Peoria Commuter Rail Service? Part I

As a dog of some stature, I was able to sneak into the Peoria Public Library Sept. 11th, I entered as a service dog, since a “regular” dog is not allowed. I was able to sit in on the discussion of the pro-rail group and listen to the angle presented to “save” Kellar Branch from the tunnel envisioned, granola chewing trail advocates. Let me say this, the whole Rail vs. Trail issue going on in Peoria is a rather funny doggy-doo mess. Here we have a city that thinks that they know what is best and how the method of giving away a railroad is done. Van Winkle is obviously related to Rip, since he seems to not have any clue (Vanna is selling vowels) to how it is supposed to be done (abandoning a working rail line) and then the glorious Peoria Park District, which I must say is a great organization, myself I prefer the Morton Park and Bark. But back to the matter at paw, I heard it mentioned that Peoria needs a commuter line to help handle the zoo like mania of traffic coming into and leaving Peoria downtown, which made me laugh, what zoo, what traffic, sure if I was from Ellisville and didn’t know what the big city of Peoria traffic was like, but really, I have ridden with my master before and I would have to say that the comment was totally a joke. Drive from Morton to Peoria downtown in 10-15 minutes top. Also just how many middle and upper class folks ride the bus, anyone? Anyone? Well since none of you do, I figured you couldn’t answer that, let me tell you, NONE! So why would I ride a “trolley” to work? I/They won’t.

This is all a smoke screen to give the Peoria City Clowncil a new toy to play and think about. Next time I post I will bark more on this wonderfully insane idea. And get to the real reason why Peoria needs to keep the rail and skip the trail…

Cruise out…

Free Speech or Rude Comments?

It seems that last week Peoria Pundit had an incident which brought about the dreaded deleting of a post. It then led to the banning of a certain bloggist and the removal of his link. Since we still live in a free and open society, one which allows the exchange of ideas and comments, can have its good points and bad. Bill Dennis of Peoria Pundit is well within his rights to decide what is allowed or disallowed on his own blog, and I respect the right that Bill has exercised. I too have had to censure and remove some postings from a person that feels lewd and rude language is the way to present a point, well really not a point, it seemed rather to engage in childish insults.

The post in question seems to have started harmless in its nature over at the Peoria Pundit, but soon disintegrated into sharp exchanges between a few of the regular posters. While it wasn't a Red vs Blue state exchange, it did involve those that think on opposite sides of the street. While I didn't see the post in question that drove Bill's ire into play, and created the possible question of libel, I do know it was the typical exchange of why one won't allow comments and others do allow comments and the suggestion of our banned blogger being a small child (which the comments themselves smell of immature actions). Since the non-comment allowing blogger is also within his right to not take comments publicly, he is also within his right to post on others blogs that do allow comments. To say since he doesn't allow commenting means he shouldn't comment on their sites, is a pretty weak argument. If we live with that ideology, then I guess unless you run a blog, you shouldn't post a comment on another's blog.

Since I do feel Bill can ban, delete or unlink from anyone he wishes, even if it was for the fact that he doesn't like their screen name, I do feel that the matter that created this incident should have been more evenly handled. All parties that decided to exchange barbs, continue the exchanges should have received the same penalty that our banned blogger received. I also hope that Bill will reconsider the ban, and let the blogger return. I rather enjoy his comments as well as the "typical liberal" posters. Diversity is what makes the whole blogging world so fun, interesting and irritating all at the same time.

Cruise Control
No Agenda, Just A Thought…

Hat Tip To Peoria Chronicle on Kellar Branch Questions

Peoria Chronicle's Chris Summers has some excellent questions as they relate to the ongoing Kellar Branch debacle.

The Journal Star has another editorial on the Kellar Branch today. I’m surprised it took them this long to write it, considering all their editorials on this issue follow the same boilerplate. Once again, it’s time to set the record straight:

Recall that Carver was the Kellar branch’s only customer, and that the city of Peoria built the company a $2 million extension so it could continue getting deliveries.

This is revisionist history. Peoria did not “buil[d] the company a $2 million extension.” The resolution which passed on May 15, 2001 stated explicitly the reason for extending the spur was “to retain long-term cost effective, direct rail service to Pioneer Industrial Park and future rail service to Growth Cell #2….” It was not just to benefit Carver Lumber, unless the council was lying about their reason for building it. (Insert cynicism here.)

It’s also worth noting that there were several other businesses on the Kellar Branch before the city started their attempt to de-rail it. So the fact that Carver is the “only” customer now is to the city’s shame. Is the Journal Star happy they’ve run these businesses out of town for the sake of a trail?

I encourage everyone to read his excellent article. Vonster also has placed some maps of the proposed trail. 

Kellar Branch – Industry – Trails – Bikes – Sexual Assault

How wonderful that we have the Peoria Park District, the City of Peoria and my favorite fools Greg and Dan at WMBD 1470 telling us that the Kellar Branch, once turned into a bike/recreational trail will be all about improving our health, economy and pride.

Let's see, the park district files for a grant for a future bike trail that is a currently operating railroad, and don't even have ownership, then we have the wonderful city of Peoria, who has the priorities of a 2 year old, no they listen to the spoiled little child Peoria Park District and ignore the federal laws (STB) and the Peoria Rail Commision, creating what has to be large sums of taxpayer money on lawsuits, and WMBD's star monkey team that feels that it would be better if Carver Lumber was gone so they could have a trail, though the city of Peoria is doing their best to make that happen, costing Carver over $60,000 to date for bungling of a short 9 mile railroad, hiring a new operator to deliver cars to Carver, who's former corporate officer was charged with a murder for hire scheme, who on their first day of business lose control of 3 rail-cars, damaging the cars, the track and surely damaged the product they were to deliver. I say Peoria needs to cough up $60,000 to Carver for their neglect and reckless disregard of a longtime Peoria business.

But the best part now, is that the great savior of our health and economy, could be a path way for the sexual perverts we have living in Peoria. On May 5th in broad daylight a women was attacked on the upper part of the Rock Island trail, the same trail that will be connected near the Pioneer Park area and finish up down by the river. Imagine that in broad daylight, near the Dunlap section a women was assaulted, now imagine that we have the wonderful trail going threw some of the higher crime infested areas of Peoria. Is it now too much of a stretch to think we may see similar crimes against those eager trail folks in some of the higher crime areas of Peoria?

David Jordan has been very vocal and has even rallied on WMBD to bring out the issues, only to have the wonderful monkey crew tell the Peoria listeners that for the greater good, we need that trail, we don't need jobs, namely Carver Lumber. Even more alarming is that we haven't even been told the true costs for this great health and economy booster for Peoria.

More to Come…

Cruise Control
I Have An Agenda…

Crime In Peoria, Broken Promise or Out of Control

I remember hearing our Mayor Jim Ardis running on the promise to bring crime in our city under control, and how Dave Ransburg was clueless to the fact that we had crime. For people living in Peoria, they knew better, and saw right threw the rose colored glasses of now Ex-Mayor Ransburg.

Well Mayor Ardis is now in power and I wondered if crime was truly on the decline as promised or actually the same or even worse. I did some digging and our own Peoria Police have the information at hand.

Seems we are in worse shape then before, according to the 2006 report from Peoria Police.
http://www.peoriapd.com/2006stats.pdf

Let's compare 2005 to 2005 for January shall we?

First Offenders, up 12%
Repeat Offenders, up 17%

Oh some promise here, Arrest totals are up 16%, that must mean though more crimes or they are better at catching them.

Murders, well we are winning that one for January, -100%
Sexual Assaults, down 45%
Robbery, up 12%
Aggravated Assault / BAttery up 84%
Burglary, wow! A whopping 80%
Car theft is a break even, with 59 stolen last year and again 59 this year, at least our criminal element is holding even…

All in all, we are losing the battle for a safer Peoria. Seems to me that Peoria was promised a safer city by the new mayor, but yet to produce any results that would show his promise to be kept.

How about your Honorable Mayor Ardis, can we see some results, and not promises like all the other political hacks in our area?

Cruise Control
I Have An Agenda…

Effective Talk Radio – For Morons

Seems my post about the lame radio here in Peoria has struck a nerve with the pot smoking, beer drinking high school mentally delinquent crowd. Seems that Peoria is all about the party and not the real issues that impact each and every one of us.

Let's see, I happened to tune in last Thursday to see what the party boys had to say about things in and around Peoria. What did I receive? Well a good 45 minutes on how to relieve the pain from a vasectomy, seems that Markley's wife cares about him as much as I do, she bought generic frozen peas to ease the swelling instead of name brand peas. She must know more then we do. But it doesn't stop there, why we have to hear how he is popping Vicodins and man they aren't working anymore. You can't neuter an animal that doesn't have the balls to tackle the real issues that are happening in Peoria. But wait, it gets even better. It seems that Luciano found some information about the date of 4-20, it seems it is a code word for smoking pot, why we even got entertained with comments about using a bong, hey, quality radio for sure, but the fun just keeps rolling on…seems we are in store for some excellent on air drinking in honor of the beer fest at Expo Gardens.

So to all the "morons" that feel the issues with quality adult talk radio are not needed, instead we can promote legal and illegal drug use, and yes for you "morons" out there, beer is a drug, sorry to bring you to level of the corner crack dealer, when our cheerful "Cannonball" crew addresses the issues at hand, like the pledge made by Ardis on his campaign promise to start controlling crime, to Ray "The Hoodlum" LaHood and his special interest attentions on illegal aliens is so much less of importance, to say drinking and the fine art of how to figure out your best bet for sports gambling, we as the more informed crowd will keep asking for some true adult talk radio. Another Air America I can do with out.

Cruise Control
I Have An Agenda…

Possible Hate Crimes in Peoria?

Bill Dennis from Peoria Pundit posted a piece about an incident at District 150 Peoria school system, a story written by PJ Czar's Terry Bibo about an assalt on another child. Seems the victim was white, the attacker(s) were black. Peoria D 150's answer was to let the victim transfer to another school. What garbage. Arrest and remove the offenders.

For some reason, again we must be at fault, not the child that committed the crime, read what PollyPeoria has to say,

The only silver lining I see to this incident is that it proves blacks, do in fact possess the power to be racist if they so choose. My ivory tower education taught that hate + power = racism. Blacks could not be racist because even if they disdained whites, they lacked the power to do anything about it. This incident proves my professors wrong.

Just shows you what danger we are truley in. Professors telling our young what the world is all about. Reminds me of a statement about teachers, those that can do it, those that can't teach it. Must fit here.

Peoria Talk Radio – Or how to act like you know what your doing

The old saying of "If It Plays In Peoria" must have never been used when someone listens to WMBD 1470 talk radio. Because if they did, it would only be allowed in Peoria. If you have ever listened to other talk radio, done by their local talent, then you would know we as Peorians are getting just what we pay for, or better yet what we deserve.

Every morning, Dan and Greg can't seem to tackle any issues that are even close to a national issue. After listening to Batton, you can understand why, his show prep is well, nonexistent. He will barge into a topic without the foggiest clue to what the facts are, but instead deal with his own opinion, which after hearing it, amounts to drivel similar to a teenager full of themselves, repeating what their peers think is important. What is scary, he even thinks we as listeners care about his opnion. Deorio is no better, silent on anything that requires a stance.

Now the afternoon show, well what can one say, it must be WMBD's gift to the old and worn-out DJ Jamie Markley, a gift you would do for someone that never was a blazing rock DJ, burnt out station talent, let alone a talk show talent. If you thought that Batton didn't do show prep, Markley has never heard the word. Clueless on anything unless it involves what was AC/DC's top album in 1980. Now they do seem to want to act like they have at least one person with the understanding of show prep, Phil Luciono, but here again sadly, Phil just doesn't feel the Peoria listeners don't need to talk about all those big adult topics that are aired all day long, why folks are tired by the time the afternoon show comes along. (Small tip, maybe they do, since it's doubtful they can get the chance to call those big time adult talk shows) Instead he does his show prep on what 80-90 year old actor has passed away, or what new study on drinking is out. If you counter the loud mouth, Phil, well, you can expect to be called a jackass, or told to shut up.

Peoria Talk Radio? Sorry, but Peoria needs a talk show done locally that isn't afraid to ask the big questions of our city leaders instead of kissing their hind-ends because they graced the show with their voice. Let's have a show that doesn't revolve around the shows talent. I could care less about their kids, their cars, their wives or their education. Maybe if Markley even knew what other stations were in town, that could be a start.

Cruise Control
I Have An Agenda…