Comment notes

pollypeoria said...

What exactly does the water company buy out attempt have to do with neglected Peoria properties and the slum lords who own them?

9:12 AM

The average voter hears how Peoria can't quickly get rid of a drug house, can't improve the School District enough to stop white flight, gives away money on stupid projects and they think that Peoria is the last City that should let it's politicians run a water company.

Was the water company buyout referendum, a vote against the principal of the public ownership of this particular monopoly utility, or rather a NO CONFIDENCE voite as to that current City Council's ability to appropriately make the decision to buy and to manage such an investment.

The City of Peoria voters have long suffered fools into public office. Peoria voters should be ashamed that the people they elected, were not trustworthy.

Anonymous said...

Peoria should be ashamed not only of the water company fiasco and the way it has been handled (Is it a good deal for the citizens or not? We really don't know!) and the slumlords tolerated, demolition of historic properties, but also of something very serious, police harassment of people peacefully demonstrating on public right of way.

On Aug. 24, PETA demonstrators came to town to demonstrate against meat eating, and in favor of vegetarian diets. The demonstration was halted and they were arrested immediately by a dozen police with 4 squad cars.

Police can't seem to handle the unsolved murders in this town, but love to pick on peaceful demonstrators. The police also harassed PETA's local supporters who were peacefully handing out small leaflets on the public sidewalk -- and threatened them with arrest if they didn't leave. Their First Amendment rights were clearly violated! Disgusting.

5:25 PM

pollypeoria said...

Can't be nekkid (or semi naked) when you protest. Also, you have to get a permit and you can't get in the way of those trying to get back to work on time following their lunch break. I wish I had been there. I would have pointed and laughed while eating a hot dog from a street vendor.

7:08 AM

PETP - Peoria for the Ethical Treatment of Peoria

The police should be investigating gangs and murders instead of arresting peaceful PETA protesters. A dozen cops, 4 squad cars tied up much of Wed. afternoon to arrest PETA protesters and threaten other citizens.)But there's no risk in arresting peaceful protestors. Little work, really, also. And no court appearances since the charges likely will be dropped.

--
Posted by Anonymous to Shame on Peoria at 8/27/2005 08:27:33 AM

2 more homocides

Peoria added two more murders to the year's total, last night. It should be on the news later today. Anyone for any bets on area of town, demographics of the victims, the suspected perps. The obvious betting line is for a YBM on YBM shooting and that both are involved in illegal activity that led to the homocide.

Wasn't there some group of mothers out to stop this, that received local press coverage a few months back.

Wondering how they measure success?

But if you are unable to stop a gang presence in your neighborhood, how are you going to stop them from killing each other?

If the Council votes not to buy the water company here is why:

1. Spears won't vote for it, because he is afraid that Dave Koehler might use it against him in a Democratic Primary for State Rep, that Spears would vote against 82% of his constiuents. Never mind that he would be voting to reduce by 65% the next rate increase by ILAWC.

2. Spears won't vote for it because he is afraid that Aaron Schock might use it against him in the general election for State Rep, that Spears would vote against 82% of his constiuents.

3. George Jacob won't vote for it, because Spears is the one, without leaving fingerprints, just political and family DNA, all over getting the legislature to make it okay for an elected official to own an alcohol distributorship. Actually that is not the reason. If George wanted to be a stateman, he would vote for it and go against the conventional (chicken shit politician) wisdom, but having gotten a taste of the political limelight, George may not think he should gamble this vote into becoming a "half-termer."

4. Eric Turner won't vote for it, because he too is "afraid" of voters. All these guys can count is votes. For budgetsake, we wish they could count other figures. But votes seem to be the only figures they were ever afraid of. Funny, no problem when it was giving dollars to big developers, but to actually make a purchase that would benefit everyone in Peoria who pays a water bill, he can't figure that one.

5. Morris, is also torn, between the Chamber of Commerce which supports the buyout and the 82% of voters in the referendum.

6. Nitchting is supposedly, philosophically opposed to taking the water business away from private enterprise. But until he is on record supporting the rest of us drilling wells in our back yards, he is infact supporting a raping of consumers, by a government created monopoly that would make Nikita Krushev proud.

7. Ardis has always been against. Maybe he can be a real leader and change his mind.

An ironic look to all of this, is that had the biggest supporter of the Water Buyout, David Ransberg, not been such a little liar on all kinds of piddling crap, the buyout would have started with a much higher level of credibility. But like the boy who cried wolf, too many did not trust him, when he was finally telling the truth. Not about what he thought the price would be, but rather the financial sense of buying rather than being a captive, monopolized consumer. Likewise with Thetford and Teplitz.

We are betting there is a distinct change in that 82% from last Spring, and if some poll numbers would show those in favor within a striking distance as in the low 40%, the four "campaigners" on the council that are watching the polls just might switch their vote.

Or maybe some could talk to Davey and Aaron and get them to agree (in writing) not to make this an issue in the election for Billy.

Big Litter?????????

Ahhhhhhh Chief Settingsgard, I really appreciate the policeman who gave the woman the ticket for littering when she threw a butt out of her car. Do you suppose you could assign him to this? LOOK outside your office window as this pic was taken 1/2 block from Peoria Police Department on Friday. It is of an object much bigger than a cigarette butt that I don't beleive belongs on the sidewalk blocking people walking or God forbid a disabled person trying to get to the ballpark.

New Urban Upscale Image

My 19 yo took this picture after going to Thursday night's Thirsty Thursday Chief's ball game to grab a couple beers (hahahaha). Seems this Mercedes Benz 320 was parked three spaces south of main entrance on Jefferson and it's owner was gripping how he couldn't get in his drivers side door because of the tall weeds growing out of the street so he and his business buddies could race back to Morton after game. Isn't it interesting how Peoria will spend millions of dollars on ballparks to create an image only to have the image of tall weeds to out of town MB's the image the remember?

1001 NE Monroe

How tough would it be to at least scrape the paint around and over the door. The rest is brick. But puuullllllleeeeeaaaaasssseeee, make this building look like someone is actually doing something with it. It is on a busy throughway and across from Morton Square park.

1000 NE Madison

Perhaps if we had left the owner of this property (Gene Gathers) as the Director of PHA, Taft would be as vacant as this property has been for the last 5 years. Before that it was crack and 'hos, so one could suppose that "just blighted" is preferable. But it is too bad. This house was quite grand in its day.

Demolition by Neglect?

This property is being set up for demolition. Don't know the last time someone occupied it, but the roof substrate is showing and one can only wonder how much plaster is begining to fall from the ceilings. Thank goodness for a dry summer.

Peorias Picture of Diversity: playground on the left - porn shop on the right

This is the Bus Station in downtown Peoria. The porn shop (SWINGERS WORLD) was there first, so we guess that makes it okay to put playground equipment (YWCA) a street away. But if the kiddie park was there first, that would be a NO, NO, NO! And you thought DISCRIMINATION DIDN'T PLAY IN PEORIA.

Ever wondered what the heck that slogan on the building has to do with anything, "EMPOWERING WOMEN. ELIMINATING RACISM" First of all, to quote Jock Ewing (this should date me for you), "No-one gives you power. You take it." And to quote William Raspberry, in Peoria, speaking for the NAACP, (I paraphrase) "You will never eliminate racism. It is like the rain. Get a slicker."

But of course, Peoria has to plaster a publicly financed building with sentiments appealing to those living in a culture of victimization and those bureaucrats that making a living, pimping the plight of the powerless and racismed.

1810 N. Bigelow

This house was purchased for less than $10,000.00. Note the Victorian scalloping, diamonds and rainboc colors. Also note the balance and symetry of the windows and flower boxes that match the width of the windows. Habitat, they'd have put the same width of flower boxes under each window and figured the more flower space, the better.
Which house would you rather live across from, the goofy looking Habitat house, or this decorative showcase?

BTW: this is councilman Sandberg's home. He spent less on it than Ransberg spent on out of town political consultants.

Commentary on Habitat

Bill Dennis said...

I knew an investigatve reporter -- Patty Lamb was her name -- who had a motto" "Sacred Cows make the best tasting hamburger." So it's not surprising so see a "sainted" organization come under a well-intentioned and even tempered scrutiny here.

Back when federally subsidized housing was just getting off the ground, I imagine its critics -- for aesthetic and economic reasons -- were criticized for picking on poor people, and for speaking ill of the well-intentioned people involved to set it all up.

If only those critics were taken seriously at the time. We might not have Taft and Harrison, or the Section 8 program, which serve only to raise the prices for tenents who work (*ahem*)

The same could be said for Habitat for Humanity. Now, I much prefer the idea of making people owners of their own homes, as opposed to more government, Section 8 apartments.

You are right: If H for H is going to donate labor to build homes, they ought to hold themselves to neighborhood-positive standards. If a new homebuyer built new homes that ugly, they would be criticized, too. My libertarian principles prevent me wanting the government to prevent peopel from building a home just ebcause it's ugly. Beauty is in the eye of the yada yada, after all.

Personal tastes, aside: So why don't they just rehab older homes if it costs less and takes less time?

Why should they? What's in it for them? The emotional payoff for the volunteers is much greater when they hand over the keys to a NEW home.

No one does anything for free. H forH volunteers are doing it to feel good about themselves, which might be a noble enough reason. But how many more could they help by switching to less grandious ways of helping people.

Waiting for a response from Habitat for Humanity

kristyinpeoria said...

Good Job Polly! I thought the same thing! Habitat is an absolutely fantastic organization which does a whole heck of alot with small resources! Give them a break! I am sure the new homeowner who has worked and worked putting in hundreds of hours on their home doesn't appreciate your opinion on their brand new home!

7:43 AM

Anonymous said...

Habitats time would be better spent rehabbing one of the many run down homes in the area than building a new home that does not fit in with the neighborhood. They do this all the time, the benefit of reclaiming one of the fantastic structures that already exists far outweighs that of putting another home in near the run down properties that are the reason for the decline of the area.

Habitat for Humanity is familiar with the rehab project. I think that their decision to build rather than rehab is a carefully considered one, and while I may disagree with that focus, I don't have much to criticize because they have in support of their position some reasons that I think make a lot of sense.

But there is no reason for repeating the architectural and aesthetic errors of the house on Columbia Terrace. Just because the people getting the house are low income and are not going to look a gift horse in the mouth, is no reason for the local habitat to not use an appropriate design that will fit with the surrounding architecture and style.

And again, the ECONOMIC ARGUEMENT raised that has yet to be re-butted by anyone is that if the house has the correct architecture, it will be worth more money in the long run. So it could be argued that when it comes to having long term equity in the property, Habitat is actually doing these low income people a disservice, because if they ever try to sell it, their house is not going to appeal to the educated buyer that has any sense of taste or style that is going to be a factor in their purchase of a home.

We know for a fact, that right now there are neighborhood associations and revolving funds, sitting on lots that they would like to donate for the purpose of building single family homes, but they will not donate them to Habitat because Habitat will not meet with them and consider the architectural issues. And these associations would not only donate the land, but also the time of their members who have experience building and restoring homes.

Since Kristi is in Peoria, we suggest she drive by the.....1000? block of W. Columbia Terrace and then through the neighborhood, then call Gary Sandberg to ask what it would have cost to do the front of this house correctly (the answer to this question is little or nothing) and then call Kallister Realty and talk to Broker John McDonald and ask him how much more a house with the correct features would be worth and how much faster he thinks it would sell. Then call the 12 taxing bodies and ask them as to on whose side of this issue they would be. The side that wants to feel good, or the side that would argue that donated time and materials should be wisely used to effect the maximum increase in value of the property to which they are donated.

The nexus between architecture and improving neighborhoods

Okay, but I thought the purpose of this site was to shame SLUM properties, not nit-pick those who may offend your haute asthetical tastes.

--
Posted by pollypeoria


We believe there is a nexus between the issue of taste and slums. I think councilman Sandberg and Grayeb would agree.

The proposition is that if we take the opportunity of new construction to fill in some of the "toothless gaps" on a block in an older neighborhood, the more favorably that new structure blemds with the surrounding architecture, the more it benefits the property values on that block as a whole. A portion of the value for a person who buys an older home is the way that home looks on the outside. But a home owner who has invested in the exterior appearance of their home by selection, purchase and improvement is going to be positively or negatively affected by the way that the houses on their block look. We spend as much time viewing our neighbors houses and the architectural beauty, uniquness and appreciation for history that they have, as much as we are going to view our own house.

Many people would rather see an older home, with peeling paint that still has the original features, that could at any time be purchased and renovated, than to look at a cockeyed, plain, vynil sided box.

And the aesthetic appeal is an integral part of attracting responsible people to a neighborhood, people who have the resources to improve and maintain homes. If a neighborhood passes on the opportunity to make a particular structure an architecturally compatible, visual asset.

Drive by 1810 N Bigelow. I drive down that street on a regular basis, just to look at that house. I know that the neighbors on it, if asked would say that view is an asset to their block and that it is the very last house on their block that they would want to lose, because it is the one house on their block that brings the "right kind of people" driving, biking and jogging through over the years, just to see what color is going to go on that house next.

Now the house on the 1100 block of N. University, some might think that\r\nowner went just a little too far. Interesting that both\r\nowners are former employees of the City of Peoria.


Now the house on the 1100 block of N. University, some might think that owner went just a little too far. Interesting that both owners are former employees of the City of Peoria.

Example for Habitat

One of the best restoration examples of a cottage victorian is right across the street from Habitat's warehouse on Main Street. Notice how even this victorian has plain ballusters, not the turned, oversized, decorative ballusters that Habitat has inappropriately used on its latest project on Columbia Terrace. Especially on such a high traffic street and in the med tech where property values are supposed to appreciate in years to come, it would have been of great benefit to the neighborhood and the the home owner's long term equity, for Habitat to have used the right sized and shaped materials on this job. It just doesn't make any sense when the appropriate design elements don't actually cost any more.

Hopefully someone in their organization, like Cheryl Budzinski will have her husband....who works for PSA, correct these annoyingly stupid mistakes that are undermining the architectural experience of older neighborhoods. If I want to live in a neighborhood of vynil sided boxes, with shutters that are the wrong size and porch railings and supports that obstruct views from my living room windows, I can move to any of the new subdivisions that are out of the range of the Peoria School District.

Appropriate architectural examples for Habitat

I hate to do this........but

NEW HABITAT HOUSE ON COLUMBIA TERRACE

While I appreciate all of the time that the retirees devote to Habitat for Humanity, it would be nice if they could get a retired architect to assist the retired engineers and electricians who put these houses together.

There is nothing structurally wrong with houses. In fact the care and quality put into the labor, on these home may rival million dollar homes. But architecturally, they could be compared to a Mr. Potato, head, where someone put different sized ears, different shaped eyes and body parts with no blending of any color scheme.

And when you go to all the trouble of putting a new house in a Victorian neighborhood that is trying to stabilize itself..........and is improving...why not blend the functionality of the structure with architectural style that is compatible with the other houses in the neighborhood.

University East has many fine examples of Craftsman architecture, from which some of the following "stylistic errors" could have been avoided:

1. Craftsman's rarely have shutters. But if they do, the shutters are of the size that actually (could) cover the windows. The decorative aspect of shutters, originated with the functionality of shutters which required that the shutters could actually cover the window. These shutters look stupidly mismatched to a window of this width, to anyone that ever actually paused to think about this.

2. NEVER, NEVER, NEVER.........have a porch railing that reaches up over the base height of the window. When you are sitting in your house, looking out your front window, the view out of that window, and of that window from the street, should not be obstructed by ballusters and a rail.

3. LIKEWISE WITH PORCH SUPPORTS. You don't put them where they would obstruct the view from the picture window!

4. BALANCE THE WINDOWS...especially in the front of the house. Look at the windows on the left. They are too small and too high up. Windows are the eyes of the home. This Houses' face has one large eye and one small eye. Think of how stupid you would look if you had one eye that was twice the size of the other. Well, that is how stupid this house looks. Notice that the door, as is a persons, nose or mouth, is centered on the "face" providing a symetry that then gets screwed up by the mismatched sizing of the windows.

5. If you are going to go to all of the trouble to have symetry in the structure, put a railing on each side of the steps. Here it looks like someone just quit before the job was done. And what if someone with the use of only one arm moves in???? Hello?!

6. Minor decorative points: You don't see fish scaling so much on craftsman. usually the craftsman had narrow lap siding or wood shingles. The gridding skirting the porch is diagonal....which is all wrong.....to be consistent with the period, it needs to be vertical. The half height porch posts.......they mess up the symetry of the porch. There is something wrong with the shape of the porch posts...oh yeah....they are plain square and the ballusers are turned and victorian style.

Here are appropriate examples of craftsman, and a victorian cottage, that ironically enough is just across the street from the Habitat warehouse on Main Street.

White Trashed.. another Victorian victim - 1500 block oof Linn

Legitimate Code problems:

1. Roof
2. Siding missing;
3. untreated exposed wood used to enclose porch
4. fence?

Advertising Incest: Parent Child Sexuality Education Available

Could have been your neighborhood

Code Enforcement: the Louisville Slugger used by the "connected" neighbors to F _ _ _ the people they do not like.