Column: A grand tradition - LaSalle News Tribune - LaSalle, IL
It is a liberating feeling to sign your name to what you think and believe. I also understand that many people are not in a position to do so. Sometimes I think that is the only way Peru will change is when people have the courage pro and con to sign their names. It is not only the critics of this administration but also the opponents of this blog who will not sign their name and that also says something about the city we live in. Take a minute and read this op ed by a N.T. reporter about the thought.
18 comments:
If not for fear of retribution by our city officials, police dept and fire dept, I think most people would sign their names. But it's a small town and it holds grudges, so I will remain anon!
Every so often this subject resurrects itself and almost all agree that signing ones name would be a positive except for all the facts that 12:55 PM has stated and which all bloggers know to be true.
Recently comments have been made about a Route 6 group. Who are members of this group and how did they become members? Where is this group getting its funding and what is their intention?
The questions above are good and fair questions but I also will not sign my name in fear of retribution.
Ms. Stella you have authored a very good article but not convincing enough to persuade most to sign their name to their comments in a town which has such vindictive methods that more than one elected city official will not talk to another elected city official.
It sounds like the company that purchased the Hennepin steel plant might be scrapping the facility - removing all the remaining metal and tearing the building down.
The issue has never been anaymous or not. It is about worthwhile and accurate commentary. Something of substance that reflects thought and a position of debate. When pure conservative of liberal tripe is posted, it lessens the value of the blog.
The news Trib reporter should also recognize that is precisely the lack of hard hitting journalism that has allowed the area to go into decline, to hide it's secrets, and have patronage and graft be the norm rather than the exception. The media here has been so passive , and has fostered a position of nothing to see here when it's certain families or politicians. Even party affiliation does not matter. It's advertising dollars at stake, and that is part of the IV retribution culture.
7:20 Your question, as many, is a legitimate one and one that someone from the city should be able and willing to answer. I can tell you that the committee was started by B. Vickrey and I believe he hand picked his members (they were not appointed by the mayor and city council as all other committee members are). However, I do not know who they are, where they meet, nor when they meet. I can tell you that they intend to offer Rt. 6 businesses an incentive to do some upgrades to the outside of their businesses. The city has set aside X amount of money for the project.
7:44, do you think the peru city council bought it for a dollar to get the scrap value? ha ha ... .but seriously, it sounds like a big boondoggle getting ready to happen. If he scraps the plant, what are the chances that this one man LLC is going to clean up all the bad stuff like asbestos? I smell something bad around the corner with the government left holding the bag.
6:46 What you really want is the ability to control the press with lies or conspiracy. Professionals utilize real sources not imagination before they write stories. You want fiction, drama, mystery. Start you own news! I apologize, you have. Its called the blog.
Anon 6:46 AM You deserve a compliment on your outstanding comment.
Anon 4:08 PM I as 6:46 want stories which pertain to the local community and are not 2nd night copies of the Ottawa newspaper. Recent articles about used car sales, as well as many other uninformative front page subjects featured in the local daily fish wrapper have no purpose and contribute nothing to our local area.
The blog is much more open minded and open to discussion plus investigative than the well disciplined, hand tied by the wrists mitten wearing professional writers of the local 3 to 5 page daily earth shaker printed in LaSalle.
Recently public comment was extensively focused on legalizing medical drugs and a particular location. Has anyone realized that all arguments used aginst one particular location could be used for any location.
Also when one obtains legal medical drugs what is to prevent them from selling them to some form of black market rather than using all of the drug themselves?
Do you think that the elected officials making these decisions have the experience, background, education and knowledge that is needed for such a decision of ultimate importance affecting our life's? Remember you are dealing with a group which did not know they were missing a dump truck for several days.
Off topic but votes are in and Mautino wins over long. Prediction is here is what the republicans are up to: file for recount, pay lawyers to keep the election in the news, go to court if necessary and keep this news as long as it takes. The inside comments of the party is "don't care about the will of the majority in our democracy, lets play politics and keep dirtying this democrat up because after a while the dumb voters might buy it" Sorry but I cant stomach this. Shades of Peru Township attacks on some very good lifelong Peruvians and their families all at the hands of some mean spirited politicians. Second prediction is this will backfire and the local R's will feel abandoned by their leadership. Just sayin.Full disclosure I tend to vote democrat on local and republican on federal.
Author Thomas Carlyle said: "Burke said there were Three Estates in Parliament; but, in the Reporters' Gallery yonder, there sat a Fourth Estate more important far than they all."
We have no independent press in the Illinois Valley that is willing to report on the goings on of our government - the government being largely influenced if not controlled by established business men. A crony hierarchy - maybe it is better described as a cast system - has come to being in our region. It has taken many years, but even a blind man can see that outsiders are not welcome at all. To top it off, many of the established cronies view government as a supplemental - if not primary - source of revenue. They have entrenched themselves into the business of government - everything from engineering and maintenance of infrastructure to pseudo economic development in which the developers gain on both sides - sharing in tax revenue through sales tax rebates and TIF Zone incentives - while collecting the actual business revenue as well.
Meanwhile our independent press is incapable or unwilling to report on these complicated ties for fear of loosing advertising revenue or even social standing in the pyramid of cronies.
So the "Fourth Estate" is left to bar room talk and Internet exchanges - every rumor, while maybe no wholly true, contains a snippet of truth. And the famous man said, if you want to know the truth, all you have to do is simply follow the money.
11:42, the "legal" pot will, in all likely hood, be much more expensive than the "illegal" variety. This entire "medical marijuana" scheme is just that - a scheme by the government to make money on the backs of sick people. Why not just give them a prescription card, a pack of seeds, and some potting soil? Mark my words, recreational use will be voted on by the Illinois House and most likely passed in 2015.
Anon 9:06 AM
Guessing, I take it that you are a resident of Peru and for some reason have suspicions of the governments business abilities. Could these thoughts be instigated by the motel-hotel city financed demolitions North of Interstate 80.
Sadly local city politics has drawn politicians with limited vision therefore individuals who appoint others who have limited vision down the road. Possibly medical marijuana should be dispensed out of city hall council chambers because to hallucinate and dream at least creates hope.
7:44, this is the first time that Mautino faced a serious challenge. For what it is worth - I made the mistake of voting Democrat in 2008. Never again. If there is only one person on the ticket, I leave it blank. My prediction is that the Republican party will pay for a recount and toss out enough votes to put Long over the top. Our ballots are filled out by hand and I'm sure that enough stray marks will be found.
Since Mr. Mautino - in my opinion - has never actually been elected (remember he was appointed to his father's seat and has only had one real challenger, often running unopposed) - it will be good for us to actually have an elected representative.
If the recount does not work, then the campaign for the next election should start now.
Anon 9:05 AM
The Rt. 6 committe is a ad hoc committee which means it should be independent of tax payers funding, although it appears that the Mayors' appointed volunteer is utilizing his expense account otherwise. The city council has created a paticipative fund to entice downtown businesses to modernize and update building frontage. The Route 6 committee has offered nothing and neither has the Director of Community Development besides desert on the citys expense account at the taxpayers expense to this ad hoc committee.
What is the present cap on the Director of Community Developments expense account? Isn't this the same person who appoached the county board for the same position and was refused immediately?
@9:28; you must be careful what you wish for. Mautino has an A+ Rating from the National Rifle Association and is indorsed by the Illinois State Rifle Association. Long only has a B and has no legislative voting history to back it up. I think Long would compromise gun rights in exchange for other Republican priorities. We cannot allow that to happen and that is why I voted for Mautino.
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