By: Diane Benjamin
The citizens of Bloomington have a right to be angry. Renner appointed his own hacks to study the budget while David Hales tells them what to consider (certainly not the Admin budget!). The library wants to build while traffic is decreasing. Hales throws your money out the window so employees get higher pensions. The Coliseum regularly loses money while the management sucks up as much money as possible, how much is a secret. Now tax increases will pass the Council – your Quality of Life is immaterial when the Council wants to tell you to pay for their version.
Side note: Next election (April 2017) these Aldermen and Renner will be on the ballot: (No I won’t forget who voted for the last tax increases or the upcoming increase)
Alderman Ward 1 – Kevin Lower
Alderman Ward 3 – Mboka Mwilambwe
Alderman Ward 5 – Joni Painter
Alderman Ward 7 – Scott Black
Alderman Ward 9 – Jim Fruin
Yesterday a citizen sent this story to the City Council and Local Media: http://blnnews.com/2015/09/08/council-whats-your-breaking-point/
He included this:
Sep 8, 2015, at 2:48 PM, Kevin Gerrard <redacted email>
wrote:
To the City Council- Shame on you for being the partisan fools that you are. You don’t represent your Wards, all of you except for one Councilman march in lockstep with the most deceitful and dishonest Mayor and City Manager this City has suffered in quite some time.
To the Local Media: Shame on you for not being journalists. Instead you’re mere modern day town criers beholding to the local principality. I just hope that the Chicago Tribune Editors, who are copied on this email, have their journalists do a follow-up in order to educate the public in Bloomington about this fiasco. It will take that level of scrutiny before State and federal officials start looking into the shenanigans going on at the Bloomington City Hall.
Diane Benjamin at the BLN News has done an excellent job investigating this fiasco plus many more that need to be looked at as well.
These include:
The Coliseum debacle involving a “cozy relationship” between the Contractor and the City Manager, the City Managers allowing Contractor at the Coliseum to violate the existing contract the refusal of the Contractor to allow an audit of the Concessions to verify that the city is getting their contractual share even though the reports are generated on equipment owned by the city. (Note: the Concession Company is owned separately by the Contract Manager)
Why are taxes being considered when there is currently over $4M in uncollected revenue on the books just waiting to be collected?
Why did the Mayor appoint one local builder/developer to sit on the Budget task Force when that persons company (that he owns) has owed the City over 5M over the past several years? This builder still builds and develops land. Where’s the taxpayers money or is it just too damn easy to raise taxes?
I could go on with more, but these highlight the recent scandals with the exception of the flamingos at the zoo.
So great work Diane and I hope some outside scrutiny will force the local powers that be to do their jobs.
Kevin Gerrard
He received this response from Alderman Hauman, note the issues presented are immaterial:
—–Diana Hauman/Cityblm wrote:
—–To: “Kevin Gerrard” <redacted email>
From: Diana Hauman/Cityblm
Date: 09/08/2015 03:15PM
Cc: “City Council” <[email protected]>,
David Sage/Cityblm@cityblm, Jim Fruin/Cityblm@cityblm
Subject: Re: City of Bloomington IL- Pension Spiking , Misappropriation of Funds, Official Misconduct, and the Kitchen Sink!
Mr. Gerrard —
Please note that this is the last of your emails that I will open. Future emails received will be deleted. While you may not agree with me, I do not believe anyone has the right to disrespect me or my city colleagues in the way that your emails do. If you want me to read future emails, you will need to put “my apologies” in the subject line.
Diana Hauman (309)530-8235
Then the Mayor chimed in – again, the issues Mr Gerrard wrote about are completely ignored!
Subject: Re: City of Bloomington IL- Pension Spiking , Misappropriation of Funds, Official Misconduct, and the Kitchen Sink!
To: “Diana Hauman” <[email protected]>
Cc: “Kevin Gerrard” <redacted email>,
“City Council and Mayor” <[email protected]>, [email protected], [email protected]
Date: Tuesday, September 8, 2015, 8:14 PM
THANKS Diana!! Decency and wisdom will ultimately prevail in our great city!
Tari Renner
Mayor of Bloomington
109 E. Olive Bloomington, IL 61701
(Citizens are expected to kneel now – the elected royalty demand allegiance!)
This Saturday the Council is holding a still unannounced retreat. Rumor has it the topic is “How the citizens view the Council”.
Their purpose is really: “How do we shut Alderman Kevin Lower up so we can be just like Normal”.
The meeting must be posted 48 hours in advance on both the City website and the place where the meeting is to be held. I expect it to be held at The Den.
I wonder if the Council would flip off angry citizens Face to Face?
Drop in and see. The $45,000+ facilitator, Lynn Montei, will be leading the discussion.
Normal thinks they are “investing” by taxing you more. They are! They are contributing to the exodus from Illinois. Needs vrs Wants isn’t a discussion in Normal. Is that what you want Bloomington?
History lesson: Government in this country was DESIGNED to be messy. Since government has no money unless they steal it from you, the issues are supposed to be discussed!
I am beginning to think it is time for ALL McLean County Conservatives to “declare war” on BLM and NL city governments. A “plan of action” would go something like this:
1) Move absolutely all purchases, except emergency situations, outside the County. Woodford still has free market Conservatives among their elected officials. Livingston and DeWitt are certainly less Leftist and more welcoming. All have pleasant and competitive retail shopping opportunities. Let’s use them!
2) At the very least, refuse to patronize Leftist and “potted plant” supporting local business establishments. For example, if Koos and Renner eat there, it’s not a wholesome and welcoming restaurant for Conservatives. They are both total Communist ideologues, and would not patronize businesses that they didn’t feel supported their agendas. We need to “wise up”, take a page from their playbook and make our dollars count–and be VERY vocal about it.
3) Consciously recognize the sad fact that, under the Koos and Renner regimes, almost all our interactions with City governments will be hostile and discriminatory toward Republicans, Christians, Conservatives, and any other real or perceived opponents of their agendas. City staffs are increasingly–and very deliberately–being staffed by extreme Radicals, so they have become part of the problem. Go into those interactions ready to resist, ready to fight, and ready to litigate. These people cannot be compromised with, they must be battled–EVERY DAY– and ultimately removed from power.
excellent analysis. It’s time for another lawsuit – this time the Coliseum. I need $300, I’m not using my money this time.
I’ll chip in 1/2. Anyone else willing to do likewise?
After reading Diana Hauman’s reply the first word that came to my mind starts with the letter “B”. I probably don’t have to provide the readers the complete word. I wonder who elected her queen? What a rude and arrogant person.
Tari Renner – “Decency and wisdom” , now there is one fine person spewing this out when he can’t even do that himself! Maybe he needs to clean up his own yard first.
I can’t believe she viewed Kevins letter as disrespectful. That woman has a serious complex.
What in the heck was her profession before she joined the Council. What a piece of work
I don’t believe the facilitator, Lynn Montei will be making $45,000+ for just this retreat. It may be an annual retainer though.
The Council members need to develop a thicker skin. If they can’t accept the expressions of citizens’ justifiable anger or criticism, they have CHOSEN the wrong job. Respect is earned and showing respect begets respect in return. The above email responses from Diana and the Mayor are dismissive–not appropriate for an elected official. “If you can’t handle the heat, get out of the kitchen!”, PLEASE.
She has been conducting interviews with various staff and elected individuals. Part two of the retreat is in November. She was previously paid, for a two day retreat, $46,000
Didn’t know!! More wasted money. Can’t these children learn how to behave without a nanny? Are they going to learn ethical behavior, self control, how to read??
3 illegals hours of secret session to be indoctrinated.
TAXATION WITHOUT REPRESENTATION is against the Constitution. And speaking of the Constitution,let us remember that nasty, gets in pols way, the FIRST AMENDMENT! POLS have no time for citizens who complain about them even if it the citizens right under the FIRST AMENDMENT. The reason it was made the FIRST amendment was that it is the MOST IMPORTANT ONE! When the pols start telling citizens who pay their overinflated salaries that are going to ignore them and how dare them, then its time to give the pols the bums rush! ENMASS!
Even though the “next” election is in 2017 what is going to stop recall.
I have shared all posts, hoping that our citizens will get off their easy chairs and make their voices heard and then VOTE
Good job April! More readers could make a bigger difference!