Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

What is the Role of LOCAL Government?

Let’s talk local government.  What is their job, what is their responsibility to citizens?

Bloomington thought you needed entertainment, so you got the Coliseum and the BCPA, neither has made a profit or even broken even.  They both need YOUR TAX DOLLARS.

Normal thought you needed a new Uptown and they aren’t done building and engineering your life and wallet yet.  Mayor Koos is a strong believer in making the town Sustainable.  Does the City Council know what that means?  Do you?

Here’s the point:  You elect a mayor and councilmen to represent you.  What you are really electing is an agenda, except you aren’t usually told what that agenda is.  A new mayor usually does a nationwide search for a City Manager who agrees with the unknown agenda.  The City Manager is an expert at making the city council believe in the agenda and give their consent.  You then are left to pay for it.

What makes a great city to live in?  What makes businesses want to open in your city?

  • good roads
  • good schools
  • good parks
  • flourishing economy
  • applicable labor force
  • good police protection
  • good fire protection
  • adequate water source
  • adequate sewer
  • adequate infrastructure

What destroys making a city a great place to live?

  • government debt
  • high taxes
  • high crime
  • lack of essential services
  • empty businesses
  • pot hole filled roads

Is the leadership of Bloomington and Normal concentrating on what’s important to you?  Are taxes going to go up?  Payments on the principle haven’t even started on the Coliseum, but Bloomington is constantly coming up with new things to spend money on while the roads deteriorate.   The debt created by Uptown has already caused tax increases (http://blnnews.com/2012/05/30/normal-il-what-is-up-with-the-debt/).  The ability to make payments on their debt depends on the economy or their ability to further tax YOU.

According to this website: http://chicagogangs.org/index.php?pr=BURBS_SECTION 4 gangs are active in Bloomington and 3 in Normal.  Does that promote business or make this area a good place to live?

Want to see the Koos vision for Normal?  http://iclei-new.webcollective.coop/action-center/learn-from-others/Farr.pdf  That’s ICLEI as in International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives, also known as Agenda 21.  International as in United Nations.  This presentation is by Doug Farr who was instrumental in Uptown.  It contains drawings of Normal.  Either the plans were changed or the drawings are of what is left to be done.  It also contains a street picture of the perfect life: people eating at street cafes with racks of bicycles nearby.  Read the whole report.  Your way of life is being engineered at the United Nations.  Is this what you elected a mayor to do?

Local election are in April 2013.  After November 6th, local elections will heat up.  Bloomington will elect a new mayor, Normal needs one.  3 City Council seats are up for election in Normal.  5 Alderman will be elected in Bloomington.

What agenda will you be looking for?  Since government isn’t spending THEIR money, who can you trust to make the best use of YOUR money?  Who will quit “Visioning” the future they want and concentrate on the present.

Many more posts to follow!

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