by: Diane Benjamin
I really appreciate the Bloomington website managers NOT updating it in a timely manner. It makes my research easier.
Below is what the Liquor Commission used to look like – note 5 members and the Professor.
MEMBERS
| POSITION | NAME | TERM EXP | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chair | Renner, Tari | N/A | |
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Member | Stockton, Stephen | N/A |
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Member | Jordan, James | N/A |
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Member | Tompkins, Geoffrey | N/A |
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Ex-Officio | Bataoel, Jack | N/A |
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Ex-Officio | Lancaster, Jan | N/A |
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It was news when Stockton decided to quit, the others didn’t make much news if any. There are now only 3 members and no plans to add more since there have been only 3 for months according to the minutes. The Liquor Commission is now Professor Mayor Renner, Geoffrey Tompkins, and James Jordan.
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Now there are THREE members instead of 6. Tompkins will always vote with Mayor Tyranny, so any liquor problems in the City will rest firmly in Renner’s lap. The Liquor Commission is totally controlled by Renner, no more potted plants needed.
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The downtown bar problems are Renner’s and Renner’s alone. If the taxpayers are continually forced to pay overtime for security and pay for the cleanup after weekend bar hopping, it’s Renner’s fault. Bloomington citizens: make sure he knows the blame falls on him.
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Declaring yourself dictator has consequences Tari.
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There might be more to this story, waiting for information. Stay tuned.
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The Liquor Commission has never functioned in any capacity other than advisory and I use that term very freely to say that they have no binding authority. All their decisions are subject to the approval or disapproval of the City Council. So, the question really becomes what’s their function? The town of Normal has no such commission. This has been a very dysfunctional group for a very long time. The point that I think your article is making is that it’s apparent that Mayor Renner does not want to use this group in such a way as to work toward solving problems with the downtown bar scene so therefore, the problems now solely rest on him. He and he alone can be accountable to the people for the problems. This is a point that must now be reemphasized. If Mayor Renner thinks he’s capable of handling this task alone, then he must face the consequences.
And make no mistake, there are problems with the downtown bar scene. Two fatalities in the last couple of years, businesses leaving downtown because of the bars, you’d think people would wake up.
Exactly. The Council told David Hales to fix it – he didn’t. It’s Tari’s turn to do nothing.
I’m curious, what are some possible solutions? I don’t know what can be done when so many bars are in such close proximity. Has anyone proposed any ideas?
Make the bar owners pay for their own security. Heavy fines for over-serving. Pretty easy, but the city makes too much money from the bars to hold them accountable.