By: Diane Benjamin
Governor Rauner ran on a platform of making Illinois business friendly. He has failed because the Democrat super-majority in Springfield doesn’t care if companies move across the border to save millions of dollars. They don’t care if Caterpillar leaves the state along with other companies who can’t compete in this high-tax high-regulation state.
Bloomington is now just like them.
Renner has made comments at Council meetings about not wanting “Jiffy-Lube” or a “car wash” to build where he doesn’t want them.
Bloomington bought the Main street property to CONTROL what happens to it.
The Council went after apartment owners with higher fees.
The Council went after businesses (and citizens) with higher Utility Taxes.
Businesses that use vehicles got hit with higher gas prices.
The Council went after “Fun” by creating an entertainment tax.
Restaurants get hit with a 10.75% Food and Beverage Tax. Amusement venues have to fork over 14.75% with the added amusement tax. Since Renner has no business experience, he doesn’t realize that charging these taxes to customers doesn’t guarantee it’s still available to submit at the end of the month. Think the Chateau. When government creates competition (Uptown Normal), and Bloomington raises the cost of doing business (utility taxes), cash flow is impacted. It’s not surprising they are struggling to keep the doors open while Bloomington wants to subsidize even more competition.
If your business is preferred, like Greentop Grocery, the Council is more than willing to hand out taxpayer money. Making business more difficult for competitors to survive is immaterial.
Where’s Jeff Gielbelhausen? The Council gave him until the end of May to get a solid plan including financing for his downtown hotel. Was he unable to get somebody to bite on free money? Since he’s one of the preferred, I’m sure there really is no time limit. The closer to the next election the vote is, the better it will be for dumping the aldermen who think they create economic development with your money.
Tonight the Council goes after video game machine operators with higher fees. The only reason is because they can. Government NEVER has enough money, so they will steal it whenever and wherever they can. Tonight is a pretend discussion, the vote comes later. Maybe Tari will proclaim the millions put in video game machines hurt the local economy. He is oblivious to the money spent by government being more detrimental when his friends are the recipients.
Not every video game owner makes tons of money. Some will take the machines out because the profit isn’t worth the time it takes for government compliance.
Normal has run out of people and places to tax so they want Bloomington to fork over money and call it sharing Sales Tax. They can quit do economic development because Bloomington has an obsession for throwing money at cronies.
Both cities show disgust for businesses that don’t fit their agenda. They are both on the same downward spiral as Illinois.
Elections matter, maybe next year citizens will get it right.
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I sure WISH they’d throw SOME of that money in those potholes on Regency between Empire and Delmar, as there’s SEVERAL bad holes there. As for Tari and the tryst understanding business, how about a “pothole tax” that council members have to pay for the applicable ones in THEIR ward?? Maybe that’d raise some tax money. As for their tax sharing idiot idea. IF they pass that I’ll QUIT shopping in Bloomington AS MUCH as I can. That includes Neipagens, Growing Grounds, A & B, Hatchery, Thortons, several restaurants and Krogers. Let your LOCAL business owners know you’re NOT in favor of the tax sharing, as THEIR voice MAY be louder then an individuals.
Better yet, as much as possible, quit shopping in BLN-NL altogether. Head North to Woodford County, of South to DeWitt. Both still have County governments where the Left is not in complete control and taxpayers are not viewed as cash cows to be milked (or raped). If decent people in McLean County would start voting with their ballots AND DOLLARS, things might change. Otherwise, you are doomed.
So your response is to punish the local businesses to get back at the government? Surely you can come up with a better idea than that.
The Video Gaming ordinance to add a 2.6% tariff to EACH machine has already passed behind closed doors. Any discussion will be for show.
If Renner believes gambling and liquor are such a drain on law enforcement and the legal department, he has it in his power as Liquor Commissioner to withdraw all licenses. He won’t do that because the generated tax revenue is too lucrative for the City. The City collected over $700,000.00 in video gaming revenue in 2015.
There should be more energy put into dissolving the Metro Zone agreement than setting up Sales Tax Sharing. Bloomington has been subsidizing Normal since 2000. All property and sales tax revenue is to be shared 50/50 within the Metro Zone. In 2015, Bloomington gave Normal over $1M while Normal gave Bloomington $125,000. Normal is not putting any effort into development in the Metro Zone so the tax revenue from Bloomington probably is going to Uptown development. So, Normal has a greater “influence” on Bloomington than meets the eye.
Diane: You are one of the most astute and conscientious individuals I have had the privilege of being an audience of your work. That said, what you do for the free thinking citizens of McLean County is above commendable. I would like to ask you a question on a topic that has dominated the national media and that is the Orlando attack. I am not at all trying to use this tragedy as a campaign platform and I do hope I do not come across that way. However, I can not help but think that this tragedy epitomizes the hypocrisy of the left wingers. As I see it we have ” two politically protected classes” in this equation and that is the gays and the Muslims. History and Quran quotations, prove that these two groups are natural enemies from the Muslim perspective. Considering those facts I ask you, whose rights in the name of political correctness are trying to be covered by the left, the gays or the Muslims? IMO, this is just one small example of the hypocrisy the left exhibits but are never challenged on. I would really appreciate your views on this blatant double speak on the part of the liberals and know how you think we could educate the liberal supporters to see life as it really is. Thank You for all you do.
The Constitution guarantees the right to life. Not all Muslims are jihadists, but all jihadists are Muslims. The people attacked in Orlando deserved to be protected. If one person inside had been armed this tragedy could have been far less. Gun free zones must be abolished or heavily armed security hired at all events.
There was someone armed at the club entrance–an off duty police officer.
Obviously one guy wasn’t enough.
But, you just said “if one person inside had been armed……”, oh it’s just never enough guns, huh?
I heard an interview with that one armed guy today. He decided it was more important to get people out than stop the shooter. He probably got himself out too.
But the cops always show up with guns. Why do uniformed persons with the authority to enforce the law need guns for cryin’ out loud? A lot of those guys are skilled in physical self defense, carry night sticks and pepper spray. Almost always show up in droves. Many of the younger police officers haven’t eaten too many donuts yet and are physically fit, so why do they need guns? If for self defense then what makes their preservtion of life any more important than mine?