It’s a little late, but here’s a couple of things we find interesting. We hope the two brothers who beat some guy unconcious, and hit his wife, get some serious time out of this. These two seem to be making a career out of being jerks. Maybe some time playing with the big boys in the big house would give them a needed attitude adjustment.
Not a rant, but we’d like to give a nod to the two non-profits who are stepping up to see that the house on Harrison Street get moved. Talk has been hot and heavy on this subject for a while, but doesn’t it make more sense to reuse this house as opposed to adding tons of usable materials to the landfill?
After hearing about the off-duty policeman who was injured in a hit and run accident on Main Street, we have to wonder. How does a Honda Civic do so much damage to a Ford Explorer and still be capable of fleeing the scene? Maybe it will start a new trend at demolition derbys. We hope the policeman wasn’t injured too seriously and wish him a speedy recovery.
With the owner of the Weather Channel suing Al Gore we may be at a turning point on the global warming issue. Seems to us that if you don’t buy into the theory you’re either crazy, or an againster. We’ll let the eco-terrorists and think green people handle this one.
And lastly, this election is trying our patience. Now, even though everybody supposedly knew the rules going in, some want to change the rules. To us it’s a no-brainer, you were told going in the votes wouldn’t count, get over it. Or pay for it yourself. Don’t put the monetary burden on the states who followed the rules. We were also wondering how these two candidates can do their day jobs AND campaign 24/7. If this is any indication of how seriously they take their jobs, maybe we don’t want them for president.
That’s a couple things that stuck to our craw, your comments on any subject are welcome.
March 7, 2008 at 8:58 am
There is only one big flaw to the non-profit saving the Main Street House: Jannette Higgenson. Seems like everything she does fails. Her last venture was the failed HAPPEN program, of which she and the other three stooges quit/walked out after a tyrade in front of the City Council. At one time, Wayne Hean belonged to that group, and he couldn`t even finish the rehab that he was doing in the Village. But at least they are trying something, even though you can safely bet that it will be another noble lost cause in Jannette`s Memours`
March 7, 2008 at 9:11 am
There are a lot of people on this committee, nothing is dependant on any one representative. The fact is people have worked together and found a solution. The house can and should be saved. So many anonymous posters have commented one way or another, but the reality is anyone who has better ideas is welcome to contact a committee member and at this point every option will be given due consideration. Instead of simply sitting behind a computer and ranting about what needs to be done, they’ve done something. A far better place to be in.
March 7, 2008 at 9:29 am
Putting yhugs in with the bigs boys usually seems to have the opposite effect of what we want to happen, they just get tougher and meaner. On the other hand though I am a person that wants the justice system to rehabilitate criminals, the system is not working. Somewhere down the line we have forgotten that rehabilitation should also be a punishment that fixes the problem. But too many people have “Papillon” SYndrome where they think we are sticking criminals in 12th century dungeons. Violent criminals should be segregated from the regular prison population where they are allowed to intermix and train for bigger and better crime. Violent criminals should be in solitary confinement unless they are in prison for natural life without parole, then they should be segregated and only allowed to mix with other violent offenders. Violent criminals should be kept away from other criminals and taught that continued violence will lead to final segregation form human social contact. Neither should they be allowed resources like cable TV, weight rooms, or media sources other than predesigned nonviolent media handed out by the prison/jail.
March 7, 2008 at 11:02 am
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Anyone who has served on a committee or attended a meeting with Pat Yegley and Jannette incharge know that they will stand before the group and tell them how much that everyone`s opinion counts, but when it comes to the bottom line, it is just all falling on deaf ears, as Pat and Jannette will have a few beers and make decisions to their liking. Then when things really get screwed up, they will point the finger at someone else, just like they did with the happen program, and try to place the blame on Bruce Berger and his assistant.
March 7, 2008 at 11:29 am
i agree about the states paying for their own mess. if they wanted their delegates counted then they simply should have waited to have their primaries… the ironic thing is being later in the process was actually a benefit this time around…
scoundrel – what is papillon syndrome? i know my moms dog is half papillon breed and that the word is french for butterfly, but not aware of your context.
March 7, 2008 at 2:18 pm
Robbie, Papillion was an old Paul Newman Movie where were supposed to feel sorry because the french locked up the main character, a criminal, in an old inhumane style prison. The Papillion Syndrome was my analogy at people using tug-at-your-heartstrings instruments to get you to feel sorry for people that are not always deserving of your sympathy.
March 7, 2008 at 4:19 pm
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0070511/
March 7, 2008 at 5:32 pm
Maybe it is just me, but I fail to see why our tax dollars should be used to move and save this old house. It has nothing special going for it and absolutely NO historical significance. For something to be historical, it should be something important or unusual that you would drive awhile to view. Could you imagine somebody from Des Moines hearing about this home and saying to their family “Hey kids, lets go up to the Quad Cities. There is a house there with lovely dining room windows. And, oh yeah, it has a kitchen too, and its old”. Er…not in this lifetime. Tear it down!!!
March 7, 2008 at 6:31 pm
It is a little surprising that Barb Metz hasn`t put herself into the middle of this confrontation. This kind of neighborhood meddling is right up her alley.
March 7, 2008 at 7:03 pm
Betty,
No tax money is being used to save the house. Two non-profit groups, the East Davenport Development Corporation, and Neighborhood Housing Services along with several concerned citizens are trying to move the house. People may not come from far away to view the place, but we still think this is a better alternative to tearing it down.
At least they are trying something other than trying to load up the landfill. Just because one group doesn’t want this house does not mean nobody else does. We wish everyone involved with this project a ton of good luck.
And your statement about somebody from Des Moines made us think; how many do you know that drove that far to see our skybridge?
March 8, 2008 at 1:45 am
QCI has been silent on the topic of the cop that was involved in the hit and run. That could be because the guy that ran lives in the Sieg Iron Building, which is another one of the buildings that was rehabbed partially with taxpayer dollars, and now is paying NO TAXES. Just some more of that great downtown development. Now we can pay for the cops time off, and the cost to prosecute the deadbeat tenant that QCI’s buddies rented to.
March 8, 2008 at 8:45 am
Cruiser-
the money that EDDC has is earmark money or Economic Development Initiative money from HUD through the CDBG program. The EDDC is the subgranttee from the City of Davenport. It was slated to be returned to HUD this spring because after nearly six years, the EDDC couldn’t come to an agreement on what to spend it on. Yes, that’s right. The EDDC has been sitting on this money for six years. The City had notified them that they had until the end of April to come up with something-this is it. What a waste. Its all and only taxpayer money. Sorry to pop your little balloon. Do you feel differently about it now?
March 8, 2008 at 9:53 am
Red: If you know who is currently members of the EDDC, could you share that info please?
March 8, 2008 at 10:58 am
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The Sieg and Cressent Lofts are starting to follow the same patern of history as the infamous Courtland Apartments just a few blocks to the north. When the Courtland first opened, they were getting good tenants because the city had dumped so much cash into them, and gave them a huge property tax break. It didn`t take long and the vacancies couldn`t be filled with upstanding people, so they started renting to low lifes and druggies. Won`t be much longer for the Sieg and Cresent buildings to follow suit. They have only had Sieg open for less than 3 months, and they are already putting Shricker Apartment type people in the building already.
March 8, 2008 at 1:26 pm
Red,
If you mean have I changed my mind about moving the house, no. The EDDC has had bad rumors spread about it for years. But even if it is that bad, the NHS is not. We still feel something could be worked out.
We used to have the list of members for the EDDC, but when our computer crashed, we lost it. As for the lofts, jerks live everywhere. While we’re not crazy about the loft developments we don’t see how they’re QCIs fault. The hit and run with the policeman is exactly why we’d like to see a three strikes, or similar law enacted.
March 8, 2008 at 3:20 pm
QCI since the begining of his blogging has pushed and pushed for more of these low income loft developments. They bring in very little tax dollars, eat up city resources, and concentrate poverty in one area of the downtown. These people are just one step above those who live in the John Lewis Buildings. When you have high numbers of low end people, it just is asking for trouble.
March 8, 2008 at 7:16 pm
I have NEVER pushed for low income lofts downtown.
They DO pay taxes.
Saying these are Shricker Apartment type people just tells me you have no idea what kind of people are in the Shricker, and have surely never been in it. Of course, you’ve probably never bothered to visit the lofts either, as you irrationally believe that downtown is dangerous.
They have had VERY FEW problems, considering the number of residents.
Next time a criminal lives near you, I’ll make sweeping generalizations as well.
Officer Pojar is an excellent cop with a great sense of humor, and I don’t appreciate you using his personal misfortune to further your personal agenda.
March 8, 2008 at 7:47 pm
I love this hate the rich and poor attitude. Davenport would be a great place without the rich and poor. They seem to be the reason for everything that is bad about this town. Not all low income people are bad. Is $24,000 in the poor category? If it is, then you should stay away from Kirkwood at 5A.M., cuz this thug is walking his mean looking lab at that time.
As for the Honda, it could have went under the Ford and was used as a ramp. Either that, or the ghost of Dale Earnhardt “bump drafted” it.
March 9, 2008 at 8:59 am
You need to read and study the QCTimes a little closer QCI. You can count on them frequently running stories of people with knives stabbing boyfriends to death, innocent people being beaten by people they don`t know walking to their car after having a few drinks in a bar, hookers and drug dealings, high speed car chases, drunks and druggies that drive dangerously and run into both parked and moving innocent people…the list is endless.
You must be missing a relatively new feature in the Times QCI. The one with the map of Davenport. Each time that there is a crime, they place a star on that location. Week after week the map remains about the same with one huge cluster of stars mainly in the downtown area.
Nobody needs to paint with a broad brush to come to the conclusion from these articles that Downtown is dangerous, as the Times has conveniently done that for us.
March 9, 2008 at 3:46 pm
All those things also happen frequently north of Locust.