Thursday, February 09, 2006

Happy Birthday again

Well, I'd been planning a Happy Birthday Fly post for today, but John Beydler beat me to it. Guess I should have scooped him and posted it yesterday. In the last year we've gone from having no QC political blogs to having closer to half a dozen. Also, I'm pretty sure if you'd mentioned "SoLo" to anyone at City Hall in February 2005, you'd have gotten blank looks and people thinking you were starting a singing career. Now many of them would understand you're talking about the South of Locust area of Davenport. Too bad the power of blogs has been unable to determine what's up with VanFossen's test results.

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

The fly should be commended for being the one who started it all. Happy Birthday. Let's hope with this newfound interest in all things political that it continues to grow and prosper. i think everyone is doing a great job of getting the public thinking again, and I for one love it.

Anonymous said...

If Fly was around we would have the Van Fossen results.

Anonymous said...

http://www.iowacourts.state.ia.us/ESAWebApp/TIndexFrm
Do you think this is all that it will turn out to be?

Anonymous said...

The link was cut off, and I couldn't find anything on the site. Can you repost???

Anonymous said...

Charges, Dispositions, Sentences
Title: DAVENPORT vs. VANFOSSEN, RONALD
Case: 07821DASTWH111221 (SCOTT)
Count 01
FAIL TO STOP AT RR CROSSING

Offense Date: 12/20/2005

WOW - His attorney must be better then McGivern's....

Anonymous said...

VanFossen is a snake. He is pathetic for not even talking with the residents by BluePort before he supported the bar. What a shame for the people of Davenport, not re: the bar, but re: that fact that they elected self serving politicians yet again. I hope those neighbors call him at home ( and the other ones) when they have trouble sleeping from the outdoor bands and commotion. They deserve peace and quiet - they were there first.

Anonymous said...

friday night - WOC radio reported the asst. DA has Ronnies test results but won't release them. Additional charges likely announced Monday or Tuesday...

Anonymous said...

Let's see if the crowd crucufies VanFossen like they did McGivern. It will be interesting to see for sure. The same crowd who backed Van F is the same who damned McGivern. Will we demand his resignation when he is charged with OWI?

I am sorry, but I don't see VanF being too bright.

QuadCityImages said...

They've already said on a few previous threads that we have to keep in mind that this happened before he was sworn in as an Alderman. However, as I've said on previous threads, morally it doesn't matter what position you hold. Its just as wrong to do it while an alderman as it is before or after being one.

Part of the reason I've avoided really harping on this is because it gives me a feeling of guilt for thinking "told you not to vote for him." I don't want to be a told-you-so, and honestly the thought of something like this happening wasn't the reason I didn't endorse him.

The Inside Dope said...

I feel a bit weird, as if meekly holding up my hand to be recognized, but The Fly launched his blog about 5 days before The Inside Dope, and I wasn't aware of any blogs in the Quad Cities at that time. (not surprising if the only other blog was only 5 days old.)

Fly deserves all the credit and congratulations he's given. But there was another blog launched almost simultaneously which is still going strong, though it covers mainly the Illinois side of things. (I'd love to do more Iowa stuff, but I just don't get enough info.)

Was hoping maybe someone would notice, but a year up and running and over 61,000 visits later, I guess I have to toot my own horn.

Sorry for the rather embarassing attempt to give myself some recognition, but thought TID should be mentioned in any discussion of "starting it all" and all that.

QuadCityImages said...

I've read your blog basically since I saw it linked to on Fly's, but I still feel more of a connection to DDP. Partly due to my former contributor status there, and partly because much of Illinois politics is a mystery to me. If you look, you'll notice I rarely comment in the lively discussions about Lane Evans, Mike Jacobs, etc over on Inside Dope. I like your national stuff and your QC stuff the best. I also like the much higher level of participation and debate than you have over there compared to any of the Davenport blogs.

The Inside Dope said...

Yes, I certainly can understand why you'd feel more familiar and closer to DDP... probably because you are closer and more familiar. ha. I also understand how blogs from either side are often less of interest to those from the opposite side of the river.

I just thought that TID might be included in any discussion of the start of blogging in the area.

DDP was first, and The Fly along with yourself and Col. Davenport and others did a great job with it. In that respect, it's still pretty much the standard.

While I get some comments, I've always felt disappointment that I've never been able to achieve the sort of really involved commenters or the participation of local politicians and officials that DDP did so well.

The level of knowledge and involvement in the details of local government was unmatched as well, and I'm not able to approach that level on the Illinois side as I just don't have the level of insight and interest in the workings of city government that the crew at DDP had.

As I said, my main point was just to be included in the discussion of the birth of political blogging in the area.

I'm impressed by all the blogs which have begun since a year ago. They're all good and all contribute a lot in their own ways. Any way you slice it, it's better for those who read them.