Posted on 10/21/2018 9:11:13 PM PDT by Paul R.
As the article states, the rally is at SI Airport - midway between C’Dale & Murphysboro. That’s about the best place to have it. The SIU Arena capacity is 8,339, plus you could add some floor seating, but Trump would have to fly into SI Airport anyway, then add transit time... IF it is available on short notice. SI Airport’s management might be “friendlier” anyway, and it is slightly more centrally located in Bost’s District. Multiple Presidents / Presidential candidates have held rallies there in the past.
There are lots of EX coal miners and their families / descendants. Some still vote Dem, and the non-C’Dale based Dem pols pander to them somewhat, such as on gun control. Modest mining activity (compared to the past) remains. The ex strip mined land area is fairly large and mostly lies in what would have been good farmland. Some has been reclaimed and factors into the “recreation” industry, such as the aforementioned (upthread) Pyramid State Park, but most such reclaimed areas get very light use. You are generally correct about the farming. There are some larger farm operations north of IL 13, in unmined flatter land away from the Shawnee Hills and river bluffs, but overall even that is not as expansive as most of IL. That agriculture and those farmers are still fairly significant to the district, though.
There ARE a goodly number of orchards, and now, small vineyards / wineries, but those have a modest impact. There is not much large scale manufacturing, and given IL’s business climate, there may never be much more.
“Hillbillies”, well, yes, there are some, but they do not predominate the district by any means. (I should have mentioned that the 12th district ALSO covers most of the “metro” area east of St. Louis!)
District map: https://bost.house.gov/about/our-district
You mention the 7900 population of Murphysboro. Wikipedia shows it to be estimated at 7,685 in 2016, down from 10, 013 in 1970. (Wikipedia also shows 13,925 in 2000, which I can’t believe is correct! There has been no such “boom and bust”.) Carbondale grew into the ‘90’s due to SIU’s growth, but is down slightly now. The coal mining towns - ugh! For example, West Frankfort was 14,683 back in 1930, only 8,854 in 1970, and estimated at 8,101 in 2016. The Marion area (Marion, Herrin, Goreville, etc.) are doing better, but they have been better run, and are in somewhat of a transportation hub (I-57, I-24, and the IL-13 “corridor”).
BTW, I am not putting down the ex coal mining towns’ people. It is simply that most of those towns’ economies are not good.
Got an email with an offer for tix but it’s too far to drive from Chiraq. Bummer.
Pass it on??? :-)
BTW, I should add, some really good things have come out of C’Dale & SIU. For example:
3 bullets in him and he still tackled the shooter. I am in awe!
See above for detailed discussion — downstate IL is mostly red.
Trump’s appearance could have a spillover effect on the important Missouri Senate race as well.
But It looks like the Trump and the GOP is hitting the gas on the tight House races knowing the Senate is in the bag.
Can the rally time as posted in #1 be updated by the mods in that comment?
The world shooting complex in Sparta shut down, but I think they are trying to reopen it. I’m pretty sure the coal mines are doing better than under Osama though.
No
We cannot edit comments
Post moved out of breaking news
Rauner is toast in this state, I live here and probably not for long.
The only real question at this point is whether or not Rauner will appear downstate at the rally and attempt to align himself with PDJT.
Rauner has been on the anti-illegal immigration soapbox lately mimicking PDJT on that issue however it's too little, too late for him.
Rauner hasn't exactly been a stellar Governor, BTW. He signed a pro-abortion bill that thoroughly pissed off the Conservatives in this state (self included) and had a real challenger in the primaries in Jeannie Ives. I voted for Ives, would've loved to see her tear up Pritzker.
I saw an article that the WSC was reopened at least for a large competition this fall:
http://www.duquoin.com/news/20180809/sharpshooters-descend-upon-sparta-for-annual-competition
The ponds are still stocked too, I believe, but, this is one of those facilities IDNR doesn’t seem to be able to figure out how to get more consistent usage out of. That’s rather ridiculous: It is NOT that far from the St. Louis area.
There IS a little more mining activity recently, I think, but still nothing like MY teens & 20’s...
Not arguing - just adding info!
Ok. Hope it can stay somewhat visible, tho’ of course it is no longer “breaking”, despite WPSD’s title. :-)
Thanks for the reply!
Agreed, and, yes, I voted for Ives also. She would not have had Rauner’s baggage...
“Toast” applies to IL - I have multiple friends planning to move. One couple in particular has been scouting destinations in AR and TN.
You can also get tickets at that link.
I Read some local media online posts & parking may be a problem: Only 1200 spaces at the airport. The airport manager says a shuttle service will be arranged by the White House, but no details are available yet. I’d think the only large lot that could do the job would be the lot @ the SIU Arena. But, then who in the area has enough buses? Crowd projections are 10k - 20k people. Given the area, I’d say 10k - 12k, but, I also read that people are coming from as far as the Chicago area. Hmmm...
The more I thought about that, the more PO'd I got. I am mostly PO'd about it because it is a totally absurd charge. The other 10% of the "P" is due to Bost not (to my knowledge -- I am not close to the campaign) ramming this back down Kelly's lying throat.
Rep. Bost was not only a major figure in his old State House District receiving (and to some extent continuing to receive) State of IL funding double what the region remits to the state in taxes (see link to map in my post #13), the region gets way more than it's share of Federal funding. I don't have a link to exact numbers, but per capita or per dollar paid in taxes taxes it has to be one of the top House of Rep. districts in IL in this regard. Among other things, it is home to the HUGE, as in hugely expensive, Olmstead Lock and Dam Project. Rep. Bost should document this clearly, simply, and irrefutably, and then stuff it back into Kelly's lying mouth.
DANG! Or should I say “DRAT!!” Offsite parking / shuttle STILL not announced anywhere I can find, online or in the media.
No way we can make it to the parking at the airport in time: My wife has a church obligation this morning, and we are 1-1/2 hours away.
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