Hey,now on facebook...hahaha!!

Been out of touch,but so much to touch on....

So this whole Mike Dunn Deal just reeks of Scandal-In-Waiting...






"Fear of flying
The first scandal of the Thompson administration over misuse of state planes saw the ouster of two top executives in June. Michael Dunn, the governor's young patronage chief, was forced to resign June9, following charges that he failed to report flights for political purposes on state aircraft. The director of aeronautics Melvin Rosenbloom was next, fired 11 days later, when his asked-for resignation was not delivered. Rosenbloom said he was fired for reporting Dunn...."

(I guess LarryBoy shows he's a true disciple of shady Illinois politics,huh?)

Here you find a bunch of "Downtown Supporters"( seriously, REAL ONES,actually INVESTED their OWN MONEY,some live downtown,and many, former LarryBots!!)

So, they are trying to block LarryBoy/MikeDunn's "vision" for downtown..."...Dunn called the Friends efforts to secure historic designation for the building "silly" and "a waste of the community's time"."

See, it's just more of this administration's determination to spend money(they DON'T HAVE,over and ABOVE the hotel/motel/beverage tax first instituted to pay for the MetroCentre) on entertainment venues...(WTF, don't we HAVE a PARK DISTRICT???? Seems that's THEIR mission) Money THAT SHOULD BE SPENT ON PUBLIC SAFETY AND PUBLIC WORKS!!

The whole mismanagement of the Metro Centre rehab money would seem to plop down in LarryBoy's lap...HE appointed the board,did he not? Always suspected this whole "RAVE" deal was a calculated effort to indirectly funnel more money to the IceHogPalace...the public was starting to grumble...we were told the refinancing/rehab meant the city would lessen the subsidy to the MC...THAT wasn't happening...heck let's change the NAME of the hand-picked "board" maybe the public won't realize more tax money is being dumped into the venue...

And besides, what makes Dunn a 'voice' for downtown??Near as I can tell, Dunn appears to be a realtor of "questionable scruples", (living somewhere NE Rockford, so much so, it could quite possibly be considered Loves Park or Roscoe.)

I assume anybody that cares about the seeming misdirection Mayor LarryBoy has headed the city of Rockford is,by now familiar with Rockford Scandals and Shenanigans...

The writer has proven to be an astute researcher of many fiscal irresponsibilities LarryBoy has foisted on the taxpayers in the name of "economic development"while slashing (and threatening MORE ) the BASIC TENETS of local government...Public Safety and Public Works....

Now, just for a minute, let's go back to those talks of switching some Motor Fuel Tax dollars from the Capital Improvement Plan to the General Fund to supplement other road maintenance needs(salting,plowing,sweeping,patching...you know the BASICS most municipalities fund with MFT). Well, the LarryBots came out full force crying 'the citizens passed the 1% sales tax to get these projects done,we can't "break their trust" '......
So anyway, Rockford S(candals)S(henanigans) offered several 'feelgood/fluff'' projects that could/sh
Sould be cut/delayed IF the budget is truly so dire....

Well,I started scanning the CIP info and couple things jumped out at me....
1.) the site lists TWO CIP versions(?) one 2010-2014, the other 2009-2013...what's up with THAT? Is one updated? revised? WHY overlap 3years in two plans? PLANNED CONFUSION??????????
2.)Using numbers provided, depending on the 'version',there's $1.9million OR $2.1million set aside for " CITY CENTER / RIVER IMPROVEMENTS "
Funding for infrastructure improvements in the City Center. Projects
include infrastructure and streetscape improvements in the "Cultural
Corridor," engineering analysis of projects that contribute to the
revitalization of the Downtown Core.
Funding source?
SALES TAX
Now that sounds transparentAND neccessary
GeeWhillikers, LarryBots...,TAXPAYERS CAN TRUST THIS ADMINISTRATION WITH TAX DOLLARS!!

RAISE SOME MO'MONEY,MO'MONEY!!!!!!!!!!!!

So couple recent "news"??-stories to consider.....

"...Converting one-way sections of Church and Main streets to two-way thoroughfares..."

And see, the story link talks about "downtown 'business'leaders...what does THAT mean...they the quote Mike Dunn, LarryBoy's RAVE leader and the guy from the Coronado....

So two CITY-OWNED VENUES are "downtown BUSINESSES"???????????

And let's cut public safety and public works, ..." total cost to transform Main and Church to two-way streets is estimated at $2.5 million..."

BRILLIANT!EXCELLENT!!

So this budget crap is REALLY getting old...
From THIS...
"...Venita Hervey, D-5, came to the administration’s defense, saying aldermen are looking at $5.5 million cuts inside city operations because union employees “said ‘Kiss off. I’m taking everything I got.’ ... Just tell me when people are going to start saying ‘Yes.’”..."

(Keep in mind, Hervey is CHAIR of the Finance committee,hand-picked LarryBot to repeat his mantra/message....also,can't find it in the story,but seems Corrina Curry's 'TWEETS' from that meeting counted 8-10 adlermen in attendance)

And the budget's SOOO important...
"...Five aldermen and the mayor went over four cost-saving measures one last time Saturday before members of the Finance and Personnel Committee agreed that they support three of them ..."(FIVE??? then check the picture...HERVEY'S NOT THERE!!!!!!!!! Such concern,such... ‘Kiss off. I’m taking everything I got.’ ... Congratulations,perfect example of ARROGANCE EVERYWHERE!!!!!!!!!

Well,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j9qMJld7dGA&feature=related

THERE IT IS!!!!
at 7minutes,37seconds in Part4 , LarryBoy says policy shouldn't be decided by the mayor and some developer in the backroom....
HARDY-HARR,CAPITAL GUF-FAW!!!!

I mean,creating TIF districts around LarryDaddy's/Provanzano's properties...hhmmmm, I suppose they meet in LarryBoy's FRONT ROOM!!!!

Holy Balls........

So my neighbor"source" told me LarryBoy was at a Tea Party gathering(Now, I don't have much thoughts on the group though I think Sarah Palin is an opportunistic douchebag)

But I digress....
Sure enough, you can watch nearly an HOUR of LarryBoy Hate and Crap spew...

All the problems are Springfield and Unions....he don't make enough money(No fooling,he says it a couple times)
I haven't finished his dog and pony show,but I'm thinking, some say the Tea Party really started in opposition to corporate bailouts...but what are all LarryBoy's tax$$sucking TIF Districts but CORPORATE WELFARE??????? Wonder if he blames THAT on the workers?

STAY TUNED....

So I am almost certain, most of my readers have seen THIS GREAT SPOT...

Well, Mr. Shenanigans(Rocky?) has a couple posts reminding readers of the 'promises' of "EXCELLENCE" by the The Citizen’s Committee for Rebuilding Rockford

Gee, what memories....aaahhhh....the disappearing property tax,debt-free from nasty old BONDS....
"private citizens and business leaders " hand-picked by LarryBoy to sell the tax increase....

so got me thinking and researching...

'some' cry can't use MotorFuelTax for BASIC ROAD MAINTENANCE because it would break promises made with passage of that referendum

Well, in all that sales pitches I can find absolutely NO MENTION of MFT supplementing the magic 1% tax....one MORE LarryBoy rewrite of history....

Back in the day, when LarryBoy first took office(gee,guess about 2005,huh?) the Register Star had 'forums' online to discuss topics of all kinds.It was back in those days of the internets, I first started my commentaries of city government with a forum thread called"LarryBoy in his own words(for what it's worth)"...What I tried to stress was how many of LarryBoy's candidate statements were totally contradicted by his actions as mayor.

Well found a RRStar commentor that NAILED LarryBoy on a grander scale than I ever achieved...
Check it out...
"...‘Unions hold the keys’Mayor Larry Morrissey said aldermen shouldn’t be surprised; the discussion was exactly what staff warned about several months ago.“The council and the unions have to make these decisions. … Do I like it? No. But this is an effective way to eliminate the deficit, given the choices we have to make,” he said. “The unions hold the keys to avoiding these layoffs. Period. … Everything we’ve thrown out there, their answer has been no.”..."

Oh, this guy,"RkfdPolitics"...is AWESOME!!
Over a couple story comments he goes...
"...Further proof of his false claims that labor is responsible for our budget shortfall are his comments about current labor contracts. All of these comments were made while we were in the midst of the current crisis and after the contracts were signed. Among other things he has said: First and foremost, the agreement serves the interests of our citizens, who need the fire services, but are hard pressed to afford more right now.' 'The agreement allows the City to approach the upcoming 2010 budget with a fire contract that will be within the citys means to pay.' 'I am grateful to the fire fighters for accepting wage freezes for two years and committing to exploring ways to deploy more ambulances, which are desperately needed. This is but one substantial hurdle among our present economic challenges, and I hope this will allow our citizens to appreciate that our city employees are sacrificing in unprecedented ways' 'With this agreement, similar agreements with our AFSCME and PB&PA Unions and the small increase in waste collection fees we can present a balanced budget for 2010. ..."with "...Here's the link to the quotes that I attributed to the mayor. http://www.wifr.com/home/headlines/63909017.html"

Dang, you got PUNKED,LarryBoy!@!!

"No one at City Hall was too surprised that a labor arbitrator ruled in favor of the fire union Monday..."

WOW, whatta statement,huh? You would think with LawyerLarryBoy and all the other attorneys employed at SillyHall, maybe they shouldn't have wasted so much time, money, and energy trying to get out of a contract THEY signed by arguing "64" does NOT = 64!!!!!!!

And the MorrisseyMedia Corp.(RRStar,WNTA), they love to spread the Gospel according to Lar.
Firefighters just won't play ball.
Geez, LarryBoy you keep moving goalposts,change rules and STILL throw a hissy when you lose...

And ANOTHER thing...
How in the cracked-brain world of LarryBoy can he DEMAND an obscene raise for Julia Exxon-Valdez, REFUSE to take a wage cut AND then have the stones to attack the grunts on the ground with wage cuts, increased insurance rates and attacking their pensions(which HE will be vested in at the end of this term!!!!)

"...“As I look at the entire history of management and labor negotiations in the city of Rockford, we wouldn’t be in the position we’re in if we held the line in the past. We conceded to labor year after year after year, and I think it’s ludicrous to do it again unilaterally,” Morrissey said after the meeting. “If I’m them, I see us make all of these unilateral cuts to ourselves without them having to do anything. It’s laughable. It’s management by martyrdom, and that’s no way to run an organization.”..."

What an arrogant, sanctimomious sparrowfart...MARTYRDOM?????

Dissolve 6,7 TIF districts, then you can talk 'martyrdom, LarryBoy....THERE'S A SACRIFICE FOR YOU...
(And that's where the PROJECTED DEFICIT is totalling up, NOT THE EMPLOYEES........

Well, I'm back....gonna run thru some older news....
First "privatization"??? ....

" The garage where public works employees have serviced Rockford police cars for the past 20 years will close by the end of the year as the city gradually outsources most of its vehicle maintenance to a downtown auto dealership beginning Oct. 1....Shifting work to Fran Kral, 120 N. Third St.....
HHMMMM....
http://vimeo.com/13436107
June ROCKSTAT - Small Business Loans
check it out... there's an introduction about how these are loans 'primarily' for "new and start up businesses", but 28 seconds in, a chart shows Fran Kral receiving $70,000 TAX DOLLARS!!!!

the city PAYS EXTRA TO A BUSINESS THEY OUTSOURCE WORK TO??? WHERE"S TRUE SAVINGS THERE???????

Find it interesting, the Register Star editorial board has joined the City Council in getting a bit fed up with LarryRule....
"...If these four aldermen along with the others who signed the letter to the editor follow through with nurturing their new-found leadership, it’s likely to mean confrontations between the council and the mayor over who is in charge.
Mayor Morrissey has come a long way over the past couple years in managing his instinctive “my way or highway, and I don’t suffer fools well” approach to things. But he lets his frustrations at the slow political processes make him crazy and he’ll still say things that demean those who don’t move or think as fast or as smartly as he would like them to.
It won’t be an easy relationship, this new model of Rockford government in which the aldermen demand a controlling role. Not with a mayor as focused and headstrong as this one...."
AND...
"...We understand Rockford Mayor Larry Morrissey is frustrated. But frustration is not a luxury he — or the city of Rockford — can afford right now. He needs to dial back his resentment and drop his opposition to taking a 5 percent pay cut.It’s the first chapter in the CEO playbook: He needs to lead by example.At a City Council meeting last week, Morrissey announced it was the unions’ job to reopen their contracts and make a sacrifice first. He said Rockford was in the pickle it was in because the city conceded to the unions with too-generous contracts, year after year.“If I’m them, I see us make all of these unilateral cuts to ourselves without them having to do anything. It’s laughable. It’s management by martyrdom, and that’s no way to run an organization....

See, only thing I would add is blaming the unions is a crock o' LarryCrap...

The reality can be found in the CAFR's...

Comparing 2004 thru 2009, we find LarryBoy's Empire went thru almost $10million in unreserved general fund monies and increased long-term bond debt at least $65million...TIF's, hockey team,TIF's, mall removal, TIF's, Riverwalk....
There's the problem folks, plain,simple,TRUE!!!!!!!!

Well,shaping up to be a laborious week for LarryBoy...Ted Biondo wrote a series of blog posts explaining the ins&outs of TIF districts and illustrates(whether intentionally or not) that fully HALF of the projected deficit for the upcoming year is traceable to LarryBoy's unbridled enthusiasm for this "redevelopment" tool.

One thing I found very interesting is the entry University of Illinois study finds that municipalities without TIFs grow faster...
"...The study found, that after accounting for many variables which might have affected growth, the 81 TIF municipalities’ growth stayed about the same before and after TIF was adopted, and the 154 municipalities without TIF grew faster than those who used it...."

(see,I posted this same info 4-5 years ago on the previous life of this commentary,"LarryBoy, in his own words(for what it's worth)" NOW all of a sudden people see it as an issue??)

It just makes one question LarryBoy's fondness for TIF's...5-6 when he took office...30 NOW!!!

So I really needed time to digest/forget last Mon. Circus Council....group of out-there speakers, last minute antics with TIF funds, and ending with the Council gauntlet laid down over the obscene raise proposed for LarryBoy's GoldenGirl, JuliahyphenatedValdez ....


WAIT ONE MINUTE!!! (started this last week,my, things happen quickly when one procrastinates,huh?)

THIS week's meeting was one for the DVR,kids...LarryBoy's on vacation, his bestest LarryBotBenitaScurvy named mayor pro-tem...and she showed her impatience with any threats to Allegiance to the LarryBoy Empire...
Check it out, there was(IS) a MAJORITY of the Council that have a REAL PROBLEM with all the dire budget news and accepting the proposed(?) $34,000-a-year RAISE for Julia and, through a series of motions and amendments, voted her an interim position/salary bump....
( Parliamentarian "TightSuit"Hayes had his work set out for him, stumbling,mumbling,cautioning under the questions and pressures)

In the end(despite Scurvey's play of the GENDER CARD), Council(AND TAXPAYERS!!) won out with the lesser pay increase...

BUT "...Morrissey, who was on vacation and didn’t attend the council meeting, said that his designee for the position of HR director remains Julia Scott Valdez, even though the council did not approve her appointment....Monday night, Morrissey said Valdez is doing the job and got the raise he negotiated with her, and he has no plans to proceed any differently...."

See folks, it is no wonder we have a 'budget crisis' when we have King LarryBoy ignoring the Council and spending as HE SEES FIT(remember the Adam Smith$41,000hush-hush raise?)

It's Good to Be KING!!!!

So I was watching an old "Family Guy" the other night, and I was struck by the situational similarities of the plight of the citizens of Quahog and Rockford.

See, Quahog's mayor is Adam West and he's arrogant,self-centered,and really doesn't care about the citizens' needs. He spends the entire budget(and adds DEBT) on a solid gold statue of the Honey Smacks' mascot, Dig'Em in the city's center.(Rockford's 'Dig'Em statue'??? the MetroCentre?removing the downtown mall??? YOU DECIDE)

So there's a frame in the show showing taxpayers picketing around the statue with signs like 'Don't Cut Basic Services'...ironically real....so the mayor figures he needs to distract the people and proposes a bill to outlaw gay marriage(OK,so not gonna go THERE, )but in Rockford the distraction is Firefighter Pensions...(LarryBoy made contemptous remarks in last Council's 'Officers' Report' then the AdamWesthead admits nothing can be done with the CURRENT firefighters' and retirees' pensions....what a maroon....

LarryBoy says,"... “we can’t spend more than we take in. We’ve been doing that, unfortunately..." No foolin'
He spends so much time pointing fingers at the Fire Union, nobody bothers looking into his empire's 'inner sanctum'....
http://www.ci.rockford.il.us/uploadedFiles/government/Finance/FinancialInformation/CAFR/Rockford%202007%20CAFR%20FINAL.pdf

II. EXCESS OF ACTUAL EXPENDITURES OVER BUDGET
For the year ended December 31, 2007, the General Fund and Major Special Revenue funds had an excess of actual
expenditures and financing uses over budget at the legal level of budgetary control (department level) as follows:
MAJOR FUNDS:
General Fund
Mayor's office $ ( 49,191)
City Council ( 10,653)
Board of fire and police commission ( 3,660)
Board of election ( 98,235)
Police department ( 1,003,259)
Fire department ( 639,744)
Building department ( 13,999)
Public works - Street and sewer ( 1,547,622)
Community Development Fund ( 16,445)

http://www.ci.rockford.il.us/uploadedFiles/government/Finance/FinancialInformation/CAFR/Rockford%20CAFR%201208.pdf

(newer PDF,can't seem to copy, but)...Board of Elections was OVERBUDGET...$1,255,969!!!!
WTF????

http://www.ci.rockford.il.us/uploadedFiles/government/Finance/Divisions/CentralServices/Mayor.pdf
Here you see LarryBoy's office budget grew 30% in 2 YEARS!!! AND STILL WENT OVERBUDGET....sheeesh,buddy get a grip....


Oh, then the comments on that web story babble idiotically"...Do not use the motor gas tax money for anything other than what it is intended for. "....so I sez(WITH documentation...) "MFT is being used for stuff likeRIVERWALK, http://www.ci.rockford.il.us/uploadedFiles/government/PublicWorks/Reports/2009-2013%20CIP%20Book%20Final%20Version.pdf DOWNTOWN ONE-WAY PAIR FEASIBILITY STUDY (PH II), WEST STATE STREET - LAND ACQUISITION

LarryBoy sure got some pinhead followers...

It's been a given that the Rockford Register Star has a DEFINITE PRO-LarryBoy bias....

That being accepted, I just was floored by this recent fable they published...
http://www.rrstar.com/carousel/x1849220981/Depth-of-Rockford-jobs-cuts-varies-by-division

"...Some, such as the planning division under community development, have shrunk from 15 employees to 5.3...."

Now, as I commented on their site, it took me all of SEVEN MINUTES to find that was a plain simple LIE!!!!

Look HERE...http://www.ci.rockford.il.us/uploadedFiles/government/Finance/Divisions/CentralServices/CD%20Plan(5).pdf

"...The decline is a result of the creation of the new Construction and Development Services Division budget unit, of which five staff came out of the Planning Division. The balance of the staff changes occurred with the reallocation of staff, between divisions within the department...."

(Gee, I can remember when there were REPORTERS that checked FACTS and ISSUED CORRECTIONS when 'mistakes'(?) were brought to their attention....)

Matter of fact,this smoke and mirror bullcrap starts with the 2007-2009 arbitrary time line in this LarryBoy ADVERTISEMENT....
See, way I see it, need to compare BL(before LarryBoy) with AL(after Larryboy)...
And according to the most recent CAFR....http://www.ci.rockford.il.us/uploadedFiles/government/Finance/FinancialInformation/CAFR/Rockford%20CAFR%201208.pdf

one finds MOST departments within City Hall saw increased staffing AND new positions CREATED since LarryBoy's election(notable exceptions,Police Officers and Pubic Works)[the guys on the streets,not the office/administration/engineer-types that merely sit in offices and call contractors to adminstrate,engineer,etc.]

In REALITY, fire personnel HAS stayed consistent, BUT even with the two-year personnel 'cuts' touted by LarryBoy are STILL ABOVE 2005 levels!!!

So FIRST off...
I gotta highly recommend this guy(if you haven't found him already)....
RockfordRhetoric...

We've been somewhat discussing Venita Hervey,5th Ward alderman...I gotta add my observations of her LarryBotic-SchizoBabble I heard last week on WNTA and then her impassioned rantings on Council floor Mon. nite.

See,the City(LarryBoy,'TightSuit'Hayes,etc) TWICE has been spanked by an arbitrator, and the firefighters' contract specifies 4 on a Truck! Well, LarryBoy just CAN'T STAND LOSING, heck he went to SPRINGFIELD crying to state law makers.
So anyway, Venita McCarthy(amazing can't see Larry's lips move when she talks) was
on the radio, she was touting this 'they're not volunteers, they would be unpaid firefighters-in-training'.... explaining the vision she has of CIRCUMVENTING the contractual language.
(God, I can't stand lawyers-turned-politicians)

Well I had to watch her meltdown at council TWICE...and still not able to understand much of anything she said....first she says she's probably the one person there most likely to have a heart attack and she HAD a health scare and drove herself to the hospital and her wards full of crime and blight and there's no way she will back down on the Morgan St. bridge and if we gotta get rid of cops and fire stations that's OK she won't let the ward down with that bridge and those unpaid fiefighters (sounds to me like she's advocating slavery or indentured servitude), well they should be minorities cuz they don't have hope cuz of crime and blight and this bridge is the ONLY future southwest Rockford can even dream of anymore.......sheeeesh

See, FIRST off, I just don't get why it's a fire station or the bridge. WHO EVEN SUGGESTED THAT?? Nowhere I can find anybody suggest that idea....must be a lawyer thought floating around the 7th/8th floor of cityhall.

Secondly, West State and South Main reconstruction ARE priorities...the West Side HAS been neglected for decades, but near as I can tell,despite McHervey and Ann Mortimer Thompson-Snerd blind allegiance to LarryBoy, I think it's STILL going on....and from what I hear that bridge woulda been DONE BY NOW if LarryBoy hadn't had it redesigned into a mini-Golden Gate and I suspect some bunch of insiders needed time to buy up all that crappy surrounding property so they can sell it at top-tax-dollar when demolition gets really underway.


And the final straw in all these baskets is LarryBoy's CIP mantra is all about 'leveraging' city funds against state funds. Ah, HHEEELLLLLOOOOO, McFly,anybody home??? THE STATE IS BROKE!!!

Well, the details changed a bit, but LarryBoy seems hell-bent on sacrificing the safety of west-side residents....

"...Fire Station No. 8, at Auburn and Sherman streets, is targeted for closure July 1. That’s a change in plans from what was announced in May when city officials said Station No. 8 would lose its lone engine company but would still house an ambulance crew.

Chief Derek Bergsten also revealed this week that Station No. 3, at 1520 S. Main St., is targeted for closure on Jan. 1, which also is a change from plans to remove one of two engine companies from Station No. 1, at 528 Woodlawn Ave...."

Meanwhile, City Hall has no problem crowing about cutting cops and crime...
http://www.rrstar.com/news/publicsafety/x696774441/2-stage-armed-robbery-at-East-State-store
http://www.rrstar.com/news/publicsafety/x383299299/Two-at-large-in-Rockford-bank-robbery
http://www.rrstar.com/news/publicsafety/x1501908692/Family-fight-escalates-ends-with-stabbings-in-Rockford

Oh but that cost-over-run 'Streetscape' debacle...THAT'S where idiots want to SPEND MORE!!!
http://blogs.e-rockford.com/sweenyreport/2010/06/19/main-street-streetscape-needs-to-be-finished-pronto/

So I'm remembering how LarryBoy used to campaign on 'we're ONE city,no more eastside/westside inequalities' and topped off with EXCELLENCE EVERYWHERE cowpie topping....
And I'm remembering we (Rockford School District) just got out from under the federal discrimination lawsuit....
So WTF LarryBoy with THIS!!!!!!!!!!!!
"...Rockford will eliminate a fire suppression crew July 1 at Station 8, 505 Sherman Ave. One of the two crews will be reduced Jan. 1 at Station 1, 528 Woodlawn Ave...."
Splendid...REDUCE FIRE PROTECTION ONLY ON THE WEST SIDE!!!!!
Brilliant,brilliant...INCREASE the response time to an area with older buildings,closer together,greatly increasing the possibilty for great property damage...
this flipping pinhead....
roll out the lawyers(methinks Ald. Venita Hervey was among the group that sued the schools when West High was closed)....
VERY GOOD!!@!

All the 'doom&gloom' financial forecasts coming out of City Hall is cause for reflection on the 'legacy' of LarryBoy's Empire.
Think about it...BEFORE he even took office there was the Garrison TIF district,followed by here a TIF,there a TIF, everywhere a TIFTIF...
Matter of fact,THIS has GREATLY COMPOUNDED THE CITY DEBT...Bond payments coupled with frozen property tax income....for WHAT??? To improve PRIVATELY-OWNED REAL ESTATE...a large percentage of which are owned by FAMILY and CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTORS!!!!!!!!!!!
http://rockrivertimes.com/2010/05/19/rockfords-tif-report-card-negative-balances-will-drain-public-funds/

"... the source of such development funds—tax increment financing (TIF) districts—was the subject of a recent analysis by Andres Sammul, the city’s finance director. His prognosis was not especially rosy. ..TIF districts are often commenced with an infusion of cash through the issuance of bonds under the assumption the district will not only generate enough of an increment to eventually pay off the debt, but to provide some sort of benefit to lure investment

...

The primary reason for creation of the Garrison School TIF District was to aid in the redevelopment of the former Garrison School into residential lofts and adjacent row houses, spearheaded by then-civilian, now mayor, Larry Morrissey and his family. In addition to $1.5 million in TIF assistance, $700,000 in historic preservation tax credits helped make the project possible.

Despite the advances, Sammul reported, “This project is not built out as planned,” but noted the TIF “could be successful.”

If built out in the next year, the district will close in the black in 2028, he added. The district, which bears $2,155,568 in total debt service through 2023, presently shows a deficit of $284,300, which could be out of the red by 2027 with available funds in the amount of $220,000 in the TIF’s last year.

“For each year of delay, $100,000 will be lost,” Sammul warned, however. “Delay past 2011 may require a transfer from the General or Redevelopment funds for closeout.”

(another big expense since LarryBoy got spending was his pseudo-property-cops,the Code Enforcement Division. Drive past Garrison,north-side on Court St. and see the cars/trucks parked on gravel(a BIG violation), and piles of debris that would bring multiple fine$ to any regular citizen. It's good to be the King's Daddy)

(TO BE CONTINUED...)

Couple items from last week add up to.....hhhmmmm!!

" Work is set to begin this summer on a $4.7 million redevelopment project...

Developer Chandler Anderson of Icon Development Group...is partnering on Midtown Lofts with Morrissey Realty Group, a business formed by Mayor Larry Morrissey and his father, Joe Morrissey. Since his election, the mayor has transferred his financial stake in the company to his parents. The duo have a similar partnership — the redevelopment of Garrison School — that introduced high-end rental units to the city’s near downtown Signal Hill neighborhood...."

Illegal???weellll, don't know for sure,but UNETHICAL as all get out!! Face it,LarryDaddy ain't no spring chicken....where's the estate gonna end up,you suppose???
(Word is,Dandy Chandy and LarryDaddy still owe big bucks to some of the sub-contractors that worked on Garrison, claiming cash flow problems...so most of the place sit UNFINISHED,a war-zone lot on 1100N.Court(where's the CodeEnforcementCops on THAT eyesore??)
So let's see,get that TIF advance for MidTown...finish Garrison??? find workers that are willing to take a chance of getting paid???
But I digress...
The interesting story came a couple days later...
"MACHESNEY PARK — The village has gained a 4-to-1 return on its investment in the redevelopment of the Illinois 173 and Illinois 251 intersection.The more than $7.6 million of public money invested in improvements since 1991 has generated more than $31.8 million in private investment, according to an annual financial report for the village’s first-ever tax increment finance district...."

See, LarryBoy is busy blaming the city's financial challenges on employees,schools,economy,blah,blah,blah...
But this guy,through TIF bond debt, HAS BROUGHT THE CITY TO THE BRINK...
Where's any kind of return-on-investment statement for the millions spent since he took office???new TIF, de-TIF, re-TIF, River district,Midtown,Eastside,Westside...everywhere a TIF tiff....back to story...
"...The district spurred the corridor’s development, even encouraging development outside the TIF boundaries, Mullins said....“...would Target have built across the street? Probably not. I think that’s a reasonable argument. That development, in my opinion, is a direct result of the TIF,” Mullins said. “All of that development east of Alpine (Road), would that have been there without that TIF? There’s reasonable argument that it would not have been.”...
See create a TIF, let development COME...don't run around creating TIF's WHERE THE DEVELOPER WANTS

Course,if the developer is Daddy.....excrement everywhere....

So the real estate portfolio of the cash-strapped City of Rockford grew again with the WTF purchase of the old Amerock building downtown...
How's this..."River District Association Executive Director Kim Wheeler Johnsen... noting the district’s board of directors recently approved a resolution supporting the city’s purchase of the Amerock and Tapco buildings...."
WHAT changed in OUR CITY GOVERNMENT that gives two hoots what some collection of self-serving,tax-sucking bunch of downtown business whiners "resolves'?
Then I see #1 LarryBot "Applehead"Curran on TV saying it gives the city control over this prime riverfront property....Hey pinhead,stop drinking the cider mash and go look...it's several hundred feet WEST OF THE RIVERFRONT!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ah, but LarryBoy didn't emerge unscathed....
Sunday's RRStar carried TWO one-time LarryBoy supporters bashing his overall scheme...
http://www.rrstar.com/opinions/letters/x1043115827/Anywhere-USA
"Mayor Morrissey cited several economic arguments in his successful 2005 campaign. One was to rehab downtown buildings, increasing their property taxes, eventually equalizing the disproportionate burden on northeast taxpayers.Campaign volunteers took those arguments to voters and helped win the election.B&B Properties put those principles to work, occupying the renovated Richardson Building in 2006. Today, we are working on the 600 block of Cedar.Modest in architecture, these buildings boast dramatic 360-degree views and one of early Rockford’s richest histories. Owned by the son of a French trapper and Indian princess, the land passed to Germanicus Kent. The block hosted a cemetery, railroad and Irish “patch,” morphing into the city breadbasket and final home of two renowned seed companies.Not riverfront properties on the cusp of the Water Power district that fueled our industrial growth like Tapco and Amerock, they have quiet merit.Now consider demolishing historic Cedar Street buildings from Avon Street right down to the river and throughout the city. This green alley will only serve to institutionalize tax inequities that aggravate today and convert Rockford into Anywhere, USA.City leaders: Please remember that 2005 wisdom. Buy and hold if you must, but do not convert revenue sources into public obligations."
— Marge Bevers, Rockford

AND...

"...So why on earth would our City Council even consider a plan that would spend $3 million and probably more to demolish these buildings and replace them with an open grassy field?It is no consolation whatsoever that the field would be a small addition to Davis Park. Each building’s footprint is only 150 feet by 150 feet. The intent of this plan — to prevent the city from being held hostage by future incompetent developers — would be accomplished merely by the city purchasing the buildings.It is a waste of money to demolish the buildings to achieve this goal. Don’t judge the viability of the buildings by the competence or, in this case, incompetence of past developers.Maybe the best thing for Rockford would be if the city just does not buy these buildings.The last five years have left me feeling proud that at last my city leaders had left behind the demolition-happy “urban renewal” days of the 1960s. But this wasteful, destructive proposal is a return to that failed mentality and, sadly, demonstrates that our leaders are losing confidence in Rockford’s future."

Gary Carlson owns a used-car dealership in Rockford. He was twice chairman of the Rockford Historic Preservation Commission. The Landmarks Preservation Council of Illinois honored him three years ago for his restoration of a 1908 home on North Second Street.

Rather refreshing(though probably too little too late)....

So I really don't understand what's going on over at LarryDaddy's Garrison project.
Things have really been at a standstill for a long time now. Unfinished walls,unpaved driveways,no signs of any work being done.
And don't even let me get started on the Court St. empty block....piles of debris,dirt, weather-worn building materials....LarryBoy's "ExcellenceEverywhere"Code Coppers could write enough citations, might lift the city outta debt!
(Course won't see THAT...tain't what ya do, it's who your relations are...)
So I really can't understand the budget entries about the many TIF's either....

but they sure make things look swell...

"Garrison School TIF
• Despite the economy and pressure it has placed on high end rental units, they are currently
at 92% occupancy.
• Completed the shell of the main townhome building and Building F.
• Three weeks after placing one unit on the MLS, it was sold for the asking price.
• Acquired a two family home adjacent to the Garrison project and transformed the structure
from a habitual problem to one of the more desirable residences in the area.
• Landscaping was completed
• New sidewalks were installed"
(Of course, the sidewalks were done with 3rd Ward allotment money with the blessings of Dancin'Doug)
but later we read...

GARRISON TIF FUND 2011-2015 FINANCIAL FORECAST (IN 000'S)

Ending Balance ($348) 2015 ( gee, a THIRD OF A MILLION TAX DOLLARS IN THE RED!!!! that worked out well for the city...)

Guess we should just trust Silly Hall with buying more vacant buildings...(TAPCO, Amerock)

So THIS just cracks me up...
"... City Legal Director Patrick Hayes argues that residents in some unincorporated areas would be better served by the city from a public safety standpoint.“In some of these areas, firetrucks may come from seven road miles away when we have trucks seven blocks away,” Hayes said. “It is not good government to be so inefficient when it comes to public safety.”...

THIS hypocritical administration has done everything in it's power to curtail PUBLIC SAFETY and PUBLIC WORKS services to the EXISTING city taxpayers and this tight-suited pinhead has the audacity to feign concern???????????

My word,man...
see this side-note...entitled...

Land-grab plan

so how is it this braintrust in the City Hall administration looks to forcibly annex additional area to the city, (which LOGICALLY will require MORE streets to maintain, MORE calls for police and fire,) yet continue to focus such large TAX-SUBSIDIES and ATTENTION to the "River District"?????????

truly, EXCREMENT EVERYWHERE....

There's been a couple stories lately that just so clearly illustrate the LarryCandidateBoy and Mayor LarryBoy...

Here...
"...The city is going to spend nearly $150,000 on the feasibility study that will consist of 12-hour traffic volume counts, collection of physical data about the roads and intersections, evaluations of alternate routes, public input and a final report from TY Lin International and McClure Engineering Associates...."

AND YET we were sold...

"Action: It’s Time for Action: Moving Beyond the Studies and Task Forces.
Rockford has been studied, planned, and task forced to death. To get past the studies and start getting things done, we must have focused, direct, and accountable leadership..."

Oh,and how about...

"...Everyone needs to know that their mayor will fight for this City and not be compromised,
controlled, or conflicted. Running as an independent means that State and National politics will not control the Rockford agenda...."

OR...

"...The current administration has also designed an approach that has established a culture of dependancy instead of independence...."
(though I can't find direct quote, I also recall his statement 'Rockford can't look to Springfield to solve its' problems' blahblahblah...)

So where does he get off???

"...Mayor Larry Morrissey was in the House gallery to watch the governor speak. He, too, was disappointed in what he heard, especially the governor’s plan to reduce state funding to cities by $307 million. ..."

EXCREMENT EVERYWHERE!!!!!!!!

Well, you know, NOTHING about LarryBoy's "Vision"(taxpayers' nightmares) for our city rivals his commitment to that confounded RIVERWALK...
http://www.rrstar.com/news/yourtown/rockford/x1520843463/Money-for-riverwalk-construction-plans-approved
"...As for the criticism the project has come under in the past week, Morrissey said his commitment to investing in the city’s urban core remains strong...."
Look, we've got at least $30mill tied up in the MetroCentre scam, $2mill for 2 STINKING BLOCKS of N.Main(upwards of $5+mill when[IF] it's done)!!! and now $4mill for his monument to
"Our long-term vision is to make Rockford’s riverfront a unique, exciting and attractive community resource that links City residents to our history, geography, economy and culture in mutally sustainable ways."
from http://www.ci.rockford.il.us/uploadedFiles/development/devsubpages/Summary%20report%20final%2020061206.pdf

Prepared by
Hitchcock Design Group(pssst,pinhead, it's MUTUALLY)
already got a lotta confidence in these clowns,sheesh....a PUBLISHED PAPER,big color page w/spelling errors? ever hear of "spellcheck"? If the architects/engineers make a couple math errors, this damn riverwalk could end up in New Milford!!!!!!!!!!And it goes without saying it WILL go over budget...

So anyway, there's fabulous renderings of the "Hallucination" and near as I can figure the projected $4million project’s signature cable-stayed bridge is a small arc into the river from behind the old Armory to Beattie Park,a necessary concession to those TRUE NIMBY's(Not In My BackYard)Indian Terrace residents when original plans upset this handful of "stakeholders"...(on a side note, I would swear the original compromise was supposed to be a "glorified" sidewalk along N.Main...hhmmmm)

"..Morrissey said his commitment to investing in the city’s urban core remains strong..."

commitment to investing
see, back when all these fabulouslyhipurbanWOWfactors were planned,it was all fine, I suppose, when the city's general fund had some $34million surplus, and investments were gaining returns, and we were only paying bond debt on 7 TIF districts,(not 25-30 or whatever it is now)...
So now we are bombarded with raising taxes and fees, cuts in staff that, in turn, reduce BASIC GOVERNMENT SERVICES, rising crime and unemployment
BUT, BY GOLLY, WE WILL HAVE A COMMITMENT TO INVESTING IN OUR URBAN CORE!!!!!!!!!

Wanted to watch that Silly Council rerun tonight ,there was some nonsense going on with spending more TAX$$ on downtown studies, but think this deserves more immediate attention...
"...After working for years with police and this administration, I can say firsthand community policing works. Crime is down. The crimes that happen are lower-level...."
course, the author of this apple-polishing?...

John Weaver, advocate, Coronado/Haskell neighborhood, Rockford
yup,THAT John Weaver with his wife toted "Batman/Robin" signs to Council in support of LarryBoyChiefChet short-staffing policing...
And the reason was a personalized security presence,a security camera to monitor their neighborhood,etc. Sure, THOSE few blocks can claim "...Crime is down..." but who in the Sam Hill do they explain THIS???
"ROCKFORD — Police are investigating two apparently unrelated homicides that occurred early and late Sunday...."

Well,wasn't in their backyard, EVERYTHING IS EXCELLENT!!!!!!!!!!













a

So the other nite,before Silly Council, they were interviewing Director of Public Works, Tim Hansen, asking about the impending snow and the budget.
So as the snow dragged on, I got to thinking...
SUPPOSE the "budget" runs out...does that mean NO plows would hit the streets...
likewise, police and fire budgets...they're running out....no more patrols of Weed'n'Seed???....blazing fire at some downtown establishment...no responders???
Is this what we are facing?
Bet they still pay the HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS in interest payments on all our TIF bonds...wouldn't want to jeopardize real estate "re-development"...or hip,urban lifestyles....toooo important to Rockford's future....

EXCREMENT EVERYWHERE........

So, I see LarryBoy's PR machine been in hyperdrive this past week...

Rockford departments make changes to reduce use of overtime

The thing to take from this story? "....The bulk of Rockford’s savings in 2009 came from the Police Department, which reduced its overtime expenses by $1.1 million. ...Epperson’s overtime drop comes at a time when the department also is reporting a 12.8 percent decrease in the city’s overall crime rate for 2009, according to preliminary statistics. The 2009 numbers are the lowest the city has seen in the past decade...."
Seems in LarryWorld with ChiefChet, crime magically decreases when there are less cops on the streets...huh?
Oh, and lets focus on "A 2010 audit of city-owned vehicles showing the majority of the city’s fleet is in poor condition came as no surprise to aldermen who have been fielding complaints from police officers and other city employees for months regarding the declining condition of vehicles."

See,I used the manhole photo again, custom-designed with the"branded,hip,urban,city logo..."
because they mention these vehicles doing the real citizens' work,(cop cars,fire trucks,public works equipment) but no mention of the dozens of LIKE-NEW cars and vans set aside for city hall suits...I see an entire lot at the se corner of 2nd St. and Walnut, plenty of those new WIFI laptop-equipped slathered allover with that sillywavylinelogo...then there's MORE cars,vans, SUV's sitting in that lot next to the Midway Theater...now so many of these cars sit for DAYS, covered with snow going nowhere...LarryBoy wasted taxe$$ sitting while emergency vehicles rust apart...
EXCREMENT EVERYWHERE!!!!!!!!!!!

And finally, an organized,hand-picked,self-serving corporate welfare whores,
Chairman Peter Provenzano
Scott E. Eckburg
Jeffrey J. Kaney
Danny Lorden
Catherine M. McDermott(Occupation: Campaign administrator, Citizens for Morrissey)
Fred S. Sabet
"...an organization of business and civic leaders formed by Mayor Larry Morrissey and SupplyCore CEO Peter Provenzano...."(guess whose families own numerous downtown properties looking to score)
"...The effort to develop a new plan for downtown is being financially backed by contributions from the Rockford Housing Authority, Greater Rockford Authority Airport Board, Rockford Area Economic Development Council and the Rockford Local Development Corporation...." this is ALL TAX-SUPPORTED QUASI-GOVERNMENTAL AGENCIES with board members ALL APPOINTED BY LARRYBOY!!!!!!!!!!!
EXCELLENT!!!!!!!

Well it just goes on in LarryWorld....
the heated debate over video poker was that stuff of drama,huh?
What Ikind of hoping was a tie vote with LarryBoy casting the deciding vote...now there's a thought...which way would he go?
Keep in mind,
the pro-poker group was, near as I could tell...
"...gambling opponents were outnumbered by the strong building trade presence urging aldermen not to opt out of video gambling. Brad Long, president of the Northwestern Illinois Building & Construction Trades Council..."
WELL?
http://www.elections.il.gov/CampaignDisclosure/ItemizedContrib.aspx

Northern Illinois Building Contractor's Association	1111 S. Alpine Rd. Ste. #202 Rockford, IL 61108	$10,000.00 3/18/2009	Individual Contribution Citizens for Morrissey
Northern Illinois Building Contractor's Association	1111 S. Alpine Rd. Ste. #202 Rockford, IL 61108	$2,500.00 3/30/2009	Individual Contribution Citizens for Morrissey

guess we know....huh?

THEN, a setback for Lar on the choo-choo front...
"...Morrissey was livid that the area didn’t receive more funding...."
(but daddy, I WANT A TRAIN!!!!!)

and finally....
"After fighting for more than three years to keep secret a controversial survey that portrayed the Police Department leadership and at times the mayor in a negative light, Mayor Larry Morrissey released the survey today...The court also ordered the city to pay the attorney’s fees incurred by the police union.
Morrissey said he did not have figures stating how much the city spent in attorney fees in its effort to keep the survey private...."

Why should he have those figures,it's ONLY TAXPAYER DOLLARS in a time of "budget crisis"...

Just such typical a BizarroWorld week in LarryBoy's Empire.........
LarryBoy's hand-picked "advisory"board toots the same horn, Privatize......
check THIS...
"...Rockford’s organizational and staffing structure is similar to what was commonly found in 1950s-era businesses... City staff, in turn, often perform services that have little to do with “core government functions.”...."

What a flippin'concept!!!!CORE GOVERNMENT FUNCTIONS...........imagine that,
HHhhhmmmm, let's think....
PUBLIC safety(police and fire)
PUBLIC works(streets,repairs,water)
that's about as 'core' as it gets.......

see, with these tough economic times, THAT'S where the focus should be,agreed?

So you already know what's next....
".... The estimated $33 million convention center would take public investment...."

Oh, that's right, LarryBoy's 'core government functions' run more towards,bond debt,real estate development(bond debt) and sports team ownership(bond debt)...........

See, when LarryBoy was a mere 'candidate', he railed against the property tax rate, and sold the public on a sales tax increase for property tax relief. See, but every LarryBoy Vision requires MORE stinking new bond sales,paid by..........YOU GUESSED IT!!!!!!! INCREASED PROPERTY TAXES!!
Classic money shot quote..."“We need to think about our future,” Morrissey said. “This is our chance to leave a legacy for our children.” "

DEBT DEBT DEBT screw the libraries,kids don't need BOOKS and READING.......("...nearly 300 jobs in the hospitality industry...") to work part-time making beds and cleaning toilets.........

So this whole New Year thing, folks reminince about the past year,well I was thinking about my original thread, "LarryBoy in his own words, for what it's worth - "
(somehow,I 'lost' access to this forum,yet the 35 pages spanning 2 years of LarryBoy's reign of "Excrement Everywhere" are somehow still available.

See, they had a "view count" and maybe I was egotistical, but I kept count at times and near the end of my ability to use that forum, it was common to log over 1000 visits per day.(shoulda sold advertising)

This here blog, I MAY have 17-20 readers after a NEW post, then fewer as the days go by. Maybe that's why I've failed to be more consistent in weekly observations,I don't know.

But I've decided, whether 2 views or 2000, a critical look at this administration NEEDS to be out "THERE"
(not that MY opinion is all that important, but the way the local media, such as it is,WNTA, Register Star, and even the Rock River Times(once an independant voice) alternately kiss LarryBoy's heiny or stifle the facts....well there SHOULD be a record......
Anyway, my resolution is to return to at least weekly entries, more if incidents desrve follow-up...


You do not lead by hitting people over the head - that's assault, not leadership.
Dwight D. Eisenhower