I received a nice letter from Business PAC of Central Illinois (Biz PAC) yesterday — this is the political action committee that used to be known as the Chamber PAC and was directly affiliated with the Peoria Area Chamber of Commerce. Now it’s just legally separate, but all the same people are involved, so nothing substantive has changed. Here’s what they said:
Thank you for participating in the Business PAC of Central Illinois survey and interview process. We very much appreciate your time and information, not to mention the commitment and energy running for office requires from you and your family. After careful consideration, we will not be supporting your candidacy at this time. We wish you well in your campaign.
This comes as no surprise. The Chamber has consistently advocated for non-essential projects involving vast sums of taxpayer money while actively lobbying against revenue enhancements for essential services such as police and fire protection. For example, they lobbied against raising property taxes to pay for police and fire protection just a few years ago, but have supported efforts to raise sales taxes both for the museum and the downtown hotel. I didn’t expect my basic-services platform would be very attractive to this group.
Nevertheless, as I told them in my questionnaire and interview, I believe my platform is business-friendly. “Safe streets and improved infrastructure benefit everyone in the City. When public services and incentives are provided in a fair and equitable manner, they give businesses an even playing field and set the table for economic development. Furthermore, by limiting government to its core function, taxes can be kept low.”
1 more reason to vote for you.
“After careful consideration, we will not be supporting your candidacy at this time. We wish you well in your campaign.”
Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.
“Careful consideration” indeed.
They did no such thing.
Coming soon: The “while we appreciate” non-endorsement from the Journal Star.
Remember CJ, these are the same clowns who have and continue to lobby for the closing of Peoria’s neighborhood Schools. We know where that got us. These are the same clowns who interview, endorse and fund Peoria candidates even though they drive over a bridge every night and pay taxes in Tazewell County. Did you really think they would endorse a man who is clearly for the people, limited government and fiscal responsibility? A man who lives, works, pays taxes in and educates his children in Peoria? It’s shameful. Sleep well tonight, my friend.
Most of us do not like the shameless begging for monies for the museum and the hotel and numerous other projects. But what bothers us the most is that when they get the money they don’t spend it as they said they would and we end up paying two or three times for the same thing and even then it fails. We hope and pray that you will be successful in your quest and are able to bring some common sense to the community and some penny for penny accounting.
After careful consideration, recent city councils have been unsupported by the number of people leaving Peoria.
To me, Biz PAC’s non-endorsement of you is a big endorsement of you and your basic services message. Whomever they do endorse is more than likely just a tool and not an independent voice.
This could be your tagline … vote for C.J.; he’s not in the Chamber pocket. Don’t worry about it — I think their endorsement is overrated and carries far less weight than they believe it does. They use the endorsement process as a way of garnering chits from candidates for future votes.
Got to agree with you, CJ, the basic services platform is the one to stick with. Beats the hell out of the George Azouri rhetoric machine. Basic services, basic language, say what you mean and mean what you say.
They did not endorse me either-not a surprise. Regrettably, they still believe strip malls, big box stores, electronic signs and mega projects are good for Peoria. I plan to continue to talk about what makes great cities great and hopefully the business community will eventually see we need to do things differently.
I think in the long run, you are better off without their endorsement.
In fact, I think I would brag about it.
The very fact that its the Peoria AREA chamber is sure proof that its members do not really represent Peoria and/or its specific issues. I can’t imagine why Peorians would believe that people who do not live in Peoria or care about Peoria schools, police, fire department, etc., would select a candidate that is good for Peoria.
Who did they endorse so I know who NOT to vote for!
Some grammatical errors are, to me, just more glaring than others–especially, when they are mine. I should have used it’s, not its in saying, “The very fact that it’s….
You have the best endorsement ever by them NOT endorsing you. Where it like a badge of honor.
““Safe streets and improved infrastructure benefit everyone in the City. When public services and incentives are provided in a fair and equitable manner, they give businesses an even playing field and set the table for economic development. Furthermore, by limiting government to its core function, taxes can be kept low.””
Great statement. Be sure to point out that the Chamber has problems with that. Clearly the Chamber and whoever they endorse has problems with low taxes, level playing fields, broad economic development, and small government.
The problem with endorsements by organizations such as the Chamber of Commerce and the Peoria Journal Star is they are distrusted by the voting public at a very gut level. These endorsements are usually the opinion of one or two highly opinionated and strong minded people who 1. think their opinion has more merit than the opinion of “commoners” and 2. will force their opinion on the rest of the group – a group of individuals that has likely been appointed by the same one or two strong minded people for their willingness to reliably adhere to the group-think. Voters, either consciously or subliminally sense this, resent it and will frequently vote the opposite if it tweaks them enough.
CJ seek out endorsements of well respected individuals, whose endorsements are clearly their own and come with a name and definable accomplishments attached. The opinions of parents, educators, neighborhood activists, small business owners, etc. in this day and age will carry more weight than the power-grabbing, self absorbed paper-pushers who drape themselves in titles and think they are in charge but in reality are becoming less relevant by the day.
All of the comments on this blog – a very diverse gourp indeed – are negative towards the Chamber / “BizPAC”. That says something right there. Just who does that group represent? Not Peoria businesses for sure.
Want to bet Spain got an endorsement? Hmmmm doesn’t he work for them? Oh well it is LEGALLY not affiliated with the Chamber anymore so I guess it is fine? This was a move to cut Ryan a check. Period.
Yes….but,where does CJ stand on the museum?
I for one would like to see our quality of life vastly improved.
We need something to take our minds off the sky-rocketing murder rate in Peoria.
Also, when can Big Al’s be declared an historical landmark?
When do I get my yard sign?
BTW, you are very brave for trying this considering the anal exam you’re gonna get.
I think it is hilarious that someone would submit questions in hopes of receiving an endorsement, fail to get the endorsement, then makes it seem that he never wanted the endorsement to begin with. Isn’t that kind of like that guy that asks the girl out on a date, gets turned down, then says he doesn’t care because she sleeps around?
To “Huh?” — I’ll assume you’re ignorant of the way this works, based on your comment. The Chamber of Commerce/Biz PAC solicits all the candidates to respond to these questionnaires. The candidates don’t solicit Biz PAC looking for an endorsement. I never had any hopes of receiving an endorsement from them; I submitted my answers because they asked me, just like I would submit answers to anyone else who asks me.
I got the same letter CJ. I even told them on the questionnaire that I didn’t think I’d get their endorsement anyway but I would try to keep an open mind, so I answered the questions anyway. No disappointments. No regrets.
NV: I think your backsliding.
CJ, put me down for one of those yard signs as well.
CJ:
Where do I send you a check?
The BizPAC is really Roberta “Rob” Parks personal fan club. The notion that they have ended their association with the Peoria Chamber is ridiculous nonsense. Mike Weisehan, the current Chairman of the Chamber, gave away the secret when at a meeting with the City Council said: “WE have received responses from all the city council candidates.” Roberta Parks gave him a death stare for letting the cat out of the bag. The BizPac is supposed to have no affilation with the Chamber, yet the Chamber Chairman and the President got “all the candidate’s responses.” Rob Parks still controls the PAC. She alone decides who gets endorsements and she picks the puppets on the PAC board to carry out her orders. It’s that simple.
Oh and yes, Heartland/Chamber employee Ryan Spain was endorsed and will be getting the biggest check. He has dutifully been chief cheerleader for every commission garnering deal for the Heartland Partnership/Peoria Chamber. You know, all the deals which are putting Peorians farther and farther out on a financial limb for the sake of a few insiders.
Peoria Chamber.
Irrelevant.
The people will speak.
How has Rob Parks managed to wield such power?
“the people will speak.” Unlikely there will be any changes from the status quo. I haven’t seen where the questionaires have been put on a website from the Chamber/HP…I mean bizpac…I was wondering how all the candidates responded. I have only read three so far (2 were on line here), and how the answers effected the endorsements (if at all).
The people need to speak in the upcoming Council elections. We need to stop the status quo. Time for some meaningful changes around the horsehoe.