by:  Diane Benjamin

Monday I posted this story with links to 2 FOIA denials:  http://blnnews.com/2014/07/20/whats-mayor-transparency-hiding/

Yesterday my request for emails To or From the New Communications Director Nora Dukowitz was partially denied.  See the letter here:  Dukowitz Denials

The City of Bloomington needs to investigate further what can be denied.  I’m done filing Request of Reviews with Lisa Madigan’s Public Access Office.  Public Access was supposedly started to protect citizens from government.  It is another failed idea from the democrats running Illinois into the ground.  Waiting 6 months to 2 years for an answer from them isn’t an option.  Circuit Court is.

I wonder who’s private information Nora is putting on emails?  Since she is supposedly a Communications Director, maybe she is posting everybody’s Social Security Numbers as a benefit to employees.  Maybe she is handing out phone numbers so David Hales can call City employees any time of the day or night!  Or maybe they aren’t telling the truth.

I did receive an interesting email though:

Why is the Communication Director informing the Council about a FOIA request for emails?

Oh, but there is more!  Alderman Joni Painter chimed in:

Who told you 50 Joni?  The Mayor?  Then Nora answered:

Hey Joni – I wouldn’t have to file Freedom of Information Requests if the Mayor and Council didn’t say one thing in public and something completely different in private!  I also wouldn’t have to file if all the information I request was on the website.  Why does the City have a Coliseum tab, but only have CIAM reports on it?  Why aren’t the audited reports right there next to them?  Is somebody afraid the public might find out the CIAM number are fictitious?

Just to point out the intelligence of Renner’s pick on the Council, Joni Painter made this comment last night during the discussion of the hotel/conference center:

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Joni:  The BPCA doesn’t make any money.  The Coliseum doesn’t make any money.  The golf courses don’t make money.  Ditto for the pools, the zoo.  What possible reason would you have for asking how the City would cut their cut?  Did you miss the whole previous discussion of the $18,000,000 deficit?  Did you miss Renner talking about tax breaks or a TIF District?  Bloomington doesn’t fund projects to make money.  Bloomington spends money because the potted plants want to just get along.  The citizens are your piggy bank.

All it takes to run for Council is a little common sense and an understanding that taxes are theft by government.  Yes, we allow government to steal for essential services, but Bloomington jumped that shark when they defied the citizens with the Coliseum.

So who is running next year?

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