Open Thread (11/9/2009)

Posted November 9th, 2009 at 07:41 AM by IlliniPundit
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Monday, November 9, 2009.

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redstatewannabe's picture
On November 9th, 2009 at 10:05 AM, redstatewannabe said:

Long range regional transportation plan - story in NG:

"What we want to focus on, first and foremost, is reducing vehicle miles traveled and reducing greenhouse gases," Halvorsen said.

How about 'our primary focus is to make it as easy as possible for people to move around in our community' - would that be so bad?

redstatewannabe's picture
On November 9th, 2009 at 10:14 AM, redstatewannabe said:

State of Illinois pension problems:

At the end of the current fiscal year, by this calculation, the state's unfunded pension liability plus its other pension debt will total some $95 billion. That's north of $7,000 for each of Illinois' 12.9 million residents -- including babies, retirees . . . and the state lawmakers who created this travesty. They awarded public pension benefits that battered Illinois employers and other taxpayers simply cannot afford.

....

The Minority Report is a data-grounded call for gutsy leadership to modernize the pension system that Illinoisans can't sustain: "Just to keep the unfunded obligation from growing, the state should be funding pensions to the extent of about $8.3 billion (per year) out of operating revenues."

That approaches one-third of the current state budget. Can't be done.

Gov candidates - anyone have the nerve to get real with this problem, and have all the gov't unions against you?

 

On November 9th, 2009 at 10:37 AM, francofou (not verified) said:

About as many as the gutsy Republican(s) who stood up to the FoxNews terrorists and voted for healthcare reform.

On November 9th, 2009 at 10:51 AM, Ralph Langenheim (not verified) said:

According to Jiao Teng Univsity's list of the 500 best universities in the world, the U of I ranks 25th, behind Wisconsin -16 - and Michigan - 21.  Harvard, of coure ranks first (As they did in every list  I saw.) and ten of the top 12 are Private Universities and only 2 of the top twelve have serious football programs.  All but two, Cabridge and Oxford ,are American.  No African or South Anerican Univesity make the top 100  Seven of the top 47 are parts of the Universitiy of California System.  Goggle it yourself and let fly.  Ralph/

redstatewannabe's picture
On November 9th, 2009 at 10:51 AM, redstatewannabe said:

not even Kirk voted for Pelosi's healthcare bill

On November 9th, 2009 at 11:57 AM, Anonymous (not verified) said:

"Just to keep the unfunded obligation from growing, the state should be funding pensions to the extent of about $8.3 billion (per year) out of operating revenues."

That approaches one-third of the current state budget. Can't be done.

Can one of the friendly neighborhood state employees please explain where they think all of this money is going to come from?

On November 9th, 2009 at 12:07 PM, wayward said:

Man dressed as Colonel Sanders shows up at UN trying to represent Grilled Nation:

http://www.loweringthebar.net/2009/11/col-sanders-appears-at-united-nations.html

On November 9th, 2009 at 12:18 PM, Anonymous (not verified) said:

According to Jiao Teng Univsity's list of the 500 best universities....

 

Yawn

mjerryfuerst's picture
On November 9th, 2009 at 12:27 PM, mjerryfuerst said:

GM, Chrysler and, some years ago, severla stell companies, went bankrupt in part because of pension and health care benefits for reitrees.   

Illinois and other states will reach time when there is no money to pay current benefits.

Then something analgous to a bankruptcy, or a sharp reduction in benefits will occur.

Michael Fuerst             

Go here for Urbana postage stamps, T-shirts and bumper stickers:
      http://bozourbana.org/wordpress/?page_id=3

On November 9th, 2009 at 01:28 PM, Anonymous (not verified) said:

I do hope those who criticized Finney for showing up at the burglary last month will also be criticizing the fire chief  who responded to a fire in a different city on his day off.

On November 9th, 2009 at 01:39 PM, wayward said:

Speaking of the fire, Villas at Fairlawn obtained a zoning variance in 2006 to put the bank of garages that caught fire within 5 yards of Hollywood Alley.

http://www.ci.urbana.il.us/urbana/mayor/boards/zoning_board/annual_reports/zba_2006_report.pdf

On November 9th, 2009 at 02:04 PM, Anonymous (not verified) said:

I do hope those who criticized Finney for showing up at the burglary last month will also be criticizing the fire chief who responded to a fire in a different city on his day off. Did he burn some kids to death?

On November 9th, 2009 at 04:05 PM, Anonymous (not verified) said:

Speaking of the fire, Villas at Fairlawn obtained a zoning variance in 2006 to put the bank of garages that caught fire within 5 yards of Hollywood Alley

And the point is that Urbana ordinance variances cause spontanious combustion???

On November 9th, 2009 at 04:12 PM, wayward said:

And the point is that Urbana ordinance variances cause spontanious combustion???

That's your conclusion, not mine.  I was curious what impact, if any, the location had on the fire's effect.  It did seem like locating closer to the alley would have put the garages closer to utility lines and the apartment complex south of it.  However, five yards more or less might not have made much difference.

On November 9th, 2009 at 05:53 PM, Anonymous (not verified) said:

Uh..................................... did Finney shoot someone or put them on fire? Exactly what do you mean with your comment?

ROB McCOLLEY's picture
On November 9th, 2009 at 07:46 PM, ROB McCOLLEY said:

Those garages had been there since forever. They were not built in response to a 2006 variance.

But it's probably pretty convenient that they're out of the way now ... better than paying the cost of demolition.

 

 

 

 

Moëtry in the Potion

On November 9th, 2009 at 09:43 PM, wayward said:

Those garages had been there since forever. They were not built in response to a 2006 variance.

But it's probably pretty convenient that they're out of the way now ... better than paying the cost of demolition.

Thanks for the clarification, Rob.  One guy I talked with about the fire told me there'd been a zoning variance and that made me curious.

On November 9th, 2009 at 09:55 PM, wayward said:

Looks like the proposed criminal nuisance property ordinance in Urbana may be dead (or we can hope).  They voted to table indefinitely, though they may have to revisit it to see whether it's proper to kill a proposal that way.

Keith_Hays's picture
On November 10th, 2009 at 12:26 AM, Keith_Hays said:

From the City of Champaign Municipal Code:

Sec. 22-802. Aggravated public nuisance.
(a) Nuisance defined. An "aggravated public nuisance" is:
(1) A dwelling;
(2) Where the owners or occupant of the dwelling conduct or commit the following activities within a dwelling unit, on the premises of a dwelling, or within one hundred (100) feet of the property line of the premises of the dwelling of which the owner or occupant has control within a three hundred sixty-five-day period:
a. Two (2) or more forcible felonies (as defined by the Illinois Criminal Code); or
b. Two (2) or more State or Federal criminal offenses related to the illegal sale, possession or manufacture of controlled substances, cannabis or drug paraphernalia; or
c. Two (2) or more violations of Section 23-113 of Chapter 23 of the Municipal Code, entitled "Prostitution"; or
d. Two (2) or more violations of Section 23-114 of Chapter 23 of the Municipal Code, entitled "Solicitation"; or
e. Two (2) or more violations of Section 23-115 of Chapter 23 of the Municipal Code, entitled "Keeping a place of prostitution"; or
f. Two (2) or more violations of Section 23-127 of Chapter 23 of the Municipal Code, entitled "Gambling prohibited generally"; or
g. Five (5) or more of any combination of the following:
1. Any of the offenses described in paragraphs a., b., c., d., e., and f. above;
2. Any of the following offenses as defined in the Illinois Criminal Code: disorderly conduct; battery; assault; aggravated assault; criminal damage to property; domestic battery; mob action; unlawful use of weapons; or
h. Five (5) or more violations of Section 21-14 of Chapter 21 of the Municipal Code regulating noise within or on the premises of a single dwelling unit.
(b) Violation. No owner of real property shall recklessly, knowingly, or negligently allow or permit an aggravated public nuisance or allow or permit an aggravated public nuisance to exist upon real property or part thereof, including individual dwelling units, owned by that person.
(C.B. No. 2005-284, § 1, 11-15-05)

Three Score and Ten Plus One

Keith Hays