enemies.
Yes, I'm questioning your patriotism. Your loyalty ends with self. I'm also questioning why you're stealing air that decent Americans could be breathing. You don't deserve the protection of our men and women in uniform. You need to run away from this war, this country. Leave the war to the people who have the will to see it through and the
country to people who are willing to defend it. Our country has two enemies: Those who want to destroy us from the outside and those who attempt it from within.
Simper Fi,
J. D. Pendry - Sergeant Major, USMC, Retired
This is a savvy man. He has nailed it down pretty good.. Too bad it won't do any good. There won't be 1 in 10 that receive it that will forward it. It sure loses steam that way.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Minor League Baseball Status
While Major league games were reporting an average attendance of 39,000 for yesterday's games, the Burlington, Iowa Bees lost to the Peoria Chiefs in front of 390 fans. Can't blame it on bad weather as all the major league teams have faced bad weather and most do not have roofs. The Peoria Chiefs appear not to have have had a money making crowd yet this year yet is a privately owned club counting me as one of a number of discontented stockholders.
Word is that the ball parks largest contributor has not contributed one dime to the Chiefs this year yet one of its past presidents sits on an unelected committee of some sort that supposedly runs the club. By this time in past years, stockholders would have been invited to a stockholder meeting. So far in the past more than a year, no invitation has been issued.
Palm trees that die at the first freeze, were planted again this year at an unknown cost but usually the cost to the stockholders is around $15,000. The act is now becoming the butt of jokes about the club's management.
O'Brien gets free advertising as the stadiums name even though they quit paying for the rights last year. From the "street" I hear talk that O'Brien needs all the advertising they can get. This so called management group that runs the Chiefs, did not have the foresight to write in the "naming" contract that if they failed to pay the Chiefs to renew the contract, O'Brien would be responsible to take the name down.
So the Chiefs are responsible for taking the name down yet why would they because that is how the public perceived the ball park. Since Pete Vonachen gets all the credit for the ball park I recommend the ball park sign be replaced and Petes name go up just like Vonachen's Old Place and Vonachen Grill. Opps, I forgot, they are out of business.
So now the original naming company gets free publicity as long as the Chiefs can't sell naming rights to another or no longer stays in business. Some foresight by the so called "managing board" which I believe consists of Don Fites, Chappy Chapman, Ralph Converse and Dave Beilfeldt.
Every year we don't make money and we haven't made money one year since 1994, Chief officials "blame it on the weather". That old line is used every year. Guess they didn't pay attention, Peoria has almost without exception, has cold and wet springs. Also it's blame it on the economy. Guess they haven't talked to the mayor and some elected officials.
Word is that the ball parks largest contributor has not contributed one dime to the Chiefs this year yet one of its past presidents sits on an unelected committee of some sort that supposedly runs the club. By this time in past years, stockholders would have been invited to a stockholder meeting. So far in the past more than a year, no invitation has been issued.
Palm trees that die at the first freeze, were planted again this year at an unknown cost but usually the cost to the stockholders is around $15,000. The act is now becoming the butt of jokes about the club's management.
O'Brien gets free advertising as the stadiums name even though they quit paying for the rights last year. From the "street" I hear talk that O'Brien needs all the advertising they can get. This so called management group that runs the Chiefs, did not have the foresight to write in the "naming" contract that if they failed to pay the Chiefs to renew the contract, O'Brien would be responsible to take the name down.
So the Chiefs are responsible for taking the name down yet why would they because that is how the public perceived the ball park. Since Pete Vonachen gets all the credit for the ball park I recommend the ball park sign be replaced and Petes name go up just like Vonachen's Old Place and Vonachen Grill. Opps, I forgot, they are out of business.
So now the original naming company gets free publicity as long as the Chiefs can't sell naming rights to another or no longer stays in business. Some foresight by the so called "managing board" which I believe consists of Don Fites, Chappy Chapman, Ralph Converse and Dave Beilfeldt.
Every year we don't make money and we haven't made money one year since 1994, Chief officials "blame it on the weather". That old line is used every year. Guess they didn't pay attention, Peoria has almost without exception, has cold and wet springs. Also it's blame it on the economy. Guess they haven't talked to the mayor and some elected officials.
Monday, April 27, 2009
"Tax protest no different from Selma"
So says Dave Hughes from Washington in reply to Pam Adams socialistic view on the Tea Bag movement. "Just like M.L.K. did at Selma, other than the tea baggers were real working taxpayers who took time off from their jobs to march nationwide-rather than being bused in from ACORN or the DNC. Both were serious groups protesting their treatment by others, be it government or society."
Dave says Pam's column in the JS was a letdown from her usual "Let's perpetuate racism so that her her friends Al and Jesse can keep their jobs."
Thanks, Dave for labeling Adams for what she is. Adams signed off her column by saying "Glen, Sean and Rush have already told us what to say". Mostly not, Dave and folks like me have seen how people like Adams try to promote socialism and racism even in almost every column she writes. Recently she wrote an article praising the good points about Peoria from a person who moved away from Peoria 20 years ago. She didn't say how things have changed here in 20 years such as described the same day by JS Reporter John Sharp titled "New policies aimed at stopping festival fights".
Keep up the LTR's, my friend Dave Hughes, and John Sharp, keep reporting statements such as the one from Principal Randy Simmons from Peoria High who said "All the city kids get a bad rap, and I think that is unfair". And "people within the community can help the cause , but it's up to the people who are causing this problem, to stop", said 17 year old Timpestt Jones. I agree.
And it's up to the parents, principals teachers and mentors to step in and stop this nonsense that eventually fills our juvenile court system and our jails. And up to people like Pam Adams and other syndicated writers like Gene Robinson and Leonard Pitts (why did the JS stop printing Columinst William Rasberry?) to stop perpetuating racial divisions not only here but all across the country.
I found it interesting that John Sharp was assigned to cover the people problems in Peoria and Adams was assigned to report positive statements made by an ex-Peorian who left here 20 years ago.
Dave says Pam's column in the JS was a letdown from her usual "Let's perpetuate racism so that her her friends Al and Jesse can keep their jobs."
Thanks, Dave for labeling Adams for what she is. Adams signed off her column by saying "Glen, Sean and Rush have already told us what to say". Mostly not, Dave and folks like me have seen how people like Adams try to promote socialism and racism even in almost every column she writes. Recently she wrote an article praising the good points about Peoria from a person who moved away from Peoria 20 years ago. She didn't say how things have changed here in 20 years such as described the same day by JS Reporter John Sharp titled "New policies aimed at stopping festival fights".
Keep up the LTR's, my friend Dave Hughes, and John Sharp, keep reporting statements such as the one from Principal Randy Simmons from Peoria High who said "All the city kids get a bad rap, and I think that is unfair". And "people within the community can help the cause , but it's up to the people who are causing this problem, to stop", said 17 year old Timpestt Jones. I agree.
And it's up to the parents, principals teachers and mentors to step in and stop this nonsense that eventually fills our juvenile court system and our jails. And up to people like Pam Adams and other syndicated writers like Gene Robinson and Leonard Pitts (why did the JS stop printing Columinst William Rasberry?) to stop perpetuating racial divisions not only here but all across the country.
I found it interesting that John Sharp was assigned to cover the people problems in Peoria and Adams was assigned to report positive statements made by an ex-Peorian who left here 20 years ago.
"Machinery Stocks Not Sharpened"
Local folks may want to read this article in today's WSJ. "For investors in the sector, '09 is a largely done deal. The message alongside first quarter results was that of hunkering down with cost cuts to cope with weak demand.
The issue is duration. Take Caterpillar. Reduced '09 earnings-per-share projections of $1.25 imply a price/earnings multiple of 27 times. Investors are clearly looking through the trough: After all, not so long ago the company was earning more than $5 a share.
For 2010, the consensus forecast implies a multiple of 21 time. But look at the range: The highest estimate, according to Thomson Reuters, is 8 time the lowest.
With the outlook so foggy, why pay so much for Caterpillar on a 2-year deal? Caterpillar did well from a construction boom in the U.S and Middle East that isn't coming back soon. U.S. shipments of steel for construction and contractor's products fell 58% in the first 2 months of '09.
Chinese infrastructure offers some hope. But brokerage Stern Agee estimates all of Asia accounts for only 15% of Caterpillar's sales. And with China a buzzword of all competing companies seeking growth, it's questionable how high margins on such business will be."
The article goes on to say corporate executives are still cutting capacity and leaving question marks hanging over dividends. "Investor should take their cue from that."
Some are. We believe we can buy the stock back in the mid twenty range before 2011.
We will see.
The issue is duration. Take Caterpillar. Reduced '09 earnings-per-share projections of $1.25 imply a price/earnings multiple of 27 times. Investors are clearly looking through the trough: After all, not so long ago the company was earning more than $5 a share.
For 2010, the consensus forecast implies a multiple of 21 time. But look at the range: The highest estimate, according to Thomson Reuters, is 8 time the lowest.
With the outlook so foggy, why pay so much for Caterpillar on a 2-year deal? Caterpillar did well from a construction boom in the U.S and Middle East that isn't coming back soon. U.S. shipments of steel for construction and contractor's products fell 58% in the first 2 months of '09.
Chinese infrastructure offers some hope. But brokerage Stern Agee estimates all of Asia accounts for only 15% of Caterpillar's sales. And with China a buzzword of all competing companies seeking growth, it's questionable how high margins on such business will be."
The article goes on to say corporate executives are still cutting capacity and leaving question marks hanging over dividends. "Investor should take their cue from that."
Some are. We believe we can buy the stock back in the mid twenty range before 2011.
We will see.
Interesting Statements From and about Caterpillar #2
Since my computer will not accept my password (for the fortieth time) to comment on Cal Skinner' question, I'll create a new blog.
Cal, This information should have been made public both before and after the referendum. This failure to be honest with the public fits one of my most previous blogs about truth. Thanks, Cal.
Cal, This information should have been made public both before and after the referendum. This failure to be honest with the public fits one of my most previous blogs about truth. Thanks, Cal.
Sunday, April 26, 2009
"Oink, oink: Keep Our Roadsides Clean"
This statement has been an ongoing theme by the JSEB but it appears those of us who attempt to slow the littering problem are as they say "preaching to the choir." The editors write "This stretch of southbound (northbound also) Illinois Rt. 29 running just past Three Sisters Park in Chillicothe through Rome has provide Piggy plenty of trash to roll around in."
No question as to how the litter gets there. A couple of months ago I fell in behind a school bus on Rt. 29 just north of it's intersection with Rt.6. For approximately 4miles a continuous stream of litter was being pitched out of this northbound bus windows on the back right hand side. When the bus stopped to let out a student, I walked around to the drivers side of the bus and asked him to roll down his window which he did. I asked him if he knew litter was being thrown out the rear windows. He said he didn't and didn't think there was because the windows are supposed to be closed. An adult appeared from the back of the bus and she claimed she didn't know litter was being thrown out the windows. I asked the age of the students on the bus and where told they were around 16. I told them the area into which litter was being pitched and said I would report it to the school superintendent of Chillicothe schools.
I was able to talk to the principal and told him the situation. I asked him why food and fast food drinks were allowed on the bus. He said I should go see the Transportation Director. I said, no, you are the principal and that it is your responsibility to take action to prevent this occurrence. He reluctantly took the bus #34 and licence #57 265 SB and said he would look into the incident. But he said kids put food and soft drinks in their bags and he couldn't stop them from doing that. He also indicated that adults sometimes take food on the bus so the kids think they can do the same. I indicated a no food or drink on buses hauling kids to and from home should be an enforceable policy. He had no comment.
So all of us litter protesters should have long ago taken note as the people who litter are the ones going through our failing school systems and from people who don't vote and could actually care less what there kids do when they are supposedly under school supervision.
So I can talk to all the people responsible for allowing litter and the JSEB can print all the oink, oink's they want too, but as Journalist Caitlin wrote in the WSJ on April 17, 2009, "The High Cost of Coddling", "It is, of course, the responsibility of the state and community to provide some sort of education to all children under the age of 18, and so for a host of legal, moral and economic reasons we end up with the ugly truth about our nations schools. Who would not be willing to side not with the students of an institution--those fun-loving creatures of the now-but with the institution itself, a place ostensibly devoted, above all else, to the well-being of it's population.
I'll tell you who would not: Adults, remember them?"
So make fun of me for trying. I know who you are by your words. I'll not make fun of the JSEB for trying. They are. But they can't reach the ones who say "who cares", who can't read and if they can, read the wrong stuff and the ones who care not to vote or even register. And the ones who think their kids can do no wrong because, after all, they are just kids.
Remember Columbine? And what about the riots at Kent State today. And the article in today's JS, "New policies aimed at stopping festival fights."
As I sat in a local restaurant having dinner last night a two young Muslim women with 3 kids, the oldest about 5 and with a kid each "in the basket" let the oldest stand on top of the table where they were eating, scream and slap at his mother and they did absolutely nothing. Why do I identify them as an ethnic group? Because they are just adapting to our customs in the United States. Isn't that what we want?
Keep putting your kids on pedestals, they will grow up just like you and they will mostly become bleeding liberals, "who cares" people, don't vote, everybody else is doing it people, who love violence, hate discipline and this country will be soon be under total Socialism and eventually worse.
No question as to how the litter gets there. A couple of months ago I fell in behind a school bus on Rt. 29 just north of it's intersection with Rt.6. For approximately 4miles a continuous stream of litter was being pitched out of this northbound bus windows on the back right hand side. When the bus stopped to let out a student, I walked around to the drivers side of the bus and asked him to roll down his window which he did. I asked him if he knew litter was being thrown out the rear windows. He said he didn't and didn't think there was because the windows are supposed to be closed. An adult appeared from the back of the bus and she claimed she didn't know litter was being thrown out the windows. I asked the age of the students on the bus and where told they were around 16. I told them the area into which litter was being pitched and said I would report it to the school superintendent of Chillicothe schools.
I was able to talk to the principal and told him the situation. I asked him why food and fast food drinks were allowed on the bus. He said I should go see the Transportation Director. I said, no, you are the principal and that it is your responsibility to take action to prevent this occurrence. He reluctantly took the bus #34 and licence #57 265 SB and said he would look into the incident. But he said kids put food and soft drinks in their bags and he couldn't stop them from doing that. He also indicated that adults sometimes take food on the bus so the kids think they can do the same. I indicated a no food or drink on buses hauling kids to and from home should be an enforceable policy. He had no comment.
So all of us litter protesters should have long ago taken note as the people who litter are the ones going through our failing school systems and from people who don't vote and could actually care less what there kids do when they are supposedly under school supervision.
So I can talk to all the people responsible for allowing litter and the JSEB can print all the oink, oink's they want too, but as Journalist Caitlin wrote in the WSJ on April 17, 2009, "The High Cost of Coddling", "It is, of course, the responsibility of the state and community to provide some sort of education to all children under the age of 18, and so for a host of legal, moral and economic reasons we end up with the ugly truth about our nations schools. Who would not be willing to side not with the students of an institution--those fun-loving creatures of the now-but with the institution itself, a place ostensibly devoted, above all else, to the well-being of it's population.
I'll tell you who would not: Adults, remember them?"
So make fun of me for trying. I know who you are by your words. I'll not make fun of the JSEB for trying. They are. But they can't reach the ones who say "who cares", who can't read and if they can, read the wrong stuff and the ones who care not to vote or even register. And the ones who think their kids can do no wrong because, after all, they are just kids.
Remember Columbine? And what about the riots at Kent State today. And the article in today's JS, "New policies aimed at stopping festival fights."
As I sat in a local restaurant having dinner last night a two young Muslim women with 3 kids, the oldest about 5 and with a kid each "in the basket" let the oldest stand on top of the table where they were eating, scream and slap at his mother and they did absolutely nothing. Why do I identify them as an ethnic group? Because they are just adapting to our customs in the United States. Isn't that what we want?
Keep putting your kids on pedestals, they will grow up just like you and they will mostly become bleeding liberals, "who cares" people, don't vote, everybody else is doing it people, who love violence, hate discipline and this country will be soon be under total Socialism and eventually worse.
Caterpillar Flush With Cash
So says Paul Gordon of the JS in his column today. "It ended the first quarter with $3.6 billion in cash."
Paul probably didn't read the WSJ who reported that on Feb. 5, 2009, Caterpillar conducted a $3 billion bond sale to raise cash. This was at least the 2nd time in the past 8 months that Caterpillar has sold bonds to raise cash.
I don't know what Cat's debt load is and what doubtful account receivable they have in their financing arms as they have revolving credit lines with companies that buy their equipment such as the $29 million they lent last month to Allis-Chalmers Energy to buy two drilling rigs (Cat makes the engines).
I do know this. Stockholders who kept their stock have taken one heck of a beating while Cat executives earned more than they did in 2007. In 2007, Mr. Owens took home $14.4 million and 17.4 million in 2008 while the stockholders took a bath. I also know that layoffs will continue at least through June and the quarterly dividend is under a "fulsome" discussion as to whether it will be reduced or dropped.
Paul probably didn't read the WSJ who reported that on Feb. 5, 2009, Caterpillar conducted a $3 billion bond sale to raise cash. This was at least the 2nd time in the past 8 months that Caterpillar has sold bonds to raise cash.
I don't know what Cat's debt load is and what doubtful account receivable they have in their financing arms as they have revolving credit lines with companies that buy their equipment such as the $29 million they lent last month to Allis-Chalmers Energy to buy two drilling rigs (Cat makes the engines).
I do know this. Stockholders who kept their stock have taken one heck of a beating while Cat executives earned more than they did in 2007. In 2007, Mr. Owens took home $14.4 million and 17.4 million in 2008 while the stockholders took a bath. I also know that layoffs will continue at least through June and the quarterly dividend is under a "fulsome" discussion as to whether it will be reduced or dropped.
Interesting Statements From Caterpillar
I received a copy of a letter dated 4/9/09 that reads as follows: "Caterpillar is pleased about the vote to move forward with the Build a Block. We made a commitment in 2002 to support a new regional (note REGIONAL, my comment) museum and we will stay true to this commitment. Caterpillar's funding of this project will be in the near future but will not occur in 2009.
The budgeted cost of the Visitors Center is $41 million. Planning for this project will be modified to reflect our current financial circumstance.
The Caterpillar Foundation has pledged $13.5 million to the museum. We have made the decision to temporarily suspend outright cash payments, however, the Foundation will continue to match payments to the museum from employees and retirees."
This information changes the private funding arrangements. Surely the PRM Committee informed the media of these changes yet I believe I am the only one to bring this forward.
I believe there will be many revelations about the private funding of the museum before the contract is signed giving ownership to Peoria County. As a board member, I will be asking for FULL FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE before any document is signed transferring ownership of the museum to the Peoria County.
You can only speculate as to why this information I am disclosing was not made public. If it was, I apologize.
The budgeted cost of the Visitors Center is $41 million. Planning for this project will be modified to reflect our current financial circumstance.
The Caterpillar Foundation has pledged $13.5 million to the museum. We have made the decision to temporarily suspend outright cash payments, however, the Foundation will continue to match payments to the museum from employees and retirees."
This information changes the private funding arrangements. Surely the PRM Committee informed the media of these changes yet I believe I am the only one to bring this forward.
I believe there will be many revelations about the private funding of the museum before the contract is signed giving ownership to Peoria County. As a board member, I will be asking for FULL FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE before any document is signed transferring ownership of the museum to the Peoria County.
You can only speculate as to why this information I am disclosing was not made public. If it was, I apologize.
Property Tax Bill -2008
My property tax bill received yesterday, showed a decrease of $94 with the only taxing body showing an increase was the Peoria Public Library of $75. The Airport tax, now spread over a larger portion of the populace was down $55. City pensions were up $8 and #150 overall was down $21. The largest increase came from the the current tax rate, up from 8.22696 to 8.40647.
I see property tax bills for 2008 as being the "lull before the storm" unless the article in the JS today is incorrect saying "the average selling price of homes continued to drop, hitting $125,499 for the first quarter of 2009. That was nearly $10,000 lower than the average price a year ago."
And unless the County Board Chairman believes it is still not time to take action toward what appears to be a very unrealistic Board of Review. Also, a badly needed change in the state law would make it simpler for people to file a protest and a more reasonable Board of Review would erase the worry protesters have that they wouldn't be retaliated against by having their taxes raised for protesting.
As a reminder, if you have filed a protest and haven't learned the results of your request for reduction, when you pay this year in June. mark your check with the term "paid under protest".
I see property tax bills for 2008 as being the "lull before the storm" unless the article in the JS today is incorrect saying "the average selling price of homes continued to drop, hitting $125,499 for the first quarter of 2009. That was nearly $10,000 lower than the average price a year ago."
And unless the County Board Chairman believes it is still not time to take action toward what appears to be a very unrealistic Board of Review. Also, a badly needed change in the state law would make it simpler for people to file a protest and a more reasonable Board of Review would erase the worry protesters have that they wouldn't be retaliated against by having their taxes raised for protesting.
As a reminder, if you have filed a protest and haven't learned the results of your request for reduction, when you pay this year in June. mark your check with the term "paid under protest".
Saturday, April 25, 2009
"Mark Johnson, Spearhead of Cat center retiring"
So said the JS today. Believe I predicted his retirement about 3 week ago on this site. To be a very active part of a group that spent approximately $640,000. to educate the public how to vote and then won by a margin of 410 out of almost 30,000 votes cast, must have been quite a disappointment to Mr. Johnson. Especially, when the small organized vote "no" group only spent around $3,000.
I'm glad to see him stay a part of the Peoria Historical Society, a group, who, without strong representation, could come out on the short end of what history of Peoria is displayed in the new museum.
I'm glad to see him stay a part of the Peoria Historical Society, a group, who, without strong representation, could come out on the short end of what history of Peoria is displayed in the new museum.
District #150 - Flashback 1/4/03
Dennis Bailey, co-partner at Clifton Gunderson, the accounting firm said "This school district has to stop overspending. Time is running out. You really need to take immediate action. The board is responsible for setting policy, including the adoption of the district's annual budget, and administration is responsible for implementing board policy. Last year, in my closing comments to the board, I stated that the district was facing an impending financial crisis. Well, that crisis is getting much closer."
So said Dennis Bailey in statements made 6 years and 4 months ago. U.S. Representative Aaron Schock, during part of this period, was not only on this board but president of this board. That elected, non-paid, 5 year term board was not competent then to run #150 and it is not competent to run it 76 months later. I do not say that these are not good people but they lack the experience and skills to manage 16,000 human bodies and an $150,000,000.00 budget.
If the state hasn't taken this district over, these statements will be repeated with accuracy 76 month from now.
Wake, up, Peoria, stop making museums, etc., as your top priorities or you would have put a stop to this nonsense years ago. Peoria has put itself in such a position that no one qualified wants to run for the board as was proven again this past election.
Good copy for the media though who can't write Peoria is really a "dull" city with all spending of money with such doubtful results.
Good grief. Maybe we should invite Jay Leno to do a show from some of the "golden eggs" all our taxes have laid. Start with In-Play, Damon's, RiverStation, Tillys, the Gateway Building, One Tech Plaza, the booming downtown, soon to be enlivened by a museum and a Caterpillar Visitors Center with underground parking, our river filling up with silt, our potholded streets, our crumbling curbs and sidewalks and our flooded streets on the south side and finishing with a tour of all the closed commercial buildings for sale, some on the market for up to 10 years. View some of the mismatched architecture such as the mostly deserted new (old) Bank Plus Building, Furniture Row out at the Shoppes, the expensive homes sitting empty on the north and northwest side of Peoria and invite some of the extremely overtaxed property owners to comment about our partially defunct property tax system. Or the bare ground where ballparks promised for years by the PPD were never built or the new northside library (if you can find the projected site). Not to forget the 400 or so structurally unsound or abandoned homes in Peoria City and County.
Be sure to show him the results of all our TIF 'ing' of our "blighted" city, enterprise zones and the former Cub's Grocery on Knoxville
Then, visit all the money losing already built "enhancement" projects which we have adopted as our priorities. I think Leno would be the right person to "spread the word" for our under funded Convention Bureau.
Last stop, have Jay visit a Monday night #150 school board meeting whose actions are helping "grow the city".
This blog is mostly written "tongue in cheek" make believe but that is the kind of city we have become and will be once the "world class" museum is built and the 33,000sq. ft. old Lakeview Museum in a center city, potentially beautiful location, sits as another empty. Unless, of course, the PPD relocates their offices there and reaches the $60,000,000.00 budget I predicted not in the too distant future. Remember, the goal at Glen Oak Park is to spend $129 million over a period of time.
So said Dennis Bailey in statements made 6 years and 4 months ago. U.S. Representative Aaron Schock, during part of this period, was not only on this board but president of this board. That elected, non-paid, 5 year term board was not competent then to run #150 and it is not competent to run it 76 months later. I do not say that these are not good people but they lack the experience and skills to manage 16,000 human bodies and an $150,000,000.00 budget.
If the state hasn't taken this district over, these statements will be repeated with accuracy 76 month from now.
Wake, up, Peoria, stop making museums, etc., as your top priorities or you would have put a stop to this nonsense years ago. Peoria has put itself in such a position that no one qualified wants to run for the board as was proven again this past election.
Good copy for the media though who can't write Peoria is really a "dull" city with all spending of money with such doubtful results.
Good grief. Maybe we should invite Jay Leno to do a show from some of the "golden eggs" all our taxes have laid. Start with In-Play, Damon's, RiverStation, Tillys, the Gateway Building, One Tech Plaza, the booming downtown, soon to be enlivened by a museum and a Caterpillar Visitors Center with underground parking, our river filling up with silt, our potholded streets, our crumbling curbs and sidewalks and our flooded streets on the south side and finishing with a tour of all the closed commercial buildings for sale, some on the market for up to 10 years. View some of the mismatched architecture such as the mostly deserted new (old) Bank Plus Building, Furniture Row out at the Shoppes, the expensive homes sitting empty on the north and northwest side of Peoria and invite some of the extremely overtaxed property owners to comment about our partially defunct property tax system. Or the bare ground where ballparks promised for years by the PPD were never built or the new northside library (if you can find the projected site). Not to forget the 400 or so structurally unsound or abandoned homes in Peoria City and County.
Be sure to show him the results of all our TIF 'ing' of our "blighted" city, enterprise zones and the former Cub's Grocery on Knoxville
Then, visit all the money losing already built "enhancement" projects which we have adopted as our priorities. I think Leno would be the right person to "spread the word" for our under funded Convention Bureau.
Last stop, have Jay visit a Monday night #150 school board meeting whose actions are helping "grow the city".
This blog is mostly written "tongue in cheek" make believe but that is the kind of city we have become and will be once the "world class" museum is built and the 33,000sq. ft. old Lakeview Museum in a center city, potentially beautiful location, sits as another empty. Unless, of course, the PPD relocates their offices there and reaches the $60,000,000.00 budget I predicted not in the too distant future. Remember, the goal at Glen Oak Park is to spend $129 million over a period of time.
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