City of Peoria, Museum Block, Peoria County

Peoria sends four reps and a lobbyist to our three reps in Washington … or their staff

16 Comments

From Word on the Web:

Peoria County officials and a Peoria City Councilman are on their way to D.C. to meet with U.S. Rep. Aaron Schock, and U.S. Sens. Dick Durbin and Roland Burris, or at least their staff … to discuss legislative agendas and projects the city and county hope receive federal funding.

Those officials are Scott Sorrel, Tom O’Neill, and Jimmy Dillon for the County, and Tim Riggenbach for the City. Peoria taxpayers are sending them as our representatives to Washington so they can ask our other representatives in Washington for federal money. Or they might just meet with their staffs — I guess they don’t have local offices or something. This comes on the heels of the County extending its contract with a D.C. lobbying firm to March 31, 2011, for $85,000. This begs the question, “How many representatives does it take to screw in a light bulb?” Meanwhile, the rest of us are living in an age of rapid communication — e-mail, internet, video conferencing, telephone. I wonder if there’s a way our government officials could tap into these mysterious new communication tools the way private companies are doing during this economic downturn.

But wait, there’s more. Look at what they’re requesting:

  • $900,000 for the City:
    • $500,000 to improve sidewalks/infrastructure around Harrison School
    • $300,000 to fix erosion issues at Springdale Cemetery
    • $100,000 for the Peoria Police Department’s drug market initiative program
  • $1,250,000 for the County:
    • $250,000 for a mobile dental clinic in partnership with OSF
    • $500,000 for engineering/design work to replace E.M. Dirksen Parkway
    • $500,000 for solar panels for Peoria Riverfront Museum
  • $1,100,000 in joint City/County projects:
    • $100,000 for a minority business incubator
    • $1 million for public safety radios

Total: $3.25 million.

All of the City’s requests are things the City should be doing with City revenues. But they can’t, of course, because they’re using City revenues to pay off the MidTown Plaza TIF bonds and Firefly Energy’s loan from National City (which could cost the City up to $3 million). And they’re trying feverishly to give Gary Matthews $37 million to build a hotel across the street from the Civic Center. The City squanders taxpayer money, then goes to the federal government for more taxpayer money to cover the basic services they’ve neglected.

As for the County’s requests, except for the road work, they’re all frivolous. Let’s jump right to the most egregious: the solar panels for the proposed museum. Ahem, the taxpayers are already kicking in nearly $40 million for the museum in local sales tax revenue, let alone all the “grants,” earmarks, and other pork barrel spending that’s being poured into this boondoggle. And now they’re asking for more taxpayer dollars?! What on earth are they doing with the millions of dollars they’re already confiscating from us?! For the love of Pete, another half a million dollars for the museum, so they can “save energy”? AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH!!!

If they want to “save energy,” why don’t they just take all the money out in cash, put it on the Sears block, and set it on fire? That way we can save the energy of actually building the museum and watching its inevitable fall into insolvency. Plus, we can waste all that money in 2010 dollars, instead of the more expensive future value of the money.

All I can say is, thank goodness we don’t get all the government we pay for.

16 thoughts on “Peoria sends four reps and a lobbyist to our three reps in Washington … or their staff”

  3. Back in the 80’s Richard Pryor made Brewster’s Millions. In that movie he ran for office by telling everyone to vote – None of the Above! Get these yahoos out of there please. We can get the same results by letting the giraffes run the city.

  4. Not to mention that at least Rep. Schock comes home to Peoria / Central Illinos area on most weekends. And the other legislators could be visited while in Illinois rather than in Washington, D.C. to cut down on costs. Perhaps I forgot that Ferguson Group wouldn’t be here in Illinois (perhaps taxpayers have to pay their travel costs to Ilinois) to advise our city and county representatives on ‘best strategies’ on how to lobby for Federal monies that taxpayers do not have. More borrowing in today’s dollars to be repaid in more of tomorrow’s dollars. Regrettably ….. I will join you in the expression of AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH!!! 🙁

  6. Why does Dirksen Parkway need to be replaced? And with what? Sounds to me like just another way to reward some campaign-contributing road contractor.

  7. So if we get these funds will Schock vote against the bill but still show up to celebrate the pork?

  8. If they want to “save energy,” why don’t they just take all the money out in cash, put it on the Sears block, and set it on fire? That way we can save the energy of actually building the museum and watching its inevitable fall into insolvency. Plus, we can waste all that money in 2010 dollars, instead of the more expensive future value of the money.

    Now you sound like me! I’m always ranting about how much less damaging it would be to set money on fire than to use it for these disastrous projects.

    Seriously, what is wrong with the Peoria City Council? Is it something in the water? I was born and raised in Peoria and have seen a lot of council members come and go, and the one constant is their tragically poor judgement. It doesn’t seem to matter who gets elected — the faces change, but the stupid remains the same. They seem to have a compulsion to throw good money after bad. East Peoria thrives, Bloomington/Normal thrives, and Peoria continues to circle the drain.

  9. What I find most interesting is the number of bloggers who support city/county projects like the museum. Their main argument:
    Peoria City/County residents voted for it….. Of course we all know that were the sales [museum] tax put on the ballot today…it wouldn’t come close to passing, yet…….

    These are the same bloggers who hold the latest polls up, screaming that a higher % of Americans oppose Obama’s healthcare bill….. the politicians are moving AGAINST the ‘will’ of the people.

    Sorry…these are the very same politicians voted into office by the people… the people want this healthcare bill to pass!

  10. leslie110,

    Good point!

    Carmen,

    Exactly! They all continue to run in the govt. circle.

  11. Here’s what wrong… IMO… The city council and other government agencies are business people. They think business is the answer to everything. Do you want a job? Go find an employer. If you want to expand your business, go find a government agency to fund it. Employers run our political system, instead of staying in their economic arena. “The business of government is business.” Ever since Calvin Coolidge stuttered that statement, we seem to think it is true. It only took a little more than a century for us to forget that the “business” of government was to ensure the protection of inalienable rights. I don’t remember anything in the Constitution about business except granting the government the right to regulate its practice between states.

  12. Charlie,

    You are so wrong. The only real buisiness people of the 29 on the city and county boards are myself, Brad Harding & Brian Elsasser, farmers, and George Jacob. George inherited his business. Board member Democrat Junior Watkins works for George. Riggenbach is a Republican banker representng an out of town bank and Riggenbach never saw a dime of taxpayer money he didn’t want to spend.

    I told our administrator that I was ashamed of him going to Washington to get MORE taxpayer dollars for FireFly and the museum. In my 9+ years on the county board I made one trip out of state at taxpayer expense and that was at the DIRECT request of Bill Prather, County Board Chairman, who was unable to make the trip with Riggenbach and Urich.

    I attrened meetings on mental health, jail conditions and preventative measures, drug abuse and getting highway construction money unblocked.

    Me, I’m a lame duck board member of the minority party, at least 9 or 10 of the members are card carrying union members who helped buy a president who told the unions, “I won’t let you down”.

    Follow this disastrous health bill. Unfortunately, most of will need to as we will be paying more. Do you believe this will stop the run on emergency room visits???

    The County board is on a huge spending binge with money we don’t have with BelWood in the $48 million range, new computer systems for which we seill need to sell at least $5 million in bonds, we owe $7 or 8 million on new enironmental systems, we are looking to for millions to fund a New OPPORTUNITY Center for minorities, etc……..

    We just brought in the same consultant for I believe the 7th year oout of the last 10 at a cost Mr. Urich said he didn’t know yet; he was asked three times, twice by myself and once by Mr. Elsasser, both of us business people. 11 put of the 18 board members showed up for the retreat, 3 leaving before the all day retreat at Wildlife Prarie was over.

    Lot’s of money is flowing into the county coffers with sales tax receipts up and property taxes expected to grow 3%. The City says sales tax receipts are down; the County says they are up????

    Worst last 15 months I spent on the board. 8 more months to go and I’m counting days.

  13. Merle, sure hope you don’t need that “disastrous health bill”. I sure hope those in charge spend it on health care for all as I would hate to see you suffer and besides, I don’t think you’ll find a single band-aid at the Museum or is the Death Squads targeting you?

  14. Emtronics,

    Come on now……

    Merle seems to be one of the few who has the grit to speak out against our ‘wonder boys’ in city and county govt. I think we can allow him a few comments posted against the new healthcare bill, etc.

  15. Aaron is here virtually every weekend, meaning in the city or most definately in the District. Scheduling time with him in my estimation would not be difficult, given appropriate notice. Durbin has been in the area on numerous times, and could be seen in Illinois. Burris, I have no idea what he does or when he is available, but either way, given his entrance in Senate under the circumstances, he definately has no clout. Cj, perhaps you should check to to see what the county and city paid for these trips or which members might have paid all or part of their own. Either way it would be a discouraging use of any tax dollars given the millions of anticipated shortfalls and additional cuts to both the city and county budgets. Regarding hiring a lobbist to advocate for money. I would suggest that these bodies develop and maintain positive relationships with the other representatives and meet with them on a regular basis at limited costs to the taxpayers to advocate for our needs themselves. We simply do not have the funding to support a lobbyist when we are cutting essential services.

  16. “http://www.pjstar.com/news/x905413820/Members-selected-for-Peoria-museum-board”

    They now have a 23 (TWENTY THREE) member board for the Museum and are going to begin building the parking deck for it this summer.

    “Too good and opportunity to pass up” being on THIS board says former Mayor Ransford.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.