Bustos tours Ag Lab; expressed budget concerns
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- Published on 20 February 2013
- Written by Paul Gordon
U.S. Rep. Cheri Bustos would have liked to give certainty to her constituents and their businesses while touring the 17th Congressional District the past week or so.
But she could not and that has the Democrat from East Moline unhappy, she said Wednesday after touring the Peoria Ag Lab to see what happens there and learn it importance to the country.
"Sequestration is just days away and it will affect everyone across the board. This is a time I want to give certainty, when Congress and the administration need to offer some certainty," Bustos told reporters after the tour of the Ag Lab, formally known as the National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research. Bustos, the first-term Congresswoman, is a member of the House Agriculture Committee and the Farm Commodities and Risk Management Subcommittee and the Livestock and Rural Development Subcommittee.
The Ag Lab, she said, has proven through the years how important it is not only to Peoria but to the country and even the world. She cited some of its history, including the fact the method of distributing penicillin worldwide was development there. The Ag Lab is a place where "for every dollar we invest we get more in return. We need to understand that kind of investment is a good thing and a place like the Ag Lab in Peoria is a good place to invest in," Bustos said.
However, she noted, it will not be safe from mandatory budget cuts that will be wrought by sequestration if a new permanent agreement to reduce the federal deficit is not approved in Congress by March 1. Nor will anything else that relies upon federal money, including the defense industry that is so prominent in Bustos' district.
"These are across the board cuts. There is not one thing that would not be affected, from Head Start programs on up. The potential impact on people's everyday lives is tremendous," she said.
The largest employer in her district is the Rock Island Arsenal and it and the thousands of jobs connected to it, through suppliers and so forth, are in jeopardy. So is the Air National Guard base in Peoria.
"I'm hearing real concern from constituents who are worried about the trickle down effect of sequestration, including jobs and discretionary spending," she said.
The decision in Congress late last fall, just before the November election, to put off resolving the problem and setting a new deadline of March 1 was "irresponsible" and one should would have voted against had she had the chance. It occurred before she took office.
The purpose of the delay was to make sure people knew the cuts made through sequestration would be so severe and harmful that it would never come to that, Bustos said. "And yet here we are, just days away from the severe and harmful cuts," she said.
That is why she urged Speaker of the House John Boehner to keep Congress in Washington over the current break instead of allowing them to return to their home districts. "We should have stayed. We should still be in Washington doing the country's work and trying to resolve this," she said.
Bustos said one thing she learned during her Congressional campaign was that Americans want the two major parties to work together to resolve the country's problems. "The need for bipartisanship is there. All of us in Congress just came off a campaign trail in which that was a growing message, a message that is getting louder and louder and louder. In my first six weeks in Congress I have met with all the other 82 freshmen and I believe there is a willingness to do that, to work together," she said. "I'm encouraged so far."
Bustos also discussed the need for a new Farm Bill, to replace a five-year bill that expired and was not replaced by the previous Congress. She said she is optimistic a new bill will be passed by this Congress.
"Farmers deserve the certainty a new Farm Bill would bring them," she said.
(Photo courtesy of Peoria Ag Lab) Congresswoman Cheri Bustos, left, stands next to a display of pennycress while discussing with a scientist at the Peoria Ag Lab the process of turning pennycress into biofuel. Bustos, the 17th District Democrat, toured the lab Wednesday.
Peoria Riverfront Museum: Celebrating 50 years of “The Feminine Mystique”
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- Published on 19 February 2013
- Written by Kevin Kizer
On this day 50 years ago, Peorian Betty Friedan’s manifesto for the modern woman, “The Feminine Mystique”, was first published. The impact? Huge sales, wide acclaim, a change in the zeitgeist and, of course, worldwide fame for the author. Today, the Peoria Riverfront Museum is hosting a hometown celebration of the 50th anniversary of “The Feminine Mystique”. The event is free to the public, beginning at 7 p.m. tonight at the museum.
Here’s an interesting roundtable discussion on the book and author in this week’s New York Times. Also, check out this clip of Ms. Friedan from 1964 explaining how the women's movement benefits men.
Bustos to open Peoria office
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- Published on 18 February 2013
- Written by The Peorian
U.S. Rep. Cheri Bustos, the new Democrat congresswoman from the 17th District, will open her Peoria office at 10 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 23.
The office is in the Strong Business Center at 3100 N. Knoxville Ave., Suite 205.
Bustos, who defeated incumbent Republican Bobby Schilling in November to return the 17th District seat to the Democratic party, will host an open house from 10 to 11:30 a.m.
The public is invited to the open house.
The Peoria office, which will be managed by Andy Colgan, will open for business next Monday, Bustos' congressional office said.
The 17th District takes in a large portion of northwestern Illinois, having shifted to the north after the 2010 Census. It stretches from the Wisconsin border to south of Canton and includes parts of Peoria and Peoria County.
Bustos also has a district office in Rock Island and plans to open aonther in Rockford. She is from East Moline, where she was a City Councilwoman.
Residential building permits up 63% in 2012
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- Published on 18 February 2013
- Written by Paul Gordon
For the first time in five years, or since the recession started, the number of residential building permits in the city of Peoria surpassed 200 in 2012, according to the Peoria City Manager's office.
There were 212 residential building permits issued last year worth a total valuation of $52.2 million. That was a 63 percent increase over 2011, the city Issues report released by City Manager Patrick Urich said.
The permits boosted city coffers by $315,298, the report said.
The report showed there were 39 commercial permits issued in 2012, up from 30 issued the previous year.
The report also showed that in the last five years, the value of all buildings permits issued — including residential, commercial, additions and repairs and mechanical permits — topped $1 billion. That was from a total of 17,153 permits, which brought in more than $5.1 million in fees to the city.
Overall in 2012, the number of permits was down slightly, from 3,380 in 2011 to 3,368, largely because of a drop in the number of permits issued for residential additions and repairs, the city report showed.
The last time the number of permits and valuation approached last year's totals was in 2008, just before the recession began.
That year there were 241 residential permits, with a valuation of $59.4 million, issued. Also, there were 32 new commercial permits with a valuation topping $102 million issued in 2008.
Overall that year, 4,193 permits were issued with a valuation of nearly $300 million.
Peorai Mayor Jim Ardis said the numbers are good news in that the show the local economy is continuing to recover.
"I think this report is a positive sign that we are truly starting to come out of the recession. The increase (63 percent) seems pretty dramatic but we have to remember the market had been so stagnant. Still, I was pretty confident there was some pent-up demand out there and I think the increase in building permits and the positive reports about existing home sales show that to be the case," Ardis said.
While he didn't have specific numbers to share, Ardis said the first six weeks of 2013 are ahead of last year's pace, as well. "The mild winter we've been having so far this year probably helps out a bit but I think it's further sign the recovery is continuing," he said.
Ardis said the Peoria area has been fortunate to have maintained a healthier-than-most housing market throughout the recession of the last few years. "There is still some uncertainty out there, but I think we are seeing consumer confidence turning around," he said.
Cat to fund shark research
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- Published on 14 February 2013
- Written by Paul Gordon
Caterpillar Inc. said Thursday it plans to help a research company in its efforts to improve the sustainability of one of the ocean's most dangerous and perhaps mysterious creatures, the shark.
Caterpillar and OCEARCH agreed to a three-year partnership that will help the organization in its global research on sharks. Under the agreement Caterpillar will fund nine research expeditions over the next three years, the company said.
To date OCEARCH has led 15 expeditions to safely research the breeding, feeding, migration and birthing patterns of these ocean creatures.
"Most people think sharks are invincible," said OCEARCH founder Chris Fischer. "But they are in real danger. We must find a sustainable path forward because sharks play a crucial role in maintaining balance in the delicate oceanic ecosystem. Now, thanks to the generous sponsorship of Caterpillar, we can continue our critical research expeditions that generate the data needed to inform policy makers, students and the general public on this issue."
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has determined that of the shark and ray species assessed, 30 percent are threatened or near-threatened with extinction.
Fischer's vessel, the MV OCEARCH, already relies on Cat power in the water. It has two Cat engines and has three Cat generators on board that power an at-sea laboratory, custom-built hydraulic lift and 55,000-pound capacity research platform with the capability of handling 5,000-pound sharks. The vessel is manned by OCEARCH's team of scientists and crew members.
"OCEARCH's significant work is advancing our knowledge and sustaining the waters that are so vital to people and economies around the world," said Tom Frake, Caterpillar vice president for the Marine and Petroleum Power Division. "The fact he's a loyal Cat customer is an added bonus. We're proud to associate our two brands, which share common values, high levels of success and a commitment to sustainability."
Company spokeswoman Rachel Potts said Caterpillar has worked with Fischer in the past because of the shared commitment to sustainability.
"We care about this because sustainability is important to us in many ways," Potts said. "Sustainability can mean tangible things like equipment and machines and engines, but we also do a lot to focus on education and the environment. Because the methods at OCEARCH are done in a very sustainable way, trying to improve the sustainability of the ocean itself, we are pleased to be part of it."
Because OCEARCH's work occurs in waters around the globe, Fischer understands and depends on the unmatched support of Caterpillar's network of dealers.
"Seconds matter in our research," said Fischer. "The last thing you want is your power supply to fail when you're trying to tag a two-ton great white shark on the hydraulic lift. If we need a part, I know a call to the local Cat dealer will be answered quickly and we'll be back in business. The dependability of Cat equipment along with their global dealer network makes them the ultimate global enabler for our research, and we are proud to call them a partner."
"Chris doesn't have to be shown the benefit Caterpillar's business model can bring to his operation; he intrinsically understands the value because he's lived it for years," said Caterpillar Global Brand Marketing Manager Diane Lantz-Rickard in a news release. "He believes in our products and support; we believe in the work he's doing for our planet. It's a satisfying match."
OCEARCH embarks on its first Caterpillar-funded expedition on Feb. 21 from Jacksonville, Fla., and will spend 20 days at sea researching great white sharks.
OCEARCH is a non-profit organization researching the biology and health of sharks, in conjunction with research on shark life history and migration. More information can be found at www.ocearch.org, including access to the Global Shark Tracker.
