" FutureGon has left us, & is DEAD DEAD DEAD!
And good riddance too!
It would be great if the money sinkers would learn this too.

Also, 86 Rappin Rodney, bring Quinn up to speed, & get this shtick over with.

Now, let's put the hammer down, keep on truckin, & move this country forward.

ANCHOR'S AWAY! "

" I thought Harry "retired". Looks like he must be ghost writing on the side. "

" Bill, you are correct when you write that "I've never gotten the impression that Illinois politicians hold Quinn in high regard..." They certinly do not -- and for very good reason. Quinn refuses to play the political game. "Politics as usual" is just not on his agenda. A host of politicians of both parties, people such as Dick Daley, hold Quinn in utter contempt. After all, Quinn in the 1970s was way ahead of most people when he founded an organization called the Coalition for Political Honesty and has supported major political reforms ever since then.
When Quinn ran in 2002 for the Democratic nomination for lt. governor most of the Chicago machine opposed him, but Quinn had so much grassroots support throughout the state that he won the nomination anyway. "

" Rotty said 86 Rappin Rodney, bring Quinn up to speed, & get this shtick over with.

I could not agree with that statement more. Roddy should go be with Ryan at least they would have someone to talk to and then come up with a list of things NOT to do as governor, you know for those up and comers that plan on being governor someday. Then they could title it Illinois Governors for dummys. Just a thought. "

" If Charleston were an exclusive gated community, a difficult to reach island, or a yet to have outside human contact south american tribe, I could easily see direct ties of sales tax income vs. median family income. It isn't, thus there isn't. If the town had just placed all its utility lines strung from poles, under ground, these figures might never have come to light.

It is nice to see the City isn't wasting any time dwelling on data from people outside the circle of trust and information.

Most of the morning information stations that used to thrive in chuck town, have fallen by the way side. Snyders doughnuts, Wranglers, Russ and Lindas, used to have the daily buzz about town. Losing those gathering spots of civic information, and not having a paper that is curious enough, to be considered seriously involved in "journalism" by most long time definitions of the word, folks are completely on their own.

Out of touch, uninvolved, and disinterested in any outsider meddlings. From local leaders, this paper and their various handlers and influencing brain trusts, some of them actually have to be elected. Local elections, have broadened where three and four candidates, for one job becomes a least worse evils pageant.

Take note of responses, and actions taken, by people holding various offices, and decide to keep them or not solely on those perceptions. Least worse lacking a suitable alternative, is how Rod got a second term. Settling for the least worse and that being keeping established failures, is not terribly effective, and folks are earning govt retirements not for being the best at the position they seek, but simply winning by default.

Some dynamic in this broken system has to change. Clear messages need to be sent, what exactly public service, entails. Sallaries are assigned to posts, giving yourselves raises when losing money hand over fist, and not fulfilling responsibilities to taxpayers, needs to be a thing of the past. Elected appointed and hired public officials, do not deserve yearly cost of living raises, or self imposed raises of any kind. If they were tied to verifiable actual growth, there might be some discussion of increased compensation. Set all of their sallaries at the median household income level, I suppose, and folks who should have had a grasp on that reality would pay much closer attention to those figures and the related data.

Local govt has become some sort of feudal monarchy, the serfs are just a statistic and peoples lives and jobs are variables that are subject to manipulation that yields the results they wish for various reasons at any given time.

It takes steadfast dedication to completely ignoring reality to be this oblivious to 20+ years of changes in these communities, and not have the slightest clue what is going on in any town in this county. The folks driving the sight seeing bus aren't likely to point out a wrong turn they made. They will direct you to look out the left side, to hope you don't notice the right. Its all right here, dispite provided statements of growth and prosperity, many know various aspects of reality left out of the spun for public information statements provided. This paper being merely a squak box of numerous entrenched public bodies, and not asking one question on any subject of any journalistic value, is in complete complicity on every level, for not maintaining the separation and curiosity to verify one provided report it passes on to the public. "

" Mike P wrote on Dec 16, 2008 12:56 PM:
Its all right here, dispite provided statements of growth and prosperity, many know various aspects of reality left out of the spun for public information statements provided. This paper being merely a squak box of numerous entrenched public bodies, and not asking one question on any subject of any journalistic value, is in complete complicity on every level, for not maintaining the separation and curiosity to verify one provided report it passes on to the public. "

well said... "

" Every governor, every president needed a Mike Lawrence to keep you on the straight-and-narrow, Edgar said last month.



Same thing happened to Britney Spears, it's what happens when you surround yourself with yes people. The only thing that saved her was her dad stepping in. Same thing needs to happen here, someone needs to step in. "

" Medic: I agree that Britney Spears Dad needs to step in and solve the Illinois crisis.

Mike P: I agree that the Charleston community is very closely held. To few people making the decisions. It is very EIU centric. They are losing industry and have many empty retail stores. They don't know how to combat that.

Any suggestions? "

" Both Mattoon and Charleston have become infatuated with providing incentives to woo retail to their cities.

TIF is one of the biggest culprits, that has led to these unsustainable markets being over saturated. Increased sales taxes, are going to drive more business under, in this climate. Basic fundamentals of every aspect of these cities development have been ignored for personal wishes and dreams, to be persued instead.

I see Mattoon being more precariously involved in decline driving behaviors than Charleston already is experiencing. While charleston may be stagnated in retail, it is far closer to a sustainable equilibrium than Mattoon. Mattoon is still on a deranged directive, invest city funds in the mall, develop a convention center, and several other various unsound proposals, leaving taxpayers holding the bag.

Both need to stop contributing to coles together. Both need to leave retail development and investment for the markets to be the sole driving force behind them. If the markets are there, there is no need to seek them or woo them with incentives and tax breaks, they come to you if they feel they can be profitable in your town.

Charleston needs to get some new blood in its city hall, and send the folks who used TIF to remodel city hall, on to another line of work. Often imposed development plans, get in the way of retail seeking out niches of their own.

I lived there as a kid, benedicts and most of the square, were very sucessful niche businesses.

Hundreds of people per week, go to court. Now there isn't even a coffee shop, right there where hundreds of different potential customers have to be every week. Just the state of this near the end of its life TIF area, lends to TIF not being the inspiration for sustainable development.

EIU is still a largely untapped asset. Bars and liquor stores, are just about the only ventures focused on these consumers. I think the number of bars has declined, and a few more liquor stores have emerged in their place. Seven months out of the year, there are more than 10000 students. Nothing specificly marketed for non alcoholic entertainment of this demographic, is located in walking distance to campus. While not all students live on campus, they all tend to be in that area five days a week for classes. The biggest untapped opportunity for development in Charleston, is regularly entertaining college age students, for a reasonable price. For decades it has been proclaimed as the biggest flaw with where eastern is located. Outside of on campus activities they have available, there is little else besides eating and drinking offered off campus. Many go home regularly, many go to Champaign for the day or weekend. Find entertainment, and price it affordably, and while they stay here, more, they eat here more, shop here more, and feel less restricted to bars and houseparties to relax and blow off steam, when they are here.

Accurate statistics, need to be gathered, on the available and existing workforce, in both cities. Focus needs to be completely on industrial development, but tax incentives need kept to a minimum. Burdening taxpayers for any development, needs to become a thing of the past. There are various tools available, that don't involve property tax abatements, and set asides. I don't think this area has been marketed effectively to retail or industry. From the site selection of futuregen, to the many small ventures brought in to occupy former larger industrial sites. Coles together has been the liason for this county, and completely failed to earn its keep.

One of the biggest issues compounding income levels, is one of the biggest industrial employers in this county is its temp agencies. This is a completely detrimental employer group to have this many employees on their payroll, in this county. They should be seen as violating equal pay for equal work laws, and possibly they subsist by utilizing some loophole, which evidently has no opinion of what ammounts to job pimping and employment profiteering.

I could go on in some other aspects of known issues, but these are some of the off the top of my head biggest and various missed opportunities. "

" One of the biggest issues compounding income levels, is one of the biggest industrial employers in this county is its temp agencies. This is a completely detrimental employer group to have this many employees on their payroll, in this county. They should be seen as violating equal pay for equal work laws, and possibly they subsist by utilizing some loophole, which evidently has no opinion of what ammounts to job pimping and employment profiteering.

*************

Amen! "

" Mike P: Those are interesting suggestions. I share your propensity for market based solutions rather than government based incentives.

As far as TIF, it is my understanding from some community leaders in Effingham that TIF has helped them tremendously.

We will see if it helps Mattoon and Charleston. In defense of Charleston and the City building, I must say they lead by example. They have improved that building. And they are an anchor to the Square. That the building is a taxpayer funded construct is probably a deviation from the spirit of the TIF but it is an improvement none the less and I concede I haven't read the administrative code as it pertains to TIF.

Regarding the Charleston market which is primarily college students and a few thousand staff has been and is best served through real estate, food and alcohol sales.

Entertainment for students is mostly met by the University. Good thing they don't sell alcohol or there would be almost no business left.

My concern for starting businesses not catering to the EIU crowd is the fickle nature of the consumer. We say we want businesses but will we support them.

Industry on the other hand is a very different animal from retail. Coles Together has been tasked with attracting Industry. They may have pulled off the coup of the century if they land Futuregen. Regardless we still have our work cut out for us. Do we really have the work force and the work ethic to produce for industry? There are always opportunities. We don't have a culture which is conducive to entrepreneurs to start these type of businesses. Our solution seems to be to create government incentives to attract them from somewhere else. The problem is that when the incentive is gone so is the entrepreneur and company.

In conclusion it would seem that we are not exploiting market opportunities. That is because of our lack of values in support of entrepreneurial endeavors.
I believe we want these things but we don't fully understand how to get there. "

" Opportunities are there, untapped markets are still there.

Google Illinois TIF taxpayers. The most compelling information I found, suggests while some growth might be happening in TIF areas, it is usually having an equal and opposite effect on non TIF business. Large portions of the chicago down town are TIF zones, including landmarks like the sears tower. In texas, they used TIF to subsidise one of the biggest Outdoor sports equipment stores ever built. I am long opposed to uses of TIF. Some years back, Illinois made it against the rules for TIF to be used on golfcourses, and city hall, because it was becoming a problem. I read the amendment, but don't have the refference readily handy. Look it up. TIF provides incentives to oversaturate markets with redundant businesses.

Effingham being at the crossroads of two havily traveled interstates, has unique market availabilty that has always had empty stores and new ones springing up. They had an outlet mall, now it a Menards. I haven't kept up on their use of TIF, and am not familure with where the zones are. I have some knowledge of that town as well, both as a consumer, and nearly 30 years of how things were, developed, and have often redeveloped. Some of their history should be applied here, they have consistently overdeveloped markets. they come, they go, and profit margins across the board, are typically rather flat, for retail types that are saturated, the way they are.

Mattoon is investing in oversaturating motels and food retail. They are set on this course, and it is positioned to fall very flat. This convention center is a most precarious investment, Zero tax dollars should be placed beyond required utility hookups at the boundry to the property. Just like they would do, if a person built a house in an undeveloped site. No tax abatements, no incentives, invest at completely their own cost and peril. This project is what brought TIF to town. It wasn't suited then, it isn't now, and in the environment we have here, it likely might never be. Big cities have trouble keeping their convention centers afloat. They have a laundry list of issues, and it is a constant struggle to make them break even operations, in huge markets.

Charleston has various untapped niches, that could be entered with low initial overhead, and expanded as things develop and progress. Rule one has to be to minimize duplication of existing market share. Rule two if a personal venture, make it something you enjoy doing. If it is unique, affordable, and appealing to the broad spectrum of consumers, several various ventures have every possibility of growing into thriving businesses, probably more so in charleston, if located accessably, than in Mattoon. If you hope to start a business, and rely on support out of sympathy, because it is an local personal venture, I don't know any market that would sustain something that way.

Frankly this area needs some folks with a background in marketing to realisticly provide advice and advertising to effectively utilize those tools in the most cost effective manner. Running ads in this paper withs its pawltry market share it holds is not effective use of revenue in most cases.

I don't think we agree on the diversity and extensive backgrounds and various levels of training, the workforce at large in this area has long held. Many factory workers have wide ranging degrees they obtained, but found work in another direction. Many people here are under employed, they are trained and skilled far beyond the current position they now hold. People are driving up to 2 hrs each way to work here. Temps are occasionally comming from as far as clinton, and many other towns at least that far. We already have people from here, driving to Champaign, Decatur, and likely farther, to work. This area has long been prime, for skilled labor expansion, the folks at coles together, have absolutely no clue, and its always been right under their nose. Hiring consultants, lobyists, and the like, has been largely misguided directions that at the very least should have been preceded by becoming familure with reality here.

EIU, is one big missed opportunity for obtaining unbiased data, at a reasonable cost. Coles together should be abandoned, in its yearly dues, and partner with EIU, to do what they couldn't. From the Sociology departments, Business, even their industrial technology dept. Studies, could be designed, circulated, information gathered, data interpreted, and results obtained. Lake land could be utilized in some capacity to this end as well. They have some talented computer skills, programming and web page design instructors, that could participate or contribute to some effort to maximize real information being readily available to effectively market this area for industrial development, or even establish a more effective tool for business to advertize online, and be much more effective with their local ad dollars.

Opportunity has long been here. The tools and talent have long been subsisting right here. The missed opportunity has long been, connecting the dots correctly, to put the pieces that firmly exist to use in marketing this area effectiviely.

Local leaders have absolutely no real clue of the population they represent. Population figures hold pretty steady, they can't even process Births, deaths, school enrollment, and various other accessable variables, and get any real information as to population make up. Some how they calculated large employers left, and that wiped the slate clean of the people that held the lost jobs, in the same motion.

Unemployment figures, only account for people applying for or getting unemployment at any given time. Once it runs out, those people are usually still right here, if they take a lower paying job, they still didn't disappear. Relying on unemployment data to provide any more than current people on or seeking it is one of the biggest failures of the US job markets. Seven percent is far from the reality of things, but it sounds better than what the figures would actually be.

Many former two income households are down to 1, possibly 1 and a part time job, those calculations aren't accounted for. People are forced to take entry level positions, and often temp, to even get a foot in the door at many local industries, that is not accounted for. Dropping by less than one third, should in reality be seen as very tangible, and likely it is a bit steeper than their study has even eluded to. "

" "EIU is still a largely untapped asset. Bars and liquor stores, are just about the only ventures focused on these consumers"

One of the major flaws of businesses that try is that they think the students have a lot of money so they over price everything thinking that those dumb college kids will pay anything for what they want because mom & dad's paying for it. Well, I'm not saying that a few of the student's parents aren't well off, but the majority of the students only make minimum wage working part time. So, if Charleston would get more 2nd hand shops and resale shops, I think that they would profit. When the Goodwill shop was downtown, I would visit Charleston at least once a month to go there and it would be full of the college students looking for stuff. I don't know why they moved away either. I really miss that store. "

" Becky: You are right that the students have a limited supply of money. It's funny what our priorities are when we are that age.

It is my understanding that Walmart Mattoon is cheaper than Walmart Chalreston precisely because the students are willing to pay more. That willingness may be ignorance or laziness as well as practical consideration of time management.

Mike: You have some terrific input. I admire the consideration you have given to these important issues.

I didn't mean to say that our pool of workers wasn't capable. My concern is that they are currently employed. And they may not move laterally to fill a job opening. The folks who aren't employed are unemployed for a reason. Often that is because of work ethic.

You are certainly correct about our friends and neighbors being overqualified for many of the positions they hold. In my observation that is a choice.

Your observation in the following sentence is accurate:

Frankly this area needs some folks with a background in marketing to realistically provide advice and advertising to effectively utilize those tools in the most cost effective manner.

Those folks are at the University and they are more than happy to share their wisdom and experience. SCORE and the Business and Innovation Department are trying to reach folks who need the help.

How are temp agencies using temp workers causing problems? Are they using temps at a lower pay and avoiding Union obligations? I don't fully understand the following paragraph.

One of the biggest issues compounding income levels, is one of the biggest industrial employers in this county is its temp agencies. This is a completely detrimental employer group to have this many employees on their payroll, in this county. They should be seen as violating equal pay for equal work laws, and possibly they subsist by utilizing some loophole, which evidently has no opinion of what amounts to job pimping and employment profiteering.

In support of our community leaders I believe if they could do more they would.

It is incumbent on those of us who want more to do more. More training, education, more action and take more risks to get more rewards. Further we should go to local meetings and join groups and churches to build our sense of community and reinforce our values. "

" If an employer set up shop here, with 200+ jobs, paying a decent starting wage, reasonable benefits, and the possibility for advancement, they would get between 5000 and 10000 qualified applicants for those spots, just from this area. I have absolutely no question this has been the case for some time.

Most Employers here have the any warm body will do just fine, relationship with their employees. Opportunities lacking has been the only thing keeping many folks in jobs they have become hostage to. Loyalties are far from etched in stone, and many good employees would jump at an opportunity, that offered the possibility of at least maintaining close to their annual sallaries. Staing where they are, there is little guarantee of maintaing anything. Its always a crap shoot, and many are biding their time for opportunity to allow them to part company with their company. No competition for skilled labor, is a big part of why the warm body employment practices have taken such a turn for occasional carnage.Existing employers have an endless pool, to just bring someone else in, and send the 30 and 40 year man, off into the sunset.

Perhaps some of the other folks, who have opinions on the use of temporary services as an idustrial employer, can shed some of their insights of what transpires, and resulting implications are. I have various exposures to various levels of this issue, but am not adept at breaking it down, for someone that has not been exposed to the various realities of it. Its been an issue for close to 2 decades, in this area. "

" People become unemployed for a wide ranging variety of reasons. People are underemployed, for very similar circumstances, in most cases. Casting broad dispersions on groups of people, is one of the reasons, we have become so out of touch, with realities that exist, in our society.

That being said, the last 20 years has seen a steep decline in work ethic, displayed by increasing numbers of people. Many factors continue to increasing this trend, some of which are opportunities being limited, temp wages barely more than minimum wage has been elevated to, lots of individuals dependance on drugs and alcohol, and most employers using the any warm body can easily fill any position, business model. These and many more things, create a dynamic that no longer rewards hard work and effort, to encourage its occuring.

People that were dedicated integral cogs in the wheel, are fed up. They disengage, and do more and more, only what they must, in a much less motivated view of their contributions. Constant turn over at the lowest job positions, requires constant training and babysitting, on a regular basis. Decades of this repeated and often constant work place dynamic, have long time workers less inclined to do their jobs and pick up the slack of getting new people up to carrying their own weight, in their assigned duties.

Companies existing in the climate created here, are fostering the every man for himself survival mode of work ethic. This exists increasingly out of necessity, as position cuts have increased work load requirements, training has been reduced, and pay and benefits have seen cuts and stagnation, if not steep declines. These factors increase turn over rates, and it has become an endless cycle. Above and beyond, is dwindling under these conditions. People are hostage to just ensuring they maintain their own jobs, and there is little security that even that is a given. Fires of desire to contribute as much as possible to their efforts, are being snuffed by existing dynamics of reality.

Short spans of these challenges, could be swallowed, by most and accepted as transition periods. Months leading to years, leading to decades of declining work envornments, stagnation of wages, increased costs of benefits amounting to less and less coverage and value, squash the productivity of the most dedicated and motivated individuals I have ever encountered. People of less strong work ethics, or those who have yet to discover them, are even more apt to fall into the ruts that these long issues have placed in their paths.

Failures to properly understand issues, dynamics, and existing realities, is far from being placed solely at the feet of local leaders. Their not holding up their end of responsibilities to this community has contributed to maintaining and increasing issues the remaining workers face on a daily basis. "

" Temporary workers directly are not the issue I have with Temp services being high volume industrial employers. I in no way impune the workers, or their efforts to do what they have to do, in the employment climates that have become more increasingly dependant on shifting workloads to them to carry.

Temp services started out as being replacements for temporary vacancies. Leaves of absence, illness, maternity leave, sudden short term increases in workload demand and various other interim reasons for filling positions on a temporary basis. At least as far back as the early to mid nineties, industry began to use temp services as their entry level position hiring mechanism. People worked for temp agencies, for a few months, to several years, in industrial jobs, as outside contracted employees. Back then, they were paid 2 dollars or more, less an hour, than the full time company people they worked beside, and had no benefits. They worked full time hours, 40 to 60 per week. They did not receive the same considerations in earning overtime pay, and faced equal if not increased demand for overtime working requirements. They held the same unskilled to semi skilled positions as full time company individuals, and were far from being equally compensated.

They were counted or discounted, as companies saw fit, in qualifying for rewards and bonuses, for participating in efforts that led to such disbursements. They were utilized in every possible less than skilled denoted capacity, for durations, of at least three months, and as long as 2 or more years.

From that time to now, more and more industrial employers have joined in utilizing this pool of workers to simply reduce their wage bases. They cut or sometimes eliminated human resources components charged with processing applications of employment, to leave recruiting and hiring predominantly to a third party employment contractor. Individuals that would never qualify, for work on a full time basis, ranging from former felons, to mentaly issued individuals, are brought in, utilized and placed in the work place for the employees to contend with, deal with and work along side. Sixty to ninety days and out, on a constant basis, has many eventual repeats, and increasingly lower standards, being implimented to keep the constant flow of warm bodies as requested maintaing their quota of employment contracting on an as and where needed basis.

The bottom line, is these people do the same jobs as full time company help. Under equal pay for equal work laws, their being contracted to do these jobs by companies most of which are part of corporations that hold government contracts, should require them to be equally compensated, and face the same hiring, termination, and compensation requirements as company employees do. There are great inequities in how temporary employment contractors, are utilized. How this is legal is one of my biggest questions. Basic fairness, where equal work, yeilds equal pay is deffinately not part of this equation. These disparities ammount to 5 to 10k in yearly wage differences, so those who do three months, and manage to become full time, lose 1250 to over 3000, in just wages, not counting gaining any ground on earning benefits. Many companies you have to wait 3, 6, or more months, to qualify for benefits. These individuals typically get zero credit for the time they have already put into these companies as outside contracted help, and their day one, starts the first day they become employed directly by the company.

These and several issues I likely left out, are why having the increasingly high numbers of temp industrial workers is directly detrimental to our tax base, work force, and fostering productive work ethics or motivations in a growing portion of our available work force. This dynamic has rippling impacts of various proportions, throughout the entire employment base. It undermines initiative and hard work, from taking hold, in people that have yet to learn these traits. It diminishes the overall effectiveness of maximizing productivity, because of the many various issues included with this trend. It has impacted work environments in ways any cost savings that might be shown as reductions in one category, are completely wiped out, in productivity losses that are improperly accounted for, that eventually cut into bottom lines, causing even more cost savings measures to be passed off for the employees to contend with. "