Tuesday night, we got some insight into the Peoria City Council’s priority list. We know that the Fire Department is at the top of the list. All the proposed cuts to the Fire Department were restored. And we know that the Police Department is near the bottom of the list. The council chose to cut 17 additional staff positions there without any discussion whatsoever.
The reason? Well, because the firefighters agreed to give up their wages, but the police officers didn’t. Hence, the firefighters are being rewarded for being team players, but the police officers are being punished by taking the brunt of the budget cuts.
There’s only one problem with this plan: The joke’s on us. It’s the citizens who lose because police protection is reduced. To add insult to injury, the council reaffirmed their commitment to keep the Economic Development department fully staffed. [Upon further review, it appears Craig Hullinger’s position will not be filled upon his retirement; hence, although the council saved an Economic Development Specialist position, the department will not be “fully staffed” next year; at least, at this point — perhaps the director position will also be reinstated at the next council meeting.] And, to my knowledge, they’re continuing to pursue a downtown hotel deal that will cost around $4 million in debt service annually. That could pay for a lot of officers and other basic services.
Wow, if people think cops are jerks now, just wait until they have their pay cut, have their patrol route increased, and they loose their partner.
I have a lot of respect for the men and women who continue to protect our streets under these circumstances. Just remember Peoria, there are several other cities to protect that need experienced officers. Don’t be suprised if the best go elsewhere.
I hope the public is paying attention and remembers this next election cycle. This is a disgrace.
Unless the council knows there’s a lot of waste and people sitting around the police department getting paid for doing nothing, someone’s got a lot of explaining to do.
My opinion of what causes a city to grow:
1. Good/great city services (such as police & fire)
2. Quality and well maintained infrastructure
3. Reasonable taxes (ie. customer sees value in what they are paying for)
4. Strong education system – including primary, secondary, higher education and private
5. Good mix of recreational activities (public and private) such as parks, fine arts, libraries, museums, etc that are both local and regional
6. Involved and caring citizens
7. Strong growing employment base of both blue and white collar jobs
How many of these apply to Peoria today? How many applied 15 or 20 years ago?
I’m all for economic development, but the current modus operandi, in which the City hands out money and goodies to developers- isn’t working. The citizens of Peoria have invested in several projects in which the promised benefit wasn’t realized. Campustown and Midtown Plaza are dismal failures, in which there is no mechanism in place to “encourage” the developer to “correct” the situation. The ball field did NOT spark a Peoria-style Wrigleyville. The Gateway building is a money pit. I’d like the Marriott development downtown a lot better if the City walked away from it and let it rise or fall as a privately funded project. I believe the best economic development is that which is a result of making the City of Peoria a great place to live and work- clean streets, safe neighborhoods, great basic services and good schools. The current priorities aren’t working; change is needed.
conrad, it isn’t designed to work. It’s designed to put money in the pockets of a few influencial developers and other politically-connected folks.
As I see it the biggest problem is we are trying to put the window dressing on the city before we put in the window. All these projects that have been created and failed don’t seem to have taught us that we need to go back to the basics of design and start from scratch. What good is a fancy hotel if we don’t have a decent street to put it on? What good is a Midtown Plaza if there are no jobs for the people in Peoria to earn money at to spend there? We keep putting the cart before the horse. Progress is wonderful, but only after you have the hardcore basics in place. You can’t put a computer in an office that has no desk for it. You can’t sell furniture to someone that doesn’t have a job to buy it with anymore. Clean up the streets, fix the potholes, beef up the police department and make it a safe and inviting place to live and do business, then bring in the window dressings. Put in your Riverfront decorations and museums and all the rest of it after you have built the strong steady base. Maybe I’m old fashioned but the system we are using now isn’t working. Somebody has to wake up and smell the roses and soon or we are doomed.
As I see it the biggest problem is we are trying to put the window dressing on the city before we put in the window. All these projects that have been created and failed don’t seem to have taught us that we need to go back to the basics of design and start from scratch. What good is a fancy hotel if we don’t have a decent street to put it on? What good is a Midtown Plaza if there are no jobs for the people in Peoria to earn money at to spend there? We keep putting the cart before the horse. Progress is wonderful, but only after you have the hardcore basics in place. You can’t put a computer in an office that has no desk for it. You can’t sell furniture to someone that doesn’t have a job to buy it with anymore. Clean up the streets, fix the potholes, beef up the police department and make it a safe and inviting place to live and do business, then bring in the window dressings. Put in your Riverfront decorations and museums and all the rest of it after you have built the strong steady base. Maybe I’m old fashioned but the system we are using now isn’t working. Somebody has to wake up and smell the roses and soon or we are doomed.
Maybe some of the 2nd district folk will show up tonight for the meet n greet with the new city manager and BVA, to express their deep concern over the cutting of the police force.
Where is the 2nd District gala being held?
SD, read my prior post, IT ISN’T DESIGNED TO WORK! So, are we doomed? Probably. Most of the people in a position to do something DON’T CARE about anybody but themselves. They foolishly think their money, power and/or position will protect them from the repurcusions of the disaster they are creating. Until you convnce them that if the boat sinks, the first class passengers drown too, nothing is going to change.
Curious, why the continued focus on the Economic Development Specialist? With Hullinger gone, that is a major cut to that department. Why not look at eliminating a position in the legal department, city managers office, EEOC, Clerk’s office, human resources, code enforcement or planning and development? Have there been any cuts in these areas?
EmergePeoria — Didn’t I have the post corrected before you made your comment?
SD
Great post.