As I read Sunday’s Journal Star editorial, “Our View: Too late to turn back now on museum project,” I couldn’t help but think of that old Cornelius Bros and Sister Rose song — perhaps that was the intention of the headline writer:
The Journal Star has fallen in love with the museum project. And you know what they say about love: it’s blind. Those in love overlook all the flaws (even major ones) in the object of their desire. Such is the case with the Journal Star overlooking the major problems with the museum project, apologizing for them, justifying them, or just plain refusing to believe them in some cases. One can almost see them gazing at a framed picture of the museum rendering with a dreamy, far-away look in their eyes, wrapping their Caterpillar class ring with angora.
The starry-eyed Journal Star editors are wrong. In fact, it’s not too late to stop the madness. Not a spade of dirt has been turned yet. The museum plans only exist on paper. Yes, a lot of money has been expended, but that’s no justification for spending millions more on a flawed, doomed-to-fail plan that has gone from bad to worse since the referendum. As C. S. Lewis famously said, “We all want progress, but if you’re on the wrong road, progress means doing an about-turn and walking back to the right road; in that case, the man who turns back soonest is the most progressive.”
The City Council should send the museum folks back to the drawing board Tuesday night by voting against the design concepts and the redevelopment agreement.
Even the Star admitted that the vote was won by a slim margin, and ONLY because the city votes turned the tide. Now the Star is hiding behind…’democracy’.
IMAX really has nothing to do with this project in the end. It was mismanaged from the beginning.
If the Star really wants to contribute something to this ‘story’, let them look into the problems of who owns the property, the allegations of the county falsifying information in order to obtain certain grant monies, etc. In the end Journal Star reporting on this issue is as lame as the museum project itself.
This project will not have an IMAX, will not have a Planetarium, will not have historical significance… what it will have is bunch of gift shops and concession stands… let’s call it what it is… The Peoria Riverfront Mall..
I think I heard Mayor Ardis say on WMBD’s Greg and Dan show that people are saying that IMAX was used to persuade voters to vote “yes” for the referundum. I wasn’t listening carefully, but the conversation seemed to be implying that people were always told there was a possibility that there could be an IMAX “substitute.” That may have been Greg or Dan’s opinion. However, I don’t see how anyone can deny that IMAX was used to sell the referendum. I don’t remember any “IFs.”
This project was approved because voters were told there would be an IMAX theater, plain and simple. Now there may not be an IMAX…so there should be no more tax, plain and simple.
As for turning back its never too late. Better that we lose the supposed $12 million that has already been spent than $140 million and more in the whole end. Stop this madness before it gets any more tangled up. No one knows who owns what, what is being planned for sure, what has been promised and what is actually going to be developed. I would love for someone to give me millions on an idea in my head that is not clearly designed on paper and approved ahead of time. Just try getting $1 million dollars from a bank for an idea and see where it gets you and yet we are expected to get with the program to give away millions and millions for years to come on a terribly flawed plan. And it gets more and more flawed with every word that comes out of their mouths. Have they been taking lessons from Blago?
Even if it is approved, I wonder where the rest of the dollars to complete the project will come from? I wonder where the reserve funds will come from and if they are not available how operating losses would be funded? It is pretty safe to assume that the money will not come from the private sector as this project has been trying to fundraise for the better part of a decade and is still short on funds.
I have seen 2 presentations about this project (both before the vote) and the plans have been different each time they were presented. I wonder what the project will really end up looking like in the end?
SD is right. From a purely economic standpoint, the money spent on the project already is a sunk cost; we’ve already lost that money no matter what path we choose, so it’s a logical fallacy to use that as an argument to sink more money into what could be a doomed project. If I overfeed my goldfish to the point that he dies, putting more food in the bowl isn’t going to bring him back.
Cut our losses now. Let the council know how you feel tomorrow night at the council meeting. Block the Build!
Peoria – the city, the county, the legend – is in a hole.
What is the first step in getting out of a hole? Stop digging.
anp,
Come on! Operating losses?!? Didn’t you know that thousands of [paying] museum goers will be visiting this thing annually?!?
Don’t believe me…?
Lakeview…I mean PRM, has all kinds of data to support this[economic impact, projected attendance, etc]!
Hells Bells, the real problem will be where will they put all the money, and how fast can they start construction on the C.J. Summers wing?
The museum project “train” is on the tracks and waiting for the City to get on board, all that is left it to see who gets on and who does not ..Widmer and Harding from the county are off. I think the train will depart about 21:00hrs 8/24/10 for construction like it or not.
Thank goodness someone else at the PJ Star is finally “getting it”:
http://blogs.pjstar.com/panetta/2010/08/23/lakeview-should-embrace-commercial-films/
http://www.ci.peoria.il.us/council-members
Contact your councilperson and voice your displeasure.
If the city council has any brains whatsoever, it will either retain control of the land (and thereby have a controlling interest in what’s built there, including an Imax), or at least sell it for millions and come closer to balancing the budget. Chances are, they don’t have any brains.
If this city council votes by majority to bag the whole deal, reject the sale of the land, and withdraw support for the museum as is, then go on record as to repeal the tax, I will jump into a vat of liquid dog poop, delete my blog, and forever listen to ramblin Sam at all Council meetings and then drive him home.
Em: WOW that is an amazing offer! 😉
If and when this passes(I’m assuming the latter, despite CJ’s 1159pm plea)what’s the next quest for the Peoria Chronicle “entourage”? Back to 150 or maybe the nursing home, give us a hint, I’m looking forward to the next fight….seriously…I enjoy democracy at work…you almost won this on election day CJ et. al…there’s a win out there for you sometime…just would like a hint of what’s next
outsidethebox ….. what would be your personal top three issues to tackle?
outsidethebox — There’s no shortage of windmills to fight. I’m sure we’ll find another lost cause.
Is that lost cause or lost cash? I guess either is synonymous when it comes to the city council and their real estate dealings.
Hold off on breaking ground and building-have a real referendum-you will see how the folks feel about this museum, and let’s go from there. No one can truly say the last referendum was a legitimate vote. Do not let the vast minority ram this thing thru.