Daily Archives: May 27, 2008

Peoria Pundit

Pundit problems

17 Comments

If you’re having trouble accessing the Peoria Pundit site, so is Billy Dennis. I received this e-mail from him moments ago:

Here’s what I know. My server on which blogpeoria.com sites are hosted was experiencing heavy loads all day yesterday. I submitted five trouble tickets on the issue, one each time the server was down.

I was beginning to discuss moving my siles and data bases to another server, when moments ago, I noticed the entire site was suspended. This can happen for a builling issue, when required by law because of illegal content, or because one particular account was slowing the entire system.

I suspect it is the latter. Moving Peoria Pundit to blogpeoria.com may have stressed this server.

I’ll do what it takes to get blogpeoria.com back up. It might required moving the site to a dedicated server or a virtual private server.

Hope everything gets worked out soon, Billy.

Peoria Public Library

Library appeals to public again

12 Comments

Library ad on 5-27-08 newspaperWhen I picked up my Journal Star today, I found this advertisement on the front of it:

Tonight the future of
Peoria Public Library
will be decided.
City Council
6:15 p.m.
PLEASE MAKE
YOUR VOICE
HEARD!
Paid for by supporters of Peoria Public Library

Of course, the public already made its voice heard when it voted to approve a $35 million bond issuance by 72% on last year’s ballot. But they will have to make their voice heard again because that vote was non-binding, and the city council has the final decision on whether to approve issuing the bonds. And some council members aren’t too keen on the idea. Here’s what’s on the agenda for tonight’s council meeting:

Communication from the Interim City Manager and Finance Director/Comptroller Requesting Adoption of an ORDINANCE Providing for the ISSUANCE of GENERAL OBLIGATION LIBRARY BONDS, SERIES 2008A, Authorizing the Execution of a Bond Order in Connection Therewith and Providing for the Levy and Collection of a Direct Annual Tax for Payment of the Principal and Interest on Said Bonds.

I expect this to be deferred, but I hope it isn’t. I’m told that this is a good time to buy the bonds because we can get a good rate that will mean less of a hit on property taxes. Delaying this is only going to end up costing the taxpayers more in the long run, so if it’s going to be approved, approve it now. Given the referendum, there’s no political downside to council members voting for this.

On the other hand, if the council is not going to approve it, then they need to do that now as well, so that no more time or money is wasted on the project. It would be most unfortunate if this were voted down, in my opinion. The library system is a basic service and an upgrade should be supported. As the Journal Star recently pointed out, the library folks have done everything that’s been asked of them — they’ve dotted every “i” and crossed every “t.” If the council votes against it, they will be hard pressed to explain how their denial is not arbitrary and capricious.

Let’s not drag this thing out. Vote for it tonight and be done with it. And preferably, vote “yes.”