The Rusting Belt: Peoria Ill

Vacant homes. Empty commercial space. Unfilled parking lots. Open streets. Large industrial corporations migrating to other cities. Crime rates spiking and populations declining. It's the stuff you read about... so far removed from your own reality that its hard to imagine or even find a place for it in your mind. I had heard of the infamous epidemic Detroit has been facing for years. It really exists and the hollow feeling of empty towns is hard to shake off.

I just got back from Peoria Illinois and caught a glimpse of what the recession, outsourcing, advancing technology, economics, and basically what time can bring to a city. Things change.

It's a city that feels bigger than what it really is. Its like a over sized fridge that when you open the doors has just an assortment of condiments and other odds and ends. You can see marks from where it was filled to capacity not long ago. You kept asking yourself and even aloud, as you drove past big empty buildings, "what happened here?"

First, there is a greater trend in the Midwest that people are moving away. It's not growing and Peoria has seen the its population decline since 2010. The declining population, coupled with the 2008 housing crisis, has made way for a significant side affect - vacant homes and declining home values.

There are areas of Peoria that have vacancy of 25-40%. This is outrageously high and dangerous. A home in some parts of Peoria go for as little as $20K. Just scroll through Zillow - there are plenty of foreclosed homes for you to consider. The city of Peoria has been looking for new ways to deal with the vacancy problems. Even proposing to allow citizens to gain rights to abandoned lots/homes if they are adjacent to their current lot. (One item that was mentioned on several occasions was a rising crime rate -- while this is technically true if you look Year over Year, the annual report for 2016 does not paint a desperate picture comparatively to the historical records. And it's still early for 2017, but it has gotten off to a hotter start than the average.) This surely is the sickness that eliminates community after community until a city is dead.

It's not just people looking to leave - it's Fortune 500 companies are even looking to re-locate.
This move by CAT just illustrates a continuing issue that the city is already suffering from; downtown Peoria has a vacancy rate of 25%. Not only do they take up office space, they employ tens of thousands of people and are responsible for tens of millions of dollars for the local economy (see 2012 report, Table VII and XV). From donations to sheer taxable value, losing CAT is a huge blow to this already struggling city and economy.

This is a multifaceted problem with many contributing factors. But when people and businesses leave, its a recipe for disaster. It was a humbling experience to just observe. 

Three Sacred Cows.... Er FOUR now

Ever since you were little, you've been told some things that are not true. Here is a list. Hopefully it rocks your world.

1)Dinosaurs were dumb and had brains the size of peas. They are comparable in size to the EQ ratio (body size to brain size) that is found in reptiles today and it can be assumed they had similar intelligence. Their brain size was actually more like the size of a lime or walnut, which is small, but not that small.

2) You will need to know cursive.
It is being phased out of almost every school in America. Only three states require cursive to be taught. Most schools have replaced cursive with computer literacy... which seems to be a good move.

3) Math sucks.
It isn't easy. I am by no means an expert, but it the single language that everyone knows. How does it hurt you to be good at math? I doesn't. No, and NEVER. Want a high paying job and work for a huge company? Be really good at math.

4) Vikings had horns on their helmets. 
They never did. Ever.

Notes....

I had a friend who would leave notes on cars that were poorly parked. A typical note would go, "Nice parking job. Practice driving in straight," or "Horrible parking job. DOUCHE." The possibilities are endless.

I have thought about doing this, but who has the time to hand write a note and then put it on the car? So, I have decided that I will type out a few for future purposes. Contact me if you are interested in getting some. 

sobering

life is fragile
we forget others
focused on our problems

it is taken
we dont look out
not problems of others

it was gifted
they need us
other problems is ours

tripping

We have all tripped. You weren't expected the next stair-step to be that high. You didn't think that the tile floor would have a raised tile. You hadn't considered that a bunch of wet shoes would be lounging in the middle of a dark room. You weren't looking at where you were going, but your feet found a thick line on the basketball court. No one is immune to the occasional clumsiness.

But have you ever seen someone trip and look back with utter disgust. They look back like they are going to take a jackhammer/knife/Mr. T/prison guard  to that whatever just tripped them. It is hilarious.

Choose for Yourself

I was sitting in the library this afternoon. I was in a corner, kind of alone. I had homework to do, but I started to day dream. My thoughts somehow cycled through getting a career, sports, a fun game of the month, to what type of animal I would want to be. Then I thought of the type of people that choose penguins. I have never seen Happy Feet, so they don't seem that clever or cute of an animal. But seriously, who would choose a penguin?

See, how my mind was working was like this... dude. I am going to graduate soon. What job am I going to get. I suck at interviews... (my mind went to sports, game of the month, then came back to job talk)... I wish the opening question of an interview was, "What kind of animal would you be, if you could choose any animal." That is a tough question. 

So, I thought of animals I wouldn't be, and for some reason I thought of a penguin. I got angry.

I have never had beef with them. I mean, they can be cute, just the same as any bird (not really cute up close), or wild animal (if hippos can be cute, anything can be). The way they walk bugs me. Their torso is too long. I want to punt them. Evolve already. Learn how to fly. Quit sliding all over the place. They have evil eyes.

Waddle to the edge of the ice. Fall in the water. Swim fast. Eat. Get eaten or live. That's it?! Migrate (FARTHER) or something, the polar caps are MELTING.

I wannabe a penguin because they are cute. 

Yeah? So are kittens, but they grow up and become evil and cause schizophrenia. What do penguins grow up to be? Suits. We make cartoons about them in suits. You grow up and still waddle. YOU WADDLE!

I wannabe a penguin because they swim fast.

So do seals, and they eat penguins, and seals get eaten by sharks. You are in the middle of the food-chain  Below middle. Be a garbage disposal.

I wanna live in Antartica. I love the snow. 

You are an idiot. Go ahead, be a damn penguin.

I just like them. I dunno what it is. 

Niether do I. Obviously it isn't logic.

They are funny.

You have watched too many cartoons. Why are they in so many movies, that lead people to believe (outside of the documentary) that penguins are A) Funny B) Cute C) a desirable choice?!? I'll never understand it. It's the illuminati. They are tricking us into keeping them around.

the kid president

kim jung il

looking. my brother shared this link with me a while back. i hope you find it entertaining.

SUGARBOY!

Remember, you choose to be offended.

Just click the link

LINK

WOAH!

This year has flown by. Cool.

I love K-LOVE. He is a great fantasy basketball player, plus he seems like a really neat guy.



Also, if you love instagram, you need to watch this video. **It contains a BAD word.**

Oh, and Merry Christmas.

Random Thoughts

For some reason I am really tired tonight.... and I thought it would be a good idea to jot down some thoughts.

Political fanatics, on either side, bug me. It's cool that you are passionate, but I seriously doubt politicians want to ruin America; espesically a Presidential canidate. Maybe I am niave.

I never thought the Lakers had a championship in the bag. Sports rarely go as they should. I guess most of the time they do (thinking of Yankees and Pats), but to think the Lakers gauranteed a championship for themselves by signing an old Steve Nash and bitchy Dwight Howard is silly wrong. They'll be a fourth or fifth seed in the playoffs and probably lose in the second round.

Why would anyone hire Mike Brown? BAD CHOICE.

George Michaels can rock the hizzie.

Coke from a fountain is much better than a can. Without question. Depending on the fountain, it could be better than from glass.

Doing an internship without getting paid is sad.

This blog is a little sad.

NEVER download time consuming games on your smartphone, like: CLASH OF CLANS or POCKET PLANS.

IKEA has horrible employees.

I am terrible at fantasy sports. Does that mean I do not understand sports?

What are the best/coolest/funnest hobbies to have?