Joliet’s Rusty city council

 

The city of Joliet is mired in a financial controversy and needs to pull itself free, but it is clear that tighter reins on purchasing need to be implemented. Jobs are the issue and voters need to speak up, this indicates that other safeguards need to be put in place.

You can’t get there if you don’t know where you are going

One of the most essential learnings is that communities need to plan for their future and ensure that their policies are consistent with their vision. I guess due to the lack of resources, Joliet has done little more than color in a map from a phone book and call it their long-range plan.

Joliet Illinois may have written a comprehensive plan, but may not even know where a copy is readily available. And still have invested far too much in broad dreams and nifty slogans, but lack a plan based on market realities, an inventory of local natural and community assets, and realistic financing strategies are a vague dream, is it wrong as a Joliet resident to seek economic progress? “NO” it is our right as voters to hold them in office accountable for their failures.

The problems facing Joliet confront many other communities across the nation. A  flawed federal Section 8 policies have led to substantial neighborhood decline. This, in turn, threatens the surrounding community. The children of the development make up a majority of a nearby school which experienced 92% turnover of students in 2003. Industrial redevelopment on adjacent lands is hampered by perceptions of crime. The village’s ability to provide needed social services is limited by low tax revenues and the needs of extreme, concentrated poverty in the isolated development.

There are few national models of what to do about a deteriorated, privately owned developments. The news is dominated by the transformation of public housing and, arguably, the redevelopment of areas like Pacesetter will be even harder. The land will have to be acquired from absentee landlords. Few social service agencies are available to provide sorely needed services. And the village lacks the financial  wherewithal of large cities to make basic infrastructure improvements.

Is another road really needed to attract development and jobs? Is taxing people when things are difficult the right action to take.

(1) Are Local leaders  passionate about their communities and want to do the right thing by the voters, rarely politicians have all of the information they need.

(2) Cooperation between private developers, local officials, and community residents is needed to solve complex issues. One sector on its own does not have all the answers. The experiences of communities throughout the Joliet and Will county region, plus interactions with community leaders, elected officials and real estate professionals, provide guidance to communities throughout the country working to improve their future and if we as a community work together we can build something to be proud of.

During the presidential election people hollered change, that is just what we got…..

CHANGE is left in our pockets…..I bet Joliet hears it jiggling and is looking to tax us out of that to. 

Ranting’s of JolietJake2008