Time To WAKE UP

Lately, I been reading in the news about the Peoria County Board taking under consideration in helping out the soon to be ill-faded downtown museum project. Museum supporters last hope to fill the $24 million shortfall is from Peoria county. All I have to say to the county board is this: "Just Say No!"

The main reason this museum has not raised enough money to fund its construction is because it is not popular with the public and has little and limited interest. Granted, I'd much rather go to a good historical or science museum than some shopping mall, but the construction and business plan for this would-be boondoggle will not allow it to survive.

The IMAX theater is the best deal it has to offer. Perhaps the Civic Center addition should have included this attraction. But the hours this museum has set are horrible. The design is costly. But most importantly, no one really cares about it enough to through their own money at it. This is why the museum supporters now want the county to bail them out. To do this, they would have to raise taxes somewhere, essentially forcing these same people who do not care about this museum to pay for it.

I appreciate the county board taking their time carefully thinking things through on this one, but it should be a no brainer. Just say no. It's great they support the concept, but just say no.

Assuming they give the go ahead, and some tax is implemented on this thing, that tax will never, ever go away. They will need to pay off the construction of this debacle. But before the construction is paid off, they will then discover that it will produce deficits and cannot financially survive on it's own without more funding. This will again fall upon the taxpayer. More taxes will probably be needed.

Sure, they say it's only a few dollars more on your property tax. That's what they said about the Belwood Nursing Home. That's what they'll say about a new library. That's what they say about this and that. But over time, those extra few dollars add up. And those added taxes never, ever go away. When does it stop? It never does. WE ARE TAXED TO DEATH. And for what, to look at some Caterpillar trackers and history of Illinois River sludge? If you said for added fire and/or police protection, I might go for that.

Common Sense of it All: If there was a lot of support for this downtown museum, they wouldn't need as much money. Peoria County Board, please, just say no.