By:  Diane Benjamin

Today I received a LARGE stack of emails from the City pursuant to the lawsuit I won against the City yesterday.  I hadn’t received it earlier because the package was sent by mistake to an address in Cooksville.  Maybe somebody had fun reading all the emails when they received them by mistake, maybe the first package is still floating around the US Post Office system, but that no longer matters.

Included was the email below written by Karen Schmidt to some citizens about the flamingo exhibit at the zoo.  The flamingos were back before the Council last Monday because bids came in $80,000 over budget.  Attempts by Kevin Lower to end the project failed, instead it will be cut back and re-bid.  So, your tax money is still going to the birds whether you think other items should take priority of not.

Here’s the email:

I see at least 2 problems that clearly show some alderman attend meetings to rubber stamp the agenda.

1)  “If these items are pulled and I have an opportunity to make brief remarks . . . ”

Every Alderman has the ability to pull items from the Consent Agenda, it happens at every meeting.  If Karen Schmidt really wanted to make remarks, she could have pulled the item herself.  Maybe she didn’t want to be on video advocating for spending $150,000 on pink birds while needs aren’t funded.

2)  “. . the Mayor will be moving us along pretty briskly to help us get through everything at a reasonable hour.”

Why is there a time limit for spending money Karen?  If too many items are on the agenda to properly discuss, the agenda should be cut!  “Moving briskly” leads to lack of thought on items like the garbage plan.  Maybe with 5 more minutes of discussion it might have dawned on somebody that most people are going to pick the cheapest option.  Discussions might lead to the discovery of how much money the City of Bloomington EXPORTS to Chicago, Springfield, and DC every month.  It might just dawn on somebody that shipping dollars elsewhere means less spent here – which leads to less tax revenue.  Want to know why Sales Tax Revenue is down?  Maybe because millions of tax dollars are going to pay salaries in other cities instead of locally.

This email was written one day before the Council meeting.  How did Karen know the Mayor will be “moving us along briskly”?

Do you get the idea the Council meeting was scripted?

Just found out how Karen knew: