WIU "Blue Ribbon" panel on the case
The so-called "Blue Ribbon" committee formed with impetus from Sen. Mike Jacobs to accelerate the development of Western Illinois University's Moline riverfront campus is already on the job. (The term "Blue Ribbon takes on new meaning since the ultra-expensive restaurant of the same name in Moline has become the hang-out of choice for certain politicos after their former hang-out, the equally high-priced "Five", went out of business.)
Sub-committees of the panel include Finance and Legal, Political and Community Affairs, and Construction and Operations, which has already met this week.
The panel is to present their recommendations by mid-May of this year.
It would take until 2008 to open the new campus in Moline, WIU officials said earlier this year. The project also still needs an estimated $15 million for construction.Sub-committee members are:
The recommendations will be presented to state state Sen. Mike Jacobs, D-East Moline; Illinois State Rep., Pat Verschoore, D-Milan; Rep. Mike Boland, D-East Moline, and Western Illinois University president Alvin Goldfarb.
"We need to sprint, not walk," Sen. Jacobs said in a statement. "WIU's expansion on the Moline riverfront is critical to our area's economy and quality of life."
Construction and Operations Sub-Committee:
Todd Raufeisen, Chair, Raufeisen Development Company
Jerry Taylor, Dispatch/Argus
Bill Brewer, WIU
Rory Washburn, Tri-City Building Trades
Jeanne Clerc, WIU
Mike Thoms, Thoms Proestler Company
Jim Collins, Deere & Co.
Finance and Legal Sub-Committee:
Deb Peterson, Chair, Trinity Regional Health System
Ted Johnson, Quad City Bank and Trust
Lew Steinbrecher, city of Moline
Matt Stern, Stern Beverage
Harvey Levin, Califf and Harper, P.C.
Jackie Thompson, WIU
Pete Benson, Lane and Waterman
Political and Community Affairs Sub-Committee:
Bob Imler, Chair, RiverStone Group
Jeff Terronez, Rock Island County state's attorney
Ken Schloemer, QCREDA
Roger Clawson, State Farm Insurance
Carolyn Ehlert, Deere & Co.
Jeff Nelson, MetroLINK
Dave Steelman, WIU
Joe Moreno, city of East Moline
posted by The Inside Dope @ 4/15/2005
10 comments
10 Comments:
The "blue ribbon" folks are working on a worthy goal, it's an inovative idea to form such a group to do an end run around state government, and it's fortunate that people from both sides of the political and economic fence are united in making it happen.
I'm sure Mike Jacobs wants to make sure everyone knows he was instrumental in setting it up and wants to become the face of this panel as well as the entire WIU project.
We'll keep an eye out for this story and link to it when it appears.
I heard that one day Mike Jacobs was out driving around looking for elderly people to help across the street when he came upon a school bus full of crippled orphans stuck on a railroad track with a 200 car freight train bearing down on it. He skidded to a halt, leapt from his car, and with no regard for soiling his expensive suit, jumped onto the tracks and stopped the freight train with his bare hands just inches from crushing the bus and all it's occupants.
Any truth to this? ;-)
Miss Manners. Thanks for your contribution. You can become our resident scold.
And of course, I'm waiting for you to send me some email telling me how I could "class up" this place. I can assure you that this blog's restrooms are surgically clean, and it's decorated in the utmost taste. Your implication that I don't have as much class as Sen. Jacobs has sorely wounded me.
Maybe if I started offering finger bowls after dinner?
anonimidget, try not to get too excited there big guy.
Oh no Miss Manners. I don't think it's funny at all. I think it's an uplifting story of disaster averted and true heroism. Don't you?
I just thought that since HeadUsher is so adept at painting glowing portraits of Senator Jacobs, I might as well try my hand at it as well.
I heard that after this incident, Senator Jacobs raised enough funds to ensure that all the crippled orphans were able to get treatment and that now they've all been cured and have been placed in happy, loving homes.
By the way, you'll be happy to hear that I was thinking of you yesterday. In light of your comments, I've been trying to get more class, integrity, and trying really hard not to be so naughty.
I was near a construction site when a worker crushed his finger with a hammer. He then uttered a very vile curse word. Thinking of you, I immediately shouted at him and told him he didn't have any class and should be ashamed of himself.
Luckily, I was able to dodge the hammer he threw at me, the brute. Some people just don't have any class these days. Or a sense of humor, for that matter.
Though your comments are getting increasingly surreal, I must agree ThinkPink.
We need more legislators who can stop speeding locomotives with their bare hands, and lord knows, what this world needs now more than ever, is more politicians in expensive suits.
I, like you, are so sick of seeing politicians wearing fishnet tank tops and cut-offs every time I turn on the TV.
And I think you have a bright future as a campaign consultant. No one has ever thought of saying a politician likes old people and babies and cares for all of us. You're a visionary.
And I can't wait for the Jacobs campaign slogan, "Vote for Mike. He wears nice suits!"
By the way, what color is the sky in your world? ;-)
Pink, don't look now, but you're full of crap (at least on this thread)
I don't know what to think. On the one hand I can't take your outrage about my comment above seriously, because I can't believe you actually believe it or think that my obviously tongue-in-cheek comments were somehow offensive to anyone.
On the other hand, I'm beginning to worry that you really ARE that gullible. If so, that's really, REALLY pitiful. I'm so sorry someone could be walking around with absolutly no ability to realize humor when they see it.
But the remaining choice is the worst. And that's that you know full well that you're lying but have the lack of character required to do it anyway.
But I think it's more a case that you're just a tedious Jacobs supporter who is capable of little else except inventing bizarre "attacks" on Mike out of thin air, and then with boring predictablility defending him against these imagined slights and pumping him up while bashing his opponents. Lord knows we've got our share of those sorts around here. Guess it's some folks weird idea of fun.
I've gotten a kick out of them, due to their sheer absurdity. But IF you're truly serious, then I'm afraid you've got a problem, not me.
I find your comments in this thread to be a good example of the sort of political bullshit that makes people hate politics and politicians and not want to be involved at all.
That is, attempts to create a "scandal" out of nothing and then tut-tut and put on a show of rightous indignation over some outrage which doesn't exist other than in your feverish imagination.
You know the outrage doesn't exist. You know it's a lie and a scummy attack, yet you go ahead with it anyway.
That's politics at it's worst.
Evidently you're trying your hand at it here. Must be some sort of Karl Rove wanna-be, huh?
Mike's sure lucky to have you. I imagine that he wisely doesn't listen to a thing you say though.
And I'm damn glad I'm not a candidate or politician, as I'd surely go ballistic when people attempted to use lies and distortion on me.
I think my sense of humor about such things wouldn't be up to the test and I'd be right up there with Ald. Brooks getting pinched for assault. But I'd sure feel good about it.
But that said, I'm going to continue to think this is all your weird idea of a joke. I just can't come to grips with the thought that anyone could write what you do and be serious.
As I am "appauled" by your spelling.
Now, now Pink. What we have here is a failure to communicate. Your comments were difficult for me to believe, so I assumed you were joking. I mean, I write that Jacobs stopped a freight train with his bare hands and you react to it as if it were true? I use a fictitious busload of crippled orphans as a device in the story and you find it offensive?
I make a comment about Jacobs being well dressed and you feel the need to defend THAT?
I just figured you were joking. Sorry.
I don't mind when people disagree with my views and offer a reasoned rebuttal. Republican Joe does that, and I don't have a fit. I just reply with my views.
I don't know what blogs you frequent, but is sounds like they're quilting or diary style blogs. We're not dealing with the agony of how to get into swimsuit shape by summer here. This is politics. It ain't beanbag, as the saying goes.
There's going to be a lot of argument, sarcasm, and other not so pretty things.
I appreciate your leaving comments, and am sorry that my reaction to yours in this thread have apparently driven you off.
But then again, perhaps this neighborhood is a little too rough for you anyway.
I still love ya though. You're always welcome here.
So is this the Tom Higgins who pied Anita Bryant in 1977?
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