Peoria Pundit

I have often implied that the existence of the Peoria Civic Center is a fraud perpetrated against the taxpayers. After all, it cannot operate for a single day without the promised-to-be-temporary Hotel, Restaurant and Amusement Tax.

But this isn’t a post about that boondoggle. This is a post about a different boondoggle.

According to the Peoria Journal Star, Lisa Williams, who pretends to have the real-life power to communicate with the dead on Lifetime television’s “Life Among the Dead,” is bringing her magic act to Peoria Civic Center at June 7. Gullible dummies will be paying $45 to $65 to this con artist.

For those who are wondering why I am calling her a con artist, here is an explanation: There is no such thing as psychic powers. No one really talks to the dead. No one. There are no doubt grieving people who have convinced themselves that have. But people like Lisa Williams are frauds. All of them. Period. End of discussion.

It is a sad state of affairs, but even in the 21srt century, there are still people who believe this unscientific drivel. But then, some people still cling to the equally irrational belief that vaccines cause autism.

I blame the media, which thinks the standards of objectivity requires them to treat this nonsense with respect. Folks, we all have the equal right to have an opinion, but not all opinions are equal. The end result of “equal time for frauds and morons” creates the impression this B.S. is OK. Feh.

Now, I like television shows like “Medium” and Ghost Whisperer” like any American. But they are fiction. I liked Star Trek, but I know William Shatner is just an actor. And if anyone tried to sell me a boarding pass the USS Enterprise, I’m going to take a pass.

Lisa Williams is fundamentally no different than grifters who run scams on grieving widows. At least when she limited her act to television, she got money from advertising. Harmless fun, right?

Wrong. Now this active, practicing fraud is in town to take directly money out of grieving people’s pockets. These victims will be your friends, co-workers and relatives. It is disgusting. Why not just sell licenses to three card monte games, right next to the downtown pushcarts. Along as the Peoria Civic Center Authority gets a cut, right? I mean, we have to pay for those expensive new offices somehow, cause legitimate events aren’t coming here.

But, hey, I cannot image life in Peoria without the Peoria Civic Center.

About a month ago, someone deeply involved in the Hotel Pere Marquette renovation/expansion told me, and I’m paraphrasing here: “The new, second tower would not in any way resemble the Gem Terrace building in East Peoria.”

And I was reassured.

Here’s a picture of Gem Terrace. Perhaps you’ve seen it before, driving through over-grown series of unconnected, unwalkable strip malls that downtown East Peoria has become.

Actually, it’s an artist’s rendering … an idealized version of what it’s supposed to look like. In other words, this is what the creators think looks good, shown in its best possible light.

Now, here is a picture — another artist’s rendering — of the proposed addition to the Pere Marquette addition:

My first reaction upon seeing this image, courtesy of the Peoria Journal Star, was: “Oh, my God. This isn’t just ugly. It’s butt ugly.” My second reaction was “Oh, my God. It’s looks just like Gem Terrace.” My third reaction: “I’ve been lied to.”

Look at the damn thing. It’s ugly. It’s a glass monstrocity. Obviously, they are more concerned with the hotel looking like the Peoria Civic Center than they are with the new addition looking like the original hotel. And it’s ugly. Did I mention ugly?

Personally, I don’t care if someone wants to build an ugly building. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and if it were for the vulgarians among us, we woduld have no reason to appreciate true beauty and taste. 

But Dave Matthews and the other investors are coming before the city council, like beggars, asking for every single Peorians to help contribute to the financing for this thing. That means everyone ought to have a say about this thing. And I say that if these people want $39.3 million in public financing for their $102 million project, they can damn well send this thing back to the drawing board.

From the Journal Star: Civic Center hotel among ideas

While offering up no details, Peoria City Manager Randy Oliver admitted Friday that “there has been some interest in attaching a hotel to the Civic Center.”

“Anytime you have a convention center and there’s not a hotel immediately attached to it, there is some interest by some people to create a convention center hotel,” Oliver said Friday. “We’re open to entertaining any and all proposals.”

The comments come on the heels of leaked reports that owners of the Hotel Pere Marquette are seeking substantial city funds and other local monies for an extensive renovation. A city source has told the Journal Star that the request is for $1 million a year in city tax dollars for the next 20 years for operation of the historic Downtown hotel, as well as a $6 million loan from the city for renovations.

The city loan would be paid back through hotel profits, but it would not be guaranteed unless those profits emerge, the source said, speaking on the condition of anonymity. The proposal also reportedly includes a combined $6 million gift from Caterpillar Inc. and the Peoria Civic Federation, a private group of top area CEO’s.

Caterpillar and the Civic Federation officials have both denied they’ve been approached with any such deal.

There doesn’t seem to be much support. Here:

“I will say that the proposal they provided, in my opinion, was not in the best interest of the city of Peoria nor was it in the best interest of the taxpayers,” Oliver said, adding he doesn’t believe that discussions to help the Pere Marquette are very far slong.

And here:

Meanwhile, some City Council members are upset that the media are informing them of negotiations with the hotel.

At-large Councilman Eric Turner says the various proposals should be discussed by the entire council in executive session.

“There are private investors in this community who I have talked to (Friday) that said they are willing to look at options for the Pere,” Turner added. “They’re very serious. I have a proposal. So, it’s out there. It’s just a matter of us beginning the discussion.”

At-large Councilman John Morris said the media’s involvement “makes it difficult for me to take any of these (proposals) seriously until we have a formal proposal. My principal concern is for the health and vitality of Downtown Peoria and that we’re looking at all the options. I want to protect the current taxpayers’ investments.”

Translation: “Cursed media! I’ll vote for anything that takes taxpayer money and puts into the hands of developers! But I won’t get the chance if you keep interfering!”

And Ransburg is still trying conduct secret meetings on the whole thing:

Mayor Dave Ransburg, who has been criticized by some council members for not involving them in the debate, said again Friday that “there’s no plan.”

“I think it’s inappropriate to share anybody’s proposal,” Ransburg said. *”I don’t want to design whatever we do in public.”*

Of course not. First, they have to get the plan together, map out a strategy to sell the idea, make sure all the players (i.e. beneficiaries) are on the the same page and are using the appropriate buzz words, then bring it up for a vote so it can be rubber stamped before opposition can build. THAT is how politics is done in Peoria.

And the Journal Star finds some backbone on today’s editorial page. They express some misgivings about spending taxpayer money to keep a privately owned, luxury hotel open. They better be careful; they come close to approaching common sense. When the guy who is supposed to update their Web page wakes up from his nap and actually posts the editorial, I’ll try to post a link to it.

*NOTE:* Speaking of the JS editorial board, it actually had the
nerve to chastise Ransburg and the council for not backing the referendum to eliminate the Peoria Election Commission and consolidate city elections services with the Peoria County Clerk’s office. It’s all about efficiencies, they said. Funny how the editorial didn’t mention that a very good case has been made that the consolidation could mean a loss of hundreds of thousands of dollars from the city’s budget.

dave randburg,peoria civic center,pere marquette

Notice how efficiency doesn’t matter when the spending is for a JS pet project like the downtown museum of Peoria history.