by: Diane Benjamin
I have written many times about the potted plants on the City Council. Only 2 council members bother to ask questions on most issues, the rest sit back and cheer for whatever is proposed.
Meanwhile, Mayor Renner has been vilifying the Council for not approving his tax increases or proposing their own budget, not that anybody would listen to their ideas.
The REAL truth is the Council has no power because they don’t demand it. Some members of the Council will go along with anything City Manager David Hales says. Some will go along with anything Mayor Renner says. Since Renner and Hales have now teamed up, the City taxpayers are left out of the process.
Below is an article announcing the Coliseum will be the home of a new Minor League Hockey team – in violation of the agreement the management of the Coliseum has with the City of Bloomington. The Council will be told they have no choice but to approve changing the language in the contract.
The Council does have a choice – the question is “will they use it?”. Central Illinois Arena Management has violated the contract more than once. I’ve written before about the violations, just search Coliseum. NOW is the time to modify the contract.
Since 2007, the Coliseum Management has paid themselves:
Total $ 3,386,564
Why does one building need 2 highly paid managers?
These numbers do not include concessions, which are completely un-audited. Who is looking out for taxpayers? When the Coliseum management and David Hales think they already have a deal, why does Bloomington even have a City Council? Why is the Coliseum a cash cow for management at the taxpayers expense?
I predict the 7 potted plants will just vote yes. Their idea of governing is to not make waves. Citizens should demand accountability and transparency. This could be the last chance until the contract expires in 2016.
Here’s the story announcing Junior Hockey is already a done deal. It doesn’t have to be – call your alderman!
USHL adding team in Bloomington
The United States Hockey League plans to expand to Bloomington, Ill., for next season, the league announced Tuesday.
The Bloomington Thunder, currently in the Southern Professional Hockey League, will leave the pro minor league ranks for the junior league, which also includes the Green Bay Gamblers.
Under the terms of the proposal, reviewed by the League’s Commissioner and the USHL Executive Committee and presented to the League’s Board of Directors last week, the Bloomington team would play its home games at the U.S. Cellular Coliseum in downtown Bloomington, a venue that was opened in the spring of 2006 and has a seating capacity of up to 6,000 fans for hockey.
Final approval of the expansion USHL Member Club and proposal is subject to execution of proper documentation with the League and review being undertaken by the USHL Commissioner’s Office and the Executive Committee, and to final approval by the USHL Board of Directors.
Read More: http://fox11online.com/2014/04/01/ushl-adding-team-in-bloomington/
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The agreement specifically calls for a professional hockey team.
How is it an improvement to go from professional hockey to “junior league” hockey? Will the change generate a more revenue…..unlikely. Sounds like we are gaining speed down a slippery slope.
And everybody will be told they need to sign on!
Why does a building with a $3.5 million budget have two General Managers ? Why is the City allowing this waste? Why do they allow Bart Rogers, the GM, be paid $100,000 plus per year and run his bus company and the Peoria Rivermen on the City’s dime? His name and footprints are all over the news running the Peoria Rivermen. What publicly owned arena board or council would allow an arena GM to do this? Only Bloomington. Maybe they can rent a bus from him. Contact the coliseum office
From what I understand, they wont be playing 50 games either, and they have a smaller fan base thus resulting in less revenue for the city. Since the owners of this team had financial problems with another team they owned in a nearby state and had shut down there a couple years ago, the city is nuts to take an already “poor performer” as a replacement for a higher level team that couldn’t make it happen in Bloomington. INSANITY! Hales, never ceases to deliver inappropriate solutions, and he has delivered his second solution turd two weeks in a row now. I wonder what he plans for next week?
Magically after this post Rogers and Butler’s bios are no longer on the Rivermen site. What a surprise