Fire Department's Take Over of Peoria Complete

You remember junior high school. Walking into to the cafeteria could be a terrifying experience, depending on who controlled the lunchroom that day. There were the Beautiful People, The Jocks, Stoners, Losers, Geeks... each had their own domain. If you lacked a title, you were a loner.

The City of Peoria is no different. The City is controlled by a few downtown cliques. In some ways these cliques are good, in other ways they are revolting. None of them are entirely inclusive. None of them totally have the citizens best interest completely in mind. In many ways, the average everyday citizens of Peoria are loners, left behind by the very people whose job it is to serve and represent them.

The Jocks have been replaced by the Fire Firefighters Union. The strongest and most political Union in Peoria. Yes, stronger than the Police Benevolence and even the UAW. They hover at every City Council meeting, and they exact a price if they are not pleased. Ask Gale Thetford, Peoria's former Third District Councilwoman. She voted to partially close Fire Station 11 due to budget constraints, and behold... Bob Manning appears on the scene backed by the Fire Fighters who not only funded his race but did a lot of in kind work as well. From circulating petitions, to stabbing in numerous yard signs, to distributing literature, Manning essentially had a staff working in kind. Before the Station 11 vote, Thetford was the recipient of all this love. One vote, and Gale was the ugly duckling no one would be seen with at prom. Someone should have told newcomer Angela Anderson that she never had a chance. Manning was the overwhelming choice of voters, as every firefighter and union household in the third district had a Manning yard sign in front of it. It certainly helped that Manning has a well known name, but he couldn't done it without help.

The open at large seat is destined to be filled by someone who has best courted Local 50. Just watch.