Kellar Branch

Homeless, Schmomeless — We Want Our Trail NOW!

 

At the city council meeting tonight, during “citizen requests to address the council,” a man named John Oliver led off speaking on behalf of the homeless in Peoria.  He said there were so many homeless that it was hard to even find temporary housing at places like the Peoria Rescue Mission for more than 30 days.  He’s a veteran, a father, and has a job that pays low wages.  He spoke of how a lot of people have lost their jobs lately, which is true since companies like L.R. Nelson are outsourcing to China or otherwise cutting back on personnel expenses.
Wouldn’t it be great if we could attract new businesses to Peoria?  Maybe some light industry to, oh, I don’t know, the Pioneer Park area? 
One problem:  businesses/industry like that requires competitive rail service.  It’s just not cost-effective for them to get their raw materials via trucking.  That’s why cities like Davenport, Iowa, are building rail parks to lure new businesses to their cities – they’ve learned the hard way what it means to not have rail service.  The Quad City Times reports:
Among the lost opportunities was a $21 million distribution center for Ferguson Enterprises, a plumbing and heating supply distributor, that had the Davenport industrial park on its final list. But the project went to Waterloo, Iowa, last year because the Eastern Iowa Industrial Park did not have rail service.
Did you catch that?  They lost a $21 million distribution center because they didn’t have rail service.  For all those who think rail service is antiquated or a nuisance, reflect on that number for a while.
But back to John Oliver.  After he finished pleading for help for the homeless, three of the dozen or so trail supporters in attendance spoke of a much more “important” matter:  converting the Kellar Branch to a hiking and biking trail.  Flanked by signs that read, “We want the trail,” “No more delays,” and “Hiking/Biking Trail NOW,” these three concerned citizens expressed their contempt for Pioneer Industrial Railway, their undying support for trail conversion (which would sever Pioneer Park’s neutral access to eight major rail lines), and fretted over the loss of $4 million in taxpayer-funded grants to build the trail.
Four million dollars sounds like a lot until you consider one new business in Growth Cell Two could bring $21 million to town.  And there’s room for lots of light industry in Pioneer Park. 
“But,” trail advocates say, “they’ll still have rail access out there if they can just get that spur connected!”  Yes, they’ll have rail access — just not competitive rail access.  And competitive rates are kinda important to businesses.  You’re not going to attract many (any) companies when they find out they have a choice of Union Pacific or, well, Union Pacific. 
But go ahead, rip out the rail line.  The John Olivers of Peoria will thank you all for the opportunity to walk on a beautiful trail through the heart of town.  Too bad they’ll have to sleep there, too.

 

HOPC

Appreciating the complexity…

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After sitting through a half hour of the Heart of Peoria Commission report to the City Council, I’ve concluded that they are, shall we say, not the most efficient public body. I’m sure they’re getting work done, but it was hard to discern what that work was from their presentation. It mostly consisted of “we’ve had meetings,” and, “we’re planning more meetings.”

But my favorite part of the report was under the heading of “Adoption of Form-Based Code.” I swear to you, one of the four “accomplishments” this subcommittee of the Heart of Peoria Commission turned in read, “appreciating the complexity of the task.”

I have to admit, I broke out laughing right there in the council chambers. I mean, come on — can you imagine yourself putting that “accomplishment” on your next performance evaluation? “But boss, I’ve been hard at work appreciating the complexity of the task!!!” Ha ha ha! Oh, and I went to a lot of meetings….

I wonder if they can quantify how much time they spent “appreciating the complexity of the task.” Was that a whole meeting? I mean, it was the third of the four major accomplishments that made it into the presentation, so they must have spent some time on it.

Can’t you just see them at Panache, sitting thoughtfully on overstuffed couches and wooden stools while the aroma of cappuccino wafts through the air?

“On today’s agenda,” the chairman begins, “I think we need to take some time out to appreciate the complexity of the task.”

Everyone nods in agreement.

“Betty, what do you appreciate most about the complexity of the task?”

“Oooh,” Betty says gravely, “I think the most complex part was changing the name from ‘smart code’ to ‘form-based code.’ I didn’t appreciate the complexity at the time, but now that you mention it….”

And so it goes. I wonder if they can appreciate how ridiculous that point sounded.

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Cardinals leaving KMOX bad news for Peoria fans

The Cardinals have decided to leave KMOX’s 50,000 watt signal that can be heard in 40 states because they weren’t getting enough money (spare me) and have bought puny KTRS-AM in St. Louis that often can’t even be heard in East St. Louis. To help Illinois listeners, they will also be broadcasting on WSMI, an FM station in Litchfield.

However, neither of these stations can be heard in Peoria.

And that’s bad news for Cardinals fans, because when WMBD doesn’t broadcast Cardinals games, we’ll now have no way of listening to the game. WMBD has decided the past couple of years not to preempt Rush Limbaugh for Cardinals day games, forcing fans to listen to KMOX instead. Starting in 2006, that will no longer be an option.

This is a really stupid move on the part of the Cardinals. Many people become fans of a particular team because of TV and radio range — for instance, people all over the country become Cubs fans or Braves fans because of superstations WGN and TBS, respectively. And many people have become Cardinals fans throughout the nation because of the wide reach of KMOX. A smaller-wattage station means a smaller audience any way you look at it. The idea that people are going to run out and sign up for internet streaming of the games or purchase a satellite radio system is unlikely, even for already committed fans.

Locally, the owners of WMBD and WIRL should reconsider their preemption policy. My suggestion: go for the win-win; put the Cardinals’ day games on WIRL so they don’t conflict with Rush, but local fans can still hear them. And if there’s a Cubs game on at the same time, preempt the Cubs — we can still hear them crystal clear from Chicago’s WGN-AM.

Kellar Branch

More deception from Journal Star on Kellar Branch dispute

If you’re a casual reader of the Journal Star and skimmed their story on the Kellar Branch today (“Parked locomotive may derail trail“), you would have to get the impression that Pioneer is holding things up. Check out the first three paragraphs:

The deadline for Pioneer Railcorp to remove train cars from a section of Kellar Branch track has passed, again delaying the embattled Rock Island Trail extension.

The city, however, appears poised to take legal action early next week if the project does not progress by Friday.

A Pioneer Industrial locomotive sat on the track Tuesday near where a new industrial rail spur is to tie into the existing track, preventing city contractor Metroplex Corp. from completing the job.

Antagonist: Pioneer. Who is the antecedent for “delaying” and “preventing”? Against whom are you led to believe the city will take legal action? Answer to all three questions: Pioneer.

Ah, but not so fast. Buried in the middle of the article is this important piece of info:

Last month, the city appeared to have reached an agreement with Pioneer Railcorp chairman Guy Brenkman in which the train cars and engines that had blocked construction since December would be moved by Monday.

But part of the deal required Metroplex to sign a liability waiver with Pioneer Railcorp before the short-line operator would budge and allow construction to proceed. That term of the agreement has not yet been resolved.

So, Pioneer had agreed to move the locomotive if a liability waiver were signed. Metroplex didn’t sign the waiver, so Pioneer didn’t move the locomotive. I think any rational person would conclude that Metroplex is holding up the job, but the Journal Star doesn’t let the facts get in the way. They’ll just keep putting all the blame on Pioneer, hence the headline.

And the city does the same:

City Manager Randy Oliver said Tuesday the city would file legal action against one or both companies next week if the problem is not resolved by 5 p.m. Friday.

Asked which company would most likely face a lawsuit, Oliver said, “History tells me one thing, but I don’t know yet.”

What is that supposed to mean, Mr. Oliver? What case do you have against Pioneer in this matter? Why grounds do you have for filing suit against Pioneer when it was Metroplex which didn’t fulfill its obligation?

All this vilification of Pioneer makes me believe that, at heart, this is a personal vendetta against Guy Brenkman on the part of the city and the newspaper. It’s understandable that people may not like him. I’ve never met the man, but he sounds like a guy that isn’t very likeable. But that shouldn’t get in the way of the merits of the dispute. The Journal Star has an obligation to the citizens to report accurately and fairly what’s going on and they’re not doing it.

Uncategorized

I’m here, but do it yourself

You know how Kroger and other stores have those “U-Scan” lanes?  The ones where the stores sucker you into doing the cashiers’ work but don’t give you any discount for the overhead (wages, benefits) they’re saving?  I hate those.
 
But there’s something I hate worse:  places that have cashiers standing right in front of you, but still expect you to perform the transaction yourself.
 
I ran into this today at Best Buy.  I’m buying a DVD and walk up to the cashier.  She scans the item and tells me the total.  I try to hand her my credit card.  She points to a small card reader off to the left and deadpans, “just swipe it there.”  Uh, okay.  So I swipe it, and it says to enter my PIN.  I say, “I don’t want to enter my PIN — I want it to be a credit transaction.”  She answers, exasperated with my one and only question of the transaction, “Just hit ‘cancel.'”  Oh, well, that’s intuitive.  Why didn’t I think of that?  Fine.  I hit cancel, sign my name in the little box, and put my card away.  At which point she says, “Can I see your card?” 
 
There’s a short, befuddled pause as my mind screams, “What??!!”
 
“That’s what I tried to do in the first place and you didn’t want it,” I actually told her with a smile to thinly veil my contempt.  As she takes my card and enters the last four digits into the computer for some undisclosed reason, she mutters something about not knowing it was going to be a credit transaction.  She was clearly aware that debit cards can be used as credit cards since she knew the “cancel” routine, yet she apparently still assumed that I was going to use the debit function.  I thought to myself, “You know what happens when you assume,” as she printed out a foot-and-a-half-long receipt for my solitary item.
 
So, what exactly is this chick getting paid for?  Putting my DVD in a bag?  Training customers to do her job?  Developing an attitude?  Too bad I wasn’t paying cash.  Perhaps a cash drawer would have shot open toward me from under the counter and I would have been instructed to make my own change.  That would have been entertaining.

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Worst Segue of the Month

The award for worst segue of the month goes to Amy Paul of WMBD from tonight’s newscast:
You can say “Bye Bye Bye” to the 90s as our weather gets back “N’Sync” this weekend.
I realize Amy’s probably not writing these, but in general WMBD has some of the worst segues I’ve ever heard.  But I mean that in a good way.  They’re bad in a “Plan 9 from Outer Space” vein.  So bad, they’re funny.

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Is annexation helping or hurting Peoria?

From the January 26, 1979, issue of Illinois Issues:
In the mid-1960s the city of Peoria proposed to annex Richwoods Township, which consisted of roughly 10 square miles of and, much of it already developed. Opposition was bitter and was fueled by fears of school integration that might result if and when the Peoria school district expanded to encompass the new territory. The vote by township residents on the annexation referendum was close, but the referendum was approved.
 
The annexation nearly doubled the size of Peoria, providing room for future expansion. During the four-year period, 1970-73, when Springfield approved 237 annexations, Peoria approved only four, amounting to only a tenth of a square mile. Most of Peoria’s development occurred within its newly enlarged boundaries. The population of “old” Peoria slipped from 106,000 in 1960 to less than 100,000 in 1970, but the addition of Richwoods added some 25,000 new residents to its population. Present city officials believe that the tax revenues collected from the Richwoods section have been vital to the city in maintaining its services in the older parts of Peoria.
 
The annexation has not been without cost to the city. Because Richwoods, like so many fringe areas around Illinois cities, had been developed according to the relatively lax zoning, construction and planning standards of county government, resulting deficiencies became Peoria’s responsibility to remedy. Fortunately, a preannexation agreement with Peoria County spared the city from having to remedy all the problems at once. As Peoria’s Mayor Richard E. Carver complained recently: “Our city is, even today, spending millions of dollars developing the basic road network which would normally have been constructed as the area developed had there been an adequate degree of planning and control present at that time.”
 
Peoria suffers as well from the presence of an unincorporated urbanized enclave situated well inside its boundaries. But because it is larger than 60 acres, may not be annexed unilaterally by the city even though, in the mayor’s words, it is “receiving indirectly many of our services, yet [is] contributing nothing to the revenues of our city.”
 
The need to control the urbanization of land (especially unincorporated land) within and immediately outside their borders is a common topic of conversation among mayors across the country. Peoria’s Carver, who is an officer of the U.S. Conference of Mayors and a director of the National League of Cities, shares their concerns. “A direct correlation can, in fact, be drawn between the health of American cities,” he wrote recently, “and their ability to move their boundaries in conjunction with urban expansion.”
It’s been over 25 years since that article was written, and around 40 years since Richwoods township was annexed.  Today (as of the 2000 census), Peoria covers 44.4 square miles with a population of 112,936, or 2,543 people per square mile.  Between 1990 and 2000, population dropped 0.5% while land mass grew by 8.6%.  Thus, population density dropped 8.4% (source:  Demographia).  And almost every city council meeting there is a request to annex yet more land.
 
They say hindsight is 20/20, so let’s look back.  Has all this annexation helped or hurt Peoria?  Have the tax revenues in annexed areas helped to maintain services in older parts of Peoria, or have they siphoned services away from older neighborhoods?  Has the drop in population density made the cost of servicing such a large area unsustainable?  Was the population shift from the older parts of town to the north end really inevitable, or was it accelerated by annexation?

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Miracle on War Memorial Drive

As I reported a couple months ago, Famous Barr will be renamed Macy’s as a result of the merger between Federated Department Stores and May Department Stores. You can read all about it here.

Maybe they can start sponsoring the Santa Claus Parade and bring in some floats from New York. I want to see a gigantic, helium-filled Snoopy going down Main Street this November!

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School board tells Ransburg “No Thanks”; plus, musings on school closings

I was so happy this morning when I woke up to news that the Peoria Public School District 150 board decided not to choose Dave Ransburg to fill Aaron Schock’s vacated seat.  Whew.  The last thing we need on the school board is a secretive, compulsive liar.
 
I don’t know anything about the new guy except what I read in the paper.  One thing that caught my eye is the fact that he was on the task force that decided which school buildings to close.  I’m still trying to figure out the logic in that report.  As you recall, they want to close 11 schools and build five new ones.  I’ve heard several people try to explain why replacing schools is better than refurbishing buildings they already own, but none of them were very convincing. 
 
For instance, they often say that those [use “old man” voice for this part] “ooold, decrepit buildings from the 19th century” are just not adequate for “today’s students” or “today’s learning methods” or something akin to that.  Now, I admit I’ve been out of school for a while, but only a year longer than Sean Matheson (fellow Richwoods alum), so maybe someone can tell me what is so different about the way kids learn today versus how they learned a century ago — from a building standpoint.  I mean, do they not have walls between classrooms anymore?  Do they no longer use desks? 
 
They say that the buildings are falling apart — in one building I’ve heard a part of the floor is caving in.  That certainly is an outrage.  But the problem isn’t the building — it’s maintenance on the building.  Why has nothing been done about it before now?  Those problems don’t come out of nowhere.  Why have these buildings been so poorly maintained?  Is it a bad custodial staff?  Is it because the school district hasn’t had money for capital repairs?  If so, then a new building isn’t going to solve those problems.  There are no maintenance-free buildings.
 
I’m not necessarily against them closing schools to save money.  But I don’t see the logic in building replacement school buildings when the old ones could be remodeled for less money (economic reasons) and preserve historical architecture (aesthetic reasons).  It doesn’t make sense for a school district millions of dollars in debt to spend millions of dollars more on projects that aren’t real solutions to the problems within the district.

City of Peoria

My birthday gifts

Wondering what I got for my birthday? Well, I’ll tell you anyway.

I got David McCullough’s new book, “1776.” Looking forward to reading that. I read his biography of John Adams and it was most enjoyable presidential biography I’ve ever read. You really felt like you knew the man after you finished reading it. He’s a gifted writer.

And, at the other end of the spectrum, I also got the “Golden Collection” of Warner Brothers’ “Looney Tunes.” Boy do those take me back to my childhood. 🙂 I remember watching the Bugs Bunny/Road Runner Show every Saturday morning. Whatever happened to Saturday morning cartoons? Or Saturday morning kids’ programming in general? Anymore, it’s just infomercials, news, or perhaps a poorly-animated commercial masquerading as a kids’ show.

I also got gift certificates from my parents to use in jewelry stores in Kansas City and lots of affection from my oldest daughter. I think she was just happy that my birthday provided another excuse to have cake and ice cream.