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Post by mommytoo4 on Nov 17, 2014 23:39:38 GMT -6
You know who have become a part-time resident, you don't have a say anymore, you are just mean and vindictive because you didn't get what you wanted and the only reason we respond it to make sure you don't win when someone checks this town out!!!!! Your a little little man with a big big ego it is time to realize you aren't gonna win, there are more citizens in this town that know you are full of it, and we are going to make sure your not going to take us down!!!!!
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Post by Kyle Mitchell on Nov 18, 2014 6:53:30 GMT -6
Just a thought, if the city officials are indeed taking bribes wouldn't that be grounds for removal from office? Why continue to talk and hope for change at the ballot box in several months when you could simply have them removed immediately, if what you are saying is true. You are very funny. Isn't there already some questions on the table for you to answer, after I already provided information for you? Do you really expect me to answer your question? You didn't seem to worry about whether it was true or not when you posted that I do not understand our ordinances and that the Mayor's requirement is justified. Do you really think that our Mayor believes that something that goes on in nature is industrial mass production? Why do you think he doesn't just follow our laws so that he has a justification to keep people of Streator from even being able to consider it corruption?
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Post by Kyle Mitchell on Nov 18, 2014 7:14:23 GMT -6
You know who have become a part-time resident, you don't have a say anymore, you are just mean and vindictive because you didn't get what you wanted and the only reason we respond it to make sure you don't win when someone checks this town out!!!!! Your a little little man with a big big ego it is time to realize you aren't gonna win, there are more citizens in this town that know you are full of it, and we are going to make sure your not going to take us down!!!!! Is that right, I don't have any say anymore? Is that a part of our Mayor's campaign against Freedom of Speech? Did he re-write the First Amendment to require people to be full time residents to be able to talk about the conditions our City leaders have provided for us? Am I mean and vindictive as in regulating Free Speech at election time, declaring people illegal when they are not without giving them due process, stopping a business with a requirement that does not follow our laws, etc., or mean and vindictive like just talking about what they do? You are right I didn't get what I wanted, I don't think they care what most citizens or businesses do want. Don't worry, I am not winning if people check Streator out/ As soon as they find out about the excessive bar violence incidents, our City's lack of enforcement and solutions for the problems, their vindictive attitude and disregard for civl rights, etc., I lose. We all lose, in my opinion. They will find out about it even if I don't talk, because our City leaders don't seem to want to solve the problems. Doesn't trying to hide the problems from the public, by not reporting much of what does happen here to the press, seem very deceptive to the people that may be checking us out? If they invest in our community based on what the City reports to the newspaper and the made up crime statistics here, and then find out about the lack of enforcement and lack of solutions for the problems after it is too late and their investment sits inside a boarded up building, is that good for our community. I think not. You are going to make sure that I don't take Streator down? What are you talking about? Down as in population declining for a longer period and faster than the rest of the county, down as in very low real estate values and so little interest that we can't even support a local real estate office and tax payers continually have to pay to demolish properties, down as in a very vacant downtown with excessive bar violence where many people don't want to come to support a movie palace? You're too late, our City leaders have already taken us there, that is why I think we need new leaders.
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Post by Kyle Mitchell on Nov 18, 2014 7:15:35 GMT -6
I see in the paper that our Mayor is running for re-election, however there isn't a challenger yet.
I do hope that there is a good challenger to at least try to create some good discussion of the issues here, not that I think our last mayoral election provided much.
The City funded chamber sponsored candidates forum really seems like just a dog & pony show with so many softball questions that don't seem to pertain to many of the issues here.
I would really like to hear candidates start talking about solutions to the problems here.
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Post by dog on Nov 18, 2014 12:46:01 GMT -6
I see in the paper that our Mayor is running for re-election, however there isn't a challenger yet. I do hope that there is a good challenger to at least try to create some good discussion of the issues here, not that I think our last mayoral election provided much. The City funded chamber sponsored candidates forum really seems like just a dog & pony show with so many softball questions that don't seem to pertain to many of the issues here. I would really like to hear candidates start talking about solutions to the problems here. When is the deadline to file for Mayor? You know Kyle,if nobody comes forward to run against him, you could always run. Wouldnt you hate to have to put up with Lansford for another 4 years if another viable candidate wasnt running or elected?
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Post by Kyle Mitchell on Nov 18, 2014 13:53:46 GMT -6
I see in the paper that our Mayor is running for re-election, however there isn't a challenger yet. I do hope that there is a good challenger to at least try to create some good discussion of the issues here, not that I think our last mayoral election provided much. The City funded chamber sponsored candidates forum really seems like just a dog & pony show with so many softball questions that don't seem to pertain to many of the issues here. I would really like to hear candidates start talking about solutions to the problems here. When is the deadline to file for Mayor? You know Kyle,if nobody comes forward to run against him, you could always run. Wouldnt you hate to have to put up with Lansford for another 4 years if another viable candidate wasnt running or elected? Nov. 24th is the deadline. If I were going to be around Streator more, I would run. However, since my family doesn't want to be in Streator, I took a new position offered to me that allows me to work in other states and be near them more. I wouldn't have any problem with Mayor Lansford serving again if he were to start doing things differently, but there is no indication of that. After all of my years of asking him to clean up the problems, him denying use of City Park for others to talk about ideas for it, and the newspaper highlighting the excessive number of incidents, his response was that we can't afford the only solution he seems to have. No indication of any change on that front. After my repeated requests for justification for his industrial zoning requirement, complaints of our laws being too overly restrictive and selectively enforced, and pointing out their lack of resources for economic development, when the newspaper asked him about their perceived uninviting to business attitude, he didn't even hint to them considering doing anything differently. He just blamed the business owners here. No indication of any change there either, in my opinion. It would be a shame if there weren't a challenger, four more years of heading in the same direction, down.
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Post by Anonymous on Nov 19, 2014 8:08:12 GMT -6
If you put bottle caps on the bottom of your shoes, then it will sound like tap dancing. Martha Stewart has a nice DIY tap shoe tutorial on her website.
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Post by Kyle Mitchell on Nov 19, 2014 8:10:14 GMT -6
So for you, it's not that I talk about the problems, it's only hat I expect our leaders to do something about them? You finally are starting to get it a little. I have said all along that these are problems. I also don't fault you for expecting our leaders to do something about them either. It's the level of importance where you placed these problems in the overall scheme of things and how I feel that some of these problems are unfairly placed at the feet of our leaders. This response seems more appropriate here than the home invasion thread. I appreciate that you admit that the things that I talk about are problems, however there are many here who do not see it that way. That is part of why I keep talking about how bad these things do hurt business. I also appreciate that you think I should be able to expect our City leaders to do something about them. It is too bad that they won't seem to even allow discussion of ideas and seem to retaliate against me for even asking. I place more importance on these things because I came to Streator specifically to open a family business trying to attract people to downtown Streator in the evenings, have a lot invested into the place, and know from talking to many people who say they are not willing to subject their families to these activities that it is a major factor in businesses failing. After not talking to Katie for many years, when I took her some posters and mentioned the City, without mentioning the problems at all, she offered up that her biggest problem with the City is all the fighting that goes on in the streets. When I asked her about speaking out about it, she said that she didn't want to get into a pissing contest with the City. It is obvious to me that she doesn't feel that she could voice her concerns without also being retaliated on by the City. You talk about the overall "scheme" of things. Whose scheme are we talking about? Is that scheme just to allow bar owners to do whatever they want , regardless of how it affects the rest of the community? Why? Are brown paper bags involved? You say that it is unfair that I place the problems at the feet of our leaders. Who else is going to clean these things up? The Mayor seems to think that it is not his responsibility to do anything about it, saying that cleaning up Streator and its image should not be politicized, even though the politicians aren't even addressing it. A Streator Police Chief told me that I should work it out with the bar owner, however when I talked to him about the problem, he indicated that when he knew someone had already had too much alcohol and tried to cut him off, the person threatened violence. The bar owner showed no concern at all for what happens outside his doors. I certainly can't force the bar owner to be more responsible and follow our laws by controlling his license to sell alcohol like our Mayor/Liquor Commissioner. When there is a fight and the crowd sees people fighting in front of an officer being allowed to just walk away, in my opinion, it tells people that it is acceptable for them to come to downtown Streator and fight more. Not showing people that there are consequences for crime here, just encourages more crime in my opinion. I wanted to attend one of the Liquor Commission annual license rubber stamping sessions to voice my concerns, but it seems that they are secret meetings. I have talked at Council meetings and sent the members letters about these problems hurting business many times, but years later, we still have the excessive numbers of business hurting incidents printed in the newspaper. The Mayor indicates that more officers are needed to correct the problem, but says that we can't afford it. Our City leaders have left no choice but for individual citizens to handle the problems on their own, armed only with their First Amendment Rights, and they not only won't allow that at City Park, but retaliate against people for using it. None the less, since continually talking to try to get some action taken to correct these problems is the only choice I feel they have left us, I will keep on talking to try to place these problems at the feet of the people of Streator.
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Post by Kyle Mitchell on Nov 19, 2014 15:31:37 GMT -6
Your problems began when you became ever so negative when you didn't get your way. I had absolutely no dilike towards you. And neither did the Mayor. Other than talking about things that I felt was hurting business, what was it that I did to make the City feel that I was so very negative that it justified causing me problems? If someone has a lot invested into a business and can't get the City to start enforcing the laws so that his business can survive, do you really expect them to be positive about it? Who gets to determine that someone has gotten so negative that the City should start causing them problems? What difference does like or dislike matter? I don't think that I ever mentioned you or the Mayor liking or disliking me. I could care less if either of you ever liked me. I was here to try to operate a successful business, not socialize with some public officials who are about 20 years older than I am. Why even bring it up? Does liking or disliking people determine whether or not their Constitutional Rights will be honored or whether or not they are given the correct zoning requirements for a business?
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Post by Kyle Mitchell on Nov 22, 2014 11:22:44 GMT -6
In addition to approving the 3.3 % tax increase, I see that the City finally approved an ordinance to allow merchandise to be displayed out side without a Special Use Permit. I will be curious to read the ordinance, hopefully it won't take years for it to be updated online. Some people claimed that it was just too difficult for our leaders to write, but I had faith that they could get it done. Too bad they couldn't get it done years sooner. My son generated some good sales for years by having some bicycles and strollers displayed outside his store before he realized when the City came around threatening to fine him, that it was illegal. I think that when he talked to other business owners who continued to have merchandise displayed outside and realized it was the City's selective enforcement, that was one of the things that made him feel that he would be wasting his business degree by staying in Streator. Your problems began when you became ever so negative when you didn't get your way. I did suspect that it was one of the results of my using my Free Speech rights. Thank you for the confirmation. I not only don't believe there is Free Speech in Streator, but there is a high price for it. That is why I think we need new leaders.
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Post by rukidding (towns local troll) on Nov 22, 2014 12:10:59 GMT -6
This Town has ALWAYS been "Selective" in Who They put Their Thumbs on. Don't take it Personally majesticmitchell Your an OUTSIDER. There are MORE PEOPLE that support You than will admit.
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Post by northsider on Nov 22, 2014 12:55:50 GMT -6
Were you upset with the city when they threatened to fine your son for violating a city ordinance? Did you insist that the city not turn their head to your son's violation and request the fine instead of simply letting him off with a warning? Sounds like he got off easy, perhaps he went behind your back and joined the good old boys club!
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Post by Kyle Mitchell on Nov 23, 2014 13:56:47 GMT -6
This Town has ALWAYS been "Selective" in Who They put Their Thumbs on. Don't take it Personally majesticmitchell Your an OUTSIDER. There are MORE PEOPLE that support You than will admit. With the way the INSIDERS keep doing things, maybe outsider isn't such a bad thing.
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Post by Kyle Mitchell on Nov 23, 2014 13:57:19 GMT -6
Were you upset with the city when they threatened to fine your son for violating a city ordinance? Did you insist that the city not turn their head to your son's violation and request the fine instead of simply letting him off with a warning? Sounds like he got off easy, perhaps he went behind your back and joined the good old boys club! Here you are asking more questions after making claims that you can't back up and not answering my questions. Wow, you know no shame, do you? There is no justification in our laws for the Mayor's industrial zoning requirement, is there? I think my son should have gotten the fine right along with all the other stores that were displaying merchandise outside and participating in the sidewalk sales. Then more business owners might have been talking about how uninviting to business the City's over-restrictive ordinances are and change could have possibly been created sooner. Instead, as Willy pointed out, our City uses things like this to create "problems" for the people they convict of talking negative about what our City does and doesn't do. I think it is one of their ways of restricting the Free Speech they don't seem to want. They convict people of secret laws and selectively enforce their overly restrictive ordinances against some while letting others get away with blatantly breaking important laws that hurt our community and then they become even more vindictive when people start talking about corruption. Have you taken a look around downtown, by its condition, it doesn't look to me like my son or many others got off easy. I do appreciate you admitting that there is a good old boys club here. I remember in the last election that Mayor Lansford was in support of keeping his club together, it seems he supports Willy and the City's head turning selective enforcement policies that I think are bad for Streator
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Post by northsider on Nov 23, 2014 14:28:16 GMT -6
There is justification you just are unable to understand it. It's really not that difficult. As for overly restrictive ordinances, you would likely find nearly identical ones in just about every city around the country.
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