by: Diane Benjamin
Pantagraph Editorial today: State needs to grow jobs, not spin facts. Who wrote it Pantagraph? Too chicken to say?
After getting past the same discussion happening all over Illinois for the past week, (it’s easy to copy the thoughts of others) the Pantagraph finally hits taxes. Iowa and Indiana have lowered taxes and been rewarded with an employment boom. (Quoted)
Um, think Pantagraph, think hard. The problem in Illinois is taxes and taxes are hurting employment – YOUR words. You must not have noticed Bloomington Mayor Renner just DEMANDED 3 tax increases. Do they hurt employment? Are we expected to believe that State tax increases hurt, but local ones don’t? Where is the editorial destroying Renner’s credibility? Instead, you gave him his own column today.
But that’s not all. The Pantagraph editorial goes on to talk about Illinois needing to ‘live within its means”. Double Um! Where is the editorial telling Bloomington to LIVE WITHIN IT’S MEANS? Maybe because I’m not a subscriber I missed it. Maybe NOT!
That’s still not all. According to the editorial, the State needs to be: more inviting, streamline regulations, be more friendly to business, end the culture of corruption. WOW. There’s no corruption in Bloomington, that must be why I have a lawsuit filed against the City. (By the Way Tari, expect a little surprise Tuesday or Wednesday) No corruption must be why Bloomington has the problem with cash and city employees. How about Bloomington being more friendly to taxpayers? Bloomington thinks citizens should pay for sewer repairs on PUBLIC property!?! How about repairs to carriage walks on PUBLIC property? I agree the Culture of Corruption needs to end, start at City Hall Bloomington! Evidently the Pantagraph doesn’t see very little happening at the Coliseum. Isn’t your building right down the street? Ever stop in to see how many employees are doing nothing because very little is scheduled? Ever ask how much they have “borrowed” from the City lately? Ever stop in to see if at least one of the highly paid managers is there doing anything? Ever ask for current BS statements, sorry, I mean financial statements?
I know it’s a foreign concept, but let me state the obvious: investigative journalism needed. Ever tried it?
It’s nice that you bash the State of Illinois, even it you have no original thoughts. How about doing some real reporting?
Taxpayers are first lied to by Mayor Transparency and then by the media who is supposed to get the real facts for them.
Nice job Pantagraph.
(I will get to Renner’s blathering later)
On another note, I would like to thank the Pantagaph for allowing me only 10 free views per month. Most months 10 is more than enough. I don’t feel like I’ve missed much,
Just view under incognito mode if you use Chrome as a browser and you can look at that waste of internet space all day long. If you don’t have incognito mode just clear your browser history and you can continue viewing.
While I would like to acknowledge three tax increases and their origin perhaps as Mayor Renner, I would like to focus more clearly on those responsible for the end-result:
7 elected City Council Aldermen:
David Sage
Mboka Mwilambwe
Joni Painter
Karen Schmidt
Scott Black
Rob Fazzini
Jim Fruin
How do you like that Wards 2,3,5,6,7,8 and 9?
And you elected them.
It gets better! Fazzini wrote his last Ward 8 report and bragged about getting the Motor Fuel tax passed.