Rumor mill: Museum “Plan B”

Tonight at the council meeting, Councilman Bob Manning asked the museum group what they would do if the New Markets Tax Credits funding didn’t come through, or if not enough of it came through for them to be able to move forward on the museum. As he put it, “What’s ‘plan B’?”

The answer he got from Jim Vergon, President of the Lakeview Museum board, was that they would go back to federal, state, and local governments and ask them again for help to make up the difference.

But I’ve heard a rumor that the real “plan B” is for the museum to get money through the Public Building Commission, which of course would be collected through property taxes, all without a referendum or any council action whatsoever. “How can that be,” you ask, “when they’re a private organization and not a public one?” The rumor mill says that Rep. Dave Leitch is already working on legislation that would take care of that problem. Hey, he did it for District 150 — who says he couldn’t amend the law again to allow a “public” museum? He got the city council to use public dollars to guarantee a private loan for Firefly Energy. I wouldn’t be too quick to pass this off as an impossibility.

Of course, this is all unsubstantiated rumor. Take it with a grain of salt… but keep an eye on your wallet just in case it turns out to be true.

PJStar: Museum “slightly less impressive”

The Journal Star’s Editorial Board has low expectations. How do I know that? Because they say in their editorial today that recent changes to the proposed downtown museum make it “a slightly less impressive facility, from a size and architectural standpoint.”

Slightly?

Since the original plans came out, the size of the museum has shrunk by over 25% (110,000 to 81,000 square feet), yet the price tag has remained the same. Fundraising has been stalled for months. The only architectural feature that could have been considered “impressive” — the floating globe in the glass box — has been axed. What’s left? This:

I would say the JSEB is easily impressed. They’re like the proverbial frog in the stove pot who lets himself be boiled to death because he doesn’t notice the gradual increase in temperature. The downtown museum has changed dramatically for the worse from what was originally proposed, yet the JSEB, et. al., focuses only on the incremental change and says it’s not that bad. It’s only “slightly less impressive.”

No, it’s not impressive at all. It’s not what Peoria was promised originally. It’s a bait and switch. It’s basically just moving Lakeview Museum downtown and adding a few permanent exhibits. And on top of it, they want to remove the retail portion of the plan — the only remaining vestige of the Heart of Peoria Plan (or Demetriou plan or any consultant’s plan for downtown).

As a friend of mine would say, “God love ’em for trying.” But that’s not the vision for the Sears block. That’s not even “slightly” the vision. If we’re going to focus on the “big picture,” as the JSEB exhorts, then let’s commit to getting the best development for that block instead of settling for mediocrity. I think we have enough mediocrity in this town.

Blagojevich sues Madigan

I heard this on NPR this morning and couldn’t believe it. But here it is in the Chicago Tribune this morning:

Gov. Rod Blagojevich has sued House Speaker Michael Madigan for allegedly concocting a scheme to let lawmakers ignore the governor’s frequent calls for special legislative sessions. In the lawsuit, Blagojevich accused Madigan of acts “aimed at eradicating the governor’s constitutional and statutory powers.”

He is asking a judge to order Madigan to hold special sessions at times and dates of the governor’s choosing.

Blagojevich did not sue Senate President Emil Jones (D-Chicago), his chief legislative ally, even though few senators have shown up for the same weekend sessions.

The Governor suing the House Speaker? Can Illinois get any more dysfunctional?

I suppose it can. When the legislature didn’t pass the budget he wanted, Blagojevich essentially legislated what he wanted via veto and executive order. If the judicial branch gets in his way, will he set himself up as judge, too? This state needs a way of recalling the governor when a governor gets as out of control as this one.

Constitutional convention, anyone?