Found it very interesting that the RRstarLarryBotPressKit found two occasions to criticize/caution LarryBoy on his "AllMoneyDowntown,DamnPublicSafety/WorksAndRecession"flight plan for the city....
Here's the Chuckster, in defense of the library," ...Budget cuts may indeed be required in all city operations. That’s why I’m concerned over how we set municipal priorities. How does the city place a value on its libraries? Are they worth more than the MetroCentre? The Coronado? The vacant armory? The vacant Barber-Colman building? The vacant Ingersoll building? We taxpayers are paying for all of them.

Who decides what’s important? Morrissey has an ad hoc committee chaired by businessman Mike Dunn evaluating how entertainment tax dollars are spent. But where’s an ad hoc committee to examine the city’s overall priorities?..."


And the next day's editorial ...

"...The way Rockford aldermen see it, they boldly declared the MetroCentre a top priority by assuring an extra $5 million in funding for the next three years.
The way we see it, they may have acted rashly and illogically.
Their vote appears to have taken the downtown arena out of all further discussions. They locked themselves into a deal before waiting to hear what an advisory committee says — a committee they (and Mayor Larry Morrissey) created. That committee will now work with one hand tied behind its back...."

That committee was SUPPOSED to consider the Coronado,"On The Waterfront",the tourism/convention bureau...
...it's a little funny,you know, I remember when these things seemed SSSSOOOOO IMPORTANT,
....at one time,Waterfront was almost a symbol of Rockford "patriotism",if you didn't go,didn't agree it was the greatest festival in the Midwest,well you just didn't LOVE ROCKFORD!!!!!!!

And another thing,this concerning library funding really bugs me,is there anywhere BESIDES CityHall one can actually VERIFY
"...The library tax brings in about $6.7 million...."
with LarryBoy's penchant for diverting funds(keep in mind,at the end of last year,$10million from the General Fund was "borrowed" by the development fund )
could the city, in it's creative accounting tradition, be shifting some taxes intended for ONE purpose to ANOTHER??