Monthly Archives: April 2009

Peoria Park District, Peoria Public Schools

Park District looking to buy Prospect properties from School District

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Remember back in 2006 when District 150 purchased several properties adjacent to Glen Oak Park in hopes of locating a new school there? Well, now the Peoria Park District wants to buy them, and they’re asking for some help from Congressman Schock.

Included in Schock’s appropriations requests is one for “land appraisal, platting, demolition and acquisition to provide open public access to [Glen Oak] park.” I asked for some more information on this request from the Park District, and David Wheeler kindly sent me this text from their application for Federal assistance:

Glen Oak Park is bordered on the southwest corner with 12 residences owned by the local school district. Originally purchased for the purpose of constructing a school adjacent to Glen Oak Park, their plans have changed and the 2 acres of land is now available for the purpose of adding invaluable open space and stability to a social and economically challenged east bluff neighborhood. It will provide open public access to the park from the neighborhoods to the west, open up visibility and provide a higher degree of safety in one of Illinois’ oldest and most historic 19th century parks. Glen Oak Park is well known for its ancient oak trees, looped “carriage” drives, views of the Illinois River and was designed by the renowned landscape architect, Oscar Dubois. The opportunity to purchase land for expanding open space in an older established neighborhood is a rare occurrence and the opportunity is now.

To the best of my knowledge, the school district actually owns eight properties on the southwest corner of Glen Oak Park, not twelve. I double-checked the county’s website just to see if D150 picked up any additional land there, and it doesn’t appear they have. So either this was a minor error on the application, or else the school district has recently purchased additional properties.

In any case, I have to take issue with this proposed transaction for a few reasons:

  1. It’s odd that the park district, which just finished shrinking the size of the park in order to expand the zoo, would now be concerned about expanding the size of the park. It’s also strange that they would cite the “ancient oak trees,” many of which were uprooted to make way for the zoo expansion.

  2. If this transaction goes through, it will be the second time the taxpayers have paid for these properties. The school district bought these eight properties with $877,500 of tax money (and overpaid for them at that; fair-market value of the properties in 2005 was $609,540). Now the park district wants to use $1.2 million of tax money to purchase the same properties again (and demolish the structures). How many times do we taxpayers have to buy the same land? And why does the cost keep going up each time?

  3. If the properties are sold to the Park District, they will remain off the property tax rolls. That hurts not only those who receive property tax revenue (like the School District and the Park District, just to name a couple), but everyone who pays property taxes as well. Whenever tax-paying property is taken off the tax rolls, the remaining property owners pick up the slack. The School Board should be trying to get more property on the tax rolls where it can produce annual revenue for the district.

Also, if the school district does indeed only own the eight properties they purchased in 2006, here are their locations:

You’ll notice they’re not contiguous; how long before the park district tries to acquire the remaining properties?

Peoria Public Schools

School board to hire superintendent search firm Tuesday (Updated)

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A special meeting of the District 150 Board of Education is planned for Tuesday night. There’s only one item of public business on the agenda:

APPROVAL OF CONTRACT WITH HAZARD, YOUNG, ATTEA & ASSOCIATES
Proposed Action: That the Contract with Hazard, Young, Attea & Associates covering the Superintendent search and the Controller/Treasurer search be approved. Further, that the Community Superintendent Search Committee’s proposed total budget of $45,000 be approved and that the timeline for commencing the candidate search be changed to August/September, 2009.

The district’s search committee recommended the firm to the board last month. A March 25 Journal Star article reported, “Cost to hire the firm is about $21,000, not including travel costs and office fees.” Apparently travel costs and office fees are no small expense, based on the $45,000 to be budgeted for the search committee.

Current superintendent Ken Hinton plans to retire June 30, 2010.

UPDATE: I received this additional information from School Board member Jim Stowell:

The first story didn’t anticipate them doing a search for Controller/Treasurer as well. Dr. Durflinger and Dr. Butts highly recommended a search firm who might “draw out” better applicants than what applied to our posting on several sources, including all of the “free” postings offered through the state. I had suggested the same firm recommended by the supt. search committee, if they were willing to do it for a reduced fee (and possibly seize on some economies of scale or interest from a duo who might like to work together). The Board saw a list of applicants and will discuss whether to go the search route.

General News

Easter marred by racist literature

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While my parents were attending church in Peoria on Easter, someone was putting racist literature on cars in the parking lot. The 5.5″ x 8.5″ multi-page paper booklets expressed opposition to interracial marriage and gave a number of Bible passages taken out of context to support this view. White supremacy was assumed throughout the booklet, which indicates it was published by an out-of-state organization.

Sickening.

Movies, Nation/World

I.O.U.S.A. sobering look at national debt

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iousa-poster-large1I attended a movie at the recently established Peoria Theater on Saturday. It’s located in the Landmark Plaza; two of the screens that used to be part of the old Landmark Cinemas (later Nova, currently Reynolds) now make up the new independent film theater. In addition to the usual popcorn and soda, you can also buy beer and other alcoholic beverages, making the place an adults-only (over 21) establishment.

I went to see the film “I. O. U. S. A.,” about the skyrocketing national debt and its implications. You can see an abbreviated (30-minute) version of the film at their website and on YouTube.

Admission was inexpensive ($5), as was the popcorn and soda — at least, for a movie theater ($7 total for both). The screen was small, but the theater was clean, and they showed real film, not a DVD on an LCD projector like another local theater. At 4:45 on a Saturday, it turned out to be a private screening, since I was the only one there for this particular film. The service was friendly, and it was a pleasant experience overall.

The film itself, however, was as interesting as it was depressing. It chronicled America’s budget deficit over the life of the country, as well as its more recent deficits in savings, trade, and leadership. The film mainly focuses on the work of Robert Bixby of the Concord Coalition (a “non-partisan, grassroots organization advocating generationally responsible fiscal policy”) and former U.S. Comptroller-General David Walker, who is now the President and CEO of the Peter G. Peterson Foundation (whose mission is “to increase public awareness of the nature and urgency of key economic challenges threatening America’s future and accelerate action on them”).

The problem in America, according to the filmmakers, is that we spend more than we produce. It’s a problem that plagues the nation from federal policymakers to individual citizens. We’re living beyond our means, feeling a false sense of wealth due to easy credit. And whereas your personal debts will more or less die with you, the public debt will be passed on to the next generation to pay.

Furthermore, because of our savings deficit in America, most national debt is held by foreign countries, which leads to some sobering implications. One that the movie points out is our vulnerability to “financial war.” This is where a creditor country can pressure a debtor country into modifying its policies by threatening to tighten credit. They use the example of the Suez Crisis when the U.S. forced our allies into a cease fire with Egypt by threatening to sell part of the U.S. investment in British government bonds, which would have significantly devalued the pound. As Proverbs 22:7 says, “the borrower is slave to the lender.”

I thought the film was well-done (production-wise), although I certainly haven’t seen as many documentaries as the Washington Post movie critics, who panned the film for being formulaic. I thought the slick graphics made a difficult topic easy to understand. Also, the movie moved at a good pace.

Substantively, the conclusions drawn by the filmmakers are, naturally, not universally held. The Center for Economic and Policy Research has published a paper titled, “IOUSA Not OK: An Analysis of the Deficit Disaster Story in the Film IOUSA,” in which the authors (Dean Baker and David Rosnick) give a real-time, point-by-point counterargument. While they take issue with several points made in the movie, the main thrust of the report is their contention that health care costs are the major culprit causing dire debt projections, and that if the country can rein in these costs, national budget deficits and their resulting debt will be no big deal:

The federal government pays for almost 50 percent of the country’s health care costs through Medicare, Medicaid, and other health care programs. Almost all of the payments in these programs go to private sector health care providers (hospitals, doctors, nursing homes etc.). The government projects that private sector health care costs will rise far more rapidly than the economy grows. This assumption leads to projections of massive deficits in the next few decades.

While these projections of exploding health care costs imply that budget deficits will be a huge problem, if the United States can contain its health care costs, then budget deficits will be very manageable….

In other words, the real problem facing the country is a broken health care system. If health care costs continue to grow at the projected rate, then future generations will see relatively little gain in their living standards, even if we eliminate all government spending on health care.

Nevertheless, if something isn’t done about the health care crisis, then projections are that the debt will rise not only in real dollars, but as a percentage of gross domestic product. Even critics of the film agree that this scenario would be bad for the country. Whatever the solution is, something needs to be done soon to address this issue.

Aaron Schock

Schock releases 2010 appropriations requests

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I’m sure you already know this, but here’s the link in case you haven’t seen it yet. Of particular local interest are the following:

  • Washington Street in Peoria, Illinois: $1.0 million

    The funding would be used to create safer pedestrian routes and a more livable community in order to spur economic development in a former warehouse district in Peoria. I certify that I have no financial interest in this project.

    The entity to receive funding for this project is City of Peoria, located at 419 Fulton Street, Peoria, IL 61602.

  • Sheridan Triangle Business District in Peoria, Illinois: $1.0 million

    The funding would be used to create safer pedestrian routes and more urban-friendly roads in order to spur economic development in one of the older business districts in Peoria.

    The entity to receive funding for this project is City of Peoria, located at 419 Fulton Street, Peoria, IL 61602.

  • Purchase fixed route buses and paratransit vans for Peoria, Illinois: $2.0 million

    The funding would be used to purchase seven buses and two paratransit vans.

    The entity to receive funding for this project is the Greater Peoria Mass Transit District, 2105 N.E. Jefferson Ave., Peoria, IL 61603.

  • Peoria Park District Building Construction: $1.4 million

    For planning, design, renovation, and construction of new office buildings including renovations to meet current life safety codes and ADA accessibility.

    The entity to receive funding for this project is the Peoria Park District, located at 2218 N. Prospect, Peoria, 61603.

  • Grandview Drive in Peoria, Illinois: $1.8 million

    The funding would be used to protect Grandview Drive in Peoria, Illinois from becoming structurally instable due to erosion.

    The entity to receive funding for this project is the Peoria Park District, located at 2218 N. Prospect Road, Peoria, Illinois 61603.

  • Keller Branch Trail in Peoria, Illinois: $1.8 million

    The funding would be used to construct a bike trail in Peoria, Illinois.

    The entity to receive funding for this project is the Peoria Park District, located at 2218 N. Prospect Road, Peoria, Illinois 61603.

  • Lakeview Museum Construction: $500,000

    To plan and construct a new building

    The entity to receive funding for this project is Lakeview Museum of Arts and Sciences, located at 1125 W. Lake Avenue, Peoria, IL, 61614.

  • Peoria Riverfront Museum in Peoria, Illinois: $750,000

    The funding would be used to design and install sustainable design/green architecture aspects in a new museum facility. This would include energy-efficient mechanical systems, recycled materials, energy-use monitoring equipment, a water-filtering bioswale, bicycle racks and a hands-on computer kiosk that helps visitors understand building energy use and green design.

    The entity to receive funding for this project is Lakeview Museum of Arts and Sciences, 1125 W. Lake Avenue, Peoria, IL 61614.

  • Glen Oak Park Open Space Acquisition: $1.2 million

    For land appraisal, platting, demolition and acquisition to provide open public access to the park.

    The entity to receive funding for this project is the Peoria Park District, located at 2218 N. Prospect, Peoria, 61603.

  • Bel-Wood Nursing Home: $1 million

    For life safety improvements, upgrading the fire sprinkler system at Bel-Wood Nursing Home, ensuring the safety of the residents’ families.

    The entity to receive funding for this project is the County of Peoria, IL, located at 324 Main Street, Room 502, Peoria, IL, 61602.

  • County of Peoria: $200,000

    The funding will be used to assist in the replacement or major renovation of the Bel-Wood Nursing Home.

    The entity to receive funding for this project is the County of Peoria, located at 324 Main Street, Room 502, Peoria, Illinois, 61602.

  • University of Illinois College of Medicine at Peoria: $1.5 million

    The funding will be used to finance the construction of a cancer research facility.

    The entity to receive this funding is the University of Illinois College of Medicine at Peoria, located at One Illini Drive, Peoria, 61605.

  • OSF Healthcare System: $100,000

    The funding will be used for the implementation of electronic health record technology.

    The entity to receive this funding is OSF Healthcare System, located at 800 NE Glen Oak Avenue, Peoria, Illinois 61603.

  • Institute for Principled Leadership-Bradley University: $100,000

    The funding will be used to provide educational access to students and community residents through the Peoria Full Service Community Schools Initiative.

    The entity to receive funding for this project is the Institute for Principled Leadership of Bradley University located at 1501 W. Bradley Avenue, Peoria, Illinois 61625.

  • Replace a sewer system in Peoria, Illinois: $3.45 million

    The funding would be used to replace an out-of-date sewer line.

    The entity to receive funding for this project is City of Peoria, located at 419 Fulton Street, Peoria, IL 61602.

  • Manufacturing Lab for Next Generation Engineers at Bradley University in Peoria, Illinois: $2 million

    The funding would be used to construct a laboratory to discover innovative and creative manufacturing techniques and teach these techniques to engineers so they can be competitive in a global economy.

    The entity to receive funding for this project is Bradley University, 1501 W. Bradley Avenue, Peoria, IL 61625.

  • Peoria Mental Health Court: $500,000

    To alleviate the overcrowded jail system by diverting mentally ill offenders into the help they need.

    The entity to receive funding for this project is Peoria County, 324 Main St., Room 502, Peoria, IL, 61602.

City of Peoria, Taxes

City should raise taxes, not cut costs

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The City of Peoria is in a world of hurt. Because of the recession, revenues are down. Way down. In fact, according to a report prepared for Tuesday night’s council meeting, “Staff is anticipating $3,334,129 less revenue than previously forecasted, which would result in a budget deficit of an equal amount.”

As a result, staff is trying to figure out a way to make up the difference. Curiously, they’re trying to do so through fiscally conservative methods, such as contract adjustments, expenditure reductions, revenue-generating activities, and reserve funds. In other words, they’re trying to save money without raising taxes.

But why? If the recent election has shown us anything, it’s that the vast majority of Peoria residents don’t give a hoot whether their taxes are raised. Most of them couldn’t be bothered to drag themselves downtown for early voting, or out to their polling place on a beautiful sun-shiny day. A majority of those that did voted to raise their own taxes for a non-essential project in the middle of an economic recession — some would say depression.

You know what that tells me? That tells me that the city council should stop stressing out about cutting costs and looking for other forms of revenue. In fact, they shouldn’t change a thing about their operating budget. They should simply figure out how much additional revenue they need, and then raise taxes to cover it. Done.

After all, the museum group didn’t look at any other alternatives to downsize their project, or to increase revenue-generating activity, or renegotiate contracts (like using non-union, but prevailing-wage labor), or any number of things that would have made their project more affordable. Yet, the majority of the few registered voters who turned out voted to give them $40 million anyway with no strings attached.

Not just the voters, either. Caterpillar, the Chamber of Commerce, almost all elected officials, District 150, the Peoria Association of Realtors, etc., etc., etc. — they were all for raising taxes. How could any of them complain if the city were to do the same for essential services, such as police, fire, streets, and sidewalks?

I’m calling on all those who supported and voted for the sales tax referendum to write their city council members and demand that they not cut spending, but increase taxes instead. Since we’re all so flush with cash, let’s start using it in the areas that are the most needy.

St. Louis Cardinals

In happier news….

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Cardinals LogoBaseball season started again this week. That’s right — the boys of summer are back!

Whitey’s recently got new high-definition televisions, too. That will make watching the Cardinals go to the World Series this year all the better. Do you realize the last time the Cardinals won the World Series was 2006? That’s three years ago! It’s time to go back.

And hey, the All-Star Game is in St. Louis this year! Maybe this will be the year the National League wins and gets home-field advantage for the World Series.

2009 Campaign

Other election results

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Other returns of interest:

  • Jim Ardis won the mayoral race with over 90% of the vote.
  • Barbara Van Auken won reelection in the Second District with 58% of the vote.
  • Dan Irving is the new Fifth District representative, raking in a commanding 80% of the vote.
  • Laura Petelle won over 55% of the vote in a three-way race for District 150 Board of Education. She will replace Mary Spangler in the third board district.
  • Patrick Nichting will succeed Reg Willis as the City’s Treasurer. He bested Gary Shadid 62% to 38%.