It's absolutely fantastic news that the Relay for Life made $61,000 this year. But I can't help but think back to a few years ago when the Relay first started in Greenville and it made upwards of $150,000 each year, from my memory being certified as one of the top relays in the nation and spectacular for a town of Greenville's size.
What happened? Was there a corporate donor (maybe Greenville Regional Hospital?) that backed out of financing the Relay? Did the novelty wear off and Greenville-ites suddenly get tired of all the bake sales for cancer?
What's the story? I'm genuinely curious, for anyone who knows. I can't be the only one who's noticed this and the Greenville Advocate has never given the real scoop.
Friday, June 19, 2009
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Lisa Stephens' Bogus $5,000 Bonus
Applause, applause for Jeff Leidel. Rarely has an editor of The Greenville Advocate stood up directly to the city council and the mayor-- that relationship is usually pretty cozy. However, he has been willing to question their actions when the occasion warrants it.
Our latest ridiculous situation is that of the $5,000 "pat on the back" awarded to Lisa Stephens, who was given the plum created-just-for-Her Royal Highness of "Assistant City Manager." Greenville never had one of those before, and the position was created to increase economic development in the city.
(One note about this: our current City Manager, Dave Willey, God bless him, is not full-time at the city manager's job. He owns and operates the Globe Theatre, which presumably takes up at least some of his day. He said when taking the job that he would be able to handle all the duties associated with it while also owning a city business. The city council apparently didn't agree because they then specifically created the assistant city manager's job for Lisa Stephens.)
Editor Leidel writes in his editorial that the city council did not discuss the $5,000 bonus payment given to Stephens for a "job well done." They just approved it without a discussion. He wonders why someone making $59,000 a year plus benefits already would need an extra bonus just for doing her job. Good on you, Jeff, pleased that you're actually trying to keep the Greenville oligarchy accountable. One of my parents has worked close to 45 years in a job in our fair city, and despite exceeding for all those years, has never gotten a bonus.
Mr. Willey probably doesn't give out bonus payments to his cashiers and baristas for making great popcorn and coffee-- that's what they're actually paid to do in their job, after all. Why, then, does he insist on giving away YOUR money to pay Lisa Stephens, who lives in one of the fanciest houses in Greenville anyway (and I hear her husband Rep. Ron Stephens isn't doing too badly on his taxpayer salary either-- together these two are raking in hundreds of thousands of dollars a year in salary, all on the taxpayer!) Hey, maybe she'll let us all into her house on the annual Greenville Women's Club "Home Tour," where we can see what baubles and fancy things she's bought with her $5,000 bonus! Meanwhile, the rest of us will just try to scrape by with our ever-increasing property taxes this year and hope we can make it.
Speaking of Lisa Stephens, I have a friend who says that she once saw Lisa Stephens (or Princess Lisa, as some might call her) hit my friend's car with the Stephens van as my friend was walking out of the Dairy Queen. Stephens didn't look for damage or anything, just away she went without a note or apparently a care in the world. From what I know, that's a felony and not something a nice person does. My friend is pretty reliable, and says she didn't report it because there was no damage and she didn't want to get herself in a public "situation" with Stephens (obviously cozy enough with city government that they even just created a position out of thin air for her) or her husband Ron Stephens, Greenville's representative in the Illinois General Assembly. Now, my friend is struggling to pay her property taxes which are much less than Stephens' "bonus"!
Heck, my friend's entire car cost less than Ms. Stephens' little economic stimulus package. I guess she figured as she slammed into my friend's car, Hey, these people pay my salary and my bonus, why should they care if I hit their car?
Our latest ridiculous situation is that of the $5,000 "pat on the back" awarded to Lisa Stephens, who was given the plum created-just-for-Her Royal Highness of "Assistant City Manager." Greenville never had one of those before, and the position was created to increase economic development in the city.
(One note about this: our current City Manager, Dave Willey, God bless him, is not full-time at the city manager's job. He owns and operates the Globe Theatre, which presumably takes up at least some of his day. He said when taking the job that he would be able to handle all the duties associated with it while also owning a city business. The city council apparently didn't agree because they then specifically created the assistant city manager's job for Lisa Stephens.)
Editor Leidel writes in his editorial that the city council did not discuss the $5,000 bonus payment given to Stephens for a "job well done." They just approved it without a discussion. He wonders why someone making $59,000 a year plus benefits already would need an extra bonus just for doing her job. Good on you, Jeff, pleased that you're actually trying to keep the Greenville oligarchy accountable. One of my parents has worked close to 45 years in a job in our fair city, and despite exceeding for all those years, has never gotten a bonus.
Mr. Willey probably doesn't give out bonus payments to his cashiers and baristas for making great popcorn and coffee-- that's what they're actually paid to do in their job, after all. Why, then, does he insist on giving away YOUR money to pay Lisa Stephens, who lives in one of the fanciest houses in Greenville anyway (and I hear her husband Rep. Ron Stephens isn't doing too badly on his taxpayer salary either-- together these two are raking in hundreds of thousands of dollars a year in salary, all on the taxpayer!) Hey, maybe she'll let us all into her house on the annual Greenville Women's Club "Home Tour," where we can see what baubles and fancy things she's bought with her $5,000 bonus! Meanwhile, the rest of us will just try to scrape by with our ever-increasing property taxes this year and hope we can make it.
Speaking of Lisa Stephens, I have a friend who says that she once saw Lisa Stephens (or Princess Lisa, as some might call her) hit my friend's car with the Stephens van as my friend was walking out of the Dairy Queen. Stephens didn't look for damage or anything, just away she went without a note or apparently a care in the world. From what I know, that's a felony and not something a nice person does. My friend is pretty reliable, and says she didn't report it because there was no damage and she didn't want to get herself in a public "situation" with Stephens (obviously cozy enough with city government that they even just created a position out of thin air for her) or her husband Ron Stephens, Greenville's representative in the Illinois General Assembly. Now, my friend is struggling to pay her property taxes which are much less than Stephens' "bonus"!
Heck, my friend's entire car cost less than Ms. Stephens' little economic stimulus package. I guess she figured as she slammed into my friend's car, Hey, these people pay my salary and my bonus, why should they care if I hit their car?
Saturday, May 2, 2009
Greenville Recyclers: Big Brother Is Watching You!
Greenville's recycling containers are lousy at best, with no room to shove any of the material in (and signs saying anything left outside the bins will be "landfilled".) We get a letter in the Greenville Advocate saying that those of us who recycle are apparently having our mailing labels checked by Big Brother Greenville Recycling Committee to see who is able to stuff their mail into the bins the best, and who just didn't want to be crushed by falling newspapers and gave up and left it outside and/or in another section of the bin.
Personally, I find the bins to be not labeled well at all and not conducive to recycling at all. Why is the recycling committee recommending that $5,000 be spent for a recycling carport in Sorento when that's what we need in Greenville? We need another bin, and a carport so that everything doesn't get wet if it's left outside when the bins and sections are overstuffed.
Oh, and please, whoever's reading the mail to see if the Joneses are recycling properly, please don't bother. Some of us let our friends read our magazines, so whoever's name is on the mag may not be the culprit.
Don't shun the non-recycling sorters until another bin is given to those of us who care enough to recycle! Instead, get on everyone who is NOT recycling. Do you really think it increased recycling in Greenville to publicly write a letter to the editor of the newspaper saying "We're watching you when you recycle"? I've never had Doty Sanitation say such a thing.
Personally, I find the bins to be not labeled well at all and not conducive to recycling at all. Why is the recycling committee recommending that $5,000 be spent for a recycling carport in Sorento when that's what we need in Greenville? We need another bin, and a carport so that everything doesn't get wet if it's left outside when the bins and sections are overstuffed.
Oh, and please, whoever's reading the mail to see if the Joneses are recycling properly, please don't bother. Some of us let our friends read our magazines, so whoever's name is on the mag may not be the culprit.
Don't shun the non-recycling sorters until another bin is given to those of us who care enough to recycle! Instead, get on everyone who is NOT recycling. Do you really think it increased recycling in Greenville to publicly write a letter to the editor of the newspaper saying "We're watching you when you recycle"? I've never had Doty Sanitation say such a thing.
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Taxpayers Hoppin' Mad Over New Greenville Superintendent
Jeff Strieker had the luck-- or should I say bad luck?-- to take over from Melanie "Big Spender" Allyn as Bond County Community Unit #2 Superintendent. There have been at least five protest letters in the Greenville Advocate about the appointment, with much of the anger stemming from the fact that the school board didn't interview any other candidate for the position besides Strieker AND Strieker doesn't reside in Greenville as all other superintendents have. The president of the United States doesn't live in Mexico, does he? No, but apparently Greenville's superintendent can live in Breese.
And Greenville taxpayers can pay his "reasonable moving expenses" within three years to move him into our town where we have the pleasure of paying him $115,000 a year, one of the best-paid superintendents in the state of Illinois.
You can see why Advocate readers are hoppin' mad.
The school board owes the public an explanation for why, in these economic times, they couldn't see fit to interview even one other candidate for the superintendent's job. Is it really that unimportant that you'd spend less time interviewing for the superintendent's job than you would for a position as a janitor at the high school?
Next post: the Bond County Health Department also outsources its millions in contracting work, to Korte Co. of Highland, as if Korte weren't swimming in greenbacks already.
And Greenville taxpayers can pay his "reasonable moving expenses" within three years to move him into our town where we have the pleasure of paying him $115,000 a year, one of the best-paid superintendents in the state of Illinois.
You can see why Advocate readers are hoppin' mad.
The school board owes the public an explanation for why, in these economic times, they couldn't see fit to interview even one other candidate for the superintendent's job. Is it really that unimportant that you'd spend less time interviewing for the superintendent's job than you would for a position as a janitor at the high school?
Next post: the Bond County Health Department also outsources its millions in contracting work, to Korte Co. of Highland, as if Korte weren't swimming in greenbacks already.
Monday, October 6, 2008
Springfield Prostitute Employed by Democratic Party
Now we know what those Democrats in Springfield are really spending our money on.
A madam arrested for running a multi-state prostitution ring listed her employer as the Illinois Democratic Party on official documents. Quite ironic-- while the Democratic hooligans were raising our taxes and remaking our laws in Springfield, they were soliciting the illegal services of prostitutes who certainly pay no taxes on their profits.
A madam arrested for running a multi-state prostitution ring listed her employer as the Illinois Democratic Party on official documents. Quite ironic-- while the Democratic hooligans were raising our taxes and remaking our laws in Springfield, they were soliciting the illegal services of prostitutes who certainly pay no taxes on their profits.
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Greenville Doesn't Need Preservation Regulations
I disagree with a letter to The Greenville Advocate (from the August 5th edition) proffered by Kathy Brewer, a Greenville College graduate who decries the end of Hogue Hall and wants Greenville to create a "historic preservation ordinance."
I think GC should be criticized for this decision from the hilltops of our green town, but I don't think an "ordinance" is needed. Greenville needs to mind its own business when it comes to private property-- need I bring to mind the "take the turret down/no put the turret back up" debacle involving the Sanders' property, or the threatening letters sent to various town individuals for the look of their yards by former code enforcer Bill Grider while the main drag College Avenue boasts some of the ugliest, most gunked-up yards in town, for which nothing is ever done?
Greenville gets it wrong when it interferes with people's right to their own lives and property, so I say NO to any historic preservation ordinance.
I think GC should be criticized for this decision from the hilltops of our green town, but I don't think an "ordinance" is needed. Greenville needs to mind its own business when it comes to private property-- need I bring to mind the "take the turret down/no put the turret back up" debacle involving the Sanders' property, or the threatening letters sent to various town individuals for the look of their yards by former code enforcer Bill Grider while the main drag College Avenue boasts some of the ugliest, most gunked-up yards in town, for which nothing is ever done?
Greenville gets it wrong when it interferes with people's right to their own lives and property, so I say NO to any historic preservation ordinance.
Monday, September 29, 2008
Greenville College ignores state's warnings about Hogue Hall
I was dismayed to read in The Greenville Advocate that the state historical preservation agency asked Greenville College to wait to demolish Hogue Hall in a less haphazard manner in order to save more of its historical dimensions to incorporate into the new building.
Of course, the state's advice was ignored by the GC higher-ups who made this decision. Now, Greenville College has no Hogue Hall and has to conduct a fundraising drive in the middle of what might be the worst recession since the Great Depression! Sure, Greenville College wants its own "bailout" from the state of Illinois, but frankly Illinois needs to spend its money on more important things right now. The head of the preservation agency notes that her reluctance to go along with the demolition would be noted if the college wants state funds, and I think that would be an appropriate punishment. Ignore the state agency's sound advice? Then you don't get state funding.
Whoever made the decision at GC to demolish Hogue Hall and not even give alums advance notice to see it needs to be fired. Honestly.
Of course, the state's advice was ignored by the GC higher-ups who made this decision. Now, Greenville College has no Hogue Hall and has to conduct a fundraising drive in the middle of what might be the worst recession since the Great Depression! Sure, Greenville College wants its own "bailout" from the state of Illinois, but frankly Illinois needs to spend its money on more important things right now. The head of the preservation agency notes that her reluctance to go along with the demolition would be noted if the college wants state funds, and I think that would be an appropriate punishment. Ignore the state agency's sound advice? Then you don't get state funding.
Whoever made the decision at GC to demolish Hogue Hall and not even give alums advance notice to see it needs to be fired. Honestly.
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