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 $1,071,600

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That’s $1,071,600 the State of Illinois took from you because they know better how to spend your money than you do.  That’s the same State of Illinois with a dismal bond and credit rating.  It is the same State of Illinois paying millions in interest and late charges  because they can’t pay their bills on time.

Both Bloomington and Normal are thrilled – all this money is free.  No matching funds required.  Can you tell it’s an election year?

The Children’s Museum and the zoo don’t pay property taxes because they are City owned.  How much extra do you because they don’t?  How much extra are you paying to support them?

I looked up the Museum of History.  It’s a beautiful old building on prime downtown real estate.   Guess how much the building and land are valued at for tax purposes?  See it here:  History Museum  Does that assessment seem right?  The grant they are getting to upgrade the building is more than the value!  Think the assessed value will increase?  Supposedly they are getting state grant for a Route 66 museum too.  They pay very little for property taxes and they receive State grant money.  What a deal!

The Zoo, the Children’s Museum, and the Museum of History are all community assets.  Add the Coliseum, the BCPA, the Multimodal Transportation Center in Normal to the list.  Throw in all the parks and the Pepsi Ice Center.  Add the pools, and I’m sure I’ve forgotten a few others.

All of these are examples of government spending your money.  It’s all money taken out of the economy because you don’t get to spend it where you want to.  Government spending is not free-market.  Illinois has a law that all building/construction paid for with government money has to use union labor.  The spending has to continue to keep unions employed.  It’s a vicious cycle.

Here’s the point:  Where does it end?  How much theft of your money are you going to allow?  Who you vote for has consequences.  Not voting has even more.