ROGER MONROE

The Peoria Park District and some area state lawmakers held a news conference announcing plans to develop a new $4 million golf learning center thanks to a state grant. This will not be an ordinary facility. After all, the district has millions of tax dollars available to spend. The question is, how many golfers and wannabees are around to use it? Keep in mind, the park district closed courses at Detweiller and Donovan/Northmoor because of a lack of golfers, including “duffers” like me. It was a cost-saving decision, said officials.
Back then, the Peoria Park District didn’t have
$4 million to provide the maintenance and upkeep of the two courses. Truth is, interest in golf is declining. Nationally, 25 million played golf in 2020 compared to 34.2 million in 2019. The number of golfers, rounds played and market size are all down significantly. With the decrease of COVID-19 cases, more and more golfers are returning to the game. Interest in golf was on the downhill slide years ago until Tiger Woods came on the scene. No one in the game’s recent history did more to create a resurgence in the sport. Woods is virtually gone and no one is in the “woods” who has the charm and skill to take his place.
Locally, a golf learning center with all the bells and whistles will do little to inspire young people to drop their electronic devices to say, “Hey, let’s play a round of golf.”

CELEBRATING GETTING HIGH

Local state lawmakers were on television celebrating the millions of dollars the state raised from selling dope. People hooked on pot paid millions to get high and the state earned a profit of $45 million. Whoopee! And now the drug money is being distributed to help the areas most affected by those who sell it or use it or both. Like Pontius Pilate, to make lawmakers feel good about legalizing the drug, they’re using the tax revenue to “reinvest in communities.”
Peoria County has had some outstanding state’s attorneys. The late Jerry Brady was at the top of my list. I respect and admired Jerry as did many others. He appeared on our morning radio show many times and made it clear he was opposed to legalizing marijuana. Brady said it was a gateway to hard drugs.
That position has been repeated many times by medical authorities and parents of drug addicts who’ve lost their sons and daughters after overdosing. It starts with pot. Today we have “cartels” growing the stuff in fields and selling it in local neighborhoods in Peoria and across the state. Illinois is collecting 25% of the profits, and that’s something for lawmakers to celebrate? I don’t think so.
Lawmakers call the program Restore, Reinvest, and Renew by getting High. I added the last three words for clarity about the value of the program. They talk about reinvesting. Sounds good, but reinvesting in what? Do you know there’s only one hospital treating kids with drug problems? There’s only one community resource for treating drug addicts? Many addicts have to go to Gateway in Springfield for inpatient care. And it’s not cheap.
So what do we do to help drug addiction? Grow the starter drug, weed, license the growers and the dispensaries that sell it. Makes sense to lawmakers in Illinois. There’s more to the problem. Due to the cost of retail dope, which higher income consumers can afford, the cheaper stuff is sold on the streets to those of lower, if any, income.
Finally, lawmakers say with the $45 million drug profits, “we can provide jobs.”
Are you kidding me? Provide jobs? Hell, we have so many jobs available today it’s a joke. Restaurants have closed and some close early because they don’t have enough employees. Signs and banners are screaming for workers paying as much as $17 an hour to start.

LOCAL REPUBLICANS REMAIN SPLIT

While President Biden does little to unite the country, Peoria County Republicans are unable to unify. Since Chuck Weaver won election of the Peoria County Republican Central Committee, the division has become more pronounced. Weaver held a Republican Day at the Farm, Saturday, Sept. 10,
and who didn’t attend was more significant than who did. Candidate for Illinois Governor Darren Bailey wasn’t there, nor was Congressman Darin LaHood, though both sent representatives. We’re told Ryan Spain was not present, but Esther Joy King, seeking to win election to Congress from the 17th District, attended, so did Tom Demmer, running for State Treasurer, and Travis Weaver, nominee for the 93rd State District. King, Demmer and Weaver have been guests on our radio program.

PEORIA TEACHERS ARE WINNERS!

Peoria school board members spent most of their time since last March changing the names of schools instead of focusing on the needs of its teachers. Their indifference became more pronounced when the contract with teachers expired in June. Yet, teachers returned to work after the summer break even though the board continued to stiff them. Negotiations failed to the point where the Peoria Federation of Teachers called for a federal mediator. Still, no contract agreement. However, the pressure mounted when the teachers voted overwhelmingly to give union leaders authorization to strike. Only seven voted against authorization. Those were probably related to board members.
Anyway, teachers, family, friends, and others unified. Yard signs popped up all over the Peoria area in support of teachers. School board negotiators folded like a cheap card table and teacher demands were met. Let’s hear it for teachers and their students, winners of a new three-year contract. The school board can now go back to renaming schools after family members and friends.
QUOTE OF THE MONTH: “Most bad government has grown out of too much government.” — Thomas Jefferson