By: Diane Benjamin
Thanks to the Chamber of Commerce
for endorsing some candidates in next Tuesday’s local election. Since the Chamber believes in amnesty so companies have cheap labor (your former job), citizens now know who NOT to vote for. Also, the Chamber thinks government creates economic activity. While spending your money, government creates temporary construction jobs which leads to creating more when they run out of work. Their pick for Bloomington City Council would create Bloomington’s very own Uptown!
Thanks to the Pantagraph
for printing so many letters to the editor supporting various candidates. The most interesting ones are from people who held office as a Republican, but then wrote letters supporting a Bloomington candidate to the left (if possible) of Mayor Renner. It’s easy to understand why Bloomington is steeped in unfunded liabilities and deferred maintenance when running as a Republican is meaningless. It also explains why governing against the will of the citizens has been okay.
Thanks to WJBC
for interviewing the candidates and bringing bias into the questions. You stated Council is dysfunctional without any explanation. Painter jumped on blaming members who don’t read the packet. Joni must not know all members aren’t pre-briefed with taxpayer-funded lunches.
Neither Painter or WJBC know the truth: The member have no respect for each other! Opinions different from Renner and Hales aren’t tolerated or considered. Maybe both should watch a meeting to look for all the snide comments themselves. Since Joni approves of shutting down dissenting opinions, I’m sure she doesn’t see it. The only dysfunction on the Council is the members who don’t understand they were elected by their Ward! Oh, wait. Joni wasn’t. Diana Hauman wasn’t. I hope it stays that way.
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Never forget that everyone has an agenda. Organizations like the chamber of commerce and media outlets are no exception. They represent the interests of their members/owners not you and I.
I’m not sure that local small businesses know or support their agenda. It more something that is expected of them.
This is from the survey Amelia Buragas filled out for the Chamber: “Finally, it is essential to view business and government as beneficial partners that share the same goal…” The Chamber long abandoned traditional American free market principles for crony capitialism. Clearly Amelia will support public private partnerships over a fair playing field that could leave taxpayers holding the bag for their pet projects over the needs of “Joe Citizen.” This merger will also make it more difficult for existing businesses that are not the chosen picked winners of government and new businesses trying to compete with the handpicked winners of government.
I attended the IWU forum and I learned that Amelia supports the anti-business / anti free market living wage which the Chamber I thought opposed. I also learned she is firmly against Illinois being a “right to work” state. However, Amelia claims to be for economic development but seems to support government intrusion at tax payer expense which exposes her as having little faith in the free market system. Watchdog Benjamin Yount on 92.9 was 100% correct when he stated the Chamber looks out for their own interests. If Amelia is elected and looks out for the chamber who than will look out for the tax payer?
Starting in September the Chamber is providing candidate training on how to run a campaign for local office.
Is lying to voters part of it?