The program for troubled west-side youth is getting glorious reviews – by the organizers.  The council members who voted against it are getting vilified by none other than Rob Fazzini:

The city council members who voted for the small financial investment should be proud of these impressive results.  Thanks to the Mayor and those who made this happen.  

Robert B. Fazzini

What results Rob?  You received a list of what these troubled youth have done for 4 weeks, not the results.  Is a list of events suppose to mean success?  Does the City of Bloomington have the names of the 18 teens so they can be tracked to see if they stay out of trouble?   What happened to a ten to twelve week program?  Now it’s down to what looks like 6 weeks, and it only cost Bloomington taxpayers around $22,000!  The program was sold as being for 28-30 troubled kids.  The list Rob is reading shows most activities had 14-15 kids participating.

Rob: A list of activities trouble youth participated in is your idea of success?  Are you going to vote to hand out more taxpayer money next year?  Are you going to track these teens to see if the program actually helped them?  Do your realize Bloomington residents actually worked for the money you voted to spend?  Was $22,000 spent on 14-18 teens a good investment?

Rob,  what are you going to do when the atheists come for money? Muslims?  Buddhists?  How can you turn down ANY group since the precedent has now been set?  Does anybody with a program for troubled youth get money in the future?  Don’t say it depends on the presentation.  The one this group gave you was not professionally constructed.  I’d imagine another lawsuit will be coming when the next group is turned away.  Or, is the new normal government funding of any project for troubled teens based only on what the organizers deem to be success?

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