This blog is maintained for the sole purpose of allowing the people of Peru and those interested in the cities of the Illinois Valley to express their views.
“It doesn’t take a majority to win, just a tireless minority that will keep starting brush fires in the mind and hearts of their fellow men.” Samuel Adams
Tuesday, July 29, 2014
Part I Really Mayor Public Attendees Knew Before Aldermen Perez
84 comments:
Anonymous
said...
so Radke has a vague recollection of the Coke building purchase being discussed. Obviously Harl is only discussing it with his good buds, Waldorf and Lukosis.
3:07 Being that only aldermen Mueller and Perez questioned why they were not informed I would assume they knew nothing about this situation. I would bet aldermen Radke, Lukosis, and Waldorf were well informed. As for the rest - who knows where they stand? They made no comment either way.
More grandstanding from a busy body Alderman and busy body bloggers on the Peru Town Forum. I heard today the Coke plant was purchased by someone else. No City money spent. Also heard the burlesque act was cancelled and this cancellation had been in the works for weeks. Much ado about nothing on both fronts. It's probably for the best that the girly show won't be in town. It might inspire people of low moral character to cheat on their spouses or foster illegitimate children. We should not have people doing the dirty deed at our airport!
Is the person, in burgundy redshirt our building and zoning officer? Does he speak? Is he involved? Should he be? My, my, why dont we hear this person? Why only the committee members? WHAT'S GOING ON HERE? So, so many questions. Wasn't our building/zoning officer/code officer appointed by Harl? very confused taxpayer., I am.
We should seriously look at disbanding the municipalities of Peru and LaSalle and incorporating a new city, with an entirely new government based on the Council Manager form per the municipal code. The new city would be equal in size and population to Ottawa. Based on the current retail and industrial base, it's political influence would be greater than Ottawa. Finally - by combining Police, Fire, and Public Works, the cost of administering both towns together would probably be lower than it costs individually. Local government bodies need to take a hint from the private sector. One plus one does not equal two - it equals three. Once that is done, we can start merging school districts. Then, finally, we can disband the antiquated township system in this county. Townships no longer have a purpose other than waste money. Then - once everything is running smoothly we can consider transferring the management of most emergency services to the County.
8:47 - you are on to something. Often, the best way to fix something is to tare it down. There is nothing that says a municipality has to live forever. I think both Peru and LaSalle have been around long enough and the only way to get rid of the old baggage is to start over. Looking back a the history, the only thing that has prevented the towns from merging is "old money" and cronyism.
Yes 8:47 . A city that cannot put in a pickleball court or tear down a building without a lawsuit is going to show the compromise and vision necessary to completely sacrifice all of its deals and power.
I hope you were joking. If not, another option might be the planting of a magic bean field where the landfill used to be, and we can use the money from that to build a giant city in the clouds.
You will have peace in Israel before LaSalle and Peru ever merge.
Anon 9:23, old money and cronyism wasn't the problem, LaSalle wouldn't think of it back in the day they had all the retail downtown, give Peru their tax revenue when our city was financially strapped , when Peru put the mall in and downtown LaSalle retailers were disappearing you think Peru was going to bail them out with our tax revenue, I don't think so. The question would be who would benefit the most, I think LaSalle
It would be the people of both cities who would benefit because they would benefit from a combined police dept, fire dept and public works department. One superintendent for each department instead of 2, one police chief, 1 fire chief, 1 city engineer and maybe 1 city manager and that may well be the key. one manager. Plus please leave your egos at the city limit sign.
11:30, I agree. One police chief, one fire chief alone combined with LaSalle would save $150,000 easily. We need a city manager and changes need to be made.
There would also be political clout due to the combined population. More income tax revenue returned. This really should be the goal for the next ten years - figure out how to combine Peru and LaSalle.
Lois, they may be happy with their way of government just like the majority of Peru does, council and mayor. I have a lot of family living there and they're happy with it, just as I have a lot of family in Peru, and they're happy with ours. City manager is fine until he or she starts doing things you don't care for, I'll bet you would hear on your blog, we have to go back to the way it used to be
I heard that Peru has a $3 million revenue surplus this year. Why don't they send it back to the citizen's? That would be about $300 for every man, woman, and child that lives in Peru. Money in the hands of the people is ten times better than money in the government coffers.
This has to be one of the stupidest conversations ever on this blog. Making the government bigger does not create savings. You do realize this would by default raise taxes for Peru residents, right? You clearly have no idea how a business is run.
Combining Peru and LaSalle would be taking two governments and turning it into one. It would lower the combined overhead by reducing redundancies. It would provide the catalyst to cut the dead weight and keep only the top performers from both communities. Administrative staff would definitely be cut - redundant positions would be eliminated. Director positions would be combined. If the new municipal corporation is created correctly, it would be council-manager with a Mayor as only a figurehead - essentially just another councilman. Existing debt would be reissued in the name of the new municipal corporation and renegotiated. Revenue would increase due to additional sales tax and it is quite possible that the LaSalle property tax would be lowered to match Peru's - provided that the new government has fortitude.
Anon 6:40, or would Peru's property tax rate jump to LaSalle's? Everything you say bears merit, the question is in reality to get two entities to agree to your plan would never happen do to egos of both cities, it would turn into a total mess before it got started. Again as a business person it makes sense, but nobody wants to give up the power.
6:40, so do I and if you are a business person then you need to talk about something that actually lowers taxes because you obviously do not understand how this works.
What you clearly fail to see is that cutting some positions and gaining some efficiencies does not lower taxes for the community of basically the same size with the much lower tax rate and per capita burden. A few department heads and some combining of positions is pretty basic but does not compare to the general provision of the same amount and volume of services for the same population between the two cities.
There are just as many roads and parks and infrastructure items to care for. There is probably the same size police force and fire department. I could go on, but what you obviously do not understand is that LaSalle has to have a much higher tax rate on a much lower tax base to provide the same services for the same size town.
Your talk about the form of government you desire is a political opinion, with no financial basis for the suggested change. It is a different government structure that many cities have, but please post evidence that it is somehow a tax saver. it actually could very easily go the other way.
You talk about renegotiating debt without understanding that bonds are usually issued in the open market and even if one were able to negotiate, you could only do that when the bonds were callable and it is likely that our current interest rates are already very low. Also please explain how combining a city like Peru with a very strong tax base and excellent financial rating (A1 with Moody's) with LaSalle would somehow incentivize the bond issuers to "renegotiate" lower rates of return for their investors. In fact, it would have the opposite effect.
Revenue would increase due to increased sales tax? It's the same sales tax revenue for the same number of people as it is now! Except LaSalle's revenue is about a fifth of Peru's.
Property taxes are the same way, with Peru having a much stronger tax base.
This isn't a debate. By definition and without any doubt, the property tax rate in LaSalle would basically drop proportionately to the increase in tax rate in Peru to provide the same level of services for the same population.
One last thing since you are so business minded. Take a look at the city portion of Peru's property tax bill and compare it to LaSalle's. After you look at that and consider that Peru generates about five times the sales tax as LaSalle, please explain in specific terms again how Peru's tax rate would be lowered.
Our tax rate almost can't get any lower. For all of the complaining on here, we have very low taxes in Peru and combining our city with another would have the exact opposite effect of what your vague and nonsensical ideas would.
8:34 - Tax rates are relative and I think even LaSalle is considered low for the region. Also keep in mind that over the next twenty years, property tax revenue is going to increase due to the fewer number of people using the Senior Citizens Assessment Freeze and Senior Citizens Homestead Exemption. We as citizens need to watch how government responds to this and be sure they don't start spending money on useless things.
According to City Data, the median real estate property taxes paid for a housing unit with a mortgage for 2012 in LaSalle was $2,144 (2.1%). In Peru it was $2,641 (2.0%). There is no disparity between residential tax rates between LaSalle and Peru. If anything, there is a disparity in property value.
11:03 - you obviously have a dog in the race. You are cherry picking data. If a serious study is done, we will probably find out that the one of the two police departments can provide adequate coverage for both cities. One of the two fire departments could provide adequate coverage for both cities. That alone is a huge savings. Add to that the fact that LaSalle and Peru combined will be just as large as Ottawa and have a larger sales tax base you add a new player to the political landscape of LaSalle County. The population increase of the New City will draw additional Federal and State revenues. The increased political and economic clout will attract new industrial development. Don't underestimate the overhead associated with the highly paid individuals in both cities. When overhead is reduced and redundant employees are eliminated, administration of New City will probably consist a head count equal to one of the current cities. Furthermore, by combining the two cities, an opportunity will be opened to renegotiate all collective bargaining agreements. But, elimination of redundancies needs to be paramount otherwise it will not work. Roughly 25% of existing overhead on both sides needs to be eliminated on day one.
A fewer number of "government bodies" brings a fewer number of government employees. Do not try to spin the idea of combining LaSalle and Peru into a advocacy for big government. It is and advocacy for fewer governments (plural) - which by itself is a reduction in government. Illinois has more government bodies than any other state. We should do everything we can to reduce the number of government bodies - either through mergers or outright abolishment.
Because there were questions asked, answered avoided, some dissension expressed by the mayor, and some other statements made that can't be backed up with proof - are these the reasons that Connecting Point cannot get another video to work?? Has this one gone to the chipper as has other controversial ones?? I thought aldermen Radke had stated at a meeting that because we were having so many probems that Connecting Point set up a fool proof back=up system in the basement of city hall. What happened to it??
11:49 - This administration thinks we are all idiots. The truth is, a 13 year old with an iPad can upload longer videos with higher resolution and better sound quality to YouTube in half the time. Yet they tell us that a multi-million dollar IT firm with government contracts is unable to. Lies, Lies, and more lies. They, meaning Boss Harl, simply does not like it when ordinary people snoop around in government business. That is why we need to abolish the entire municipality of Peru and start over with a fresh corporate charter. Peru is beyond fixing. It needs to be abandoned and a new city needs to be formed.
Those who believe combining two cities in one are commenting for laughs and have no idea on what would have to take place. They are commenting on simple suggestions to stir the crowd to really think this could happen or is a good idea. Yes, you can combine departments or overlap services. This would be based on contracts with each city and a determined price. That is not out of the question. Read 11:03 and the issues, that makes sense. Tax rates, financial obligations, and many more issues are the most important problem in combining anything. I thought it was comical in the post made by 10:12 that stated they could get rid of highly priced salaries, in fact you may have more with the increased responsibilities that combining cities would have. If that's you main point of combining cities, that's lost. Increased political clout, that's overstated in the fact that industry locates where, when, how and depends on the economic factors. Who cares about who's in office or how many.
Its very obvious to me that a number of these post have very little knowledge of business or the city of LaSalle or Peru.
9:12 You are talking about overall tax rates, the schools are the main focus on your tax bills. Compare these from the government standpoint and the accessed evaluation of each. Much different. Of course you will answer by stating we should combine schools and bus the kids to different schools in the L-P area. Good luck with that!
If you are a tax payer would you want to pay more for less? It doesn't make sense.
Can cell phone recording of public crowds without sound be prohibited at a public airport? Can the videotaping of a criminal act in public for the purpose of turning it over to the authorities be prohibited?
City lawyers, feel free to weigh in...
"llinois Supreme Court Overturns Insane Recording Laws from the i-hear-you dept When it comes to insane bans on recording police and public officials, the granddaddy of them all has always been Illinois' eavesdropping law, which made it a federal crime to surreptitiously record any public official, even if they were amongst the public while performing their duties. The law was abused with such disregard for the Bill of Rights that court after court ruled the law unconstitutional. Those cases primarily dealt with the recording of law enforcement while performing their duties, something which ought to be a national right, given the ubiquity of cameras that are recording public citizens.
But now the Illinois Supreme Court has gone further, extending the overturning of the law such that it's no longer just law enforcement that is free to be recorded. Today's decision(PDF) extends that analysis to other public officials as well as private citizens when they do not have a reasonable expectation of privacy. The justices note that the eavesdropping ban "criminalizes a wide range of innocent conduct," including "the recording of conversations that cannot be deemed private: a loud argument on the street, a political debate on a college quad, yelling fans at an athletic event, or any conversation loud enough that the speakers should expect to be heard by others. None of these examples implicate privacy interests, yet the statute makes it a felony to audio record each one. Judged in terms of the legislative purpose of protecting conversational privacy, the statute's scope is simply too broad." It's an immensely satisfying decision that turns the country's most draconian anti-recording law on its head. Illinois politics being what they are, there may be no place in the country that needs recordings of public officials more than this state I call home. Attempts to criminalize such recordings in a way that went so far beyond privacy concerns were clearly an attempt to keep the local population at bay while corruption and illegality raged on. More impressively, the court specifically weighed the public's free speech rights against any concerns by public officials and found for the common citizen. Because the eavesdropping ban "burdens substantially more speech than is necessary to serve a legitimate state interest in protecting conversational privacy," the court concludes, "it does not survive intermediate scrutiny. We hold that the recording provision is unconstitutional on its face because a substantial number of its applications violate the first amendment." And so you can now record interactions with the folks whose salary you pay via taxes in the Land of Lincoln. Frankly, for a state known for corrupt public "servants", this has been a long time coming."
12:52 - I want to pay less for less. When you get right down to it, at least 20% of every dime spent by Peru and LaSalle is waste. You are trying to overcomplicate the situation. Contracts expire and are renegotiated. Somebody said that Peru property taxes would go up if there was a merger with LaSalle. When you look at the overall property tax, they aren't that much different now. Peru and LaSalle are not big complicated cities. One PWC department, properly run, can handle the geographic area with the same number of employees working for either one of them. You are just trying to protect city jobs. If this was actually studied - I guarantee you that a combined LaSalle and Peru can be run with the same number of employees it takes to run one city now. Setting that aside - why do our communities refuse to outsource the public works departments and the administration. There is no reason this can't be done - Hire a private company to run the PWC Department and the City Clerk's Office. There is way to much fat in local government. If a merger is out of the question, we need to force a drastic downsizing!
Really 4:56? What did Harl do when he appointed several positions to one person? Supposedly to save money. What's the difference in combining city's for one position to cover both city's to save money. Sounds like a person who has been in business to me
Having one certified knowledgeable person do more of the work he was educated or trained to do is one thing but having one person who happens to head an unrelated department take over the responsibility of departments for which they are not trained and must now learn on the job for supposedly a short time is not only inefficient it is stupid. In spite of the proclamations all is well, anybody watching closely knows it is not.
the problem is that many of the employees - across all departments - of both LaSalle and Peru as well as other Illinois Valley towns are for the most part juiced in. Friends of friends, relatives, friends of relatives, etc. We would never in a million years be able to merge LaSalle and Peru in this type of corporate culture. It will never happen, not because it is a bad idea, but because those that have been nursing from the big breast of government will not let it happen. So we might as well stop talking about it. What we can do is pay attention and make public any and all improprieties that we witness our employees participating in.
The lies and comments on here are ridiculous and 11:03 is spot on.
The current property tax rate in LaSalle is about 9.42 percent. Peru's is about 7.12 percent. This is right from the current property tax bills.
This means that LaSalle's rate is about 32 percent HIGHER than Peru's tax rate. This is a fact. Whoever talked about "2.1 percent" or whatever is completely wrong. LOOK AT YOUR TAX BILL! Dollar amounts are not percentages! The tax RATE is the percentage!
We have the same population and twice the infrastructure with the north Peru business district. Anyone who thinks that combining the cities will somehow save enough money to lower the Peru tax rate has absolutely no idea what they are talking about. It is all about the TAX BASE AND ASSESSED VALUATION not a few positions that could be saved.
I also laughed at the comment that we could renegotiate the collective bargaining agreements. They are renegotiated every time they are up. And you think it will be easier to reduce benefits for a much larger union? Hilarious.
I'll stick with my low taxes and sensible community, along with about the remaining 90 percent of the population. As for Ottawa, since they do it so much better, you might want to check out their tax rate, because it is even higher!
Anon 6:18, you couldn't have said better. Face it what was being said on this blog will never happen. Can you imagine how much the lawyers, engineers etc. will make and the political hoopla that would take place not just between the cities, but all the way down to Springfield.
6:18 - you are not correct. The combined tax bills for Peru and LaSalle are about the same. Stop spouting lies. The only thing stopping Peru and LaSalle from combining are the employees and politicians.
Excerpt from Jamie Bernstein Article, Chicago Tribune
"I also question the absence of a clear anti-harassment policy at Lollapalooza. Anti-harassment policies are becoming standard for conferences and events on non-music topics, so why doesn’t one exist for a festival where thousands of people are mingling along with alcohol and a general lack of clothes? What are Lollapalooza’s rules about touching or harassing someone without his or her consent? Who do I report an incident to if I’m groped during a show? Lollapalooza doesn’t seem to have any policy dealing with these types of issues. There are plenty of stories of sexual assault and druggings at music festivals so it seems negligent to not have a policy in place."
What is the Peru Policy for the Airport Concerts using Peru Police as security planners? Where are the training meeting notes? Spelled out policy available in the ERP?
Keyword: Negligent.
One lawsuit away from seriously damaging the city coffers.
Anon 9:42 you aren't reading you property tax bill correctly then, check the rate per $100 of value on your bill from Peru and then check your brothers in LaSalle, you will see the assessed value per $100 in Peru is $7.12, now check your brothers as I did my sisters and you will see it is 9.42 per $100 of assessed value
I've been following this town forum blog site for a couple years. Today as I was reading the newspaper I came across an articles on page A4, regarding Ottawa's Fire Chief retiring. This article of course didn't mentions what the fire chiefs salary is. However, it did mention his higher education. He has a masters degree(6 years college) In Public administration, and fire officer III certifications from the office of the state fire Marshall. (? Does one need this certification to have a title of fire Marshall In The city of peru). This was interesting because of the questions that have been asked on this site regarding Harl's appointment, etc..Maybe this article should be posted on this site so there can be discussions/comments. I didn't know where to put my comment.
12:18, that is because Peru is a Podunk backwater of a town that hires from within. Nepotism runs rampant. It is just small enough to ride under the radar but big enough to make it interesting for the likes of Boss Harl. If Peru and LaSalle where united as one town, the result would be to large for the local yokels, and maybe - just maybe we would start getting professionals to administer our city. I say we all chip in and get Boss Harl one of those white Boss Hogg suites.
It boggles my mind that there are people on here who don't understand property taxes. Look at the TAX RATE because that is all that matters. Peru's rate is $7.12 for every $100(the same as 7.12 percent) while LaSalle's is $9.42. They are not even close. These are FACTS, something that usually does not happen here. For those of you who say this is wrong, please post the correct rates. Oh and good luck with that.
There is simply NO comparison. It's not only the politicians who don't want to combine but neither do any taxpayers with any sense! Seriously! I cannot believe this is even a debate. We have FAR LOWER taxes in Peru than does LaSalle and Ottawa's rate is higher yet! FACTS!
5:23 - you are not considering everything. Peru does indeed have higher taxes than anyone in the County if you take everything into account. Dollar for dollar, it is cheaper to live in LaSalle or Ottawa (tax wise ) than Peru.
9:09 what are you talking about? You can't just say taxes are higher. This is a lie. Prove it. Facts are facts. Peru does not have higher taxes. Our property taxes are lower than these communities.
Of course the bloggers want to believe that our taxes are higher. But wanting to believe something false does not make it true.
5:44 - the point of joining the two cities would be that there would be an opportunity to reduce overhead. It needs to be studied, but I think there is a better than average chance that one of the numbers in one of the existing police force could cover the geographic area - maybe 1.5. But as you point out, one of the police chiefs would need to go, along with many of the officers.
You people think suicide girls are not coming to peru...your wrong they just booked hotel rooms in Peru and I also first hand know they will be at the event...shake your boobies peru
8:04. I don't think anyone is saying that the real estate taxes are higher in Peru as compared to LaSalle. I think people are questioning the degree to which LaSalle is higher than Peru. I think for the most part the average bill is only a few hundred dollars higher in LaSalle. Definitely less than $1,000. So at this relatively small difference should not be used as the battle cry to prevent a merger of the two towns. When the new government is formed, the revenue and costs will be equalized and a large portion of overhead eliminated.
1237 First, I truly doubt any band would book at a local hotel. Second, the tour has its own website. You can contact them to see what bands will be at what venue. Three, if the blogger knew, he/she would not divulge where these ladies booked. Four, not performing does not guarantee they will not be there, doing autographs, clothed, and getting a cut of revenues. Maybe signing and selling their concession goods, who knows. There is more secrecy around these concerts than they are worth. How charity gets paid, how they use labor, public safety plans than are not released to the public. Half a million in revenues from tickets, and at leat half that in concessions. Anyone who thinks these things have anything to do with charity needs to take a look at the money raised by a few runners who did a run to Peoria. This city and a pizza place makes fools out of the people here.
The bloggers have lost their minds. A group of 7 or 8 disgruntled unhappy people is all this blog is. sad sad sad Keep up all the good work Peru. Don't worry about this small group.
If you believe that number you are living in fantasy land. The real numbers are hundreds more than that. I am well aware of the data on the blog and what we get on a daily basis depending upon the topic at hand.
2:10 What proof do you have that there are only 7 or 8 people on this blog and that they are disgruntled unhappy people? You just blogged so does that make you number 9?
Rumors and innuendo are definitely a part of any blog. I recently sent an email to Ms. Noonan regarding the Suicide Girls performing in order to clarify any rumors on the blog.
Since the Miller Group is active in sponsoring the local suicide walk for suicide prevention; I find it extremely difficult to believe they would sponsor an event that makes light of the serious term suicide.
2:10 or number 9.....you should think long and hard before making a comment like that because you just got made a fool of by 3:21. Maybe Lois can make you a print out of the daily numbers that she has visit the blog on a daily basis.
There may be more visitors, but there are very few commenters. There is unbiased research data out there and the percentage of bloggers is a fraction of those who view the site. Lois is right.
Therefore if she has a couple hundred a day, there may be 10 to 15 commenters on a particular topic, commenting to each other. That's because the vast majority of people would never actually leave a comment. This has been pointed out before. The comments here represent a tiny fraction of the population. That is true with any blog because 85-90 percent will not comment. Look it up.
I'll tell you what, there are a bunch of people that are downright afraid of any reduction of consolidation of government around here. These people are the ones that are and have been sucking and the ample breast of government employment for almost all of their lives. I say it is time to start consolidating. Get rid of Peru Township. Get rid of Peru Public Schools and merge it with LaSalle Public Schools. Fewer governments = less corruption.
"LaSalle County has one of the highest median property taxes in the United States, and is ranked 246th of the 3143 counties in order of median property taxes.
The average yearly property tax paid by LaSalle County residents amounts to about 4.38% of their yearly income . LaSalle County is ranked 150th of the 3143 counties for property taxes as a percentage of median income."
This makes me question, what do we get for our taxes in LaSalle County? I don't see much in the form of services being returned by any local government - including the school districts. But they always seem to find time to pass out raises based solely on longevity instead of merit. They can always find money for entertainment - including goofy concerts and unnecessary sports complexes.
No offense but you can't legitimately compare counties in different states. All that matters is within a state because counties and other local governments that are forced to rely on property taxes cannot be compared to states that have very different tax structures or different types of economies, such as Texas or Florida. Show us where LaSalle County ranks in Illinois and it might be worth talking about. I'm guessing we are somewhere in the middle.
Illinois funds schools very differently so that property taxes on the main source of funding but othre states also have higher income taxes or service taxes something we don't have here.
I dont care how it stacks up but you have to comparee apples to apples.
I was told once that part of Peru's property tax levy - $50,000 - goes to the parks and recreation fund. I think it is time to do away with this - maybe cut it to $25,000 and use it to maintain the grass and paint the equipment.
5:11 That is what the rec board should be doing with the money however it seems as though the majority of their time and energy is spent on baseball, soccer, and pickleball. I have been trying for some time to get the equipment in our parks updated and repaired.
5:10 I think the number that stands out is the percentage of income going to property taxes alone. Don't you think that is a bit extreme? Over 4% of income just for owning a house? Add to that the 7.5% sales tax that many communities in LaSalle County have. Then there is the State Income Tax of 5%. Then there is the 19 cents per gallon of gasoline for the Illinois Excise Tax, 3 cents (I think) fuel tank surcharge, and sales tax on top of that. Look at your phone bill(s) - how many taxes are on that. Look at your Ameren IP natural gas bill - look at the taxes on that. All in, I bet the average citizen in this part of Illinois is paying close to 40% of their income in one tax or another. Except those that are lucky enough to make a low income and have a bunch of kids that is.
I confirmed with Lou's Lagrotto that Suicide Girls was indeed removed from the show and replaced with Pop Evil. Suicide Girls WILL NOT be re-added to the line-up regardless of rumors on this blog.
It's actually a shame that the controversial act was exposed by this blog which resulted in the promotor and city "back-pedalling" out of what certainly would have been extremely embarrassing to the Peru elected officials. If you all had kept quiet the mayor, clerk, treasurer, and aldermen would all have been exposed for what they are, incompetent and disconnected phonies!
Oh boy! I can't believe we are getting Pop Evil to come to town! Glory Be! Glory Be! This is going to make Peru the Mecca for culture in the Illinois Valley. I'm sure glad we got nice Pizza People to bring us these enlightening musical acts to our city. What would we ever do if we where not able to experience a cultural event on the scale of Pop Evil. And all for charity mind you - the Pizza Mogul expects nothing in return other than a smile and a thank you. I'm so glad we have enough tax money to fund these events. God knows what we would do if it where not for the benevolent Boss Harl's vision of investing our tax money for the betterment of our community and cultural education. I'm sure glad that I can contribute my fair share to pay for this. I know for certain I would only blow that money on something useless like food or gas if I was able to keep it. I'm happy that the Boss is looking after my money and spending it for the betterment of the community. I'm going to run out right now and wait in line at the Pizza Shack to get my Pop Evil tickets. Do you think they will get mad if I bring a lawn chair to wait in line?
I think we should revisit the dog-pull event at Baker Lake. We owe the Illinois Division of the International Weight Pull Association a sincere apology for blocking their event a number of years ago. In light of recent events Peru's new cultural expansion, I think we should reconsider their request to hold the tournaments at Baker Lake. Or better yet, we could shut down a federally funded transpiration facility to hold the event. I like the "New Peru." So full of open minded entertainment options that are bound to bring us tons of Hotel Motel taxes.
Most of us would be happy with some youth not thinking they deserve $50 k a year at 23 just because they went to college and worked for Wendys or Bergnrs Grow up IV the world doesnt work like that unless ur on a coast n still shouldnt
84 comments:
so Radke has a vague recollection of the Coke building purchase being discussed. Obviously Harl is only discussing it with his good buds, Waldorf and Lukosis.
You've got it 12:42.
How could Radtke have a vague recollection on a purchase that large? Especially being on the finance committee. He was trying to cover Harl's blunder.
Who knew what? and who didn't know. I can't get that from the discussion.
3:07 Being that only aldermen Mueller and Perez questioned why they were not informed I would assume they knew nothing about this situation. I would bet aldermen Radke, Lukosis, and Waldorf were well informed. As for the rest - who knows where they stand? They made no comment either way.
More grandstanding from a busy body Alderman and busy body bloggers on the Peru Town Forum. I heard today the Coke plant was purchased by someone else. No City money spent. Also heard the burlesque act was cancelled and this cancellation had been in the works for weeks. Much ado about nothing on both fronts. It's probably for the best that the girly show won't be in town. It might inspire people of low moral character to cheat on their spouses or foster illegitimate children. We should not have people doing the dirty deed at our airport!
I checked the Uproar Tour schedule online. The Suicide Girls have been totally removed from the lineup for the whole tour! YaY!
What no boobs?? We live in a no fun town!!! Whining about this....maybe next we can shut the blinds and not come out again
Was that Lukosus stating there was an e-mail sent out discussing that deal? I'm thinking that e mail can be FOIA'd ?
6:56 PM
LaGrotto has made the announcement of no Suicide Girls but the official tour page still lists them. Read the fine print.
Is the person, in burgundy redshirt our building and zoning officer? Does he speak? Is he involved? Should he be? My, my, why dont we hear this person? Why only the committee members? WHAT'S GOING ON HERE? So, so many questions. Wasn't our building/zoning officer/code officer appointed by Harl? very confused taxpayer., I am.
Lois, I read the fine print and I don't see the Suicide Girls listed as part of that tour anywhere???
We should seriously look at disbanding the municipalities of Peru and LaSalle and incorporating a new city, with an entirely new government based on the Council Manager form per the municipal code.
The new city would be equal in size and population to Ottawa. Based on the current retail and industrial base, it's political influence would be greater than Ottawa. Finally - by combining Police, Fire, and Public Works, the cost of administering both towns together would probably be lower than it costs individually.
Local government bodies need to take a hint from the private sector. One plus one does not equal two - it equals three.
Once that is done, we can start merging school districts. Then, finally, we can disband the antiquated township system in this county. Townships no longer have a purpose other than waste money.
Then - once everything is running smoothly we can consider transferring the management of most emergency services to the County.
8:47 - you are on to something. Often, the best way to fix something is to tare it down. There is nothing that says a municipality has to live forever. I think both Peru and LaSalle have been around long enough and the only way to get rid of the old baggage is to start over. Looking back a the history, the only thing that has prevented the towns from merging is "old money" and cronyism.
Yes 8:47 . A city that cannot put in a pickleball court or tear down a building without a lawsuit is going to show the compromise and vision necessary to completely sacrifice all of its deals and power.
I hope you were joking. If not, another option might be the planting of a magic bean field where the landfill used to be, and we can use the money from that to build a giant city in the clouds.
You will have peace in Israel before LaSalle and Peru ever merge.
Anon 9:23, old money and cronyism wasn't the problem, LaSalle wouldn't think of it back in the day they had all the retail downtown, give Peru their tax revenue when our city was financially strapped , when Peru put the mall in and downtown LaSalle retailers were disappearing you think Peru was going to bail them out with our tax revenue, I don't think so. The question would be who would benefit the most, I think LaSalle
11:21 AM
It would be the people of both cities who would benefit because they would benefit from a combined police dept, fire dept and public works department. One superintendent for each department instead of 2, one police chief, 1 fire chief, 1 city engineer and maybe 1 city manager and that may well be the key. one manager. Plus please leave your egos at the city limit sign.
11:30, I agree. One police chief, one fire chief alone combined with LaSalle would save $150,000 easily. We need a city manager and changes need to be made.
There would also be political clout due to the combined population. More income tax revenue returned. This really should be the goal for the next ten years - figure out how to combine Peru and LaSalle.
Lois, what about the debt load of each city, would that require Peru citizens to pay more in property tax
Lois, they may be happy with their way of government just like the majority of Peru does, council and mayor. I have a lot of family living there and they're happy with it, just as I have a lot of family in Peru, and they're happy with ours. City manager is fine until he or she starts doing things you don't care for, I'll bet you would hear on your blog, we have to go back to the way it used to be
I heard that Peru has a $3 million revenue surplus this year. Why don't they send it back to the citizen's? That would be about $300 for every man, woman, and child that lives in Peru. Money in the hands of the people is ten times better than money in the government coffers.
The council meeting from last Monday is still not on the city website. What's the problem?
More petitions going around in Peru about adding 4 at-large alderman? I thought 8 would be enough?
This has to be one of the stupidest conversations ever on this blog. Making the government bigger does not create savings. You do realize this would by default raise taxes for Peru residents, right? You clearly have no idea how a business is run.
4:11 PM
You weren't listening the petition is to have one per ward and 4 at large, a total of 8.
4:56 - yes I do know how to run a business.
Combining Peru and LaSalle would be taking two governments and turning it into one. It would lower the combined overhead by reducing redundancies. It would provide the catalyst to cut the dead weight and keep only the top performers from both communities. Administrative staff would definitely be cut - redundant positions would be eliminated. Director positions would be combined. If the new municipal corporation is created correctly, it would be council-manager with a Mayor as only a figurehead - essentially just another councilman.
Existing debt would be reissued in the name of the new municipal corporation and renegotiated. Revenue would increase due to additional sales tax and it is quite possible that the LaSalle property tax would be lowered to match Peru's - provided that the new government has fortitude.
6:40 sounds like a financially smart thing for lasalle an peru to do. Fair, honest hiring process for department heads.
Anon 6:40, or would Peru's property tax rate jump to LaSalle's? Everything you say bears merit, the question is in reality to get two entities to agree to your plan would never happen do to egos of both cities, it would turn into a total mess before it got started. Again as a business person it makes sense, but nobody wants to give up the power.
6:40, so do I and if you are a business person then you need to talk about something that actually lowers taxes because you obviously do not understand how this works.
What you clearly fail to see is that cutting some positions and gaining some efficiencies does not lower taxes for the community of basically the same size with the much lower tax rate and per capita burden. A few department heads and some combining of positions is pretty basic but does not compare to the general provision of the same amount and volume of services for the same population between the two cities.
There are just as many roads and parks and infrastructure items to care for. There is probably the same size police force and fire department. I could go on, but what you obviously do not understand is that LaSalle has to have a much higher tax rate on a much lower tax base to provide the same services for the same size town.
Your talk about the form of government you desire is a political opinion, with no financial basis for the suggested change. It is a different government structure that many cities have, but please post evidence that it is somehow a tax saver. it actually could very easily go the other way.
You talk about renegotiating debt without understanding that bonds are usually issued in the open market and even if one were able to negotiate, you could only do that when the bonds were callable and it is likely that our current interest rates are already very low. Also please explain how combining a city like Peru with a very strong tax base and excellent financial rating (A1 with Moody's) with LaSalle would somehow incentivize the bond issuers to "renegotiate" lower rates of return for their investors. In fact, it would have the opposite effect.
Revenue would increase due to increased sales tax? It's the same sales tax revenue for the same number of people as it is now! Except LaSalle's revenue is about a fifth of Peru's.
Property taxes are the same way, with Peru having a much stronger tax base.
This isn't a debate. By definition and without any doubt, the property tax rate in LaSalle would basically drop proportionately to the increase in tax rate in Peru to provide the same level of services for the same population.
One last thing since you are so business minded. Take a look at the city portion of Peru's property tax bill and compare it to LaSalle's. After you look at that and consider that Peru generates about five times the sales tax as LaSalle, please explain in specific terms again how Peru's tax rate would be lowered.
Our tax rate almost can't get any lower. For all of the complaining on here, we have very low taxes in Peru and combining our city with another would have the exact opposite effect of what your vague and nonsensical ideas would.
8:34 - Tax rates are relative and I think even LaSalle is considered low for the region. Also keep in mind that over the next twenty years, property tax revenue is going to increase due to the fewer number of people using the Senior Citizens Assessment Freeze and Senior Citizens Homestead Exemption. We as citizens need to watch how government responds to this and be sure they don't start spending money on useless things.
According to City Data, the median real estate property taxes paid for a housing unit with a mortgage for 2012 in LaSalle was $2,144 (2.1%). In Peru it was $2,641 (2.0%). There is no disparity between residential tax rates between LaSalle and Peru. If anything, there is a disparity in property value.
11:03 - you obviously have a dog in the race. You are cherry picking data. If a serious study is done, we will probably find out that the one of the two police departments can provide adequate coverage for both cities. One of the two fire departments could provide adequate coverage for both cities. That alone is a huge savings.
Add to that the fact that LaSalle and Peru combined will be just as large as Ottawa and have a larger sales tax base you add a new player to the political landscape of LaSalle County. The population increase of the New City will draw additional Federal and State revenues. The increased political and economic clout will attract new industrial development.
Don't underestimate the overhead associated with the highly paid individuals in both cities. When overhead is reduced and redundant employees are eliminated, administration of New City will probably consist a head count equal to one of the current cities.
Furthermore, by combining the two cities, an opportunity will be opened to renegotiate all collective bargaining agreements.
But, elimination of redundancies needs to be paramount otherwise it will not work. Roughly 25% of existing overhead on both sides needs to be eliminated on day one.
A fewer number of "government bodies" brings a fewer number of government employees. Do not try to spin the idea of combining LaSalle and Peru into a advocacy for big government. It is and advocacy for fewer governments (plural) - which by itself is a reduction in government.
Illinois has more government bodies than any other state. We should do everything we can to reduce the number of government bodies - either through mergers or outright abolishment.
Because there were questions asked, answered avoided, some dissension expressed by the mayor, and some other statements made that can't be backed up with proof - are these the reasons that Connecting Point cannot get another video to work?? Has this one gone to the chipper as has other controversial ones?? I thought aldermen Radke had stated at a meeting that because we were having so many probems that Connecting Point set up a fool proof back=up system in the basement of city hall. What happened to it??
The "Fool Proof" system is designed for Fools to provide foolish explanations to the public in an effort to fool us.
11:49 - This administration thinks we are all idiots. The truth is, a 13 year old with an iPad can upload longer videos with higher resolution and better sound quality to YouTube in half the time. Yet they tell us that a multi-million dollar IT firm with government contracts is unable to.
Lies, Lies, and more lies. They, meaning Boss Harl, simply does not like it when ordinary people snoop around in government business. That is why we need to abolish the entire municipality of Peru and start over with a fresh corporate charter.
Peru is beyond fixing. It needs to be abandoned and a new city needs to be formed.
Those who believe combining two cities in one are commenting for laughs and have no idea on what would have to take place. They are commenting on simple suggestions to stir the crowd to really think this could happen or is a good idea. Yes, you can combine departments or overlap services. This would be based on contracts with each city and a determined price. That is not out of the question. Read 11:03 and the issues, that makes sense. Tax rates, financial obligations, and many more issues are the most important problem in combining anything. I thought it was comical in the post made by 10:12 that stated they could get rid of highly priced salaries, in fact you may have more with the increased responsibilities that combining cities would have. If that's you main point of combining cities, that's lost.
Increased political clout, that's overstated in the fact that industry locates where, when, how and depends on the economic factors. Who cares about who's in office or how many.
Its very obvious to me that a number of these post have very little knowledge of business or the city of LaSalle or Peru.
9:12 You are talking about overall tax rates, the schools are the main focus on your tax bills. Compare these from the government standpoint and the accessed evaluation of each. Much different. Of course you will answer by stating we should combine schools and bus the kids to different schools in the L-P area. Good luck with that!
If you are a tax payer would you want to pay more for less? It doesn't make sense.
Can cell phone recording of public crowds without sound be prohibited at a public airport? Can the videotaping of a criminal act in public for the purpose of turning it over to the authorities be prohibited?
City lawyers, feel free to weigh in...
"llinois Supreme Court Overturns Insane Recording Laws
from the i-hear-you dept
When it comes to insane bans on recording police and public officials, the granddaddy of them all has always been Illinois' eavesdropping law, which made it a federal crime to surreptitiously record any public official, even if they were amongst the public while performing their duties. The law was abused with such disregard for the Bill of Rights that court after court ruled the law unconstitutional. Those cases primarily dealt with the recording of law enforcement while performing their duties, something which ought to be a national right, given the ubiquity of cameras that are recording public citizens.
But now the Illinois Supreme Court has gone further, extending the overturning of the law such that it's no longer just law enforcement that is free to be recorded.
Today's decision(PDF) extends that analysis to other public officials as well as private citizens when they do not have a reasonable expectation of privacy. The justices note that the eavesdropping ban "criminalizes a wide range of innocent conduct," including "the recording of conversations that cannot be deemed private: a loud argument on the street, a political debate on a college quad, yelling fans at an athletic event, or any conversation loud enough that the speakers should expect to be heard by others. None of these examples implicate privacy interests, yet the statute makes it a felony to audio record each one. Judged in terms of the legislative purpose of protecting conversational privacy, the statute's scope is simply too broad."
It's an immensely satisfying decision that turns the country's most draconian anti-recording law on its head. Illinois politics being what they are, there may be no place in the country that needs recordings of public officials more than this state I call home. Attempts to criminalize such recordings in a way that went so far beyond privacy concerns were clearly an attempt to keep the local population at bay while corruption and illegality raged on. More impressively, the court specifically weighed the public's free speech rights against any concerns by public officials and found for the common citizen.
Because the eavesdropping ban "burdens substantially more speech than is necessary to serve a legitimate state interest in protecting conversational privacy," the court concludes, "it does not survive intermediate scrutiny. We hold that the recording provision is unconstitutional on its face because a substantial number of its applications violate the first amendment."
And so you can now record interactions with the folks whose salary you pay via taxes in the Land of Lincoln. Frankly, for a state known for corrupt public "servants", this has been a long time coming."
12:52 - I want to pay less for less. When you get right down to it, at least 20% of every dime spent by Peru and LaSalle is waste.
You are trying to overcomplicate the situation. Contracts expire and are renegotiated. Somebody said that Peru property taxes would go up if there was a merger with LaSalle. When you look at the overall property tax, they aren't that much different now. Peru and LaSalle are not big complicated cities. One PWC department, properly run, can handle the geographic area with the same number of employees working for either one of them.
You are just trying to protect city jobs. If this was actually studied - I guarantee you that a combined LaSalle and Peru can be run with the same number of employees it takes to run one city now.
Setting that aside - why do our communities refuse to outsource the public works departments and the administration. There is no reason this can't be done - Hire a private company to run the PWC Department and the City Clerk's Office.
There is way to much fat in local government. If a merger is out of the question, we need to force a drastic downsizing!
Really 4:56? What did Harl do when he appointed several positions to one person? Supposedly to save money. What's the difference in combining city's for one position to cover both city's to save money. Sounds like a person who has been in business to me
3:31 PM
Having one certified knowledgeable person do more of the work he was educated or trained to do is one thing but having one person who happens to head an unrelated department take over the responsibility of departments for which they are not trained and must now learn on the job for supposedly a short time is not only inefficient it is stupid.
In spite of the proclamations all is well, anybody watching closely knows it is not.
the problem is that many of the employees - across all departments - of both LaSalle and Peru as well as other Illinois Valley towns are for the most part juiced in. Friends of friends, relatives, friends of relatives, etc.
We would never in a million years be able to merge LaSalle and Peru in this type of corporate culture. It will never happen, not because it is a bad idea, but because those that have been nursing from the big breast of government will not let it happen. So we might as well stop talking about it.
What we can do is pay attention and make public any and all improprieties that we witness our employees participating in.
The lies and comments on here are ridiculous and 11:03 is spot on.
The current property tax rate in LaSalle is about 9.42 percent. Peru's is about 7.12 percent. This is right from the current property tax bills.
This means that LaSalle's rate is about 32 percent HIGHER than Peru's tax rate. This is a fact. Whoever talked about "2.1 percent" or whatever is completely wrong. LOOK AT YOUR TAX BILL! Dollar amounts are not percentages! The tax RATE is the percentage!
We have the same population and twice the infrastructure with the north Peru business district. Anyone who thinks that combining the cities will somehow save enough money to lower the Peru tax rate has absolutely no idea what they are talking about. It is all about the TAX BASE AND ASSESSED VALUATION not a few positions that could be saved.
I also laughed at the comment that we could renegotiate the collective bargaining agreements. They are renegotiated every time they are up. And you think it will be easier to reduce benefits for a much larger union? Hilarious.
I'll stick with my low taxes and sensible community, along with about the remaining 90 percent of the population. As for Ottawa, since they do it so much better, you might want to check out their tax rate, because it is even higher!
Enough of this nonsense. Moving on!
Anon 6:18, you couldn't have said better. Face it what was being said on this blog will never happen. Can you imagine how much the lawyers, engineers etc. will make and the political hoopla that would take place not just between the cities, but all the way down to Springfield.
6:18 - you are not correct. The combined tax bills for Peru and LaSalle are about the same. Stop spouting lies.
The only thing stopping Peru and LaSalle from combining are the employees and politicians.
Who is supposed to be watering the hanging baskets downtown this year? Do they realize half of them are dead? They look terrible!
Anon 8:15, I'm sorry to inform you, you are dead wrong in your claim, I check with my sisters tax bill against mine, Anon 6:18 is absolutely right.
and 9:43 your are wrong. I checked by Brother's tax bill and we pay about the same with roughly the same assessed value.
Excerpt from Jamie Bernstein Article, Chicago Tribune
"I also question the absence of a clear anti-harassment policy at Lollapalooza. Anti-harassment policies are becoming standard for conferences and events on non-music topics, so why doesn’t one exist for a festival where thousands of people are mingling along with alcohol and a general lack of clothes? What are Lollapalooza’s rules about touching or harassing someone without his or her consent? Who do I report an incident to if I’m groped during a show? Lollapalooza doesn’t seem to have any policy dealing with these types of issues. There are plenty of stories of sexual assault and druggings at music festivals so it seems negligent to not have a policy in place."
What is the Peru Policy for the Airport Concerts using Peru Police as security planners? Where are the training meeting notes? Spelled out policy available in the ERP?
Keyword: Negligent.
One lawsuit away from seriously damaging the city coffers.
Anon 9:42 you aren't reading you property tax bill correctly then, check the rate per $100 of value on your bill from Peru and then check your brothers in LaSalle, you will see the assessed value per $100 in Peru is $7.12, now check your brothers as I did my sisters and you will see it is 9.42 per $100 of assessed value
I've been following this town forum blog site for a couple years. Today as I was reading the newspaper I came across an articles on page A4, regarding Ottawa's Fire Chief retiring. This article of course didn't mentions what the fire chiefs salary is. However, it did mention his higher education. He has a masters degree(6 years college) In Public administration, and fire officer III certifications from the office of the state fire Marshall. (? Does one need this certification to have a title of fire Marshall In The city of peru). This was interesting because of the questions that have been asked on this site regarding Harl's appointment, etc..Maybe this article should be posted on this site so there can be discussions/comments. I didn't know where to put my comment.
12:18, that is because Peru is a Podunk backwater of a town that hires from within. Nepotism runs rampant. It is just small enough to ride under the radar but big enough to make it interesting for the likes of Boss Harl. If Peru and LaSalle where united as one town, the result would be to large for the local yokels, and maybe - just maybe we would start getting professionals to administer our city.
I say we all chip in and get Boss Harl one of those white Boss Hogg suites.
It boggles my mind that there are people on here who don't understand property taxes. Look at the TAX RATE because that is all that matters. Peru's rate is $7.12 for every $100(the same as 7.12 percent) while LaSalle's is $9.42. They are not even close. These are FACTS, something that usually does not happen here. For those of you who say this is wrong, please post the correct rates. Oh and good luck with that.
There is simply NO comparison. It's not only the politicians who don't want to combine but neither do any taxpayers with any sense! Seriously! I cannot believe this is even a debate. We have FAR LOWER taxes in Peru than does LaSalle and Ottawa's rate is higher yet! FACTS!
5:23 - you are not considering everything. Peru does indeed have higher taxes than anyone in the County if you take everything into account. Dollar for dollar, it is cheaper to live in LaSalle or Ottawa (tax wise ) than Peru.
Anon 9:09, your not living in reality!!!!!!!
9:09 what are you talking about? You can't just say taxes are higher. This is a lie. Prove it. Facts are facts. Peru does not have higher taxes. Our property taxes are lower than these communities.
Of course the bloggers want to believe that our taxes are higher. But wanting to believe something false does not make it true.
you need to consider all taxes.
And people want a pool in Peru? Did you see the recent article about low numbers at area pools? They barely brake even if that. Agree with splash pad.
If there is 3 mil in revenue where is our pool? Also can't join cities what would our police chief and fire chief do run both cities?
5:44 - the point of joining the two cities would be that there would be an opportunity to reduce overhead. It needs to be studied, but I think there is a better than average chance that one of the numbers in one of the existing police force could cover the geographic area - maybe 1.5. But as you point out, one of the police chiefs would need to go, along with many of the officers.
This blog should be called "crazy town." Not Peru. Just the bloggers. Taxes are higher in Peru. Lol.
You people think suicide girls are not coming to peru...your wrong they just booked hotel rooms in Peru and I also first hand know they will be at the event...shake your boobies peru
8:04. I don't think anyone is saying that the real estate taxes are higher in Peru as compared to LaSalle. I think people are questioning the degree to which LaSalle is higher than Peru. I think for the most part the average bill is only a few hundred dollars higher in LaSalle. Definitely less than $1,000. So at this relatively small difference should not be used as the battle cry to prevent a merger of the two towns. When the new government is formed, the revenue and costs will be equalized and a large portion of overhead eliminated.
Anon 8:35, tell us what hotel their booked at, or are you just trying to stir the pot with false rumors?
1237 First, I truly doubt any band would book at a local hotel. Second, the tour has its own website. You can contact them to see what bands will be at what venue. Three, if the blogger knew, he/she would not divulge where these ladies booked. Four, not performing does not guarantee they will not be there, doing autographs, clothed, and getting a cut of revenues. Maybe signing and selling their concession goods, who knows.
There is more secrecy around these concerts than they are worth. How charity gets paid, how they use labor, public safety plans than are not released to the public.
Half a million in revenues from tickets, and at leat half that in concessions.
Anyone who thinks these things have anything to do with charity needs to take a look at the money raised by a few runners who did a run to Peoria. This city and a pizza place makes fools out of the people here.
The bloggers have lost their minds. A group of 7 or 8 disgruntled unhappy people is all this blog is.
sad sad sad
Keep up all the good work Peru. Don't worry about this small group.
2:10 PM
If you believe that number you are living in fantasy land. The real numbers are hundreds more than that. I am well aware of the data on the blog and what we get on a daily basis depending upon the topic at hand.
2:10 What proof do you have that there are only 7 or 8 people on this blog and that they are disgruntled unhappy people? You just blogged so does that make you number 9?
Rumors and innuendo are definitely a part of any blog. I recently sent an email to Ms. Noonan regarding the Suicide Girls performing in order to clarify any rumors on the blog.
Since the Miller Group is active in sponsoring the local suicide walk for suicide prevention; I find it extremely difficult to believe they would sponsor an event that makes light of the serious term suicide.
2:10 or number 9.....you should think long and hard before making a comment like that because you just got made a fool of by 3:21. Maybe Lois can make you a print out of the daily numbers that she has visit the blog on a daily basis.
There may be more visitors, but there are very few commenters. There is unbiased research data out there and the percentage of bloggers is a fraction of those who view the site. Lois is right.
Therefore if she has a couple hundred a day, there may be 10 to 15 commenters on a particular topic, commenting to each other. That's because the vast majority of people would never actually leave a comment. This has been pointed out before. The comments here represent a tiny fraction of the population. That is true with any blog because 85-90 percent will not comment. Look it up.
I'll tell you what, there are a bunch of people that are downright afraid of any reduction of consolidation of government around here. These people are the ones that are and have been sucking and the ample breast of government employment for almost all of their lives.
I say it is time to start consolidating. Get rid of Peru Township. Get rid of Peru Public Schools and merge it with LaSalle Public Schools. Fewer governments = less corruption.
An interesting tidbit of data I dug off the web:
"LaSalle County has one of the highest median property taxes in the United States, and is ranked 246th of the 3143 counties in order of median property taxes.
The average yearly property tax paid by LaSalle County residents amounts to about 4.38% of their yearly income . LaSalle County is ranked 150th of the 3143 counties for property taxes as a percentage of median income."
This makes me question, what do we get for our taxes in LaSalle County? I don't see much in the form of services being returned by any local government - including the school districts. But they always seem to find time to pass out raises based solely on longevity instead of merit. They can always find money for entertainment - including goofy concerts and unnecessary sports complexes.
No offense but you can't legitimately compare counties in different states. All that matters is within a state because counties and other local governments that are forced to rely on property taxes cannot be compared to states that have very different tax structures or different types of economies, such as Texas or Florida. Show us where LaSalle County ranks in Illinois and it might be worth talking about. I'm guessing we are somewhere in the middle.
Illinois funds schools very differently so that property taxes on the main source of funding but othre states also have higher income taxes or service taxes something we don't have here.
I dont care how it stacks up but you have to comparee apples to apples.
I was told once that part of Peru's property tax levy - $50,000 - goes to the parks and recreation fund. I think it is time to do away with this - maybe cut it to $25,000 and use it to maintain the grass and paint the equipment.
5:11 That is what the rec board should be doing with the money however it seems as though the majority of their time and energy is spent on baseball, soccer, and pickleball. I have been trying for some time to get the equipment in our parks updated and repaired.
5:10 I think the number that stands out is the percentage of income going to property taxes alone. Don't you think that is a bit extreme? Over 4% of income just for owning a house? Add to that the 7.5% sales tax that many communities in LaSalle County have. Then there is the State Income Tax of 5%. Then there is the 19 cents per gallon of gasoline for the Illinois Excise Tax, 3 cents (I think) fuel tank surcharge, and sales tax on top of that.
Look at your phone bill(s) - how many taxes are on that. Look at your Ameren IP natural gas bill - look at the taxes on that.
All in, I bet the average citizen in this part of Illinois is paying close to 40% of their income in one tax or another. Except those that are lucky enough to make a low income and have a bunch of kids that is.
I confirmed with Lou's Lagrotto that Suicide Girls was indeed removed from the show and replaced with Pop Evil. Suicide Girls WILL NOT be re-added to the line-up regardless of rumors on this blog.
It's actually a shame that the controversial act was exposed by this blog which resulted in the promotor and city "back-pedalling" out of what certainly would have been extremely embarrassing to the Peru elected officials. If you all had kept quiet the mayor, clerk, treasurer, and aldermen would all have been exposed for what they are, incompetent and disconnected phonies!
Oh boy! I can't believe we are getting Pop Evil to come to town! Glory Be! Glory Be! This is going to make Peru the Mecca for culture in the Illinois Valley. I'm sure glad we got nice Pizza People to bring us these enlightening musical acts to our city. What would we ever do if we where not able to experience a cultural event on the scale of Pop Evil. And all for charity mind you - the Pizza Mogul expects nothing in return other than a smile and a thank you.
I'm so glad we have enough tax money to fund these events. God knows what we would do if it where not for the benevolent Boss Harl's vision of investing our tax money for the betterment of our community and cultural education. I'm sure glad that I can contribute my fair share to pay for this. I know for certain I would only blow that money on something useless like food or gas if I was able to keep it. I'm happy that the Boss is looking after my money and spending it for the betterment of the community. I'm going to run out right now and wait in line at the Pizza Shack to get my Pop Evil tickets. Do you think they will get mad if I bring a lawn chair to wait in line?
I think we should revisit the dog-pull event at Baker Lake. We owe the Illinois Division of the International Weight Pull Association a sincere apology for blocking their event a number of years ago. In light of recent events Peru's new cultural expansion, I think we should reconsider their request to hold the tournaments at Baker Lake. Or better yet, we could shut down a federally funded transpiration facility to hold the event.
I like the "New Peru." So full of open minded entertainment options that are bound to bring us tons of Hotel Motel taxes.
Most of us would be happy with some youth not thinking they deserve $50 k a year at 23 just because they went to college and worked for Wendys or Bergnrs Grow up IV the world doesnt work like that unless ur on a coast n still shouldnt
Anon 8:57, what are you talking about ??
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