Good morning! It’s Monday, August 24, and this week District 150 school kids go back to class. Mothers all over Peoria are rejoicing. In other news:
- School Board member Rachael Parker is planning a run for Bud Sous’s Peoria County Board seat. The election is in 2010, and if elected, Parker would have to give up her seat on the School Board.
- The City of Peoria is going to intervene in the Illinois American Water rate case, protesting the rise in water rates. According to a recent Issues Update from the city, the cost to intervene and monitor the process is “minimal,” but “to hire an ICC Utility Attorney and present expert testimony, that would likely cost $60,000 to $80,000.” So the city is going to look at mitigating that cost by possibly partnering with other nearby cities, like Pekin and Champaign. “Certain issues may be different but other issues, such as return on investors’ equity, would be common to all.” Illinois American Water is asking state regulators to let them raise water rates by more than 28% in Peoria.
- In a previous post, I mentioned that someone was polling residents with questions about the city and school district. Renee Charles of the Heartland Partnership said the company is aware of the poll, but after calling their subsidiary organizations (including the Chamber of Commerce), she went on record saying she does not know who is conducting the poll. The city and school district have also denied running the poll. So the identity of the pollster remains a mystery.
- A press release last week announced, “Senate Bill 1512, sponsored by State Senator David Koehler (D-Peoria), authorizes the Secretary of State’s office to issue false identification to undercover law enforcement agents.” But the most interesting part of the release was this statement (emphasis mine): “For years the Secretary of State’s office issued false identification to the police with no real authorization or clear guidelines. The new law ensures that these fake IDs are properly distributed and used only for undercover investigations.” I wonder what else is being done with “no real authorization.”
- At a press conference today, Democrat Carl Ray will kick-off his campaign to run against Congressman Aaron Schock for the 18th Congressional District of Illinois. There are two locations and times for his announcement: 10 a.m. at Five Points Washington (360 N. Wilmor Rd., Washington), and 2 p.m. at the Springfield Public Library (Carnegie Room South, 326 S. 7th St., Springfield). “There will be a 10-15 minute address, followed by time with the media and supporters.”
- The proposed downtown museum still has a “several million dollar gap” in funding, and they’re still negotiating a contract with IMAX.
- Invitations went out last week for the groundbreaking ceremony for the new Peoria Public Library North Branch. The event will be held September 10, 2009, 10:00 to 11:00 a.m. on Grand Parkway in Medina Plains Corporate Park off Townline Road.
I may support the water increase, but only after they improve water quality. At my home and other locations in Peoria, the water that comes out of the faucet is not fit to drink. Peoria is the only city where I have seen cheap restaurants give you water out of a bottle, rather than the stuff IAW expects us to drink.
Weren’t we led to believe the IMAX was a done deal before the referendum?
One thing you didn’t cover is the enticipated deduction of Social Security next year. I see a lot of it in the news in the past couple of days but no one is saying exactly how much or what percentage it is. Many of us rely on SS to live and any deduction is critical. Sure would like to know what the amount is going to be. According to the news this is because the cost of Medicare is going to rise.
Mahkno: Karrie Alms specifically suggested that I ask that question when the museum group came to speak to the West Peoria Residents’ Association–during their visit before the vote. If I recall correctly, Sheldon Shafer answered the question, assuring me that IMAX was ready and anxious to get on board as soon as the vote assured the funding for the museum. I pressed him a bit by asking if there was any kind of guarantee in writing that they would be on aboard with a positive vote. He did say, “No” to that question.
SD–I found the PJS article about social security a bit confusing–I didn’t read it carefully. It seemed to imply that those on the Medicare perscription program would be paying more. It sounded as though any raise we get (if we get one) will go to increase our Medicare costs. I listened to McCain on This Week yesterday–at least, he acknowledges that the insurance so many of us enjoy now is in jeopardy because the costs of healtgh care will continue to increase if no health care reform takes place. I wonder how many people (now happy with their health care) will have to lose insurance or to pay more than they can afford before we all will realize that we and the “poor” may all go done together-.
Medicare charges typically go up every year – and most of this is covered by the COLA in social secruity payments that come every year. This results is a relatively small increase in social security checks going to retirees in any given year. This coming year, if there is no COLA in social security, but thre is still the usual increase in the Medicare charge – the result will be a small decrease in the social security check to the retiree.
Peoria Journal Star –
“Negotiations aim to bring IMAX to Peoria!”
Officials expect contract to be signed before ground is broken on Peoria Riverfront Museum
– I have it on good authority the first movie scheduled to be shown is TITANIC!
– This just in…………………….. Titanic will NOT be the first movie shown in our new IMAX theater! It will be a movie called the U.S.S. Peoria! It is about a ship [city] that hits a huge economic iceberg and sinks with huge loss of life [just picture all of the people in Peoria county on one great big ship!]!
Whoooaaaaaa.
Kohlrabi, there is not going to be an increase in social security for the next two years. That has already been established. But the decrease amount is what has not been brought forward yet. They say it will be a small decrease, but their definition and my definition often are far apart. That is what I am concerned about. Those of us who have only social security to live on have to watch every single penny and even a small decrease is threatening. But the powers that be have not decided yet how much to choke us for. I’ve seen us get a $13 a month increase and then they turn around and take $34 for more Medicare. So things never balance out in our favor or even for that matter.
Quite a discussion occurred over on Peoria Pundit (with spillover on Peoria Anti-Pundit) about Rachael Parker’s potential bid for a County seat – or rather her current position on D150’s board. Dueling husbands with General and Mr. McArdle having their say…
Medicare Part B, cannot by law, be increased more than the Social Security
cost of living increase, so zero for 2010. However the Medicare prescription
premium is not under the same restriction and is expected to raise a few
dollars a month, resulting in a smaller check in 2010.