Delusional ramblings of an idle (addled?) mind:
-- Why have no legitimate candidates for the Champaign Council come out of the bushes to fill the opening being left by the departure of Kathy Ennan? I've heard Deb Feinen and Matt Varble being mentioned but I don't believe either one of them will be serious candidates. Although Matt on the council would be, to say the least, entertaining. Also curious that there hasn't been a lot of 'Kathy will be missed' sentiment being passed around. My guess is it's gonna end up being some relative outsider. Just hope it's not another ditzy wife of a wealthy developer.
-- Over at IP they're wondering why there's not more support for Democratic gubernatorial challenger Ed Eisendrath. It's a good question. Personally, I like the man, but the feeling is that Rod's just too powerful statewide (in Democratic circles) to lose a primary. All the major movers and shakers are in Rod's camp and/or pocket. And $16 million is nothing to sneeze at. The GOP recognizes that, too.
-- Meanwhile, the GOP race is morphing into the mudslinging party everyone wanted to avoid. But that everyone knew would happen sooner or later. I suspect by primary time the Grousing Old Party will be split so severely that Rod will coast. Where's Alan Keyes when we need him...?
-- Funny how some people complain when political bodies play by the rules we have imposed on them. We (or at least someone looking like 'we') forced tax caps on political bodies. That set the ground rules. Rule No. 1: Get every dollar you can while you can because you may not be able to get the extra dollar tomorrow when you need it because of the caps. That's the way the game's gotta be played. To yell at the MTD (or any other taxing body covered under tax caps) is ignorant. The tax caps set the rules. They're just playing the game.
-- Been a bit of a frustrating year for the Illini basketball team. What was a great defensive team has become at the best average. At almost the exact rate the offense has improved, the defense has regressed. That means the team is exactly no better than they were in December.
-- If Theresa Grentz wasn't in the Hall of Fame, would she still have a job at the UI?
-- Good luck to the UI baseball team and especially new coach Dan Hartleb. Those are some big, Itchy shoes to fill. And to those who haven't been out to a UI baseball game before: GO. Can't find better entertainment or more fun for the money anywhere in the area. Good hot dogs, too.
And so it goes.
13 comments:
nice to have you back.
Thanks; I recommend you avoid that cold/flu thing if at all possible. Not fun. (Unless you own stock in Kleenex).
"And to those who haven't been out to a UI baseball game before: GO. Can't find better entertainment or more fun for the money anywhere in the area. Good hot dogs, too."
I couldn't agree more.
Not a serious candidate? I contest that as I would take things very seriously if on the City Council. I also wouldn't have spent the money and the time I did running for office if I wasn't anything less than serious about it Old Guy. Take a look at my resume on my website if you don't think I'd be serious about it.
Matt, I think either you missed my point or I made it badly; I don't doubt you are serious about a candidacy. I also think you'd be a good addition. However, I think the only way you'll reach the council is by being elected, not appointed. Given your head-butting with certain council members (and the Mayor) in the past, I kinda doubt if you could get enough support to be appointed by that same council.
Well, that may be true and I can see why you are asserting that it may not be "serious" from their point of view for consideration, . I don't agree with the Mayor, or McIntosh on most social issues, however if I were you wouldn't count me out just yet. My disagreements have been policy oriented and some folks have made it very personal unfortunately.
Given the track record of our current council, I never discount anything. Good luck.
My disagreements have been policy oriented and some folks have made it very personal unfortunately.
Really When you call them all uneducated and stupid all the time on your site I would not call that a policy I would call that personal. You might not have called them uneducated at the council chambers but you have many time personaly attacked most people on our council. who didnt agree with your point of view.
"uneducated and stupid" were never written or stated by me on my site. Show me the evidence of having done so. That is simply not true.
Oh please you have repedatly said non of them were educated.
"I also believe a majority of the folks up there lack formal education which is troubling for a University town to say the least, especially when looking at all the financial data"
Ok Matt there is a quote from your blog October 24 2005 Ladue ennen phd Bruno lawyer pirok cpa Schweighart assosiates those are the ones i know.
Thus, you've misrepresented what I said and put words in my mouth and missed the point yet again. I didn't say "undeducated" or "stupid", I stated facts about their background as not being the best suited to making decisions about budgets and finance (thus it implies that they would have to rely to heavliy on city staff and be unable to challenge things in the budget very well).
I also recall stating a PHD in Health (Ennen) doesn't impress me as much as say a CPA dealing with a $100 Million Budget..(Pirok isn't a CPA by the way).
So again, that's the facts and the truth and you've attempted to distort the context of the discussion, which isn't a surprise.
No Im not I can't get into the comments on your archive because you have blocked them. So Let me guess because you have now recived your MBA you will be the most qualifed person up there if you get appointed Becaus A PHD does not impress you but you seem verry impressed by your own MBA. I'm not saying your MBA is not impessive I just think it is rude for you to put others down because they have not acchived the higer education that you have. Pirok isnt a CPA what is he?
It's not rude to state my opinion that I believe the educational background of some of the public officials up there isn't well suited to the requirements of that job. For example: Ennen is perfectly suited to be a nurse or a nursing instructor, but I don't think she's the best fit as a City Council member. That's my opinon and it's based off my analysis. Feel free to disagree, but don't mischaracterize or distort the context of the discussion.
Pirok has a Bachelor's in Finance and is self employed as a financial/business advisor and previously worked in lending in the private sector.
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