Peoria Pundit

Yeah, I used to do Newsbytes on an almost daily basis. I let is slide a couple of times, then got out of the habit. Well, hopefully, it’s back for good. All links via the Journal Star unless noted.

• They’re down to just three candidates for Peoria City Manager. But the juicy paragraph in this article is word from Mayor Jim Ardis that there may be interest in adding a candidate to the mix who has yet to be interviewed. Could that candidate be current interim Peoria City Manager Henry Holling. Yes, I’m aware that Holling took himself out of consideration when he accepted the temporary gig. But  I have found Holling to be  soft-spoken  manager who hasn’t ruffled any feathers.  Maybe that appears to some on the council. Just speculation on my part.
• I’m extending my best wishes to Officer Ann Ruggles, who is retiring at police information officer for the Peoria PD.
• I’ve been a critic of both Peoria School District 150 and Bradley University. Yet I have a hard time working up any outrage over news that the two may team up on the proposed math, science and technology academy. The school would be a charter school created by District 150, but operated by a different entity and not subject to some of the same restrictions most public school’s operate under. I have expressed concern that any school chartered  under District 150 auspices would be under too much control by the district. But Bradley University is a strong enough entity to resist the subtle pressures that could be applied District 150. And while I certainly have been a critic of how Bradley University treats it’s neighbor homeowners, it cannot be denied that the school has an excellent academic reputation. It’s certain that nearby Whittier School benefits from the student teachers BU provides. So, at first blush, this seems a win-win.
• Likewise, I’m bullish on the future of Manual High School, now that curriculum changes mandated by the No Child Left Behind Act are in place. Too bad that with all the highly-paid administrators and consultants employed by District 150 lacked to mental  brain power to figure out how to adequately staff the school. The principal is begging for more teachers. Here’s an idea: But some of these administrators to work doing something useful. Apparently, they instead decided to move the students elsewhere (WEEK) because they didn’t have the proper paperwork. Huh? So they DO have adequate paperwork for Woodruff and Central?

Henry Holling has been the most soft-spoken city manager that I can remember. Unless his recent predecessors, he rarely says much at council meetings.

But he stepped up the the plate and said that needed to be said at last night’s council meeting.

The debate was over a proposal to increase the fees taxi cabs are allowed to charge for riders. The proposal would have helped offset higher fuel prices.

But 4th District councilman Bill Spears moved — and 2nd district council member Barbara Van Auken seconded to instead draft a resolution urging the Illinois State Legislature to approve legislation waiving gasoline taxes for taxi cabs. He wanted the resolution drafted in time for the first council meeting in September.

Spears says he’s sympathetic, but opposed to raising rates.

Mayor Jim Ardis noted that drivers, not the companies, pay for the gasoline and expressed doubt the legislature could approve anything anytime soon. Council member Gary Sandberg, who like Ardis indicated he would vote for drafting the resolution, said that the rate increase would hit poor people the hardest. But Sandberg minimized the effect higher rates would have on visitors to the city, who mostly use hotel shuttle service back and forth from the airport. Council member Pat Nichting noted that the legislature would not be able to consider such legislation until the veto session, which happens after the September elections.

But Spears seemed unmoved.

Then Holling spoke up. He urged the council to not wait a month to vote on this rate increase. He noted that the taxi-cab business is “very marginal” and managing them is “very challenging” and it hard to attract and retain quality drivers. “A months difference … could very well mean a job, a couple taxis out of service. I don’t think that serves anyone’s best interest.”

At that point, Speared changed his motion and moved to direct staff to come back with a draft resolution at the next meeting, in two weeks. That motion passed unanimously.

As a libertarian, I think it’s not in the public’s long-term interests to regulate taxi prices OR the number of cabs allowed on city streets. Yeah, I can see the need to inspect cars. And I can see the need to license taxi drivers to help ensure they can drive safely. I’m a libertarian, not an anarchist.  But let taxi-drivers charge what they want. If they charge too much, someone will come along and offer lower prices.

Government forgets sometimes that when it tries to regulate the amount of money a business can make, it also hampers the ability workers to make money. Most businesses are small businesses, or private contractors. In the rush to protect the poor from higher fuel prices, it seems that some folks temporarilly forgot about the working poor. If the drivers cannot earn a living wage driving a taxi, there aren’t going to be ANY taxis to take anyone anywhere.

Return to a free market system — in which the government doesn’t try to decide who wins and who loses — and the market will set a fair price that provides services for those who need it.

I hope the council remembers this when this comes up for a vote. If they can’t see their way through to freeing up the market, then at least let the poor drivers charge what they need to stay in business.

And kudos to Henry Holling for making a good case and knowing when to make it.