I could not resist running this photo. I believe the man on the right needs no introduction. The guy on the left: The Rev. Jeremiah Wright. That’s the former pastor of Barack Obama’s church who the right wingers are using the scare Democrats into voting for Hillary Clinton, who the GOP thinks will be easier to beat in the general election.
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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 The Blog Peoria Project, which promotes community-based citizen journalism in his hometown, Peoria IL. Call me at (309) 863-5748 and leave a message.
Recent Blog Peoria PostsToday’s strip: Sam’s put on a sweater, but she’s still got that low cut top on. But tattoo-girl Skye is still doing the belly short thing.
I just came across this, but the Journal Star published a story last Thursday on the Detweiller Marina Neighborhood Association’s opposition to industrial zoning for land purchased by O’Brien Steel Service Co. for future expansion.
Nearly a year ago, I reported the Association’s initial opposition before the city zoning commission approved the re-zoning, and was rightly critical of their illogical, anti-industry NIMBY attitude. See blog entries here and here.
Nothing has changed. Association president William Ordaz told Peoria’s planning commission on Wednesday that:
“It’s not heavy industrial use that will contribute to this neighborhood. It will kill things.”
Huh? Heavy industry has dominated that part of the North Valley for well over a century. If anything, heavy industrial use has built those neighborhoods. After all, it was workers employed at the city’s factories that built the first houses there.
O’Brien Steel plans to announce its expansion plans in 1 to 2 years. In a time of recession and with the consequences of reckless spending at all levels of government and rising tax rates sure to harm the manufacturing sector, we should support O’Brien Steel’s plans for growth, which will help the adjacent neighborhood by providing additional jobs.
(The significance of this story to this blog is that O’Brien Steel Service Co. is located on the Kellar Branch and served by the Central Illinois Railroad Co. Expansion might increase use of rail service.)
- David P. Jordan
What miserable pinko liberal swine thinks that the Democrats are going to GAIN votes after passage of health reform? Well, conservative commenter David Frum is one:
There were leaders who knew better, who would have liked to deal. But they were trapped. Conservative talkers on Fox and talk radio had whipped the Republican voting base into [...]
Original post by Billy Dennis
This arrived in my email inbox moments ago:
District 150 Administration and School Board
Ladies and Gentlemen:
We are writing as concerned parents and supporters of Peoria High School students. We have been attending school functions and meetings hoping to hear about the upcoming changes for PHS and have been incredibly disappointed with the district’s total lack [...]
Original post by Billy Dennis
This arrived in my email inbox moments ago:
District 150 Administration and School Board
Ladies and Gentlemen:
We are writing as concerned parents and supporters of Peoria High School students. We have been attending school functions and meetings hoping to hear about the upcoming changes for PHS and have been incredibly disappointed with the district’s total lack [...]
Original post by Billy Dennis
Some of the anti-health care people sure do have some interesting views on race:
Rep. Andre Carson, D-Ind., told a reporter that as he left the Cannon House Office Building with Rep. John Lewis, D-Ga., a leader of the civil rights era, some among the crowd chanted “the N-word, the N-word, 15 times.” Both Carson and [...]
Original post by Billy Dennis
The Cosmos strives for equilibrium today. The hours of daylight and dark are equal. Spring returns–even if the day is dark and cold, rainy, snowy, spitting sleet. It’s the thought that counts.
Modern Wiccans call the day Ostara. I am not found of the name. Like Easter itself, the name is taken from a Teutonic lunar Goddess Eostre. Mike Nichols, author of The Witches’ Sabbats, from the website of the same name, “Her holiday, the Eostara, was held on the vernal equinox full moon.” Technically that will fall on the 29th of March. According to Nichols, the Roman Catholic Church divided the vernal holiday into Easter–the first Sunday after the full moon following the vernal equinox–and Lady Day, the Feast of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, on March 25th. This, of course, the day that the Angel Gabriel announces that Mary is “with child.” “Lady Day” was the name used by our first Wiccan founders.
I think I prefer the simpler “Spring Turning.” It was the phrase I used in my own fiction back before I was “officially” Pagan. It signifies a becoming. As Nichols says, it’s a springboard to Beltane, May 1st. Processes begun at the equinox find fulfillment at Beltane.
I hadn’t planned to celebrate the day, but a friend called late in the morning and said, “Let’s go to Bloomington to the Mennonite Relief Sale.” The day was dreary; and I knew that by the time we got there, most everything would sold, but I hadn’t been to the Relief Sale since it left Peoria. I was pleasantly surprised to get a bunch of pussy willows. I can’t remember the last time I had pussy willows.
And on the way back, I asked to stop in a Kelly Seed to look over their new shipment of heirloom seeds. I haven’t decided yet if I am going to plant a garden this year or slit my wrists, but Global Village in the Heights is collecting supplies for Haiti this month, and one of the things on the list is garden seeds. So I bought heritage melons, squash, radishes, and corn. And a packet of mixed lettuce if I decide to plant for myself. Spring is such a fickle time of the year…
I think the Wheeling & Lake Erie Railway’s 172-page Industrial Development Brochure is incredible for its detail, and it shouldn’t leave prospective buyers of listed properties and buildings with too many questions. But if they do have any, they can always contact the railroad.
Closer to home, RailAmerica’s Toledo Peoria & Western Railway lists these properties. I’m curious, though, why two of them, here and here, which are nowhere near TP&W track, are listed (furthermore, they could find out that “Middle Road” is not spelled “Middel.”).
Genesee & Wyoming, Inc., owner of two local shortlines – Illinois & Midland Railroad and Tazewell & Peoria Railroad – provide few details on their website, but it does say this:
I&M’s extra-wide 200-foot right-of-way, and adjacent industrial sites on both I&M and T&P, offer excellent location opportunities for manufacturing, distribution and transload facilities.
Before the Internet Age, railroads published and circulated booklets detailing industrial development sites in various communities they served. One example was the Chicago Rock Island & Pacific Railroad’s 1964 booklet. One page of the Peoria section, which appeared in the railroad’s 1963 Annual Report, can be viewed by clicking the thumbnail below.
The Rock Island’s promotion of both the Galena Road Industrial Park and Pioneer Industrial Park caught the attention of the Peoria Journal Star, which mentioned it in a June 16, 1964 editorial.
Past and present, American railroads know that to remain viable long term they must continuously promote their services to prospective industrial and logistics firms. And the only change is the type of media.
- David P. Jordan
I’m the kinda guy who is always going to wait until the very last minute to pay his cable bill. Usually, I find out it’s due when I can’t get on the Internet
So I’m in the Comcast office on Dries Lane ever other month.
Those guys rock. Professional, friendly and quick. Kudos.
But when I have actual [...]
Original post by Billy Dennis
Today’s strip: Chris Muir is hearing my pleas. Sam is again in the low-cut, skin-tight little black dress. Chris treats up to a front view and a maddeningly curvaceous profile.
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Oh Wow, Billy, you are on to something big! A photo of Bill Clinton standing next to the Reverand Wright – what a scoop! (sarcasm intended)
That’s my point. It’s not a scoop. And neither is the fact that this guy was Obama’s minister. No one really thinks Obama is a closeted racist. So why the attention to the dumb things Rev. Wright says?
After all, he WAS our first black President. No surprise here.
Oh, and it’s a “sauce for the goose” issue, Bill.
No, nobody thinks that, but that’s not stopping ‘em from claiming it and trying to convince others. Hell, just look at the peoria.com politics forum.
Please … I don’t need a peoria.com v. peoriaspeaks.com flame war here.
Me either. This has nothing to do with that, anyway. What I was referring to was a specific thread about Obama’s minister which contains a number of panicked replies, mostly from the same person, about how Obama is really a racist hatemonger. But also, there’s Merle Widmer’s blog, where he calls Obama a closet racist. Let’s not forget Sean Hannity’s little Lie-atribe about it.
All I’m saying is a number of people don’t care if he’s not a racist, they’re going to say he is anyway. The peoria.com thread just an example, so I’ve referenced the others there in the interests of fairness and not starting stupid drama.
If he really condemned Rev Wright’s extremism he’d have left the church years ago.
Billy, surely you are not suggesting that the relationship between Obama and the Reverend Wright is as innocuous as the relationship between Clinton and the Reverend Wright?
I’m saying that the relationshiop between Rev. Wright and Obama IS innocuous, in that has no genuine bearing on his fitness to lead.
Well, fortunately, we are all entitled to our own opinions.
Sauce for the goose, Bill.
Vonster, if you’d really condemned things like big government and liberal spending practices, you’d have left the Republican party 5 years ago.
Diane, you’re not buying into the notion that he’s a seething hatemonger beneath the surface, are you? He’s not exactly Louis Farrakhan. Like him or not, you guys have at least got to give him that much.
Who stole Reno’s user ID? The real Reno would never talk to/about me in a civil tone. But to answer his question – no. Not at all. Why would that even be suggested?
Sorry, my killer death ray destructo-lasers of incivility are at the shop for repairs due to excessive usage. Besides, bygones are bygones and I’m really not too terribly interested in Billy banning me from his site for life over old crap that has nothing to do with this.
Anyway, not trying to extrapolate, I guess I just misinterpreted your response.
One thing I’ve noticed on my lunch breaks while listening to Right-wing radio is the utter resistance to the speech. Obviously, it aimed to reconcile or foster understanding, but the radio pundits are calling it divisive and finger-pointing. Then you’ve got others who say he’s a racist no matter what he says. I’m wondering what gives. The guy is obviously not some rabid bigot, but a good number of people on the right are labeling him as such anyway. Any input on this one?
Right wingnut radio has made it clear that there is to be no reconciliation at all. Rush especially makes that point. you either adopt their world view or be condemned by them. That goes for McCain too. There is little love for McCain on right wingnut radio.
If anything wingnut radio plays into Obama’s speech and confirms it. They are some of the angry white men he speaks of.
Reno,
I don’t think you are wrong about the right-wing radio people being devise and finger-pointing, but don’t stop there. There are plenty on the other end of the spectrum that are dismissive as well.
It is politics.
The idea that – “we are opponents and if it came out of your mouth it must be wrong” – is a disease that affects both parties. I see it all the time, here.
Discussing certain issues – like race – is extremely hard. People are comfortable with their perceptions, no matter how inaccurate.
It also relates to responsibility. People on both sides of the racial divide absolve themselves of responsibility for the problem. Each side, generally, tends to blame the other. It gets uncomfortable when we discover that we each bear plenty of blame.
… all great points. Until the extreme left and right wing hysteria dies down it will be very difficult for this country to effectively deal with the real challenges we face. That is why I support the candidacy of John McCain. I feel that he is a moderate that is guided by his principles as opposed to the agenda of either party.
Mahkno – I believe Rush’s take on it was “I don’t want unity or reconciliation unless it means changing them to think like us.” So much for tolerance.
Mr. Mouse – Yeah, that’d be the Clinton camp. As for race, yeah, you’re right. Everybody wants to blame everybody else. In the black community fatherless children, drug abuse, black-on-black crime… these are things that whites can’t fix. Problems like these have to be solved from within. On the other side, whites need to acknowledge that we’re the ones who started this.
It wasn’t only whites who captured and sold people as slaves, but it was whites who bought them in this country. Then the slaves were freed, but they were marginalized and treated like they were less than human for over a century afterwards. I mean, come on! There were public lynchings for accusations of committing a crime without any evidence, and yet nobody was held responsible for the hangings? And that’s nothing to say of the incalculable civil injustices that *didn’t* result in a mob and a murder. Who wouldn’t be pissed off about that, even if for generations? Hell, the Irish and the English still hold plenty of grudges.
Does the modern African American community have big problems? Sure. But whites are still dodging the fact that we–or our ancestors–put them on the path. If blacks are harboring a grudge about it, white denial isn’t helping.
Diane – Meh, I wouldn’t say either side is acting extreme. Obama supporters are patting themselves on the back. Clinton supporters are saying,”good speech, but you’re still unelectable,” and the Republicans are back to their old tricks of making mountains out of molehills while dissecting statements to draw out meanings and intentions that don’t exist, then wagging their fingers as if they’re accusations are undeniable proof. Par for the course.
McCain, as you might remember, went through the same type of hoopla that Obama/Clinton are going through. Every conservative and his dog were saying he’s not really conservative, he can’t win the general election, he’ll destroy the Republican party, he’ll never unite us, etc. Anyway, I’d hope that McCain or any candidate would let his advisors guide him more than his principles. We saw what happened when Bush decided he was going to stick to his guns and to hell with what anyone else thinks: a disaster.
I can’t say I dislike the man, and might even have been able to make peace with the idea of having him as president before he started promising to continue the reckless and failed policies of the Bush administration while committing to keep us mired in Iraq for the next 100 years. It’s disappointing. All this time I thought we were admitting our mistakes and moving on.
Calling them hysterical, on the other hand, is spot on. What would be great is if we could stop trying to play a game of “gotcha” and stick to the issues to strike up a solution to our problems. Like that will ever happen.
“…you either adopt their world view or be condemned by them.”
Pot meet kettle. LOL!!