AnonymousMe's blog

The remodelled McDonald's on North Cunnigham is re-opening tomorrow

A majority of Canadian hockey players shoot left-handed.
Most Americans shoot right-handed. No one is sure why.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/16/sports/olympics/16lefty.html?th&emc=th

The thread Campustown Safety Summit has drifted a bit off topic. Doug Larsen, owner of Joe's Brewery, recent post on that thread can send us back on track, although it  intermingles two issues: drinking events, and bar entry age.    Starting this new thread based upon Mr. Larson's remarks seems prudent.

Concerning the points of Mr Larson's post (Mr. Larson's comments are bolded):

First, I want to thank B is for Business for what looks to me like a massive amount of effort basically on the behalf of the bar owners who are afraid to speak for themselves and who no one else seems to care much for.

Even if B is for Business's anonymity isn't hiding his role as a confederate for bar owners, his merely calling for a meeting and rehashing a list of problems associated with campus alcohol, makes  no significant contribution.

Whether justified or not, public opinion now regards campus bar owners, landlords and Wall Street moguls with approximately equal suspicion

I understand why people may be upset with the idea of Barscramble.  While we were careful not to do anything illegal, it was not our finest hour.  Not for the City, not for the students that participated, not for the bars.  For the part that we played in it, I apologize

From the Irish Illini web site describing the Barscramble it sponsors each semester:

Semesterly barcrawls that are far and away larger than any other on campus. Each themed barscramble is a group event that tests your stamina, intellect, and liver.  [Bold added]  Barscramble is a raucus occasion that competes with Unofficial for the greatest Day O' Fun each school year.

The only responsible actions by a bar with advance knowledge of such or similar events are (i) very clearly posted signs that participants in the event are not welcome; and (ii) instructions to staff not to serve participants in the event and to requiring patrons attempting to participate to leave.  Since Mr Larson and other bar owners cannot have failed to  figure this out long ago,    they are undoubtedly suffering from CYA syndrome.

I will donate the proceeds of the event to the Don Moyer Boys and Girls Club.

How will Larson calculate this amount? On the other hand his charitable contributions should be based on his desire to give, not to atone for sins and misdeeds.

This all could have been avoided with a little communication between the bars and the City which is clearly within both side’s capabilities.

Mr. Larson: You are displaying the evasiveness associated with CYA syndrome.. Just tell us exactly what the bar owners should have communicated to the city, and what the city should have communicated to the bar owners.

A few bars would go out of business (maybe even mine, it’s impossible to predict), but the City Council cannot worry about that.  What’s right isn’t always what’s profitable.  I would be willing to discuss this at a summit or with any City official– nothing is off the table as far as I’m concerned.

A tacit admission a significant part of campus bar revenue is from alcohol consumption by persons under 21

The only thing I can say is that the drinking age law will be violated in this and every college town, practically every night. 

Agree

Until we either change the laws or change the culture, that’s just the way it’s going to be.  So it comes back to that old mantra of the 19 year old entry crowd: would you rather have them drinking in bars or at apartments?      ....

Concurrently, the number and size of house parties has gone down.

That underage drinking in apartments and other private places will increase if 19 year olds are not allowed in bars is speculation. One could also argue that part of the attraction of a bar is the social atmosphere and the perceived safety. . Denying these to sub-21 year olds might be enough of a damper, so that alcohol consumption among this group near campus would decrease.

There is no evidence that any decrease in campus alcohol consumption and or campus house parties is the result of alcohol-related rules imposed by the city and/or bar owners, rather than the result of a change in culture.

It is also possible to create such large penalties for relatively minor infractions that it becomes impossible to sustain a business. 

Not possible because the  City Council would react to  input from bar owners would to prevent such.   A similar example of a Council listening to citizen and business input was the Urbana Council's recent rejection of a poorly drafted property criminal nuisance ordinance—and certainly the Champaign council is more reasonable towards business than Urbana's.

It’s completely possible to create so many rules that it is impossible to operate.        .....

I don’t need to sit through another useless meeting where nothing gets done and there is just a bunch of posturing.

Come on Mr. Larson. Don't dilly-dally and don't posture.     Just tell us (i) which of the current rules you dislike and why, (ii) which new rules you think would be helpful, and (ii) which rules that have been suggested here and in other jurisdictions you oppose. Getting all this in the open will expedite the evolution of public opinion and promote progress at any subsequent meetings.

http://www.news-gazette.com/news/local/2009/12/11/man_taken_into_custody_urbana_incident_appears_over

This 2 minute video explains why...

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090913/ap_on_re_us/us_meltdown_same_old_wall_street

After Al Qaeda killed nearly 3,000 Americans, eight years ago on Friday, we went to war and spent hundreds of billions of dollars ensuring that this would not happen again. Yet every two months, that many people die because of our failure to provide universal insurance — and yet many members of Congress want us to do nothing?   Please read the story of Nikki White, who would have been better off being a bank robber, who by law are are guaranteed health care.  

Nikki was a slim and athletic college graduate who had health insurance, had worked in health care and knew the system. But she had systemic lupus erythematosus, a chronic inflammatory disease that wasdiagnosed when she was 21 and gradually left her too sick to work. And once she lost her job, she lost her health insurance.

In any other rich country, Nikki probably would have been fine,........      

If one reads in full this account of a taped conversation between Burris and Blago's brother,   Burris seems to  have kept just safely on the correct side of the line of propriety, but he certainly was close to enough to smell the air on the other side.     Burris is no bozo

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090527/ap_on_re_us/us_burris_ethics_investigation

....   such as in Kansas City

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/24/us/24funkhouser.html?th&emc=th

Libby was the only elected or senior Urbana official or mayoral candidate to attend the Embassy Tavern's last night show.

And on their last bar check at 11 pn or so, the Urbana police found no one smoking !!

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ynews/20081023/pl_ynews/ynews_pl108

We all know that individuals and families should have a fund for emergencies.     But we discourage governments from doing the same, resulting in a crisis every two or three decades.

 http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/07/us/07citybudgets.html?pagewanted=2&th&emc=th

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/01/science/01tier.html?th&emc=th

The following article reports about a web site for peer-to-peer lending.

http://www.charlotte.com/local/story/577645.html

Seems helpful to borrowers hit by obscene increases in credit card interest rates

Following this paragraph is a message from   Anna Hochhalter,  Urbana Public Arts Coordinator.  The document referred to is attached.    As our mighty leader IP would say:  "Discuss!!"

The Urbana Public Arts Task Force is seeking input on a DRAFT proposal for the Urbana Public Arts Program.  The Task Force invites you to review and comment on the draft proposal. Your comments will assist in shaping the Urbana Public Arts Program.  Comments can be presented to the Task Force at their meeting on Tuesday, February 12th, at 7:00pm in the Urbana City Council Chambers, at 400 S. Vine Street, or submitted to Anna Hochhalter, Public Arts Coordinator, through email at alhochhalter@city.urbana.il.us , phone at (217) 384-2311, or post at the Community Development Office (400 S. Vine Street, Urbana).  The draft proposal can also be reviewed in person at the Community Development Office, at 400 S. Vine Street, and on the City's website (www.city.urbana.il.us) .

The Urbana City Council established the Urbana Public Arts Task Force to create a permanent public arts program and structure for the City of Urbana.  Since March, 2007, the Task Force has been collecting input from artists, arts organzanizations, business representatives, and other stakeholders.  Additionally, they have researched other public art programs throughout the country.  After nearly a year of research and discussion, the Public Arts Program proposal is almost complete. 

The next Task Force meeting, on February 12th, will focus on public input regarding the proposal. The Task Force will listen to all comments offered by the public and will make any final changes to the proposal.  The Task Force intends to present the final Urbana Public Arts Program proposal to the Urbana City Council in the end of February.  I will let you know more details about the City Council presentation as they become available.

Please share this draft proposal with anyone who may be interested.  We hope to hear from a wide range of perspectives.

http://www.ddj.com/cpp/205917142

Which presidential candiate can best address this and why ?

After watching the video on the thread Technology Transforming Campaigns, Obama certainly does not yet convince anyone Obama is the best to handle this challenge

Mayor Prussing answered the following questions by email as indicated

#1 How much in rental registration fees are collected annually?  How many rental units are there in Urbana?
 Approximately $170,000 is billed out in rental registration annually.
Our registration rolls show 8,355 units in Urbana, including 6579 units in apartment buildings, 416 duplexes, and 1360 single family rentals. 
#2 Wasn't the idea that fees collected from owners would go to increase the inspection staff?     Has the inspection staff been increased?
 Yes.  We added a second Housing Inspector as a result of this program and also increased clerical and legal support.

#3 Prior to the rental registration program, official city policy was to periodically inspect rentals, but this seemed to occur one every 10-15 years.    Under the new rental registration program, how often do you expect rentals will be inspected?
 Our prior cycle (with one inspector and systematic inspections only of apartment buildings) was once every 7 years, but had lengthened to every 9 to 10 years due the increase in the City's housing stock.  Now with two inspectors, our goal cycle is once every 3 to 5 years.  This is a good minimum cycle to ensure ongoing safety of buildings.
#4 How many rental units have been inspected in the past 12 months?
 We inspected 1289 multi-family units in 125 buildings, 118 single family and duplex units, and 25 University certified housing buildings containing 1345 student residents.  Since our second inspector was hired mid-year and required training, we anticipate a higher inspection total in the next 12 months.