Are you telling me that dump has doors on the restroom?

What idiot is responsible for letting this place open up there?

Where's your pride man?

Is there a cheesy, nasty Bar across the street from State House in Springfield?

How about the Lincoln Memorial, is there a run down stinky urine smelly Bar across from it with neon signs?

Let me tell you something, that Redneck Bar looks real nice next to that statue, "Madonna of the Trail clasping her baby."

I guarantee you if in 1911 the National Old Trails Road Committee could have seen in the future what was going to be next to that magnificent statue they would not have placed her there.

One more thing, Most of my life I have seen most bad judgments made on barstools. It looks to me that's where most of them have been made involving OUR City business.

Mr. I'm not leaving this town. I'm a TAXPAYER and a CITIZEN! You or no one else is going to run me off.

I think people are starting to see the light and the light is shining on the ringmaster. No longer are they being spoon feed information from City Hall.

This is not Communist China. We have a voice. We didn't have a voice until Ivandalia came along. Now we have one.

Doesn't that cramp your style? People having a voice and learning the truth?

Yours truely,

Homey

Have you ever set foot in the bar? Or are you just forming an opinion on what you think is true? I do take my wife in there. She has a lot of fun in there with the people in this fine establishment. The food is great, the atmosphere is nice, the service is good and the owner treats his customers like they are some kind of god. The place is clean, and does not smell like urine. This owner is a good hearted hard working man deciding to run a business of his choice. Maybe this owner doesn't like the business you are in, but he probably does not bash it. The owner just wants to make it through these tough economic times.

What kind of business do you think should start going into the downtown when the streets are opened up? I don't have that answer. I hope you or anyone else does. If you come up with a good idea I might try that that business.


The GANGSTER CUT RIBEYE is to die for!

That business doesn't fit the historical setting. It's already there so there's not much that can be done except let die on the vine.

For so long a few in Vandalia's government have run rough shot over the rest of us. Doing what they want, hiding what they want, spending what they want, pushing people around like they want. They haven't answered to anyone. No one has questioned them. They have had free reign.

Bubba, those days are coming to a close. The mafia's Cosa Nostra is over. The curtain has been raised and the citizens of this City are starting to see what's been on the stage.

We have watched this City dwindle away while City's around us have flourished abundantly. We don't even have a reliable water source. We don't have jobs, nothing. The only business making a go at it are the ones siphoning off the Interstate. All the rest of them do good to keep the lights on.

The only way we can get the numbers up on the census is to bring in convicted felons. What a joke. Any other city in America would strive to make their city more attractive for families. Not us, no it's easier to bring in prisoners.

I'm not into GANGSTER CUT RIBEYE. If I want a ribeye I'll go where the regular people go. One day we'll have a City Government that really cares about the people and business here and they won't try and turn it into their private playground.

For one thing Homey, what do you call normal people? I consider myself normal and there is only one person who should pass judgement on me

I own a business, and employ 8-12 people. I pay taxes, I care about my employees, and I also care about our communitty! I give my opinions to the city administration, and yes we don't get along all of the time. I do at least try to make it better for us and our children. Although you have a right to voice your opinion as do I, the city is doing everything they can to make things better. The big government is %90 of the problem.

You didn't answer my question. What sort of business do you feel should go in all the empty buildings? How about some constructive criticism? We are all looking for solutions! You, however thrive on only problems.

I sure would hate to live like that.

My $0.02,

I for one am disgusted with the fact that 0ld 140/Gallatin St. was not opened for the winter period. The lady on the radio station talked about it's winter closing for a solid week(closing for Christmas holiday period). One would think that a simple plan to barricade the uncompleted sidewalks would have been a logical & simple task allowing traffic to use the roadway.
I also understand why the contractor is not pleasantly opening the roadway up without expense compensation. He has liability concerns. SO---Old 140 is closed until spring.
But what about 4th Street? Why praytell could we not at least open that intersection up? It is tax season & a tax preparing firm lives on the block. The closed intersection requires one to drive almost a mile to simply get to the post office two blocks down the street. The two watering holes located on 4th street are bottlenecked due to the intersection being closed.
It looks to me like 2 barracades around the rock pile & one traffic control change would be all that's needed to get 4th street open. (IMHO) 10-4

ps. I did not intentionally leave out the businesses south of Old 140...just ran out of time to mention them. 10-4

Thank you MIG for joining IVandalia. Your comments are very much welcomed. Everyone knew this was going to be a tough undertaking but Merchants were counting on some competence in the planning and executing. Having streets closed months on end is a bit much to ask of area Merchants. Like I said before if the Mayor had a business that was directly effected he would made sure those streets were back open. He doesn't own a business there so it's no sweat off his back. If I were you I would be ringing City Hall and burning someone's ear, and calling the Radio Station along with the Leader Union.

Jsfcci, I will answer your questions about the empty spaces in old downtown.

First of all before you just go and throw in a business into a dead section of town you need to create a environment that is conducive to cash flow. Before people will spend money they need to have jobs. Before people will live here the City Government needs to be frugal with the tax payers money.

Who is the potential clientele? We can pretty much rule out the locals because most of them are hanging on by a thread. This City has not created a positive environment for entrepreneurs to start a business downtown.

Now, what kind of business could go downtown if we had the flourishing environment? Drive to Effingham and look around. What do they have that we don't have?

A discount shoe/boot store perhaps is one.

Specialty clothing stores.

Accounting/Legal Offices

Toy store/ specialty toys

Souvenir & card shop

Even a Army/Navy Surplus

Specialty Cake/Pie Store
Hobby Shop

Clothing Material Store.

Even if we had a flourishing City economically it will be a challenge to get people to shop downtown.

Even with this downtown enhancement work your not going to see cars lined up I-70 trying to get to downtown to shop.

This City has not had leadership for the past 9 years with a vision. If we had savvy leadership with real business sense we would have gone in with the County and purchased that building where that nasty Bar is. The tear it down and put in a nice building and then move in the Fayette County Museum there.

That's called creating an environment that is conducive to cash flow. You would have year round visitors coming in from all over the Country and visiting the Old State Capitol Building and the Museum.

We don't have leadership that can think further than one week ahead. Just a little over a year ago the Mayor was bragging the City was in good financial standing. Here we are today flat broke. Now I'm telling you the truth.

Look at this downtown enhancement job. It's killing our Merchants. It was supposed to help them. Not put them in Bankruptcy.

So you wanted to know what business could fill in the vacant buildings. It's irrelevant under the present leadership.

Now I have answered your question. Now answer mine. What makes you think we have a business across the street from the Old Capitol Building that would entice visitors from all over the country want to stop in and shop the downtown area?

What's your ideas to fix this botched, fiasco that we are now enduring?