By: Diane Benjamin
Tari was on WJBC yesterday talking about the budget:
http://cdn.stationcaster.com/stations/wjbc/media/mpeg/Tari_Renner__Bloomington_mayor-1438177885.mp3
He claims the City costs go up 2% every year, the County and Normal just increase taxes and its no big deal. He wants the same powers.
Tari and the interviewers agreed that government isn’t run like a business. Nobody mentioned that maybe it showed be! The discussion was of course on Quality of Life. the BCPA being a part of that. Want to know why Champaign’s budget is MUCH less than Bloomington? Quality of Life. As tax increases are jammed through by the feckless Council, how is your Quality of Life?
Rental inspections came up. Is it too difficult to only inspect when there is a complaint? Some years ago the Council decided to inspect all rental properties, but the budget has never existed for it. Tari doesn’t want to contract the work because he “would lose control”.
It sure sounds like he is going to ask the Council to pass whatever the Budget Task Force brings to them in September – no discussion – no changes – no input from the public. Party Time! Yippee (Is the Council really this stupid?)
Mr Transparency claims the City isn’t doing anything different from 2-3 years ago, it’s inflation. Tari, here’s just a couple of examples showing you are wrong:
- Nora Dukowitz
- David Hales budget has almost tripled
- How about spending on the Coliseum:
Replace Video System at the Coliseum for $1.6 million
Upgrade Point of Sale system at the Coliseum for $200,000
Repairs to HVAC, Chiller, Plumbing & Electrical Work at the Coliseum for $200,000
LED lighting in main seating area at the Coliseum for $250,000
Building Automated System at the Coliseum for $50,000
Coliseum-Test, Balance, & Commission Smoke Control System-Faithful & Gould Study (Life & Safety) for $35,000
Coliseum-Allowance for Modifications to Smoke Control System-Faithful & Gould Study (Life & Safety) for $175,000
By the way Tari, are you ever going to tell the Council the truth or keep pretending you have to renew the contract with CIAM? Ever going to see how much Butler has taken he wasn’t entitled to? Tari? Tari?
One more tip Tari: Check how much reported as suites and ticket sales is actually TRADE. Then check the commission CIAM paid themselves on TRADE. Then check what was actually traded. Hint: it didn’t benefit the City.
Watch Tari suggest taxing apartment owners more! Unfortunately Tari has never heard of trickle down economics and those apartments will get more expensive or they will just close up.
Don’t forget the budget amendment (added expense) to purchase the Packing Plant for nearly $250,000.
And the expenses for the Hotel Feasibility Study and Downtown Strategy Plan.
One more thought. If I had not been honest and called the city to get my duplex inspected, I don’t know if the city would have caught me and forced an inspection.
Why is government involved? Protecting renters? They can’t file a complaint or move
A few reasons. First, initially tenants are locked into a lease and can’t just move. Also, low income tenants have a very difficult time paying the security deposit upfront which effectively locks them into their residence. Second, there is a lot of the building that the tenant cannot see, so it may be structurally unsound but nobody knows until it collapses. Third, a lot of people won’t take the initiative to report their landlord because of ignorance or fear of reprisal. The first and third could be partially mitigated if people practiced personal responsibility, but the second would definitely require an inspection. This is one area where I am ok with government licensing since renters are easy prey for unscrupulous landlords and people could be hurt.
So government plays the parent role. Tenants never have to grow up.
MOST apartment renters keep the place up by themselves! WHY, because you can’t rent a dump-well, SOME slumlords can, and we ALL know who they are, so, WHY not just inspect WHEN there is a complaint? OR maybe WHEN a tenant moves out AFTER being there more then say 5, years? That’s seems simple enough for even SIMPLE minds to figure out.
I’m not sure exactly what you mean about the rental inspection program not doing inspections. I have a duplex that I had to get inspected before I could rent it. There is a full time (or close to full time) inspector. I think they may operate more like an enterprise fund though. I pay $15 per unit each year to keep my duplex registered. Since my duplex got an A grade, I don’t have to get it reinspected for 3 (or maybe 5) years. The city did do away with the grading system though. It used to be that low grades meant higher registration fees and more frequent inspections. I don’t know what they do now.