By: Diane Benjamin
This is story #1 from the Saturday preview. I wanted to begin with the County, but since there is a Bloomington City Council meeting tonight, I’m starting here. Tari Renner is at the US Conference of Mayors in Indianapolis. I don’t know if he will be back for the meeting tonight or not.
April 25, 2016 City Council meeting, on the Agenda was raising Liquor License Fees and Video Gaming fees:
Note the discussion was led by Liquor Commissioner Jim Jordan and Mayor Renner. The redacted address on the email below (I believe) is Jim Jordan, I came to that conclusion by reading other emails sent the same day.
The email below was written by Renner the night before the Council meeting. Since this email is very long with numerous questionable statements, I am posting it separately. Later I will post other emails in this discussion chain.
Start reading, I will comment between paragraphs:
Renner thinks the bar owners want to “socialize” the costs of their businesses. He slipped up! Renner wants to turn their businesses into his piggy bank – become socialist. He forgets the massive taxes the downtown bars already pay: Food and Beverage, Sales Taxes, Video Gaming, Property, and Income Taxes.
The problems at Eric’s restaurant had nothing to do with video gaming, my sources tell me the clientele was the problem. If video gaming caused problems, increased policing would be needed all over town. It hasn’t happened.
Renner faults Fox News, a typical Democratic response when they can’t think of anything else. No, local elections will no longer be nonpartisan. Tari’s left-wing ideology was hidden when he ran for mayor, his tax and spend agenda makes it impossible to not identify Democrats for what they are in the future. (that includes most of the Council!)
Taxpayers have footed the bill for all policing? Again Tari ignores the taxes they pay. If the downtown bars are so destructive Tari, yank their liquor licenses. The only reason that hasn’t happened is because Bloomington needs their money!
Tari laments $15 million a year and thinks it’s taken out of the local economy. Tari, it’s called Return on Investment. That’s income to the bar owners who invested (and risk) their money – entrepreneurs. The only line Tari left out is “You didn’t build that”.
Tari thinks a small noisy special interest is preventing his tax increases. He doesn’t realize he is attacking business. Tari wants their money because they make too much.
How about your favorite noisy special interest group Tari: BIKE BLONO.
They pay no taxes based on money they invest in the local economy. They produce no goods or services for fellow citizens.
Yet, you want every taxpayer in Bloomington to fund bike paths on busy streets! Complete Streets is a special interest policy nobody but you and Bike Blono want! Why should citizens capitulate to a narrow special interest group? YOU want millions thrown to bikes, maybe you didn’t hire consultants for a downtown study because it wouldn’t have said what you wanted it to say!
You want to destroy the already crumbling streets with narrow lanes that will make safety much more difficult. You want to convince citizens that a couple of bikes on major roads are worth the sacrifice of tax dollars and the ability to drive with adequate space between vehicles.
Quote: “Our obligation is clearly toward the broader public interest and not to capitulate to a noisy special interest wanted (s/b wanting) city taxpayers to continue to bear the burden.”
“It speaks volumes about the tremendous power that a small noisy special interest can have in our city. That doesn’t speak well for us frankly”
We agree Tari!
There is more to this story – stay tuned!
.
.
What a snide, childish, ego maniac. In one email, he berates bar owners, Fox News, gamblers, Eric….Jeez…this guy is an absolute embarrassment. My family sees him at the Farmer’s Market each weekend walking around with a smirk. He said “hi” to my kid and I said to my kid that I’d introduce him to the mayor but it’d inflate his ego even further. Tari didn’t like that.
Really like your public putdown of Tari, though I would of been stronger. Think he could be pushed over the edge pretty readily, and conviction for battery would make a delicious end to his career. He really needs to fill the absolute loathing that the decent people in Bloomington feel for him–every day.
I’m leaving that to you guys. Show up for Public Comment tonight!
I think if people were not gambling, they (the city) would still lose money out the economy since people would be saving their money. So either it goes to the bar owners or stays in the patrons wallets. This is the trend: legalize gambling if you need more tax revenue. I am all for people having fun but no one thinks through the residual cost. Usually means you will need more money.
Sounds like Tari wants to put downtown bars out of business so that the city can start buying up the empty buildings and fulfilling his grandiose vision! Downtown is dead and not coming back. Stop wasting our hard-earned tax money Tari!!
I think he just wants more of their money. He needs them, he also wants to hide them somewhere while they still make tons of money for him.
Some history: The ballooning of the discussion about fee increases for liquor and video gaming came about to recoup the annual $130,000.00 overtime costs for late night police presence in Downtown on the weekends. (I’m not sure if the overtime costs include police providing security at Coliseum events.)
Nowhere in Renner’s diatribe does he mention the City received more than $700,000.00 in taxes this year from video gaming alone. The “economic impact” formula used by the city to justify the financial support the BCPA and Coliseum has not been applied to the liquor establishments–how many pizzas and burgers are sold before or after the bars close? Places with Video Gaming have to possess a liquor license–some have to serve food, increasing employment. Those employees returning $$ to the local economy.
Providing ALL the facts and being consistent should be a basic standard–not so with Renner–manipulation is the name of the game with him.
🙂
Venue Works’ contract is on tonights agenda. The question, “who is responsible for providing (paying for) security during events?” needs to asked and answered before the contract is approved. Wonder if Hales, Renner and the Council have thought of this considering all of the hoopla surrounding liquor and video gaming license fees and the cost related to policing the downtown.