The Journal Star Editorial Board had some bitter words for Councilman Sandberg in today’s paper, saying he “found a basketful of nits to pick” regarding the museum’s request for more money from the city.  They focused in on Sandberg’s contention that TIFs are siphoning money from basic services, and defended TIFs in a paragraph that looked like a transcript of Councilwoman Van Auken’s statements from Tuesday night’s meeting.

But they also say in their editorial, “The subsurface parking was recommended by the Heart of Peoria Commission.”  Now anyone who actually watched the council meeting Tuesday night would know that Sandberg spent a considerable amount of time debunking that  misconception.  He interrogated the museum and Caterpillar representatives, and they both admitted in plain language that the Heart of Peoria Commission never recommended subsurface parking — in fact, they recommended having no parking at all, except for street parking, because the block is surrounded by public parking.

So how did the Journal Star hear Gary’s comments about TIFs (which were brief) and miss his comments on parking (which were extensive)?  I guess they’re just more interested in using Sandberg as a punching bag than getting their facts straight.