Texas arrogant in their proposal

The incentive packages are in, the studies have been completed, and the meetings have been held. Now it is a waiting game for the four finalists being considered for the FutureGen Alliance power plant and research facility.

Illinois passed legislation that all but matched Texas’s CO2 indemnification policies towards FutureGen. The Illinois cities fighting for the project appear to more qualified then the Texas cities. Geology is better, work force is better, topography is better, and we have better access and are closer to research facilities.

The alliance has said all along that is politics will not play a factor in the decision, and while incentive packages will be analyzed, they will not guarantee the project. This did not stop the State of Texas from offering a one billion dollar incentive package to attempt to bring the project to their state. This is over ten times Illinois’s financial incentive package.

This prompted Texas Bureau of Economic Geology Director and the chief organizer of Texas' FutureGen bids, Scott Tinker to claim “Game Over” on the FutureGen decision process.

The financial incentive package is only one factor in the decision, and it is clear Texas feels they can buy the project. We will soon see if the FutureGen bites. I question the economics of offering $1 billion for a $1.5 billion project. If Texas has a billion dollars for this, they could spend it on there own plant.

The difference in these packages may go farther in showing Illinois’s need for economic development then Texas’s flexing of monetary muscle. Texas state budget is over twice Illinois’, while their population is just under half.

Whether Illinois or Texas is chosen for FutureGen, I will always remember the arrogance of the Texas official who claimed “Game Over” before the choice was made. This attitude does not fare well for the state and public officials should choose their words more wisely. A more diplomatic response would have been something like “We feel our incentive package is what the Alliance is looking for in their decision and makes up for the Texas’ sites shortcomings”

I don’t know if the financial package will be the deciding factor in the choice, but Texas should keep in mind they may need to look to Illinois for assistance in the future, perhaps on this project or maybe something else. I hope Illinois remembers their arrogant attitude towards this when that happens.

I know I will remember when it comes time to spend my tourism dollars. Texas is struck off my list of places to visit until they show to be a friendlier state. I know the lack of my tourist dollars won’t make a difference to a state that can afford $1 billion for a $1.5 billion project, but I will have piece of mind.

The changing faces of Las Vegas

One of my guilty pleasures in life is the occasional trip to Las Vegas. Four trips in the last 15 or so years have seen many changes in city of sin.

My first trip, the airport was in the middle of the desert a few miles from the city, now the city has grown around it. Most of the hotels from those first trips are now gone and replaced with mega-hotels.

The MGM is the largest hotel in the world with 5044 rooms. A cab driver told me (*cough* they never lie *cough*) their power bills are $6 million per month. I hope they don’t have Ameren as a provider.

The first time I went to Vegas I was the youngest person there. Most visitors were approaching or had recently entered retirement. This changed throughout the 1990’s when they tried to make Las Vegas more family friendly. But that seems to have subsided some and now they are slowly returning to the adult playground theme that made it famous.

Slot machines have undergone a drastic change in the last 15 years. Like every other industry, gaming has become much more automated. They no longer take coins. Instead they print vouchers with your winnings. Instead of an attendant making change, there are ATM’s to break bills and cash your vouchers.

Also gone are the low bet tables. If you want to play 2 dollar black jack, you have to play a machine. There are even roulette machines for the lower denominations.

Another change is the range of bets that can be made on a machine. If you’ve ever played slots, you know to win the jackpot you have to make the maximum bet allowed on the machine. My early trips, this was usually three or five times the denomination of the machine. A nickel machine would have a top bet of twenty-five cents. Now a nickel machine may have a top bet of five dollars. Cheap gamblers like myself have a far less chance of winning the jackpot since the top bet is out of our range.

A trip to Las Vegas to me now is more about the food then anything else. Sure the cheap all you can eat buffets are still around, but now there are many world-class restaurants to choose from as well. This last trip was dedicated to trying food we have never tried before. Raw oysters, sushi, and duck were all on our plates.

Maybe the next big change will be in transportation down the strip. Walking from hotel to hotel is very tiring. Cabs are expensive and the traffic is horrible. They recently completed a monorail, but the stations are in the back of the hotels away from attractions. If shops and attractions begin to locate close to these stations, this may very well be the best way to travel the strip.

A trip to Vegas can be as cheap or expensive as you wish to make it. I like the escape from life for a few days. But after about three days, its time to return to the grind.

One step forward, two steps back

One of the problems with writing a weekly column is it can be six or seven days from the time the column is written to the time it is printed. This is amplified when writing on a topic a fluid as the boiler slag fiasco of recent. I revised my column last week as the situation changed but was not able to submit it before press time.

The slag saga peaked at the council meeting where the city acknowledged their mistake and agreed to overlay the midtown streets with asphalt. They were clear that it was the City’s mistake and not just one person’s mistake.

“When you make a mistake, first you admit to it which we’ve done. Then you apologize for it, which we’ve done and continue to do. Then you address what to do to correct the mistake, which is what we are doing now” is how Commissioner Randy Ervin explained the situation.

The council also approved the purchase of an ambulance for the fire department. When the money was appropriated for the ambulance last spring, it was agreed a committee would be formed to advise the council on the best action to take. Though it was not specifically stated, the impression was given this would be an open committee with announced members and their progress would be published for public review before council actions.

Instead, most did not even know the study had started until it was over. While I don’t think it would have changed the result, by not updating the public on the meetings gives the appearance of wanting to keep them secret. And since there is some controversy on this subject the image of secrecy is not one that should be portrayed.

Another resolution passed was a mutual aid agreement with the Charleston Fire department. The agreement says Mattoon’s Fire Station No. 2 at the airport can be first responders to the Coles Business Park that is in the City of Charleston. In return, The Charleston Fire department shall provide automatic aid response of similar nature upon request of such agreement from Mattoon Fire Department.

I am in favor to intergovernmental agreements. And with the proximity of the fire station to the business park it makes perfect sense they should be first responders. It doesn’t make sense to let a building burn with firefighters so close.

But this agreement seems a little one sided. It appears Charleston is getting increased fire protection from the taxpayers of Mattoon. What portion of Mattoon is better served from Charleston’s fire department? The full text of the agreement is in the council packet available on the City of Mattoon website.

Not every aspect of these topics is bad. All are meant to better the quality of life for the citizens of Coles County. It is the process and the details that need refined.

Boiler Slag

Boiler slag is a byproduct of coal power plants and is used as an alternative to aggregate in asphalt. It is also used as a blotter in seal coat applications (oil and chip).
The City of Mattoon tested the slag last year on a couple of blocks and it worked well. So this year they put it on most of the streets downtown. Normally they wouldn't oil and chip in the business district, but slag remains black and pavement markings can be applied after it cures. They are planning to narrow the lanes and widen the sidewalks within the next five years but needed to do something in the meantime something needed to be done. This seemed like a good option.
The application failed miserably. The oil didn't cure properly and the slag is being tracked all over town. The city is now scrambling to fix the problem, but the damage is done. They will probably appropriate emergency funds next week to remove the slag and do something else.

Some have theorized, last years test was successful because it was done in the fall and this year it was a lot hotter. But every specification I’ve seen for applying seal coat gives a lower temperature but not an upper temperature to be applied. According to The Asphalt Institute “The best time to apply surface treatment is when weather conditions are hot and dry for some weeks to come….air temp to be above 50 degrees F and surface temp to be above 70 degrees F”

They applied the slag using the exact same method as the test strips. Maybe something was different in the oil, maybe the streets weren’t prepped properly, or maybe the slag had small dust particles on it. No matter what the cause, this is one of the biggest messes in recent history.

Using boiler slag is cheaper and looks better then regular oil and chip (when the application works). It is a byproduct of coal power plants and may soon be in abundance in the area. This caught the city off guard as much as anyone, and they are feverishly trying to correct it.

I hope if they use it again, they will get a better understanding of how the product works. Perhaps start slow and use it on low traffic streets first. Try applying it at different times of the year to see how it cures. It looks like it could be a very good alternative to oil and chip streets, but first impressions are lasting ones, and most people’s impression of boiler slag is one big headache.

My main criticism to the City at this point is length of time it’s taking to fix this. “The speed of government” is to slow on this one.