What’s the use of blogging?

July 30, 2010 C. J. Summers 52 Comments

I don’t often think about the medium of blogging; I’m usually focused on the message. But tonight, I’ve been thinking about blogging itself, and thinking seriously about a question that many people have asked, dismissively for the most part: What good is blogging? Isn’t it a waste of time?

If you were to ask me after I read today’s news, I’d say, “no good,” and “yes, a colossal waste of time.”

Museum, Bel-Wood bonds may top $90M (PJS)
Hotel options keep expanding (PJS)
Mel’s Cafe closing soon to move to East Peoria (PJS)
Committee backs partial settlement of Firefly suit (PJS)
Central Illinois Railroad Co. to Cease Operations (Peoria Station)
Preview: Schock on Top Chef (Word on the Web)
Obama flops on Snooki? It’s an awkward situation… (Peoria Pundit)

These headlines illustrate that our elected leaders are going forward with additional bad investments even as they pay the price for previous poor decisions from which they should have learned something. Meanwhile, some of our highest elected officials are being treated like celebrities (and acting like them, sometimes) instead of adults with serious responsibilities.

I’d say our nation is pretty much doomed. What’s the use of blogging?

City of Peoria, Crime, Peoria Police

Task force sees early success

July 30, 2010 C. J. Summers 12 Comments

Click above for larger image (PDF)

Peoria Police Chief Steve Settingsgaard recently updated City officials on the results of his efforts to quell gun violence. So far, it’s going well:

[P]lease see attached hot spot maps relative to our current task force initiative. We are 14 days into the task force so I conducted an analysis comparing the 14 days prior to launching the task force versus 14 days afterward. City wide we had a 25% reduction in people being hit by gunfire and a 25% reduction in confirmed gun discharges.

The attached maps demonstrate the before and after picture for the combination of murders and gun discharge incidents. The red hot spot areas are gone which is very good news. I would temper the good news however by stating that 14 days is a very small sample size and we need to keep up our efforts.

I also would note that the hot spot maps include all instances where someone was killed, someone was shot, or simply where we had a confirmed gun discharged. This does not include reports of shots being heard with no witness and no physical evidence. We must have had someone who was willing to stat they saw it happen, or we found shell casings, or someone or something was hit, etc. The criteria is identical for both “before” and “after” to ensure apples to apples comparison.

City Council, City of Peoria

No liveblogging tonight

July 27, 2010 C. J. Summers 6 Comments

I’m sure you all figured it out, but I’m not liveblogging the city council meeting tonight. It’s on WCBU this evening and Comcast cable channel 22. I’ll comment on it sometime in the next few days.

Uncategorized

Municipal decisions and game theory

July 27, 2010 C. J. Summers 26 Comments

Ever wonder how our elected officials could make such terrible decisions? My father-in-law has his own hypothesis. He says it can all be explained by game theory.

He uses the Firefly fiasco as an example:

If a council person votes against loaning money to Firefly and Firefly succeeds, voters will think the council person is an idiot.
If a council person votes against loaning money to Firefly and Firefly fails, no one will hear about it or remember how the council members voted.
If a council person votes for loaning money to Firefly and Firefly succeeds, the council member will be seen as prescient and his vote will be celebrated.
If a council person votes for loaning money to Firefly and Firefly fails, voters will excuse the poor decision by saying the council person only had the best interests of the city at heart.

Given those outcomes, the smartest move is to vote for loaning money to Firefly. It carries the least risk and greatest potential reward to their reputation and reelection chances. And the same goes for any public body considering any development or risky scheme.

City of Peoria

Sign committee to meet

July 27, 2010 C. J. Summers 5 Comments

The ad hoc committee looking at the City’s sign ordinance meets once a month, and their July meeting is on the 27th. Here is the agenda:

SIGN REVIEW COMMITTEE MEETING
TUESDAY, JULY 27, 2010
456 FULTON STREET, SUITE 402
10:00 AM

AGENDA

DISCUSSION OF MARYSVILLE, WASHINGTON MUNICIPAL SIGN CODE COMPARISON

DISCUSSION OF SIGN AREA

Current regulations

Examples of issues

Suggested revisions

NEXT MEETING: Tuesday, August 24, 2010 at 10:00 am.

The meeting is open to the public; however, there is no public comment portion of the meeting.

Bradley University

Bradley reaches out to geriatric alums, books Leno for homecoming

July 27, 2010 C. J. Summers 18 Comments

I received the following press release today from Bradley University:

Jay Leno will headline Bradley Homecoming

Peoria, IL (July 26, 2010) Late night television superstar Jay Leno will be the headline entertainer at Bradley University’s Homecoming on Saturday, October 16 in the university’s new on-campus arena. The arena will be dedicated during Homecoming.

“We are very excited to bring a recognized comedian and entertainer like Jay Leno to help dedicate our arena,” Bradley University President Joanne Glasser said. “Jay Leno will be a marvelous attraction for our alumni, our students and community members, helping make the 2010 Homecoming a special celebration.”

Leno became host of NBC’s The Tonight Show with Jay Leno in 1992, replacing the legendary Johnny Carson. Leno began his career in nightclubs, where he worked 300 nights a year before hitting it big as a frequent guest and then hosting The Tonight Show. Despite his television commitment, he continues to perform live a clubs and venues over 150 nights a year. He has appeared on television, acted in several films, wrote a number of books and is one of the most recognizable figures in the entertainment industry. A 2009 Harris Poll named the Emmy Award winning comedian America’s Favorite TV Personality.

Homecoming will kick-off on October 13 with the traditional lighting of the “B” atop Bradley Hall. Other activities over the four-day event include a tailgate party and bonfire, a Saturday soccer game against the University of Central Arkansas, “Midnight Madness” basketball practice for both the men’s and women’s teams, dedication ceremonies for the new arena, campus and arena tours, Late Night BU for students and alumni, an alumni luncheon, and much more.

The $50 million arena, opening this fall, is a 4500-seat venue that will host major campus activities as well as serve as home to Bradley athletics. The arena houses athletic offices, state-of-the-art practice, training/conditioning facilities, the athletics hall of fame and other features, along with serving as home court for both the women’s basketball and volleyball teams. The structure was built on the site of the historic Robertson Memorial Field House, a venue where the University hosted major concerts and athletic events for six decades. The arena is one of the capital improvements that are the focus of The Campaign for a Bradley Renaissance launched in April 2008 with a goal of $150 million.

Ticket information for Jay Leno’s appearance will be released when it becomes available.

Jay Leno? Bradley is obviously not trying to appeal to young people with that move. This is aimed directly at the aging baby boomers who just love Leno’s … “humor.” They’re the ones with the bucks, seeking immortality by getting their names on things like recreation centers. So, from a fundraising perspective, this is a good move on Bradley’s part.

Still, it’s too bad they couldn’t book a classier act for this event. Like a real comedian, for instance.

City of Peoria, Peoria County

County is better run than City? Not anymore.

July 25, 2010 C. J. Summers 18 Comments

In Karen McDonald’s Sunday Journal Star article about the status of “uni-gov” negotiations between the City and County, she had a lengthy quote from Peoria County Treasurer Tripp O’Connor:

“We live within our means. The (city) lives how they want to live. We’ve done everything right,” O’Connor said.

He called the uni-gov concept a “bailout to save one government” that lacks a solid financial structure.

O’Connor said he’s only in favor if both city and county governments “start from scratch and design and build a government that can operate effectively in modern times.”

“I am not in favor of combining a well run organization with a poorly run organization. I am in favor of having a single cost-effective government structure that could operate financially responsibly and serve the citizens of Peoria County.”

I used to feel this way about Peoria County, but not anymore. Not since they made the same mistake as the City in backing a $6.6 million loan for Firefly, for which they’re now liable. Not since they decided to pursue non-core services like museums to the tune of $40 million. Not since they decided to break their word to the taxpayers and agree to build the proposed Peoria Riverfront Museum before all the money had been raised and collected, putting taxpayers at increased risk. Not since they decided to rebuild Belwood Nursing Home at a time when tax revenue is declining.

No, Peoria County is embarking on the same path that the City of Peoria has been on for a long time. They’ve decided they’re going to “live how they want to live,” to use O’Connor’s words. The days of fiscal conservatism at the County are over.

Uncategorized

Spammers with a sense of humor

July 25, 2010 C. J. Summers 3 Comments

As I was checking my spam filter tonight to make sure there weren’t any real messages before emptying, I came across this one that made me laugh:

HELP! I’m currently being held prisoner by the Russian mafia … and being forced to post spam comments on blogs and forum! If you don’t approve this they will kill me…. They’re coming back now…. Please send help!

It’s nice to see spammers not taking themselves so seriously for a change. On the other hand, perhaps this is how the Russians are choosing to torture and humiliate their recently deported spies.

Public Services - General, Transportation

Tribune Poll: Suburbia puts public transit ahead of road expansion

July 24, 2010 C. J. Summers Leave a comment

Here’s a positive sign that the tide is shifting in America toward more sustainable methods of transit. From the Chicago Tribune:

Reflecting the increasing strain of gridlocked traffic, a majority of Chicago-area residents think improving bus and train service is so important to the region that repairing and expanding expressways and toll roads should take a back seat, a Tribune/WGN poll shows.

Most suburbanites support investing more in mass transit than roads, sharing the long-held stance of a large majority of city residents, the poll found. Suburban residents also said they are driving less and taking more advantage of expanded suburban train and bus service in communities where the automobile has been king.

Drivers who said they would back spending more on mass transit cited the growing stress associated with congestion; high gasoline prices; and, to a lesser degree, the environmental and financial benefits of riding transit instead of inhaling belching emissions from cars.