The question has been asked. Here are the salaries set for 2010:
Elected Officials
Kevin Lyons, S.A. - $166,508
Michael McCoy, Sheriff - $111,806 with an extra $6,500 from the State and an optional $5,000 from the County Board as Supervisor of Safety
Steve Sonnemaker, County Clerk - $88,776 with eligibility to receive an additional $6,500 from the State of Illinois
"Tripp" O'Connor, Treasurer - $88,766 with eligibility to receive an additional $6,500 from the State of Illinois
Robert Spears, Circuit Clerk - $85,266 with eligibilty to receive an addional $6,500 from the State of Illinois
Carol Van Winkle, County Auditor - $82,078
Nancy Horton, Recorder of Deeds - $82,078
Johanna Ingersoll, Coroner - $82, 078
Administrator and Senior Managers
Patrick Urich, Administrator - $165,000 ( Mr. Urich declined his contract approved 2010 increase to $175,000, according to his statement to the board in 2009)
Russell Haupert - IT Manager - $129,127
Tom McFarland - County Highway Superintendent - $116,373
Katherine Van Beek, Human Services Manager - $115,240
Matt Niekirk, Administrator, B-W County Nursing Home - $113,404
Erik Bush - County Financial Officer - $96,373 (Bush is leaving to take a similar position at a Normal. Il. school at a reputed salary of $130,000.)
Mathew Wahl, Planning and Zoning Manager - $91,808
Lauren Malmberg, Animal Control Director - $85,000
Scott Sorrel, Associate Administrator - $79,101
Dave Ryan, Supervisor of Assessments - $70,133
Vicky Turner, E.S.D.A - $62,347
Virginia Pearl, Executive Secretary - $58,670
Karen Raithel , Recycling Manager - $54,625
Jennifer Zinkel, Promotions Director - $48,818
County Board Members - $8500 with no expenses paid by the County unless on approved Official business. The 8 Committee Chairs receive $9500 and the County Board Chairman recommended his salary be frozen this year at, I believe, $16,000. (I will confirm this Monday on this site)
The County Board Chairman also has an office on the fourth floor and a secretary for his board use.
Salaries for elected officials are voted on by the board and this voting is done approximately 18 months before the salary increase, if any, kick in. This is State of Illinois law. We will be voting on four year salaries for the County Clerk, Sheriff and Circuit Clerk Thursday evening. Effective 12/01/11, each of these three offices will receive a yearly 2% raise if the full board approves the recommendations of Management Services. No raise is recommended for 2010.
Underpaid or overpaid? Yes or no? From my observations, all do good work. Some elected officials supervise far more employees such as the Circuit Clerk as opposed to the Auditor. The fairness of compensation has been questioned by some Board Members and perhaps by some elected officials. Unfortunately, the State has too much say in how these salaries are set and the length of the contracts.
My opinion.
All of the above receive good benefits; retirement, paid vacations, personal paid days off and most of their health insurance. Elected officials may come and go at their discretion. It is the voter who elects them and that is to who they report their attendance, not the County Board.
There are also 85 take home County owned vehicles: Coroner - 1,
EMA -1, SAO - 2, P &Z - 4, Supervisor of Assessments Office -2, Highway Department - 4, and the Sheriff's office - 71.
The County Administrator receives a $500 a month vehicle allowance as well as a separate Life Insurance Policy. And all County business expenses paid by the taxpayer.
The County Vehicle Usage manual forbids the use of these marked County vehicles for recreational or personal use including unauthorized commuting.
This information is taken from County documents and all errors would appear to be mine and I stand to be corrected. None of this information is confidential.
Saturday, May 08, 2010
The Future of Springdale Cemetery?
Emailed to me by a former Springdale Cemetery Manager. I would appreciate the readers comments. Other bloggers may be free to copy and paste to your blog sites with comments as to the future of this local and possible state and national treasure. Please restrict your comments to the Cemetery and not personnel, past or present.
Thanks.
Merle
What is best for Springdale?
Springdale Cemetery is a national treasure; she has suffered through some tough times; she deserves to be protected and preserved. However, over the years many promises and commitments have been made by individuals and groups representing what they said were 'the best interests of Springdale'. While most were given in good faith, others were not; I like to think some were the product of hope and 'wishful thinking'.
In the fall of 2002 an agreement was created that drafted the Taxpayer into supporting the operations of Springdale with the commitment by those advocating municipal sponsorship that 'Springdale would be self-sufficient in three to five years'. The resulting Intergovernmental Agreement stated that the County of Peoria and the Park District, together, would assume the first $100,000 of any yearly operational deficit, while the City of Peoria would take title to the property and assume liability for any deficits over $100,000. With the help of grants and donations, the Springdale Historical Preservation Foundation, as the principal advocate of the agreement, would accept the primary financial responsibility the first three years. This at first glance seemed like a great deal for the City of Peoria and its Citizens, but by 2006, the magnitude of the challenge in returning Springdale to solvency was realized and it had become obvious that the commitment of self-sufficiency was unrealistic and could not be met, so the City Council asked the Springdale management to present a five year prediction in the form of a spreadsheet as to when the Taxpayer could expect deficit relief. We took our commitment to the Council and the Taxpayer very seriously presenting what we thought was realistic expectations for our future revenue and expenses; when revenues did not meet anticipated levels, we cut expenses. Later audits of Springdale revealed the 2007 and 2008 deficits were within 1% of the early 2007 forecast. The City's deficit liability for 2007 was $160,566 and for 2008 was $143,982.
2008 was not only an exceptional year in Springdale's modern history, as it turns out it, it was a pivotal year. Besides the reduction in the rate of deficit spending, Springdale was able to finish leveraging a match of over $230,000 required by an EPA grant, saving the Taxpayer that financial burden. The wonderful work and resulting match were accomplished successfully due to the efforts of Tri-County Planning, hundreds of dedicated Volunteers and professionals and a very capable Staff.
The predicted 2009 deficit liability of the City presented to the Council in early 2007 was $110,228; in late 2008 with the momentum of the recovery increasing, we anticipated we could get it down to $74,000. Unfortunately, the soon to be revealed audit is most likely to expose a City liability of around $300,000, equal to the two previous years combined; the 2010 financial picture looks even bleaker.
The Intergovernmental Agreement was well intended; it helped to pull Springdale back from the brink, but it is no longer working and Springdale again is approach a tipping point with a deficit going the wrong way. Sadly, I believe that the financial recovery of Springdale has been led astray by some of the same interests who championed her rescue; I feel their agenda and actions have halted the momentum of recovery and have created impediments to the financial relief of the taxpaying public. It is now the Taxpayer who needs rescue.
The Springdale Historic Preservation Foundation is an organization of noble heritage; in the past it was comprised of hundreds of caring individual and organizations whose only motives were to see Springdale rescued, respected and preserved. The current leaders of the Foundation, many of whom made the original pledge of limited taxpayer involvement, must now bear responsibility. Their narrow agenda, with a singular focus on the older stones and monuments, has demonstrated a disregard of current Family needs and have shown a lack of Taxpayer sensitivity.
So, I offer a solution that I feel will broaden the Foundation's agenda and focus Springdale's current and future leadership on self-sufficiency and the needs of the Families, at the same time placing the privilege of Springdale's support on those who desire and deserve it most. The Foundation leaders have always wanted complete control of the management of Springdale; they have, with the blessing of the City and at Taxpayer expense, pretty much had it for over a year. So, I say, let it be done; let them officially have it; let them run Springdale and let them support Springdale. The Intergovernmental Agreement as drafted in 2002 has become flawed; it has not been precisely adhered to by the City or the Foundation; it should be scrapped without penalty to any party. The County and the Park District should be freed from further required contributions. Ownership of Springdale should be passed to the Springdale Historical Preservation Foundation for a probationary period of anywhere between three and five years, after which time the City leadership will determine the City's future involvement and Springdale's ownership future.
This offers the Foundation leadership a much better deal than was offered the Taxpayer in 2002; over the last eight years the labor of an army of dedicated Volunteers and millions of dollars of Taxpayer's contributions have created a new and better Springdale that, under the right circumstances, has a much better opportunity to prosper and become self-sufficient.
While this may not be the best solution for Springdale's financial dilemma, it may be the most fair.
Pat Lewis
Springdale Cemetery is a national treasure; she has suffered through some tough times; she deserves to be protected and preserved. However, over the years many promises and commitments have been made by individuals and groups representing what they said were 'the best interests of Springdale'. While most were given in good faith, others were not; I like to think some were the product of hope and 'wishful thinking'.
In the fall of 2002 an agreement was created that drafted the Taxpayer into supporting the operations of Springdale with the commitment by those advocating municipal sponsorship that 'Springdale would be self-sufficient in three to five years'. The resulting Intergovernmental Agreement stated that the County of Peoria and the Park District, together, would assume the first $100,000 of any yearly operational deficit, while the City of Peoria would take title to the property and assume liability for any deficits over $100,000. With the help of grants and donations, the Springdale Historical Preservation Foundation, as the principal advocate of the agreement, would accept the primary financial responsibility the first three years. This at first glance seemed like a great deal for the City of Peoria and its Citizens, but by 2006, the magnitude of the challenge in returning Springdale to solvency was realized and it had become obvious that the commitment of self-sufficiency was unrealistic and could not be met, so the City Council asked the Springdale management to present a five year prediction in the form of a spreadsheet as to when the Taxpayer could expect deficit relief. We took our commitment to the Council and the Taxpayer very seriously presenting what we thought was realistic expectations for our future revenue and expenses; when revenues did not meet anticipated levels, we cut expenses. Later audits of Springdale revealed the 2007 and 2008 deficits were within 1% of the early 2007 forecast. The City's deficit liability for 2007 was $160,566 and for 2008 was $143,982.
2008 was not only an exceptional year in Springdale's modern history, as it turns out it, it was a pivotal year. Besides the reduction in the rate of deficit spending, Springdale was able to finish leveraging a match of over $230,000 required by an EPA grant, saving the Taxpayer that financial burden. The wonderful work and resulting match were accomplished successfully due to the efforts of Tri-County Planning, hundreds of dedicated Volunteers and professionals and a very capable Staff.
The predicted 2009 deficit liability of the City presented to the Council in early 2007 was $110,228; in late 2008 with the momentum of the recovery increasing, we anticipated we could get it down to $74,000. Unfortunately, the soon to be revealed audit is most likely to expose a City liability of around $300,000, equal to the two previous years combined; the 2010 financial picture looks even bleaker.
The Intergovernmental Agreement was well intended; it helped to pull Springdale back from the brink, but it is no longer working and Springdale again is approach a tipping point with a deficit going the wrong way. Sadly, I believe that the financial recovery of Springdale has been led astray by some of the same interests who championed her rescue; I feel their agenda and actions have halted the momentum of recovery and have created impediments to the financial relief of the taxpaying public. It is now the Taxpayer who needs rescue.
The Springdale Historic Preservation Foundation is an organization of noble heritage; in the past it was comprised of hundreds of caring individual and organizations whose only motives were to see Springdale rescued, respected and preserved. The current leaders of the Foundation, many of whom made the original pledge of limited taxpayer involvement, must now bear responsibility. Their narrow agenda, with a singular focus on the older stones and monuments, has demonstrated a disregard of current Family needs and have shown a lack of Taxpayer sensitivity.
So, I offer a solution that I feel will broaden the Foundation's agenda and focus Springdale's current and future leadership on self-sufficiency and the needs of the Families, at the same time placing the privilege of Springdale's support on those who desire and deserve it most. The Foundation leaders have always wanted complete control of the management of Springdale; they have, with the blessing of the City and at Taxpayer expense, pretty much had it for over a year. So, I say, let it be done; let them officially have it; let them run Springdale and let them support Springdale. The Intergovernmental Agreement as drafted in 2002 has become flawed; it has not been precisely adhered to by the City or the Foundation; it should be scrapped without penalty to any party. The County and the Park District should be freed from further required contributions. Ownership of Springdale should be passed to the Springdale Historical Preservation Foundation for a probationary period of anywhere between three and five years, after which time the City leadership will determine the City's future involvement and Springdale's ownership future.
This offers the Foundation leadership a much better deal than was offered the Taxpayer in 2002; over the last eight years the labor of an army of dedicated Volunteers and millions of dollars of Taxpayer's contributions have created a new and better Springdale that, under the right circumstances, has a much better opportunity to prosper and become self-sufficient.
While this may not be the best solution for Springdale's financial dilemma, it may be the most fair.
Pat Lewis
Wednesday, May 05, 2010
Legal and Illegal Immigrants - BIG Difference
Whether true or not, this email forwarded to me by a friend NAILS IT!
ORANGE COUNTY ( CALIFORNIA ) NEWSPAPER-New Immigrants This is a very good letter to the editor. This woman made some good points.. For some reason, people have difficulty structuring their arguments when arguing against supporting the currently proposed immigration revisions. This lady made the argument pretty simple. NOT printed in the Orange County Paper................... Newspapers simply won't publish letters to the editor which they either deem politically incorrect (read below) or which does not agree with the philosophy they're pushing on the public. This woman wrote a great letter to the editor that should have been published; but, with your help it will get published via cyberspace! From: "David LaBonte" My wife, Rosemary, wrote a wonderful letter to the editor of the OC Register which, of course, was not printed.. So, I decided to "print" it myself by sending it out on the Internet. Pass it along if you feel so inclined. Written in response to a series of letters to the editor in the Orange County Register: Dear Editor: So many letter writers have based their arguments on how this land is made up of immigrants. Ernie Lujan for one, suggests we should tear down the Statue of Liberty because the people now in question aren't being treated the same as those who passed through Ellis Island and other ports of entry. Maybe we should turn to our history books and point out to people like Mr. Lujan why today's American is not willing to accept this new kind of immigrant any longer. Back in 1900 when there was a rush from all areas of Europe to come to the United States, people had to get off a ship and stand in a long line in New York and be documented. Some would even get down on their hands and knees and kiss the ground. They made a pledge to uphold the laws and support their new country in good and bad times. They made learning English a primary rule in their new American households and some even changed their names to blend in with their new home. They had waved good bye to their birth place to give their children a new life and did everything in their power to help their children assimilate into one culture. Nothing was handed to them. No free lunches, no welfare, no labor laws to protect them. All they had were the skills and craftsmanship they had brought with them to trade for a future of prosperity. Most of their children came of age when World War II broke out. My father fought along side men whose parents had come straight over from Germany , Italy , France and Japan . None of these 1st generation Americans ever gave any thought about what country their parents had come from. They were Americans fighting Hitler, Mussolini and the Emperor of Japan . They were defending the United States of America as one people. When we liberated France , no one in those villages were looking for the French-American or the German American or the Irish American. The people of France saw only Americans. And we carried one flag that represented one country. Not one of those immigrant sons would have thought about picking up another country's flag and waving it to represent who they were. It would have been a disgrace to their parents who had sacrificed so much to be here. These immigrants truly knew what it meant to be an American. They stirred the melting pot into one red, white and blue bowl. And here we are with a new kind of immigrant who wants the same rights and privileges. Only they want to achieve it by playing with a different set of rules, one that includes the entitlement card and a guarantee of being faithful to their mother country. I'm sorry, that's not what being an American is all about. I believe that the immigrants who landed on Ellis Island in the early 1900's deserve better than that for all the toil, hard work and sacrifice in raising future generations to create a land that has become a beacon for those legally searching for a better life. I think they would be appalled that they are being used as an example by those waving foreign country flags. And for that suggestion about taking down the Statue of Liberty , it happens to mean a lot to the citizens who are voting on the immigration bill. I wouldn't start talking about dismantling the United States just yet.. (signed) Rosemary LaBonte
ORANGE COUNTY ( CALIFORNIA ) NEWSPAPER-New Immigrants This is a very good letter to the editor. This woman made some good points.. For some reason, people have difficulty structuring their arguments when arguing against supporting the currently proposed immigration revisions. This lady made the argument pretty simple. NOT printed in the Orange County Paper................... Newspapers simply won't publish letters to the editor which they either deem politically incorrect (read below) or which does not agree with the philosophy they're pushing on the public. This woman wrote a great letter to the editor that should have been published; but, with your help it will get published via cyberspace! From: "David LaBonte" My wife, Rosemary, wrote a wonderful letter to the editor of the OC Register which, of course, was not printed.. So, I decided to "print" it myself by sending it out on the Internet. Pass it along if you feel so inclined. Written in response to a series of letters to the editor in the Orange County Register: Dear Editor: So many letter writers have based their arguments on how this land is made up of immigrants. Ernie Lujan for one, suggests we should tear down the Statue of Liberty because the people now in question aren't being treated the same as those who passed through Ellis Island and other ports of entry. Maybe we should turn to our history books and point out to people like Mr. Lujan why today's American is not willing to accept this new kind of immigrant any longer. Back in 1900 when there was a rush from all areas of Europe to come to the United States, people had to get off a ship and stand in a long line in New York and be documented. Some would even get down on their hands and knees and kiss the ground. They made a pledge to uphold the laws and support their new country in good and bad times. They made learning English a primary rule in their new American households and some even changed their names to blend in with their new home. They had waved good bye to their birth place to give their children a new life and did everything in their power to help their children assimilate into one culture. Nothing was handed to them. No free lunches, no welfare, no labor laws to protect them. All they had were the skills and craftsmanship they had brought with them to trade for a future of prosperity. Most of their children came of age when World War II broke out. My father fought along side men whose parents had come straight over from Germany , Italy , France and Japan . None of these 1st generation Americans ever gave any thought about what country their parents had come from. They were Americans fighting Hitler, Mussolini and the Emperor of Japan . They were defending the United States of America as one people. When we liberated France , no one in those villages were looking for the French-American or the German American or the Irish American. The people of France saw only Americans. And we carried one flag that represented one country. Not one of those immigrant sons would have thought about picking up another country's flag and waving it to represent who they were. It would have been a disgrace to their parents who had sacrificed so much to be here. These immigrants truly knew what it meant to be an American. They stirred the melting pot into one red, white and blue bowl. And here we are with a new kind of immigrant who wants the same rights and privileges. Only they want to achieve it by playing with a different set of rules, one that includes the entitlement card and a guarantee of being faithful to their mother country. I'm sorry, that's not what being an American is all about. I believe that the immigrants who landed on Ellis Island in the early 1900's deserve better than that for all the toil, hard work and sacrifice in raising future generations to create a land that has become a beacon for those legally searching for a better life. I think they would be appalled that they are being used as an example by those waving foreign country flags. And for that suggestion about taking down the Statue of Liberty , it happens to mean a lot to the citizens who are voting on the immigration bill. I wouldn't start talking about dismantling the United States just yet.. (signed) Rosemary LaBonte
Tuesday, May 04, 2010
Stephanie is Back Performing in the Area
Friends and discerning music fans,
Just the usual "week-of" email to remind you that I'll be in town playing with Larry Harms in just a couple of days. Join us on Thursday, May 6 at Basta O'Neill's restaurant on Cummings Lane in Washington from 6 - 9pm (it's a nice early gig; you could bring your Mama and treat her to an early Mother's Day dinner) or the next evening, Friday, May 7 at the Rhythm Kitchen on Water Street in Peoria from 8 - 11pm.
The weather is scheduled to be beautiful and the music is scheduled to be fabulous. Grab a friend, your mom, or the gang from work and meet us this weekend - we will be glad to see you, I promise.
Thanks as always for your support and enthusiasm...without y'all, we'd be playing for ourselves in our living rooms!
~Stephanie
www.stephanieaaron.com
Just the usual "week-of" email to remind you that I'll be in town playing with Larry Harms in just a couple of days. Join us on Thursday, May 6 at Basta O'Neill's restaurant on Cummings Lane in Washington from 6 - 9pm (it's a nice early gig; you could bring your Mama and treat her to an early Mother's Day dinner) or the next evening, Friday, May 7 at the Rhythm Kitchen on Water Street in Peoria from 8 - 11pm.
The weather is scheduled to be beautiful and the music is scheduled to be fabulous. Grab a friend, your mom, or the gang from work and meet us this weekend - we will be glad to see you, I promise.
Thanks as always for your support and enthusiasm...without y'all, we'd be playing for ourselves in our living rooms!
~Stephanie
www.stephanieaaron.com
Sunday, May 02, 2010
Loan Officer at Family Owned Bank as a U.S. Senator?
Lent money to two convicted felons, one convicted of a multi-state bookmaking ring and the other convicted of promoting a nationwide prostitution ring?
As Giannoulias is Treasurer of the State of Illinois, maybe some sleuthing needs to be done. After all, the past and current elected officials are responsible for much of Illinois overwhelming debt.
30% of the Democrats in Illinois said by survey they would have voted to re-elect Blago even after all the scandals were made public. So Kirk can only be elected by Independents and Republicans with perhaps some support from common sense Democrats.
As Giannoulias is Treasurer of the State of Illinois, maybe some sleuthing needs to be done. After all, the past and current elected officials are responsible for much of Illinois overwhelming debt.
30% of the Democrats in Illinois said by survey they would have voted to re-elect Blago even after all the scandals were made public. So Kirk can only be elected by Independents and Republicans with perhaps some support from common sense Democrats.
Dunlap Schools Also Have a Lot of Tax Dollars to Spend
Erik Christian, Peoria County assistant Human Services Director was hired by the taxpayer funded Dunlap School District 323 to be Human Services Director. Erik was making $61,277 with generous benefits. At Dunlap he will be making _____fill in the amount but considerably more than he was earning at the county position.
Here again, I do no begrudge Erik for his efforts at upward earnings or opportunity. I amazes me how taxpayer supported schools ALWAYS clamoring for more money can pay so much more than a public body like Peoria County.
As was also noted Peoria County Financial Officer Erik Bush making $96,373 with generous benefits was hired by McLean County Unit District 5 at roughly $34,000 a year more than the tax supported Peoria County could afford to pay. Bush's wife, I understand, was also offered at job in McLean County. No money left in Peoria to hire her for a teaching position which I understand she has qualifications?
Did union scale in Peoria #150 School which hires and pays by seniority instead of merit have anything to do with Mr. Bush's decision?
Anyway, losing these two well-paid County employees to school districts leaves gaps that must be filled and filled soon. Our Administrator says these two employees were leaving on good terms and that Peoria County has "strong leadership and management with a vision."
With over 9,000 KNOWN unemployed people in the area right know it should be relatively easy to find replacements without trying to match Dunlap and McLean County generosity.
Here again, I do no begrudge Erik for his efforts at upward earnings or opportunity. I amazes me how taxpayer supported schools ALWAYS clamoring for more money can pay so much more than a public body like Peoria County.
As was also noted Peoria County Financial Officer Erik Bush making $96,373 with generous benefits was hired by McLean County Unit District 5 at roughly $34,000 a year more than the tax supported Peoria County could afford to pay. Bush's wife, I understand, was also offered at job in McLean County. No money left in Peoria to hire her for a teaching position which I understand she has qualifications?
Did union scale in Peoria #150 School which hires and pays by seniority instead of merit have anything to do with Mr. Bush's decision?
Anyway, losing these two well-paid County employees to school districts leaves gaps that must be filled and filled soon. Our Administrator says these two employees were leaving on good terms and that Peoria County has "strong leadership and management with a vision."
With over 9,000 KNOWN unemployed people in the area right know it should be relatively easy to find replacements without trying to match Dunlap and McLean County generosity.
Saturday, May 01, 2010
Competitive Sports. - Are They Necessary?
All competitive sports are valuable IF they are properly coached and supervised. So many lessons can be learned by the participants which include the parents and other fans.
I have expressed my studied opinion on the subject before. You can find these blogs on my sidebar archives if you scroll down. My archives contain over 1200 blogs (columns) starting in 2004 and they are all on this site. Four of my blogs on sports are listed below:
"No Seniority (Tenure) in Sports of Life" dated 11/23/04; "How Sports Helped Mold My Life" dated 10/14/05; "Breakdown of Codes of Conduct" dated 7/14/06; and "Friendly Confines" dated 7/26/08.
Read on. I also have comments at the end of this article.
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From the Chronicle of Higher Education, Friday, April 23, 2010, p. A 30. See http://chronicle.com/article/How-Butler-Won-the-NCAA/65071/
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COMMENTARY
How Butler Won the NCAA Tournament
By Bobby Fong (Butler University President)
I am not the first university president ever to crowd-surf: Penn State's Graham Spanier was one who experienced that particular thrill before I did. But I'll tell you that my moment was one of the more exhilarating of my nine years as Butler University's president.
Our men's basketball team, the Bulldogs, had just beaten Kansas State to earn a berth in the first Final Four in Butler's history. A crowd of students began to congregate in front of our union. My wife, Suzanne, and I gave a lot of high-fives, shook hands, and posed for pictures.
The crowd began to pack together. Suddenly I found that three football players were protecting me, watching my blind side. One of them, Ryan Myers, said, "Dr. Fong, get on my shoulders." Up I went. It was my Peyton Manning moment. Cheers erupted, and I raised four fingers on each hand to signify the Final Four. People took photos of me with cellphones and cameras and forwarded them around campus and to the team. The next week, sophomore guard Ron Nored was asked what was the most unusual thing that happened as a result of the victory. He said, "Getting pictures of the president crowd-surfing."
I was touched by the joy and affection that evening, which marked the beginning of a wild 10-day ride for Butler. Our small university of 3,900 undergrads and 550 grad students found itself in the national spotlight as we basked in the reflected glory of our team's success. It was in many ways as if the institution itself had caught a wave. Preparation and opportunity came together in a remarkable confluence of circumstances. Not only were we playing in the Final Four, but we were playing at home. The games were six miles from campus, in downtown Indianapolis, and interest in our university and team grew immensely.
The public wondered about this little university playing on the national stage. They heard that our players continued to go to classes, even on the day of the national championship game, and wondered whether that could be true. (It was.) Many were curious about whether the Butler Way, as we like to call it, could be replicated.
The attention was gratifying. Butler didn't just stand as a model for small institutions being able to compete in the tournament. For many people, we exemplified how a university could seek a proper balance between academic seriousness and athletic excellence-and without breaking the bank.
Internally, we have always positioned ourselves as a university with a basketball team, rather than the other way around. We take to heart our commitment to student-athletes. The overwhelming majority of them will never play professional sports. Get an M.B.A., yes. Go to the NBA, probably not.
The National Collegiate Athletic Association estimates that only 2 percent of college basketball players go pro. I tell potential Butler basketball recruits: "Your odds of going to medical school are better than your odds of playing in the NBA. If you understand that we'll ask you to work as hard in the classroom as you will on the court, Butler may be the right fit for you."
We keep in sight what Butler's approach to education is. We want our students not just to make a living but to make a life of purpose, where individual flourishing is intertwined with the welfare of others.
A fellow president wrote me: "When the announcers were pointing out that there were two academic all-Americans on the floor tonight and both of them were from Butler, and that eight of your players were in class this morning, I swelled with pride. This is what intercollegiate athletics is all about. I am a member of the NCAA Board now and we are struggling with what is appropriate for college sports. All we need do is look to Butler, and we have our answer." That was the image I wanted us to project during the Final Four, and I think that is what occurred.
Meanwhile, we received overwhelming encouragement from around the world-from a Butler alumnus serving in Iraq, from New Zealand, from Europe, and from a cruise ship at sea. We had former Butler basketball players come back from Sweden and Switzerland to attend an alumni reunion and pose for a picture with the team.
Our bookstore sold in one week what it usually sells in a year. T-shirts came in literally hot off the press-they were actually warm in the boxes as they were unpacked.
News-media coverage was abundant and overwhelmingly positive. After reading an article by the sports columnist William C. Rhoden of The New York Times, an Oakland Tribune reporter in California discovered that I grew up in Oakland. After the Tribune reporter wrote his story, I heard from old elementary- and Sunday-school friends from 50 years ago. I also suggested to Mr. Rhoden that our ballet program was as distinguished in its way as the basketball team. He proceeded to research the program, and Butler ballet became an item in the Times's sports page.
We saw increased pride in Butler from friends and alumni. On the day I'm writing this, we received a check from a man with no ties to the university and a note that said: "Here is a gift to your scholarship fund; a place represented by such a classy coach and students has to be a wonderful university."
A friend put it best, I think, when she said, "Duke won the game, but Butler won the hearts of the nation."
Now that the games are over, everyone wants to know what's next for Butler. I was asked in a Parents Council meeting: With the heightened attention, what do you see Butler becoming? I thought for a moment and said, "We've become an inspiration to other colleges-that they could do what we did. We don't want to be anything other than the best version of what we are. I think our future is continuing to be Butler."
Our men's basketball coach, Brad Stevens, was asked how such success would change his recruiting practices. He said he wasn't planning to change. "The guys we recruited got within one shot of a national championship," he said. "Why would we want to change our formula?"
The best news for us is that more people now know who we are. The Nielsen ratings showed that 134 million people saw some portion of our game against Duke. As Tom Weede, our vice president for enrollment management, pointed out: 100 percent of students who have never heard of an institution will never apply to it. We don't have to worry about that now.
Athletics has become the front porch to a university, and our front porch has been crowded of late. We're proud of the attention because our athletic achievement has been consonant with our academic mission. As the president of an educational foundation wrote, "It was a privilege ... to appreciate how the educational values of an institution can be so perfectly reflected in the accomplishments of its athletes."
Many college leaders are devoted to finding the right stories to tell that tap into our past and legacy, our present challenges and opportunities, and our hopes for the future. I hope this experience has helped us create more stories that get to the heart of what Butler is. Our basketball triumphs have become a metaphor, a trope, for the larger story of Butler University.
----------------------------------
Bobby Fong is president of Butler University.
*******************************************
--
On 2/06/07, then JS Sports writer Lonnie Schwendenhammer wrote "Too Many People Behaving Badly", about a basketball game between Cairo and host Mounds Meridan. The blame can be squarely placed. On the School Board and the people they hired and the community including the parents. As a former high school and grade school head coach, I had NO problems, other than a couple of minor disciplines, because I had good administration to back me if I was right. All kids including who had school or community problems were invited to participate. Only one was dismissed. My kids, parents, community and administration had no problems that would have been embarrassing to the schools. And I did have a winning record overall.
This plug for Butler that is well deserved.
Merle
I have expressed my studied opinion on the subject before. You can find these blogs on my sidebar archives if you scroll down. My archives contain over 1200 blogs (columns) starting in 2004 and they are all on this site. Four of my blogs on sports are listed below:
"No Seniority (Tenure) in Sports of Life" dated 11/23/04; "How Sports Helped Mold My Life" dated 10/14/05; "Breakdown of Codes of Conduct" dated 7/14/06; and "Friendly Confines" dated 7/26/08.
Read on. I also have comments at the end of this article.
*****************************
From the Chronicle of Higher Education, Friday, April 23, 2010, p. A 30. See http://chronicle.com/article/How-Butler-Won-the-NCAA/65071/
*****************************
COMMENTARY
How Butler Won the NCAA Tournament
By Bobby Fong (Butler University President)
I am not the first university president ever to crowd-surf: Penn State's Graham Spanier was one who experienced that particular thrill before I did. But I'll tell you that my moment was one of the more exhilarating of my nine years as Butler University's president.
Our men's basketball team, the Bulldogs, had just beaten Kansas State to earn a berth in the first Final Four in Butler's history. A crowd of students began to congregate in front of our union. My wife, Suzanne, and I gave a lot of high-fives, shook hands, and posed for pictures.
The crowd began to pack together. Suddenly I found that three football players were protecting me, watching my blind side. One of them, Ryan Myers, said, "Dr. Fong, get on my shoulders." Up I went. It was my Peyton Manning moment. Cheers erupted, and I raised four fingers on each hand to signify the Final Four. People took photos of me with cellphones and cameras and forwarded them around campus and to the team. The next week, sophomore guard Ron Nored was asked what was the most unusual thing that happened as a result of the victory. He said, "Getting pictures of the president crowd-surfing."
I was touched by the joy and affection that evening, which marked the beginning of a wild 10-day ride for Butler. Our small university of 3,900 undergrads and 550 grad students found itself in the national spotlight as we basked in the reflected glory of our team's success. It was in many ways as if the institution itself had caught a wave. Preparation and opportunity came together in a remarkable confluence of circumstances. Not only were we playing in the Final Four, but we were playing at home. The games were six miles from campus, in downtown Indianapolis, and interest in our university and team grew immensely.
The public wondered about this little university playing on the national stage. They heard that our players continued to go to classes, even on the day of the national championship game, and wondered whether that could be true. (It was.) Many were curious about whether the Butler Way, as we like to call it, could be replicated.
The attention was gratifying. Butler didn't just stand as a model for small institutions being able to compete in the tournament. For many people, we exemplified how a university could seek a proper balance between academic seriousness and athletic excellence-and without breaking the bank.
Internally, we have always positioned ourselves as a university with a basketball team, rather than the other way around. We take to heart our commitment to student-athletes. The overwhelming majority of them will never play professional sports. Get an M.B.A., yes. Go to the NBA, probably not.
The National Collegiate Athletic Association estimates that only 2 percent of college basketball players go pro. I tell potential Butler basketball recruits: "Your odds of going to medical school are better than your odds of playing in the NBA. If you understand that we'll ask you to work as hard in the classroom as you will on the court, Butler may be the right fit for you."
We keep in sight what Butler's approach to education is. We want our students not just to make a living but to make a life of purpose, where individual flourishing is intertwined with the welfare of others.
A fellow president wrote me: "When the announcers were pointing out that there were two academic all-Americans on the floor tonight and both of them were from Butler, and that eight of your players were in class this morning, I swelled with pride. This is what intercollegiate athletics is all about. I am a member of the NCAA Board now and we are struggling with what is appropriate for college sports. All we need do is look to Butler, and we have our answer." That was the image I wanted us to project during the Final Four, and I think that is what occurred.
Meanwhile, we received overwhelming encouragement from around the world-from a Butler alumnus serving in Iraq, from New Zealand, from Europe, and from a cruise ship at sea. We had former Butler basketball players come back from Sweden and Switzerland to attend an alumni reunion and pose for a picture with the team.
Our bookstore sold in one week what it usually sells in a year. T-shirts came in literally hot off the press-they were actually warm in the boxes as they were unpacked.
News-media coverage was abundant and overwhelmingly positive. After reading an article by the sports columnist William C. Rhoden of The New York Times, an Oakland Tribune reporter in California discovered that I grew up in Oakland. After the Tribune reporter wrote his story, I heard from old elementary- and Sunday-school friends from 50 years ago. I also suggested to Mr. Rhoden that our ballet program was as distinguished in its way as the basketball team. He proceeded to research the program, and Butler ballet became an item in the Times's sports page.
We saw increased pride in Butler from friends and alumni. On the day I'm writing this, we received a check from a man with no ties to the university and a note that said: "Here is a gift to your scholarship fund; a place represented by such a classy coach and students has to be a wonderful university."
A friend put it best, I think, when she said, "Duke won the game, but Butler won the hearts of the nation."
Now that the games are over, everyone wants to know what's next for Butler. I was asked in a Parents Council meeting: With the heightened attention, what do you see Butler becoming? I thought for a moment and said, "We've become an inspiration to other colleges-that they could do what we did. We don't want to be anything other than the best version of what we are. I think our future is continuing to be Butler."
Our men's basketball coach, Brad Stevens, was asked how such success would change his recruiting practices. He said he wasn't planning to change. "The guys we recruited got within one shot of a national championship," he said. "Why would we want to change our formula?"
The best news for us is that more people now know who we are. The Nielsen ratings showed that 134 million people saw some portion of our game against Duke. As Tom Weede, our vice president for enrollment management, pointed out: 100 percent of students who have never heard of an institution will never apply to it. We don't have to worry about that now.
Athletics has become the front porch to a university, and our front porch has been crowded of late. We're proud of the attention because our athletic achievement has been consonant with our academic mission. As the president of an educational foundation wrote, "It was a privilege ... to appreciate how the educational values of an institution can be so perfectly reflected in the accomplishments of its athletes."
Many college leaders are devoted to finding the right stories to tell that tap into our past and legacy, our present challenges and opportunities, and our hopes for the future. I hope this experience has helped us create more stories that get to the heart of what Butler is. Our basketball triumphs have become a metaphor, a trope, for the larger story of Butler University.
----------------------------------
Bobby Fong is president of Butler University.
*******************************************
--
On 2/06/07, then JS Sports writer Lonnie Schwendenhammer wrote "Too Many People Behaving Badly", about a basketball game between Cairo and host Mounds Meridan. The blame can be squarely placed. On the School Board and the people they hired and the community including the parents. As a former high school and grade school head coach, I had NO problems, other than a couple of minor disciplines, because I had good administration to back me if I was right. All kids including who had school or community problems were invited to participate. Only one was dismissed. My kids, parents, community and administration had no problems that would have been embarrassing to the schools. And I did have a winning record overall.
This plug for Butler that is well deserved.
Merle
Disclosure of Donors? Absolutely
Legislation to pass a new finance disclosure law by Congress before November is running into objections from some of their own supporters. Under current law it is NOT required to disclose the names of companies that help pay for political ads.
Foremost among the objectors, as you might imagine are liberal groups such as the Sierra Club, more radical environmental groups and the liberal Alliance for Justice. Easy to figure. There donors, who probably made a great deal of money one way or another, now feel it is their duty to NOW protect the very environment they may have helped to destroy. They feel it would hurt their business if their identity became known.
Liberal and conservatives groups are concerned that donors wouldn't want to give to political campaigns if their names had to be used.
Anyone with common sense know why not. American greed. It would hurt their businesses.
In my OPINION it is somewhat of a shame that actions are taken where people are afraid to identity themselves for any cause.
Foremost among the objectors, as you might imagine are liberal groups such as the Sierra Club, more radical environmental groups and the liberal Alliance for Justice. Easy to figure. There donors, who probably made a great deal of money one way or another, now feel it is their duty to NOW protect the very environment they may have helped to destroy. They feel it would hurt their business if their identity became known.
Liberal and conservatives groups are concerned that donors wouldn't want to give to political campaigns if their names had to be used.
Anyone with common sense know why not. American greed. It would hurt their businesses.
In my OPINION it is somewhat of a shame that actions are taken where people are afraid to identity themselves for any cause.
Video Gambling - Just Another Uncontrollable Vice?
Experts say that pathological gambling is a problem that effects 11 million people, a biological illness with a distinct pathophysiology, that many people don't have a clue. Trying to stop people who gamble is more difficult than banning video-gambling in Peoria County. Programs like Gambling Anonymous and and residential treatment centers such as "The Center for Recovery in Louisiana" help a limited number of gambling addicts.
In fact, the more we attempt to regulate vice from illicit sex to drugs and gambling the more we seem to promote it. I recall vividly the day (1994) sex education manuals were introduced to Peoria Public School District #150. Did sexual disease and out-of-wedlock pregancies decline? Better check with the County Health Department who have figures showing it hasn't. Sexual disease with treament most usually supported by the taxpayer, teen age pregnancies, most parents WITH NO training or financial support. This is repeated not only in the City of Peoria and is a national disgrace. You think most sexual activity, even in a marriage, is not a gamble? Think really hard about what I just said.
Back to video gambling. Check my blog of 8/4/09. "Video gambling ban may return" where I said "you can write laws till the cows come home" and people will still exercise their vices in one form or another. I also said why aren't those who feel stopping video-gambling haven't been able to stop the Illinois Lottery, the casinos, on-line gambling, their own kids playing hold-em or all kinds of poker for money.
It is often said their are only 2 things you have to do; pay taxes and die. That, of course, is no longer true. Most people are going to feel that they must have sex, one way or another, gamble one way or another , drink moderately or in excess and smoke somewhere and use drugs. Did I leave out that they must steal, cheat or enter politics?
A portion of the gamblers go broke; the house never does, a portion of those with a desire to drink will drink and some will be busted on way or another, a portion of those who want sex will have it before, during, and after marriage. A portion will catch more than they bargained for and those who want drugs can find them in dozens of places in just Peoria alone. Some claim they can handle the use but most can't.
The law and well-meaning; usually, do-gooders say they can control or even eliminate all of these human vices. The record will show that in some cases they have had some successes but everywhere in the U.S. these vices are growing and at a fastest rate of growth.
People who could care less about this country but care only about how much money that they can make with the immense amounts of profits from gambling (and drugs) overshadowing risk, are taking peoples money and paying no taxes, no duty's and taking innocent lives.
I would estimate that for every drug bust that makes the media, 10,000 drug deals are happening on a daily basis. With billions in taxes lost, 100's of thousands of people employed at taxpayer cost in frustrating and sometimes dangerous efforts to stop the tsunami.
All this money cdould go into prevventive teaching and education.
Saying this, I support union boss Mike Everett and his article in the Labor paper in legalizing and taxing video gambling as being the lesser vice of trying to stop people from gambling. Collect taxes from those who say that they will gamble and if not video gaming, they Will bet on something else. There are hundreds of ways to make monetary bets, most major gambling is legal, including the gamble of hopefully picking the winner of the Kentucky Derby which is on TV this afternoon.
For those who are compulsive gamblers, seek help. One of my friends did and succeeded. For those who can't enjoy the ride, let the government collect gambling taxes, know that the deck is stacked against you. On those "lucky" days you do win, understand the odds say you will eventually give all your winnings back plus more. You should know you fight a losing battle at the casinos as the casino will report your winning as taxable and that you can not deduct your loses.
Better to play the stock market, which is a gamble, buy a house you THINK you can afford which today is another form of gambling. Or get married, which may be the biggest gamble of your lifetime.
Try not to lose more than you or your dependents can afford to lose or seek help.
Good luck.
In fact, the more we attempt to regulate vice from illicit sex to drugs and gambling the more we seem to promote it. I recall vividly the day (1994) sex education manuals were introduced to Peoria Public School District #150. Did sexual disease and out-of-wedlock pregancies decline? Better check with the County Health Department who have figures showing it hasn't. Sexual disease with treament most usually supported by the taxpayer, teen age pregnancies, most parents WITH NO training or financial support. This is repeated not only in the City of Peoria and is a national disgrace. You think most sexual activity, even in a marriage, is not a gamble? Think really hard about what I just said.
Back to video gambling. Check my blog of 8/4/09. "Video gambling ban may return" where I said "you can write laws till the cows come home" and people will still exercise their vices in one form or another. I also said why aren't those who feel stopping video-gambling haven't been able to stop the Illinois Lottery, the casinos, on-line gambling, their own kids playing hold-em or all kinds of poker for money.
It is often said their are only 2 things you have to do; pay taxes and die. That, of course, is no longer true. Most people are going to feel that they must have sex, one way or another, gamble one way or another , drink moderately or in excess and smoke somewhere and use drugs. Did I leave out that they must steal, cheat or enter politics?
A portion of the gamblers go broke; the house never does, a portion of those with a desire to drink will drink and some will be busted on way or another, a portion of those who want sex will have it before, during, and after marriage. A portion will catch more than they bargained for and those who want drugs can find them in dozens of places in just Peoria alone. Some claim they can handle the use but most can't.
The law and well-meaning; usually, do-gooders say they can control or even eliminate all of these human vices. The record will show that in some cases they have had some successes but everywhere in the U.S. these vices are growing and at a fastest rate of growth.
People who could care less about this country but care only about how much money that they can make with the immense amounts of profits from gambling (and drugs) overshadowing risk, are taking peoples money and paying no taxes, no duty's and taking innocent lives.
I would estimate that for every drug bust that makes the media, 10,000 drug deals are happening on a daily basis. With billions in taxes lost, 100's of thousands of people employed at taxpayer cost in frustrating and sometimes dangerous efforts to stop the tsunami.
All this money cdould go into prevventive teaching and education.
Saying this, I support union boss Mike Everett and his article in the Labor paper in legalizing and taxing video gambling as being the lesser vice of trying to stop people from gambling. Collect taxes from those who say that they will gamble and if not video gaming, they Will bet on something else. There are hundreds of ways to make monetary bets, most major gambling is legal, including the gamble of hopefully picking the winner of the Kentucky Derby which is on TV this afternoon.
For those who are compulsive gamblers, seek help. One of my friends did and succeeded. For those who can't enjoy the ride, let the government collect gambling taxes, know that the deck is stacked against you. On those "lucky" days you do win, understand the odds say you will eventually give all your winnings back plus more. You should know you fight a losing battle at the casinos as the casino will report your winning as taxable and that you can not deduct your loses.
Better to play the stock market, which is a gamble, buy a house you THINK you can afford which today is another form of gambling. Or get married, which may be the biggest gamble of your lifetime.
Try not to lose more than you or your dependents can afford to lose or seek help.
Good luck.
Obama's Fly Arounds - Confirmation
I published this blog a couple of weeks ago and was challenged by a J. Thomas (could he be the liberal ICC college professor who served several terms on the county board?When Jim, a pleasant fellow with a lovely and astute wife, was on the Peoria County board, most of the Democrats would go out to dinner after a full board meeting, Thomas was never invited. That's a fact, too, easily confirmed why he wasn't invited.
Anyway, J. Thomas, whoever you are, said I should back up my statement with facts that Obama was conducting a series of expensive fly-arounds to stretch the truth about a few of a multitude of new government programs and regulations. I told J.Thomas he should read the news. (Mad Magazine or reading this Moore idiot will not suffice to make a person well- informed)
I might be wrong in "approaching 300 fly-arounds" but I don't believe I'm far off. He is the most visible president in history to date.
So here it is. Journal Star, 4/29/2010, "Obama talks reform during Midwest tour. President praises financial bill while speaking to Quincy, Il. crowd". Wall Street Journal, April 28, 2010, "Obama holds town hall meeting in Iowa". "The Democrats latest plan is to energize its base and appeal to such distinct groups as African-American groups, (I'm a Swiss-German-Dutch guy myself) Latinos and younger voters. These younger voters are mostly college kids, these kids educated by mostly left leaning liberal professors who can be seen of TV on the beaches half drunk and four-fifths naked during spring break) and black. An Obama visit to somewhere in Missouri is upcoming or maybe recently happened.
Meanwhile, in New York City, Democrat National Committee Chairman Tim Kaine, accepted an invitation to speak from the notorious "Rev" Al Sharpton, said "the Republicans were waging and "intentional strategy to undermine President Obama".
Gosh and gee-wizz. Undermine? How deep? The WSJ said "Sharpton is helping to mobilize black voters", and that Mr. Kaine made similar remarks. Also that Obama is trying to re-connect with middle aged and older white voters and other minority groups.
Anyway, J.T, there is your answer with facts. Sorry, but what I print is factual and when my facts are "proven" wrong, I correct them with an appropriate apology.
Meanwhile, many Democrats are doing a pretty good job in D,C, as are many Republicans. They just don't know how to say "no" to the special interest groups and their multitude of lobbyists. Sound like you've heard this before? On the local scene, perhaps?
An after thought. When watching Tea Party protesting "tax and spend" governments on TV or if you were there in person, how many blacks have you seen in the crowds? Latinos? Asians? Muslims? Good question, Merle.
Anyway, J. Thomas, whoever you are, said I should back up my statement with facts that Obama was conducting a series of expensive fly-arounds to stretch the truth about a few of a multitude of new government programs and regulations. I told J.Thomas he should read the news. (Mad Magazine or reading this Moore idiot will not suffice to make a person well- informed)
I might be wrong in "approaching 300 fly-arounds" but I don't believe I'm far off. He is the most visible president in history to date.
So here it is. Journal Star, 4/29/2010, "Obama talks reform during Midwest tour. President praises financial bill while speaking to Quincy, Il. crowd". Wall Street Journal, April 28, 2010, "Obama holds town hall meeting in Iowa". "The Democrats latest plan is to energize its base and appeal to such distinct groups as African-American groups, (I'm a Swiss-German-Dutch guy myself) Latinos and younger voters. These younger voters are mostly college kids, these kids educated by mostly left leaning liberal professors who can be seen of TV on the beaches half drunk and four-fifths naked during spring break) and black. An Obama visit to somewhere in Missouri is upcoming or maybe recently happened.
Meanwhile, in New York City, Democrat National Committee Chairman Tim Kaine, accepted an invitation to speak from the notorious "Rev" Al Sharpton, said "the Republicans were waging and "intentional strategy to undermine President Obama".
Gosh and gee-wizz. Undermine? How deep? The WSJ said "Sharpton is helping to mobilize black voters", and that Mr. Kaine made similar remarks. Also that Obama is trying to re-connect with middle aged and older white voters and other minority groups.
Anyway, J.T, there is your answer with facts. Sorry, but what I print is factual and when my facts are "proven" wrong, I correct them with an appropriate apology.
Meanwhile, many Democrats are doing a pretty good job in D,C, as are many Republicans. They just don't know how to say "no" to the special interest groups and their multitude of lobbyists. Sound like you've heard this before? On the local scene, perhaps?
An after thought. When watching Tea Party protesting "tax and spend" governments on TV or if you were there in person, how many blacks have you seen in the crowds? Latinos? Asians? Muslims? Good question, Merle.
How The Public School System Steals Your Money
McLean County School Unit 5 recently hired Peoria County Chief Financial officer by offering him $130,000 plus benefits and perhaps other incentives. Mr. Bush was earning $96,373. I thank Mr. Bush for his good work with the county and do not begrudge his upward movement. But, do not believe that schools lack money. They are by-and large poorly managed by unpaid (volunteer type) board members. They, like so many other public bodies, have great success in by-passing the voter such as District #150 did when they went to the Public Building Commission to fund $93+ million for new schools and renovations. Most agreed that the schools had some of the needs but are in major disagreements with some of the actions taken. (The 2002 "Summitt" three day meeting held by #150, recommended the closing of Glen Oak and Harrison). Instead, over $50 million was spent to rebuild those two school that will re-open this fall.
I suspect that if these two schools don't show heft gains in turning out "world class citizens, the Mayor and the community, one way or another will bring on some major changes to our agrarian school "system".
Merle
‘Money Laundering’ Bill Passed by Both Houses
By Warner Todd Huston Friday, April 30, 2010
Unfortunately, a bill that will allow schools to pull a bait-and-switch and pilfer funds that are supposed to go for other things and apply those funds to unapproved building projects has now passed both houses in Springfield. This means that schools might now be able to take funds that are supposed to be used for specific things and pour them into building projects (or any other use) for which the schools did not get voter’s approval. I wrote about this bill on April 28.
The way our system is supposed to work is that schools that want major new building projects or other such high ticket needs must go before the voters for a bond issue, for taxes to be raised. The voters say yes and taxes are raised or bonds issued to satisfy the school’s needs. But if voters say no, then the schools are supposed to do without. That is they way democracy is supposed to work.
But, lo and behold, special interests and consultants that make their living off our schools by consulting them on bond issues and spending plans wrote HB6041 that convinced lawmakers to allow schools to raid specified funds any time they feel like doing so and use those funds for whatever they want to use them for. This is now misappropriation of funds made legal.
This practice was already deemed illegal by the Illinois Appellate Courts and schools were ordered to stop this practice. Not only did Illinois schools thumb their noses at the Courts, but they hired these special interest consultants to write a sham law and cajoled our lawmakers into passing it.
I spoke to Senator Chris Lauzen (R, Aurora), and asked him about this bill. Initially, even Senator Lauzen was lulled into supporting this bill. But in retrospect he felt he was misled about how this law was going to work when the bill was discussed earlier this year. He felt that the bill was “badly misrepresented” by its sponsors all they way along this process. He spoke out against this bill on the floor of the Senate today, but it looks like the bill has passed anyway.
This is little else but a money laundering scheme extraordinaire. With this bill, the schools can raid funds and use them however they like quite despite if these funds were earmarked for a specific purpose or not. They can make an end run around the will of the voters and fund building projects that were never approved. They can even use money from taxes that have not even yet been taken in if page five of the bill can be believed. (my emphasis)
The school board may appropriate moneys to the working cash fund up to the maximum amount allowable in the fund, and the working cash fund may receive such appropriations and any other contributions. Moneys in the fund may be used by the school board for any and all school purposes and may be transferred in whole or in part to the general funds or both of the school district and disbursed therefrom in anticipation of the collection of taxes lawfully levied for any or all purposes, or in anticipation of such taxes as by law now or hereafter enacted or amended are imposed by the General Assembly … Moneys so transferred to any other fund shall be deemed to be transferred in anticipation of the collection of that part of the taxes so levied or to be received which is in excess of the amount thereof required to pay any warrants or notes and the interest thereon theretofore and thereafter …
So, no matter what the funds that the school wants to raid was raised for, they can empty the account and use it for whatever they want. Then, on top of that, they can use money BEFORE said taxes are even raised.
And I remind you that this bill was not written by our lawmakers, but was written by special interests, people we did not elect. Yet our profligate state lawmakers dutifully voted “yes” in a led-by-the-nose vote.
I tell you, it must be nice to be an employee of the state. You don’t have to follow court rulings, you can steal money all day long, spend it even before you get it, yet. And then, if you don’t like the way things are going still you can hire crooked lawyers to write the laws tailor made for your needs and get uninformed, compliant politicians to just rubber stamp them for you.
I have to say, it makes me wonder why the heck I bother paying my bills and trying to do the right thing? How about you?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I suspect that if these two schools don't show heft gains in turning out "world class citizens, the Mayor and the community, one way or another will bring on some major changes to our agrarian school "system".
Merle
‘Money Laundering’ Bill Passed by Both Houses
By Warner Todd Huston Friday, April 30, 2010
Unfortunately, a bill that will allow schools to pull a bait-and-switch and pilfer funds that are supposed to go for other things and apply those funds to unapproved building projects has now passed both houses in Springfield. This means that schools might now be able to take funds that are supposed to be used for specific things and pour them into building projects (or any other use) for which the schools did not get voter’s approval. I wrote about this bill on April 28.
The way our system is supposed to work is that schools that want major new building projects or other such high ticket needs must go before the voters for a bond issue, for taxes to be raised. The voters say yes and taxes are raised or bonds issued to satisfy the school’s needs. But if voters say no, then the schools are supposed to do without. That is they way democracy is supposed to work.
But, lo and behold, special interests and consultants that make their living off our schools by consulting them on bond issues and spending plans wrote HB6041 that convinced lawmakers to allow schools to raid specified funds any time they feel like doing so and use those funds for whatever they want to use them for. This is now misappropriation of funds made legal.
This practice was already deemed illegal by the Illinois Appellate Courts and schools were ordered to stop this practice. Not only did Illinois schools thumb their noses at the Courts, but they hired these special interest consultants to write a sham law and cajoled our lawmakers into passing it.
I spoke to Senator Chris Lauzen (R, Aurora), and asked him about this bill. Initially, even Senator Lauzen was lulled into supporting this bill. But in retrospect he felt he was misled about how this law was going to work when the bill was discussed earlier this year. He felt that the bill was “badly misrepresented” by its sponsors all they way along this process. He spoke out against this bill on the floor of the Senate today, but it looks like the bill has passed anyway.
This is little else but a money laundering scheme extraordinaire. With this bill, the schools can raid funds and use them however they like quite despite if these funds were earmarked for a specific purpose or not. They can make an end run around the will of the voters and fund building projects that were never approved. They can even use money from taxes that have not even yet been taken in if page five of the bill can be believed. (my emphasis)
The school board may appropriate moneys to the working cash fund up to the maximum amount allowable in the fund, and the working cash fund may receive such appropriations and any other contributions. Moneys in the fund may be used by the school board for any and all school purposes and may be transferred in whole or in part to the general funds or both of the school district and disbursed therefrom in anticipation of the collection of taxes lawfully levied for any or all purposes, or in anticipation of such taxes as by law now or hereafter enacted or amended are imposed by the General Assembly … Moneys so transferred to any other fund shall be deemed to be transferred in anticipation of the collection of that part of the taxes so levied or to be received which is in excess of the amount thereof required to pay any warrants or notes and the interest thereon theretofore and thereafter …
So, no matter what the funds that the school wants to raid was raised for, they can empty the account and use it for whatever they want. Then, on top of that, they can use money BEFORE said taxes are even raised.
And I remind you that this bill was not written by our lawmakers, but was written by special interests, people we did not elect. Yet our profligate state lawmakers dutifully voted “yes” in a led-by-the-nose vote.
I tell you, it must be nice to be an employee of the state. You don’t have to follow court rulings, you can steal money all day long, spend it even before you get it, yet. And then, if you don’t like the way things are going still you can hire crooked lawyers to write the laws tailor made for your needs and get uninformed, compliant politicians to just rubber stamp them for you.
I have to say, it makes me wonder why the heck I bother paying my bills and trying to do the right thing? How about you?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Obama - You're The Man, But For The Good of The Country, I Hope You Are a One-Termer
Forwarded to me by a friend on the Peoria County Board
Now that I am retiring at the end of this year, I was debating where to spend some winter time; Florida or Arizona. I will also never again visit Mexico, Cancun or not. Now it will be Arizona to help the common sense citizen. Also, affecting my decision, is the correct actions of the Governor of Arizona and the State Government action in killing the tax on visitors to keep the Cubs in Arizona - let those overpaid losers go where they want to go, I could care less.
I want to remind my reader that I am an INDEPENDENT Republican with emphasis on the independent. I was not happy with previous administrations not taking action on illegal entry into our country. Will all the pacifists out there stop calling them immigrants? They are not. They are people committing and illegal act.
I realize that many of our legal citizens get the free benefits now in the U.S that are mentioned in the article.
Merle
Moving to Mexico
Dear President Obama:
I'm planning to move my family and extended family into Mexico for my health, and I would like to ask you to assist me.
We're planning to simply walk across the border from the U.S. Into Mexico, and we'll need your help to make a few arrangements.
We plan to skip all the legal stuff like visas, passports, immigration quotas and laws.
I'm sure they handle those things the same way you do here. So, would you mind telling your buddy, President Calderon, that I'm on my way over?
Please let him know that I will be expecting the following:
1. Free medical care for my entire family.
2. English-speaking government bureaucrats for all services I might need, whether I use them or not.
3. Please print all Mexican government forms in English.
4. I want my grandkids to be taught Spanish by English-speaking (bi-lingual) teachers.
5. Tell their schools they need to include classes on American culture and history.
6. I want my grandkids to see the American flag on one of the flag poles at their school.
7. Please plan to feed my grand kids at school for both breakfast and lunch.
8. I will need a local Mexican driver's license so I can get easy access to government services.
9. I do plan to get a car and drive in Mexico, but, I don't plan to purchase car insurance, and I probably won't make any special effort to learn local traffic laws.
10. In case one of the Mexican police officers does not get the memo from their president to leave me alone, please be sure that every patrol car has at least one English-speaking officer.
11. I plan to fly the U.S. Flag from my house top, put U S. Flag decals on my car, and have a gigantic celebration on July 4th. I do not want any complaints or negative comments from the locals.
12. I would also like to have a nice job without paying any taxes, or have any labor or tax laws enforced on any business I may start.
13. Please have the president tell all the Mexican people to be extremely nice and never say critical things about me or my family, or about the strain we might place on their economy.
14. I want to receive free food stamps.
15. Naturally, I'll expect free rent subsidies.
16. I'll need Income tax credits so although I don't pay Mexican Taxes, I'll receive money from the government.
17. Please arrange it so that the Mexican Gov't pays $4,500 to help me buy a new car.
18. Oh yes, I almost forgot, please enroll me free into the Mexican Social Security program so that I'll get a monthly income in retirement.
I know this is an easy request because you already do all these things for all his people who walk over to the U.S. From Mexico. I am sure that President Calderon won't mind returning the favor if you ask him nicely.
Thank you so much for your kind help. You're the man!!!
Now that I am retiring at the end of this year, I was debating where to spend some winter time; Florida or Arizona. I will also never again visit Mexico, Cancun or not. Now it will be Arizona to help the common sense citizen. Also, affecting my decision, is the correct actions of the Governor of Arizona and the State Government action in killing the tax on visitors to keep the Cubs in Arizona - let those overpaid losers go where they want to go, I could care less.
I want to remind my reader that I am an INDEPENDENT Republican with emphasis on the independent. I was not happy with previous administrations not taking action on illegal entry into our country. Will all the pacifists out there stop calling them immigrants? They are not. They are people committing and illegal act.
I realize that many of our legal citizens get the free benefits now in the U.S that are mentioned in the article.
Merle
Moving to Mexico
Dear President Obama:
I'm planning to move my family and extended family into Mexico for my health, and I would like to ask you to assist me.
We're planning to simply walk across the border from the U.S. Into Mexico, and we'll need your help to make a few arrangements.
We plan to skip all the legal stuff like visas, passports, immigration quotas and laws.
I'm sure they handle those things the same way you do here. So, would you mind telling your buddy, President Calderon, that I'm on my way over?
Please let him know that I will be expecting the following:
1. Free medical care for my entire family.
2. English-speaking government bureaucrats for all services I might need, whether I use them or not.
3. Please print all Mexican government forms in English.
4. I want my grandkids to be taught Spanish by English-speaking (bi-lingual) teachers.
5. Tell their schools they need to include classes on American culture and history.
6. I want my grandkids to see the American flag on one of the flag poles at their school.
7. Please plan to feed my grand kids at school for both breakfast and lunch.
8. I will need a local Mexican driver's license so I can get easy access to government services.
9. I do plan to get a car and drive in Mexico, but, I don't plan to purchase car insurance, and I probably won't make any special effort to learn local traffic laws.
10. In case one of the Mexican police officers does not get the memo from their president to leave me alone, please be sure that every patrol car has at least one English-speaking officer.
11. I plan to fly the U.S. Flag from my house top, put U S. Flag decals on my car, and have a gigantic celebration on July 4th. I do not want any complaints or negative comments from the locals.
12. I would also like to have a nice job without paying any taxes, or have any labor or tax laws enforced on any business I may start.
13. Please have the president tell all the Mexican people to be extremely nice and never say critical things about me or my family, or about the strain we might place on their economy.
14. I want to receive free food stamps.
15. Naturally, I'll expect free rent subsidies.
16. I'll need Income tax credits so although I don't pay Mexican Taxes, I'll receive money from the government.
17. Please arrange it so that the Mexican Gov't pays $4,500 to help me buy a new car.
18. Oh yes, I almost forgot, please enroll me free into the Mexican Social Security program so that I'll get a monthly income in retirement.
I know this is an easy request because you already do all these things for all his people who walk over to the U.S. From Mexico. I am sure that President Calderon won't mind returning the favor if you ask him nicely.
Thank you so much for your kind help. You're the man!!!
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