Time for a new beginning
Now that I’ve gone and moved moved the Peoria Pundit to its own domain, I suppose I should start blogging up a storm.
But I’m tired and bummed out over this last election. I saw too many friends turn on each other. And it never feels good to be on the losing end of a fight, in this case, the fight over the museum tax.
I am hoping that we can out this nonsense behind us and start building bridges (metaphorically, since were not going to build real ones, or roads or sidewalks for that matter). Since this museum IS going to be built, using even more taxpayer dollars than necessary, I can only hope that I and half of the county were wrong and it’s a smashing success and doesn’t become the continued anchor around the neck of Peoria taxpayers the Peoria Civic Center has become.
But what was a success is that for the first time in recent memory, we mounted an organized opposition to a boondoggle. And the opposition nearly won. Meetings were held just roughly two months before the election. The opposition was outspent by God knows how much. Almost every elected official, the area’s largest employer and the daily newspaper were against us. Toward the end, that resorted to vandalism, smears and scare campaigns in the local media.
And we still almost won.
As Harry Caray used to say: “One more biscuit for breakfast …”
I propose that Citizens for Responsible Spending remain intact, ready to spring into action at the next sign of doondogglery (that’s a new word, I just made up).
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 
