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Recent Comments

  • Boblee: Last year at Peoria High, we were squished on those bleachers like sardines. People talked and screamed...
  • The Mouse: Anyone willing to bet against Martin’s prediction? If so, I’ll take that bet!
  • Jon: No, Sharon, I’m not paid by D150 or the charter school. I do appreciate your example of the diffculties in...
  • Sharon assumes: that Jon is paid for PR by the charter school or district 150, so are we to assume she is paid for PR...
  • Sharon Crews: Jon, I erred in declaring a reason why these young people left the charter school–I do not know...
  • Jon: Charlie – I’m know at least one person for whom I’m pretty sure English takes much less effort...
  • Mahkno: At least when it dies, a bunch of County Board members will be on record for endorsing the bait n switch and...
  • Martin Palmer: You wonder.What a hoot! Other than Merle possably 2nd it it will die a quick death.
  • Sharon Crews: Emerge, the “if your school is a failing school”–lots of luck in trying to get a...
  • daveadams: Thanks Jon for digging up the numbers for the surrounding districts. Peoria’s growth in costs is...
  • Frustrated: Sorry Charlie – but science and math in the higher MS grades and HS require more effor for most...
  • charlie: “May(be) some (are)leaving Quest because the study of math and science involved a lot of...
  • EmergePeoria: … and if people are “fleeing” the charter school because of the math and science,...
  • maddy: Perhaps the city could arrange for Park ‘n Ride service from the respective high school parking lots for...
  • EmergePeoria: Sharon: If the school in your attendance area is a failing school, you have a choice to go to other...

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Slow news day

Sorry for the paucity of posts, but there’s really nothing to blog about today.

The big meeting with Ray LaHood, the school board, the park board, and the city was a big bunch of nothing, according to news accounts.  The city council was off this week, so there’s no council meeting to cover.  I asked Randy Ray [...]

Pantagraph can’t decide if it’s for or against earmarks

I was looking up some information on Ray LaHood and the money he brings to our community through the earmark system, and I ran across this editorial from Sunday’s Bloomington Pantagraph. (I recommend you read it, as it will make it easier to understand this post.)

It’s titled, “Illinois missing out on federal ‘pork’ feeding,” and [...]

Memorial Day 2006

“In the final choice a soldier’s pack is not so heavy as a prisoner’s chains.”

–Dwight D. Eisenhower

Thank you to all who have kept and are keeping us free [...]

LaHood mediation meeting not inspiring confidence

Nothing cures distrust like more secrecy.

Today’s Word on the Street column reports that the public won’t be allowed to witness Ray LaHood’s mediation skills when he tries to broker a compromise on the location of a new school in the city’s East Bluff. LaHood will be meeting behind closed doors at 9:30 a.m. this Wednesday, [...]

Tribune looks at water buyout efforts

The Chicago Tribune has a good article on the fight many communities are waging to buy back their water works from American Water Company. You’ve probably heard most of the stories, but I did find a couple of quotes particularly interesting:

In most instances, American Water–RWE’s U.S. arm and the largest private water company in the [...]

The Cold War is over; no need for sprawl anymore

At Thursday’s form-based code “Work-In-Progress” presentation, I learned something new. Do you know what one of the big contributing factors to suburban sprawl was? Civil defense. Really!

In 1951, as a way of protecting us from nuclear attack, President Truman announced his National Industrial Dispersion Policy. The idea was to provide incentives for [...]

At least the trip to Germany wasn’t for naught

Urbana Mayor Laurel Prussing flew to Germany earlier this spring to see if she could talk RWE AG into selling the city its part of Illinois American Water Company.  Of course, they said “nein,” but the News-Gazette reports that Illinois American did announce yesterday (coincidentally, they claim) they plan to “build a new water treatment plant [...]

Legal loopholes make a mockery of the Open Meetings Act

I have had further correspondance with an attorney who spoke to me on condition of anonymity. Here’s a transcript of what we talked about regarding the school district’s actions and whether or not it violates the Open Meetings Act (OMA).

Real Lawyer:

C.J., I regret that there has been some misinterpretation by others about the [...]

Council roundup 5/23

Jennifer Davis did such a good job summing up the council meeting last night, I’m going to cheat and say just read her article in the Journal Star.  But I would like to make just a couple of comments about last night’s meeting.

First, it was loooong — over four hours, which is unusual these days.  When [...]

Property acquisition not illegal; just stupid

UPDATE 5/24/06: A real lawyer has contacted me (no, it wasn’t Chase) and said that, since 1972, the Open Meetings Act has been amended several times. Apparently the prohibition against taking final action — 5 ILCS 120/2(e) — was added after the Collinsville v. Witte case. Thus, the school district’s action may have [...]