By: Diane Benjamin
The Coliseum year-end report is finally out. The year ended 4/30/15.
As I have reported many times, what CIAM reports is pure fiction. The birdcage liner is reporting the Coliseum lost $494,320 for the year. Of course, that number isn’t accurate. Worse, they reported CIAM’s reported loss last year of $183,727 instead of what the auditor reported: A loss or $729,945 (net of depreciation).
They are only off by almost $600,000!
They also reported ALL previous income/loss numbers with NO report on the real numbers as determined by the auditors!
WJBC reported the same $494,430 loss, including economic impact number of $12.5 million – another piece of fiction. It’s an estimate of how many attendees they think ate in Bloomington and stay all night at a local hotel. Since sales taxes and hotel-motel taxes are all down, and food/beverage taxes are only slightly ahead of projection – where is the revenue from the $12.5 million? They use NO scientific or accounting standards to determine the actual number. They also don’t reflect the higher taxes you are paying because of the Coliseum and the loss in property taxes that could be generated is the property wasn’t City owned.
Most citizens don’t know they are being lied to.
The media either doesn’t know or doesn’t care they circulate lies. Since they read my site, I’d say the latter applies.
The City still doesn’t verify BMI commissions paid to the City for concession sales. It’s all a big secret nobody is supposed to know. If nobody is allowed to verify the correct amount is paid, what do you think is happening?
If any truthful media existed, John Butler and Bart Rogers wouldn’t get by with issuing fiction.
Where is David Hales? Isn’t he suppose to manage? He allows Butler and Rogers to perpetuate lies?
Funny how the links on the City website don’t work. Or maybe it’s just my computer. Oh, it doesn’t work on my phone either! So, the report comes out on a Friday, WJBC and the Pantagraph get an advance copy, their articles are pure fiction, the City links don’t work, but hey – it’s Friday and nobody will notice!
It’s up to you to spread the word, obviously truth doesn’t matter to WJBC or the Pantagraph.
The real audited numbers won’t be available until October. The City will try to hide the auditors report to the Council. Rest assured, I will FOIA it.
I see that John Butler and Bart Rogers have some reasons. I wonder which one of them or who they got to dream up those reasons. What clowns! Worse yet the city manager in front of the line. Absolutely they all need to go, period!
Again, Ms. Burages, where is the investment return??
The agenda for Monday’s Committee of the Whole is not available yet, either. This is the meeting where the Council will take some sort of vote regarding the Front & Center project. Remember, the timeline begins June 18, 2015.
Maybe it’s been cancelled or will be.
It’s available now.
http://www.cityblm.org/modules/showdocument.aspx?documentid=8702
That looks to be a $1 million loss if the auditors report is like last year. Last year of management agreement with the loss of US Cellular naming rights does Hales and the City Council rubber stamp a renewal of the contract?
Deprecation will add around $800,000. Their bad accounting will probably add at least $500,000.
Also paying TWO Full time managers, Rogers and Butler is insane at 125k plus with benefits and Hales let’s them get away with it. Rogers has no problem being quoted in the Journal Star running the River men and the City allows it. Only in Bloomington what a waste of taxpayers $
I wonder what John Butler and Bart Rogers have not been reporting on their taxes? Maybe they need to be audited by the IRS. I wonder about Merle and Carol Huff too.