Here comes the pork
The nearly 1.5 million in Peoria-area projects includes $250,000 to help Bradley University renovate Bradley Hall, $250,000 to expand Glen Oak Zoo, $250,000 to Lakeview Museum to help build a downtown museum of Peoria hitory, $500,000 to help rehab roads in Springdale Cemetery and another $200,000 to help the Heartland Clinic bring services to the East Bluff and north valley in Peoria.
My two cents: Bradley University is a private institution. Taxpayers don’t have any say in how BU is run. I shouldn’t be expected to pay for their renovations. Taxpayers already support public colleges and universities, and we don’t need to subsidize private colleges that exist to provide an upscale alternative to public education.
Lakeview is just one of many partners in the history of Peoria museum. Again, taxpayers have no voice in this process, and certainly there are more pressing matters that desperately need funding. Relief for Katrina victims comes to mind.
While roads are infrastructure, I doubt there’s much interstate transportation that’s going to be going on in the cemetery. I’m very sympathetic to Historic Springdale Cemetery, but not to this year. Again, Katrina relief should take priority over this otherwise worthy project.
Of all the projects in this list, the Heartland Clinic is the most worthy of federal spending. I note for the record, however, that it received far less than the others on this list.
Remember folks: There is no such thing as free money from the feds. Every dime we get from Washington D.C. is a dime that we sent to Washingon D.C.
While it’s certainly not always a one-to-one relationship, most communities don’t get more than they put in and Peoria isn’t any different.
Are these the things we want to use our federal tax dollars on? Renovating Bradley Hall? Get real.
It’s been argued that before we start spending money to help the victims of Hurricane Katrina, we cut as much pork as possible out of the federal budget, and only then raise taxes. What we seem to be doing it spending exactly as much on park as we did before — and slap on the tag “Katrina relief” to justify the expense — and continue to slash taxes for a select few.
In other words, we’re sending a huge tax bill to our children and grandchildren.
But that’s OK, because we’re convinced that Peoria will get a million tourists a year who wan’t to see the history of the tractor.
End sarcasm.
Billy Dennis is a former reporter and editor at small daily and weekly newspapers in Illinois and Missouri. He comments on media, news and politics. He also owns and operates 
