Want diversity? (Wink. Wink. Nudge. Nudge.) Jacob says, "Head North!"

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I enjoyed watching the repeat of last night's council meeting on Channel 22 this afternoon. Better entertainment than Desperate Housewives, by a long shot. It was the first time in quite awhile I felt cable was worth having.

Baby Boy Aaron Schock gave a well rehearsed and glowing speech about the State Budget. Huh, I thought that the Journal Star reported that he voted against it?

I wish I could have been there in person, I'm sure the heated exchange between Sandberg and Oliver regarding basketball hoops was electrifying. This stupid debate over kids playing basketball in the street and whether yet another ordinance against it is called for sucked up more time than any other issue. Sandberg and Oliver took caddy, verbal swipes at each other until Daddy, I mean Mayor, Ardis reigned them in.

However, my favorite part was the swearing in of Jacob. He looked to have had a few before the meeting. He stumbled through his promise to up hold the constitution, etc. The poor guy actually stuttered through his own name! Maybe he was nervous. Even better was his acceptance speech, which amounted to a sad string of over used cliches. Jacob had the nerve to say that Peoria was a great community because of its diversity. Diversity. Yeah, right. The guy lives as far north in Peoria as one can get. People don't live in literal spitting distance of Dunlap for diversity, George, and we all know it. I felt a bit bad for Jacob, and I'm gonna try to lay off him a bit after this post because he doesn't seem, well, particularly smart. I think this may be - to a large degree - why he was chosen. I suspect he will be Ardis' and Spears' well connected lackey. In the congratulatory speeches Turner said that he had been friends with Jacob for over ten years. Spears actually held Jacob's son on his lap at his seat in the horseshoe in a manner nothing short of odd. Oh, and of course, Sen. Shadid was there, beaming away. So, allow me to recap the Who's Who of Jacob's Good Old Boys Club:

Rep. Leitch
Sen. Shadid
Tim Elder, Board Chairman of the Peoria Area Chamber of Commerce
Tim Elder, Director of Public Affairs at Caterpillar
Bill Spears, Fourth District Councilman and BROTHER IN LAW (Who didn't abstain from voting for him by the way.)

But I'm sure the Council and Ardis are right. Despite being given his business by Daddy and doing nothing more for the community than writing checks (coaching your own kids hockey team doesn't count), I'm sure Jacob is an outstanding guy and will be a wonderful and effective addition to the council.

He began his first session by abstaining on a liquor vote.
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