by:  Diane Benjamin

As a parting gift, Rob Fazzini issued a final Ward 8 report.

Have you ever heard a politician brag about raising taxes?  Fazzini did:

Persisted for nearly three years in leading the effort to implement a 4 cent per gallon local motor fuel tax.

Here’s some other gems:

During my tenure as an Alderman I have spent an average of 19 hours per week on city council activities, some of which was spent on helping citizens with specific concerns (54 in 2012, 52 in 2013 and 44 thus far in 2014).  To become a more informed Alderman, I attended two annual Illinois Municipal League Conferences, three Municipal Law seminars, one National League of Cities Conference and participated in a One Voice trip to Washington D.C.

Taxpayers paid for all these trips.  After one of these trips, Fazzini cheered Joe Biden, one of the keynote speakers.  You are paying for your Mayor and Council to learn from people like Biden.  Decades ago the people who believe government is the answer to every problem went local.  They attacked one city at a time.  Congrats Bloomington – these people now hold 7 Council seats.

My voting philosophy has been consistent based upon a these principals.  First, I favored the free enterprise system versus government intervention unless public safety was involved.  Second, I had confidence in the City Manager and Department Director recommendations, which led me to support recommendations unless I detected serious flaws regarding a recommendation.  Third, I favored recommendations which encourage cooperation with other government entities.  Fourth, I believed in research on topics and discussion with staff and/or citizens prior to discussion and voting at council meetings.

Really Rob?  Is that why Bloomington raised taxes?

Have you ever felt “the fix is in”?  Fazzini admits a lot of discussions take place where the citizens can’t see them.  Have you seen Renner limit discussion at Council meetings-he does it constantly.  Fazzini is admitting Council meetings are just a formality.  At the last meeting one recommendation by the City didn’t pass – The Grove walking paths.  Normally every recommendation passes because the item wouldn’t be on the agenda if Renner and Hales didn’t believe it would pass.  Maybe the public expressed outrage to their alderman, maybe common sense took over.  Either way, it was refreshing to see some actual thought by the Council.  Still wondering why I FOIA emails?  Because discussions don’t take place in public!

Here’s something Rob is right about:

Actually I am just as proud of my effort regarding five efforts that did not succeed as I had hoped, but that is what Democracy is all about.  Majority rules.  First, I have proposed several times that the City of Bloomington build a Dog Park at a cost of under $50,000, but it has not been done even though it has been in the Parks & Recreation Department budget.  Second, I initiated and coordinated the citizen effort to have a binding referendum on the ballot to convert the city governance to a modified ward system.  We succeeded in having it placed on the ballot, but citizens voted to keep the current ward only system.  Third, I supported the proposal to have term limits for Bloomington elected officials, but the current council members would not support placing it on the council agenda for discussion.  Fourth, I requested discussion concerning compensation levels for Aldermen and Mayor, but again current council members would not support  placing it on the council agenda for discussion.  Fifth, there was my pointing out that the balanced city budgets of the past 30+ years were not actually balanced because they did not recognize the $200 million in deferred maintenance, the over $100 million in under-funded pension liability and the over $60 million in needed street repairs.

Why did you keep voting for discretionary spending Rob?  With everything the City isn’t doing, why did you vote for more spending on non-essentials?  Rob, you also made it clear Aldermen don’t control the agenda!  Thanks.

Fazzini still believes we are a Democracy.  Maybe that’s way he thinks he can spend a lot of money to get elected and then quit before his term is up.  A better offer came along – so his ward gets dumped.

The amount of time and the level of frustration with working in a Democracy certainly made me wonder at times if it was all worth it.  My personal appreciation for what it takes to run a city has been greatly enhanced by my experience as an Alderman.  Would I do it over?  ABSOLUTELY!   This has been one of the more rewarding experiences of my life, and I intend to continue to lend my financial and leadership experience to Mayor Renner as he sees fit.

Going to recommend more tax increases Rob?  Going to ask the City for money for your new venture?  What about all the deferred maintenance, pension debt, and streets falling apart?

It’s been fun Rob – especially helping to defeat Modified Wards!  I left your grammer error in as my gift to you.

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