Archive for May, 2008
May 30th, 2008
Rockford needs good jobs to turn its economy around. But economic development leaders and local politicians continue to “think small.” Meanwhile, Rochelle leads the way in innovation, resulting in an ever-expanding array of prestigious firms locating in that city.
Key to success there is the excellent infrastructure of two, Interstate highways and two transcontinental railroads. Rochelle also provides municipally-owned electric service and wired itself for fibre optics.
(A crane transfers a trailer from a carriage to a rail car at the Union Pacific intermodal hub in Rochelle. Photo by Eddy Montville | Rockford Register Star)
However, until the visionary Ken Wise became economic czar in the 1980s, the natural advantages were unexploited. Ken decided it would be a great idea to build a city-owned railroad connecting what now are the BNSF and UP mainlines. That way, companies locating on the 2 mile line could bargain between the two railroads for lower freight rates. Now, the industrial park bustles with activity and the city actually makes money from their railroad.
Rochelle has many lessons to teach. Rockfordians, though, are a hard lot to teach.
May 29th, 2008
Judy Emerson is leaving the Register Star after 22 years.
Judy is one of six newsroom employees who applied and were accepted for a buyout. She has been an award-winning writer, a wonderful writing coach and a joy to work with. All of us here at the News Tower will miss her. I tell her daily that she can still change her mind, but she insists she won’t. Her last day will be June 5.
The reason I post this on this blog is because Judy is the reason that we started the 180 degrees project. It all started at an Editorial Board meeting where she, Lind Grist Cunningham and I were the only members who could attend.
Judy talked about an opportunity to interview Karl Fort, who was the leader of the Black Gangster Disciples in the early 1990s and who is blamed for bringing crack cocaine to Rockford.
The three of us then talked somewhat nostalgically about how Rockford used to be before the drug trade corrupted everything. That was the seed that began 180 degrees, the next installment of which probably will be ready for publication online next week and in print June 8.
The project will continue — it continues to grow as reporters find out more — despite the fact that we’ll have to do it without Judy.
It will be much more difficult without her.
May 22nd, 2008
I posted on another blog about a “pay-it-forward” experience I had last night at Dairy Queen.
It reminded me that there are a lot of good people in this community who do a lot of good things. Paying someone else’s tab is nice, but I’m talking about the tons of volunteers who do everything from help at soup kitchens to coaching youth sports to organizing fundraisers.
However, those dedicated volunteers could use some help. It seems like a core group — no matter what the organization — does 90 percent of the work. More folks need to step up to keep worthy causes going.
May 14th, 2008
All the pieces are starting to fall into place. We are preparing the stories, photos, videos and databases for the second piece of the project. This one will focus on where we are and where we’ve been on crime. We’ve even gone back to our newspaper archives and fished out front pages that have carried banner headlines of major crime stories. Do you remember “Rout at Dawn”?
We’re looking at gangs, the rise of heroin and how one neighborhood watch group is responding to an increase in crime. One of the databases we are creating will live way beyond the life of the project. We will be able to display the monthly figures on major crimes in Rockford, broken down by police beats. If you are a Rockford resident, you will be able to check to see how much crime is in your neighborhood, and whether it is going up or down.
May 14th, 2008
As part of Chuck Sweeney’s assignment of this project, we requested Rockford city audits back to 1980. I’m about 2 percent into the data and already one statistic jumped out at me.
In 1980, 48 percent of the city’s local tax revenue came from property taxes — $9,920,816 in property taxes out of $20,590,060 in total taxes collecte — and 45 percent of the taxes came from retail sale. So shoppers were almost equally supporting city services.
By 2005, the most recent data available, property owners now shoulder much more of the burden. In 2005, the city collected $83,796,845 in local taxes. Of that, $47,010,384 came from property taxes or 56 percent. The city brought in $23,378,788 in sales taxes or 28 percent.
Another interesting note, though of little relevance, is that Rockford Mayor Robert McGaw had a salary of $27,000 while police chief Del Peterson was being paid $40,238.
May 13th, 2008
Really, altho we’re focusing on Rockford in this series, the Forest City isn’t all that different from hundreds of cities throughout the nation — not just the Midwest. We are in a fundamental economic shift in the world, in which America will assume a much lesser role in the world economy.
We have all grown up at an unusual time in history, when America has been seen as the world’s essential nation. That increasingly is no longer true, as we’ve sold off our manufacturing industries and are borrowing money from foreign “sovereign funds” to maintain a lifestyle that is unsustainable over the long run.
When a nation doesn’t manufacture, it becomes a colony of the nation’s that do.
May 8th, 2008
A study released this week by sociology staff and students at Rock Valley College reveals interesting perceptions of our hometown. RVC says the phone survey of 450 people reflects the population. Keep in mind is that the survey was done in February 2007, before the economy sunk and gas prices reached for the sky.
Some results: 54% think crime here is no worse than other cities this size. That’s down from 69% in ‘97.
63% said the city’s economy was progressing, down from 72%.
Here’s a surprise: 39% said education in the city is better than it’s been in the past few years. That’s still low, as Prof. Jerry Crane pointed out, but it’s up from 21% in ‘97, perhaps because the deseg suit still was going on then.
And, the ones I’m most interested in for this 180 Degrees project:
73% said the city has improved its arts and leisure offereings, down from 81%.
47% said public/private agencies support arts adequately; down from 73%.
58% said our arts/leisure programs are as good as other cities out size, down from 68%.
Crane said some of the survey results are supported by facts; others are not. But the perception, right or wrong, is a powerful influence on a community.
May 8th, 2008
Rockford Police Chief Chet Epperson talked on camera about crime in our city. Watch the video.
May 7th, 2008
Law enforcement officials say heroin use is rising in this area because the drug is cheap and readily available. I’m reporting on this issue for our next installment in the 180 Degrees project. Has heroin affected your life? E-mail me at jemerson@rrstar.com or comment here.
May 6th, 2008
We all know Rockford is a great place to raise a family. It’s a generous community, a church-going community, place you can round up volunteers for a worthy cause quicker than the weather changes in April.
But, how much fun is our region? Are you, and/or your family, happy with the arts-entertainment-cultural-recreation scene in the Rock River Valley? Has that part of our lifestyle gotten better, or worse, in the past 30 years.
We know NAT went off the map but look what happened at the Coronado, and the MetroCentre, and Burpee, and Discovery Center, to name a few success stories. Or, are you not impressed?
I’m interested in your view of our after-work life in Rockford, and your attitude about the city? Optimistic? Pessimistic? Sure nothing will ever change? Convinced we’re on the brink of a renaissance?
 Please share your thoughts with me at gnikolai@rrstar.com or 815-987-1337. Leave a message if I’m not available, with your name and number, please.
Thanks.
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