Yep, DeKalb did another survey last fall, this time the National Citizen Survey administered by the National Research Center at the University of Colorado. About 400 towns, cities and other jurisdictions take the same survey each year, so we not only have ratings given by our own residents but can see how DeKalb stacks up…
Warehousing, dissecting the arguments for making it DeKalb’s premier industry
I find this whole argument over warehousing quite interesting. From the one side you have those who believe DeKalb can do better than this for its industrial base. For reference, I lean towards this side. There are others who believe that warehousing is the only industry we should seek out. There have been several arguments…
Rockefeller picks up ball, goes home
We knew something was up at last week’s City Council meeting because one of Mr. Keating’s people got dissed by the Rockefeller lawyer. That’s right, Mr. Keating’s realtor told the Council that legally re-routing traffic around the downtown area–even though it’s a state route going through, therefore by law a truck route–would be no problem-o…
Thank You, Northern Star
I would be remiss if I didn’t express my appreciation about an edited version of the “Open Letter to Kris Povlsen” appearing yesterday in the Perspective section of the Star. That same letter plus three previous LTTEs critical of the Business Center project were ignored by the Daily Chronicle. After this frustrating and disillusioning shutout,…
Open Letter to Alderman Kris Povlsen, 12/1
Mr. Povlsen: At last Monday’s City Council meeting, when the Council voted to approve tax abatements and fee waivers for the newest 3M project in town (“Project Oak”), you commented that some people misperceive such incentives as corporate welfare, whereas you would encourage us to think of these incentives as investments in our future. Mr.…
Letter #3 of the “Blacklist Collection”
One of the reasons I began blogging here is that the Chronicle suddenly began suppressing my letters-to-the-editor and I was looking for other outlets for my views. Any criticism of the DCEDC and its executive director, Roger Hopkins, seems to be off-limits. However, I cannot omit my opinions on his involvement in warehouse mania because…
Logistics Growth in Chicago Area
Well, we knew from the volume of articles we’ve found that logistics is in full boom here, but now we’ve found the numbers: logistics is experiencing 12-15% growth that will continue over the next few years. Most of this growth comes from 3PLs, which stands for “third-party logistics,” a newer trend where the developer builds…
Warehousing, the Boom-bust Cycle, & Foreign Trade Zones
Here is a copy of the letter I sent to City Council members today. It references my Monday speech at the public hearing (see below) but also discusses a new area of concern. Dear Aldermen & Mayor, Last Monday at the City Council public hearing, I urged you not to “put all our tax eggs…
Public Hearing on Warehouse Annexation
The following is a copy of the speech I made at the City Council at the public hearing Monday night. I’m including it because it summarizes my views & because my next entry will make more sense if you see the speech first. Good evening. Thank you for hearing me tonight. I live in the…
Regarding the Road Trip
The hosts were gracious, the company good. If Mr. Keating were trying to sell me a car–or a nice little office park–he might have made the sale. I understand a whole lot better the rationale for embracing another warehouse–not that I buy it, only that I understand now what they (Keating, Hopkins et al) are…