Welcome to Quincy

This is funny, but true.

Taxis - City - QPD - DUI's

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.

From the " Why Didn't We Think Of This" file of the QPD

Dec. 9, 2006 — Police in Orange County, Fla., have created a special holiday season speed trap — an elf cop armed with a radar gun and a citation pad.

Starts with Smoking !!!!

NEW YORK — New York City, long known for clogged arteries during rush hour, took a big and controversial step Tuesday toward helping improve human arteries when the Board of Health officially banned artificial trans fats from restaurant menus.

What next ???

First Smoking?

Now Trans Fat.

What next Drinking?

Sex?

Soon it will affect you too. Nobodys Perfect.

OLCC Changes ????

Rumor has it that the OLCC may soon be seeking a new Executive Director.......

Smoking Hot Issues.....

There back !!!!

The Coalition for a Smoke-free Adams County is here once again to save us for the hazards of smoking in "any public place or place of employment" in the city. This burns my ass for so many reasons, it's hard to mention. Since this is my blog and I have all day, I will address it anyways…..


2,200 signatures supporting that "requiring all Quincy restaurants to go smoke free"? If this is a true statement, then how can you propose to ban smoking "in all public places in Quincy"? You summit a specific condition, but make a blanket ordinance. I feel that there will be a petition on the opposite side of this from local business owners with a lot more on it.

As "an employee of the Adams County Health Department", don't you have anything better to do with your time than dictate conditions in which YOU think business in the city MUST operate? I think the health department does a fine job mandating conditions in which food is prepared, just don't tell me what I can do while eating this food.

"Quincy Clean Indoor Air Act of 2006" ?? WTF is this? Define "Clean Air" ? I have a problem with obese women who sit around me in a restaurants that smell like they showered in the cheapest perfume Walmart sells. Is this Clean Air ?? I think not.

Fines ?? You propose fines too? Wow, if is isn't enough to force this crap down our throats, you also want fines. Would there be a fine for farting? This is definitely not "Clean Air" either. This must be fined too.

A survey conducted showed 70 percent of the 402 registered voters contacted said they support smoke-free policies and feel smoking should be "restricted or banned in public places"…402 ?? You surveyed LESS than 1% of the city of Quincy and conclude that smoking should be "restricted or banned in public places" ??? And you picked banned? So much for surveys !

I have inserted a Poll on this page on the right of the page here myself. Please vote on what YOU think should take place. >>
Please vote only once.

"Is it their right to smoke and put poisons into the air? Or is it our right to not have those poisons in the air and breathe clean air? That's the question."

Here's your answer. It is YOUR right to eat, drink in a place where YOU choose. If you do not like the atmosphere that is there, YOU are FREE to choose another location that is more suitable for YOU. When YOU dictate RULES in which YOU decide, that's where I have a problem. If a bar or restaurant owner DECIDES that HIS or HER business would benefit from a different environment, let THEM decide what to do. There are several "smoke-free" locations going up in Quincy everyday. If you prefer these locations, please visit them.

I still like this Article. Has some truth to it.

OLC Management 101

For months the Oakley-Lindsay Center's financial officer has been warning the Quincy Civic Center Authority that things weren't looking so good financially.

On Wednesday the authority's governing board took some action to help address the situation. It eliminated the financial officer's position.

Deana Leffers, who was hired for the position a little over a year ago, was laid off Wednesday afternoon — immediately after the governing board emerged from a two-hour closed session to discuss personnel matters.

Board members say they hope eliminating Leffers' $37,000-a-year salary will help put the civic center back on the road to good financial health. However, the center still has more than $85,000 in outstanding bills remaining to be paid, so board members will keep looking for other ways to contain costs.

Lessons Learned:

1. If someone brings you bad news, Fire them.
2. Always start at the bottom. It will save the least amount of money.

any more ???

CIP$$$$$

Missed this in the QHW Sunday........

Electricity providers are power players in legislative races
By Kevin McDermott
POST-DISPATCH SPRINGFIELD BUREAU
11/04/2006
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — As Illinois' two major electric utilities in recent weeks have been loudly threatening bankruptcy if they don't get a major rate hike, they've been giving almost a quarter-million dollars in campaign donations to the state legislators who will make that decision, records show.A Post-Dispatch review of new campaign finance reports found that the state's two biggest electricity providers have donated more than $248,000 to state politicians in the six weeks since the controversial announcement of a major rate hike proposal. That's almost as much as the companies gave this year up until the Sept. 15 rate-hike announcement, which sparked a storm of political debate and legislative threats to impose new rate caps. The spike in donations began virtually on the day the planned rate hike was announced — including five-figure contributions made to leaders in both parties almost immediately afterward. Donations to leaders, key committee members and rank-and-file legislators in both parties have continued as those lawmakers have debated whether to allow the rate hikes to go into effect.
"They're pulling out all the stops,'' said David Kolata, director of the Citizens' Utility Board, which is spearheading the effort to freeze electric rates.Because of the lack of competition in the market, Illinois froze electric rates by law in 1997, with the idea of unfreezing them next year, by which time, state leaders thought, more market competition would have developed, thus keeping rates low.

NO SH*T ????

British Man Injured After Lighting Firecracker in Buttocks

LONDON — A 22-year-old man suffered internal injuries after lighting a small firecracker he had inserted into his buttocks, paramedics said Thursday.

Ya can't make this stuff up..........

Remember .....VOTE !!!

ADAMS COUNTY, ILLINOIS UNOFFICIAL RESULTS

Meth Arrests Down In IL

Updated Info:

QHW 7/30/2006

Quincy-based Illinois State Police Meth Response Team agent Seth Knox said 18 area meth labs were seized between May and December last year. Seventeen labs have been seized this calendar year.

"We'll probably find between 35 and 40 labs this year," Knox said. "I'd say labs in general are down, but the arrests are still there and the meth itself is still there."

Knox said there may be fewer meth cooks in the area, but they may be producing more product at one time.


Traffic Tickets up 72% in Adams County....

Which one brings in more $$$.......

Train/Vehicle Crashes on the Rise in the Show-Me-State

Last year alone 17 people in Missouri died in traffic crashes with trains and the Missouri Highway Patrol number of train/automobile accidents is on the rise in Missouri this year. Part of that number comes from traffic crashes on country roads which are marked with crossbucks and signs, but don't have lights and gates to alert drivers that a train is on its way.

Officer Anita Reason, a Missouri State Patrol veteran and self-proclaimed “expert train enforcement authority,” believes Train speed plays a large factor in vehicular accidents. “Report findings prove that all train accidents in the target areas were the ultimately the result of trains moving at speed, as opposed to those not moving at all,” said Reason. “This goes to show that we must completely eliminate trains from traveling in our state in order to save lives and reduce the overall number of automobile accidents that occur in Missouri on an annual basis.”

It's all part of a new program thanks to a state grant that allows Missouri police to step up patrols to crack down on trains. According to police logs, in the past two days police have nabbed 23 trains for speeding and other traffic violations. Even in an emergency, a loaded train moving through the countryside takes a mile to make a complete stop. Several trains have been ticketed for leaving the scene of an accident.

"That's our real goal in this...to reduce accidents overall, reduce property damage and make the streets safer for everyone," Deputy Chief Ben Dover with the Missouri State Patrol said. One of the reasons that this program is focused on Trains is because 100 percent of all accidents on these railroad crossings are caused by trains speeding. Police say safety is the goal, not issuing tickets.

Deputy Chief Ben says increased patrols have helped other cities reduce crashes caused by trains speeding. He says the Missouri State Police has also received another grant to fight impaired pilots stealing ammonia during field crop dusting.

(thanks to OQ for the copy and paste and idea for this)

STOP CALLING ME !!!!!

Study Suggests Link Between Cell Phone Use, Low Sperm Count

That's the preliminary finding of a study done by The Cleveland Clinic, which found statistically that men who used their cell phones the most had poorer sperm quality than those who used them the least.
The lowest average sperm counts seemed to be in men who had the most cell phone use (more than four hours a day); those who didn’t use cell phones seemed to have the highest. Although the sperm count appears to go down with increasing cell phone use, the difference in numbers wasn't significant.

It's Crime come Election Time !!!

"My idea of crime fighting is not roadside safety checks and seatbelt campaigns solely to generate revenue and grant money. I think there are more important things where we need to establish our priorities that have the most impact on our health and well-being as a community." said McCoy.

oooooo......I smell conflict between County and City here........

"I don't think we've gone out of bounds in trying to enforce traffic laws," Fischer said. "As far as the sheriff's office goes, I believe we've lightened up on that side of things and tried to draw our attention to other areas."

......and so do most of us think that too!!!


McCoy said one of his biggest priorities would be the methamphetamine problem.


...try on Broadway in front of St. Marys between 4 and 7 pm.

Miss Quincy ??? How about Miss Adams County...

Sara Garriga, 19, of Liberty, earned the title of the new Miss Quincy, while Jordyn Smith, 17, of Payson, won the new title of Miss Quincy Outstanding Teen and Cierra Williams of Quincy, was crowned Little Miss Quincy, Saturday night at Baldwin School auditorium.

Little Miss Quincy 2006, Ali Nicole Browning of Perry, Ill., said the last year was an "awesome" experience.

Rule #1: Don't have to reside in Quincy.

Open Weekend !!!!

Looks to be a Cold, Rainy, Slow Weekend.


Let's here what Burns your Ass !!

Challange ???

"It's not a trap, I challenge anyone to tell me why it's a trap," Deputy Chief Ron Dreyer with the Quincy Police Department said. "We're out here in marked cars, the speed limit is posted. And frankly we're not going to ignore the speed limit in the city of Quincy. If people choose to ignore it, we'll enforce it as much as possible."





Directory > Reference > Wikipedia

Speed Trap:

The term speed trap refers to a point where speed limits are strictly enforced by police. It is generally understood as meaning a specific location in which police wait in concealment. For example, a police car might wait behind a bridge or overpass, out of sight of approaching motorists, but has also been applied to locations where a speed camera is posted.

The term speed trap is usually used by motorists, not by enforcement officers. It may be considered pejorative, and use of the term may suggest the appearance of speed enforcement by concealed means or excessively strict speed enforcement.

Speed traps have been used since the beginning of the 20th Century as a means to enforce speed limits, and Britain's Automobile Association was set up specifically to notify members of speed traps.

Cities or road sections become known as speed traps where police have a reputation for writing an unusually high number of traffic tickets, especially speeding tickets. Sometimes the posted speed limits are not easily seen; in other places, the limits might be set excessively low.

Speed traps often are found in small towns, often near major highways, in which travelers are less likely to return and challenge a ticket. Speed trap towns typically have an unusually large percentage of their local workforce dedicated to traffic law enforcement or judiciary occupations. Furthermore, traffic fines make up an unusually large percentage of income for speed trap towns.

You tell us ???

Traffic Tickets to generate Revenue ???

Just heard this on FOX news and found the article.

Smell familiar ??

Nobel Peace Prize Finalist ????

Cindy Sheehan has announced that she is a Nobel Peace Prize finalist. Can she win? Well the Nobel Peace Prize will be handed out on Friday the 13th. Scary huh?

Just the Facts......

Updated 10/5: Futher info added at bottom!!

After reading posts here and on several other Blogs, I did a little research to see if the traffic tickets have actually increased here or is it just the illusion of it. OQ's posting of the Traffic tickets in Adams county gave me some ideas on how to do this. I was amazed.

2002 there were 8956 cases.
2003, there were 9259,
2004 - 9427
2005 13089 !!!
If my math is right, that's a 72% increase!!

2006 is currently at 9293 as of today. Right on track for another record year.

Now to be fair and see if maybe this number may be skewed by missing information, I check another statistic. Divorce cases.
2002 - 1139
2003 - 989
2004 - 995
2005 - 1080

Seems to me that traffic cases HAVE been on the rise since 2005 and they need to squeeze the word "profit" in here somewhere....

Mission Statement
of
The Quincy Police Department


As members of the Quincy Police Department,
it is our mission and duty to serve the citizens of our community, and
to protect all life and property,
to apply the law fairly, ethically and equally to all, and
to work in concert with the citizens of our community to improve
Quality of Life.

Updated Info:

Seems UMR Blog has throw the Red Replay flag on the field and wants a "further review" of the increase of traffic tickets in Adams County. Well here it is. You can check the info and also pick out other Illinois countys to back this up. I liked to Rock Island county since it is about the same size.

The results ??? Surprising.
2002 - 32421
2003 - 33424
2004 - 31715
2005 - 29654
2006 - (to date) 21881

If Adams county large increase in traffic tickets is credited to ISP then why don't they patrol Rock Island County as hard ???

Anybody ?? Anybody ??