LaSalle Insider

Wow, here we are at the end of another year AND another decade!  It’s amazing to me how fast this decade has flown by.  It seems like yesterday that we were all concerned about the Y2K bug and the shutting down of all computer operations worldwide at the stroke of midnight.  The increased usage of the Internet has been mind boggling since that time. I cannot remember a day that I haven’t accessed it for one thing or another.  But like cell phones , we now wonder how we ever got along without them.

This year has had its share of  events starting with the the swearing in of our first black president.  I love when barriers are broken and this was a monumental one.  I do hope  as we go forward  that we  are now comfortable enough to question the policies of an african american candidate without being termed a racist.  I have my black candidates but they don’t reflect the same ideals as President Obama.  I do admire Justice Thomas for his take on what America should stand for and it is 180 degrees from our current President.

On a decade level we have seen equal opportunity for both parties to be corrupt here in Illinois.  With former Governor Ryan in jail and  “Blago” awaiting trial, there is no one party that can claim the high road.  My suggestion for the upcoming state and federal  elections is to vote for the person who promises the “least”.  Regardless of party I think we are safer using that as are determining factor.

Locally we saw three long serving mayors go down in defeat in April.   Its still too early to really determine if voters made the right decision.  I think they deserve a year under their belts before we can rate any of them.

We opened this decade with the most horrific attack I have ever witnessed. The events of 9-11 will forever be seared in my brain. Unfortunately we are still dealing with the same enemy  to this day.  We narrowly escaped another terrorist act on Christmas day in Detroit thanks to the fast action of a Dutch passenger on board the plane as it landed.  I truly believe that we have to come to grips that we are at war with an enemy who wants to see the death of all Americans.  We are not dealing with individuals who need their day in court.  We must take all steps necessary to keep our country and our people safe.  We need to target the enemy and not continue to treat everyone as a terrorist suspect.  There is no need to pat down grandmas just so we are politically correct and not  accused of profiling!  We need to narrow our focus on the obvious and most likely individuals who mean us harm.

And finally as a new year begins my thoughts turn to whats important in my life.  As I grow older I realize that  the things that once were important have taken a different spot on the list.  Striving to make a lot of money and acquiring the luxuries of life take a back seat to taking care of one’s health and enjoying one’s family.  All the riches in the world  are worth nothing without your good health and family and good friends to share them with.  I resolve in 2010 to take the time to let more people know how much they matter to me.  And to get a head start let me thank all of you who took the time to stop by here any time this year to read and or offer your thoughts on the various topics we have covered.  WhetHaher we agree or agree to disagree, I appreciate the time you take out of your day to check in.  Happy New Year everybody!

I had the opportunity to share a few hours at the United Way last Friday with some fellow realtors from Coldwell Banker.  Ellen Credi had asked us to sign up for hour shifts on the 11th to represent our realty office. I have to admit I was overwhelmed with the amount of toys and games and Christmas items that were donated.  At a time when our area is being hit hard by a sky high unemployment rates and a general depression about the future of our economy is was extremely heart warming to see that so many people still give from the heart at Christmas.  The format was different this year, in that appointments were necessary to receive your children’s gifts.  Also with the new setup people were not forced to wait in lines outside of a warm building.

I congratulate the staff of the local United Way for  a job well done. I was  assigned  to haul gifts out to cars for those who needed a hand.  The smiles I saw and stories I heard made it time well spent.  Many children who may have ended up with nothing will find a few gifts this Christmas  due to the charity of people they may never know.   Just another reason to be  proud of our local area!

It appears that the “Miracle On First Street” was well received and I am glad to hear that.  I made it down for the Tree lighting and open house portion of the events.  I must say the pictures on display of the past were interesting to look at. Thanks Boo for the donation….I have and will continue to support city events for the public but I will always  investigate the costs to insure the tax payer is getting the best bang for their buck!

I must mention also that Mayor Jeff made a good MC!  He enjoys the Christmas Holiday and it shows.  I told him as much at City Hall.

A personal note to the “bloggers” at the news-tribune on line:

I have not posted anything to the paper that I did not affix my name to. I will not use a false name to make a comment.  My stance has always been to be open and honest with my comments and I welcome those individuals to come here and ask any questions they may have.  I will not waste my time answering questions at the paper’s site.  I have shown to be available to anyone who has a question of me. I have also answered any questions the press has had provided I know who is asking the question.

And finally…this website was created by me with technical help from Pam Broviak, who is well schooled in that area.  Pam has never written any of my articles, although she is welcome to submit articles of her own. This is the same offer I make to any of you readers who would like to do the same.

The news I offer is news which is not available from the news tribune or news which the staff at the News-tribune  have decided not to include in their paper.  It was never my plan to mimic the local paper.  I want things that are of local concern which you can’t or don’t find in the paper.

I don’t employ a staff and do not have the time to cover all the news in the area  and quite frankly don’t want to.

Thanks for stopping by….