Epic fail and not an ounce of shame or accountability from the mayor.
Posted by MrSmith on December 16, 2024, 7:45 pm
Talk about dropping the ball. Once again Granite City sits in the dark. You ride through town and you don't even know it's Christmas time. There was a committee formed by a local elderly woman named Nina Jackson who was given the task to organize a Christmas decorating mission that was to plan and organize fundraising events, to raise the necessary funds to purchase new decorations for the city to hang on the electric poles.
This woman (who struggles with health issues) worked like a dog at the encouragement of mayor Parkinson to pull off the impossible. One single elderly woman, along with her husband and 5 or 6 committee members did just that. They worked non stop since the spring of 2024 and raised thousands of dollars, an impressive large amount of money to order these decorations and have them arrive in time to be displayed for this Christmas season.
She went above and beyond and more than did her part, her and her husband both. You would think with the amount of funds being used to buy up properties throughout the downtown area and being put towards other projects like the Mill building hiring bands and other acts, that the plans to prepare and hang these brand-new Christmas decorations would have been a priority.
Obviously not. Her efforts of racing the calendar and clock for this Christmas season were all for nothing. She, her husband and committee of volunteers did their part and more, but the mayor dropped the ball. He, just like Mrs. Jackson knew what kind of time frame they were facing. The mayor and many others knew that there was no electric supply boxes put in place when the poles were replaced from the old wooden poles. (HOW MANY YEARS AGO)?
This situation was ignored until the FINAL HOUR and now it's too late. The electric is STILL not in place to light the new pole decorations. This situation and the people of the city's inner circle making excuses for this selfish blunder on the part of the city, should be ashamed of themselves! There is NO excuse good enough. I don't care what they had to "order" and what they had to "assemble", no excuse! Plans could have been put in place at the same time Mrs. Jackson was handed this task, to ready these poles in preparation for the Christmas season. But instead, attention was once again focused deep down in the "district" to decorate old abandoned buildings that have set vacant for decades. Decorations in old store fronts sitting on streets that are barely even traveled for lack of draw to that particular area. Money, time, effort made a priority in an effort to attempt to clean that decrepit area up and make presentable, but NOT one of the busiest and most traveled streets Madison Avenue in the city.
The city dropped the ball, the mayor dropped the ball. This electric situation should have been addressed early spring as soon as the committee started organizing. People are sick to death of the focus of attention being on that damned area while the rest of the city decays. Don't even start that Tiff district talk and the special grant talk, not when THOUSANDS are being spent on special interest projects and goals.
The city owes Nina Jackson, her husband and the committee a huge apology for allowing this to happen. Even after her disappointment of not seeing her decorations lit for the season, she is still defending the mayor over this mistake and his lack of attention to insure this didn't happen. He was fully aware of the electric situation of these poles and has been for years, and her concern is for people to not hold him responsible for DROPPING THE BALL. This is one gracious and forgiving lady.
Re: Epic fail and not an ounce of shame or accountability from the mayor.
Totally agree with you. Granite City has the reputation of having the laziest government in Madison County. This does nothing to dissuade that.The policy of the American government is to leave their citizens free, neither restraining nor aiding them in their pursuits. -Thomas Jefferson
Re: Epic fail and not an ounce of shame or accountability from the mayor.
I hope they can get them powered up more for the lady and her group that raised the funds than those who sit back and do nothing.
Mrs. O. said everywhere the decorations are mentioned on facebook, Mrs. Jackson is so gracious and understanding of the delays. If anyone has a right to be upset, it would be her.
Maybe Ameren can still pull it off and even if they are left up a couple weeks after Christmas it would be a good thing for her to see her efforts paid off. Promises Made, Promises Kept! Republicans stood, the liberal left wept.
Drill Baby Drill
Re: Epic fail and not an ounce of shame or accountability from the mayor.
Totally agree with you. Granite City has the reputation of having the laziest government in Madison County. This does nothing to dissuade that.
With only one candidate now, better get used to it Dave W. I think the good outweighs the bad going on. Usually their steam runs out after the second term.
We will. See.Promises Made, Promises Kept! Republicans stood, the liberal left wept.
Drill Baby Drill
Re: Epic fail and not an ounce of shame or accountability from the mayor.
I hope Parkinson does well. He is night and day better than Selp and Jimmy Carter...I mean Ed Hagnauer. I wish Park had not listened so much to a handful of aldermen on continuing to pour money into downtown. The policy of the American government is to leave their citizens free, neither restraining nor aiding them in their pursuits. -Thomas Jefferson
Re: Epic fail and not an ounce of shame or accountability from the mayor.
Dave I’m not sure Parkinson would have if tghe previous mayors hadn’t left all the TIF money.Promises Made, Promises Kept! Republicans stood, the liberal left wept.
Drill Baby Drill
Re: Epic fail and not an ounce of shame or accountability from the mayor.
Mrs. Jackson, in spite of being in very poor health decided to act on the "quit griping about it and do something" challenge that is often thrown out when the administration of our city is questioned about something. Well by God, she accepted the challenge.
She took her plan to the mayor months and months ago. Without much fund-raising experience, she forged on, created a small committee and ultimately, in spite of her poor health, organized and participated in countless fund-raising efforts . To say she was determined is an understatement. Mrs. Jackson raised TENS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS for decorations she wanted desperately to line Madison Avenue as they did when she grew up as a child in this town.
I don't know when they switched out the poles from the old wooden ones to the ones that are there now, whoever did it needs comeback and level them upright, as several are leaning severely looking horrible. Regardless, the fact that there was no electricity on the poles has been known for years. Getting them prepared for these decorations should have been priority ONE. But it wasn't and she has handled it with more grace than most could have mustered up.
At the very least they should have made Nina Jackson the honorary marshal of the Candy Cane parade in recognition of her accomplishments. Thanks to her and her hard work the parade route was lined with new Christmas decorations. AND, IF THE MAYOR HASN'T ALREADY, he needs to award her some kind of certificate and recognize her at a Granite City Council Meeting in thanks for everything she has done for our city. It might take the sting out of those decorations still being in the dark. JMHO
Re: Epic fail and not an ounce of shame or accountability from the mayor.
What I find interesting is that the poles were replaced with concrete poles while Ameren is currently replacing poles along Nameoki from the steel mill to Madison ave to prepare for the 203 design overlay ADA improvement and rehabilitation in the next 2 years and they are made of wood.
Re: Epic fail and not an ounce of shame or accountability from the mayor.
Spot on truth. As a homeowner and investor in the city I keep hanging on to the hopes the city's image will turn around, but it just doesn't seem to be happening or to be much of a priority even of this newest administration. It's smoke and mirrors and all in the delivery. Crime is up, but crime statistics are down. What does this tell us? It tells us that the safe T Act has given criminals a free pass and what effects that law has had on areas like ours.
Cops are not bothering to make arrests knowing after all the hassle and paperwork the bad guys get to walk. Little to no arrests drop the crime rates on paper, allowing very inaccurate crime statistics that in turn allow the powers that be to brag about how much the crime rates have fallen since under their watch.
This original poster has valid points. The main road in the entire city doesn't have not even a hint of the holidays. It's been this way far too long and will most likely remain that way until another civic minded resident steps up to the plate. If we've learned anything in the last 4 years, it's if it's not located downtown or happening downtown or concerning downtown, it's neglected and is of little to no importance.
on December 16, 2024, 7:45 pm