by: Diane Benjamin
If you missed the WGLT/League of Women Votes debate last night, you can listen to it here: http://wglt.org/news/soundideas.php
Participating in the debate were:
Current Aldermen – Sage (unopposed), Schmidt (unopposed), Hauman (Ward 8), Painter (Ward 5)
Candidates: Franklin (Ward 8), Diaz (Ward 5)
Ward 4 candidates debated previously, so they didn’t participate.
This budget season will shine a bright light on who is campaigning on what citizens want to hear and who really means what they say.
Example:
All of the participants talked about the need for good infrastructure (roads, bridges, sewers).
Last year $9,330,000 of the $10,000,000 bond was spent on infrastructure.
The proposed budget for this year is $2,000,000 for roads and $400,000 for sidewalks and curbs. The almost $10 Million last year barely made a dent in fixing the roads. Is $2 Million making infrastructure a priority? (http://blnnews.com/2015/02/27/bloomington-roads-are-no-priority/)
Compare the infrastructure spending with what the budget has for spending at the Coliseum: $2,510,000 (http://blnnews.com/2015/02/27/coliseum-2510000/)
Will the 4 current aldermen demand more spending on infrastructure? Stay tuned!
Other thoughts:
Diana Hauman thinks the new Route 66 visitors center will draw 80,000 people downtown this year. She thinks a vital downtown will radiate to the entire City.
Diaz: Improving West and East Washington and West Market is imperative to draw traffic downtown
Sage: Wants to improve lighting downtown
Franklin: Quit talking and start acting
One question was on expanding the library:
Diaz: Would support if library can fund at least 50% of their budget
Sage: Supports, he must factor priorities
Painter: Supports because it is vital for downtown
Schmidt: Supports because it draws people to the center of the City
Franklin: Next generation must be factored since books are being replaced by digital media for millennials
Hauman: Supports, the library is one of the best City assets
The debate is only 60 minutes – 7 questions were asked. I urge voters to listen to the candidates themselves.
The downtown IS and HAS been a money pit for years.
Last I heard the estimate for the visitors center was 30,000 per year which averages to 82 people per day. That number seems a stretch to me. 80,000 is 219 per day. I find that difficult to believe.
Suppose the 80,000 number turns out to be right (which would be great), the key to that comment is “this year”. What about all the other years that come after this year?
Also, I think I heard the visitor’s center is supposed to be self funding (please correct me if I’m wrong). If that is the promise being made, what number of visitors is required to keep that promise?
That was the first time I’ve heard anybody say 80,000. It’s always been 30,000-40,000. Since the Museum is private, it should be self funded. Somehow Bloomington and State Tax dollars keep sneaking in.
Her buddy Fazzini ran his mouth with those figures all the time. Weren’t you listening or didn’t you believe him?
I hope she’s right, but I doubt it. No matter how you look at it, it’s a risky business adventure that is costing the tax payers dearly as more and more “investments” are made in the black hole known as downtown Bloomington. If that many people want to come then it doesn’t need my dollars to build it.
I missed that Fazzini comment. I miss the way he always provided lots of material.
First we have an aging population and those who knew about Rt 66 are becoming fewer in number. Likely if you asked some younger generation they wouldn’t have a clue what Rt 66 is or was. Nostalgia at best is all it is. We’re not talking some Lincoln historical site or something significant known here. Get real, the Beer Nuts shop down the street probably gets more (Rt 66) visitors than that museum. Ask yourself why aren’t doing something to attract people, such as entice Beer Nuts to open a store nearby.
Franklin is correct about the library. Even ISU I don’t believe even has many books on the floors like they used to have.
Not until the city gets up off their rump to attract venues like the Sugar Creek Art Festival or the Sweet Corn Days like Normal does, do something with parking will things change. Plain and simple there is nothing there, period!
I took a friend from out of town to the museum last year and I think it was 1 hour parking where I parked nearby. Who wants to deal with that by having to go move your vehicle so you don’t get ticketed.
Spot on about the parking. I have always said people in the Midwest (outside Chicago) will not go anywhere unless there is free parking always available right outside the door.
I would like to know how many of the visitors are from out of town, out of state, out of the country. Having one of the Koos brothers or Renner giving away free copies of Saul Alinski’s works to local progressives at the Farmer’s Market shouldn’t be part of the count.
Also counting the same people twenty times shouldn’t be allowed either.
Shouldn’t be allowed or at least should be highlighted.
Never Fear! I have a way to know exactly what is going on. Stay tuned!
So when Baragas opines for just one more penny from a dollar that she would be glad to do her part, she fails to mention that she gets paid what, $225 and hour as a lawyer? I am guessing that hourly wage, maybe it’s more, maybe it’s less, but maybe it’s real close. This woman is completely out of touch.