Blogger Bashers?
Peoria Journal Star Word On The Street:
When it comes to the seemingly never ending Kellar Branch saga, the online community has gotten the attention of at least one mayor.
“Those online bloggers didn’t bother to show their faces when we have public meetings on it,” Peoria Heights Mayor Mark Allen said. “They are real strong and tough online, but when we have the public meetings, no one shows up and if they did, they are very quiet.”
I take serious issue with the implication that the bloggers who are speaking up on this issue are uninvolved in the political process. Of the many bloggers who write about the Kellar Rail, Billy Dennis and CJ Summers attend nearly every Peoria City Council meeting. Brad Carter ran unsuccessfully for a City Council seat and Randall Emert is considering a run himself.
The rest of us might just be just a bunch of cyber thugs, but in this particular instance there is no need to attend, as is pointed out by CJ in the same article:
Summers, who is a member of the Heart of Peoria Commission, said the reason pro-rail proponents likely haven’t spoke up at public meetings is because, ultimately, it is up to the federal Surface Transportation Board to determine the outcome of the Kellar Branch and not local governments.
And now back to our regularly scheduled cyber bullying.
November 26th, 2007 at 5:21 pm
The PJS never seems to amaze me but more than that, the Mayor of Peoria Heights is unbelievable in his comments towards bloggers. As CJ stated and you posted, why attend those public meetings when they have no bearing on the decision the STB is going to make? It is their call. Maybe if the good Mayor had his pulse on the public, he would know that most people oppose making Kellar into a trail especially when it involves taxpayer money and support. I suppose the trail people need a place to meet for hope on their trail and those public meetings are it.
Randall L Emert Sr
November 26th, 2007 at 5:25 pm
As a resident of Peoria, would the village of Peoria Heights give a (bleep) about what I have to say, or will they tell me to go back to the East Bluff and hold up a few convenient stores?
And what difference does it make? From what I’ve read Allen and the VOPH are more interested in the trail.
November 26th, 2007 at 7:49 pm
That’s an odd comment coming from Allen, since I remember him leaving comments on C.J’s site a few times.
What a crock of crap that is. I think the rebuttal to Mayor Allen would be “choose your battles”.
And it was heartbreaking to read how Shazzam now will have to alter his condos.
November 27th, 2007 at 10:16 am
The mayor of Peoria Heights is almost a non-mayor, he gets to wear the hat but does anyone really care what his opinion is on anything? The village of Peoria Heights is barely more than a glorified subdivision. He is sort of like the ruler of Liechtenstein.
November 27th, 2007 at 11:50 am
I resent the notion that we don’t show our faces. I was just at Bar Louie talking to Matt Crusen less than a week ago! Angie will tell you!! She saw me!! So did Jim Ardis, and Shawn Newell, and Jamie Markley, and Phil Luciano, and Rob, and Unkle Sean.
November 28th, 2007 at 9:56 pm
I myself am a 6′7″ cyber-thug with a knobbly club who only emerges from her cave to prey upon innocent politicians. Just so you know.
(And dude, Liechtenstein is the world’s leading exporter of false teeth! There are way important things going on there!)
December 2nd, 2007 at 10:10 pm
I don’t think the mayor of the Heights was calling out bloggers for never being involved in real life, only that they didn’t show up for the public meetings they had in the Heights some time back.
Gee whiz. Everyone has such think skins as of late.
December 2nd, 2007 at 10:11 pm
THIN skins, too.
December 4th, 2007 at 2:45 pm
I showed up at all the meetings and got up and spoke and that included the city council meetings. But I guess I don’t count. What we didn’t do is rant and rave and scream and holler and carry banners and ask stupid questions like what happens if the train falls over? We acted like responsible people and therefore didn’t get noticed.
December 5th, 2007 at 5:15 pm
SD, you were at the Heights meetings? Allen wasn’t yakking about other meetings, just the ones in the Heights. I watched those meetings on TV. No one stood up and spoke in favor of the rails except Sharon Deckard. So, if you spoke, you must have been in favor of the trail back then. No one (not even the trail people) were ranting and raving and screaming, etc. Methinks thou dost protest too much. Or something like that.