by: Diane Benjamin Yesterday I reported the numbers CIAM reported as fact in 2013 are different from what the Auditor’s reported. CIAM’s (Central Illinois aRena Management) numbers are always reported in the local media. The Auditor’s numbers somehow never are. They aren’t available on the City of Bloomington website either. Only CIAM’s fictional reports are […]
by: Diane Benjamin According to the Pantagraph today the Coliseum lost $183,727 for the year that ended April 30, 2014. Funny how no un-audited financial statements are available. The CIAM throws un-audited numbers out as fact and the local media laps them up and dutifully reports them. CIAM issues a Press Release and you are […]
by: Diane Benjamin As I stated a couple of days ago, I’m taking some time off to work on something else. Details eventually. I have to comment on a few items the Pantagraph reported on though. Yesterday on-line they had a story about the BN by the Numbers meeting held this week. Nobody knows why […]
by: Diane Benjamin There is nothing you can do about the invasion happening on our southern border. There is nothing you can do about the IRS targeting of political enemies. There is nothing you can do about the Veterans Administration not taking care of our veterans. There is nothing you can do about the National […]
by: Diane Benjamin According to the Coliseum’s own reporting, the building produced an economic impact of $98,000,000 since opening! http://www.cityblm.org/Modules/ShowDocument.aspx?documentid=6569 Did you get your cut? Is the City of Bloomington debt free because of all this economic activity? Are incomes rising? Are property value in downtown Bloomington rising? (Not the Pantagraph building: https://blnnews.com/2014/06/20/how-did-the-pantagraph-manage-this/) City Manager […]
by: Diane Benjamin When Tom Hamilton was City Manager, everybody thought he did a great job. Now Hamilton is blamed for all the City woes. Tom Hamilton had a compliant Council, he was never questioned. Everybody thinks David Hales is doing a great job. He has a compliant Council. Wait for the stories when he […]
by Diane Benjamin Several times, City Manager David Hales has proclaimed in open Council session that the Coliseum (CIAM) is not taking all the commissions they are entitled to under the contract. The latest was at the June 9th meeting: . Is he right? This is the original contract for management of the Coliseum: Management […]
by: Diane Benjamin Part 1 Part 2 will be posted when the Coliseum discussion begins tonight. I’ve done many stories about Bart Rogers and John Butler, the 2 guys hired by the City to manage the Coliseum. At tonight’s City Council meeting, 10 minutes has been allotted to discuss revisions to the CIAM contract. I […]
by: Diane Benjamin The Council and citizens were promised a full report on the Coliseum. David Hales allotted 10 minutes at tonight’s meeting. 10 minutes? Really? STAY TUNED – more later today . . .
How did the Pantagraph manage this?.
By: Diane Benjamin Property values dropped in 2008. Some parts of the country got hit worse than others. Bloomington wasn’t really hurt too bad. So how did the value of the Pantagraph building drop A Lot? On 2005 the building was assessed for $958,778. In 2013 the building was assessed for $400,000! The real value of […]
by: Diane Benjamin At next Monday’s City Council meeting, the Council will be asked to approve paying the Pantagraph $38,000 for advertising BCPA events. This is just a small part of the advertising income the Pantagraph earns form the City of Bloomington. Any chance the Pantagraph will investigate spending at the BCPA? Will they investigate […]
by: Diane Benjamin Does everybody know who Rep. Jan Schakowsky is? Search the Internet. She is a confirmed Socialist and member of Democratic Socialists of America. Contrary to what is taught in schools today, socialism is not a social group or club. Socialism means government is smarter than you, government controls everything, government must make all […]
Maybe Associated Press can’t make up enough stories to fill the Pantagraph pages anymore. Today they have the same story on pages A10 and C2 – Social Security closing offices. Budget cuts are blamed. I guess it’s hard to fund government when fewer people are working to pay for it. (Of course that wasn’t part […]
by: Diane Benjamin Government talks a lot about Sustainability. What is it? Government’s method to control the behavior of the citizens. They limit your rights on where to live, what to drive, and access to cheap energy because they claim your choices aren’t sustainable. Sustainability isn’t the issue. America is swimming in cheap energy sources, […]
Roskam LOST! Tomorrow, Cong. Peter Roskam tries to move up to Majority Whip in U.S. House Republican leadership. Our experience? Roskam will do anything and say anything for the promotion. To win re-election in 2008, Roskam embraced Obama. Watch video: Radio Host Mark Levin Facebook here Read: Daily Herald story In 2012, Roskam chose to support a […]
by: Diane Benjamin Hopefully you don’t have to interact with the State of Illinois on-line for your business or in any other way. They are still in the dark ages of technology. Example #1 I recently switched my corporate account to another bank. Illinois has a system to pay businesses taxes on-line that will debit […]
August 1st Bloomington will start charging a FOUR more cents per gallon gas tax. Normal will probably pass it soon since the two towns have a non-compete agreement. Meanwhile, gas prices are rising and rising and will soon be un-affordable – that whole mid-east war stuff. Our country isn’t allowed to drill or build new refineries, […]
by: Diane Benjamin Miller Park Zoo is getting $700,000 from the State to add monkeys from Africa and some building projects. The McLean County Museum of History is getting $254,800 from the State for restrooms and lighting. The Children’s Discovery Museum is getting $116,800 from the State to indoctrinate kids on green energy. That totals […]
by: Diane Benjamin Bloomington is ruled by the minority. It has been ruled by the minority at least since the Coliseum was built. The few people actively involved in local government are making decisions for the rest of the taxpayers who are sitting on the sidelines. Here’s your chance to change that. Bloomington wants to […]
by: Diane Benjamin The Bloomington Committee of the Whole meeting was cancelled tonight because somebody at City Hall forgot to post the agenda 48 hours in advance. Unfortunately, some Chicago area experts were brought in to present the findings on a downtown hotel – at your expense. Now you have to pay them to come […]
by: Diane Benjamin The Bloomington taxpayers paid $30,000 for a hotel feasibility study in downtown Bloomington. It didn’t say what Renner wanted, the City would have to fund a large part of the bill to build it. Did he give up? Tonight it’s back on the agenda – not for a Council meeting, there is […]
by: Diane Benjamin There are two types of people in government: 1) Those who want to control you and 2) Those who think people have a right to control their own lives. It has nothing to do with Democrats and Republicans. Voting the party no longer matters. Eric Cantor was defeated because he was in […]
by: Diane Benjamin I can’t answer that question! I continue to hear stories of obnoxious patrons at the Bloomington Library. Staff and security personnel are evidently not enforcing the rules. The library should be a tranquil place for patrons, not a place to dodge troublemakers. On March 19, 2013, the Library Board approved these rules: […]
by: Diane Benjamin I written many times about the Pantagraph being in bed with the City of Bloomington. Citizens will NEVER be told the truth in the newspaper. A legal intern at the Citizens Advocacy Center in Elmhurst Il wrote a Letter to the Editor. The Pantagraph refused to print it: From: Pantagraph Letters <[email protected]> […]
by: Diane Benjamin Downstate press is unwilling to criticize local government. Thankfully the Chicago Tribune will cover some stories. They have a good article about Peoria’s Mayor Ardis being sued by the ACLU for his treatment of a citizen using twitter to parody the mayor: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/chi-peoria-mayor-twitter-20140612,0,5493686.story When was the last time the local press […]
by: Diane Benjamin Mayor Renner summarized the Council comments concerning David Hales, and he added a few of his own. These comments were prior to the Hales evaluation which resulted in Hales receiving a 3% raise. The Council vote was 7-2 for increasing Hales’ salary. Hales is now paid $176,439, not including substantial benefits and car […]
by: Diane Benjamin Usually the public doesn’t get to know how the Council evaluates City Manager David Hales. These discussions take place in Executive Sessions – secret meetings – then the Council votes NOT to release the minutes to the public. Evidently they don’t want anybody to know what they think. Surprise – now you […]
by: Diane Benjamin It’s way past time for Americans to realize politicians aren’t capable of and don’t want to solve your problems. Any problems they attempt to solve only cause more problems. I could provide a LONG list of problems made worse by government, can anybody provide an example of one thing they made better? […]
by: Diane Benjamin The International City Managers Association (ICMA) sends a DAILY email. Remember, Mayor Renner used to work for this group and David Hales is a member. The story below from the email caught my attention. Why would an International group want to promote council-manager form of government? Update on ICMA’s Fund for Professional Management […]
by: Diane Benjamin The Bloomington Library has operated for many years without much City supervision. They are the only board that can raise taxes without the approval of the Council. Until recently, they also wanted an east-side branch. That was before Tari Renner became Mayor. Renner replaced many people on all the City Boards and […]
by: Diane Benjamin Eric Cantor is the first Majority Leader in history to lose his seat in a Primary. The winner, David Brat was not supported by any national TEA Party groups. Brat raised around $200,000, Cantor over $5,000,000. Money obviously doesn’t matter. How did Brat win? By conveying a common sense message to the […]
by: Diane Benjamin The following statement made numerous times by Professor Mayor Renner has always bothered me, see if it bothers you. He is talking about downtown Bloomington. . Who put government in charge of the 21st century? Are you just dying to live and shop in downtown Bloomington? If downtown doesn’t thrive Bloomington won’t? […]
by: Diane Benjamin I’m sure you remember Professor Mayor Renner’s attack on Alderwoman Stearns during the budget discussions: . At the June 9 Council meeting Starcom came up again. Even though the money for the upgrades was included in the budget, the Council still had to vote to spend it. Yes, the spending was in […]
Originally posted on BlnNews :
The Council voted 7-2 to approve $60,000 for the next 12 months – another consultant for economic development. Evidently the City gets lots of call from entrepreneurs who know nothing about running a business, this group will help them. So to recap: The City gives the local Economic Development Council (EDC)…
The Council voted 7-2 to approve $60,000 for the next 12 months – another consultant for economic development. Evidently the City gets lots of call from entrepreneurs who know nothing about running a business, this group will help them. So to recap: The City gives the local Economic Development Council (EDC) $100,000 per year, pays […]
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