Letters to the editor: Is Peru acting fairly toward all pot company applicants? - LaSalle News Tribune - LaSalle, IL
As I have watched the number of companies interested in establishing the "pot" growing facility here in Peru, I thought about other cities around us and several with a larger population and some close to ours, and wondered why it was only Peru that was putting names of companies out to the public.
I do not know whether other cities were perhaps handling requests in a different manner and considering them privately with city officials only in the know and then deciding which one they would endorse after looking through all their qualifications.
I would like to know but at this time do not. I posted a news article a few days ago and it included all the districts applying, some in detail and some barely mentioned.
Personally I don't believe Peru should endorse a particular one but let the state do that since the city has now been put in an uncomfortable position. I also do not think at this point that there is anyone in the city qualified to make an endorsement and that includes the mayor and council.
34 comments:
Off topic, but when is last Monday's council meeting video going to be posted to the city website? It's ridiculous for it to take this long.
The State of Illinois, which is as poorly managed and as corrupt as any state in the country is going to set up and allow medical pot. This is the same state which has already shown that they are completely inept at managing legalized video gaming and only in it for themselves. This is a state without money and jobs and it is going to legalize drugs. Look out, it will be a state which you don't want to move from. It will be a state you want to run from. Don't the present elected politicians think we have enough major problems being unmanaged properly now. God Help Us
Anon 3:19 If the council continues to get more bad meetings than good ones the program will be discontinued or at least rested until 2015 or after the next elections. Howdios Amigos
Lois why don't you print the name of the writer of this open forum? He has very well known ties to one of the interested growers. Remember, everyone has an agenda here in Peru. Will you only point them out if they are outside your inner circle? And please, now after all this time you want Peru to operate in secret, behind closed doors? Give us a break.
7:07 PM
Everyone should click on the link and read the article which is signed by the writer. With the N.T., I always use the link to which is what they ask.
7:07 PM
Well as it is now, it has become a circus. I have no idea how other district cities are handling this, why don't you tell us.
7:07 Why do you want Lois to print the name of the writer of the article? The writer of the article signed his name so if you read it you already know. If you want others to know print his name yourself. Quit asking Lois to do everything for you.
Off the subject too but what has become of the FBI investigation? All under the rug? A
So what is going on in the city with vehicles that have expired plates for more than one year and still on the street? Also hones with vehicles in their yard isn't there some kind of ordinance against these things looks like whit trash city
Anon, 8:03, wow not much of a life if that's all you have to worry about
7:07 PM,
My impression of the letter is that the person writing it is concerned that Peru elected officials are poised to make another decision based on favoritism and political clout. The writer explains that only one company was allowed to address the full council and that does not provide the public with the impression of fairness. I agree that the situation is not being conducted as an "open market" for all interested companies to make a presentation. Let's not forget that just last year Mayor Harl and several aldermen including Waldorf, Lukosus, Sapienza and Radtke refused to allow a company interested in competing with TEST to make a presentation before the city council. Harl, Waldorf and Lukosus actually questioned the competing company representative before the meeting and told them they were not welcome in Peru and they would not be allowed to speak in open meeting. So I fully understand the letter writers concern that Peru's mayor and aldermen are playing favorites and denying a free market opportunity for anyone to participate. Peru's mayor is showing favoritism towards one company and that reveals a complete lack of ethics on his part and the aldermen sit there and say nothing. That makes them complicit in the situation and shows just how inept they are when it comes to governing fairly and honestly. The letter writer obviously has a keen insight into the typical shenanigans of Peru politics and he is 100% correct in his concern that the Peru City Council is incapable of fair and impartial government. I don't know if the letter writer has any "ties" to any particular company or not, but even if he does there is no excuse for the mayor and city council to refuse to allow others a presentation. In America our founding principals are based on maintaining a Free Market society. What does it say about elected officials who decide they will pick and choose who gets a chance and who doesn't? It's disgraceful as far as I'm concerned.
I saw three marijuana companies make presentations to the council during the committee as a whole meetings, all were good. But I wholeheartedly agree with Mr. Stoutner that favoritism should not be allowed. But why will this council start doing things the proper and ethical way now? TEST's contract and Chamlin's continually getting the work for the airport when there are so many other more qualified aviation engineering firms - that's the status quo in Peru. And it's wrong, but there was a huge push to bid out the water treatment contract, and it all fell on deaf ears, except for Perez. Even Potthoff failed the taxpayers on that vote.
3:19 pm still no meeting video from last Monday's council meeting. Since this is a three day weekend, will we have to wait until next Tuesday until we can view that video? What is the delay?
The city is dealing with more than the average company looking to locate in Peru when the marijuana cultivation came into play. There should have been a procedure put into place before anyone was allowed a presentation and each one that followed should have been afforded the same type of presentation.This was a set up for failure when the city did what it always does with a local company. this is the water contract all over only on a bigger scale.
It is a mute point, but the entire medical pot thing is a government sponsored scam. The simplest and least expensive way to get pot to people that have a prescription is to give them a license to grow a couple of plants themselves.
If they are truly in need of the "medicine," they are probably doing this already.
Furthermore, the pot is going to be so expensive that the black market will continue to thrive. I do not think insurance is going to cover it either.
One last thought... there is going to be a facility. Let the State decide who gets it. If we really want it - put our lobbyist to work.
I'm missing something on this topic. Which company did the council supposedly afford an advantage to? Was it the first one "Agri something"? And was it because they got to present to council at a regular meeting while the others presented to council at "committee as a whole" meetings?
Same elected officials attend both council meetings and committee of a whole meetings that is true. Not sure if the minutes written up are done in the same way and i wonder if the local news is present to report on both equally. I say that because I never attend committee of a whole meetings.
It is a fact that if the video recording is "working", all presentations at council meetings are recorded but not at the committee of a whole mtg.
Lois - you hit the key point to why Boss Harl created the "committee of the whole" meetings. They are not reported on and they are not recorded and the minutes are separate.
This allows The Boss to have a meeting that is compliant with the OMA but does not draw attention.
And, 11:08, he holds a closed session at each and every "committee of the whole" meeting.
10:26, I believe the company the council supposedly afforded an advantage to was the company owned by Gary Dahl and Jon Chamlin.
The next thing you know, Boss Harl will be wearing a tan suit.
It's 4:21 p.m. on Friday 8/29 and there is still no video of last Monday's 8/25 council meeting on the city website. Embarrassing!
oj has a horse in this race who would it possibly be? its all about money
10:44 PM
Your answer could be in the Planning Committee minutes.
Stoutner works for Rezin who succeeded Dahl who is an applicant with Chamlin. Any ?s.
934 theres the answer absolutely it is
So did OJ's company get to present before the council? And if so why would he write in the open forum?
Don't forget OJ was President of LaSalle National/Hometown Bank. Rezin needs to dump him as her legislative aide
I think OJ is saying for the council to not favor Dahl's company or any other company because if the council endorses Dahl's company and a different company gets chosen by the state, it would be ackward in the future.
1:32 I too cannot understand what he is referring to. I believe all companies got to present to council just at different meetings. I just cannot figure which company he thinks was favored.
A local bank would greatly benefit from medical marijuana facility deposits! Is Mr. Stoutner speaking as a local constituent, a former aide to Senator Dahl, a current aide to Senator Rezin, or a former bank president?
I agree Senator Rezin should re-evaluate her Peru staffing choices if she wishes to continue her career in politics.
One way, and the only way, to eliminate favoritism for the state to choose a location in the state police districts is to put all the applications in a basket and have a blind person pull out the winner. And I'm not disparaging vision impaired people.
9:31 - this is Illinois. Even with your method, our "leaders" will figure out a way to game they system.
The only way to do this without any corruption is to put another State in charge of it. :)
It is impossible for Illinois to do anything without including some sort of corruption. That is just the way it is. And that is why everything involving government in Illinois is more expensive.
Actually Illinois is not more expensive. Illinois has one of the lower levels of spending per capita in the country. In terms of taxation, even with the tax increase we have one of the lowest rates for states that have an income tax. We do not tax services as many states do. I'm just bringing this up to balance propaganda with facts. You can look it all up.
6:30 PM - you need to count all taxes, not just income tax and sales tax. So I respectfully disagree with you.
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