Wanted: Cat bloggers

No, no, no. Not this kind of cat blogging.

I'm talking about Caterpillar. Considering how Peoria is a hotbed of blogging, I'm surprised there aren't one or two or seven people out there blogging away about the inside workings of this Fortune 500 company that, from what I see, likes to push its corporate weight around.

Of course, any insiders who want to blog what goes on the shop floor or behind closed doors at Caterpillar World Headquarters would have to be anonymous. And I would be happy to help, perhaps with a group blog focusing on Big Yellow.

Just send me a message, and we can arrange for Cat-blogging on the Blog Peoria Network.

Crossposted to Peoria Pundit

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Peoria Museum backers taking a second drag off the public tit

Backers of the downtown museum project want the upcoming economic stimulus package to include $4 million to build a parking deck. This is in addition to the extra sales taxes they want Peoria County residents to pay at the cash register.

My two cents: The County Board is going to vote this month on whether to put the sales tax hike on the April 7 ballot. In 99 percent sure it will be on the ballot, because I doubt there are three politicians in the entire county with the testicular fortitude to say "no" to Caterpillar, which whispers that they will leave Peoria whenever there's a chance they won't get their way.

I can predict what will happen. The argument will now be made that if we say no to this sales tax, we'll be saying good bye to a free $4 million from the Feds. After all, isn't our guy Ray LaHood in charge is doling out transportation dough? Aren't these jobs going to go to "local" guys?

Feh. We need to spend our cash on essential services, not bread and circuses.


Cross posted to Peoria Pundit.

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Welcome to Peoria, you evil commie bastard

From the Journal Star:

Against a backdrop of unrest in Tibet and protests accompanying the worldwide tour of the Beijing Olympic torch - two issues that have placed China in an unflattering global spotlight this week - the Chinese Ambassador to the United States, Zhou Wenzhong, is visiting Peoria Friday.

But unless you are an employee of Caterpillar Inc., a member of the Rotary Club of Peoria or an invited guest of a member, you might not notice.

[snip]

Unless you count his lunch speech to Rotarians at 11:45 a.m. at the Hotel Pere Marquette as a public appearance, there are no others planned. Club members will not be allowed to ask questions of the speaker as they commonly do at their weekly meetings.

The speech was arranged by a Rotarian who is also a Caterpillar executive, Roberts said. He was scheduled to speak as part of a cultural exchange with Caterpillar and is not expected to address - in any way - the Olympic torch, Tibet, or any other recent negative story that has appeared in the American press.

Actually, I don't want to crash today's Rotary Club meeting to ask Mr. Wenzhong to rationalize his nation's brutal occupation of Tibet. As China's mouthpiece here in the United States, I'm sure he has his spiel down pat. I have no interest in hearing it.

Instead, I would like to ask the Caterpillar executives who will be in attendance how it feels to enjoy the political, religious and economic freedoms that all Americans enjoy knowing that the size of your bonus depends on doing business with a political entity that is every bit as evil and murderous as the Nazi Germany and Soviet Russia.

I mean, do you guys have to drink a lot or take a lot of drugs to numb your brain enough so that you don't dwell on the knowledge that your business partners force parents to abort their children in order to limit themselves to just one? Or, even worse, do you go through life perfectly happy to get your money by partnering with these people? When you go to church on Sunday, do you pray for forgiveness for putting money in the pockets of a government that kills Christians, Buddhists and members of other faiths?

I know I wouldn't be able to live with myself, but hey, that's just me. So what the hell, enjoy your lunch.

Cross posted to Peoria Pundit.

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