A Knight in Dragonland » Peoria Politics http://knightindragonland.blogpeoria.com Crossing the River Sun, 06 Sep 2009 07:52:45 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 en hourly 1 What Does the Smoking Ban Referendum Really Mean? http://knightindragonland.blogpeoria.com/2007/04/18/what-does-the-smoking-ban-referendum-really-mean/ http://knightindragonland.blogpeoria.com/2007/04/18/what-does-the-smoking-ban-referendum-really-mean/#comments Thu, 19 Apr 2007 00:45:11 +0000 Knight in Dragonland http://knightindragonland.blogpeoria.com/2007/04/18/what-does-the-smoking-ban-referendum-really-mean/ What does the non-binding referendum in support of an indoor smoking ban in Peoria really mean? C.J. Summers doesn’t think it means much at all, and even I disparaged its relevance last night on WCBU. In contrast, Eyebrows McGee makes a good argument in the comment section of the Peoria Chronicle post about the referendum’s potential usefulness to state legislators.

If E.M.’s analysis and count of pro-ban votes in the General Assembly is correct, passage of the state-wide ban seems assured. As long as that happens, the Peoria referendum doesn’t have much meaning.

HOWEVER, if the state-wide ban fails to make it through the General Assembly, THEN the referendum takes on new life. In that scenario the referendum results could be used as evidence to support a local ban.

]]> http://knightindragonland.blogpeoria.com/2007/04/18/what-does-the-smoking-ban-referendum-really-mean/feed/ 6 Knights On The Air Waves http://knightindragonland.blogpeoria.com/2007/04/16/knights-on-the-air-waves/ http://knightindragonland.blogpeoria.com/2007/04/16/knights-on-the-air-waves/#comments Mon, 16 Apr 2007 22:57:13 +0000 Knight in Dragonland http://knightindragonland.blogpeoria.com/2007/04/16/knights-on-the-air-waves/ There’s going to be a Richwoods High School reunion on WCBU tomorrow night. Joining me (Class of 1990) will be fellow ex-Knights C.J. Summers (Class of 1988) and John Morris (Class of 1986). The evening will be filled with off-key renditions of the Richwoods fight song and talk about the glory days of the 1984 and 1988 IHSA state football championship teams and guys wearing jean skirts.

1988 State Football Championship

Ohhh … Jonathan Ahl and H. Wayne Wilson will also be there. We might talk about the elections.

Heh.

I really shouldn’t joke about my first appearance on the local radio waves. I’m honored that Jonathan thought of inviting me to provide a Pekin perspective on the local elections. Hopefully I won’t stutter, ramble, swear or make a total fool of myself!

]]> http://knightindragonland.blogpeoria.com/2007/04/16/knights-on-the-air-waves/feed/ 0 Seeing The Smoke And Ignoring The Fire http://knightindragonland.blogpeoria.com/2007/04/05/seeing-the-smoke-and-ignoring-the-fire/ http://knightindragonland.blogpeoria.com/2007/04/05/seeing-the-smoke-and-ignoring-the-fire/#comments Thu, 05 Apr 2007 06:59:06 +0000 Knight in Dragonland http://knightindragonland.blogpeoria.com/2007/04/05/seeing-the-smoke-and-ignoring-the-fire/ In the last week or so I’ve been repeatedly reminded that my opinion is in the minority around here. Public smoking bans – a standard of civilization in much of our country and in many other countries across the world – seem to be the height of controversy in the Heart of Illinois. No local political candidate wants to touch the issue. A snarky and scientifically retarded local columnist heaps disdain upon the idea and compares environmental tobacco smoke to perfume.

Five and a half years ago, our country declared perpetual war and carried out the biggest reorganization of the federal government since the New Deal. Why? Because terrorists killed 3000 people.

Cigarette smoking kills almost half a million Americans EVERY YEAR. Environmental tobacco smoke kills somewhere between 30,000 and 60,000 Americans EVERY YEAR. Every year, ETS wracks up a death toll 10 to 20 times that of Al Qaeda on 9/11.

What’s our response to this in Central Illinois? We twidle our thumbs and do nothing, accepting chemical assault as just another facet of our society. We make jokes about it. We pass the buck. We hem and haw about property rights and personal choice while a minority are allowed to poison the air that we breath and dictate the choices of the majority. We become enablers for a destructive addiction and complicit in the death it causes.

We see the smoke … and ignore the fire.

]]> http://knightindragonland.blogpeoria.com/2007/04/05/seeing-the-smoke-and-ignoring-the-fire/feed/ 5 Peoria Watch Spotlights Peoria Promise http://knightindragonland.blogpeoria.com/2007/02/10/peoria-watch-spotlights-peoria-promise/ http://knightindragonland.blogpeoria.com/2007/02/10/peoria-watch-spotlights-peoria-promise/#comments Sat, 10 Feb 2007 16:34:44 +0000 Knight in Dragonland http://knightindragonland.blogpeoria.com/2007/02/10/peoria-watch-spotlights-peoria-promise/ Merle Widmer is blogging again after a long hiatus.  He sounds a bit skeptical regarding the Peoria Promise scholarship program proposed by Mayor Jim Ardis.  I agree with him that the lack of some minimum GPA to qualify for the scholarship is a bit concerning.  Does a kid who just barely passes high school deserve a college scholarship?  I suppose it depends on the circumstances and whether that student showed improvement over the course of his high school career.

From what I’ve heard so far, it seems as if a student that barely passed could theoretically be chosen over other students more academically qualified or with greater economic need.  We’ll have to see how the program develops and what sort of oversight is put in place.  The devil’s in the details.

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