My View of Politics

I had to snicker today as I seen by another local blog that this one was linked as a "deluted right wing fool blog". Personally I could care less what political party someone belongs to, they're both full of crap in my view.

I have returned the favor (without any personal opinion.)

Racism is defined as:

Any action, practice, or belief that reflects the racial worldview — the ideology that humans are divided into separate and exclusive biological entities called "races," that there is a causal link between inherited physical traits and traits of personality, intellect, morality, and other cultural behavioral features, and that some "races" are innately superior to others.

To be obsessed with branding someone "right wing' or "left wing" based on their view of the world is beyond my comprehension.

All views are welcome here.

State Hires New Gardner

Jeff Jansen, the longtime executive director of the Oakley-Lindsay Center in Quincy, is scheduled to start a new job next week with the Illinois Department of Transportation.

Jansen's title will be local agency liaison and safety outreach coordinator for IDOT's District 6. He will be in charge of working with small communities in search of beautification projects, grant writing and area right-of-way acquisition. He also will work with IDOT safety programs.

Mike Claffey, a spokesman for IDOT, confirmed that Jansen will start next week at an annual salary of $62,200. Claffey said the position exists elsewhere in the state but has not previously existed in West-Central Illinois.

The state job will give Jansen a chance to qualify for benefits under the Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund. He was enrolled in IMRF during his time as an alderman and director of administrative services. But Jansen fell short of the eight years needed to get a pension.

You're FIRED !!!

Rosie O'Donnell will not be back on "The View," ABC announced Friday, two days after she and co-host Elisabeth Hasselbeck got into a huge political dust-up live on the talk show.

Who is sorry to see this happen....

Seatbelts ?? Really....

By Rajah Maples
Posted: Wednesday, May 23, 2007 at 9:24 PM

You've probably heard of the Click it or ticket campaign, which targets drivers who don't wear their seat belts.

*This* year, officers plan to increase their patrol of *night-time* drivers.

Illinois State Police Master Sergeant Dorman Deeder says studies have shown that 60 percent of all fatalities that happen at night happen because drivers didn't buckle up.

So state police plan to pay *extra* attention to night-time drivers to help decrease that statistic.

Translation:

For fatal crashes occurring from midnight to 3:00 AM, 77 percent involved alcohol in 2003. The next most dangerous time period for alcohol-related crash deaths were 9 PM to midnight (64 percent of fatal crashes involved alcohol), followed by 3 AM to 6 AM (60 percent of fatal crashes involved alcohol). (NHTSA, 2004)

Pain in the Gas

If the QHW is going to feed me a line of crap, there're gonna need a bigger spoon.

After reading Saturdays article on why the price of gas is going up in Quincy, it took me about 40 minutes and 2 cups of coffee to blow this story to shame. It's taking me longer to write and explain how I came to this conclusion.

First. Do you think a "convenience store director of operations" is going to tell you the truth ? First statement is there will be a "temporary interruption of fuel flow" then says "The Magellan pipelines are expected to be off line for as much as a month." Huh. What?

My comparison of this statement is a temporary interruption is that that your power will be restored after we fix this problem in an hour vs. the hurricane has torn out the entire power lines to the area and it will be days until the power is restored.

A quick search on Google with the Magellan statement turns up nothing.

Another search on Google for Magellan Pipelines turns up their company website. It shows that the pipeline runs from OK up to Chicago. OK hang with me here. The assets page shows the pipeline in detail.

The first terminal is in Columbia MO. A search of this so-called "gas outage" shows nothing. Next terminal is Palmyra MO. Next is Heyworth IL. Closest locations to this is Bloomington and Springfield IL. Another search shows no problem here either. Also shows that Bloomington gas prices are 10 cent cheaper than Quincy. Looking at SPFLD gas prices, they are also 10 to 15 cents cheaper too.

So....I do have some knowledge of how pipelines work and I know that a pipeline that runs through the Midwest runs THRU the Midwest. Cost would prohibit it from running from OK to Columbia, OK to Palmyra, OK to Heyworth. Keep up with me here. So if the the SAME pipeline feeds the Columbia, Palmyra, and Heyworth, How come they don't have the same supply problem WE do???

How come gas is cheaper in Bloomington and Springfield that runs thru the SAME gas line that feeds Palmyra in the same state with the same taxes ???

I do believe we are gettin' hosed at the pump.

Square One

Sheryl Crow believes using less toilet paper will stop global warming.

The If It Makes You Happy singer, who spent two weeks touring the US on a Stop Global Warming College Tour, is convinced one square per visit is sufficient.

Sheryl writes on her tour blog: "I propose a limitation to be put on how many squares of toilet paper can be used in any one sitting. I think we are
industrious enough people to make it work with only one square per restroom visit, except, of course, on those pesky occasions where two to three could be required."

Wild Fire Weekend.....

I got nothing.

Do you?

Show Me the MONEY !!!

Tourism director Holly Cain says the event generates about $7 million for local businesses--more than any other event that comes to Quincy.

About. Ever take your wife to the doctor and have him say, "your wife is about pregnant"?

I have little doubt that the WFFC raises this kind of money for Quincy.

What I would like to see is some HARD FACTS !!!

No Estimates. FACTS ONLY PLEASE !!!

Here is the Airport info for Rantoul.
Here is Quincy.

Insight - OUT Comcast - IN

Move up or step down ??

WFFC - 2008 ??

Kirlin started looking for a new convention site after Quincy police in 2001 beefed up their presence at the Quincy airport in response to complaints about public disturbances, nudity and underage drinking at the 2000 convention. Police arrested 18 people during the 2001 event.

Wild Fire Weekend !

It's about that time again.

Like to do this about once a month.

Let us know what burns your ass. Ameren, Gas prices, Animal rights, ......

Whatever you want.




Thanks for stopping by.......

Cubs Fans Rejoice !

Cardinals manager Tony LaRussa was arrested for DUI

Guess Spring Training includes more than just Baseball........

Splitting the Blog

I have had several comments that they are tired of the smoking issues I raise on this site...SO I have decided to add another Blog called Quincy Smokehouse. City Council has delayed any voting on this issue so it looks like a long drawn out battle for the public. Here you will find a Blog about smoking, the current smoking ban debate, and unique and insightful commentary.

I have also moved the smoking poll over to this site.

I feel like I have caved in to the public demand and moved the smokers to another location. Kinda like the current Smoking ban debate........

My Turn

What Burns My Ass:

• Notice that the speakers so far for a smoking ban are women?

• What is the big secret of the coalition not releasing what they distribute to the city council?

• If the mayor and city council members want some feedback, why don't they add a page on the city's web site for this?

• Week 4: City Councils speakers -6 / Public Hearings - 0. Hiding something? Why?
  

• If the coalition states, on their web site, that "community members may attend but only those who have an interest in making Quincy smoke-free will be allowed to participate in the discussion." How are they going to conduct a "public hearing"?

• Written request to speak under suspended rules by Jeff Bergman, 1413 College Ave., Assistant Manager of Panera, on the business side of the smoke-free issue, both before and after. How about something more than a year of data?

Your thoughts?

City Council Smoking Pt 3

Another week. Another city council meeting. Another speaker praising the joys of a smoke free city. When will it end? Is this going to be a speaker-of-the week thing?

Bluhm is quoted in the QHW: "You are in very good company, many communities in Illinois have been or are grappling with this issue."


Further goes on: Bluhm said a growing number of communities across Illinois have adopted smoking bans, including Chicago, Springfield, Champaign and Bloomington.

It's less the 10% of the percentage of communities .

Then the real kicker. She noted how the American Public Health Association declared it would not convene its annual meeting in any city that's not smoke-free. The convention typically attracts 12,000 to 15,000 delegates.

Like the city's gonna lose out on hosting this event if we don't impose a smoking ban? Get real. The smoker ban crowd will stop at nothing here.

16 states have adopted laws banning smoking in all public places and workplaces. Duh, lets see, that makes 34 that have not? Majority doesn't count here I guess.

Another thing I dug up this afternoon. Here is a copy of the state smoking ban that is now trying
to be passed by the state. Seems that the "local" do gooders are wanting to enforce a ban stricter than the state.

(please pardon the fonts here, I don't know what happened and I don't have time to fix it)

(410 ILCS 80/3) (from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 8203)

(c) "Public Place" means any enclosed indoor area used by the public or serving as a place of work including, but not limited to, hospitals, restaurants, retail stores, offices, commercial establishments, elevators, indoor theaters, libraries, art museums, concert halls, public conveyances, educational facilities, nursing homes, auditoriums, arenas, and meeting rooms, but excluding bowling establishments and excluding places whose primary business is the sale of alcoholic beverages for consumption on the premises and excluding rooms rented for the purpose of living quarters or sleeping or housekeeping accommodations from a hotel, as defined in the Hotel Operators' Occupation Tax Act, and private, enclosed offices occupied exclusively by smokers, even though such offices may be visited by nonsmokers.

Smoking Poll

Here's the new poll.
All security features turned on.
No stuffing ballot.
No Fancy Stats.
No hidden questions.
Not open to "registered voters" only.
Not just open to voters with land lines either.
Tell your friends to vote.
E-mail your friends to vote.
Smokers and Non-smokers both welcome to vote.
Only 2 questions.
Poll is PUBLIC.
Results are PUBLIC.
Click for results.

City Council Smoking Pt II

Round Two starts off with:

Maureen Kahn, president and CEO of Blessing Hospital.

I'm guessing that the speak will be on the hazards of smoking and second hand smoke. NO possible way this person will know the economic impact that will be imposed on local businesses. Their employees still run across the street to smoke.

Next:

The council also is slated to hear from Amy Shirey of Quincy on the results of a survey conducted in February 2006 for the Coalition for a Smoke Free Quincy.


A year old survey. Not all the details about the "survey" are being released to the public. Questions may have been asked in a way to skew the outcome to favor to coalition.
My survey didn't lean towards that big of a spread. ALL the questions are listed. ALL the answers are here.

Monopoly

Monopoly

Control of the production and distribution of a product or service by one firm or a group of firms acting in concert. In its pure form, monopoly, which is characterized by an absence of competition, leads to high prices and a general lack of responsiveness to the needs and desires of consumers. Although the most flagrant monopolistic practices in the United States were outlawed by Antitrust Laws enacted in the late 19th century and early 20th century, monopolies persist in some degree as the result of such factors as patents, scarce essential materials, and high startup and production costs that discourage competition in certain industries. Public monopolies-those operated by the government, such as the post office, or closely regulated by the government, such as utilities-ensure the delivery of essential products and services at acceptable prices and generally avoid the disadvantages produced by private monopolies.

. See also Ameren

Rate Rape

The Southern.com had a good article on the true profits Ameren is making.




Whats your guess on the outcome of todays hearings?

Wild Fire Weekend !

What's burning your ass this weekend?