Wild Fire: Deer Season Edition

Deer Hunting Season open...

Bud. Bud Light. Air Bud.

Bar Pours

Three city of Quincy workers will face disciplinary action after using city equipment to pour new concrete on the north parking lot of the Spring Street Bar, 1631 Spring, during the week of November 1 for a private, for-hire construction job they did on their personal time.

Other Bars that have lined up for this service are:

Barney's
Kelly's
Backwaters
Instant Replay
Abbey
North End



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For all you do....This Bud should be Through !!!

Really? Getting up and walking out of a school board meeting when your the president of the board?



The school boards function is to help the school district and the children, not act like one !!




Didn't Bud take an Oath when he was sworn in as a school board member? He should have, it's now law. Copy is here.




It says:






Although most school boards traditionally marked the seating of new members with some form of ceremony, there was no official oath of office required for school board members until Public Act 94-0881 was enacted into law in 2006. This law requires that school board members, before taking their seats on the board, take an official oath that is in substantially the form presented below.

"I, (name of member or successful candidate) , do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully discharge the duties of the office of member of the Board of Education (or Board of School Directors) of ( name of school district ), in accordance with the Constitution of the United States, the Constitution of the State of Illinois, and the laws of the State of Illinois, to the best of my ability.

"I further swear (or affirm) that:

"I shall respect taxpayer interests by serving as a faithful protector of the school district's assets;

100% on this one here. You have voted "NO" more times even when it benefits the school system. NEVER heard any hint of a suggestion of a solution....Just "NO"

"I shall encourage and respect the free expression of opinion by my fellow board members and others who seek a hearing before the board, while respecting the privacy of students and employees;

Fail. Fail, Fail. You fail to recognize any other opinions except yours. And on the latest QNO story you mention the hiring process of an employee that offended you. Nice respect of the employees. Wonder why they think so less of you?

"I shall recognize that a board member has no legal authority as an individual and that decisions can be made only by a majority vote at a public board meeting; and

More Failure here. You seem to be drunk with authority and think as board president you can have unlimited power.

"I shall abide by majority decisions of the board, while retaining the right to seek changes in such decisions through ethical and constructive channels."

Here's one you need to make into a label and tape it to your makeshift gavel claw hammer. Walking out of a meeting does not fall into the "ethical and constructive channels"

Grow up Bud, It for the children of the School District. You and your clan have an underlying agenda and have done less than Obama has for this country.

Time to grow up or get out.





Next time Bud walks out, Lock the door behind him !!

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It's called Pick and Choose....

Quincy's property tax rate is among the lowest of 15 Illinois cities of comparable size, according to a survey compiled from data collected by the state comptroller's office.

The survey compares Quincy with 14 other cities in the areas of tax rates, tax levies, public safety expenditures and general revenue, based on comprehensive annual financial reports for the year 2008.

A copy of the survey, provided by city officials, shows Quincy's property tax rate of 0.98803 in the 2008 tax year was significantly below the 15-city average of 1.717.

More propaganda provided by the City Hall Gazette....

Only Algonquin, with an estimated 2008 population of 30,482 compared to Quincy's 39,983, had a lower tax rate, 0.48.

Kankakee (population 26,608) had the highest tax rate at 4.0 while North Chicago (35,918) was second with 2.491 and Galesburg (31,738) third with 2.3607.

"I think it's interesting to see the comparisons when it comes to the revenue stream," Mayor John Spring said. "One of the reasons Quincy is so attractive to people, and affordable to people, is we don't have near the multitude of additional taxes in our community to produce revenue for city services."

Wonder where the ex-mayor will be when the bills from the Hydo project will roll in ???

....and did the "revenue stream" include seat belt tickets, speeding and DUI fines??

Quincy is the only city among the 15 that doesn't charge a telecommunications tax on telephone or Internet services. All of the other communities charge a tax ranging from 2 to 6 percent.

Hint #1 for further revenue stream....

In addition, 10 of the 15 communities charge a gas utilities tax, nine charge an electric utilities tax, seven charge a food and beverage tax, five charge a water utilities tax and two charge a liquor tax.

Hints #2,3,4 & 5

Quincy charges none of these taxes.

Not yet......

"We take pride in providing great city services* without additional burden on the taxpayers by some of these additional taxes," Spring said.

* see # of city employees down further....

Gary Sparks, the city's director of administrative services, said the survey shows Quincy's equalized assessed valuation (EAV) of $517 million "is very compatible with other communities our size."

The EAV combines with the city's tax rate to help determine the local tax extension, which is smaller than many other cites of comparable size. The survey shows Quincy's total extension of $5.1 million was well below the 15-city average of $7.3 million.

Sparks noted that the city's total General Fund expenditures of $17.2 million in 2008 also was well below the 15-city average of $23.7 million. Only four communities spent less from their General Funds.

In the area of public safety expenditures, Quincy's total of $12.8 million came in below the 15-city average of $13.1 million. While eight cities spent more on public safety, Quincy was at or near the top in the number of firefighters and police officers.

Quincy's total of 66 firefighters exceeded the 15-city average of 46.6, and its 72 police officers exceeded the average of 60. But Sparks said the average may be misleading because of the way some communities reported figures.

OK...this is misleading but the previous is not???

Three of the largest communities listed in the survey -- Champaign, Galesburg and Pekin -- were all shown to have zero firefighters and zero police officers. Algonquin, meanwhile, was shown to have zero firefighters but 51 police officers, while Rantoul was shown to have zero firefighters and 31 police officers.

Sparks doesn't know why there are disparities in the statistics. He said some communities may contract for emergency services and report their numbers differently. He said some cities, such as Quincy, may have more firefighters because the community's geographic size may call for having more outlying fire stations to improve response times, but the survey didn't provide any data on geographic size.

The survey indicated Quincy had 369 full-time employees in 2008, which is well above the 15-city average of 265. Sparks couldn't say why Quincy's number was so high. "It may depend on how they submitted the information," he said.

HELLO !!! CAN YOU SAY NEPOTISM ????

Sparks said the employee count for Quincy is skewed somewhat. Sparks said Quincy's full-time employment number is actually 346 now, which is down several positions from where it would have been last year.

Maybe family members with the same last name should all be counted as one?

Quincy Comptroller Ann Scott said the city doesn't typically count the 21 employees at the Quincy/Adams County 911 center as city employees because those workers are employed by both the city and the county. But on this particular report, she said, "they probably were" counted.

...and that makes a BIG difference of 104 MORE than average ???

Sparks noted that some communities in the survey have an unusually high number of part-time employees. The 15-city average for part-timer positions was 145 -- more than double Quincy's total of 61.

Part timers don't get full ride from city coffers....Here aldermen's families get the full ride !!!

Normal, a community of 52,495 residents, was listed as having 364 full-time employees and 627 part-time employees. Galesburg, with a population of 31,738, was listed as having 264 full-time employees and 425 part-timers.

• Nothing says "Good News" like handing the media a fluff piece.



• Nothing says "Good News" like the writer not asking questions.

Propaganda is communication aimed at influencing the attitude of a community toward some cause or position. As opposed to impartially providing information, propaganda in its most basic sense, presents information primarily to influence an audience. Propaganda often presents facts selectively (thus lying by omission) to encourage a particular synthesis, or uses loaded messages to produce an emotional rather than rational response to the information presented. The desired result is a change of the attitude toward the subject in the target audience to further a political agenda.







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Freedom of the whaaa ???

.......campaign's strategy to make media cover only what they wanted.......

Glad we don't have that problem here !!!

Decisions..Decisions...

Let's see.....

Back up water supply for the city of Quincy....

vs.

A 2 million dollar A/C unit for the QPL.

No brainer.

U would think.......

Get one for your car today!

"For hire shall mean and include an acceptance of any consideration of any kind".

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Taxi. Oh Taxi

Here a copy and paste of one I did on 12/12/06 Link.

Didn't like it then, don't like it now.

(PS. Happy Birthday Servergate)


Denied a request from David J. Peterson for a taxicab/limousine owner's license. Police Chief Rob Copley recommended denial based on the results of a background check. He also said Peterson does not have a permanent address in the city. During a public hearing in November, several representatives from other taxicab/shuttle services said they felt there is not enough business in town to support an additional service.

OK...This burns my ass.

1st. Has anyone read the city code on taxi service ?? It's 12 pages long !! WTF ?? The only thing that this guy didn't have to submit to City Council is a sperm sample !! This is WAY too much for a simple taxi service. Here is Springfield IL Taxicab operator's license and registration. Here is Rock Island city Code. Seem like they are more inviting to a new taxi business.

2. A check with the circuit clerks page shows only one David J. Peterson and has 1 citation. And it's for animal at large ??? Don't seem like a felon to me...

3. "Peterson does not have a permanent address in the city" ?? When did business owners have to live within the city ???? Must of missed this one. Wal-Mart, Sears, K-mart, pack up, you guys are out of here !!

4. "several representatives from other taxicab/shuttle services said they felt there is not enough business in town to support an additional service" Really ??? If you asked current retail stores if Quincy really needs a Sam's store and you'll get the same response.

Is this the way we want to regulate business in the city ??? Hope not.This city could use another taxi service and if there is not enough service..? Let the free enterprise system work. I will have to say, seeing that the QPD is hammering DUI's in this city and when another cab company tries to start up and the Police Chief denies it, it looks bad.What has this city done to free enterprise ???

Definition: Business governed by the laws of supply and demand, not restrained by government interference, regulation or subsidy. also called free market.



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New carrier for Quincy Regional Airport ??

A Massachusetts-based airline makes me think of ........

Un-Freaking-Believable

Gardner Denvers cuts 40.

Harris lays off 15.

Titan lays of 35.
Knapheide lays off 158.

Huber lays off 15.

Manchester tank lays off 68.
Prince-Agra cuts 5 jobs.
Ameren cuts 55 jobs.
Blue Cross cuts 14.
Broadcast Lays off 10.

City Council passes $14.2 Million in bond ordinances

“This is a great night,” Mayor John Spring said.

Clerk call the roll:

Larry, Curly, Moe,................

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37.79%

That’s the percentage of days that the Hydro project will not be producing any electric.

This information comes straight from the VLF website.

The operating head for this turbine design is between 1.4 and 2.8 meters of head.

Seeing that the Corp of Engineers measures river levels in feet, this translates into 4’7.1” and 9’2.2”

Did some quick number crunching from the COE Rock Island web site on river levels. Take the pool level at L&D 21 and subtract the tailwater at L&D 21 and you get the “head”.

In the last 12 years the level that falls below the minimum operating head pressure design of these turbines would amount to them not operating 39.79% of the time. The worst years would be 1998 of not operating for 177 days ( 48.5% )and the best would be 2006 when they would only be down 55 days ( 15%).

If you want to look at the sheet I have done, let me know and I will paste it up.

Oh....and if this doesn't pass, there's a excellent chance that the city will save 6.6 million dollars.

That's better than the turbine company coming to town........

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No Risk Testing

From the WTF files.....

I was wondering....

When Ed does a story, does he walk into the meeting and the person being interviewed says

"Just write this down"?

Wild Fire: Hydro Edition

What are some of the Questions you would ask on Quincys Mississippi Hydro Project?










Link to Keokuk dam information: http://www.ieee.org/organizations/pes/public/2009/may/peshistory.html

More on Hydro

First off, Kutos to Mr. Sparrow for standing up and asking for information on the hydro project.


QNO first broke the story, and QHW did a story Sunday.




Fire did a story on this back on 12.14.2008 titled Watch my Dam Money.




Really? I don't remember seeing any of these "discussions" that were open to the public?

......after a quick learning from the Illinois Open Meeting Act, I don't see where any of the exceptions would qualify for a closed door session? What would you be hiding?


Another quote from the King Duece ""Most all of it has been made public. But you can't force people to listen," That's Funny! From the King of "I-don't-want-to-hear-from-the-people" himself........

If this information is for the public, Why is it not on the citys Hydro Web Page? I can gleen more information from a gum wrapper. Maybe your IT dept. can take a break from the golf course and his soccer site to put some of this information out there?





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New !!!! City Hall Sugestion Box

Alderman Steve Duesterhaus, city Democrats and the Mayor have installed a new suggestion box at City Hall...

After all the mayor says.....

I want to hear from you on how we are doing, and especially on how we can do things better here at City Hall.

Feel free to let us know what you think anytime. This Mayor and City Council are looking forward to hearing from you.

John A. Spring
Mayor

Fire took a photo of it:

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Another Circus in town.....

Like the School Board and City Council wasn't enough.

SILENCE !!!

Comment moderation has been enabled.

All comments must be approved by King Deusterhaus!

"If I Want Your Opinion, I'll Give It To You"

Meanwhile, watch me piss away

10 million dollars into the Mississippi

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Stamps?

SO.... I need one measly stamp.

I stop buy the post office on 36th street about 6pm only to find out......

They don't sell stamps from the machine anymore.

Vending machine is gone.

No stamps.

So, if you need stamps after hours, don't go there.

That's Bullsh*t !

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