Thursday, March 23, 2006

Around Town today

I stopped out at the Quad City Suzuki grand opening to see what the free car contest was about. It was one of those "keep your hand on the car" things, and the contestants had already been chosen. I think I could do pretty well at one of those, but I don't know if I'd miss work for one. The Mayor was there, and the D1 redcoats, along with the Bettendorf Chamber of Commerce and some other group of matching blazer-wearing folks. Maybe the CEO of Suzuki America was so impressed that he'll build his next auto plant here.

The hole out past 53rd between Brady and Welcome Way for what I believe is the new gateway/welcome sign is enormous. I was going to stop for a few pictures, but it was rush hour and that didn't seem prudent.

I am curious how Moline plans to pay for its $7 million Ben Butterworth Parkway reconstruction if the entire state of IL can't scrap together $15 million for the WIU campus that would anchor it. If Rock Island County homeowners were unwilling to pay a few bucks for Blackhawk College, what are the chances they want to spend 7 million bucks on a nice front yard for WIU: QC?

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Conservative Demo here:
A few bucks - my ***! $3.30 per thousand to bail out likely poor management and/or topheavy frills and fluff? Let them cut staff and staff bennies and perks! All Tuesday evening I was rooting for the referendum to fail and rejoiced when it did. People must learn that the public trough is not bottomless.

QuadCityImages said...

I had a free sandwich and pop on my way out the door. I didn't end up staying for the ribbon cutting, because I had to continue my futile quest for a paperback that Borders and B&N didn't have.

Once I found out I couldn't win the car, I had less interest. A $15,000 Suzuki plus trading in my current car could maybe get me a Charger.

Anonymous said...

I'll take the nice front yard and development potential for sufficient use compared to say a certain skybridge.

QuadCityImages said...

So why is a floating restaurant in Moline "development potential" and here it would be wasteful spending and government competing with private industry?

Anonymous said...

I doubt $7 million is only going to float the restuarant, and compared to the tens of millions for that River Rennasciance(sp.) puzzle, Moline is progressing nicely. Quad City Images comes off as more "rah rah" Davenport than anything else. The other cities do put their hands out for healthy chunks of taxpayer dough, but Davenport's hands seem to be firmly gripping a wheelbarrow of public funds.