By:  Diane Benjamin

If the citizens knew

• David Hales threw away more than $1.2 million tax dollars on spiked pensions
• The Council NEVER approved the IMRF payments because they were never on Bills and Payroll
• Monday the Council will approve over $50,000,000 already spent without Council approval
• Coliseum management isn’t held accountable by David Hales
• Hales was only making $116,376 before Bloomington, now with benefits almost $230,000
• In 2011 Hales Admin budget was $590,415.95, now it’s $1,256,932
• So many consultants are hired because Hales can’t make a decision
• When in Bend Oregon, Hales had failing grades for his work in the areas of leadership, communication and organization
• Hales and Renner both love to travel and eat at taxpayer expense

Think some facts would get them out to vote?  Maybe attend Council meetings or watch the Live Stream?  Maybe contact their alderman?

Maybe when the council votes to tax more, that will get their attention.

Maybe they don’t vote because they DON’T know!

Has the Pantagraph reported on any of these items?  WJBC?

“No government ought to be without censors, and where the press is free, no one ever will. If virtuous, it need not fear the fair operation of attack and defense. Nature has given to man no other means of sifting out the truth whether in religion, law or politics. I think it as honorable to the government neither to know nor notice its sycophants or censors, as it would be undignified and criminal to pamper the former and persecute the latter.” –Thomas Jefferson to George Washington, 1792

Bloomington-Normal has no PRESS, Jefferson’s worst nighttmare.

Local media is bought and paid for by government. Local government can scam the citizens and raise taxes at will, the press won’t be there to inform the citizens.

Today the bird-cage liner proved my point through Steve Vogel.  He is obviously thrilled that Ian Bayne is gone from Cities 92.9.  He failed to notice the Council’s attempt to keep Fistbump from Public Comment resulted in 15 more minutes being added!  Still thrilled Stevie?

Vogel actually thinks citizens like hearing from elected officials on the radio.  Wrong little guy.  Actions speak louder than words and very few of those radio politicians have anything to show for being elected.  Maybe when they accomplish anything people would want to hear how they did it.  Besides, there is already another station in town where they can bloviate.

Ian Bayne may be gone, but not the memories of the 500 flamingos he got in people’s yards or the facts he presented that woke people up.  More citizens are involved than ever before in holding their government accountable.  Here’s a clue:  Their info doesn’t come from your rag Steve because it doesn’t report real news.

A local resident, Bruce Meeks, is recording today’s “Retreat”.  Gone are the days where Renner can move meetings to remote locations and claim live-streaming can’t be done.  Below is a link to this mornings session.  The audio needs some improvement, but it’s worth your time.

Listen to Renner’s opening comments.  At one point he states he wants to avoid “surprises” in the newspaper.  Obviously he didn’t mean the bird-cage liner.  Maybe he meant this:

Bloomington Normal New

Sep 4