By: Diane Benjamin
You have a chance to start over Tari. Ending the relationship with CIAM will give the Coliseum one last chance. Start telling the truth or the reset will flop. Listen to this the interview Tari had yesterday with WJBC’s Dan Swaney:
Tari states he didn’t think anything the City was negotiating with CIAM was a deal breaker, but later he claims he has contacts with other management companies. Tari, if you intended to renew with CIAM, why would you have contacts with other companies? Which is it Tari?
- The City didn’t do a Request for Proposal for other management companies
- Never responded to the company who emailed me numerous times http://blnnews.com/2016/02/05/ask-rennerhalescouncil-about-this/
I’ve been writing about HUGE problems at the Coliseum since February 2014. Tari, you didn’t campaign on transparency at the Coliseum because even the Council didn’t understand what was happening. They only saw losses and tolerated it because David Hales never held CIAM accountable, another fact the council didn’t know. Instead made-up Economic Impact numbers were floated to make them look better. John Butler was raking in money without Hales ever verifying the City got their share. If I hadn’t uncovered the truth and filed a lawsuit for documents the City can easily obtain, CIAM would still be managing with a contract extension.
Dan Swaney asked if an audit would now be done. Tari – more truth required. The Coliseum is owned by the taxpayers. Every dime it collects is taxpayer money, obviously you know that since the City is not defending CIAM in court anymore. Yes, concessions need to be audited. CIAM is required to keep reports for three years. Walk over and start printing them Tari. Get the total concession sales and do some simply math. Did the City get their share? Was the City paid within three days as required by the contract? Should we guess the answer?
Naming rights are expiring soon. US Cellular isn’t renewing and it looks like nobody is negotiating with Pepsi. The losses just got bigger. US Cellular was paying $175,000 and year, Pespi $50,000. Is the City going to give them free advertising or take the signs down? More taxpayer money spent on the asset sold as NEVER costing taxpayers a cent.
Sorry Tari, but nobody believes your hotel/conference center and parking lot will help the Coliseum or NEVER cost the taxpayers a dime.
We’ve heard that song and dance way too many times.
Perhaps the readers today could contribute to this list of Bloomington Council Follies that have cost the taxpayers big bucks:
1) the Coliseum. 2) the BCPA. 3) the $6 mil fire station on 6 Pts. Rd. ,,,,,,,,
Don’t forget the NEVER used Water Tower in Normal!
“I offer my opponents a bargain. If they stop telling lies about us, I will stop telling the truth about them.” Adlai Stevenson, 1952
Diane think just a little. Do you suppose management companies would occasionally contact the city with inquiries about managing the arena?
You make yourself look foolish with those comments.
This is the real wold not “Tea Party” land.
Compromise is a must to successfully govern as is clear in DC right now as the far right refused to compromise so nothing gets done.
County Board? I would love to see you on it as you have some great ideas but not if you will not look at the big picture and compromise.
Thanks again for all the hard work you do. I would contribute if you were just not so far right.
Regards
Tom
Sent from my iPhone
>
I proved they did and were ignored by the City. One even offered to come to Bloomington and do an analysis for the City. Again – IGNORED! Do you actually think the City talked to some, just not the one who tried for over a year to at least get a response? Foolish? Sure.
Tari and council need to straighten out the arena mess before they say another word about a hotel! Sick of my $ going directly down the toilet!
One has to listen carefully to the Mayo’s comments about not using taxpayer money for the hotel/conference/garage project. He says no CURRENT tax dollars will be used. Oh, really? Taxpayer money for the consultants and the staff time has already been spent from this year’s revenue. The proposed budget for FY2017 has already been prepared will be approved by Council in April. The downtown hotel project has not been “finalized” yet and won’t be voted on until later this year and will be budgeted for FY2018. The way the hotel proposal is currently presented, ALL generated revenue from the project over a 20 year (possibly 30 year) period–property taxes, sales taxes, hotel/motel taxes, utility taxes, possibly franchise taxes– will be used to finance the construction . So, I wonder how it can be claimed that not ONE tax dollar will be used for this.
Don’t forget the City wants to issue a bond – if revenue doesn’t pay them back CITIZENS will!
The generated tax revenue from the project is supposed to pay for the bonds but in this case it appears the revenue is to pay for a loan taken out by the developer. The Mayor suggested the city would issue a bond for the parking deck or infrastructure. What happens if the revenue is not enough to cover the loan/bond payments? On and on it goes–where it stops, nobody knows.
Here is a new twist! “If the City Council approves a hotel/conference and parking across from the Coliseum, it might be we can bring the people investing $53M to the table into negotiations on how the Coliseum is managed. Tenner said.” –Pantagraph Pg. A2 (3/8/16)
Hales also made a comment at the Council meeting where the hotel feasibility study was presented about the possibility of adding a enclosed walkway between the Conference Center and the Coliseum.
There will be more financial involvement between the city and the developer than meets the eye.
It’s nice out today, must be getting TORNADO season, cause I can already see the “spin” Just waiting for the “freight train sound” to hit the basement. Just like our BOND values do when the city is broke due to “bad decisions from past councils” as the current spin is. ANYONE ever get that in an email? See where {uptown} has hired TWO consulting firms, one to study an underpass for the train station, and another to get grants? Isn’t there SOMEONE there in city who can WRITE: Dear Senator, we would like money to study HOW to make you pay for our dumb ideals***!
CIAM is bugging out because they don’t want oversight. If they were honest contractors, they would have no problem with real transparency. They are hiding quite a bit, and if the Mayor was honest, he’d have a forensic accounting firm audit the books for the entire period CIAM has managed the Coliseum .The same goes for the Concession Sales. We, the taxpayers are entitled to know how much revenue that goofball made off that operation. Tari is not pursuing finding out because Hales failed to do this. Why? Was Hales palms greased? How about Renner? Those are questions that need to be asked. Why was Hales so cozy with these two knuckleheads at CIAM? What kind of perks were exchanging hands? This City Council is so quick to spend money on studies for everything under the sun, so let us see how fast they approve funds for a forensic investigative audit. Any resistance by the Mayor and Council should be viewed as nothing more than as a CYA for the City Manager and CIAM at the very least. Real Truth, you’re nothing more that an two bit Renner lackey. Keep towing the liberal pack of lies.
The City would have had a much better bargaining position before Butler dropped negotiations. Get rid of city manager Hales, this is ridiculous.
You don’t have the facts. You don’t investigate the truth. You spread hatefulness, gossip and opinions. These are hardworking people that are losing their jobs. Imperfect people? Yes — but they are good people who have had to experience your harassment for years. Who do you think you are? There are families that are aching over this news. Children that will have to move out of this community so their parents can continue on with their careers. Will you ever be satisfied? Enough is enough. You win! CIAM is bugging out. Who the hell will want to come to our community when there is such hatred from people like you? You are nothing but a hateful and bitter coward who gets off on hurting others.
Have fun readers!
Adios amigos!
She’s just desparate for attention.
Please…allow me.
“You don’t have the facts”
Why not? It’s OUR building! OUR equipment! OUR MONEY!
“You don’t investigate the truth”
Yea…that’s why she files her limit of F.O.I. requests. Diane is obviously a time-waster.
“You spread hatefulness, gossip, and opinion”
What? She spreads opinions too? Who the hell told her she could write whatever she wants on a website that she pays for? She’s an out of control maniac!
“These are hardworking people that are losing their jobs.”
That’s funny. Their job was to make money. They didn’t. They’re losers! Anywhere else, excepting the la-la land you live in, this is the correct outcome. Rejoice, and be glad!
“Imperfect people? Yes ”
I fear this will be the only statement of yours I will agree with. Lets find out, shall we?
“— but they are good people who have had to experience your harassment for years”
Yes. Good people who are asked (nicely, at first) for an honest accounting. Good people who choke up blood at the first sign of any public scrutiny of their activities – who in fact are now attempting to walk away from such scrutiny. You have a funny definition of “Good people’
“Who do you think you are?”
I totally LULZ’d at this
“There are families that are aching over this news.
I LULZ’d again!
“Children that will have to move out of this community so their parents can continue on with their careers”
Yes…it is always the children of grifters who suffer the most in the tragedy that unfolds when Daddy’s great long con has run it’s course.
“Will you ever be satisfied?”
Depends. Will we ever have honest transparent governance?
“Enough is enough. You win!”
Praise God! There IS another thing I can agree with you about.
“CIAM is bugging out.”
…and soon to be replaced (hopefully) by people who can turn that ever-rapidly depreciating asset of OURS into something that makes money before we bulldoze it in 30 years – or do you think it is as mighty as the pyramids?
“Who the hell will want to come to our community when there is such hatred from people like you?”
Yea, dammit! Wait…What?. Oh…you mean people like ME! Gotcha! People who’s hearts (and hands, and feet, and…) are aching tonight because they worked ten-hour days making hard earned money so Triple-taxin’ Tari can enjoy his thrice weekly noon hour(s) lunch at Rosies or Disthil. Again, you have a funny definitions – of ‘hatred’ especially. I didn’t realize that asking for honest transparent government was evil.
Sorry?
“You are nothing but a hateful and bitter coward who gets off on hurting others.”.
Says the hysterical commenter.
Peace be with you, and thanks for playing.
@ Real Truth–I don’t see any facts in your post. Instead, there are emotionally charged words and phrases based on your opinion. Facts are presented in this blog but the truth is sometimes unsettling and people don’t like to hear it. I do not believe a single blogger can have that much of an effect on whether or not someone wants to move here. This blog had no influence on Mitsubishi leaving or State Farm outsourcing. The overall appearance of the neighborhoods and streets or the school system are more important to prospective citizens. Good stewardship of tax dollars so that taxes don’t have to continue to increase would attract more people–people don’t want to or can’t afford to live where taxes are oppressive.
This country was founded in a revolt by people who resented the taxation by the British. Freedom of speech is protected under the Constitution–this is not opinion, it is fact.
Typical shift the blame childish response from the liberal freeloader crowd.