by: Diane Benjamin
The Bloomington City Council was NOT consulted about the choice of Carol Struck to be interim head of the BCPA. They weren’t even consulted on whether the BCPA needed an interim manager.
Just like the money given to the West side churches for the summer youth program, the BCPA has never been given goals or any way to measure success. Evidently the City thinks if a program exists, it is automatically a success. See this post of you think the BCPA is a success: http://blnnews.com/2013/08/22/bcpa-only-taxpayers-would-fall-for-this/
The question has never been whether Carol Struck is qualified for the job. She is, but so is anybody who has management skills. No one currently living in Bloomington-Normal has management skills? Why is Carol Struck “especially qualified”, as the Pantagraph phrased it? The article speaks of on-going subsidy and mission talks, i’m not sure with who. The BCPA gets 1/4% Sales Tax every year (way over $1 million), gate and concession receipts, and rental income. Yet, for years they have requested even more money from the City – taxpayers: that’s you!
Was Carol Struck hired to fund-raise? Today’s story quotes Struck that she knows “many, many, many people”. Unless her mission is to suck money out of them or tell them to attend shows, what difference does that make? Struck thinks her job “is to keep things going and to do the best job we can, and in this case put out some outstanding performances.”
The real questions that should be answered are:
Why was an interim director needed? The current employees couldn’t cover for a few months?
What are the goals for the interim director? Just to keep things going?
How is Carol Struck’s success going to be measured? A nice “going back to Arizona party” or are there actual benchmarks?
Carol Struck didn’t think Bloomington was a good place to live anymore, so she moved to Arizona. Her reward is a temporary job for $2000 a week and another $1050 for expenses. Maybe she should send every taxpayer in Bloomington a thank-you card and then figure out a way for the BCPA to quit asking for more money. I guess with the thank-you card she could ask you to attend a show.
