What do you think open thread

I’m going to do a 180 here and hit the binders for a bit. I’ve been saying what I’m against, this post is about something I’m for.

Alderman Meyer, I hope you would consider a run for Alderman-at-large. You have been an asset to this city and I feel we would be better served if you considered this. You get things done for citizens in the entire city anyway. I’ve mentioned things on this blog I wasn’t happy with and with a few e-mails the problem was fixed. Others never even acknowledged they recieved an e-mail, or that they cared. You have acted on dirty streets, grafitti, vandalism, and drug dealers while others ignored it. I respect and appreciate this kind of actions in a City Council member.

Now, I’ve got some things to get done, but if whether you agree, want to tell me I’m nuts, or have any comments, please post them. Maybe if enough people feel like me and post their thoughts he will run. What do you think?

My side Chief Bladel

I recieved an e-mail from a trusted source that tells me Chief Bladel would like to shut down the blogs. I’d believe that even if I didn’t trust the source. Well Chief, here’s why you label me an againster-

Ten years ago three punks entered my house with the intention of killing my family and myself. We fought in our kitchen until I felt I was in trouble, grabbed my five year old son who I was shielding and ran upstairs locking doors as I went. The police were very efficient and arrived here within a few minutes. The punks were caught, tried for attempted murder, convicted and sentenced. I recieved death threat calls from jail and prison, and I said nothing. Now I do. My son was in therapy for years, and still has some troubles every October. Of the three jerks one was on probation with a rap sheet as long as my arm, one was in the Boot camp at Annie Wittenauer, and one was a tag-a-log. Yeah, probation works. We found after the fact teachers overheard these kids planning this and thought it was just ‘talk’.

Then five years ago we lost our only daughter and and only grandchild in an auto accident. The one who caused it was a drunken illegal alien without a driver’s license who fled to Mexico. There is no extradition for this charge. So you might say I have some pre-concieved notions on what’s wrong with some of our laws.

I don’t want sympathy, just understanding, there are two sides to the story and we know others have had the same experience. If that offends, or scares you, Chief Bladel, I am sorry. I also will not stop if one other person on God’s green earth can benifit from our ordeal.

Safety tip

Once in a while I hear some pretty good safety tips, and when I do I like to pass them along. If you have a newer car, or an older one with an alarm, here’s one I hadn’t heard before.

Put your car keys beside your bed at night. If you hear a noise outside your home or someone trying to get into your house, just press the panic button for your car.

The alarm will be set off, and the horn will continue to sound until either you turn it off or the car battery dies.

This tip came from a neighborhood watch coordinator.

Next time you come home for the night and you start to put your keys away, think of this:

It’s a security alarm system that you probably already have and requires no installation.

Test it. It will go off from most everywhere inside your house and will keep honking until your battery runs down or until you reset it with the button on the key fob chain.

It works if you park in your driveway or garage.

If your car alarm goes off when someone is trying to break into your home, odds are, the burglar or rapist won’t stick around…. after a few seconds, all the neighbors will be looking out their windows to see who is out there and sure enough the criminal won’t want that.

Remember to carry your keys while walking to your car in a parking lot.

The alarm can work the same way there …… this is something that should really be shared with everyone.

And please remember our troops.

Now what? again

Another part of this crime equation is us. We citizens have allowed ourselves to be walked down the primrose lane.
It takes a village to raise a child, there are no bad children, felons can be rehabilitated, probations works, it’s that way everywhere. We bought the whole shooting match. It takes parents, plural, to raise a child. Parents who teach the child right from wrong, how to worship the faith of their choice, manners, how to act in public, and other life skills that will serve them when get to adulthood. The village only enters the equation with public schooling and making a safe haven to live in. And no matter how much compassion you have, there are some bad kids, most people cannot be rehabilitated, and probation isn’t working. While I think it’s getting bad all over, I don’t see that as an excuse to let our city fall into ruin. What’s wrong with no murders per 100,000? Why should we have a assault rate half of the National average? I’m accused of looking at only the negative side of our town, but if it wasn’t there I couldn’t do that; could I?

Just the other day a 17 year old girl got shot by her 27 year old ex-boyfriend. Everyone seems to be praying for the girl, and that’s great. But not many are saying; what in the hell is a 27 year old man doing with a 17 year old girl? Shouldn’t there be statutory rape charges and a place on the sex offender website in his future? Do they even have it on the laws anymore? We don’t have all the details yet, but one still wonders. And why did he have a warrant for a controlled substance? This is where the Judiciary comes in. This guy should have been getting daylight pumped to him in a prison.

Two young children were tortured, supposedly for months, by their parents. I’m still worked up over this one. I don’t see how a pregnant mother can be a party to this. After she has the baby, and they take it away, she should have her tubes tied, he should be casterated, they should get life in prison, in the same cell filled with ‘soiled’ diapers and made to watch Barney reruns for eternity. And that’s too good for them.

And I wonder if more people will be shopping online and avoiding the Malls because of what’s going on out there. The number of businesses hurt by this is growing. Alot of people won’t go to Chuckie Cheese, the Village Shopping Center, Northpark Mall, Southpark Mall, and even Downtown. News Flash- If people aren’t going, they’re not making money. And yet I’m told things aren’t that bad.

I’ll end with this-
“Lord, hold our troops in your loving hands. Protect them as they protect us. Bless them and their families for the selfless acts they perform for us in our time of need. Amen.”

Please take a moment to remember those who protect our right to agree to disagree.

Reinventing the wheel

Some automotive news has had me wondering where the automotive industry was headed. I thought I’d post a couple of them. The first one is a Michelin tire called the TWEEL. Nothing new there you say? Take a look at the picture then go to the Michelin website.
You can click on the pictures to enlarge them.

A new car in our market is the Smart. If you’re not claustrophobic, and don’t mind a slower pace, it could be the car for you.
O’Rourke Motors in Tipton, Iowa has 5 of the new Smart (Superbly Manufactured And Reliable Transportation) cars in stock. They are called the Fortwo. They seat 2, get 50-60 mpg fuel economy, have a rear-mounted 3 cylinder turbo motor, Tridron hemispherical safety shell, anti-lock brakes, dual airbags, electronic stabilization, and skid control. And are priced under $15,000. For more info on the car go to Smart car of America.

——-addendum——-

I recieved an e-mail from Chuck, who informed me the above website is not the official website on the Smart Car. The Smart website is located here.

Safety open thread

The recent post on Safety generated some interesting points. snarky did some research and I appreciate the help. QCI mentioned that he thought things were a lot worse in Phoenix. Then ghost entered and said I might as well give up on the crime and post about cars fulltime. As I commented there, I’m not real good at quitting. So I went back and added Des Moines to snarky’s orginal work and the following is the result.

In 2005, murders per 100,000 people Phoenix leads with 15, followed by Davenport with 7.1, then Des Moines with 2.6; the national average is 6.9

Rapes per 100,000 surprised me, Des Moines leads with 56.38, then Davenport with 54.68, the Phoenix with 36.35; national average is 6.9; national average is 32.2.

Robbery per 100,000- Phoenix had 289, followed by Davenport with 275,4, then Des Moines with 150.7; national average is 195.4; national average 340.1.

Aggravated Assault per 100,000- Davenport had 1002.5, Des Moines had 419.8, and Phoenix had 388.8; national average 340.1.

Now, while I know QCI has a problem with Sheriff Joe Arpaio, I still think his methods work. The numbers don’t support the statement that crime is worse in Phoenix, and I’ll say it again, Sheriff Arpaio is doing something.

These figures, and charts can be found on the area connect webpages listed below.
Davenport/Phoenix page

Davenport/Des Moines page

Say what you will, we need to get a grip on this crime problem. Post what you want, I’ll be in and out all week end again. I’ll close with a statement from Tony Blair I recieved via e-mail-

Thought for the day: In case we find ourselves starting to believe all the anti-American sentiment and negativity, we should remember England’s Prime Minister Tony Blair’s words during a recent interview. When asked by one of his Parliament members why he believes so much in America, he said: “A simple way to take measure of a country is to look at how many want in… And how many want out.” Only two defining forces have ever offered to die for you:

1. Jesus Christ

2. The American G. I.

One died for your soul, the other for your freedom.

Safety

I had good intentions of doing part two of the ‘Now what?’ post until I went on the porch to get my newspaper. I thought I could catch up on the City Council meeting as scheduling conflicts don’t allow me to attend anymore. I’m surprised that according to the QC Times, nobody touched on the crime issue. In the two articles about the meeting the only things mentioned are articles about the removal of the new camera ordinance by Tory Brecht on the front page, and the Frieght House, by Tory Brecht on page B3. Both are excellent articles.

Along with an article by Barb Ickes about the proposal of Davenport firefighters including Bettendorf in their response area; the front page also had an article by Dustin Lemmon about the ‘Brawl at the Mall’. On page B1 was an article by Kurt Allemeier telling us the 17 year old girl who was shot downtown is doing better; an artilce by Deidre Cox Baker about the guy who set the fire at the Edgerton Woman’s Health Clinic, and an another article by Kurt Allemeier about the shooting where the victim drove down Pershing and wrecked a bunch of cars after being shot. Also excellent articles. Go to
QC Times for the stories.

Since we don’t have cable TV, I can’t watch the meetings, so I wait for the updates on the city webpage. I don’t like where our city is going, and I don’t care if the crime is everywhere. I don’t care if people say our crime rate isn’t high for a city of this size. I’m tired of seeing our town decay in the central city area, vacant buildings all over, and this new group of troublemakers who think we owe them something. Quit releasing them to Mom’s custody, throw their butt in jail; and while we’re at it, after 3 offenses throw Mom’s butt in jail too. My people did not enslave your people, my people were forced out of Ireland due to famine. So if someone oppressed your great-great grandfather, deal with it , get over it, grow up, and quit blaming me.

Not only do we deserve, we should also demand, safety in our city.

Now what?

What other avenues does a citizen have when nobody is listening? As I mentioned earlier this crime problem is neither local nor simple. There are a various reasons it has reached the level it has. Part of the problem is the legislature, the judiciary, the enforcement, and society. What can we do? While I don’t believe any one person has all the answers, I believe most people have some ideas. If we can pool those ideas, maybe a workable solution can be reached. The Legislature isn’t listening as they claim it’s a localized problem and we cannot afford more prisons. The Judiciary isn’t helping, they claim they can’t sentence the criminals because of the prison shortage. The police are doing thier job by arresting the criminals only to see them set loose by the Judges who claim the prisons are full. Local government passes the buck by saying the crime came from Chicago. And lastly people, we let it happen. Our society in general has been in a downward spiral, and we accept it. Everybody is so afraid of hurting someone elses feelings, or seeming unsympathetic, because we want to live in a safe community. We now have sex on local TV and drugs in our streets. Truant officers are obsolete. Morals are in the gutter, and manners are something us old farts fondly remember.

Well let’s work on it. If you are truely unhappy with the Police Chief, the City Council, the County Attorney, the Judges, or our Senators and Congressmen; let them know. In this modern cyberage, most have e-mails, all have phones. Contact them and politely state your case. Believe me, if they know enough of the people who put them in office are unhappy, they will listen. Below I have listed some links, or phone numbers to local officials, police, county attorney, and the 7th. Judicial District. I also included a link to the Police webpage that you can leave a comment on. I’ve been guilty of ranting and name calling myself, and this isn’t how to get things done. If we inform them of our problems and concerns clearly, without name calling or threats, I believe they will start listening. If you have an e-mail address I don’t, please include it with your comment so as many as possible can be reached. If they don’t act, we still have elections coming up. There will be more posts on how we could handle this crime problem to follow.

Mayor Winborn
563-326-6163

City Hall
563-326-7701

Police (Administrative Assistant)
563-326-7778

Police (non-emergency)
563-326-7979

Police (on-line questions, comments, and ideas form)
Police Comments Page

7th Judicial District Administrator
District 7

Howard Thomas
District Court Administrator
Scott County Courthouse
416 West 4th Street
Davenport, IA 52801
(563) 326-8783

Scott County
Attorney’s Office
Scott County Courthouse
400 W. 4th St.
Davenport, Iowa 52801-1104
Phone: (563) 326-8600

Ian Frink
Alderman at Large
ifrink@ci.davenport.ia.us

Jamie L. Howard
Alderman at Large
jlh@ci.davenport.ia.us

Ron Van Fossen
First Ward Alderman
rvanfossen@ci.davenport.ia.us

Shawn Hamerlinck
Second Ward Alderman
shamerlinck@ci.davenport.ia.us

Keith Meyer
Third Ward Alderman
km@ci.davenport.ia.us

Raymond A. Ambrose
Fourth Ward Alderman
No email address available

Bill Lynn
Fifth Ward Alderman
bgl@ci.davenport.ia.us

Charles W. Brooke
Sixth Ward Alderman
cwb@ci.davenport.ia.us

Barney Barnhill
Seventh Ward Alderman
bbarnhill@ci.davenport.ia.us

Brian Dumas
Eighth Ward Alderman
bdumas@ci.davenport.ia.us

What’s it going to take?

It’s wake up time people. You didn’t want the Guardian Angels because they’re ‘vigilantes’, you reelected some real boneheads to our city council. You reelected our judges and county attorney. You didn’t want news to get out that there’s trouble in town. Guess what? It’s out there now. You danced around the issue and it’s time to pay the band.

I’m wondering what it’s going to take to get our city leaders moving on this problem. Will it take someone getting hit by a stray bullet in their living room? Will it take a child getting hit? How about another murder this month? Since these people don’t have a problem with our crime rate, or in most cases, a suspect; what’s it going to take? Riots at Chucky Cheese and Northpark weren’t enough. What’s it going to take?

Call me an againster, I’m proud to say I am against this kind of behavior. We offered solutions on our blogs, some bad and some very good, only to be ignored. What’s it going to take? Does this city council want us to come down and hold their hand and show them where their backbone should be? Maybe we could give Chief Bladel a ride-along through our neighborhoods. I wonder if he seen what’s going on with his own eyes how he explain that ‘it’s not a problem for a city our size’.
Excuses are like buttholes people and yours need a diet.

Crime wave

With our local crime wave I thought I’d look up some information. This is a site where if you’re planning to move, you can get a profile of the city you want to move to. On the home fair website, city profile page I typed in my zip code (52803). If you get past the 4% drop in population since 1990, it doesn’t look too bad. Then go to Income and Jobs. OK. The average household income is listed as $49,257; but the average total household expenditure is $42,840. Going down to Education, it doesn’t look too bad. In the climate section it’s nice to see we’re low on earthquake risk. Then to the Crime- no surprise here, it’s high. For total crime risk we’re over three times the National average, and almost four times the Iowa average. On to personal crime risk; we’re over two and a half times the National average, and over four times the State average. On property crime risk; we’re over two and a half times the National average, and over three times the Iowa average.

Now, while local politicians are distracting us with the speed cameras, and National politicians are distracting us with the war, and what they did or didn’t vote for; the National crime rate is going up. All these people know about the crime. They all know about how it’s been rising for some time. We people who bring attention to this subject are called ‘againsters’. Call me what you want, but I have a problem knowing that it’s been getting worse. It should be in newspapers, on TV, on more radio stations; it should be the topic of the day. With elections coming up it should be part of every candidates platform. It cannot be hidden any longer. If we want a safe place for our children to grow up, we have to start acting now. What good is universal health care for children if they get shot? If people don’t feel safe going to shop, eat, or enjoy a sunny day; it’s a problem. People have stopped going downtown, to Northpark, around the speed cameras; what’s left? It’s time for the people who are planning to run for office to put up or shut up. If you want my vote, don’t tell me how much money you raised to run; tell me how you’re going to keep America safer for the next generation.