Well, I've been following the LarryBoy regime since it's inception,so I admit I feel a little stupid that I didn't see the obvious in his attempted manipulation of public perception in his vindictive mission to stick it to the fire union....
http://www.rrstar.com/news/x1683625444/Rockford-officials-look-for-more-cuts
"...Mayor Larry Morrissey said he is open to suggestions for other areas of the budget to cut. Although the union representing firefighters has opposed a reduction in the minimum fire engine staffing, Morrissey believes it to be the right way to balance the budget.

Morrissey said he opposes the large increase in ambulance fees that is currently being considered.

“There is a huge question mark over how citizens would be able to pay for amounts above what is the customary and reasonable expense,” Morrissey said. “We have other options that enable us to cut costs, while still ensuring public safety and that’s the manning change.”..."

See,the arrogant,lying NATURE of this guy...HE'S the one that put those increased fees into play...

I may very well be wrong,but despite the obligatory pro-LarryBoy editorial...

http://www.rrstar.com/opinions/x1676801954/Who-s-pushing-to-raise-ambulance-fees-Not-us
just don't get the impression citizens are buying it this time...sure there's the firefighter-bashers in story comments on-line,but seems a general attitude of "Whatever"towards Larry and Sammuls game...
(On a totally unrelated note) Anyone notice the brief,out-of-the-blue, appearance last night of Adam"I-still-got-a-job-here"Smith???What the bloodclot, he's been the InvisibleMan for most of his tenure,THEN he's exposed as an extortionist('gimme more $$$$$or I walk') ,he's fired/resigns/position eliminated and NOW he's got the ARROGANCE to come waltzing thru Council...gimme a break!!!!!

So much going on so fast....
Checking out the aldermanic forum...
http://www.rrstar.com/multimedia/x599193192/Rockford-aldermanic-forum-tonight
and see,all this downtown stuff....well,so WHO'S Next Rockford,anyhow?

http://www.nextrockford.org/
So it's this hip,urban,successful group of Gen X/Yers with a committment,appears to me,basically centered on Charter Schools and Downtown Development....hmmm,sounds familiar...
Who is it???

http://www.nextrockford.org/uploads/NR%20Member%20Database%20010809.pdf
Members include....
Geeser, Ed Morrissey, Larry Sosnowski, Joe

Gosh,don't suppose there was an AGENDA to the 'forum',huh?

I guess I got a question for THEM...how many of this group live in some of those fabulously hip downtown lofts we taxpayers have subsidized over the last few years???you putting your money where your mouth(s) is????they must ALL BE FULL,huh,is that why we need to pour million$$$$$ more down there?????????

And so I was so pleased to hear a committment to finally move on WestSide development...
http://www.rrstar.com/news/x108122020/Questions-praise-for-West-State-Street-development-plan

Quote:

.... Anderson’s Spring Creek Development Group, shared with residents plans to bring a grocery store, a restaurant, an immediate-care facility, a dentist office, a senior citizen complex, a private ambulance service and other businesses to the area....

but my expectations were lower when I saw this....
http://www.nextrockford.org/uploads/NR%20Member%20Database%20010809.pdf

Quote:

Anderson, David Real Estate Developer Spring Creek Partners

So appears to me just another(little BLATANT) taxpayers-TIF-rip-off at the hands of a pay-off to another LarryBot....

http://www.elections.il.gov/CampaignDisclosure/ItemizedContrib.aspx

Quote:

Spring Creek Development 330 Springcreek Road
Rockford, IL 61107 $500.00
3/7/2008 Individual Contribution
Citizens for Morrissey
Spring Creek Development 330 Springcreek Road
Rockford, IL 61107 $1,500.00
6/7/2008 Individual Contribution
Citizens for Morrissey

Oh,and by the way...this was held at Heartland Church,and so the Rockford Business College moved there with a fabulous remodel project and now called Rockford"Career" College.....do you suppose the city subsidized that????

Quote:

AHED of Illinois Rockford Business College
730 N. Church St.
Rockford, IL 61103 $500.00
5/14/2008 Individual Contribution
Citizens for Morrissey

No wonder services at Heartland actually thank God for sending LarryBoy to "lead" Rockford....
jeez,does the guy have ANY scruples????

WOW...
http://www.rrstar.com/news/x1331524353/Mayor-to-address-education-boss-raise

Quote:

ROCKFORD — Mayor Larry Morrissey admitted today that he should have done a better job communicating with the City Council about education boss Adam Smith and his salary. Morrissey earlier announced that Smith will step down May 31....

I really thought LarryBoy would go down on the S.S.Edu-Czar...he was so defensive when the story FIRST broke,now he APOLOGIZES???????

Could there be a crack in the LarryBoyEgo???

stay tuned....

Well,this was interesting...
Big rush to get the budget to the floor....
http://www.rrstar.com/news/x1593365868/Rockford-sales-tax-from-Dec-down

Quote:

...The Finance and Personnel Committee recommended raising fees for ambulance service to 68 percent of the actual cost, potentially raising $650,000 in revenue this year.
But doing that eliminates a proposal to reduce the number of firefighters on city fire engines, one measure among many to find $8.6 million in proposed budget cuts and balance the 2009 general fund....
Mayor Larry Morrissey is concerned with the change in direction, saying no information was presented on what the city can expect as far as how much insurance companies, Medicare or Medicaid would cover under the new proposed fee structure....

See the thing is...this didn't COME from the F&P Committee...this proposal came in a memorandum from NumberMan Sammuls...And better still...that proposed deficit WENT DOWN!!!
After so many weeks where the total kept climbing,$4mill,$6.2,$8.9....suddenly!!!$4.8!!
What feat....SuperNumberCruncherSammuls In the memo...Jeff Kolkey(writer of the news story) seemed to miss that ...
What a web we weave.....

So LarryBoy is simply getting pounded at the comment section on his boy Adam....
with the economic troubles and the election so close, I'm thinking unless he cut's Mr.Smith's(and Cindy Hall's) salaries, this could amount to POLITICAL SUICIDE....

EXCELLENCE EVERYWHERE!!!such a "tough"decision
“we’ve got to throw every dollar we can at redeveloping downtown.”
ROCKFORD'S RISING!!!(YOU HAVEN'T SEEN EXCELLENCE LIKE THIS BEFORE!!!!!)
EXCELLENCE EVERYWHERE !!!!("T'aint what you do, But who you know" ) READY FOR ACTION!!!!!!(psst,buddy,wanna buy a TIF?...It's the only game in town)
WE KNOW WHAT'S BEST...SIT DOWN,SHUT UP!!!!!WE CONTROL THE NEWS!!!!WE CONTROL THE STATS!!!!WE CONTROL YOUR TAX$$$$$!!!SIT DOWN,SHUT UP!!!!!

Oh, yea,

EXCELLENCE EVERYWHERE!!!such a "tough"decision
“we’ve got to throw every dollar we can at redeveloping downtown.”
ROCKFORD'S RISING!!!(YOU HAVEN'T SEEN EXCELLENCE LIKE THIS BEFORE!!!!!)
EXCELLENCE EVERYWHERE !!!!("T'aint what you do, But who you know" ) READY FOR ACTION!!!!!!(psst,buddy,wanna buy a TIF?...It's the only game in town)
WE KNOW WHAT'S BEST...SIT DOWN,SHUT UP!!!!!WE CONTROL THE NEWS!!!!WE CONTROL THE STATS!!!!WE CONTROL YOUR TAX$$$$$!!!SIT DOWN,SHUT UP!!!!!

Well,I started this to back up my "LarryBoy in his own words,for what it's worth" thread...
and just verifying to the reading public my comments on RRStar as of March6th will show up as "Demanager" due to some unknown reason of losing my "unmanager" screen name for story comments....
Thank you for your understanding....