By: Diane Benjamin
Mayor Tari loves to call people he wants to vilify: “they are off their meds”
Sorry, but you may need “meds” after seeing how your tax dollars are spent.
Government loves to control what us little people eat, but they feed themselves pizza, doughnuts, and deserts and send the bill to you. Do they realize it is possible to hold a meeting without food?
Below is a recap of PCard spending, just for Administration, from January to June 2014.
Spending turned in on Expense Reports are NOT included here.
Spending on Council and Employees:
- MONICALS PIZZA 106.23 $ Food for Council Meeting
- MONICALS PIZZA $ 135.40 Dinner for Committee of the Whole Meeting
- MONICALS PIZZA $ 123.96 Dinner for Council Working Session
- JIMMY JOHN’S # 1408 $ 83.14 Dinner for Council Work Session
- ENGRAVING EXPRESS $ 50.50 Plaque Engraving for Jennifer McDade
- DENNYS DOUGHNUTS $ 403.00 Employee Appreciation
- KRISPY KREME #849 $ 17.98 Employee Appreciation breakfast
- PANERA BREAD #1295 $ 88.54 Breakfast For Director’s Retreat
- POTBELLY 080 $ 89.95 Lunch For Director’s Retreat
- KRISPY KREME #849 $ 39.47 Food for Employee Appreciation
- WAL-MART #1125 $ 43.52 Bottled Water, Soda, Napkins and Plates
- WAL-MART #1125 $ 21.92 Bottled water and soda for council and guests
- WAL-MART #1125 $ 31.89 Soda and Water for Council and Guests
- MONICALS PIZZA $ 37.25 Council Work session dinner
- JANETS CAKES INC $ 813.00 Employee Appreciation Committee
- LOWES #01203 $ 477.94 EAC Employee Recognition – March 2014
- BEST BUY 00000497 $ 1,831.79 EAC Employee Recognition – March 2014
- Relations FOX AND HOUND DAY SPA $ 340.50 EAC Employee Recognition – March 2014
- BEST BUY 00000497 $ 209.98 EAC Employee Recognition – March 2014
- BEER NUTS CO – PLANT $ 71.92 Snacks for Mark Huber’s Retirement
- THE CHOCOLATIER, I $ 113.73 Snacks for Mark Huber’s Retirement
- POTBELLY 080 $ 121.60 City Council Meeting
- FAMOUS DAVES $ 68.03 Employee Acivities Committee
- FAMOUS DAVES $ (6.04) Employee Activities Committee – credit
- JEWEL #3116 $ 6.87 Employee Activities Committee
- CROSSFIT BLOOMINGTON $ 300.00 Employee Activities Committe
- KROGER #856 $ 8.98 Not In Our Town Event
- BEER NUTS CO – PLANT $ 23.96 Not In Our Town Event
- JEWEL #3116 $ 15.96 Water for meetings
- JEWEL #3116 $ 44.93 Meeting Supplies
- ROSATI’S PIZZA – NORMA $ 99.45 Special City Council Meeting
- LOWES #01203 $ 536.00 Employee Activities Committee
- BEST BUY 00000497 $ 1,927.86 Employee Activities Committee
- PANERA BREAD #1295 $ 293.19 Legislative Work Session
- JIMMY JOHN’S # 1408 $ 62.86 Business lunch – Hockey License Agreement
- JIMMY JOHN’S # 1408 $ 45.21 Business lunch – Hockey License Agreement
- JEWEL #3116 $ 11.97 Water
- POTBELLY 058 $ 176.00 Trades and Labor Association, City Staff Lunch Meeting
- WM SUPERCENTER #3459 $ 132.58 Employee picnic food and supplies, picnic 5/23/14
- MONICALS PIZZA $ 60.50 Pizza for Emp Appreciation, Finance Dept for FY15 budget work, 5/22/14
- WALGREENS #09983 $ 14.77 Employee Activities Committee, Employee Picnic Games
- JEWEL #3116 $ 44.45 Meeting supplies/beverages
- JEWEL #3116 $ 5.98 Meeting water
- TARGET 00001370 $ 17.46 Beverages for business meetings
- DENNYS DOUGHNUTS $ 92.14 David, Sue, Public Works Employees – meeting
- JEWEL #3116 $ 38.43 Refreshments for meetings
- JEWEL #3116 $ 15.96 Meeting supplies
Travel, Dues, Lodging, Subscriptions, etc for Renner, Hales, Council, and Temp Employees
These conferences teach City leaders to spend your money on things they never would have thought of on their own.
- NAT’L ASSN LOC GOV AUDTRS $ 180.00 Membership Renewal
- ICSC $ 100.00 Membership Renewal
- ICSC $ 50.00 Membership Renewal
- NIU OUTREACH $ 175.00 Registration for ILCMA 2014 Winter Conference
- DOUBLETREE BY HILTON DBL $ 92.96 Hotel Fee for Lynn Montei
- NATIONAL LEAGUE OF CITIES $ 545.00 Registration NLC Washington DC Conf.
- DELTA AIR 0067330747621 $ 263.00 Mayor- Air Fare for One Voice/NLC Conf. Washington DC
- US CONF OF MAYORS $ (500.00) Reimbursement for Mayor Conf. in Washington DC
- NATIONAL LEAGUE OF CITIES $ 545.00 Registration NLC Washington DC Conf.
- DELTA AIR 0067330759550 $ 293.00 David- Air Fare for One Voice/NLC Conf. Washington DC
- DOUBLETREE BY HILTON DBL $ 78.40 Hotel Room for One Night for Lynn Montei
- DOUBLETREE BY HILTON DBL $ 258.48 Hotel Room for Two Night for Lynn Montei (October)
- NATIONAL LEAGUE OF CITIES $ 545.00 NLC Washington Conf. Registration for Scott Black
- NATIONAL LEAGUE OF CITIES $ 545.00 NLC Washington Conf. Registration for Mboka
- NATIONAL LEAGUE OF CITIES $ 135.00 Registration for Mboka Mwilambwe
- TRAVEL INSURANCE POLICY $ 21.00 Insurance For Air Fare for One Voice and NLC Event in Washington
- TRAVEL INSURANCE POLICY $ 18.38 Insurance For Air Fare for One Voice and NLC Event in Washington
- TRAVEL INSURANCE POLICY $ 21.00 Air Fare Insurance for NLC Washington Conf. Reg. for Scott Black
- TRAVEL INSURANCE POLICY $ 21.00 Air Fare Insurance for NLC Washington Conf. Reg. for Mboka
- DELTA AIR 0067332505602 $ 343.00 Air Fare for NLC Washington Conf. Registration for Scott Black
- DELTA AIR 0067332505352 $ 343.00 Air Fare for NLC Washington Conf. Registration for Mboka
- IEDC ONLINE $ 385.00 Membership Dues for the IL Economic Development Council
- AMERICAN PLANNING ASSOCI $ 85.00 Magazine Subscription to APA
- CHICAGO TRIB SUBSCRIPTIO $ 129.87 Newspaper subscription
- THE PANTAGRAPH $ 12.00 Pantagraph Subscription. Alex McElroy
- PUBLIC RISK MANAGEMENT $ 385.00 Membership Renewal For Public Risk Management for Barb Adkins
- NIU OUTREACH $ 100.00 ILCMA Winter Conf. Registration for David Hales
- HILTON HOTELS SPRING $ 203.84 Lodging for ILCMA conference
- NATIONAL LEAGUE OF CITIES $ 135.00 Registration
- NATIONAL LEAGUE OF CITIES $ 135.00 Registration
- OMNI SHOREHAM $ 1,730.95 Lodging
- TAXI CAB SERVICE $ 13.00 One Voice
- WASHINGTON DC TAXI $ 23.97 One Voice
- DELTA AIR 0067335276929 $ 220.00 Airfare
- DELTA AIR 0068235742238 $ 25.00 One Voice/NLC
- OWW ORBITZ.COM $ 30.00 Tari Renner – return flight changes
- DELTA AIR 0068236259600 $ 25.00 Airfare
- DEMOCRATIC MUNICIPAL OFFI $ 120.00 Reference materials
- OMNI SHOREHAM $ 1,678.80 Lodging
- OMNI SHOREHAM $ (52.50) Lodging – credit
- FOUR SEASONS HOTEL WA DC $ 104.00 Parking
- IEDC ONLINE $ 577.35 IEDC Training Manuals
- PBD ICMA PUBLICATIONS $ 133.00 Municipal Yearbook
- KING CAB COMPANY $ 14.14 Taxi fare-Not In Our Town Awards Ceremony, in Washington DC
- DELTA AIR 0068238400075 $ 25.00 Not In Our Town Award
- US CONF OF MAYORS $ 750.00 USCM Annual Conf Registration
- AMERICAN AI 0012389626656 $ 498.00 USCM Annual Conf Airfare
- ICMA $ 516.67 Alex McElroy, ICMA membership
- DOUBLETREE BY HILTON DBL $ 244.16 Interim Asst. City Manager S.McLaughlin lodging 5/9 &5/12/14
- DOUBLETREE BY HILTON DBL $ 122.08 Interim Asst. City Manager S.McLaughlin lodging 5/12-5/13/14
- DOUBLETREE BY HILTON DBL $ 92.96 Interim Asst. City Manager S.McLaughlin lodging 5/14-5/15/14
- DOUBLETREE BY HILTON DBL $ 92.96 Interim Asst. City Manager S.McLaughlin lodging 5/12-5/13/14
- DOUBLETREE BY HILTON DBL $ 92.96 Interim Asst. City Manager Sue McLaughlin lodging 5/27/14
- DOUBLETREE BY HILTON DBL $ 92.96 Interim Asst. City Manager Sue McLaughlin lodging 5/30/14
- CHICAGO TRIB SUBSCRIPTIO $ 129.87 One year subscription to Chicago Tribune for office
- NIU OUTREACH $ 295.00 DHales – ILCMA Summer Conf Registration
- EAGLE RIDGE RESORT $ 329.14 DHales – ILCMA Summer Conf Lodging
- OMNI DALLAS CON CTR HT $ 917.48 USCM Annual Conf – lodging
- DALLAS DFW TAXI LIMO SERV $ 56.50 USCM Annual conference – taxi service
- AMERICAN AI 0010268889893 $ 25.00 USCM Annual Conference – luggage charge
- AMERICAN AI 0010269078052 $ 25.00 USCM Annual Conf – luggage fee
- EBS $ 371.00 ILCMA dues for David Hales, 7/1/14 – 6/30/15
- EBS $ 113.00 ILCMA dues for Alex McElroy, 7/1/14 – 6/30/15
- DOUBLETREE BY HILTON DBL $ 92.96 Lodging for Interim Asst. City Manager Sue McLaughlin, 6/2/14
- DOUBLETREE BY HILTON DBL $ 278.88 Hotel for Interim Asst. City Manager Sue McLaughlin – 6/9/14-6/11/14
- DOUBLETREE BY HILTON DBL $ 92.96 Interim Assistant City Manager – Sue McLaughlin – lodging
- ICMA INTERNET $ 1,229.00 David Hales, ICMA Conference Reg., 9/14/14 – 9/17/14, Charlotte, NC
- EAGLE RIDGE RESORT $ (50.00) David Hales ILCMA Summer Conference Hotel Amenity Fee reversed
- EAGLE RIDGE RESORT $ 329.14 David Hales ILCMA Summer Conf. Lodging – 6/11-6/13/14 – Galena, IL
- HEARTLAND PARKING INC $ 1.00 Parking fee – meeting
- KWE KIPLINGER EDITORS $ 99.00 Renew Subscription for David
- CHICAGO TRIB SUBSCRIPTIO $ 129.87 Chicago Tribune Subscription
- HEARTLAND PARKING INC $ 2.00 Parking for Bloomington Normal By The Numbers
- HEARTLAND PARKING INC $ 1.00 Parking for Meet With EDC Attraction Committee
- HEARTLAND PARKING INC $ 2.00 David- Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Event. Sponsor by The City of Bloomington
Misc: P F PETTIBONE AND CO $ 474.75 Printing for “No Guns Allowed” Stickers
More feeding themselves at your expense:
All names in RED are either Council members, City employees, elected officials of the County or Normal, or the lady who led the Council retreat. Others might be.
The Council “potted plants” get fed or meet over food frequently with Hales or Renner. Understand why many votes are 7-2 now?
Tari loves to eat with Carlo Robustelli (Democrat on the County Board) and bill you!
- MERRY ANNS DINER 17.21 $ Business Dinner Meeting With Adkis Frankin
- ROSIE’S PUB 27.00 $ Business Lunch With Jennifer McDade
- THE GARLIC PRESS CAFE $ 25.39 Lunch Meeting With Charlie Schlanker
- LANCASTERS $ 28.50 Lunch Meeting With Scott Black
- LANCASTERS $ 44.00 Lunch Meeting With Karen Schmidt and John Rayford
- LANCASTERS $ 22.00 Lunch Meeting
- JIMMY JOHN’S # 1408 $ 7.01 Lunch Meeting‐ Lynn Montei (retreat leader)
- JIMMY JOHN’S # 1408 $ 34.12 Working Lunch Between David Sage and David Hales
- APPLEBEES 42600601 $ 31.47 Business Lunch With Jim Fruin
- BMI CONCESSIONS $ 39.75 Business Lunch With Justine Robinson and Libby Au
- CJS RESTAURANT & CATERING $ 26.99 Breakfast meeting with Erik Bush
- LANCASTERS $ 34.00 Lunch Meeting With Carlo Robustelli
- LANCASTERS $ 31.00 Business Lunch With Jennifer McDade
- TGI FRIDAY’S VILLAGE XII $ 25.18 Business Lunch With David Sage
- ROSIE’S PUB $ 27.00 Lunch Meeting With Dontae YWCA
- LANCASTERS $ 34.00 Lunch Meeting with Scott Black
- HANSEN CENTER 10019966 $ 21.33 Lunch Meeting With Brad Gresik
- DESTIHL $ 37.45 Lunch Meeting With Steve Leopold
- GARDEN OF PARADISE REST $ 19.72 Breakfast Meeting with Carlo Robustelli
- LANCASTERS $ 32.00 Lunch Meeting With Kris Koos
- MCLEAN COUNTY CHAMBER $ 25.00 Business Breakfast Meeting/ Chamber
- MCLEAN COUNTY CHAMBER $ 25.00 Business Breakfast Meeting/ Chamber
- CAFFE ITALIA LLC $ 24.90 Lunch Meeting With Martin Krylowicz
- ROSIE’S PUB $ 45.61 Business Lunch With Mayor Renner and John Karnis
- APPLEBEES 42600601 $ 39.71 Lunch Meet With Bob Yehl
- LANCASTERS $ 57.00 Lunch With Mayor Renner and John Albee
- JIMMY JOHN’S # 1408 $ 19.12 Lunch Meeting Between David Hales and David Sage
- JIMMY JOHN’S # 1408 $ 24.13 Working Lunch for David Hales, Patti-Lynn Silva and Carla Murillo
- WILD BERRIES $ 30.01 Lunch Meeting With Lynn Montei
- APPLEBEES 42600601 $ 58.69 Lunch Meeting with Jim Fruin and Mayor Renner
- LANCASTERS $ 29.00 Lunch Meeting With Mary Haskell
- LANCASTERS $ 30.00 Lunch Meeting With Jennifer McDade
- HANSEN CENTER 10019966 $ 33.87 Lunch Meeting with Karen Schmidt
- LANCASTERS $ 54.00 Lunch Meeting with Filip and Dylan
- DESTIHL $ 49.15 Lunch Meeting
- LANCASTERS $ 30.50 Lunch Meeting with Kevin McCarty, Mayor Renner
- DENNYS DOUGHNUTS $ 12.56 Food for meeting
- STARCREST CLEANERS NORMAL $ 54.00 Dry cleaners – table cloths
- ROSIE’S PUB $ 25.77 Lunch Meeting With Scott Black
- SWINGERS GRILLE $ 12.28 Downstate Managers Lunch
- IHOP 5429 $ 25.25 Breakfast Meeting With Alderman Mboka
- ZORBAS RESTAURANT INC $ 25.45 Business lunch w/Karen Schmidt and Dave Sage
- LANCASTERS $ 24.00 Business lunch w/Carlo Rubastelli
- LANCASTERS $ 30.00 Meeting
- LANCASTERS $ 32.00 Meeting
- LANCASTERS $ 43.00 Meeting
- MEDICI $ 156.80 Meeting
- LANCASTERS $ 34.00 Business lunch with Carlo Robustelli
- SQ COFFEE HOUND $ 5.76 Business meeting with Carlo Robustelli
- HANSEN CENTER 10019966 $ 27.13 Business lunch with Neil Finlan and Aaron Quick
- HANSEN CENTER 10019966 $ 20.76 Business lunch with Aaron Quick & Neil Finlan
- HANSEN CENTER 10019966 $ 25.25 Budget Meeting – M.Kimmerling, T.Renner, J.Jurgens, P.Silva
- A RENEE WINE $ 22.00 Business lunch with Angelica Racki
- ROSIE’S PUB $ 29.50 Business lunch with Mayor Chris Koos
- ROSIE’S PUB $ 18.00 Business lunch with Carlo Robustelli
- LANCASTERS $ 28.00 Business Meeting with Liz Megli
- ROSIE’S PUB $ 27.00 Business Meeting with Marty Cryliwucz
- SWINGERS GRILLE $ 13.28 Central IL City Managers Business Luncheon
- JIMS STEAKHOUSE $ 19.40 Lunch with Mike Kimmerling
- JIMS STEAKHOUSE $ 3.00 Lunch with Mike Kimmerling (tip)
- ROSIE’S PUB $ 55.75 Business Meeting with Nick Daggens & Scott Black
- ROSIE’S PUB $ 34.00 Business meeting
- LANCASTERS $ 29.00 Business meeting – Tari Renner, Jim Jordan
- DESTIHL $ 36.45 Business Meeting – Tari Renner, Carlo Robestelli
- ROSIE’S PUB $ 34.50 Business Meeting – Tari Renner, Alderman Scott Black
- LANCASTERS $ 29.00 Business meeting with Tari Renner and Paul Williams
- IHOP 5429 $ 20.60 Business Meeting – David Hales, Karen Schmidt
- IHOP 5429 $ 14.64 Business Meeting – David Hales, Jim Fruin
- JIMMY JOHN’S # 1408 $ 14.85 Business Lunch – David Hales, Alderman David Sage
- SWINGERS GRILLE $ 12.78 Business Meeting – Central Illinois Managers Meeting
- DESTIHL $ 33.95 Business Meeting – David Hales, Alderman Scott Black
- IHOP # 5429 $ 14.64 Business breakfast, David Hales, Bill Wasson, 5/19/14
- ROSIE’S PUB $ 27.50 Business meal Tari Renner and Robert Porter, lunch 6/3/14
- SHANNON’S 5 STAR $ 13.64 Business meal – Tari Renner, Dontae Catson – Breakfast 6/4/14
- ROSIE’S PUB $ 23.50 Business meal – Tari Renner, Michael Kahwaji – at Rosie’s 6/6/14
- DESTIHL $ 38.50 Business meal – Tari Renner, Carlo Robustelli – at Destihl 6/7/14
- A RENEE WINE $ 50.00 Business meal – Scott Black, Carlo Robustelli, Tari Renner
- LANCASTERS $ 34.50 Business meal
- ROSIE’S PUB $ 34.50 Business Lunch – Tari Renner
- KRISPY KREME #849 $ 12.26 Business meeting – David Hales
- JIMS STEAKHOUSE $ 69.95 Business Meal – David Hales, Steve Stockton
- JIMMY JOHN’S # 1408 $ 18.00 David Hales, Dave Sage – lunch meeting
I see there are a couple of names missing from the expense list..Either they dont spend money or they are never invited to some of these “business” meetings….I have a question, if it is a “business” meeting, are they supposed to have a record of what was discussed or can that be private?
No minutes required because they only meet with 1 or 2 at a time to avoid an Open Meetings Act violation.
Why a lunch meeting with a reporter?
“THE GARLIC PRESS CAFE $ 25.39 Lunch Meeting With Charlie Schlanker” (Should be Schlenker, I’m guessing).
That’s just odd…..
You would think someone “working” for the City of Bloomington would at least spend taxpayer’s money IN BLOOMINGTON!
I was thinking Schlenker too. Why is any elected official buying lunch for a member of the press? Why would the press allow them? Maybe whoever met with him ate $25.39 worth of food? So many questions without answers.
I read your post from yesterday and I just shook my head, saying to myself ‘yeah…that sounds about right’. I read this new post of MORE expenses and it actually pissed me off. If I’m bored enough today, I am going to tally up this nonsense and find out what the total is and post it back.
What is worse is that they are eating on the few more dimes that they have STOLEN from me earlier this year with those THREE TAX HIKES!.
This is why I couldn’t run for office. Apparently, my moral scruples would just get in the way of the fun I could have by being given such ‘entitlements’ by idiot voters.
Shameless….absolutely shameless!
Let me know the totals. Since I’m working for free, it was above my pay grade.
You are the guy who should be running for office!
9286.75 for council and employees. 16898.26 for travel, subscriptions blah blah blah, I’ll add up the other one later. Ridiculous!
And it’s only for 6 months! Thanks
What format is this data in originally? Do you have a link where it can be found. I would love to do some tallying into a spreadsheet or website.
http://www.cityblm.org/index.aspx?page=242&parent=6058
Bills are paid twice a month. The PCard spending is normally at the end of the 2nd one every month. It all pdf sheets. There is a whole like more PCard spending I haven’t even looked at.
FOIA the minutes, notices, and agendas for all of the “Council Work Sessions”
They are all on line.
Work sessions are mostly to wear out the council. It makes indoctrination easier. 3 2-hour meetings a month with hundreds of pages for each meeting so they can earn $4500 a year.
As I tweeted – $30,774.24 total for all – I called my spreadsheet Bloomington-chump-change 🙂
A reader added everything and came up with $30,774. I haven’t checked his numbers. Keep in mind this is just 6 months of one small department – Administration. If these guys feel entitled to your money, what do you think the other departments are thinking?
So the office subscriptions to the Pantagraph and Trib mean we are paying them to read the newspaper during work hours?
When they read the Trib they are probably thankful for the bad paper here