Delusions of grandeur

They've got a glitzy

website

. And a catchy little logo...


From the PJStar:

PEORIA —
When Gov. Rod Blagojevich signed legislation this week allowing Peoria County residents to decide whether they're willing to pay a small sales tax - and require the same of others who spend money in the county - to help finance the Peoria Riverfront Museum, it was another in a long series of hurdles crossed.

The cost of the project, including the Riverfront Museum and the Caterpillar Experience visitors center, is $136 million. The museum's cost is $77 million, the visitors center is $41 million. The remaining $18 million in expenses includes shared development of the property and the $10 million cost of the land donated by the city of Peoria.

Fundraising has and will continue to occur on two tracks: public money from governmental bodies and private donations from people and corporations. Caterpillar and the collaborative group have decided that the project will seek $78 million in private funds and $58 million in public funds.

Soooo...lemme see if I have this right...

They want 58 million bucks in public funds. "Public funds" means taxes.

The world economy is in the shitter. The City of Peoria can barely afford to keep it's essential services goin. People right here in Peoria County are losing their jobs and their homes. The local food banks are runnin outa food because people can't afford to feed their families. And these morons wanna add yet another tax to help pay for a lah-de-dah white elephant/Temple of the Great Golden God that no one will be able to afford to go see? Mmm'k.

Ok, so Peoria will have a "cultured" riverfront that features

The Gateway Building

, with it's "grand ballroom" and "exclusive caterers" that no one can afford to rent, a museum built on the backs of the county's taxpayers, a Joe's Crab Shack and a Hooters.

Whoop-de-fuckin-do.

Meanwhile, East Peoria's riverfront is growin by leaps and bounds. Which, of course, is mostly because of the gamblin boat. Which Peoria...um...didn't want.

Idiots.

BLOCK THE BLOCK!