LaSalle Insider

So let me see if I got this right….the mayor meets a former alderman/friend in a bar and between them they decide to create a handshake deal to rent a building to store expensive city equipment and the mayor thinks no written agreement needs to be created.  He then has no discussion with the council about this arrangement and instructs his comptroller to issue checks to Terry Mack with no explanation on the billing.

This “deal” goes on from October until April and no one on the council is made aware of it by anyone within the city operations.  The only reason  anyone finds out about this is because I was told by the former alderman that this deal took place.  Is there anyone out there who thinks this is the proper way to run city government?  If there is than you must be related to the Mayor or expect something from him for your support.  If this story was coming from the city of Chicago instead of LaSalle the Chicago papers would be demanding an investigation….

Let me clear up some errors in reporting this story by the local press and also statements made at last night’s council meeting that were incorrect…

The issue as I see it was never whether we needed additional heated rental space but the fact that the Mayor thinks he has full authority to make spending decisions without council consent .

The only time this is acceptable is if it is an emergency situation and even then most Mayors would at least try to reach the finance chairman and inform him.  Am I the only one who finds it strange that Mayor Grove did not discuss this with any alderman and it lasted six months?

The statement made that this bill(s) were approved by the council is less than honest.  These checks appeared  on internal forms only accessible to the finance committee.  They are on a list which would list bills already paid by the city.  The mistake is that all other bills on that list would have been previously approved for payment by the council at earlier meetings with the exception of the checks issued to Terry Mack. These payments were made without first being approved by the Council.

The Mayor suggested last night that this has been the policy for the last 15-20 years as far as the handling of bills.  I have been on the council for over eleven years and have never seen a time when a payment was buried in this fashion so as not to raise any questions by the council.  He went so far as to accuse the former Mayor of this type of activity but presented no evidence to back up  his claim.

Bottom line Mr. Mayor is this…if this was such a  good idea why did you feel the need to hide it from the Council?   And more importantly are there other deals you have made that the Council doesn’t know about?

Remember its the people’s money…not yours…and there are rules you need to follow.

PS -If the equipment had been vandalized or damaged in a fire do you think our insurance company would pay?    You would be wrong.  The absence of a written agreement and the building owner not naming us as an additional insured on his policy would leave us with an uninsured loss.  I believe that equipment is valued in the hundreds of thousands (sewer Vac).  If this had been discussed by the council this information would have been brought to the floor and the risk would not have been there….

This past monday at our council meeting we were treated with a presentation from the Illinois department of Agriculture with an assist from the United States Department of Agriculture.  It centered on the  Emerald Ash Borer, an insect apparently out to kill every Ash tree it can sink its teeth in.  Now I appreciate trees as much as the next person but the presentation really woke me up to how much tax money we spend on issues which are not of central importance in today’s economy.

Let me explain…we received before the presentation 22 pieces of literature about the insect.  I also received a nice pen,a magnetized  sticker,and a cloth carrying bag.  All material was printed in color and high gloss paper for the most part.  They included a nice green folder to carry all the information.

Add to the fact we had two people presenting who I am sure were on the payroll clock and you begin to see my point.  I am not blaming the employees here as I understand its their job to sound this alarm about this insect, but the cost of all of this has to be in the hundreds of thousands before its all finished.  There  is a web site for the insect as well and webinars people can view.

With a State in a 13 billion dollar hole and a federal government with a 2 trillion dollar deficit, isn’t it time we cut back on programs which are not vitally necessary to our daily lives?

Its time we furlough some State and Federal  employees and shut down some offices until we get our fiscal house in order.  Government has never  not found a way to spend every tax dollar we send them.  And currently they are spending dollars they don’t have.   The talk is to raise the State income tax rate to 5% from 3% and add another dollar tax to cigarettes.

You seniors will be paying regular payroll taxes on your social security  checks as well if they get their way….

And this is only the State changes….we haven’t even seen what changes there will be on the federal tax levels yet.  Isn’t it time we really made an effort to reel in all of this government we have created ?

On one of the fliers they refer to the Emerald Ash Borer as the “Green Menace”…I think the real “Green Menace” is government and how much green they are going through without our consent.  At the rate they are spending we will be out of money long before we are out of ash trees..what do you think?

Am I the only person who is a little skeptical about the potential change for our local schools as far as an early dismissal time for students once a week.  The board indicates that this will be beneficial for the students in some way.  They may be right but at first blush I find it hard to believe that less classroom time equals a better education. I need some more convincing….how about you?

Monday brings another council meeting where the subject of water in the streets of Oak Ridge will certainly be discussed. I hope we have a good discussion and make some headway  for a  problem that has been going on for far too long.  If you are one of the affected ones please bring a solution you think will work…and don’t forget to figure in the costs as well as how it will/should be paid for.

Former Speaker of the House, Denny Hastert (Illinois’s own) made the papers this week because it was shown that he has spent close to a millions dollars of taxpayers money on his office and staff in Yorkville. This while winding down from his government job and at the same time being a lobbyist (paid) for Turkey and Luxembourg.  Does this seem wrong to you as well?

Lets not forget to get our hankies out for former Governor Ryan who is asking for an early release from prison due to his wife’s lung illness.  I hope President Obama thinks about the investigation that the then Governor stopped into the deaths of those six children  who may have died due to bribes in the license scandal before he decides.

And finally don’t forget to look at the billboard on Rt 251 as you go north from the mall.  I think most of us would probably say yes at this point…

Love to hear your thoughts…..

I can’t believe I first wrote about this problem back in June of last year.  At that time we were commissioning a study to try and determine the cause and possible solutions for these homeowners.  Not much has changed since that date as far as correcting things but much conversation has been had by all.  Lets talk about some realities we have discovered:

1) The City is not and has not been at fault for this issue.

2) The original goal of the City was to try and find away to rid the street of sump pump water which has been present 24 hours a day.

3) The estimates from contractors who have submitted bids have been more than double what our city engineer had projected. (over $160,000!)

4) The City is not in any financial shape to take on this type of costs at this time .

So where do we go from here?  The committee meeting scheduled for February 16th (tuesday) has been canceled. We have no new information to discuss at this meeting at this time.  The city has decided to wait until our next scheduled Council meeting on February 22nd to take up this matter again. I have listened to many of you about what you think caused this and who is at fault but the reality is that if we want this issue to be resolved it will end up costing money for all the landowners involved.  This may be a bitter pill to swallow but someone had to put it out there…

I am sure this will make no one effected very happy.  I have always tried to be as honest with you as I can even when its not what you would like to hear.

Come join us on February 22nd at the Council meeting and we will resume our attempts to deal with this problem as fairly as we can.  Feel free to post yor comments here as well, they are always welcomed…

It appears that the article on crime in LaSalle titled”LaSalle officials respond to recent shooting” in the News Tribune on February 4th has created quite a conversation on the paper’s blog. While I don’t participate on that blog I do occasionally check out the most commented stories list.  There are points that our Mayor brought up that I agree with in that the problem is not limited to LaSalle and that we need aggressive policing action.  I also understand the public’s anger when they report an activity and it goes unchecked.

I also believe that some of this activity is gang related and also some of  which appears to be gang related are actions of those who want to appear as a gang equal.  If the problem were easily fixable we would not see it in some degree in all cities across America.  One need only read further in the same edition of that day’s paper and see evidence of that very fact.

I don’t profess to be a criminal expert  so I can’t give you the easy answer. I do know that the breakdown of the family unit over the years has help create a magnetic pull towards gangs for many latchkey kids growing up.  When your young and impressionable and there is no parental unit guiding your actions and decisions many times wrong choices are made because of the perceived power of being in a gang.  Schools are trying to deal with it but there are limits to what they can do when some parents aren’t interested in raising their children.  It may be too late for many of these children who turned into adult criminals at a young age. What  we  need to change is  the mindset of the  next  crop of potential  gang members.

That will take a concerted effort on all our parts…government officials, teachers, police, and parents to break this cycle which has become much too strong in the last twenty years.  If the current gangs can’t bring new blood into their groups, the groups will diminish and ultimately die for lack of participation.  It won’t be easy and it won’t happen overnight but I believe its the only way this waste of life will end.

I have seen our officers at work an find them to be skilled and professional in their actions. I have come to know our Police Chief  Rob Uranich as a person of high moral and ethical character.  He is always trying to improve  the quality of his department and is constantly expanding his knowledge of policing skills.  Let us work with and not attack the very men and women who’s job it is to keep us safe in troubling times.

I received this story a few days ago and thought today would be a good day to share it especially because the President’s State of the Union address will be on this evening.  With all that I am sure he will promise to the American people to fix our bad economy and right “our ship!” I think this story will give all of us a reason to pause and reflect….Its entitled “Oil Field Math”

>
>
> Working in the oilfield with others such as myself and a
> wealth of combined experience
> we understand the accuracy of the following.
>
>
> Think of it this way:
>
>
> A clunker that travels 12,000 miles a year at 15 mpg uses
> 800 gallons of gas a year.
>
>
> A vehicle that travels 12,000 miles a year at 25 mpg uses
> 480 gallons a year.
>
>
> So, the average Cash for Clunkers transaction will reduce
> US gasoline consumption by 320 gallons per
> year.
>
>
> They claim 700,000 vehicles so that’s 224 million
> gallons saved per year.
>
>
> That equates to a bit over 5 million barrels of oil.
>
>
> 5 million barrels is about 5 hours worth of US
> consumption.
>
>
> More importantly, 5 million barrels of oil at $70 per
> barrel costs about $350 million dollars
>
>
> So, the government paid $3 billion of our tax dollars to
> save $350 million.
>
>
> We spent $8.57 for every dollar we saved.
>
>
>
> I’m pretty sure they will do a great job with our
> health care, though.

So when you hear the answers offered by our President tonite and how “government” will save us……put one hand on your wallet, for safety’s sake!

DREAMWAVE Wrestling Returns to LaSalle with WWE Hall of Famer!

1/21/10

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Jay Repsel Presents DREAMWAVE Wrestling: “Season Premiere” February 6, 2010

LASALLE – The wait is almost over. After a January hiatus, DREAMWAVE Wrestling storms back into LaSalle with “Season Premiere” which will take place once again at the LaSalle Knights of Columbus with doors opening at 6:30PM and a bell time of 7:00PM.
Although DREAMWAVE is back, they are not returning alone. WWE Hall of Famer “Mr. Wonderful” Paul Orndorff will be along to greet fans at the event. Orndorff headlined Wrestlemania I with “Rowdy” Roddy Piper when they took on Hulk Hogan and Mr. T in the tag team main event.  “Mr. Wonderful” is best known for one of the most notable feuds in the history of pro wrestling when he battled Hulk Hogan over the WWF Title in the mid-1980s. That feud included a match in Toronto that drew over 76,000 fans and a steel cage match on NBC’s “Saturday Night’s Main Event”. Orndorff is also remembered for being a member of the infamous Heenan Family, which was managed by the legendary Bobby “The Brain” Heenan.

The main event for “Season Premiere” features DREAMWAVE World Champion “Silent Intensity” Austin Roberts defending the title against the winner of a “Lethal Lottery” drawing. Also, the winner of the Good as Gold Briefcase, “The B-O-Z” Steve Boz takes on the DREAMWAVE Alternative Champion “Next” Nick Brubaker of the A-List in a Belt vs. Briefcase match. There will also be an 8 team elimination match to decide the first ever DREAMWAVE Tag Team Champions!

“We are extremely excited to start the 2010 season back in LaSalle”, said the owner of DREAMWAVE Wrestling, Jay Repsel.  “We have gone all out to make this season bigger and better than last year.” About the special guest, Repsel remarked “Mr. Wonderful Paul Orndoff is one of the legendary names in the history of the business. Vince McMahon entrusted him in the main event of the first ever Wrestlemania and I couldn’t be more excited to have him be a part of DREAMWAVE.”

With the excitement building and with history in the making, you don’t want to miss DREAMWAVE Wrestling: “Season Premiere” February 6th!

For additional information or tickets to the event, please go to www.dreamwavewrestling.com .

About DREAMWAVE Wrestling

DREAMWAVE Wrestling is the Midwest’s premier independent professional wrestling organization and offers the most economical entertainment value in the Illinois Valley. The company is owned and operated by DREAMWAVE Entertainment, LLC. and headquartered in Oglesby Illinois. For more information, please visit www.dreamwavewrestling.com or send questions or comments to dreamwavewrestling@gmail.com.

DREAMWAVE Wrestling is a trademark used exclusively by DREAMWAVE Entertainment, LLC. in the United States and other jurisdictions.

I read with interest the article on the CCA ’s current financial dilemma.  Let me start by saying I wish they had a “surplus” instead because that would mean the project was a success but the outcome is not surprising.  The city was presented with the plan for the boat over 10 years ago.  Originally Anna Koval came to the LaSalle City Council to ask for our official support on the project.  This was necessary in order  for her to pursue funding for the project.  The city was not asked to supply any financial aid at that time.  As we moved forward, funding became a problem for Anna and costs for the boat continued to increase.  I believe the original amount to build it was closer to$100,ooo.00 .  Over the years that cost became higher and higher with the safety requirements that were attached to the boat by various agencies overseeing these waterways.  The final bill to build was close to or over $1,000,000.00!   The requests for financial backing from the city of LaSalle became more and more of an issue in order for the boat to become reality.  I was one of the few council members at the time  who said no to the city funding this boat.  At the time it was to be built there were only five in existence in the U.S and of the five, four were funded and overseen by the state park agencies in the states were they were launched.  The only one funded by a city was located in Toledo, Ohio.  I pointed out that the cost as a percentage of that cities total budget was far smaller than what  our boat would be to our total finances.

Finally we as a council decided not to be the “owners” of the Volunteer.  It proved to be a wise decision on the part of your council.

I wish the Canal Corridor Association well and hope they can sustain some sort of presence on the canal.  I think a smaller scale operation would be best with perhaps more emphasis on the “visitors center” as a museum of sorts for the canal’s history.

The center is a nice addition to the community and has hosted many public meetings for the area.  Until the canal is dredged and opened all the way to Utica I cannot see a profitable end to the boat cruises.

I remember speaking to then congressman Jerry Weller at the public announcement for the construction of the canal boat.  He was suprised I was there since I was opposed to the city funding any of the boat costs.  I pointed out to Jerry that I wasn’t against the boat as a tourist attraction but I didn’t think the taxpayer should be stuck with the bill!  These types of projects are well known to be used as political stepping stones.Some elected officials think it shows the voters that they get things done.  The problem is that all they usually end up doing is showing the voter how they can waste your tax dollars!

Using common sense one comes to the conclusion that if these projects are viable, they are better left to the private sector to build and make a profit for their investors.  Lets make better use of our tax dollars.

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….

I wanted to wish everyone who stops by here a Happy  Thanksgiving!  If your traveling to Grandmother’s house make sure you avoid the deer near the highways. I hope the turkey’s not to dry and your football teams cover the spread!  Don’t snore to loud after you eat that you scare the young children on the couch and when you awake make sure you  re-button your pants before you stand up!

We are beginning the Holiday Season of eating and drinking too much so pace yourselves  because you have to make it through January 2nd!

And lastly…take a moment to hug those family members you spend the day with and sincerely thank them for coming or inviting you over.  All of us who attend a family  get together  will note those that are there and those who no longer are with us.  Be thankful we all live in the greatest country in the world …..stay safe.

So I open my paper to B6 on November 20th and I find a full page ad telling me what our Mayor believes.  I’m sorry did somebody ask him?  Will we find out in the coming days what Mayors Harl, Banks, and Torres believe  as well?  Will they spend $2400.00 of their citizen’s money to enlighten us?  If the Mayor wants to tell us what he thinks their are much cheaper ways….How about our city website?  Oops that”s not working yet. Well its only been 6 or 7 months give it time.  I’m sure our  Economic Director is working on it. Funny thing is we had a working website until there was a change in the Mayor’s office.  We could be posting city activities on that site but its still “under construction”.

But back to the point…why did he spend $3300 between the paper and radio to let you the public know about ”Miracle on First Street”? As far as times of the planned events for that day, we can submit it as a news release and the paper would publish that information for free.  I am posting it here on my site for free as well.

If there was council approval prior to the ads being placed, we probably would have approved an ad half that size for half the money at the very worst..but Aldermen Bacidore, Herndon,Demes, and Salazar didn’t want to tie his hands.  Well Mr and Mrs Taxpayer how do you feel about their decision now?

During a time when we are financially strapped, not giving to charities, the Mayor, on his own, decides to spend a total of $4000.00 on this event and $1000.00 on last month’s” Jazzin the Street”.  That doesn’t take in the additional costs of radio and the other promotional ads during the same 3o day period.  If you add those in we are at a total of over $6,000.00

His defense is that we appropriated $45,000 for city promotions.  That’s the same as you at home “appropriating”  $45,000 for your new Lexus or Mercedes….if you don’t have the money you can’t spend it!

I want to leave you with what I believe…

I believe in fiscal responsibility and also

I believe the Mayor could have shown us his belief in the spirit of giving by suggesting we not spend the money on advertising but make a donation to the United Way or Food Pantry.  At least real people in need could have felt a little bit better this Holiday Season.

Let me know how you feel…

I attended the wine tasting event at Oak Ridge on November 13th and had a great time.  It was well attended and I’m sure that the laSalle and Peru  Fire departments are happy with the donation totals.  It has become their number one fund raiser and has been well received.  We have a tendency to take the members (both full time and volunteers) for granted at times and I think that’s a  mistake.  These individuals do a job many of us would refuse at ten times the pay they receive.  They are often putting themselves at grave risk to help and in some cases save our lives.  While speaking with Chief Bacidore he explained that while he is in the press often,whether he likes it or not, its events like this that give the rest of the department some well deserved face time.  It gives the public a chance to know some of these individuals on a more personal level.  If you missed the chance to meet these everyday heroes up close and personal make a note to be there next year.  Its well worth it.  One other thing that I thought would have been nice is if the mayors of LaSalle  and Peru could have jointly made a comment or two introducing the staffs and pointing out all of what they do to make our lives and properties that much safer.  I did see Mayor Grove there , and in his defense, he was on break from his full time job and was limited with time. I did not see Mayor Harl.  If he was there I apologize in advance. I hope we correct that oversight for next year….I do know from people I talked to that your service is greatly appreciated!

LaSalle  and the Downtown Business Association have listed the times for the “Miracle on First Street ” as follows:

8:30 am & 10am   Breakfast with Santa  Lock 16 Visitor Center  $8.50 call 224-1851 space is limited

11 am-1pm   Firetruck Rides   City Hall

1 pm         Free Movie Stage 212

1-3pm     Live Music   Uptown Grill

2-4 pm   Dulcimer Music   LaSalle Library

2-4 pm    Christmas Bingo    Lock 16 Visitor Center

3-6 pm    Free Carriage Rides  First Street

3-4 pm   S’More Making     with LaSalle Fire Dept

3-5 pm  Dollar Bowling Midwest Community Center First Street

5:30–6:30  Tree Lighting Ceremony w/L-P Band City Hall

6:30-8pm   Light the Night : Hegeler Carus Mansion-Music and Wine