Comments on: Good riddance to bad spending

By: Get ready for an Asian spending wave | Bad Credit NOT!

Get ready for an Asian spending wave | Bad Credit NOT! — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 05:12:34 +0000

[...] Good riddance to bad spending « Peoria Pundit [...]

By: Ramble On

Ramble On — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 18:07:26 +0000

I could start with no more arbors, no new infrastructure in Dunlap school district, no more hotels, hold off on the museum until…..well just until, hold off on library expansion. I don’t mind paying for the toters, heck I don’t even mind the $6 garbage fee. Just keep the police on the beat and basic safety net programs afloat.

By: Billy Dennis

Billy Dennis — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 17:54:56 +0000

Elaine: Yes, that’s why Peoria has a crime problem: The countless man hours the police are spending harassing peaceful protesters. End sarcasm. In most arrests I have covered, police respond in force when they arrest individual persons for drunk driving, domestic abuse, outstanding warrants, etc.

And we can attribute the growth of gated communities to the lack of faith those of us with money have in the adequacy of the police to handle crime. The poor don’t have that option. They have to rely on the police for security. A reduction in the essential service of police protection will only hurt those who CANNOT AFFORD to live in gates communities.

By: Elaine Hopkins

Elaine Hopkins — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 16:28:38 +0000

Reducing police on the street? In the ‘arrests’ I have witnessed, namely peaceful protesters against war or animal abuse, dozens of police and vehicles appeared to collar one or two people.

Overkill, big time. Time and money wasted. But that’s a ’safe’ arrest, as the ‘perp’ is a non-violent protester.

Incidentally the SAtty didn’t prosecute these people, a wise decision.

Do the police need more money or staff? Based on these situations, I would say no. But their workload will increase if basic services for the poor are ‘vaporized,’ and desperate people turn to crime.

Do we want Peoria to be a 3rd world city, a few rich and thousands of desperate poor, a la Latin America? That’s where we’re headed with these kinds of decisions. So an elite few will live in guarded, gated communities, and the rest of us will take our chances.

By: Billy Dennis

Billy Dennis — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 13:01:07 +0000

The list of worthy charities is much, much longer than those who receive these CDBG from the city. If the criteria for handing them money is “are they worthy, then ALL of them should be getting the money. So, obviously, the value of the charity is not the criteria for giving them the cash.

And the criteria cannot be “We, we spent money in the past on dumb stuff, like a new city logo.” The answer to that is “we need to spend less on dumb stuff, and more on essential stuff, period” not “We need to divert spending away from dumb stuff to not-essential stuff.”

Look at it this way: I receive a certain amount of money in my paycheck. Before I can even think of giving any of this cash to a charity, I have to make sure my essential needs are met. I have to pay for rent, food, clothes, medical bills. THEN I think about how donating to charity.

And we are not helping any Peorian by doing reducing the number of police on the street.

By: Ramble On

Ramble On — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 12:35:38 +0000

Am I wrong in thinking that some the social service agencies in question enter into a competitive process to obtain grants from a portion of the Community Development Block Grant funds from the federal government? I agree that the city needs to carefully budget it’s limited funds. It is too late now, but I would much rather see a grant for emergency care for infants than all the money being spent of changing to a new city logo. Now, that was a really a “wise” investment in meeting a need in the community.

It is more than the cuts from city funding, add to that the cuts in state funding and you have a serious impact of services that enhance the quality of life in Peoria. Center for Prevention of Abuse serves victims of domestic violence from all over the city and the need is great. What if half their staff and services go away? Crittendon Center provides emergency care for children in times of need. It is a long list of providers that do raise their own funds, but need to fill a gap.

While the city is trying to fill it’s gap, I hope it doesn’t do it all on the backs of all the programs that meet crisis needs. The quality of life for all of us is involved. Cut wisely, please.