On the Editorial page of today's Peoria Journal Star, Ex-Mayor Bud Grieves writes, "I have met and talked with Cheri, and she has ASSURED me she will work hard to find bipartisan solutions--particularly on a way forward to reduce our debt."
Grieves, a Democrat, believes what everyone should believe: what someone tells them face to face. He says he has not met (or talked) to Bobby Schilling, but he has a severe handicap by Schilling being "caught up in the Tea Party ideology".
"Assured" Bud says. Case in point. When a weak Peoria Public School district #150 school board hired Kay Royster as Superintendent, I met personally with Mrs. Royster in her office for about an hour. I was so impressed, I had her speak to my social club -- where she put stars in the listeners eyes and received a big round of applause.
Remember what happened to her? She left District # 150 in a bigger mess, before she was urgently invited to seek another position. She did with the same results she had BEFORE she was hired by Dist. #150..
So Bud meets "Cheri" as he calls her and is convinced she will do what she says when she gets elected.
Interesting. I supported Grieves when he ran for mayor with a letter to the editor of the Journal Star. I later wrote, "Alas, Bud failed in the opinion of most who voted for him."
For those of you who don't remember Mr. Grieves, I kept a bit of his record. He threw his support to Dave Ransburg who easily defeated Sandburg, and Ransburg, in turn, was easily defeated by Jim Ardis, our current mayor.
Grieves
(1) bragged of his support for the money-losing Peoria Chiefs stadium ballpark,
(2) was enthusiastic about the attendance disappointing Peoria Riverfront Museum,
(3) he claimed the city would buy the water company in his term, they, of course, didn't.
(4) he had questionable ties to G and G Packet Co. that he sold to his family members
(5) he backed into a light pole while "drunk"
(6) he helped convene a "as a power broker" support the the bankrupt FireFly
(7) he wanted to increase property taxes in October 1999, then reversed himself in Jan of 2000
(8) he wanted higher parking fees downtown to drive away what little retail business was left downtown
(9) he strongly supported the RiverPlex which has never been able to even meet the principal and interest on the millions of dollars it still owes on the building of the RiverPlex
(10) he proposed the $5 million dollar gift to Midtown (now an abandoned, former Cub grocery business).
The Journal Star wrote this about him on January 15, 2000, "he is at risk of becoming the mayor who tries everything and accomplishes nothing."
And this former resident of Peoria County who now lives in Fulton county (lower taxes) is advising the voter to vote for a Democrat he has met and talked to?
Hmmmm. Nice try. Not impressed.
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