Letters to the editor: Peru officials need to explain their generosity toward James Hardie - LaSalle News Tribune - LaSalle, IL

Letters to the editor: Peru officials need to explain their generosity toward James Hardie - LaSalle News Tribune - LaSalle, IL

WHO Declares that Glyphosate Herbicides Probably Cause Cancer - Sustainable Pulse

WHO Declares that Glyphosate Herbicides Probably Cause Cancer - Sustainable Pulse

Intimidation of a woman by Peru Alderman Dave Waldorf

Intimidation of a woman by Peru Alderman Dave Waldorf

Video of City Council Meeting from March 23 is Available on City Web Site

The complete video is available for viewing on www.peru.il.us.

The clip I posted was a part of this meeting, the complete video with the public comments in their entirety is on the above url.

This Election is Becoming More and More About Status Quo

Corruption is about greed and private interests put ahead of the public good. Influence that is bought through a bribe, outside spending, outside income or campaign contributions, the public suffers in the same way. Until we move past scandals toward structural change, our democracy will suffer, too.

We shall add No Bid Contracts, Election Interference and Cronyism and Favoritism. When the elected become so concerned during the election process that they disregard what is legal and what is not, the people will suffer the consequences for the benefit of a few. When the voters become tools in the hands of public officials because they trust them, we no longer have an honest and responsible  government and the ballot box has become a tool to retain power by a few.

Look at the quote on the right side of the blog about public officials.

James Hardie Transformer Issue as to City of Peru

These are the facts and it is up to you as to whether it is a legit issue or not.

"Faults" to the transformer were caused by James Hardie equipment dating all the way back to 2006 and 2007.  The transformer was removed last summer, shipped out for repair, and returned to service last fall at a total cost of $131,000 including city labor.

Peru taxpayers paid all the cost.

The company that repaired the transformer confirmed in their report to the city that the damage was caused by the "Faults" sustained by the transformer from James Hardie factory equipment.

Ald. Lukosus admitted in the Public Services committee and noted in the minutes of January 5, 2015 that the damage was caused by James Hardie but the city was going to pay all the costs, anyway.


There appears to be no record of any kind indicating who, where or when the actual decision was made to charge Peru taxpayers the cost to repair the transformer.  BUT if the issue was discussed in a Closed Session of the full council or any committee, it would not fall into any category of topics that can be legally discussed in closed session as we interpret the legal reasons.

Going to the record of the posted video a few days ago when the mayor was questioned as to why there is no record, his reply was "nobody brought it up".

That kind of sounds like, if you the resident isn't watching all the time, we can certainly do what we want and no one will be even aware that it happened.

TRANSPARENT IN PERU

#jameshardie
#taxpayerfunds
#norecords

Newly Scheduled Meetings at City Hall Peru IL

1. Tomorrow March 26, the new Administration Task Force developed by Mayor Harl for the purpose of putting a City Administrator in place in Peru to work for him.  Time is 4 PM at City Hall. Public is Welcome so please come if possible.

2. Public Services will be on Monday March 30 at 10:00 am. Committee of Lukosus and Waldorf, Mueller and Sapienza. Some of the usual people not able to attend, so come if you can.

Peru IL City Council Meeting March 23 Campaign Signs Public Comment

Short Video of the Public Comment At Tonites City Council Meeting

There was a short video done by a private citizen this evening at the City Council meeting. If you happen to use FB, check out a posting this evening on the Peru Town Forum blog FB page.  I don't have access for it now to put on the blog web site.

This video shows the arrogance of some of the members of the council and the lack of knowledge also.

This video on the morning after being posted has received almost 7,000 views.  Keep in going and if you do not have a FB account, get in touch with your neighbor, relative and view it.  Enlarge for a great video view.

#Peruelection
#Perucitycouncil
#Perupubliccomment

Thank you for Helping to Clean Up Our City

Special thanks to Peru Cub Scout Troop-  Wrestlers from L-P high school with coach-Matthew Rebholz St.Bede wrestler- Brandon Edens, along with Numerous residents  of Peru who gave up there time to volunteer to help clean up Peru.  This is the second week this group has been out.

Thanks to all of our volunteers:-) as a part of Alderman Perez' spring clean up.

Next clean up day will be next Saturday:-) Please join us!

Letters to the editor: Political signs not always in keeping with the law - LaSalle News Tribune - LaSalle, IL

Letters to the editor: Political signs not always in keeping with the law - LaSalle News Tribune - LaSalle, IL


Noted today that most voters should be aware of the arrognace shown by some elected officials in Peru with their in your face disregard of an ordinance they passed. Anyone who reads the Peru Town Forum blog or reads the News Trib. now should know that legal or not some of our aldermen will do whatever they want to that they think will get them re elected to the Peru City Council.

#PeruIL
#Perucitycouncil
#Peruelection

What Good Are Ordinances?

We currently have 2 aldermen Dave Potthoff and Dave Waldorf who are in violation of the sign ordinance and knowlingly have done this.

But the ordinance gives them 30 days to remove (CORRECTION - THE 30 DAY WINDOW IS FOR CHARITY ONLY AND NOT TO POLITICAL SIGNAGE)    When Ald. Perez put up a sign at 251 and Shooting Park RD, he was notified by King and IMMEDIATELY took it down. King has been notified about this and if the above mentioned aldermen wish to delay until after the election they can legally do so.  What a joke this is!
When people joke about lawless in Peru they are not kidding. How will the ASM and DSM handle the problem, we have an ordinance adopted by the offenders who then turn around and break the law.
Waldorf still has 2 signs in his yard.
The Potthoff signs are 4 x 8 and located at 251 and Shooting Park, Shooting Park and Peoria and N. Peoria at the O'Beirne residence.

Rahm's War Chest: Which Aldermen Got the Most Money from Mayor's Super PAC? - Downtown - DNAinfo.com Chicago

Rahm's War Chest: Which Aldermen Got the Most Money from Mayor's Super PAC? - Downtown - DNAinfo.com Chicago

We don't need to worry about Rahm and just maybe he will be defeated. But we all know that this is going on in Peru big time.  Past experience tells us that and our mayor also has a war chest. Peru imitating Chi Town.

Don't Like The Way It is Done in Peru.....Run For Office

For months if not years, the comment keeps being made "if you don't like the way it is, run for office. So someone does and takes out a petition for the 3rd ward aldermanic seat. He is doing what people here on the blog have been telling people to do.

So someone does but only he is not a part of the present city council and not friends with any of them and in fact has made criticisms of some of their decisions. Honest criticisms.

So now here we have someone that decided he wants to serve Peru in an elected capacity.  I believe he has the credentials to do so and probably is more qualified to serve than the current alderman but that is up to the people to decide.

Oh wait the current aldermen think they should have a say in this, not all but some of them.  They decide to promote and work for and put signs in their yards for the present alderman.
Why? Don't they believe in honest and fair elections and staying out of what is none of their business.

I remember when Mike Radtke was running for First Ward alderman and saw a Ald. Mertel sign in Ald. Ferrari's yard and he said that he didn't know if he could work with Ald. Ferrari since  he was publicly supporting Ald. Mertel who was his opponent.  Well Mike won and found out he could work with Ald. Ferrari on the council.

So now we have a situation where the 3rd ward alderman running for re election has legitimate, honest competition and evidently some of the others now think they have to actively support him because gee what will they do if his opponent wins. What ever happened to integrity???

Thiis just one of the reasons we need term limits on all elected offices.  People begin to believe they are entitled and start either on their own or through their friends and cohorts begin to do things that are unethical and in my opinion slightly dishonest.  Saying this is the way we have always done it just doesn't cut it anymore.  The alderman should run on his record of the past 8 years and if that doesn't work, he will be defeated.

The problem is that record will not bring in that many votes without a little....(you can finish this by yourself, I am sure)

Malicious Mischief or Dirty Election Politics

First time in 10 years I have had a political sign removed from our yard. Do you suppose it is because the 3rd ward alderman has opposition that is working the ward and meeting people and telling them about what he would like to work for in this city if elected. Or perhaps he is angry about your blogging posts.

BTW this is the only sign in my yard.

This election was only going to be a watch and let the people decide but  .....

#Peru IL
#elections
#aldermen
#municipalelection

City of Peru Sign Ordinance Re: Political signs

Both should be aware since one is a seated alderman and the other is a past alderman. Do they not know the ordinance?

Zoning Violations Building Permits Political Sign Violations

Evidently no one is in charge at Peru City Hall.  These are pictures I have taken over the past 6 months. I notified our zoning inspector October 1 and reminded him one other time that nothing was being done to remove this shanty from the back of this apartment. Would the landlord care?  I doubt it and evidently the city does not either. Do we allow construction without zoning and permit ordinances. Evidently they are enforced on a who you are system.
Please click on photo to get a proper view.

Why do so many people want to get into this city hall? - LaSalle News Tribune - LaSalle, IL

Why do so many people want to get into this city hall? - LaSalle News Tribune - LaSalle, IL

This newspaper gets so many complaints and I hope that the Peru incumbents and opposition candidates get this same opportunity to put their beliefs into print. Then hopefully you can get back to them and continue the conversation if you need more information.

St. Patty's Day parade coming to La Salle - LaSalle News Tribune - LaSalle, IL

St. Patty's Day parade coming to La Salle - LaSalle News Tribune - LaSalle, IL


Can we expect to see the new Peru float in the St Patrick's Day Parade in LaSalle?

Well Said and This is an Excellent Thought to Concentrate Upon

Regarding the 1st Ward alderman who is "setting the record straight" on city workforce numbers. It is interesting thatRadtke chose not to explain the specifics in terms of department numbers. I would be very interested in hearing from the "rumor squashing alderman" about how many people were employed in the municipal building and how many there are today, including the one they agreed to hire on Monday. Lots of money being poured into salaries, office construction, office furniture, computers, cell phones, laptops, etc. Mr. Radtke decided not to explain in any detail the current trend of Peru's hiring spree.
Radtke also failed to mention how many current Peru employees could be eliminated by a City Manager. He also failed to mention how many current salaries could be reduced by a City Manager. Radtke and the other Rubeer-Stampers will never authorize a legitimate "analysis" to determine if there is benefit and efficiency to be gained by switching to Council-Manager form of government. They won't do allow it because they know an honest analysis would provide a recommendation in favor of a City Manager and they are severely threatened by having their "power and influence" reduced by honest and professional management. Why do you think Waldorf was turning "Thirty Shades of Red" when Potthoff described the need to include "City Manager" in the wording of the ordinace to authorize the researech committee for city administrator? They are very threatened by the thought of honest management practices by an "outsider". When elected officials become so full of themselves and so self-important as most of Peru's elected officials have, they begin to actually beleive they are qualified to run the day to day operations of the city. Regardless of the fact that they possess no actual knowledge or understanding of what the hell they are doing. When quality leadership is absent as it is in Peru, and each and every critical decision is based solely on politcs and political influence, as it is in Peru, the daily operations of the city become nothing more than a political free-for-all and a popularity contest where the citizens end up as the least represented group in the city. That is what Peru has become and that is exactly the way most of Peru's elected officials want to keep it. Peru citizens better wise up and rise up and start replacing the phony elected officials currently in office. Does anybody agree with me? Anybody?
BTW, Waldorf knows very well the business card w/city logo is improper if not illegal, but that is how he rolls as an alderman. No-Bid contracts are improper if not illegal too. When you are as intelligent and gifted as Mr. Waldorf apparently believes he is, the rest of us just become insignificant.

8:11 AM, March 11, 2015 

---

Above written by Anon.

More food for thought from me.  I understand the west side of city hall has been redesigned and furnished to accomodoate all the new "heads of state" we now have in place.  A talented wood working member of the Public Works Department did the work and the city paid for it.  Kinid of like the BB gun range. Will the Police Chief and Fire Chief now have 2 furnished offices?

Sorry About the Condition of This Card

What Has the Lobbyist Done For Us Lately

Last summer Mayor Harl broke the tie vote on the city council amd time for a fact recheck as to whom voted to retain him and who voted against the rehire.

James Hardie Surprised With Sale Of Railroad By Peru | The Ottawa Tribune

James Hardie Surprised With Sale Of Railroad By Peru | The Ottawa Tribune

Must have been another closed door discussion and decision. Only one aldermen was able to get to the truth on this. This business must not be on Mayor Harl's likeability list.

Mark your calendar, meet the candidates - The Times: Local

Mark your calendar, meet the candidates - The Times: Local

Just an example: Ottawa, Marseilles, Streator and Utica.   Will LaSalle Peru have something close to this? Keeping my fingers closed and please post if you know something.

This Will Not Be a Forum for Political Campaigns

This is a post I had not planned on and it is sort of off the cuff on my part. Today I have had a few too many "political" comments and due to the nature of them, I will not post and I am asking you not to send them in to the blog. If any of the candidates wish to write in with a comment, I will post it but any negativity that comes after that I will not.

You can write in only what is positive about any of the candidates with no added negatives about who they are running against. The N.T. will undoubtedly will write up the qualifications and background of all of them, so be patient it will come. Because of the heavy involvement of Mayor Harl in this election as in the last, this becomes necessary for all of us to keep it all on a level playing field.   How do I know that?  It is a small town and nothing is a secret.  Many of us were caught off guard last time and it will not happen again. So keep it clean and honest and forget the back stabbing even done politely.

Nepotism Unethical In Glendale Heights And Other Public Offices

Nepotism Unethical In Glendale Heights And Other Public Offices


BGA is right on with this post by Andy Shaw.  It should extend out to best friends, neighbors and second cousins.