by: Diane Benjamin
Mayor Renner really hates criticism. He also hates discussing issues. He is the new dictator of Bloomington.
Renner is very upset about the Cities 92.9 Flamingo campaign. He is so upset he had the new Communications Manager, Nora Dukowitz, write an email to the station. I hope they post it on their website. Bloomington taxpayers paid for it – they should.
Here’s the bottom line:
Taxpayer dollars are being used for political purposes.
Sit down, shut up. That’s the message sent to Cities 92.9 with your tax dollars. How long before Renner calls Koos and tells him to inspect the Cities building.
The taxpayers of Bloomington are paying Ms. Dukowitz’s salary, she is being used by Renner to stifle political dissent. Now can you see why the City was adamant about needing a Communication Manager? (probably close to $100,000 INCLUDING BENEFITS)
Nora’s argument about the 3 new taxes not paying for the flamingo exhibit doesn’t hold water. Let me educate you Nora:
Decades ago a lot of people quit giving money to a group who raises money in the workplace. Employers competed against each other to see who could get the highest percentage of employees to make automatic monthly contributions. Then word got out that one of the agencies this group raised money for was Planned Parenthood. Many people refused to participate to fund abortions. The case was made that contributions could be earmarked for other agencies. All that did was shift money around. Planned Parenthood was still funded with accounting gimmicks.
The case made by Nora is exactly the same. The tax increases may not directly fund the flamingos. But the money spent on flamingos does take money away from what the tax increases are supposedly for.
Nora’s job is to make citizens happy about paying higher taxes. It worked for her in Normal. She used to be the Uptown marketing manager! Since the citizens of Normal have just rolled over for Koos, Renner hopes hiring Nora will accomplish the same thing.
Are you going to roll over Bloomington?
Source:
According to Nora Dukowitz, Uptown marketing manager for the Town of Normal, Amtrak will move its services into this center. http://www.videtteonline.com/index.php/2007/04/02/plans-proposed-for-uptown-normal-transportation-hub/
You lost your primary election by 4,000 votes. The people have spoken, and the vast majority don’t care about your anti-government rantings.
They buried it!
I really didn’t think the Mayor was stupid enough to have the Minister of Propaganda or Communications Manager write an email to Cities 92.9 complaining about freedom of speech. But than again we have learned this Mayor is VERY thin skinned and used to dealing with young students who never challenge his silly progressive ideology.
I don’t think the folks at Cities 92.9 have the courage to post the email (smack down is actually more accurate) they received from the communications director of Bloomington. That email included accusations that Cities 92.9 was spreading misinformation regarding the city’s taxes and the Miller Park Zoo flamingo exhibit, and those accusations turned out to be 100% accurate. The whole exchange is documented here:
http://arnoldfacepalmer.blogspot.com/2014/07/flock-misinformation-story-of-deception.html
Taxes can’t be compartmentalized. They spent $150,000 on flamingos because they wanted to. They had to raise taxes to pay for other things. Keep reading, I will prove that your post is incorrect.
If my posy is incorrect, then why do you suppose Cities 92.9 took down their original flock the taxes promotional poster, and replaced it with one that conveyed a completely different message? I consider that to be evidence that my post is spot on.
Because they changed the premise to representing all government waste. It evolved based on HUGE demand.
Nope, it evolved because they were called out on their misrepresentation. Benjamin Yount stated unequivocally “we do not say the city is raising gas taxes to pay for flamingos” yet the promotional poster that was taken down stated that the gas tax and other taxes were being raised “All to fund Miller Park Zoo’s Flamingo Exhibit”. There is no other way to interpret the poster than that it directly falsified Benjamin’s statement.
The poster is immaterial to the discussion. 3 taxes were raised while there was no discussion of cuts. Government has no right to fleece citizens without serious discussions of needs and wants.
The poster may be immaterial to the discussion you want to have, but it isn’t immaterial to the discussion we’re having. You stated that my post was incorrect, yet the whole point of my post was to call attention to the contradictory information that comes out of Cities 92.9. That poster that you so casually dismiss serves as something you conservatives don’t have much time for. That something is known as evidence, and it proved the point I was making.
As far as the tax increases go, I’m pretty sure the government has the right to raise taxes, even in the absence of discussions of needs and wants.
Your post is incorrect in other places. You will have to wait for the details. Yes government can raise taxes any time they want. The citizens can also fight back. Flamingos! Elections next year will be interesting.
If my post has errors, please point them out. I’ll happily acknowledge them if that is shown to be the case. The difference between someone like me, and most conservatives I communicate with, is that I can admit when I am wrong.
And also, do fight back against taxes you think are unnecessary, but do it honestly, and without playing lap dog to those who don’t.
You will know when I point it out. You still don’t get that flamingos exploded into way more than just the zoo. Deceit had no part in the Cities campaign. They didn’t have a clue so many people were mad and looking for a way to express their outrage.
I agree that the campaign has evolved into something more than the flamingos, but that doesn’t change the fact that promotional materials on the Cities 92.9 website initially misrepresented the purpose of the taxes. That is a fact. Whether it was done intentionally or not is not for me to say, but it was done.
Why are you unable to acknowledge that fact?
Here’s the facts: Gas taxes were raised for roads. If they didn’t spend general fund money on things like flamingos they would have had the money for roads. Hence the campaign. Is that so difficult to understand? The budget drips with spending just like the flamingos, the Council wasn’t allowed to discuss cuts though.