The two percent advantage

The public works advisory board proposed an ordinance giving local contractors a two percent advantage over out of town bidders on City contracts. This is a bad deal on many levels.
1. Passing an ordinance that forces the city to spend more money at a time when we are budgeting paperclips.

2. At least some local contractors are against said ordinance. They want an even field. They get their advantage on local jobs by saving on mobilization.

3. Ordinance will discourage out of town contractors from bidding jobs. It takes a lot of time and money to prepare a bid and when coming in at a 2% disadvantage, they are liable to not bid at all. Even though they may have beaten the locals by 10%. We would never know the true cost of this.

4. Local contractors may pad their bid. They know they have a 2% advantage and may inflate their bid knowing if they are less then 2%, they are actually leaving money on the table.

5. If out of town contractors don’t pull plans because they can’t/won’t compete with this disadvantage, local contractors may inflate their bids when they see they don’t have any competition.

6. Could actually put local contractors at a disadvantage when bidding out of town jobs. When they bid in another contractors home town, the competing contractor may bid extra hard to keep them out since they have an advantage here.

After making these points to the City Council tonight, they withdrew the motion from the agenda. The two percent advantage is off the table for now.

The council showed they are willing to listen to their constituents and should be commended on this. I think this proposal was a very bad idea and the City is better off without it.

A few words on the Cumberland Presbyterian Church

The Cumberland Presbyterian Church was constructed at 1321 Broadway in 1859. Mattoon was an exchange point for soldiers on their way to and from the war front. Many injured and sick passed through town and a hospital was needed to care for them. In 1863, the basement Presbyterian Church was fitted to serve as a hospital.

Not only did the building serve as a hospital during the war, but also a jail. 26 prisoners known as “copperheads” (a northerner sympathetic to the southern cause) from the famous Charleston riot were held at the church for several days until they were transferred into federal custody.

The original building was replaced in 1895, but elements from that building were used for the new one. There have been several alterations to the building over the years, including an addition on the north side that covers one of the stained glass windows.

The Presbyterian’s moved out and the Lutheran’s moved in. Broadway Christian Church later occupied the building. In 1977, the First Alliance Church began holding services here. They moved out in 2003 and since 2006 the church was used for Apostolic Assembly Church.

Now the fate of the church has been sealed. It will be demolished for a new CVS Pharmacy. As regrettable as it is to lose another historic building, this one probably makes the most sense of all previous demolitions.

Unlike other demolitions, this one has a definite plan for the site. The 1700 block of Broadway was demolished with no plans for replacement. And the site where the Big Four depot once sat has been barren for almost five years now. This site will have a productive business on it, generating revenue and providing jobs.

A church in the middle of a business district does little for economic growth. The traffic generated by the church comes at a time downtown businesses are closed. No revenue is created at a church. And the land the church sits is tax exempt in what should be a prime real estate district. Redevelopment of a church into a successful business is rare.

A CVS pharmacy will put people in the heart of downtown at all hours of the day all days of the week. A smart entrepreneur will be able to capitalize on this traffic and draw it into adjacent businesses. And the project will take a desolate block of downtown and revitalize it back to life. It will take two properties currently tax exempt, and put them on the tax rolls. And it addresses three vacant buildings that are beginning to show signs of neglect.

Historic preservation is still important to me, but it is obvious it will not be a platform for economic development in Mattoon. Over 20 buildings have been razed since early 2004. Even if every remaining building was renovated, it won’t be enough to sustain downtown. It is time to seriously look at infill development. This project is a step in that direction.

The greased chute of government

“The only thing worse then gridlock it the greased chute of government.” –Henry Hyde

When one like minded group controls government, there agenda gets passed unchecked. This is a dangerous formula that often results in trouble. Times the same political party controls Congress and the presidency include the 1930’s through the great depression, the 1970’s through double digit inflation and unemployment, and during the Bush administration, where the federal deficit skyrocketed to unbelievable measures.

Opposite that, times often referred to as good prosperous times have seen the branches of government being held by opposite parties. The 1950’s and 1980’s had republican presidents and democrat congress and the 1990’s had a democrat president with republican congress.

This is not a new position for me. I started making this argument in the 2005 local elections.

“I used to think it was best to have a group of like-minded individuals on a board or council to be able to make some changes and get things done. They would be able to move their agenda and set policies to how they saw best. I no longer believe this is the greatest idea.

While they can make some accomplishments, the lack of opposition can lead to some unwise decisions and missed opportunities. Without debate, many ideas are not considered. A vocal opposition can either change ones mind or reinforce their original opinion. Either way, both sides are being considered. And as taxpayers, we deserve that from our elected officials,” was how I put it then.

The Mattoon City Council has only seen one”no” vote in almost four years. Motions are passed 5-0 with no discussion. Any opposition voiced from the public falls on deaf ears. Fiscal responsibility has been thrown out the window. This is the greased chute of government in action.

It will be interesting what the next two or four years bring at both the national and local level. Will the democrat agenda get passed unchecked? Will that lead to trouble? Will the next city elections bring more debate to local government? Will our leaders slide down the greased chute of government?

Contemplating another run for council

I’ve been asked by many if I’m going to run for council again. I’m entertaining the idea, but things are much different then they were four years ago.

Four years ago, I ran mainly on the platform of historic preservation. While historic preservation is still important to me, it is completely unrealistic to use it as a platform for economic development. Over 20 buildings have been razed since I started that campaign. Even if every remaining building was renovated, it won’t be enough to sustain downtown. It is time to seriously look at infill development.

Last election, I stated I believed the Mattoon had the right amount of professional management with the City Administrator. I wasn’t really interested in the City Manager form of government. Now after watching the way Mattoon and Charleston operate (Charleston has a city manager) for four years, I believe the manager form is more desirable. Some may call it a ‘flip flop’ but I say I am more informed on the topic then I was four years ago.

Mattoon voters will be choosing if they wish to change the form of government to a City Manager form in the November election. If elected, I would want to focus on legislative issues so the outcome of this may make my decision easier. If we keep the mayor/council form, council members will also be department heads and in charge of personnel. I am not interested in managing department.

I am also not interested in running to replace current department heads. While I may not agree with some of the decisions they have made, I believe they all would start even at the start of the new term. Again, this topic may be taken off the table if the manager form is adopted.

What else?

TIF districts: I am a strong believer of TIF districts as a tool for economic development. Mattoon now has four; three of which were good decisions. The I-57 TIF district is a gross misuse of the TIF law. However, it is in place and appears to be legal. I am not going to run on the platform of undoing the actions of past councils.

Business districts: I am not convinced these are a good thing. I can’t see raising taxes as an effective tool to attract more business. However, I am open to debate. I would not want to create any new business districts for two years so we can see if the ones created are working as planned.

Fiscal responsibility: I will not vote for projects unless funding is secured. Taking out loans based on projected sales tax revenue is not secured funds in my opinion. Applying for matching fund grants with no plan on how to pay for the city’s share is irresponsible. Approving business district grants based on projected sales tax revenue for a business that doesn’t even exist yet is dangerous.

Update codes: The subdivision and zoning ordinances are grossly outdated. The comprehensive plan was approved in 1968. These need to be updated and enforced. This would be a goal of mine if I served on the council.

I also need to take a serious look at my personal life. Do I have the time and energy to put into a campaign and serve? I have lived a lifetime in last four years since the last local election. Some things just don’t seem as important as they used to. Will I be able to give the citizens all they deserve by electing me? How would serving on the council affect my relationships at home?

Finally, do I realistically believe I can get elected? One thing I learned four years ago is local elections have little to do with issues, ideas, and knowledge. They are more about who you know. Not the status of who you know, but how many of those people can you get to show up on Election Day and vote for you. I don’t really have a base of voters. I don’t belong to a service club; I am not a member of any lodges; I am not an active member in a large church. I am not sure how far my recognition from my column will carry me.

Am I electable? If I get on the ballot and get spanked twice in a row, will I ever have enough political capitol to get elected? I really don’t want to be the guy who always runs, but never gets elected. Continuing to lose elections will erode my credibility and make my goals harder to reach.

Edit:
Open meetings: Current and past councils have caught flack about violating the open meetings act. If I am in a meeting where topics are being discussed that violate the act, I will bring up the open meetings act and refuse to take part in the conversation. If it continues, I will leave the meeting and publically acknowledge the act was being violated.

Treasures of an old house

I’ve been doing some foundation work on my house. The house was built in 1891, but there was an addition put on it at a later date. I found this token between two bricks. It is a sales tax token from the 1930’s. (The must be when the addition was built).

Merchants had to pay sales tax based on their daily sales. For a ten cent item and three percent tax rate, the merchant could either round down and not collect tax or round up and charge an extra tem percent. Or they could give sales tax tokens for change. There were around 5000 of these Charleston tokens put into circulation. This ¼ cent token is worth about 2 bucks today.

The amazing thing is, someone put this between two bricks for someone to find, and I actually did. I’ve been on several construction jobs where someone will imbed a new penny somewhere on the job. And I myself have left time capsules in my house when doing some remodeling. But this would have been easily missed.

Does Illinois need a Constitutional Convention?

Every 20 years, the citizens of Illinois are allowed to vote on the need to overhaul the State Constitution. The current Constitution was adopted in 1970 after the 1968 referendum called for a Convention. In 1988, voters overwhelming voted against a Constitutional Convention by seventy-five percent.

The Chicago Tribune lobbied against the Con-Con praising the Constitution adopted in 1970. “The Constitution they drafted is still a fine fit for Illinois …” the Tribune stated. Fast forward 20 years, and the Tribune seems to have changed their tune “Vote yes because if this referendum proposal fails, you do have a guarantee: The sweet-smiling panderers who run this mismanaged state will give you 20 more years of what you have now.”

State government is pretty much a mess compared to 1988. We have spent half the time since then with unpopular, corrupt governors from both major political parties. Our general assembly and governor constantly cannot agree. We have lost billions in federal transportation funding. And balance the budget by underfunding pension plans. This chaos may sway voters to call for the rewriting of the state constitution this fall.

If a Constitutional Convention is called for, there are several topics that will be addressed. Some of which may not be looked at by simply proposing amendments to the current constitution. Some of those topics include:

· Selection of Judges – should the Governor appoint judges or should the voters elect them?
· School financing – should schools be funded through property taxes or otherwise?
· Public pensions – should state employees be guaranteed a pension, and should the state be mandated to fully fund the pensions?
· Legislative Redistricting – The current “tie-breaker” system is not being used as it was designed. But no one has come up with a better system.
· Gay Marriage – should Illinois define marriage as being between one man and one woman?
· Death Penalty – Should the governor have the power to commune or pardon sentences, effectively clearing death row and negating all decisions made by the trial process? Or should the death penalty be abolished altogether?
· Graduated Income Tax – Illinois currently has a flat income tax, where everyone pays the same rate. Should there be higher rates for higher salaries similar to the federal system?
· Recall provision – Should the voters have the right to recall their elected officials before the next scheduled election? This is how Governor Schwarzenegger was elected in California.
· Term limits – Should Illinois elected officials be forced to step down after a given time?
· Binding Referenda – When lawmakers refuse or are unable to come to a solution, should voters be given a chance by putting the topic on a ballot?

Some of these issues can be resolved without a Constitutional amendment. Others require an amendment, but not the complete rewriting of the constitution. However these are ten topics that are heavily debated today. Some of these issues didn’t even exist twenty and forty years ago.

A Constitutional Convention could cost Illinois $100 million. It could also delay important legislation while the convention is held. The list of officials campaigning against this is growing, including former Governor Jim Edgar who fears the process will be taken over by "interest groups and single-issue zealots that have wielded undue influence in the Statehouse."

This is an issue that should be studied closely. It is now two weeks before the election and I have heard little about it. It is a decision that shouldn’t be taken lightly and will have a greater impact on Illinoisans then the presidential race. However, I’ll bet most voters haven’t heard of it. Make your choice wisely.

Missing Matt

Once upon a time, long, long ago (ok it was 1996); there was this little boy across the street that would wait for me to get home from work. He would hop on his little bike and peddle like mad over to my place just to ask how my day was and tell me what he did in school.

A year later, I married that boy’s mother. As a junior usher, he seated my mom at the wedding. He also carried the ring in a pinch when the ring bearer got cold feet. The night before, I spent the night with the boys at my mom’s house. He didn’t feel good and climbed into my lap for comfort. That was the first time I felt like a parent.

The next eleven years were filled with all the ups and downs of raising children. The memories are too many to mention. It is odd which ones seem to float to the top. When he was younger, he didn’t want to waste time at the dinner table. He would stuff his entire meal into his mouth, packing it into his cheeks like a chipmunk, and then spending the next ten minutes chewing and swallowing.

A couple of the not so good memories were also character building ones. I remember helping him with the Cub Scouts Pine Wood Derby. We spent several nights carving, assembling, and painting what we believed to be a winning car. I don’t know who felt worse when we finished last. Another competition found him at the plate with two outs and the tying run on base. He was crushed when he struck out to end the game.

Even though through his teen aged years, things seemed rocky in our relationship. There were admirations that went silent but not overlooked. There were times we would argue to the end over a choice he was to make. Sometimes it was a financial decision, others were academic. He would spend hours telling me how I was wrong and he was right. But when the decision was made, he often silently followed my advice. This did not go unnoticed.

Friday, June 13, 2008, the unthinkable happened. This little boy that eagerly awaited my arrival from work was killed in an early morning automobile accident. There isn’t really much to say about that except it happened and it is as bad as anyone can imagine losing a child.

Now, the smallest things bring reminders of Matt. A few weeks before the accident, I was microwaving a couple hot dogs. Matt saw this with disgust. “Eww, you eat those? Do you know what they put in them? You actually like them?” he pestered. “You don’t eat hot dogs because they taste good” I explained, “You eat them because you’re hungry”. He thought about that for a second and began preparing a couple for himself. I will never eat a hot dog again without thinking of that.

There is a Red Tailed Hawk at the cemetery near Matt’s grave. This “Chicken hawk” visits Matt’s mother often. Some Indians believe the hawk is a messenger from the Otherworld, and if he has chosen to visit you, you are receiving a message. I can’t help but believe Matt is there to comfort his Mom and to let her know everything is going to be OK.

Matt’s stone came today, another chapter closed in this book. One more step towards some sort of closure. Forever loved, forever missed.