The Fix
Whatever you say about Alderwoman Howard, I believe she sometimes has some very good ideas. She was quoted in a QCTimes article about the Skybridge vandalism as saying " After the last vandalism, it was my understanding that the casino was suppose to use its security personnel to patrol the skybridge. We need to have another conversation to see how they are addressing that. "
IOC basically replied: Who, us? We don't have nothin to do with that thing. (Paraphrased... heavily)
Exhibit A.
All Systems Normal indeed... daily vandalism.IOC might say that they have no reason to send their security folks across the skybridge into the north tower, after all, there's no IOC offices over there....
Exhibit B.
Rhythm City offices directly to the north of the Skybridge, nearly within sight of the vandalism.Despite yesterday's daylight vandalism, I would suggest that the lion's share of Skybridge security is needed for night time. Even detailing one of their security guards to spend half his time from 9pm-5am patrolling the skybridge would only cost about $30 a day. Ten or twelve grand a year to prevent more $3000 window breakings, graffiti, nudity or bizarre middle age propositioners seems like a bargain to me. Or the city could hire someone full time to patrol the Skybridge, and the areas around the Figge, RME, River Center, etc. Or someone could cough up money for some decent cameras to keep an eye on the bridge.
There are plenty of solutions, but Rhythm City should be a part of it.
After all, its got their name on it.
12 comments:
Lotsa "or's" there, QCI. Please permit me to offer an "or" of my own: Tear the damned thing down and from this day forward, let . . nay, _make_ private business build and pay for their own infrastructure.
Please note; I am bottom-lining the bridge _and_ parking lots as being the gambling business' infrastructure.
That would certainly present a nice "we give in to vandals" message, and show who's in charge around here. Besides, we all know that the thing isn't going to be torn down.
Or, it could be Alderperson Howard is lying again. I don't think the two returning council member know any specifics of any projects they pushed through. She is still saying the storm water tax is mandated.
We are already nice to vandals in Davenport and we apparently love to live in a trash filled city. Davenport is filthy.
The QCI Raiders will meet in the Skybridge this Sunday evening at sundown to form a citizens group to protect the skybridge. Are dogs allowed there?
Howard only lies when her lips are moving. Time to make some cuts, the City has overspent and we are all in the red. Facing bankruptcy soon. If Ford Motor Co can get lean and downsize by 20,000, then the City can do it by a hundred.
Ford makes cars and trucks and as a consequence of their downsizing they will make less vehicles. The city provides services, which ones would you like to see cut? To compare Ford to the city is really comparing apples to oranges.
Get off the casino, I'm sick of it. I don't like it, but if it wasn't for the casino there would not only be no sky bridge, there would be no Figge, no parking, no sports center, no grants for non-profits, and probably a tax increase of some sort that makes the stormwater fee look not so bad. As far as I'm concerned, the casino has paid for that skybridge, and if you remember, they are moving further away from it so we can have a view of the scraps that casino Rock Island leaves behind.
After all... Davenport has a history of funding infrastructure that makes no sense.. (business loans, the industrial park, prarie heights) Something has to at least look neat once in awhile. Just wait, our future dog park will have artistic steaming piles of poo.
Actually, Ford Motor company being compared to the City is brilliant. Both have too much fat. So, you want to know what to cut?? How about some of these unnecessary things:
We need to start selling off the River Center, selling off land we are still holding for outrageously large parks in Prairie Heights, and finally selling off the expensive commercial real estate in Prairie Heights. By doing so, we eliminate debt we are paying on (which is just like extra income) as well as generating a tax base (which is yet more extra income).
We need to cut the fat from the bloated City attorney's office and subcontract the work out.
We pay the director of parking garages more than $60,000.00 per year, do we really need to pay that much?
Then there is the ineffective abandoned house lady who makes $50,000.00 per year. How many homes have actually been renovated? It has been a year now.
Then there is the manager of risk (Mike Farris). He makes $63,000.00 per year, but there are still tons of lawsuits. Lets get rid of him.
The housing inspection department is over funded and ineffective. There are more of those guys on the street during the day then there are police. How about cutting that?
The health care plan for City employees is ridiculous; they should have normal deductibles just like you and I.
There are too many employees in the forestry department, and they are full time even though they don't do much this time of year.
The city should sell all of it's low income housing. Those places loose money every year because the city rents to the low end tenents. There cost of maintence is over the top. If any landlord would run there rental business like the city, they would go bankrupt. Sell all the properties to the private sector.
The budget could also be trimmed by getting rid of our full depth patching crew and bid those jobs out. All those 15 guys do is lean on shovels for 8 hours. Then how about for the last month those three guys driving those big dump trucks around town EMPTY. Is this just busy work until it snows again? Think of the wear and tear on the trucks plus the gas they are using just screwing around. Every city vehicle should have a GPS locater in it so we can tell how long each person is spending at the kwik shop or snoozing at the park on Division Street. My hopes are that Shawn Hammerlinck is just like the George Foreman Grill - and CUT THE FAT.
my comment about the bridge being a 'white elephant' has proven rather prophetic
you think 'my understanding was...' is a good idea? How about getting it agreed to in writting before it all goes down, not after the fact. Now THAT would have been a good idea.
Another broken window in the Skybridge today! The cops are doing a real good job. Put a Krispey Kream across the street and see what happens. Where's Barney Fife when you need him?
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