Stimulus Money Receiving Contractor Deadbeats

According to the NYT, 3.700 stimulus money receiving contractors owe over $700,000,000 in back taxes. We will never hear again how much of this money plus interest will ever be collected.

Where was Alan Simpson and his ilk when they passed out out money to deadbeats? A good investigative reporter would be digging into who and why our money was GIVEN to them and why they owe millions in back taxes. Problem is, we don't have many good investigative reporters left in communities like Peoria and then only when they want to put one of their "enemies down.

Alan Simpson Being the Miserable SOB he is

Passed on to me by a friend. If there are people cheating on their Social Security claims., and I'm sure there are many, but don't take it out on those of us who contributed. I contributed through age 85.

And no, Conrad Stinnett, I'm not lazy, just worn out wading through all the lies being passed out by the Democrats, both politicians and Democrat voters.

I haven't been blogging lately because at age 86, I have more things on my mind than posting the "stuff" I read in the news everyday.

Also, I have been working hard to sort out what is valuable and what is not in my deceased wife's mothers house up in Wisconsin.

Antiques? We found a lot. Any interest in buying? I'm in the phone book and the antiques can be shown by appointment. Collectors only.

Merle

Alan Simpson, Senator from Wyoming , Co-Chair of the deficit commission, calls senior citizens the Greediest Generation as he compared "Social Security" to a Milk Cow with 310 million teats. August, 2010.

Here's a response in a letter from a unknown fellow in Montana ...
I think he is a little ticked off! He also tells it like it is !
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Hey Alan, let's get a few things straight..

1. As a career politician, you have been on the public dole for FIFTY YEARS.

2. I have been paying Social Security taxes for 48 YEARS (since I was 15 years old. I am now 63).

3 My Social Security payments, and those of millions of other Americans, were safely tucked away in an interest bearing account for decades until you political pukes decided to raid the account and give OUR money to a bunch of zero ambition losers in return for votes, thus bankrupting the system and turning Social Security into a Ponzi scheme that would have made Bernie Madoff proud.

4. Recently, just like Lucy & Charlie Brown , you and your ilk pulled the proverbial football away from millions of American seniors nearing retirement and moved the goalposts for full retirement from age 65 to age 67. NOW, you and your shill commission is proposing to move the
goalposts YET AGAIN.

5 I, and millions of other Americans, have been paying into Medicare from Day One, and now you morons propose to change the rules of the game. Why? Because you idiots mismanaged other parts of the economy to such an extent that you need to steal money from Medicare to pay
the bills.

6. I, and millions of other Americans, have been paying income taxes our entire lives, and now you propose to increase our taxes yet again. Why? Because you incompetent bastards spent our money so profligately that you just kept on spending even after you ran out of money. Now, you come to the American taxpayers and say you need more to pay off YOUR debt.
To add insult to injury, you label us "greedy" for calling "bullshit" on your incompetence. Well, Captain Bullshit, I have a few questions for YOU.

1. How much money have you earned from the American taxpayers during your pathetic 50-year political career?

2. At what age did you retire from your pathetic political career, and how much are you receiving in annual retirement benefits from the American taxpayers?

3. How much do you pay for YOUR government provided health insurance?

4. What cuts in YOUR retirement and healthcare benefits are you proposing in your disgusting deficit reduction proposal, or, as usual, have you exempted yourself and your political cronies?

It is you, Captain Bullshit, and your political co-conspirators called Congress who are the "greedy" ones. It is you and your fellow nutcases who have bankrupted America and stolen the American dream from millions of loyal, patriotic taxpayers. And for what? Votes. That's right,sir. You and yours have bankrupted America for the sole purpose of advancing your pathetic political careers. You know it, we know it, and you know that we know it.

And you can take that to the bank, you miserable son of a bitch. If you like the way things are in America , delete this. If you agree with what a fellow Montana citizen says, PASS IT ON!!!!

Steven Streight - My Interview With Steven Today at 1:00 PM

Promote the show page on Facebook and your blog. People can call in if they want and ask questions, if they want to.

Copy and paste either URL below into emails, Facebook wall posts, or blog post links.

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/stevenstreight/2011/05/24/interview-with-merle-widmer-of-widmer-interiors

OR

http://tinyurl.com/3k5omrh

CIAN Sponsors Public Safety Briefing By Ray Semko

CIAN, a local security firm, will be underwriting a briefing by Ray Semko aka the D*I*C*E* Man from 9-11am on May 26. (Mr. Semko's website: http://www.raysemko.com/)

Semko has over 35 years of experience serving and protecting the United States in the US Army and later worked as a Counterintelligence Special Agent for the US Government. He is globally renowned for his presentations covering the latest declassified intelligence information to military and private sector members to keep their data and organizations secure. There is no charge, CIAN is doing this as contribution to the safety of our community.

In talks with Ray, he has identified Peoria as an ideal staging location for terrorism. Peoria is apparently what is known as a "tweener city" ideally positioned between two major cities.



While there is no charge, since the event will be held at Mt. Hawley country club the seating will be limited to 250, so it is important that anyone wishing to attend make reservations as early as possible. Reservations can be made by calling 691-3000 or registering on-line at www.CIANCenter.com A few comments below from those who have attended a briefing before will give you an idea of the caliber of this upcoming speaker. Please feel free to call me with any questions. Hope to see you there!

Michelle and Steve Hope

"Pack The Place" - A Public Service Announcement

We are calling on regional business and community leaders to help boost the regional economy by getting involved in Project Pack the Place. This is an initiative to pack regional entertainment venues/activities and get people out enjoying the great things we have to offer in our region. Last year you helped us pack several places and it's time to do it again. We have two more "Big Events" this year and we need you to purchase a block of tickets to each of them and give them to your employees, friends or donate them to charity.



Coming up on May 22nd we will Pack the Place with the Peoria Chiefs. Game time is 1:00, tickets are $9 each and at least 20 tickets must be purchased to qualify for the Pack the Place benefits. Package includes admission to the game, t-shirt, and you'll be entered into the drawing to throw out the first pitch. Call 309-680-4000 ext 0 to order your tickets. Make sure you say it's for Pack the Place. If you don't have a group of 20 let us know and we'll combine you with another group.



The final "Big Event" of 2011 is September 10th with the Peoria Zoo. Watch for details. You can learn more at www.packtheplace.org or find us on Facebook.



Thank you in advance for showing your support for Project Pack the Place and for helping move our region forward!



Jim McConoughey



CEO, President

Heartland Partnership Family of Companies

309-495-5904

Social Security an Entitlement? I Think Not

Forwarded to me by a friend.

This message which has been around before, pretty much nails it. Wake up politicians of any or all parties. I know I'm safe as long as the government doesn't g broke. But I wouldn't have spent 10 years of my retirement on the County Board if I was thinking only of myself.

Merle

The message:

Entitlement my ass , I paid cash for my social security insurance!!!! Just because they borrowed the money , doesn't make my benefits some kind of charity or handout !! Congressional benefits , aka. free health care , outrageous retirement packages , 67 paid holidays , three weeks paid vacation , unlimited paid sick days , now that's welfare , and they have the nerve to call my retirement entitlements !!!!!!.....scroll down...............



:


What the Hell's wrong???

WAKE UP AMERICA !!!!


Tuesday's Daily Bulletin paper, ran two articles on the front page side by side :


1- Calif 's 20 Billion Dollar Budget Deficit


2- The Calif Supreme Court ruling that ILLEGALS can attend college and get benefits.


Why don't they just deport them when they arrive to register?


3- Last year they ran an article on the yearly costs to Calif Taxpayers from Illegals using Hospital Emergency Rooms for their general health care -

At just one hospital the cost to tax payers totaled over 25 million a year

Someone please tell me what the Hell's wrong with all the people that run this country!!!!!!

We're "broke" & can't help our own Seniors, Veterans, Orphans, Homeless etc.,???????????

In the last months we have provided aid to Haiti , Chile , and Turkey . And now Pakistan .....home of bin Laden. Literally, BILLIONS of DOLLARS!!!

Our retired seniors living on a 'fixed income' receive no aid nor do they get any breaks while our government and religious organizations pour Hundreds of Billions of $$$$$$'s and Tons of Food to Foreign Countries!


They call Social Security and Medicare an entitlement even though most of us have been paying for it all our working lives and now when its time for us to collect, the government is running out of money. Why did the government borrow from it in the first place?

We have hundreds of adoptable children who are shoved aside to make room for the adoption of foreign orphans.

AMERICA: a country where we have homeless without shelter, children going to bed hungry, elderly going without 'needed' meds, and mentally ill without treatment -etc,etc.


YET.....................
They have a 'Benefit' for the people of Haiti on 12 TV stations, ships and planes lining up with food, water, tents clothes, bedding, doctors and medical supplies.

Imagine if the *GOVERNMENT* gave 'US' the same support they give to other countries.

Sad isn't it?

Indiana Legislature OK's Voucher, Charter And Pay For Performance Package

Democrats try to protect their union vote but fail. Competition is what the world is all about. The Democrats look more like Socialists every day.

I have never been opposed to unions. It's their missions to make everybody equal in performance, which they are not and never have been in history, and guarantee lifetime jobs despite performance, what most innovators oppose.

Teacher unions and other unions will always have the right to bargain; they won't have the power to dictate. One major reason of the failures of the public school system in the majority of unionized school districts.

Merle


From the Fort Wayne (IN) Journal Gazette, Thursday, April 28, 2011. See http://www.journalgazette.net/article/20110428/LOCAL04/304289982
********************************
General Assembly

House OKs voucher, charter bills

By Niki Kelly

INDIANAPOLIS - The final components of Gov. Mitch Daniels' education reform package - a massive new voucher program and charter school expansion - cleared the Indiana House on Wednesday and could be law within days with just the stroke of a pen.

Two other bills affecting Indiana education have already passed - one reducing collective bargaining rights for teachers and another tying teacher pay to student performance.

"With these enactments and those of the last week, this General Assembly has placed the interests of Hoosier kids first, and placed Indiana first among the states in reforming and improving public education," Daniels said in a statement.

"Their political courage and their commitment to a great education for every single child deserve the thanks not just of parents but of every citizen; Indiana has a far brighter future because of them."

The voucher bill passed 55-43, with four Republicans voting against the measure. All area GOP members supported it, with Fort Wayne's two Democrats against.

House Bill 1003 takes a portion of state funding usually provided to public schools and gives it instead to families who want to send kids to private or parochial schools. It is one of the most expansive programs in the nation because it is not limited to low-income Hoosiers or those in failing schools.

A family of four making less than $61,000 is eligible for a grant worth 50 percent of their local districts' per-student funding. A similar family making $41,000 or lower would be eligible for a 90 percent voucher.

About 60 percent of Hoosier school kids qualify under the income guidelines.

The amount of the grant is limited to $4,500 for grades 1 through 8, with no cap for high school.

The bill requires students to attend public school for one year before being eligible for vouchers, meaning current private school students could not receive a voucher.

Kindergarten doesn't count as the one year in public school.

The number of vouchers available statewide would be capped at 7,500 next school year and
15,000 the following year. After that, there is no limit.

The Senate also added a tax deduction for parents who send their kids to private schools or home-school their children. It covers education expenditures, including textbooks, even though there is no similar deduction for public school parents.

"This helps children. It helps children by giving them choices Š and empowers families who can't afford it," Rep. Jeff Espich, R-Uniondale, said.

The House also voted 61-37 Wednesday to approve a bill meant to greatly expand charter schools in the state. All Republicans and one Indianapolis Democrat voted for the bill.

House Bill 1002 establishes a statewide charter school board that can sponsor new charter schools. It also allows 30 private, non-profit four-year colleges to sponsor charters. Currently, only the mayor of Indianapolis and six public universities are able to do so.

The bill also increases funding for online or virtual charter schools and requires charters to participate more in the accountability law.

"It gives more families options," House Republican Speaker Brian Bosma said. "It's a great step forward in that regard."

But Rep. Matt Pierce, D-Bloomington, said it siphons money from struggling public schools.

"The honest truth is you're not going to get that many exceptional outcomes in this, and you are going to do it at the risk of damaging traditional public schools," Pierce said. "It's a zero-sum game."
-----------------------
nkelly@jg.net
*******************************************
--

Jerry P. Becker
Dept. of Curriculum & Instruction
Southern Illinois University
625 Wham Drive
Mail Code 4610
Carbondale, IL 62901-4610
Phone: (618) 453-4241 [O]
(618) 457-8903 [H]
Fax: (618) 453-4244
E-mail: jbecker@siu.edu

Gary Sandberg at Tuesday's Council Meeting

Of course he will pay his bills before the meeting. He is having too much fun and getting "his kicks" by having a reason to vote no on most every proposal presented to a council vote.

Socialism - A Lesson

Taken from Perkins Capital Management April 21 issue:

An economics professor at Bradley U. said he never failed a single student before but had, once, failed an entire class That class had insisted that socialism worked and that no one would be poor and no one would be rich, a great equalizer. The professor then said ok, we will have an experiment in this class on socialism.

All grades would be averaged and everyone would receive the same grade so no one would fail and no one would receive an A. After the first test, the grades were averaged and everyone got a B. The students who had studied hard were upset and the students who studied little were happy. But, as the second test rolled around, the students who had studied little had studied even less and those who studied hard decided they wanted a free ride too so they studied little. The second test average was a D. No one was happy. When the third test was done the average was an F.

The scores never increased as bickering, blame, and name calling all resulted in hard feelings as few would study for the benefit of anyone else. All failed, to their great surprise. Then the professor told them that socialism would ultimately fail because when the reward is great, the effort to succeed is great; but when government takes all the reward away no one will try or want to succeed.

Yes, I know this story, in different versions, has been around for quite a few years but facts are facts. Last year, more people received welfare benefits than at any time in recent history.

The greatest growth in employment has been in the unionized public sector where most of the stimulus money landed. The failures of our public school system is blamed on the parent, usually the ones that are single family and depend on welfare or through handouts from social service agencies. Blame the weak school boards and the strong unions who make it next to impossible to fire a union worker, and once a unionized public worker has received tenure, they usually have a lifetime job with substantial pensions and health benefits for life. Reasonable benefits are good but the same benefits go to all, no matter how hard or efficiently, they worked.

Provided this government on its way to socialism doesn't receive and F and goes broke. While I'm not a great fan of Glenn Beck, his book "Broke" detailing how and why this government is going broke, is a worth while read for anyone. Free to borrow at any public library.

Stop and observe most of our public unionized roadway workers at work. If anyone thinks we will get the bridges all repaired in their lifetimes, observe these workers in action and you make the judgment. Look at the sorry condition of the streets, curbs and sidewalks in Peoria. The worst I've seen in most any city I've visited. I have driven over 1,500,000 miles in my lifetime so I know somewhat more than some about roadways. I also talk to over the road 18 wheel drivers and read about road conditions.

I also know that the majority of public unionized workers are good workers. However, highly vocal minorities usually win the day in politics. Still, why should good workers work any harder than anyone else when the rewards are mostly evenly distributed. Do you think the hardest and best working school teachers were the ones who led the protest at Madison, Wisconsin? No, the weakest links were there, led by greedy union bosses, the teachers protesting because they were led to believe they would lose the right to organize.

As I've said before, the company I owned was unionized. No trouble getting along for 22 years. They understood their role and power and I understood my role and power. I've always believed that anyone unhappy in their work should seek another place of endeavor. Why spend your life being unhappy?

Never let the facts get in the way. No way did the governor or any of us who understood the facts believe this was an attempt to kill the unions. Just slow down their demands for more and more power. Especially, when so many in the private sector have trouble find a decent paying job; jobs, often with many less benefits than those jobs in the public sector. And while the government is unable to pay their mounting debts while paying mounting interest to foreign countries.

At home and abroad. Example, I sent a check to the IRS in early April which was cashed quickly. Prior to that, I received notice I had overpaid one year and would be reimbursed plus interest.

Still waiting for the feds to reimburse me. My accounting firm says it may be a long wait.

Skateboarders Robbed at Peoria Park District Remote Facility

Journal Star news article today reads, "Two skateboarders robbed at park in Peoria". Two men in their early 20's were robbed at about 5:00 PM Thursday at Becker Park, 3401 W. Woodhill Lane.

The victims told police a male robber fled with a Motorola Droid smartphone, a Gucci wallet and an undisclosed amount of cash.

As he departed, the robber fired one shot into the air with a handgun he produced after the robbery.

There were no injuries."

On February 01, 2006, I blogged the following under the title of "Exaggerators, Falsehood Tellers or Dreamers?": My blog reads, "The promised skateboard park is a joke compared to Pekin's and other cities smaller than Peoria and cities with much smaller budgets. (The PPD budget is in the $40 millions) The location lends itself to an accident waiting to happen. It is so remote that the site is blocked out so it is impossible to police."

What caring parent would allow a juvenile to skateboard at this mickey mouse skateboard facility in a location so remote and unnoticed by the public. Especially around 20 some year old adults? I suspect many a drug use and drug transaction has taken place at this skateboard facility.

The facility along with a ball diamond now covered with weeds and unused for at least two years, was built largely with public money from the State of Illinois.

Becker Park consists of a shelter, about 200 yards up a slope from the skateboard area, 3 basketball baskets, an unused ball park with a short screen backstop next to a gully where many foul balls would pass over and land in the creek, and a walking trail, mostly built with state money. (Ever notice the unused ballpark behind McClure library with the backstop backed up to a creek bed)?

And with no porta potty as of last week. Or drinking water at Becker or McClure. McClure also has a playground but I have never seen toilet or drinking water facilities.

As to the ball park, reat planning and a possible reason why it is unused if the players have only one or two balls to lose.

The Peoria Park District, still strapped by the money losing RiverPlex and now the African Exhibit Zoo, evidently has no money or desire to build a real skateboard facility. (The PPD set aside $750,000 to lose in this years budget according to a board member and the zoo's $5 million new parking lot and entrance were never completed and by the looks of attendance, may not ever really be needed.

There is another skateboard facility built by the park on the northwest side of Peoria that is so small I asked a park worker where it was located and he answered, "it is right across the street from where you are parked"!!

In the interest of public safety of our kids, the remote Becker Park Facility should be closed now and a new and more challenging one built in eyesight of the public.

As to the unused ball park? You will need to ask the park and the school that was to share it. To find the skateboard park, turn on Woodhill Lane off Molleck and walk down to the ball diamond home plate and you will see it next to a wooded ditch, perfect for all kinds of 'out of sight' illegal transactions with an easy getaway down the large overgrown ditch and creek. Not much of a skateboard park facility, either.

To find my blog of 2006, just type in the title in the search bar, upper right hand side of this blog.

Congressional Reform - Tea Party Should Pursue

This proposition has made the rounds before. It should be a start to reform our governments on all levels,

Merle

Congressional Reform Act of 2013
>
>
> 1. Term Limits.
>
> 12 years only, one of the possible options below..
>
> A. Two Six-year Senate terms
> B. Six Two-year House terms
> C. One Six-year Senate term and three Two-Year House terms
>
> 2. No Tenure / No Pension.
>
> A Congressman collects a salary while in office and receives no pay
> when they are out of office.
>
> 3. Congress (past, present & future) participates in Social Security.
>
> All funds in the Congressional retirement fund move to the Social
> Security system immediately. All future funds flow into the Social
> Security system, and Congress participates with the American people.
>
> 4. Congress can purchase their own retirement plan, just as all
> Americans do.
>
> 5. Congress will no longer vote themselves a pay raise. Congressional
> pay will rise by the lower of CPI or 3%.
>
> 6. Congress loses their current health care system and participates in
> the same health care system as the American people.
>
> 7. Congress must equally abide by all laws they impose on the American
> people.
>
> 8. All contracts with past and present Congressmen are void effective
> 1/1/12.
>
> The American people did not make this contract with Congressmen.
> Congressmen made all these contracts for themselves.
>
>
> Serving in Congress is an honor, not a career. The Founding Fathers
> envisioned citizen legislators, so ours should serve their term(s),
> then go home and back to work.
>
>
> If each person contacts a minimum of twenty people then it will only
> take three days for most people (in the U.S. ) to receive the message.
> Maybe it is time.
>
> THIS IS HOW YOU FIX CONGRESS!!!!! If you agree with the above, pass it
> on. >
>
>
>
>
>
>
>

PRM Pledges

A pledge cannot be posted as an asset on a financial statement. Only when converted into cash can you count it. I was told yesterday I am wrong as I blogged maybe as many as $2 million in pledges to the PRM have been cancelled since the first pledge was made on____. You fill in the gap. That only $200,000 pledges have been cancelled. Whoa. Peoria County alone pledged $6 million only to find that County Administration had misplaced a decimal. The pledge actually was to be $600,000, not $6 million, paid out over 6 years. A yearly sum of $100,000 is being set aside by the county, as per former Administrator Patrick Urich.

Local State officials, like Dave Leitch, pledged $12 million and Ray LaHood pledged $12 million from Washington, D.C.

Opps, in 2007, there came a bigger recession than the one in 2003, and there went $24,400,000.00 in pledges. Now we learn that $5 million pledged by Governor Quinn; 18months later, is still just a pledge. $1.5 million vouchered but no money, at least, not for museums when the state can't meet payments pledged (owed) to the private and public sector; public like as in BelWood.

Enough about pledges. The museum is being built and when it opens in 2012, it says it will have the money, a fully funded endowment and enough money to meet the last 'projected' operating budget of $4.3 million.

Of course, I hope those who worked so hard are successful. All I've ever asked for was 'show me the money' and tell the truth.

I'm still waiting for both.

As to private pledges cancelled. Those will not be made public nor will the ones decreased. The large donations will be made public, already have been, unless they donate anonymously.