By: Diane Benjamin
Besides the two aldermen who didn’t care enough about their constituents (Painter/Hauman) to actually attend the Bloomington City Council meetings, one other moment proved the complete incompetence of government. Government uses your money, so logic, common sense, and fiscal responsibility don’t need to be deployed.
Back in July of 2014 the Council voted to start paying Connect Transit $62,178.50 a year to rent a building with holes in the roof. The City had been using the property for two years for FREE.
Last year the City bought the truly disgusting Sugar Creek Packing property for $245,000. Common sense would make most people believe it should have been bought for less than $10,000 due to the costs of demolition that would obviously be needed. At the time Renner/Hales tried to make the Council believe other people were interested in the property, so they had to buy it quick. Anybody aware of developers wanting to build downtown? No, not the two that plan to use taxpayer money to do it! Any free market people? If you know any, let me know.
Here’s the moment: Steve Rasmussen, Assistant City Manger, proclaimed the south side of Bloomington looks bad. He claimed if the City didn’t own the properties, the owners would most likely be forced to demolish or repair.
Steve, a private company DID own Sugar Creek Packing. The property was for sale for years, where was Code Enforcement? Why weren’t the owners forced to clean up the property? Instead, the City has visions of a downtown government complex – so they paid way more than anybody else would, and then voted last night to spend $245,000 more cleaning up the mess (If cost overruns happen, even more). Hit play:
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Many tax increases later, the taxpayers will own dirt.
The roads are still disgusting, the budget isn’t balanced, more fee increases are coming – but you will own dirt. I’m sure the old Bus Barn will be next. Renner has endless places he needs your money to make pretty.
The library wants to become a destination, therefore they must expand. Just like the Coliseum, what taxpayers want is immaterial.
Quality of Life mentality started destroying the local economy when the Coliseum was passed. They ran out of other people’s money years ago. They just aren’t facing reality yet.
Any doubts yet why there is no way to recall elected officials?
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“Here’s the moment: Steve Rasmussen, Assistant City Manger, proclaimed the south side of Bloomington looks bad. He claimed if the City didn’t own the properties, the owners would most likely be forced to demolish or repair.”
IN OTHER WORDS, the city wants to buy the properties on the cheap and then sell them even cheaper to their crony developers that will default on the loans but get paid for the development. Then the city will bail out the local bankers as the citizens get shafted over and over again. Grand theft auto-matic! Auto-matic thievery when crooks are involved.
There was so much wrong with last night’s meeting there is not enough room to comment.
I could make a full time job out of that meeting, unfortunately I don’t even ear part-time wages.
The worst thing is that much of the verbiage spouting from the presenters, manager, Mayor and councilpersons was a misrepresentation of the truth.
Give me some specifics!
The “85% of rental properties receive a failing grade” is misleading. Listen carefully to the presentation at 42:30–many rental properties have been removed from the program. (probably because they are excellent landlords) The 85% failure is for those remaining in “the program.”
The Manager did not give a complete answer about potential over-charges by Stark. The soil around the packaging plant was tested for toxins but if there was an asbestos issue with the other building(s) there may still be an issue with the Havco building. Start at 1:22:00.
Listening carefully, I believe the Mayor’s State of the City contained misrepresentation mainly relating to ED as well.
Agreed.
Now that the city has its new revenue source(s) the issuing of bonds for roads, TIF and downtown will begin. The only question will be how much debt will be taken on.