By: Diane Benjamin
City officials for decades have justified spending by calling it Quality of Life. Frequently cited is “people and businesses will move here”, it was just used to justify flamingos. With State Farm and Mitsubishi leaving, how’s that working for you?
Quality of Life is why the Coliseum was built. That’s why the BCPA was created, and why Bloomington has 3 golf courses, Pepsi Ice center, 2 pools, more than 40 parks, Lincoln Leisure Center, and don’t forget downtown Bloomington – the phony hub of the City.
Always left out of the discussion is the Quality of Life residents are forced to endure.
People work hard for their money. The economy has never recovered from the last recession, incomes are flat unless you work for government. Struggling seniors living on fixed incomes are immaterial. Ditto for families living paycheck to paycheck.
Your taxes are going to be raised in both Bloomington and Normal. Renner and Koos are going to improve your Quality of Life with their version of what money you get to keep. If they used a gun to steal from you it would be criminal. Since they just pass ordinances, it’s perfectly legal. Mike Madigan’s plan to chase people and businesses out of Illinois with high taxes is alive and thriving in Blono.
Next time you hear Quality of Life understand what they are really saying:
We are smarter than you
We are entitled to your money
and
We know how it should be spent, comply peons!
Welcome to tyranny.
Beer Fest. This is what COB hosts at the BCPA. For $15 to get in. Stand around and drink beer. No, I’m not at all insulted that the City thinks I want to drink beer as “entertainment.”
I wonder if cops will be parked outside waiting for DUI candidates. Government is suppose to fund drinking? Brilliant!
Council approved $20K to purchase the beer. Proceeds are supposed to be returned to the city. The BCPA should just use this as their own fund raiser and leave the City out of it.
WHAT? Free beer, WHY everyone should be ALL OVER that. We could get a good buzz on and take the bus home and since WE already paid the tab, there’s NO guilt. They shoulda kicked in another 20 grand for cigars and hookers! Will there be wine for the lady folk?
Slow it down there Townie:) Rumors about free beer might set off a Beer Riot. We haven’t had a good one since when . . . 1984?
I was taken by the number of comments posted on the firewood starting paper website on the sales tax increase. A number of them commented how their wages haven’t increased and people are unemployed or under employed.
When are these people going to quit taxing? They have more or less shot themselves in the foot so to speak. People will resort to buying off of the internet and just pay the state sales tax or just not report it all. Quite a few web retailer will ship for free too so why run out to Target to buy for example or the local Barnes and Noble.
I recently bought something in Bloomington and the price was $254 and $20 tax making it a total of $274. When I got in my car I pulled out the receipt thinking the business charged me more that what the item sold for. No they didn’t charge me extra.
Now the city(s) want more sales tax. I will be more diligent in buying off of the internet or go someplace else local. Too bad for the Bloomington/Normal retailer.
It was a couple of years ago that I bought a new washer and dryer. I got my Speed Queen set from a business located at Pontiac. I don’t see them listed on the Speed Queen search anymore. Dick Van Dyke could have sold me the same units but I would have been charged a higher sales tax that’s for sure and more now that they want to increase the sales tax. Honestly this puts the local business in a bad position.
Why should I go to Martin’s furniture for example to buy when I can go not too far away and pay less sales tax for the same items,
They just don’t get it !
With the multiple scandals and poor financial management, there is no amount of “quality of life” amenities to compensate for the current state of this city. The solution to the poor management is across the board tax increases. Corporations track this information before deciding to locate in a community. Good luck, Economic Development Commission.
Breaking news–http://www.pantagraph.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/stabbed-beaten-in-downtown-attacks/article_6633eaff-b35f-5eb3-b4cd-3f9e5a62b23b.html#utm_source=pantagraph&utm_campaign=/email/breaking/?id=125&utm_medium=email&utm_content=featured_headline
I feel a justification for mental health spending coming.
Maybe. But, the stabbing is criminal behavior with robbery as a possible motive. Can’t plead mental illness for everything.