by: Diane Benjamin
Steve Vogel has taken to writing comedy for his occasional editorials in the Pantagraph. The only not hilarious part is that he finally disclosed that his daughter was Mayor Renner’s campaign manager twice.
Even the President doesn’t blame Bush anymore Steve. After 5 (FIVE) years the excuse wasn’t working anymore. Blaming Tom Hamilton for the roads, sewers, pensions, and an unusable parking garage means YOU don’t understand how the City works. Or, maybe you do, but you are protecting the guy who has been in charge for 5 years (City Manager David Hales) and your daughters former employer (Mayor Renner).
Alderman ARE NOT ALLOWED to place issues on the agenda! Understand that Steve? The agenda, complete with excessive new spending at every Council meeting, is totally David Hales and Mayor Renner.
What is missing in Bloomington are alderman who vote NO! If the budget doesn’t fund the priorities of the city, first the blame goes to David Hales for proposing it and then the alderman who vote YES. Let’s take a little trip down memory lane Steve. How did the vote last year go on the budget? You know, the one that didn’t fund roads, sewers, and pensions as proposed by DAVID HALES:
Item 8A. Adoption of the FY 2014 Recommended Budget.
Motion by Alderman Fazzini, seconded by Alderman Fruin that Ordinance be passed.
The Mayor directed the clerk to call the roll which resulted in the following:
Ayes: Aldermen Mwilambwe, Schmidt, McDade, Mathy, Fazzini, Sage, and Fruin.
Nays: Aldermen Stearns and Purcell
Motion carried.
See the problem Steve? Hey, they had 7 potted plants last year too. McDade and Mathy are gone, but so is Purcell. Unfortunately McDade and Purcell have been replaced by NEW potted plants! The aldermen are the last line of defense against the City Manager and his fiscally unsound budgets. It’s the ones elected who are the problem Steve! Did you notice Mayor Renner is now raising money for more just like them? Let’s see how Joni Painter (Renner’s pick) votes on the budget! I think it’s safe to just record and AYE now.
Maybe you aren’t capable of reporting the truth because the Pantagraph won’t let you. Let’s take another walk down memory lane:
I found this gem in an April 1, 2008 Pantagraph article:
The city also has begun to test wells as part of efforts to supplement the city’s water supply and built a skate park at O’Neil Park, 1515 W. Chestnut St.
Did you notice that is from 2008 Steve? Is there money in this year’s David Hales proposed budget? Nothing has been done about Bloomington’s water supply because David Hales is in charge of the City and he hasn’t done it! Aldermen don’t go research, sign contracts, and hire the drillers. It’s pretty simple Steve. DAVID HALES is to blame.
Another gem: June 14, 2008
In the last 15 years, the city has grown from about 50,000 to 75,000 in population. Several aldermen credit Hamilton with helping facilitate that growth and ensuring city services keep up.
“I hate to see him leave,” Ward 5 Alderman Jim Finnegan said. “We are going to be hard-pressed to find a comparable replacement.”
Aldermen Jim Fruin, Ward 9; John Hanson, Ward 8; and David Sage, Ward 2, agreed.
“Tom has been a tremendous facilitator for the city, and his commitment to the city should be commended,” Sage said.
Under former mayor Judy Markowitz, Hamilton received a review of “outstanding” from the council in 2003. But current Ward 4 Alderman Judy Stearns sees Hamilton’s retirement as an opportunity for the council to look at the role of the city manager.
Everybody loved Tom Hamilton in 2008, except Alderman Judy Stearns. Why hasn’t the Pantagraph done an editorial about Fruin and Sage and their undying love for the now disgraced Tom Hamilton? David Hales is worshiped by them too. Where’s the editorial on that? Where is the support for the only alderman left who votes NO on the Hales budgets? Isn’t it more accurate to say the Pantagraph vilifies aldermen who don’t play along with Hales and Renner?
5 years later the Pantagraph blames Hamilton for all the City’s financial problems. Is the Pantagraph going to report that DAVID HALES presented a budget that doesn’t fund the essential duties of government? Is the Pantagraph going to report that Mayor Renner supports the budget or is Renner going to get by with blaming Hales – after Renner supported giving Hales a big raise and another 4 year contract!
It’s obvious that readers of the Pantagraph will never be informed since the City of Bloomington and the Pantagraph are in the same bed. Please find another name for your writers. “Reporter” isn’t an accurate job title.
When the next City Manager is hired, get ready for the blame Hales editorials. It is way beyond the Pantagraph’s abilities to report the truth.
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I must admit I laughed out loud when read Vogel’s article. He is either clueless about the topic he is writing about or he is covering for Renner.
Since the Pantagraph obviously “forgot” to allow comments to Vogel’s rhetoric, this must be the place to do so.
While there’s a lot of blame to go around, I think the buck stops in one place.
Let’s address one spot along the way.
The Ward issue –
Whether its obvious to Vogel, or anyone else on the side of change or not, the bottom line is the problem is not the structure of the City Government, i.e. the current Ward system. The problem both begins and ends with the make-up of the structure.
The reason we are driving on the worst streets in the City’s history – or as long as I can remember – and the reason the sewers and the rest of the City’s infrastructure is suffering and not receiving the necessary attention and even public safety is at issue, is not the result of a Ward-based representative system – its the representatives.
When the majority of Council members either choose to do so or are “facilitated” into a consensus style habitation, that non-engaging, unresponsive and unrepresentative capacity inhibits the ability to act and prohibits action because they are the last to know about anything occurring and anything planned until it hits the desk in the Agenda. All that’s left to do is press the electronic yes for their stamp of approval. The result is exactly what we are experiencing in this City.
The structure of the Wards, the location of the Wards or the size of the Wards can be altered and altered – but to no avail. Not until those who sit in the seats of those Wards start doing their job and upholding the responsibility they all promised in their door to door campaigns will things change.
How long does it go on?
Only the voter can make that decision and only the voter – the citizen – of Bloomington has that ability.
That, Mr. Vogel, should have been your commentary.
THE LIBERAL PRESSED
So when the SHTF the usefull idiots puppet strings will drop like an old shoe. Thud!