By: Diane Benjamin
If the potted plants agree citizens should have no voice in their government – it will happen Monday.
Tari attempted to shut down Judy Stearns while she was on the Council.
Tari attempted to shut me down with his vile comments on my site. I made a big mistake by not pressing charges against him for threatening me and cyber bullying. The Council let him off with a slap on the wrist. Anywhere else he would have been run out of office. It looks like even IWU put him on immediate sabbatical after his rant. How many people start at sabbatical in the middle of a semester?
Tari bent the Public Comment rules to allow little Brexton to sign up late and attempt to vilify Judy Stearns – he went over the allotted time for public comment of 15 minutes. Since Brexton, anyone who wanted to speak got the opportunity. Now Tari is back to 15 minutes so he and his potted plants don’t have to listen to complaints. Tari: Very few people ever show up supporting you, so the reason for the change is obvious.
Tari has stacked the Council with 8 out of 9 votes for anything he wants to pass. The potted plants have no concept of the struggling families they are stealing money from so Tari can build his playground that most citizens oppose. The decline of Bloomington and the exodus of it’s citizens will continue. Citizens didn’t vote at the ballot box, but they will vote with their feet.
At Monday’s City Council meeting Tari is going to finish the job of shutting down opposition. The rules for Public Comment are going to be changed. I’m sure the potted plants are lined up and ready. Karen Schmidt should be ashamed of herself. I wonder if she now wants to shut the citizens down after supporting them in the past.
Here are the new proposed rules:
- You have sign up 2 hours in advance. So Tari, the citizens now have to pay the clerk to sit for hours before every meeting in case somebody wants to sign up?
- Citizens can only speak about something on the agenda and you have to specify which item in advance
- You can only speak every 15 days unless time allows
Next, Tari will have the police drag anyone out who violates the rules. Video of the meetings will probably start after public comment so it’s not on tape.
Meanwhile, he is free to continue the assault on taxpayers with gifts to developers so Tari gets his hotel. The bird-cage liner will continue to cover up the facts. The Cheers and Jeers editorial today left out Cheers for killing the Giebelhausen plan. I’m sure they have already been briefed on Tari’s next plan.
Below are some of my favorites from Bills and Payroll for Monday night: http://www.cityblm.org/Modules/ShowDocument.aspx?documentid=8724
492 Weekly employees
449 Bi-weekly employees
Total employees 941!
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Why the Pantagraph isn’t news:
100 PANTAGRAPH PUBLISHING
CHECK TOTAL 10,037.73
100 PANTAGRAPH PUBLISHING
CHECK TOTAL 369.16
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Illinois Wesleyan? Really?
542 ILLINOIS WESLEYAN UNIV 00002 INV 06/22/2015 OUTLOOK (7) 6/15 117303
1 10011110 70632 Admin Pro Develp 32.00
2 10011110 79992 Admin CouncilExp 80.00
Invoice Net 112.00
CHECK TOTAL 112.00
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You sent Austin Grammer to Las Vegas. Maybe he learned how to land a Hy-Vee and put a Cub Foods out of business. I’m sure more expense for this trip are forthcoming
999019 AUSTIN GRAMMER 00000 INV 06/22/2015 LAS VEGAS 5/15 118490
1 10019170 70632 Econ Devel Pro Develp 313.45
Invoice Net 313.45
CHECK TOTAL 313.45
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You got off cheap sending money to Springfield this meeting. Expect a much bigger amount soon.
2232 CLARK BAIRD SMITH LLP 00000 INV 07/03/2015 5983 117466
1 10011710 70010 Legal Out Legal 20,214.55
Invoice Net 20,214.55
CHECK TOTAL 20,214.55
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It’s also time for more feeding themselves at your expense:
ADMIN City Council Expenses Rosie’s Pub $ 26.00 Business Lunch for Tari Renner with Bryce Pierson
ADMIN City Council Expenses Michaels Restaurant $ 25.90 Business Lunch for Tari Renner with Van Miller
ADMIN City Council Expenses Michaels Restaurant $ 25.15 Business Lunch for Tari Renner with Diana Hauman
ADMIN City Council Expenses Destihl $ 51.30 Business Lunch for T. Renner, Lane Bennett & Craig Morris
ADMIN City Council Expenses Monicals Pizza $ 74.70 Business dinner for City Council
ADMIN Prof Development Jimmy John’s $ 32.35 Business Lunch for D. Hales, N. Albertson & A. Brown
ADMIN Prof Development Biaggi’s $ 118.90 May Mayor’s & Manager’s Lunch
ADMIN Prof Development Target $ 36.58 Office Beverages
ADMIN Prof Development Biaggi’s $ (9.23) Credit for tax paid at Business Lunch (5/6/15)
Finally, David Hales attended another indoctrination camp at your expense:
ADMIN Prof Development Mandalay Bay Resort/Casin $ 745.92 Business Travel – David Hales
Disgusting. I am not surprised at Renner’s manipulative tactics and response to Public Comment time. He’s panicking and drowning. Ray Croc once said, and I am paraphrasing, “When your competitor and adversary is drowning, shove a hose down his throat!”.
I believe the law allows for the public to video/audiotape the Council Meeting. If they cut off Public Comment, then perhaps someone else can video/audio tape that part and post it here on BLN News?
Definitely!
It would be great to see about 8-10 people begin to record every meeting with commentary relayed to this site. American ingenuity is great! If they are going to shut it down, then we bring it back 10 fold.
“SUBJECT: Consideration of approving and Ordinance Amending the Public Comment Rules at City Council Meetings for the City of Bloomington.
RECOMMENDATION/MOTION: That the Ordinance amending the procedures for Public Comment be approved.”
This is an abomination!!
STRATEGIC PLAN SIGNIFICANCE: Engaged residents that are well informed and involved in an open governance process
The Council does not want public dialogue. There are not Ward meetings. Aldermen don’t respond to emails or want to put $8M projects up for referendum.
INTERESTED PERSONS CONTACTED…Not applicable!! This says it all.
So we are so free to promote a business eh?
Those rules are definitely designed to shut down comments. What is the earliest you can register to speak? Renner may be on sabbatical but us ordinary people are working two hours before and won’t just be able to leave. Also, every 15 days is convient since council meetings are held every 14 days. So people will have to skip two meetings before they can speak again. Anyone want to show up with duck tape over our mouths?
Diane in regards to your comment, ” I made a big mistake by not pressing charges against him for threatening me and cyber bullying.” I am thinking that you have not exceeded whatever the statue of limitations might be on that. Did you check that out?
Yes I did. I can check again though to make sure I read it right.
Hales sent to Mandalay Bay in Jamaica? for Professional Development? Black is sent to Vegas? Come on, even if it were legit, appearances are everything. We can’t make budget and we are paying for their dinners and vacations? Where is the report on what they learned in Jamaica and Vegas? Certainly whatever they learned there should be shared with the rest of us. Hard working people that haven’t had a real vacation in years are paying for these prima donnas’ filthy abuse of power.
Of course now they will limit your ability to be heard as well. To begin with…. public comment is a joke if the intended listener isn’t listening nor are they obligated or even allowed to respond.
Sorry just realized I thought Mandalay Bay was Montego Bay for some reason. But Vegas really?
Also, just curious can we get transcripts from these public business dinner meetings? We paid for it must then be of public interest.
So, we need to FOIA them till “the cows come home”. A protest march might be too radical for some of you, so FOIA them on anything that the public would like to know about or are we just to just sit back and take this?