" Renovation on the Coles County Animal Shelter, (CARE Center), would be another!

Remember folks, help control the pet population, please have your pets spayed & neutered! "

" Perhaps some commenters have a list of 2009 to do's. This one is more of the same, from this local pandering monopoly.

My biggest hope was for less of the same, but I think this piece may sum up, how the plans are positioned for that within the collective.

Best to all in the new year, and may most of this list that needs to face obstacles and outrage, find some united groups emerging to stop things that are overly invested in the wrong directions. "

" another year went by and our lame duck president is yet to attend the funeral of even one soldier fallen in his illegal criminal war.

his legacy has been made...and expands day by day. "

" hopefully a real president will bring back some honor and dignity to our country in 2009. "

" My wish list for 2009:
- That Mike P. would unclench a bit. There are some worthy goals on the newspaper's wish list, including finally getting the former Young's Radiator plant site cleared and cleaned. (Not so sure about FutureGen.)

- That Mike P. and other civic minded people in Coles County would get away from their computers and TVs more often so they can speak out at public meetings, circulate petitions, run for office, volunteer, etc. When people get involved in their communities, it makes a difference.

Don't let the big bad "collective," The Man, The Borg, right or left wing know-it-alls, or anyone else deter you from trying to make the world a better place in 2009. Happy new year. "

" Let me see if I have this right, blather bob; presidents are supposed to attend all funerals of all fallen soldiers? Or would you prefer he just go to the funerals of certain high ranking, or certain low ranking, or ... what?

If you see an unfilled need, why don't you attend the funerals? You could change your name to funeral bob. "

" I want to second the sentiment of English Bob...Coles County is a good place to live but can be made better if more residents are engaged in the process and not just on their computers.

I would also add to the wish list that there would be good community dialogue where problems are not just listed but solutions are sought.
Happy New Year. "

" attainedage wrote on Dec 31, 2008 11:24 AM:
" Let me see if I have this right, blather bob; presidents are supposed to attend all funerals of all fallen soldiers? Or would you prefer he just go to the funerals of certain high ranking, or certain low ranking, or ... what?

If you see an unfilled need, why don't you attend the funerals? You could change your name to funeral bob. """"


you miss the point. he's totally in denial about the war and his involvement in going to war. he also was the one who banned pictures of coffins or press coverage of funerals.
he'll surely and hopefully burn in he11. "

" Good suggestions English Bob. "

" Funeral Bob: he also was the one who banned pictures of coffins or press coverage of funerals.
he'll surely and hopefully burn in he11. "
---------------
No, you missed the point Funeral Bob, funerals of our brave soldiers should be a private time for the family, not a media frenzy!

Besides, your liberal media wouldn't do a piece that would be respectful, but use video of funerals and caskets as an ADDITONAL source of poison against the conservatives and Republicans along with bashing Bush. "

" Renovation work begins on the Mattoon train depot

Talk about an endless pit. "

" Clearly defining problems and issues, is usually somewhere close to the beginning in a process of effectively solving or resolving them.

Most people would have a fit, if their mechanic, repairman, or doctor, handled their business, like the irish coffee clatch "leaders" of this area do.

We can't send groups of a hand full of people, who want these jobs, to office and count on them. Some how we are surprized, when the exact same kinds of issues hit the bigger pools of government, like Springfield and Washington.

Illinois is at or near the top, in government bodies per capita. Zero or low growth, spread over many years, across many groups fighting for funding for their agendas, yields the state, the State of Illinois finds its self in.

Our failing to handle business here responsibly, contributes directly to the failurs of this state. Our State failures, contribute to national failures. Each small board failure, poisons the systems above and below it. We aren't unique, but that doesn't make our area failures any less important, to the big picture of an entity, city, county, State, or Country.

A collective of five or so cranky coddled toddlers, is a formidable foe. Once they get elected, they stake their claims on prime sand box areas, nap time space, their favorite toys, and take over milk money collection and distributions.

Each local group of them, needs to spend some time with the Super Nanny. Serve time in time out, and have some of their favorite toys taken away.

Correctly defining issues and problems, needs to be the starting point of any solution. Trying to reverse engineer solutions, to fix undefined problems, might put a fresh and pleasing coat of paint on the barn, but ignoring the roof leaked for years, the beams and floors are rotten, and the foundations long ago shifted to instability, leaves you with a pleasing looking but unsound facade. You still can't put hay up safely, shelter your livestock or equipment, but it sure looks nice from the road.

Sound responsible fundamentals, are what needs to change. Decisions, need to be openly based on all sides of issues, not what sides best sell these ideas today, to pass any consequences to some point in the future.

Passing the buck, for decades, has led us right here. Instead of dealing with reality now, they beg, borrow, and levy, perpetuating failed directions, that only compound current and future issues.

Priorities need shifted, directions need properly evaluated and adjusted or completely altered. If there is truely a desire, for the public to contribute to offering viable solutions, how business is conducted, needs to change to reflect that. Part of solving any problem, is clearly defining what the true problems are. No gloss, fluff, or facades. Only if their is a valid set starting point, and established goal, can an effective route to most efficiently achieve it, be properly addressed. "

" You guys just all keep talking. Tomorrow I am going out to pick trash up off of the road. I think I just read a letter about how actions speak louder than words. Maybe she'd like to turn off the computer, get her butt up off that chair, and come join me.

My wish for 2009? That all of the arm chair here's what is wrong with the world and what everybody else should do because I see things more clearly than anybody types would actually shut up and start putting their money where their mouths are. Actions do speak louder than words. Do something. Visit the shut-ins, run for office, pick up a broom, anything. Just quit talking so much. My ears are ringing! "

" Father Bob

We have a long ways to go before we see if Obama is a better president than Bush, a worse one, or the same. Since he's not the president yet, we don't know. "

" How about doing something to change Coles County's 25% uninsured rate, or maybe our $21,000 median household income?

Sheesh. "

" attainedge:"Let me see if I have this right, blather bob; presidents are supposed to attend all funerals of all fallen soldiers? Or would you prefer he just go to the funerals of certain high ranking, or certain low ranking, or ... what?"
No, one can hardly expect a president to attend 4,000 funerals -- had he done so he might not have been so war-happy. BUT I DO RESENT, tho not a military person myself, that he HID THE RETURNING DEAD FROM THE PUBLIC so he could continue to blather about "Mission Accomplished". These were people who lost their lives because an ignoramus and overbearing president attacked the wrong country under the guise of defeating al Quadea because of a vendetta against his father. "

" medic57:" Father Bob
We have a long ways to go before we see if Obama is a better president than Bush, a worse one, or the same. Since he's not the president yet, we don't know."
Technically I suppose you're right but it would be difficult to conceive of anyone who could, even if they tried, do worse than Bush.
But at least we will soon have a president with one charactieric that Bush lacks -- intelligence -- and one that can speak the English language beautifully. Poor David Letterman; The Great Speeches segment of his program is not going to get any more new material -- so enjoy it while you can. "

" I'd like to see the Democrat controlled federal and/or state government not increase my taxes in 2009. Oops... looks like they're already planning to raise fuel taxes... fed and state. Tax, tax, tax, tax, tax... thank you Democrats for this tax on working people. Now they can buy more votes from people who refuse to work. That's just great! "

" father bob wrote on Dec 31, 2008 9:33 AM:
" hopefully a real president will bring back some honor and dignity to our country in 2009. "


Too bad we just elected a media star. "

" FB: Your last statement says a lot about you. "

" sapient wrote on Jan 2, 2009 12:29 PM:
" FB: Your last statement says a lot about you. "


thank you....i'm sure he'll avoid the hangman's noose that he deserves. "

" ed miller wrote on Jan 2, 2009 12:05 PM:
Too bad we just elected a media star. """


oh crap!.....you mean we elected someone who others like and admire???

what were we thinking....we need a hated criminal that enables terrorists.!!! "

" Oops... looks like they're already planning to raise fuel taxes


Didn't read that article real good did you?

A federal commission is talking about raising taxes, last time I checked, commissions can't raise taxes, they can recommend, that's all.

Here's what's real scary:

According to a draft of the financing commission's recommendations, the nation needs to move to a new system that taxes motorists according to how much they use roads. While details have not been worked out, such a system would mean equipping every car and truck with a device that uses global positioning satellites and transponders to record how many miles the vehicle has been driven, and perhaps the type of roads and time of day.

Talk about Bib Brother, by the way, don't blame Obama, he's not president yet. "

" Too bad we just elected a media star

What was Ronald Regan? "

" father bob wrote on Jan 2, 2009 2:23 PM:
" we need a hated criminal that enables terrorists.!!! "

Well, we will probably have to see how deep he was in the Chicago political machine, but you got the second part right. "

" medic57:he nation needs to move to a new system that taxes motorists according to how much they use roads. While details have not been worked out, such a system would mean equipping every car and truck with a device that uses global positioning satellites and transponders to record how many miles the vehicle has been driven, and perhaps the type of roads and time of day.

Jeezzz some people cannot imagine making things simple. Gas consumption would do very well. Or the odometer, which remember are now untamperable by
law. "

" SSFAN wrote on Jan 2, 2009 5:53 PM:

" Too bad we just elected a media star

What was Ronald Regan? "

***************8

Actually he was more of a washed up B grade actor who got into politics (where he governed using astrological charts) after his less than stellar movie career waned.

I also read where he was so far out of touch his staff had to prepare note cards reminding him what the names of his cabinet members were. "

" While I would oppose the feds putting a tracking device on my vehicles, the idea of charging based on total usage does make sense.

Why should little old granny who drives to church twice a week and to the grocery store once a week pay as much as someone who uses our roads all day long?

The problem lies in the accounting. I just don't see how it could be done fairly, and we certainly don't needs the feds attaching monitors to our vehicles.

And for the editorial boards wish list:


-Lake Paradise is properly maintained by the City of Mattoon...

Is Wortman leaving? "

" Its simple Granny will only use a handfull of gallons a mounth, the guy driving all day will use LOTS more.DDDDUUUUUUUUUH add it to the gallon. "

" Fuel economy, driving habits, and milage, are accounted for with the fuel tax.

I oppose any tax being raised prohibitively, and the various ethanol costs that get forced on consumers.

Changing to a completely different tax method, in anything, will give opportunity to nickle and dime consumers to far more extremes, than the current taxes currently do. Why would anyone think, a new system, would be designed to be more cost effective for taxpayers. A milage fuel tax, would likely be structured like the tax brackets are. A set base for the first 5k or so miles, and progressively higher bases for some, but huge breaks for others.

Before they raise taxes, or shift any calculation methods, they should be cutting tax breaks to those that get them. Cut speed limits back to 55. Several cuts should be looked at, before hikes and calculation methods, get thrown into their failure to effectively manage their funds.

Most road work, is now privately contracted work. IDOT and DOT, should have been adjusted and restructured to account for this shift. Standards for road work, need to be set for longer sustainability. If it fails in a set ammount of time, repairs and maintenance need to be performed by the contractor, for a discount, or some even for free.

Shifting to private contractors for road construction and repair, wasn't met with any increased demands for durability and sustainability. This failure leads to corners being cut, if it fails, they have a shot to get fully paid to rework it, or to rework someone elses work. This has become an endless cycle of road construction and repair. They wonder why they can't keep up, but they failed to ensure every dollar spent, was likely to be a long term investment, rather than an endless fix after fix required cycle.

Snow plows, and large heavy vehicles, tend to take serious tolls on any road they operate regularly or improperly on. Steps need to be taken, to prohibit unecessary wear and tear. From more road friendly plows and snow removal, to steep fines for not following weight and road restrictions, changes can be made to increase a good roads longevity. Costs of repair and maintenance reduced, and more value for each dollar spent. Minor repairs need made promptly, to prevent more serious ones resulting. Filling cracks and holes promptly and properly, before they become larger issues, will save many dollars for other needed uses. "

" I'd like to see someone step up and oppose FutureGen. A few jobs and temparary source of power are not worth poisening the earth benieth us. "

" Julio,

usted es Julio absolutamente correcto. Convengo totalmente. Bien dicha! "

" I am going to be working on stories in the coming days and beyond about the prospects of the city of Charleston seeking home rule status. As part of this, I would like to get the perspectives of Charleston residents pro, con or anywhere in between regarding home rule. If you would like to speak with me on the record for these stories or know someone who would, I can be contacted at rstroud@jg-tc.com or 348-5734. "

" Yay Julio. I tell people from around the country about how "gung ho" Coles County is about hostung Future Gen, and the reaction I most often receive is, "People in Coles County must be REALLY stupid".

Future Gen is the WORST idea we've had in a long time (way worse than paying $600,000 for a $300,000 bank and then tearing it down for a parking lot). Let someone else be the canaries in the "new" coal technology mine field. Put one minor seismic event together with one coal sequestration plant, and you have a recipe for disaster. Experts say that Future Gen should not be placed near a "large" population center (I used to think being a "small" population center was a good thing), and a naturally occurring carbon dioxide bubble rose out of a lake in Africa a few years ago, killing 3000 people. Still our joke of a public watchdog (newspaper) refuses to report the facts and warn our people about the truth. There are better ways to create jobs than putting local lives and security at risk. "

" i love the blagojevich thing being on top, thats is awesome lol "

" The largest population near the planned site is an elementary school. Good thinking huh? "

" " another year went by and our lame duck president is yet to attend the funeral of even one soldier fallen in his illegal criminal war.

Lets not forget that the democrats voted for this "illegal criinal war" when it was popular. "

" Some things we hope to see in 2009....

Southern Illinois (south of I-80) succeeds from "Illinois" (i.e. Chicago) and forms their own state with a capital in, perish the thought, Springfield!


"Home rule status"...Chucktown can let the kids back into the bars at age 19 again, cool. Maybe meth production will decline in the area. "

" "Home rule status"...Chucktown can let the kids back into the bars at age 19 again, cool. Maybe meth production will decline in the area. "

Another example of Neo's new logic? "

" Maybe the partially demolished buildings at the corner of 4th and Polk Streets will be removed. I'm not sure why the city hasn't stepped in to remove the buildings themselves. Maybe their afraid of offending the source of a lot of property tax for this city. "

" we allow the Current Occupant to leave the Mansion d'Blanc with a big grin in a couple weeks, his self-esteem apparently fully intact, imagining that his legacy will emerge golden and shining in a hundred years after all of us are deceased. He is one of the cheerfullest idiots you ever saw, a man who could burn down his own house and be happy that the patio was still standing. Had Congress impeached him, his defense would have been that he was not capable of understanding the charges. "

" K.S. wrote on Jan 7, 2009 1:17 PM:

" Maybe the partially demolished buildings at the corner of 4th and Polk Streets will be removed. I'm not sure why the city hasn't stepped in to remove the buildings themselves. Maybe their afraid of offending the source of a lot of property tax for this city



Either that or he's waiting for some TIF money, or some other financial incentive to complete he job.

But you're right to call that mess into question K.S. Somethings going on with that eyesore. "

" FB, let me know when we elect a REAL president. So far, Obama has re0nigged on 2 of his campaign promises, Winfall Profit Taxes for the Oil Companies and NOT to raise taxes on anyone making more than $250,000. Now he brings in all them losers from the Clinton Administration, including Hilarious Clinton. It seems to me that the Democratic Congress (who's approval rating is even lower than Bush's) gave 750 Billion dollars to the Banking and Loaning Industry (with NO strings attached) and now have no clue where any of the money is. I can hardly wait for Drama Obama to get into office. Hopefully he will show up for meetings now that he's president, instead of playing basketball and not attending meeting while he was a Senator. "

" So Techno-less


How many bags did you fill? "

" So far, Obama has re0nigged...

Really warrior can you be any more blatant? Or was that perhaps Freudian? "

" Reneged? "

" Drooling Over Obamas Chiseled Pecs
Fit to serve: Barack Obama photographed shirtless in Hawaii and a lot of women are giving him the presidential seal of approval.
NBCs Matt Lauer starting out the Today show, December 23.
Between workouts during his Hawaii vacation this week, he was photographed looking like the paradigm of a new kind of presidential fitness, one geared less toward preventing heart attacks than winning swimsuit competitions. The sun glinted off chiseled pectorals sculpted during four weightlifting sessions each week, and a body toned by regular treadmill runs and basketball games.
Washington Post reporter Eli Saslow in a December 25 front-page story about Obamas vacation fitness regimen.



Admiring the Greatness of Obi-Wan Obama
By now we are all accustomed to that Obi-Wan Kenobi calm....He hit the American scene like a thunderclap, upended our politics, shattered decades of conventional wisdom and overcame centuries of the social pecking order....[But] what now seems most salient about Obama is the opposite of flashy, the antithesis of rhetoric: he gets things done. He is a man about his business a Mr. Fix It going to Washington....Spare us the dead-or-alive bravado, the gates-of-hell bluster, the melodrama of the 3 a.m. phone call. A door swung open for a candidate who would merely stand and deliver....In the land of the hapless, the competent man is king.
Editor-at-large David von Drehle in his cover story announcing Obama as Times Man of the Year, December 29 issue. "

" Sorry no response, Medic. I forgot to keep tabs of this stream.

I read back over the comments in order to decipher what my bags may be full of, and decided it was a reference to the posting from before about the missing money.

My answer: I haven't filled any boxes. Hermetically sealed, rust-proof boxes do a better job of protection after burial underneath the garage than mere bags. I don't have the clout for off shore banking.

Oops! I gave away the location. Now I will have to move them. "