12 FOOD | Homemade pancakes 13 FILM | Tenant 15 MUSIC | David Francisco FREE September 3-9, 2020 • Vol. 46, No. 7 A generous community Assistance becomes decentralized and more accessible 8 COMMUNITY | Carey Smith September 3-9, 2020 | Illinois Times | 1 2 | www.illinoistimes.com | September 3-9, 2020 OPINION First, deal with Getting soaked police mental City wrestles with Booth-Ferguson health GUESTWORK | Stephen Soltys, M.D. UPON FURTHER REVIEW | Bruce Rushton I am recently returned from two weeks on the Houston. In the course of failing to complete The current national discussion on road, where I social-distanced via motorcycle and work, Lawrence didn’t pay $1.2 million in benefits policing in America has appropriately lack of hygiene – six feet apart is no problem when for union workers, which has understandably focused on systemic racism and brutality. you’ve been camping and haven’t showered in upset organized labor. However, it has left out one key awhile. The new developers have promised to make issue to which almost everyone appears The most memorable moment came the first good on unpaid benefits. They’ve also promised blind: We are not going to get the quality night, when, caught in an OMG electrical storm, to finish a project that will bring 41 apartments policing we want until we have a concern I slept in a car wash off Highway 36 in rural to a downtown where “For Lease” signs abound, for officer wellness in the area of mental Missouri. If I’d left the next morning instead of and they haven’t blinked at the city saying not a health. departing after dark, if I’d heeded lightning ahead dime of public money will be turned over until the Policing is stressful. The average male instead of pressing on, I would not have slept on project is finished. They’ve given the city financing police officer’s life expectancy is 21.9 years concrete, soaked by horizontal rain delivered by plans, and they have track records. shorter than the average American. epic wind. Chesterfield Faring, a New York real estate While the rate for dying in the line While I was away, Mayor Jim Langfelder investment firm that doesn’t shy from distressed of duty is about 9.3 police officers per Rick Lawrence three years ago outside the Booth- 100,000 per year, the even more disturbing unveiled a plan for the downtown Booth and properties, owns the note and is cobbling the deal. Ferguson project that remains unfinished. statistic is that the suicide rate of police Ferguson buildings. The public tab -- $3.15 When and if the city agrees to TIF financing, the PHOTO BY DAVE HINE million in tax increment financing funds – isn’t endeavor would be turned over to Tom Lee, who officers is about 22 per 100,000. out of line with prior subsidies of almost $4 runs an East Coast construction management Yes, police officers are more likely to million, nearly $1 million of which has been company, and Charles Everhardt, a Chicago die by their own hand. is anywhere near it. While the developers say One of the major issues for this spent. It sounds a darn sight more reasonable than financier who’s dabbled in video gambling that Lawrence will have no role managing the $7.65 million in TIF money that the city council enterprises and has built and redeveloped disturbing statistic is the failure of police project, Lawrence tells me that he wants Siciliano departments to recognize and treat post- granted last year to a developer who, at last report, everything from gas stations to Hooters restaurants Construction, his contracting firm, to have a shot was banking on a Spanish financier to build a to historic buildings in the Windy City. Also, traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in their at doing the work, which I’m guessing means that officers. Various studies have put the downtown hotel featuring a bowling alley and there was a failed attempt to bring a pro basketball Siciliano would do the work. “If you steal once, rooftop bar and an indoor swimming pool and a franchise to Las Vegas. incidence of PTSD in police in the range you’ll steal again,” says Brad Schaive, business of 4-18%. But some studies have placed lot of other things that smart money always said They’re bottom feeders, but so what? There is manager of Laborers Local 477. “Nobody’s against would never transpire. nothing, per se, wrong with halibut. And the city sub-syndromal PTSD symptoms in up to the project. It’s just that people know that Rick’s 34% of police. City council members who now squawk about might well be dealing with these folks again, given still in it.” the Booth-Ferguson proposal last year approved that Chesterfield Faring has acquired mortgages Many of the public don’t realize how The city, years ago, should have better often police are placed in life-threatening public money for the hotel-with-a-bowling-alley on the Illinois and PNC buildings in addition recognized risk. The city approved TIF financing deal absent a financing plan and shortly before to buying the loan on the Booth and Ferguson situations. A 2015 study of police in rural under former Mayor Mike Houston even though and small town settings found 42.6% municipal elections, praising the project as a buildings for $2 million, leaving the prior lender Siciliano had failed to complete construction catalyst for downtown revitalization. Ward 1 with a $1 million haircut. were threatened with a gun at least once projects for public entities ranging from and 45.5% reported being threatened Ald. Chuck Redpath said back then that it was a The city council behaves as if it has the upper Springfield School District 186 to the Illinois winner, despite a zillion unanswered questions. hand while downtown real estate sells for next to with other weapons. There were 29.7% Department of Transportation, according to a who reported feeling trapped in a life- He now thunders about transparency and blasts nothing, if it sells at all. Absent public subsidies, 2006 lawsuit filed against the company by Safeco, Mayor Jim Langfelder for producing insufficient there’s no way that the Booth-Ferguson buildings threatening situation. which had issued surety bonds. The failures came Thus a career in policing is well-suited information about the Booth-Ferguson project: will ever be more than they are today. The holdup after the state withheld money for Siciliano’s work We should, he says, sic Attorney General Kwame is Lawrence, whom the new developers call a to developing PTSD. The person with on the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library PTSD has intrusive, involuntary and Raoul on Rick Lawrence, the original developer consultant and won’t discard. Council members and Museum. The state ultimately paid Siciliano who won TIF money under former Mayor Mike and union types say no deal so long as Lawrence recurrent memories of traumatic events what was owed under the ALPLM contract, with (flashbacks). The individual may have the company forgoing $5.5 million in claims for trouble recalling important aspects of additional expenses, and the lawsuit was resolved the traumatic event and develop negative out of court. beliefs about life in general with persistent Editor’s note Lawrence now acknowledges mistakes in the negative emotions. Booth-Ferguson project and says he’s determined to Another significant symptom is arousal Kenosha is a little smaller than Springfield, but not much, so it’s easy to imagine us in Kenosha’s make things right. He and the city council should and reactivity resulting in generally place. Maybe Springfield police are trained better, so they wouldn’t overreact with a gun to remember that decisions come with consequences: irritable behavior with angry outbursts somebody carrying a knife, but another police shooting could happen here. There is a strong If you ignore storm clouds, you risk sleeping in a car that can be reckless and self-destructive. and thoughtful Black Lives Matter movement in Springfield, so we could expect a responsible wash. The city needs to make this deal work because Finally, there is a strong tendency to avoid nonviolent protest here, along with violent looters eager to exploit it. If President Trump came to this trip needs to end, the sooner, the better. reminders of traumatic events that can Springfield in the aftermath of an incident, how might he be welcomed to the land Lincoln? serve as triggers, including talking about –Fletcher Farrar, editor and CEO Contact Bruce Rushton at [email protected]. continued on page 5 September 3-9, 2020 | Illinois Times | 3 OPINION Put science before politics POLITICS | Rich Miller When Gov. JB Pritzker announced the state science, not politics.” just gotta bite the bullet. COVID-19 “mitigation” plan for the Metro It didn’t help that Pritzker failed to reach That region is on the verge of getting East on Aug. 16, he said it was done in conjunc- out to the two Republican legislators before totally out of control, if it isn’t already. Illinois tion “with local officials in the Metro East making his announcement. So, they too had a can’t do anything about Missouri. Deal with region and across the border in St. Louis.” valid point. Illinois. Last week, though, the governor admitted On a crass political level, the Metro East Thankfully, Pritzker seemed chastened by the cross-border arrangement to try to contain was instrumental to Pritzker’s 2018 Demo- the whole experience last week when pressed the virus’ spread was a “mistake.” Man, was it cratic primary win.