PeoriaStory

The Toyota Prius tire debacle: a true cautionary tale

PEORIA, IL -- Did you know that some new cars now come without spare tires?  The sales people might not tell you and the owner's handbook might not either in a straightforward way.

But you will learn the hard way, being stranded, waiting for a tow truck. That is, if your cell phone is in the car and it works to summon help.

That's what happened to me and my husband on August 17.  Our Prius IV is less than three months old, with about 4,500 miles on it.  It's under a full warranty by Toyota except for an exception: the tires. 

Since there's no spare tire, which we discovered while fruitlessly trying to locate it in the truck or beneath the car, there's a 'kit' of 'gunk' to be pumped into the flat tire to repair it and pump it up.

Those kits never work, the tow truck driver told us.  Our's didn't. The tow truck driver's device to pump up flats didn't work either.  So the car was towed to the Toyota dealer in Peoria for a new tire, wheel balancing, and a new 'kit.'  Total cost:$350. Not covered by the warranty.

Our auto insurance covered the tow truck, and the other costs go toward our deductible of $500. The tow damaged the bumper which means body work, so in all the blowout will cost us $500 before the insurance covers the rest. 

We were grateful for the tow, since huge trucks were passing us from two feet away going 80 miles per hour.  It was a dangerous situation. One inattentive driver and we would die.

An auto driver without a cell phone or one that could not get a signal, on a deserted road at night, would be sleeping in his vehicle. Or worse

This is a serious traffic safety issue. 

Now for the tire warranty.  Surely the Bridgestone/Firestone tire warranty would cover the cost.  No.  If you use the 'kit' to fix a tire, even if it doesn't work, the warranty is voided.  It's in the small print. That's not in the car handbook either.

We took the blown out tire home to examine it.  No rips or visible punctures. We don't know what happened to it.  Was it defective?  The tire dealer also looked at it and said maybe it picked up a nail that then fell out. The warranty doesn't cover road damage either, only defects. And not that, if you use the 'kit' to try to fix it.

We're not done with these issues.  So check back for updates.

 -- Elaine Hopkins

8/31/16: I filed a complaint with Toyota. The response: the kit is not part of the warranty unless it is defective, and it apparently worked but failed to fix the tire, which likely was off the rim. So we're out $100 for the kit unless we return it, which we might do.

The woman who took my complaint said it would be documented.  I suggested that customers should be told in writing that there's no spare tire, and using the kit voids the tire warranty which is worthless anyway as it doesn't cover road damage. So buyer beware!

Junius Rodriguez running for Congress, 18th District

PEORIA, IL -- Congressman Darin LaHood, R-Peoria, slipped into his Congressional seat in the 18th District thanks to low voter turnout in a special election. Now he faces real opposition from Democrat Junius Rodriguez, a Eureka College history professor and author, who is a good speaker and knows the issues. 

The November 8 election will determine the winner in this huge district, of 19 counties and a population of more than 710,000.

LaHood,a lawyer and former federal prosecutor, is the son of former 18th District congressman and US Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood.He's known as a moderate Republican.

Ray LaHood has refused to endorse controversial GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump. But Darin LaHood has endorsed Trump. Has he made a huge mistake?

Darin LaHood has refused invitations to debate Rodriguez.  But Rodriguez is an active campaigner, meeting people everywhere.  On August 25 he met two dozen voters at a private house party where he addressed them and answered questions between personal handshakes.

Here is a recordings of his talk.

Download Rodriguez 1 Aug 25

Here is a recording of the question and answer session.

Download Rodriguez 2 Aug 25

Rodriguez said he decided to run for Congress as an example to his students. "I've tried to encourage out students to be engaged. I don't want to say I'm part of the problem."

He added, "I'm upset about the tone of politics. I know we can be better than what we have seen and witnessed."

ln addition, "this is a real strange year....Everything we think we know about politics in 2016 has proved to be wrong."

The 18th District has a history of moderate Republicans serving in Congress, he said. "We need to flip the district back to moderates."

"We need a Congressman who is not going to endorse the likes of Donald Trump," and who is not a "science denier," involved with "special interests," and takes "PAC money from outside the district," he said.

"We have to go back to where we were," back to bipartisanism, he said.

"We have a real opportunity to do something this time, "  in the nine weeks before the election, he said. "Tell your friends."

 Rodriguez has a website with position papers, and is on Facebook and Twitter.

In addition to his endorsement of Trump,  LaHood has an interesting past -- problems as a federal prosecutor in Nevada. Here are the details.

 -- Elaine Hopkins

More talk, and some ideas

PEORIA, IL -- The Peoria District 150 School Board at its August 22 meeting voted to increase the time limit for public comments to five minutes.  It was cut to three minutes a couple of years ago after the board grew tired of complaints from the public. 

Those who regularly comment have been requesting the return of five minutes, and it happened, perhaps because most of the complaints have stopped with the exit of the previous superintendent.

Now here are two more suggestions to improve public access:

1. Allow people who want to comment to sign up any time prior to the public comment time, as the Peoria City Council does. That way someone who arrives late can still comment. Now the sign up time stops when the meeting begins.
   
2. Move the comment period up on the agenda.  Now it follows presentations by staff members and others, which can drone on and on. While they are imposing time limits, these should be limited to seven or ten minutes.  Now they take so much time that the public comments may not happen until nearly two hours into the meetings.

The two of the three public comments on August 22 involved concerns over the new transportation policy, which requires children to walk to school unless they live far away,  One commenter, Amr Elsamny, offered to set up a private service of volunteers to drive the kids, but admitted he's been told that liability issues make this idea problematic.

Another commenter, Mary Beth Cunningham, agreed, but added that her son  goes to Northmoor and loves it.

Jeff Adkins-Dutro, head of the teacher's union, expressed concern over the 68 teacher vacancies, as well as the $300,000 purchase of a virtual system for some high school classes to replace teachers. 

Supt.Sharon Desmoulin-Kherat and board president Martha Ross agreed with his concerns over the vacancies and said they are working hard to fill them. The computerized virtual system may help for now, they said. "We have to be creative," the superintendent said.

Here is a recording of the comments and responses.

Download D150 Aug 22

The Peoria Journal Star story is here and worth reading for more information about the budget and the tax resolution to be on the ballot in November.   

        ---Elaine Hopkins

 Activist Sharon Crews attended the meeting, and afterwards wrote this commentary:

The following appeared on the Consent Agenda for the Peoria Public Schools Board of Education meeting on August 22, 2016. “A pilot program with Proximity Learning, Inc., for the staffing of four unfilled classroom positions at Manual High School through remote technology. Proposed Action: That the Board of Education approve the professional agreement with Proximity Learning, a national substitute teacher provider, to pilot the staffing of the four unfilled classroom positions at Manual High school through remote technology.

The board voted to postpone their vote on this proposal until the next board meeting.

I, Sharon Crews, would appreciate your input as to whether or not you agree with this proposal. If you would like to influence the board’s decision, please write to board members or speak at the next meeting of the board on September 12, 2016. These are my thoughts on the subject that I have sent to board members and Dr. Kherat:

Please, above all else, let me assure you that I believe in Dr. Kherat’s love for this district and her desire and ability to make it successful for students and teachers. Also, I believe the district now has a board that can help Dr. Kherat in achieving the goals necessary for success. Yes, as you might guess, I am preparing you for my plea, asking you to say “No” to the Proximity Learning pilot program.

Dr. Lathan had hinted at such a plan for dealing with the teacher shortage. I was prematurely happy in believing that the idea had disappeared.

First, since there are currently 68 unfilled teaching positions and the likelihood that the teacher shortage will continue, I fear that this pilot program will be deemed a success without any substantial proof of student achievement. Then, instead of finding ways to recruit qualified teachers, the district will resort to this solution for teacher shortages—one that I believe will completely destroy all hopes of restoring academic standards that have been steadily eroding.

Second, why was Manual chosen for this experiment? All the reasons that come to my mind are very negative.

As you consider your response to this program, please consider first the cost that was estimated at $300,000. Dr. Kherat did take exception to that figure, but it can’t be much less. Please remember that the cost includes not only the salary for the “remote” teacher (who probably won’t be paid all that well) but also, the payment to the Proximity Learning company and the salaries of the subs physically present. Also, consider all the technology that will be required—and more importantly the cost of repairing and replacing the technology—and the teaching time lost when the inevitable equipment failures occur.

I have observed over the last several years how much this district (and districts all over the country) are relying on companies to try to do the work of teachers, counselors, and all who have contact with students. Please consider the very great possibility that these companies are far more interested in profit than in the success of our district. Computers, etc., and these expensive programs aren’t going to restore educational success. Computers or teachers who appear on monitors cannot inspire students who come to the classroom with all the problems for which Derrick Booth has been hired (and I applaud that decision) to help students conquer their roadblocks to learning.

Board members, you proved last night that you are all up to the task of turning this district around. I applaud your voting to pull this issue out for discussion, Dan Walther’s request that the board be given more time to consider this proposal, Dr. Davison-Aviles’ assessment that probably only a teacher can provide, the student board member’s amazing impromptu acknowledgement of the importance of student-teacher relationships to the learning process, and all of you for voting to table the issue.

Using proximity learning to fill four of sixty-eight unfilled teaching positions is not going to make a dent in the current problem; therefore, I have to believe that the program’s purpose is for the reason I suggested above—to fill many more shortages in the future. Please, please direct your attentions and the district’s finances to the recruiting, retention, wellbeing, and academic fulfillment of teachers. Please stop trusting companies whose CEOs are getting rich off of taxpayer money meant to help students, not to line the pockets of opportunists.

Please do not entrust the district’s young people to companies and computer programs. Please give teachers opportunities for relationships that will last as mine have for over a fifty-year span. I am so grateful that District 150 did provide me the support to build these wonderful relationships with students.- 30 -

Local candidates

PEORIA, IL -- This looks interesting. From a news release.

Change Peoria Hosts Major Bernie Sanders Live Stream Event August 24

PEORIA, IL. Change Peoria is hosting a major Bernie Sanders live stream event on August 24 8pm at Peoria Pizza Works. During the live stream Bernie Sanders will introduce his new organization Our Revolution. Our Revolution's goal is to continue the work of the Sanders Presidential campaign to make our political and economic systems responsive to the needs of working families. The public and media is welcome to attend this free live stream event to learn more about the new organization and how to get involved in local politics.

Over ten thousand people in Peoria County voted for Bernie Sanders in the Presidential primaries. Bernie Sanders started a grassroots movement to change politics. Change Peoria and Our Revolution wants to continue the grassroots movement and inspire, recruit, and support progressive candidates starting at the local level. In addition to empowering new progressive leaders to revitalize our democracy, we need to educate the public about important issues and offer solutions to address them.

Event Details

What: Bernie Sanders live stream introducing Our Revolution

Where: Peoria Pizza Works, 3921 N Prospect Rd, Peoria Heights

When: Wednesday August 24

Live stream starts at 8pm

Arrive starting at 7:30pm

About Change Peoria

Change Peoria is a recently formed local independent grassroots political organization which empowers people in the metropolitan Peoria area to develop accountable, transparent, and responsive governments for all by ensuring inclusivity, justice, and equity. Our methods include backing candidates, supporting issues, and educating the public. We are currently focusing on the Peoria City Council elections in April 2017. Learn more at ChangePeoria.org.

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Akeson nails it

PEORIA, IL -- With poise and razor sharp language Peoria City Council member-at-large Beth Akeson apologized, clarified and explained a couple or recent Twitter comments that some criticized as racist.

Her August 9 news conference in City Hall drew an overflow audience of activists and interested people, as well as the local news media.  It soon became clear that some of the activists, who said they are members of the local Black Lives Matter group, were concerned with more than Akeson's unfortunate comments.

They want support from City Hall, some said. "Since we don't own homes down there (Southtown) we don't take care of it," one admitted. "Tell us where the money is," she said. "We're not asking for a handout."

Another said "nobody comes out to help our community."

The woman, a teacher, said "girls feel like our lives don't matter." 

(My take here -- that's sad, but they should stop worrying about what others think and learn and achieve something.)

"You didn't validate how I felt," said one, responding to Akeson's detailed explanation, that when she criticized Black Lives Matter after the Dallas police shooting, it was because she saw people on television advocating violence against the police.  She later learned that these were fringe characters who were not part of the group's platform, she said.

(My take -- has anyone seen the recent take down on "feelings" as opposed to facts on the John Oliver TV show? Facts win every time.)

Akeson,a Republican but liberal on some social issues, is a strong supporter of urban planning, historic preservation, and other measures that make a city desirable.  She works for those goals, she said, but is only "one person out of 11" council members.

She criticized Peoria's "slum landlords" whose tenants may live in terrible conditions.

She had been supporting Donald Trump, she said. But since he lately went "off the rails," she likely will vote for the Libertarian candidate, she said.

She turned to Twitter to express her opinion about a Fox TV show, she said, though she watches all the TV networks, both liberal and conservative.

She had done 842 Tweets, but "nobody ever paid attention." Then a couple of Tweets went viral, drawing so many obscene and vulgar comments that she shut down the account, she said. 

But it's not all bad. This an opportunity to talk about race and poverty, she said, and engage people "who feel like they are not heard." 

She will hold a Town Hall meeting soon, she said, for more discussion. "Too many people are afraid to talk about these things." 

Change is messy, she said. "I am willing to be one of the people that moves in the right direction....If you really want change, you suffer the consequences." 

Here is a recording of the first hour of the news conference.

Download Akeson

Here's the later version of the PJS story on the event.

 --  Elaine Hopkins

 

Link Peoria Stadium with a tax vote

PEORIA, IL --  The public comment session of the August 8 Peoria District 150 School Board meeting produced a very interesting idea.  Activist Terry Knapp asked the board to link the renovation of Peoria Stadium to any future referendum for school construction.

That referendum failed a few years ago, but with a new superintendent of the Peoria Public Schools that everyone likes, it might pass on a second try. It is under discussion but has not yet been placed on a ballot.

Knapp urged the board to develop a plan and include Peoria Stadium if the board wants the referendum to pass. "People want to move on (Peoria Stadium) and create a facility second to none," he said.

He also addressed the Quest charter school, and noted it had been involved with the Turkish man that is now being blamed by Turkish rulers for the failed coup. That Turkish connection was cut off a couple of years ago, however. It is a public school, taking $5.5 million yearly in tax funds, he said.  But it has high teacher turnover, and a small enrollment.

Here is a recording of the public comments. 

Download D150 Aug. 8

Two teachers questioned the movement of students from one school to another, and said some didn't know where to go. The superintendent responded that English as a second language teachers are scarce, so the classes were consolidated. The confusion will be resolved, she added.

 -- Elaine Hopkins

Ingersoll event

PEORIA, IL -- This will be interesting. from a news release:

The Peoria Park District Board of Trustees invites (the public) to attend the re-dedication of the newly restored Robert G. Ingersoll statue, located in Lower Glen Oak Park.

It takes place at 10:30 am on Thursday, Aug. 11. - 30 -