Either in July or August Mr McAnarney our lobbyist in Springfield will have his contract up for renewal. Is it time to pull the plug on this one? How will you tell your alderman to vote on this? I
Mr Vickery holds several position in our government relating to economic development. He started out as volunteer economic director and then his company Oval Wacker was also hired to do the same or similiar. I believe we also support IVAC and not sure if we joined the multi country organization that involved Bureau and Putnam counties.
The purpose of the new Economic Development Corporation of North Central Illinois (EDCNCI) is to forge the local governments and private business sectors of Bureau, LaSalle and Putnam counties into a team with the ability and resources to aggressively pursue economic growth and new job creation for the three-county region.
46 comments:
With so many budget cuts in Illinois right now, I am not sure how effective a lobbyist would be anyway. We would probably be better served with the actions of an Economic Development group having direct contact with companies that could locate in the the Illinois Valley.
Fire him. All he does is go golfing and get money for Harl's campaign fund.
The "fishing rodeo" is coming to Baker Lake this weekend. The park looks absolutely wonderful. It's just a shame that it can't be kept like that all season long and not just when a special event, that draws many people, occurs. If it can be done now why can't it be kept up all summer long?
This guy's only duty is to promote Peru's phony mayor Scott Harl and to distribute and solicit campaign cash in and out of Harl's campaign fund. He is paid with Peru taxpayer dollars and all he does is attend golf outings and other fundraisers with the express purpose of promoting the personal political ambitions of Harl. This is just another shameful political scam perpetrated on taxpayers by an arrogant, corrupt, narcissistic mayor with delusions that he will someday actually achieve political office outside of Peru. That will never happen.
10:16 Anything is possible. Its wasn't too long ago you were riding around town in trucks with those campaign signs. That is just one example of how easy it is to influence voters.
11:29 AM, If we are to believe what you suggest then it should be just as easy to ride around town in trucks in order to "influence voters" to run Harl out of office. Right?
10:09 You will need a good candidate prior to putting signs on your trucks. You didn't offer anything close last time to influence voters last time. Try the union hall, lodge, doughnut shop.
So are there just the same 5 or so people griping at each other over and over on this site? Genuinely curious outsider, here.
When is the next mayoral election?
12:21 PM, Apparently you are not politically savvy enough to understand that Harl would have been defeated by double-digits by Mike Hart in a two-way race back in 2013. Baker and Giordano enabled Harl to sneak by with a narrow margin. Harl can and will be defeated in a head to head election by any legitimate challenger in April of 2017. All wee need is someone to step up. Harl has never achieved more than 50% of the vote in any of three campaigns he has run. He remains hugely unpopular to most Peru residents and he is overwhelmingly despised by a majority of rank and file city employees due to the ridiculous management structure he has created with Bernabei and King. The phony political system being enforced by the ASM and PSM has employee morale as low as it has ever been. City workers and all the residual votes they command will jump at the chance to vote "against" Harl and the "mongrel system of government" he has created. One legitimate mayoral challenger and Harl and his corrupt political system will be nothing but a bad memory in Peru's long history of phony and incompetent elected officials.
Legitimate candidate is the key word----8:41! Those names you mentioned above are reruns and others who have declared there intentions like the former Alderman and former Governor candidate are make-believe and not legitimate. You will have to dig hard and give some real thought to finding a good candidate. And will that candidate follow the lead of those that got Harl elected?
Hidden in tiny print in the classified ad section of yesterday's edition of the Daily Disappointment was Notice to the Public that Peru Elementary School District is going to sell $2.5 Million in bonds to raise money to operate its schools. Why do we pay taxes if they need to sell bonds to fund operations? If they want to sell bonds and pay the interest on those bonds for many years to come why can't they justy lower my taxes to the school district and operate on bond sales? It appears they are picking up the bad spending habits of the city of Peru and they have overextended themselves. Go figure!
1:34
Hey have you not been paying attention. EVERY SCHOOL is suffering from the Money grubbing dingbats in Springfield. ALL SCHOOL FUNDING has been cut off. This is a way to keep the schools running.
Wake up
There may be a legal ad but this was on the front page of the newspaper a week or two ago. The superintendent explained the connection between the state funding and the borrowing. As much as I don't like to see borrowing it made perfect sense. In reading about this in many different papers it is the way Illinois funds its schools. There are many legislators trying to change this but they are up against the Madigan machine. I agree with 3:18 that Springfield is the problem.
3:18 PM, May 24, 2016. Local school funding has not been cut off. Regarding the bonds, it is possible that they are refinancing existing bonds at a lower rate. But I don't know. $2.5 million is not a very high bond issue and I'm skeptical... the costs are considerable just to make the offer.
Be sure to send in your LP tax increase survey and tell them exactly what you think! Especially about all the wasted money over the years that could have been used to fund the improvements they are now asking for. Especially the money they flushed down the crapper on the "sports complex," new scoreboard in the gym, salary for an "Athletic Director," contracts with "sports medicine" providers. They should have thought about all of this before trying to become a professional football and basketball team!
Tell them in no uncertain terms NO! We will not allow this to happen - especially since it is an absolute certainty that they will come back begging for more. No! Draw the line - NO!
6:42
SO what you are saying is that no public school has not had their funding cut off due to the budget impasse in Springfield?
School funding has not been cut off completely but it has been reduced significantly over a period of years which impacts different school districts differently. I read where Illinois ranks last in the country in state funding for schools and you can look that up. It is a disgrace.
No - I'm not saying that. I'm saying their local funding (from property taxes) is intact.
Right on 6:44. Time to starve them into submission. Our public schools have been a sinkhole of waste for many years. They put off required and necessary updates in favor of luxury items. Then, when the crap hits the fan - they tell the taxpayer that they need more money. Sort of like the Welfare Queen begging for food money via a Wi-Fi internet connection and the latest IPhone.
Say No to increased funding!
Please don't discuss anything as complicated as school funding on this blog. You will get crazy answers and wild opinions. Stick to personal attacks on Peru officials. Yes, that city that has low tax rates and balanced budgets.
Looks like old Harl got another $1,000 contribution from a Peru lawyer that does business with the city.
ha ha .... the precious snowflakes at LP want air-conditioning. Let them sweat.
Actually the local funding fro schools is down a lot also. This is another thing that has caused the school funding problem and has been covered in the news.
11:12 people like you contribute zero to any intellectual discussion. Fine if you don't want to raise taxes but the way yo talk about other people (city officials, elected people, schools, or whoever else) says nothing about them and everything about you. I don't even read your rants anymore and you take up way too much blog space. You have nothing to offer but sad comments that interest no one. I feel sorry for you.
I'd be happy to pay more taxes for education. The problem is that our school officials are wasteful and spend money on things that are not necessary. Then they P&M about funding. Lets get back to basics. Then there is the other half of the equation - I am a firm believer that the Mothers and Fathers need to contribute much more to the cost of education. If they have the means, then tuition needs to be increased. Perhaps a graduated program that progressively recovers costs from that have more money. If a family has one kid and they make $250K a year - they should pay maybe $5K to the school.
9;51 You have just insulted less than 1% (incomes over $250,000). Those people already send their kids to the best colleges and they aren't complaining about educational reform. They want those high prices because it gives their children a step ahead in the educational process. The rich get richer. Public education has been a right of Americans and that will continue. What will be the obvious solution to the State funding problems will be to place more financial burdens on the local tax payers. Your property taxes will go up. Your education boards will have a bigger stake in the schools. The teacher pensions will be local responsibility, State aid will dramatically change, mergers will happen. We must take pride in the schools by providing teachers with a living income and a retirement to look forward. This has nothing to do with new schools. We must get the best of the best to teach our kids. Too much emphasis locally has been placed on new school buildings. Get ready to support the operational part of your school, local taxes will be increasing. You won't have a choice in that. Your choice will be the new buildings.
By law, no one pays tuition for public schools. Anywhere. The foundation of public schools is that all kids get educated. No local school officials started this.
6:37 that would be funny if you shut your own air off. Home and work place. No air conditioning for you. Or are you a "precious" snowflake? Of course you are. Probably running it the last couple of days and it is still May. Oh, please come back and tell us how tough you are. You are so tough Mr./Miss Anonymous.
11:04 The reference was about college education. The taxing solutions will happen with local grade and high schools.
As one of many, I applaud the Peru school district for the foresight in the two new schools. We closed two and we are all set for the kids we have in the district. No more wasting money on old buildings. The foresight and vision and financial planning was excellent and it was done with the local taxpayers in mind. You can criticize schools and spending and anything you want, but would ANYONE go back to the three old schools and having to maintain them? Hell no.
Any business minded person will tell you they did it right and it could not have bene more transparent. I'm a senior citizen and I pay my share of taxes but talk about kids, money, taxes, I don't care what your take is but Mark Cross and the school board nailed it.
9:51 Socialism! You will create more deadbeats. The start will be $250,000 and in 5 years it will be $50,000. Sorry, Bernie won't be on the Nov. ballot. Next step is food.......already in. Then health care........already in. Housing....oops already in. Cell phones.....already in. Wage controls.......coming soon.
After not having to pay for anything they will only have tattoos and nose rings to buy.
To 12:13 PM, Not only are you not a senior citizen, you are very likely one of the many flunky school employees, teachers, or board members that try to promote Peru Elementary on this blog. You nailed yourself to the "Mark Cross" with your silly cheerleading comment.
11:04 AM, May 26, 2016 - I don't have my air-conditioning on yet. Generally don't during the day. Only on the hottest nights. I make use of a fan.
And we can change the law to require tuition. This is not 1880. People have jobs and income. If they have their precious little snowflakes - they need to pay for them. I also think that all Snowflake Tax Credits need to be abolished. I'm tired of paying for other peoples kids through my taxes.
How many years is the payback on Peru's Taj Mahal schools? We could build new steel buildings every 20 years and be money ahead. Spend, spend, spend and try to look like Naperville.
Now we have LP trying to bilk us for more money! NO! Not one more cent for the bloated Education Industry! Slash the budgets and consolidate! Convert to Charter Schools. Charge Tuition. Make kids pack a lunch. Stop serving breakfast. End all parental entertainment (aka organized sports). Make them get private driving lessons.
Ha! The crazies are back. Hey 1:48, how many of the 33 comments on here have you made? The answer is quite a few. I'm also a fan of how the school district has done things. Why are you a "cheerleader" if you agree with something? Why do you have to say such things about good people? Flunky school employees? You obviously don't know them. You do however sound bitter and jealous.
1:48 Most definitely a senior unfortunately. Most definitely not a school employee. I do know some of the people and have met the superintendent a few times. MJust calling it as I see it. Sorry if that offends you.
So you would go back to the three schools the district had? What have the done that is so offensive to you? Do you pay more taxes than me and therefore your opinion means more? I just think we have great schools and I think my opinion is in a strong majority of people in our community. No school board members or teachers are needed to cheer for anyting as far as I am concerned.
That's it. Just give the schools $5K per kid per year from state taxes. Have local taxes pay for the building. Call it done. If they can't teach a kid how to read and write on that then something is wrong.
Not "crazies" 5:55. There's just a couple at most. 12:41, 1:48, 3:09 and 3:16 are the same person or maybe two. It is so obvious it is ridiculous. "Snowflake" is the new preferred term to show his anonymous manliness, and he only turns on that AC at night.
Snowflake is in reference to the modern parenting technique of coddling their children. A generation of snowflakes is entering adulthood thinking that they are special and deserve free stuff and they should be free from anything the offends them or makes them uncomfortable. Well, the world is not like that. Children should be taught that in order to succeed the need to fight and work hard. They are no better then the next guy unless they prove it - and they can be replaced easily if they don't work hard every day. We should be teaching children that for every success they have, somebody must fail. If they want to achieve the next rung on the ladder of success - they need to step on somebody's hands and kick them off the ladder. And finally - there is no such thing as a free lunch!
10:32
I think we are all smart enough to get what you meant by snowflake. The problem is I think you are always the same person that brushes entire groups of people with one stroke, which is kind of pathetic. Every generation including many before us has said that the current generation of youngsters was going to do in America but somehow America gets better and better. In fact, the last few generations have been some of the most innovative and hard working in history. STOP lumping people together and having such hatred in your comments and maybe someday someone will listen to you. Not on a blog, but somewhere.
Yes some parents are overprotective but most parents I know are not like this at all. You also like to rip on the schools and you are misguided there because you clearly know nothing about the schools. I do agree that children should be taught that in order to succeed the need to fight and work hard. That is correct, but there is more to it than that. Your comments show both your character and small-mindedness. An example of that is you saying "If they want to achieve the next rung on the ladder of success - they need to step on somebody's hands and kick them off the ladder."
Actually that is not how "success" works at all, but I doubt you have much experience there. You are talking about narcissistic, self-serving people who NEVER end up at the top. Successful people learn how to navigate, set goals, be innovative, think outside the box and know exactly how to work with people to achieve success. Your comments indicate you have never been there yourself, nor do you have any experience helping a kid learn how to be successful I am guessing. I could be wrong but if I am, it's not because you just presented what you say here. Life is a little more than just that.
All I know is the more your talk, the more people don't want to listen to you and your twisted views of the world. Good luck to you.
12:24 PM, May 27, 2016 - successful people learn how to use those that are easily manipulated.
10:32- God help us if you are teaching our kids anything. You have no idea what success means or how to achieve it. Successful people do not succeed at someone else's failure and they absolutely do not "kick people off the ladder." Truly successful people make the ladder bigger so more people can fit on the rungs.
Congratulations to the city's electric dept and former mayor baker on their award. We are very fortunate to have those resources in our city. Wasn't it harl and his group that wanted to shut them down a few years ago -sell it off to another company and now he is there to accept an award-does anyone else see how bizarre that is? He had nothing to do with their success
5:22 AM, You are half-right. Neither Harl, Lukosus, or any other current elected official deserves any credit for any electric department success. The workers that keep it going deserve "all" the credit. NOBODY ELSE. What you are wrong about is anybody wanting to "shut them down a few years ago". That was one of many scare tactics used in 2009 by Baker to convince weak-minded Peru voters like you to keep voting for "The Don". You nit-wits were telling each other "they are going to shut down the airport and sell the hydro-plant". The sky is falling, the sky is falling! What will we do without Don to tell us? Don's time was up and now it's time to dump his "cheap imitation" Scott(Promise-Breaking Scotty) Harl. Meat-head Peru voters like you need to be dragged kicking and screaming to support an honest and honorable person to lead Peru. Someone is out there who will deliver us from the evil currently in power. Someone is surely out there.
In order to have success somebody must fail. That his the simple truth. The definition of success is up to each individual. So, if you have low expectations, there can be more success.
Hey 9:34
If you know so much about how the city is run why don't you RUN for office.
That way all us MEAT HEADS can follow you. NOT, you don't have the backbone to run for office.
I don't know who will run but someone will, how about a one on one race.
Run for office in Peru? LMAO! That just does not happen. If you are not in "the club" every member will walk door to door telling people not to vote for you. You have to be chosen to run for office.
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