Riverside Info Tag: COW

Riverside Info Tag: COW http://www.riversideinfo.org/forum/ Discussion Forum for Riverside Illinois en Tue, 07 Feb 2012 00:38:38 +0000 spatny on "RCA Bashing" http://www.riversideinfo.org/forum/topic/rca-bashing/page/8#post-13604 Tue, 28 Dec 2010 13:04:20 +0000 spatny 13604@http://www.riversideinfo.org/forum/ I think it's far more likely that the state of the economy and especially home values deters the lust to participate in making the really hard choices. Predictions now are running a FURTHER fall of 5-7% in existing home prices this year, so people aren't flocking to the hustings. "According to economist Nouriel Roubini, the housing market is in a double dip. And negative Case-Shiller Home Price numbers out today only confirm that unpleasant truth. "It's pretty clear the housing market has already double dipped," says Roubini. "And the rate of decline is stronger than in previous months," he said of the new housing data. Aside from below trend economic growth, there are two factors specific to the housing market that are putting downward pressure on home prices. The first factor is the expiration of federal home buyer tax credits for first time home buyers. "If you look at the data, Case Shiller has been falling every month since the tax credit expired in May. Everyone who wanted to buy a home did so by April," Roubini said. "That tax credit stole demand from the future and its expiration led to another 30% fall in home sales, pushing Case & Shiller lower for the last few months," Roubini wrote in a text message earlier this morning. The second factor putting downward pressure on home prices is the ongoing chaos with mortgage documentation, and the consequent suspension by banks of mortgage foreclosure proceedings—which has actually worsened the underlying problems in the housing market. "There has been an effective moratorium on foreclosure," said Roubini. And the beginning of the end of that moratorium means more housing supply is about to become available on the market. "The shadow inventory of not-yet-foreclosed homes—due to the moratorium—will surge in the next year," Roubini says. Both factors, taken in concert, set up a scenario where market fundamentals put downward pressure on prices: "Supply will increase, demand will drop," Roubini said. The Case Shiller Composite-20 Index, which represents the broadest measure of U.S. home prices in the survey, fell 1 percent on an adjusted basis during the September/October time period, based on data release earlier today. All 20 Metropolitan Statistical Areas included in the survey showed declines—reflecting a broad based, non-regional erosion of prices in the housing sector. But Roubini isn't yet predicting a double dip recession for the broader economy. "The rest of the economy is recovering. Most of the numbers are consistent with a growth rate of 2.7 percent," Roubini said. But that 2.7 percent growth is still below trend. "So unemployment will likely remain above 9 percent," according to Roubini's analysis. Roubini adds that there are other ominous economic signs on the horizon including: "The eurozone shock, long-term structural deficits, and state and local governments [operating near] bankruptcy." And, if homeowners begin walking away from their properties en masse, those negative trends might well pick up steam: "12 million households are already in negative equity and 8 million more have an LTV btw 95 and 100%. Thus even a 5% fall in home price will push an extra 8 million in negative equity with risk of millions walking away from their home—i.e. jingle mail," Roubini wrote me in a text message earlier today. It's certainly a sobering scenario to contemplate as we head into the New Year." With two renlistment candidates and a known public person who has served before, I think we are in as good a shape for dealing with what is coming as we could be. Ideas will be thrashed out and perhaps there will be an awakening sense of reality about what is important and what is not. I wish them all the best. JamesMarsh on "RCA Bashing" http://www.riversideinfo.org/forum/topic/rca-bashing/page/8#post-13603 Mon, 27 Dec 2010 13:47:03 +0000 JamesMarsh 13603@http://www.riversideinfo.org/forum/ I truly believe that the RCA was unable to get candidates to run under the RCA banner simply because they would be a member of the RCA. No right-minded person would want to join a group that consistently ridicules the citizens and employees of the Village of Riverside. spatny on "RCA Bashing" http://www.riversideinfo.org/forum/topic/rca-bashing/page/8#post-13602 Fri, 24 Dec 2010 23:08:16 +0000 spatny 13602@http://www.riversideinfo.org/forum/ For the winners... and the "also rans"... a Christmas Classic: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X-dPUXSWoew" rel="nofollow">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X-dPUXSWoew</a> spatny on "RCA Bashing" http://www.riversideinfo.org/forum/topic/rca-bashing/page/8#post-13601 Thu, 23 Dec 2010 18:06:18 +0000 spatny 13601@http://www.riversideinfo.org/forum/ Enough of such frivolity. Here is my Christmas song for all of you, something really rare for you to share with the fair one, a reet treat from the Royal Roost, circa 1948. Dig it, and a cool Yule to all.... <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jhl0jGJvIw8&feature=related" rel="nofollow">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jhl0jGJvIw8&feature=related</a> Never doubt it - Bird Lives. And remember, as one of the radio greats, Daddy-O Daylie said: “There is always hope. When you get to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on.” JohnM on "RCA Bashing" http://www.riversideinfo.org/forum/topic/rca-bashing/page/7#post-13600 Thu, 23 Dec 2010 13:27:31 +0000 JohnM 13600@http://www.riversideinfo.org/forum/ It seems to me that the upcoming election demonstrates why the Caucus system exists. During the last election cycle, numerous posters on this forum, as well as the RCA candidates themselves, spent a significant amount of time criticizing the Caucus and suggesting that the system was unfair, outdated and somehow prevented the electorate from exercising free choice. Now, when nobody seems interested in running for office, we see that the Caucus has once again been able to put forth a slate of honest, public-spirited citizens who are willing to step up to the challenge. Consider what would happen if there wasn't such an organization--who would serve? Don's correct, of course, in that the RCA aren't required to field candidates or participate in the process, nor is anyone else. However, it seems to me that the current situation suggests that a good deal of the criticism leveled at the Caucus was unwarranted. spatny on "RCA Bashing" http://www.riversideinfo.org/forum/topic/rca-bashing/page/7#post-13597 Wed, 22 Dec 2010 21:42:53 +0000 spatny 13597@http://www.riversideinfo.org/forum/ My native tongue being english, I thought the phrase "better lame than never" was about the Lame Duck session in Congress, and how that was overcome. Instead I see it is for criticism of sitting elected officials to not "muster candidates." I don't hink that is in their job description. As far as I can tell, and I do read english, the sky has not fallen, Chicken Little. The cops got their squad vehicles, the residents got more cops than they have ever had before, there is a Rec program and commission with a paid director and assistant funded fully functioning, and there has not been an additional tax levy as in some other jurisdictions. Maybe some people had their fiefdoms circumcised, and that can hurt, ( I guess), but I can't see what there really is to moan about. Other than Dist. 96, which takes an inordinately big bite out of the tax apple, very few, if any, communities are labeling this a "golden age." I always prefer contested elections, and wish we were going to hear spirited discourse so we don't have people who get the votes of a third of the voters that enter the voting booth claim they have "a mandate" for whatever their pet project is, but nothing is perfect. Maybe the people that would have volunteered their time to run and serve are busy working two jobs to make ends meet and just can't spare the time. Or maybe they don't want to deal with the frenzied fury of the mob. Can't blame 'em... I've seen how much time these people - well, most of them - put into it, and I applaud them for their efforts. I personally think we will have seven people there for the next two years who can work together, despite the vitriol being ginned up by people that don't sign their work. Riverside, unfortunately, runs almost exclusively on real estate taxes and that is, unfortunately, the worst looking sector of the national economy, so I hope everybody on the Board will continue to work to keep our people working and the homeowners taxes as low as possible. I suspect that there are a lot more people in town upside down this year than there were two years ago... and values may not rise for several years, if then. So Good Luck to all of them... and please, Trustees, I hope that each and every one of you insist that a completed and comprehensive project proposal for the Dam removal project, one that protects the Village's interests and potential liabilities in regard to what negative effects it may have d from 31st Street to Ogden Avenue be presented and thoroughly vetted BEFORE any work is begun. Never forget that this Village was named Riverside for a reason. The Village should make it crystal clear that this project, if and when it goes forward, MUST OPERATE EXCLUSIVELY FROM THE SOUTH BANK. And we need to have and scrutinize a complete, 100% design stage proposal before anything happens. We can't become another New Orleans. This is not some game, and it won't be anyones "legacy" if it goes wrong and we end up like the Everglades. We need to see it all in writing, probe it and understand it and comment on it and make sure that the IDNR/ACofE foots the bill for anything negative that might occur down the road. It's a scandal that despite squandering over $1.5 million there is still no finished plan. Right now the Village Board has granted an easement for an incomplete project. The IDNR admits the plan is not finished, so why would anyone approve construction? We're dealing with people that have, by their own admission, never removed a dam in Illinois, have no outcome studies on similar projects, and yet want a three year easement to tear up the parks and do ... something? Experiment?In Riverside? And on this basis we grant an easement and tell them to go ahead? Eighty percent of the existing report is boilerplate, and the rest has been substatially disowned by the people that wrote it. They don't know what they are going to do with the PCB-contaminated sediment they expose and don't cart away - the eighty-five percent that will remain. They don't have a clue or a topographic map of what the river will be like after they destroy the Hofmann Dam, or even what that will look like. The fairy tale they pitched the Village and called, in 2006, "Detailed and Final" they now label "Preliminary" but claim they will have a new plan - soon. I for one can wait until they do. The Village must insist that this project be detailed in presentation, codified in writing and proof read by all the signatories that must approve it before the bulldozers start scraping up our parks, just as they would with any other construction project. If I wanted to build an outhouse at Indian Gardens I'd have to provide more details than these guys have done. What is going on here?So far this hasn't happened, and everyone who has ever built anything knows that only a sucker would start digging for a foundation before all the details are settled, yet we are told work could start within a month or two? This is a National Historic Landscape District, and the IDNR/Corps are not in compliance with the stipulations they agreed to back in 2003, to seek comments and approvals from the concurring parties on plans and specifications at the 75% design stage and 100% design stage before commencing demolition, construction, excavation, etc. Now I know that neither the Village Manager nor any of the sitting Trustees that voted to grant the easement have seen this new plan because it has not yet been written. Likewise, the IHPA, the Riverside Preservation and Historical Commission, The Lyons Historical Commissions have not seen it, the Building Department has not seen it, nobody has seen it. It has not yet been finished. I predict that this project will sink more ships than it will float boats. Is there no attorney in this town that will step up for a little pro bono work and file a little paperwork to make them wait to approve something until after thay have it, in writing? newriversider on "RCA Bashing" http://www.riversideinfo.org/forum/topic/rca-bashing/page/7#post-13596 Wed, 22 Dec 2010 15:35:05 +0000 newriversider 13596@http://www.riversideinfo.org/forum/ Just read the article in the Landmark regarding the uncontested race for the Village Board. Being curious I ventured onto the RCA's website. To my surprise (not really) I noticed that the latest update to that site was sometime in early 2010. I also noticed that it was a "No comments" website. I don't know...maybe it's just me but I would think that a party built on an "open and transparent" government would want to hear comments from the residents that are unable to attend the meetings...just saying. I also find it extremely interesting that they could not muster one candidate...but maybe that speaks to the general feelings people have for the RCA. PaulML02 on "RCA Bashing" http://www.riversideinfo.org/forum/topic/rca-bashing/page/7#post-13071 Fri, 11 Jun 2010 07:57:15 +0000 PaulML02 13071@http://www.riversideinfo.org/forum/ I don't know what a troll is, but this is pretty funny and clever. Simon or Val whoever you are, you at least had me going for a while. Yeah, we'll help you. PAR4 on "RCA Bashing" http://www.riversideinfo.org/forum/topic/rca-bashing/page/7#post-13070 Thu, 10 Jun 2010 17:00:17 +0000 PAR4 13070@http://www.riversideinfo.org/forum/ That's why I have always encouraged multiple personalities...you're never alone. EricSundstrom on "RCA Bashing" http://www.riversideinfo.org/forum/topic/rca-bashing/page/7#post-13066 Thu, 10 Jun 2010 10:02:05 +0000 EricSundstrom 13066@http://www.riversideinfo.org/forum/ I see we have attracted trolls to the board. Or maybe just one cause it sure looks like some fool is talking to himself.