Wednesday, November 02, 2011

Big Al's Owner is Laughing All the Way to the Bank

Today I received thank you emails from Beth and Chuck, the only two councilpeople who voted against this hugh taxpayer risk, and my friend, Tim Riggenback, who voted for it. When I blogged that this city council and mayor may go down as the worst in history, I did not mean to include Beth and Chuck.

Sandberg didn't show up for the vote. Too bad.

With no insult intended, no $160+ million dollar corporation would have any member of the City Council sitting on their B of D, with the exception of Chuck. And their are a lot of incompetent private and public board members.

It is the people we elect or appoint to office who have caused the cities, states and feds who put us in the pickle we are in. And voters and non-voters need to share some of the blame.

Everyone, including myself, has their hand out. It is up to our elected officials to say yes or no.

Why my comment on Big Als? Do any of you know the cost of the Big Al's contract? Rumor is it is anywhere from $8 million to $11 million, all taxpayer dollars. Not bad work for getting a new a better location plus a new building designed to the owner's specification.

Some knowledgeable and unknowledgeable people say I'm an "aginer". Believe I still see the successful company I founded 48 years ago and sold 20 years ago still uses my name. I'm against putting taxpayers at big risks and lavish entitlements.

I received no financial help from the City of Peoria, just harassment from the fire department by Ray Becker's go-fer, Ernie Russell. Actually, Ernie as Fire Chief, harassed the owner of the building I leased, eventually causing my rent to go up. The Fire Chief suddenly discovered, after 40 years or so that there weren't enough fire plugs. A bad joke. I doubt if the plugs the owner was forced to install and pay for, are still out back of the building but they weren't needed then or needed now.

Such is politics but I'm glad they are sticking it too Cellini. Ten years ago he would have walked and he may yet. As I said, such is politics.

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