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 update their comprehensive plan and they want your thoughts.  See this link:  http://www.cityblm.org/index.aspx?page=18&recordid=739

Here’s the short version of what the City wants to accomplish:

So Bring It On Bloomington! Bring on your thoughts, your ideas, your hopes, and your dreams. Let your voice be heard for the City of Bloomington’s future. Plan it. See it. Live it.

It’s a nice idea to get citizens involved, but I guarantee one of the choices for the future is NOT we have enough Quality of Life, or Sell some of our Quality of Life, or we can’t afford more spending.

The people who will be involved in this process will NOT be stressed out working families and single mothers trying to survive paycheck to paycheck.

Capitalism is a dirty word to the leaders in Bloomington.  Are better decisions made when you spend your own money or when you spend somebody else’s?  The City of Bloomington is spending your money like it’s a gift to them.  They just requested and got more (3 new taxes!).  The 7 potted plants on the Council cheered (behind the scenes).

Mayor Renner, City Manager David Hales, and most of the City Council think government has to spur economic activity.  Your tax dollars go to the Economic Development Council, Downtown Business Association, the National Development Council, and am Economic Development employee.  Tax dollars subsidize businesses to locate here.  Whether the money is Federal, State, or local, your taxes are higher because you are paying their share.

Here’s what the Master Plan should look like:

• Fix the roads and keep them maintained
• Fund an adequate police force
• Fund an adequate fire protection department
• Divest all government run businesses
• Lower all taxes
• Sell all surplus City property

If Bloomington was a well run community with low taxes, businesses wouldn’t need to be subsidized to move here.  Businesses currently here wouldn’t be closing.

Bloomington elected a Mayor with visions.  He has a compliant City Council.  Neither has any problem spending your money.

Starting July 1st the citizens can voice their opinions. Will the silent majority voice their opinion?  Will anybody listen?  Will citizen choices be limited?  Is Bring It BloomingtON just a way for City leadership to say “This is what the citizens want”, even though most will never know or participate in the planning?

War?  Not fighting in the streets – a silent war for your tax dollars.  Bloomington loves plans.  Last year a plan for downtown passed.  Then the Council was told that since they passed it, they had to fund it.  Nobody really understands what it even is.  This new comprehensive plan will be the same.  The Council will be told “This is what the citizens want”, you have to fund it.

In reality, most citizens won’t know anything about it, until they get the bill.

Readers:  War means both sides are fighting.  The minority has been winning.  Are you going to let them?