By: Diane Benjamin
Congrats Bloomington! Every one of your elected representatives managed to attend the unscheduled Council meeting last night!
Normal wasn’t happy when Bloomington announced Kroger was moving down the road and across the street. The story I’ve heard from numerous sources is that David Hales kept it a secret. Normal had NO IDEA Kroger was even considering moving. Tension between the 2 cities is high because of Hales.
So let’s share sales taxes!
Renner confirmed it’s a done deal last night – it wasn’t on the Agenda. First Steve Vogel floated the idea, then reports started circulating, now Renner claims B/N Advantage and the Economic Development Council (both funded with tax dollars) have issued support. The Chamber of Crony Capitalism (Commerce) will endorse the idea this week.
Hit play:
It’s a big step in merging the twin cities into one.
And that is a good thing? The new city can be chartered and named as BloNo or maybe NoBlo.
No, merging the twin cities into one is not a good thing. However, as they try and if they do, there is most definitely a message from the perps to BloSomething.
How soon are the universities going to merge? Now we can get rid of one mayor and one city council. Also one set of administration for the schools this does not make me happy.
The Universities won’t merge–IWU is private while ISU is public.
You mean David Hales didn’t need a consultant on this move? Wait I see it coming, the hiring of another assistant city manager to manage the sharing of sales tax revenue.
I wonder if there are any similar cities doing sharing.
Both Tari and David should feel honored to be doing their best at the local level to keep IL at the top for one of the states with the worse tax rates.
http://www.msn.com/en-us/money/personalfinance/the-states-with-the-worst-tax-rates/ar-BBrFXPC?li=BBnb7Kz&ocid=mailsignout#image=BBrFSNv|2
Surprise surprise! Why does anybody stay here?
Renner is always comparing how other cities do things to support his position. Does Champaign/Urbana or Minneapolis/StPaul share sales tax–or any other tax?
None of the entities supporting the shared sales tax agreement are elected or accountable to the taxpayers. Those groups would not even exist without taxpayer money. Are the opinions of the taxpayers being balanced against those groups? Renner has given contradicting statements–one saying he and Koos have been discussing the idea for years the other saying Buragas and Fruin discussed it at the One Voice meeting in Washington, DC in April. So, what is the truth? Who to believe?
The Normal Town Council is resentful that Bloomington did not use the sales tax increase to support the Soccer Complex. The competition between the cities will not be resolved with sharing sales taxes. This idea spells nothing but trouble.
shouldn’t this be put before the voters?
Voters? They only matter at elections!
YES! WE THE PEOPLE are able to VOTE all these unification knuckleheads OUT of office. HOW MANY time have they TRIED to make Bloomington and UPTOWN as ONE? I DO NOT live in Normal, nor wish to be ANY part of their UPTOWN, and as such, do not go, shop or buy anything there. IF Bloomington wants to share taxes, then I can shop “down the road” PLAIN and simple. Or better yet MOVE! Enough of this ONE CITY, ONE GOVERNMENT crap! And IF ANY of you council folks read this-take heed! I am NOT alone in this respect.
Cities will never merge. It would be giving away power and that will never happen
Good point Debra! Maybe it would be amusing to watch Tari and Koos actually have to debate the pros and cons in a public forum. Wonder WHO would win, surely NOT the citizens, as it would probably be as exciting as watching mud dry up.
You have 2 hardcore Marxist mayors, backed by Councils made up of Leftists who share their ideology and people too stupid to understand what is going on. They have won. Why merge? Just like the Russians never forced East Germany and Poland to merge, back before Ronald Reagan and Maggie Thatcher won the Cold War. No need. Game over. McLean County, the State of Illinois, and very soon, this Country, are dead.
But everything just great! “Disabled” people don’t have to pay their student loans, Food Stampers can get carry out, deli chicken for free, males can use the ladies room now, and half the Democrats (and most Millennials) will support an outright Communist for President. What a wonderful place this Country is!