Category Archives: General News

General News

Republicans short-sighted on high-speed rail

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Another state has spurned federal dollars to establish high-speed rail.

…Florida Governor Rick Scott announced he will decline $2.4 billion in federal high-speed rail funding — putting a quick and unexpected end to the projected Tampa-Orlando line that was to be the Obama administration’s bullet model for the rest of the nation. Scott now becomes the fourth Republican governor in the past several months to scuttle a major rail project, following in the (backward-moving) footsteps of New Jersey’s Chris Christie, Wisconsin’s Scott Walker, and Ohio’s John Kasich.

The article goes on to address Scott’s stated concerns. Of course he touts supposedly “better” ways to use the money — by expanding existing interstate highways. Furthering our dependence on automobiles and, by extension, foreign oil is a conservative value, apparently.

Only it’s not. Even the American Conservative magazine recognizes the red herring of concerns over government subsidies: “Still, libertarians [and Republicans] shriek, ‘Subsidies!’—ignoring the fact that highways only cover 58 percent of their costs from user fees, including the gas tax.” Others have noted:

Both our highway system and airline industry are heavily subsidized. In 2002, Congress appropriated $32 billion in highway funding and $14 billion for the airline industry in 2002. The FAA ran on a 2005 budget of $7.8 billion. How “successful” would the private airline industry be if it were not subsidized by the government? Would our “car culture” exist without our governments involvement in building and maintaining highways?

These Republican governors are impeding efficient and prudent national transportation improvements to the detriment of their own states. Their reasoning doesn’t stand up to scrutiny, and is leading some people to question whether this isn’t simply political posturing against a Democratic president. I won’t presume to judge whether they have such ulterior motives. But I will say that these governors are short-sighted and doing their constituents a disservice.

New and improved rail transportation, besides creating jobs and spurring economic development, alleviates highway congestion, lessens our dependence on oil, and has a positive impact on the environment. As far as transportation strategy goes, Republicans appear to be stuck in the 1950s.

General News

Odds and ends

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In front of a crowd of 1,000, the Bradley Braves finally won their first conference game of the season against Creighton, 69-61. Now Bradley’s record is 1-11. I guess that’s the secret to helping Bradley win: don’t watch.

Lots of closings. I got an e-mail from the City announcing that the Shoppes at Grand Prairie, Northwoods Mall, and Junction City have all closed early today, and will be closed all or most of the day tomorrow, too.

Meanwhile, my parents wrote me today from Florida. It’s 79 and sunny there. I’m not sure how to feel about that.

Update on City crews clearing the streets:

City crews, along with snow removal contractors, are plowing primary and residential streets. Crews will attempt to maintain one driving lane on most primary streets and one lane down the center of residential streets wide enough for emergency equipment.

This afternoon and over night, snow fall rates could possibly increase to 3-5 inches an hour, causing snow to accumulate very quickly. Maintaining one lane of travel is intended for essential emergency travel only during this period.

Citizens are advised not to travel. Blizzard conditions will continue for several hours, and it is unlikely that most vehicles will be able to travel on hills or inclines.

If possible move cars from residential streets. A Parking Ban is in effect until further notice. Citizens will help snow removal efforts by not plowing or shoveling snow into the street.

General News

Obviously a major malfunction

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I was a sophomore in high school when the Space Shuttle Challenger exploded 25 years ago on January 28, 1986. In the morning, the news spread throughout my school like a rumor that most people didn’t believe. By lunch time, it was confirmed, and TVs were set up where we could watch the news during lunch period. I remember everyone talking about how this was the “where-were-you-when-JFK-was-shot” moment of our generation. And it was, up until 9/11.

Making the event even more sad was the fact that a civilian teacher, Christa McAuliffe, was on board. Watching her parents react to seeing the Challenger disintegrate was heart-wrenching. Joy and pride turns to horror and disbelief in just a few seconds. While McAuliffe got the lion’s share of media coverage, the following crew members also lost their lives: Francis “Dick” Scobee, Michael J. Smith, Ellison Onizuka, Judith Resnik, Ronald McNair, and Gregory Jarvis. May they all rest in peace.

Where were you when you heard about the Challenger disaster?

City of Peoria, General News

Guest Editorial: Brown Bag Video needs a Tavern License?

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Frederick E. Smith, an East Bluff resident, has submitted the following editorial regarding plans to turn the Brown Bag Video store into a 4 a.m. tavern with live entertainment. Smith spoke at the council meeting Tuesday night opposing the liquor license request.

I am very concerned about the two stories in the January 28th edition of the Peoria Journal Star concerning the issuing of a Tavern license to the current owner of the Brown Bag video on the corner of SW Adams and Oak streets and Mayor Ardis’s comments that he would rather see the owner apply for a 2 a.m. operating license instead of a 4 a.m. license. In neither of these stories by John Sharp was there mention of the second part of the request, that of a license for "Live Entertainment" at the same location.

The actual application, which is available on the City of Peoria website under the Council Agenda items, is for a Class A Tavern License with a Subclass 1 (4 a.m. closing) and a Subclass 2 (Live Entertainment). In the minutes of the application, Mr. Laud states that the business would be a "bar with a very limited menu, such as microwave stuff and no kitchen." Since the proposed location is only 2,350 square feet, there are no plans to provide any additional parking spaces, which means the patrons would be forced to park on the street.

Now here is the elephant in the room that Mr. Sharp seems to be ignoring. 2,350 square feet is not enough room for most bars to have booths and tables for patrons, the bar itself, and a band with a dance floor. As a matter of fact, having been the lead singer and rhythm guitarist for a local band in the 1990’s, I can tell you at least 80 to 100 square feet is required for a band to set up. And even if you are talking about a DJ for the Live Entertainment, you still have to factor in a dance floor. So exactly what kind of Live Entertainment do they have in mind?

With the location directly adjacent to the infamous 307 Swingers club, which I grant you is a private club, the potential for a less than wholesome family entertainment is obvious. It would seem that both 307 and Brown Bag Video are in direct opposition to the goal of creating a safe, family-friendly environment that would provide the setting for a Wrigleyville to form around the area. Granting a Tavern license with a 4 a.m. closing and a "Live Entertainment" permit to a person who already caters to the "adult" industry would seem to be a contradiction to the intent of the builders of O’Brien Field.

Perhaps we should check to make sure we have all the facts before we print the story.

Frederick E. Smith
Peoria

City of East Peoria, General News

Thinking about Bass Pro Shops

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I’ve been watching the new Bass Pro Shops materialize in East Peoria, and I got to thinking about a statistic I read in the Journal Star when it was announced they were coming to town. The Journal Star reported in May last year that Bass Pro Shops “attract an average of 3 million people a year to each store,” according to East Peoria Mayor Dave Mingus.

I thought it would be interesting to look at these numbers a little closer. For instance, three million visitors annually comes out to roughly 8,219 visitors per day. There are 22,638 residents in East Peoria (2000 census). So if a third of the East Peoria population visited Bass Pro Shops every day, they would get 3,000,000 visits. But this is a regional draw, so I also looked up the Peoria Metropolitan Statistical Area, which has a population of 366,899. If the entire MSA population (which includes all residents of Peoria, Tazewell, Woodford, Marshall, and Stark counties) visited Bass Pro Shops 8 times a year, they’d get 3,000,000 visitors a year.

Six Flags gets about 24 million people a year at their 19 theme parks, which is an average of 1,263,158 people per park — not even half the number of visitors to Bass Pro Shops, although presumably Bass Pro Shops doesn’t charge admission. WalMart, which also doesn’t charge admission, and which people patronize often for their daily needs, brings in about 176 million customers per week to their 8,500 stores; that’s about 1,076,706 people per store annually — just over a third the number that reportedly visit Bass Pro Shops each year.

“In 2008, Illinois welcomed nearly 88 million domestic visitors […] 67.8 million for leisure purposes,” according to the State of Illinois. There are currently two Bass Pro Shops in Illinois, which could account for up to six million — or nearly 10% — of those leisure visitors. The Museum of Science and Industry brings in about two million visitors annually, only two-thirds the draw of Bass Pro Shops. The Field Museum only gets 1.75 million visitors.

My point is that I’m skeptical of this three-million number. First of all, how do we know the reported numbers for existing stores are accurate? Aren’t we just taking the privately-held store’s word for it? Don’t the numbers sound a bit high? Secondly, even if we concede that those numbers are accurate, so what? Just because a store in St. Louis brings in four million customers doesn’t mean that East Peoria, Illinois, is going to have the same success. There are some differences between St. Louis (“Gateway to the West”) and East Peoria (“Gateway to Germantown Hills”) that I believe are self-evident.

Don’t get me wrong. I anticipate that Bass Pro Shops will bring in plenty of customers. I just don’t think it’s going to bring in three million a year. And I’m beginning to see why East Peoria opted to construct the site and building themselves. This puts them ahead of Bakersfield (CA), Decatur (AL), and Augusta (GA). Those cities announced they were getting a new Bass Pro Shops in 2007 and 2008, but are still waiting for private construction to begin. Buffalo (NY) announced they were getting a new Bass Pro Shops in 2004, but the deal fell apart last year after the city got tired of waiting. East Peoria, in contrast, already has a 20-year lease with Bass Pro Shops, which it approved last July.

General News, History

Kenyon one of the few with passion to preserve Peoria’s history

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One thing I learned about Peoria growing up is that we care very little for our own history, other than looking at pictures of it. Once something is thirty, forty, or (God forbid) fifty years old, it’s time to knock it down and build something new. Newer is always, always, always better. Anyone in favor of preservation is seen as hopelessly sentimental, impractical, and an opponent of “progress.” And if there’s one thing we want to be in Peoria, it’s to be perceived as progressive.

So you can imagine what it must have been like to be Les Kenyon, an architect who had a vision and a passion for preserving Peoria’s historically-significant landmarks. Kenyon died Friday morning, just a couple months after pleading with the City Council not to delist the Roanoke Apartments on Hamilton Blvd. (They delisted it anyway.)

My condolences to Mr. Kenyon’s family, friends, and colleagues. It’s up to others now to pick up his torch. May his example live on, teaching more Peorians to appreciate, cherish, and preserve our history.

General News

Sad start to 2011: Haddad’s burns down (Updated 3x)

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I awoke on New Year’s Day to the shocking news that our neighborhood grocery store, Haddad’s Supermarket, burned down overnight. The building is a total loss. None of the news reports that I’ve read so far say what caused the fire. I would imagine that’s yet to be determined by fire investigators. You can read all about the fire and see the devastating pictures at both pjstar.com and week.com.

I was very glad to see this in WEEK’s report:

[Store owner Mark] Wrhel says the building is insured and he will rebuild.

Mr. Wrhel lives in my neighborhood. My condolences to him and all the employees of Haddad’s on the loss of the store. I’m glad to hear it will be rebuilt and look forward to going there again.

UPDATE: Here’s a short and shaky video of the fire that was posted to YouTube:

UPDATE 2: 1470 WMBD is now reporting that “[West Peoria Fire Chief Bob] Stecher says the State Fire Marshall will be here Monday to sift through the remains to determine a cause of the fire.” Also, another amateur video — this one is longer and steadier — has been uploaded to YouTube. I recommend watching it with the sound turned off:

UPDATE 3: More stories are coming out. 1470 WMBD reports that Haddad’s home delivery is going to continue even while there is no building. “‘We’re just going to shop it out of another store,’ explains Wrhel.” The fire investigator examined the site Monday and, according to the Journal Star, ruled out arson. The cause of the fire is still undetermined, however. And loyalty to the store is very strong, by all accounts — here’s WEEK’s report. Here’s a picture I took of the store on New Year’s Day close to sunset:

General News, Nation/World

New York Times and George Will have different answers to state crises

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Yesterday I read George Will’s column in the Journal Star (here’s the same article in the Washington Post), and then the New York Times editorial. They both happened to be on the same subject: States in crisis, with Illinois in the limelight.

The New York Times says the Feds should step in and give more money (emphasis added):

A state or city unable to make its bond payments would send harmful ripples through the financial system that could cause damage even to healthier governments. But if states act quickly to deal with their revenue losses and address their debt — and receive sufficient aid from Washington — there is still time to avoid a crisis.

…[F]ederal stimulus money — which has been keeping many states afloat — is largely scheduled to expire. Renewing a portion of that aid would be one of the most effective ways to assist the economy.

And they think states and cities should raise taxes on the rich — something they criticize the federal government for being unwilling to do.

In contrast, Will says the Feds shouldn’t give another penny to states or cities that have brought this all on themselves, unless they’re willing to reform.

San Francisco voters defeated Proposition B [which would have required city employees to contribute up to 10 percent of their salaries to their pension plans, and to pay half the health-care premiums of their dependents]. If they now experience a self-inflicted budgetary earthquake, there is no national obligation to ameliorate the disaster they, like many other cities and states, have chosen.

Furthermore, any existing aid they receive should come with strings attached, he says:

[Rep. Devin] Nunes’s bill [H.R. 6484] would require [states and municipal governments] to disclose the size of their pension liabilities – and the often-dreamy assumptions behind the calculations. Noncompliant governments would be ineligible for issuing bonds exempt from federal taxation. Furthermore, the bill would stipulate that state and local governments are entirely responsible for their pension obligations and the federal government will provide no bailouts.

Nunes’s bill would not traduce any state’s sovereignty: Each would retain the right not to comply, choosing to forfeit access to the federally subsidized borrowing that facilitated their slide into trouble.

Tough love, as it were. I’m more inclined to agree with Will. The problem with the New York Times’ solution is that it doesn’t do anything to deal with the root problem. In fact, it exacerbates it. Extending stimulus benefits to states and municipal governments without requiring any change in the way they operate will only help them slide into insolvency quicker and result in bigger losses. Will’s suggestion requires reform if federal benefits are to continue and mitigates losses to taxpayers and investors alike.

General News

It’s a snow day. Enjoy!

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I’m going to take the City of Peoria’s advice and stay home today. I recommend all my readers do the same. Here’s last night’s press release from the City:

The City of Peoria is under a blizzard alert which is expected to commence overnight, and last through the day on Sunday. Due to the impending weather, we ask that you stay at home.

We are experiencing icy road conditions and City crews are currently salting primary streets. If you need to be out, please take precautions and include a winter survival kit including blankets in your vehicles. Should you encounter problems, we encourage you to stay with your vehicle.

And here’s today’s update:

City crews are maintaining Primary streets by plowing and treating hills with salt. Considering the wind speeds expected during the day today along with dropping temperatures, sand/salt treatments will have little to no effect. The streets are snow covered with ice forming on the pavement. Blizzard conditions are expected to continue during the day. Citizens should not travel. If traveling is necessary motorists should reduce speeds and allow extra time to stop.

Have a happy snow day!

General News

New York Times skeptical of the Wonderful Development

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This story is from last month, but I just ran across it yesterday. Remember when Tom Ricketts asked the State of Illinois for a bunch of money to help him improve Wrigley Field, which he recently acquired? That idea went over like a lead balloon. Doling out millions in taxes to a millionaire while the state is in such dire fiscal condition? Guffaws all around.

Not so fast, says the New York Times. They wonder whether Ricketts got a fair shake, given the other projects in Illinois that did win millions in taxpayer dollars. There are no doubt hundreds, if not thousands, of projects in Illinois the Times could have used to make their point. Guess what they cited?

In June, Mr. Quinn unveiled tax credits to renovate the Hotel Père Marquette in Peoria and add an adjacent Courtyard Marriott. The state figures to forgo $10 million in income-tax receipts due to this pilot project, said State Senator John J. Cullerton, the Senate president.

The Peoria gambit will supposedly generate 1,000 construction jobs, the number Mr. Ricketts cites for his Wrigley plan. In Peoria, Mr. Quinn spoke of jobs and the taxes to be paid by workers.

Note especially the word “supposedly” — the New York Times doesn’t sound convinced that this project is really going to provide the number of jobs promised. The question is, why did Gary Matthews get such a sweet deal down here in Peoria, while Ricketts got shown the door in Chicago? There are many possibilities, but I’m sure this isn’t one of them.