By: Diane Benjamin
Some regimes hold their populations hostage at gun point, other do it with debt. Normal is using debt for your entertainment.
The Town must not appreciate their public safety personnel. If you missed it, police and fire pensions are seriously underfunded while the staff has plenty of room to collect their retirements. Why is that? Still supporting Koos? (https://blnnews.com/2016/09/26/normal-what/)
Normal doesn’t like cars either. Bikes are preferred, especially if purchased from the mayor’s bike shop. Remember those bump-out streets? Remember when you used to be able to park downtown close to your destination for free?
I’ve talked to three different people who had projects foiled by Town of Normal employees. Two weren’t a good “fit”, the other was usurped with a Town give-a-way. I bet others examples exist, I just haven’t heard of them yet. Free markets are only “approved” markets.
Some people have a name for complete government control, it’s not a good one. I wonder if that’s why Dick’s left and Kroger’s is leaving?
Entertainment in Normal consists of the Town approved theater, Uptown events, and the Connie Link amphitheater. All paid for by taxpayers if they want to or not. Taxpayers are forced to pay even if they never participate.
The Council limited the number of video gaming machines while pretending to protect citizens. In reality, more machines would hurt the existing machine owners because it would spread the cash played wider. Government never understands unintended consequences of their actions.
All that brings me to the point of the story. More spending – a new library.
It is not going to be just a library. They want to create yet another experience for you – AT YOUR EXPENSE.
They are even doing a survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/65BC6WS
Pretending like the opinions of taxpayers matter, the survey asks about 3-D printing and public art.
The survey instructions say you don’t have to be a resident of Normal.
4 out of the 5 TIF reports have been approved for posting on the Illinois Comptroller’s website. 2 of the 4 show NO income. Keep in mind that Koos and company borrowed money for improvements to his choice areas believing the increase in tax receipts would pay the bonds back. Hopefully the 5th one will be posted tomorrow. The other two that have been posted show minimal income based on the debt listed.
Koos’s is running out of other people’s money since his TIF’s are under performing. Think socialism.
That isn’t stopping the spending however.
Re-elect him and you are voting (or staying home) at your own expense.
Yes, you do have a great option. Marc Tiritilli
Ready to end the Koos fleece?
Think term limits, and your wallet.
Unless you like being a Koos slave.
Koos blows even money than Bloomington does, he’s just better at hiding it.
The city council’s the reason I moved out of BloNo when Koos announced we were buying the ISU sign for half a mil I knew it was going to get worse! We got out just before the madness got to the level of unreal!
Smart! I wonder if anybody still there cares?
I plan to move out. I no longer care, because that’s an exercise in futility.
Seriously? I’ve never seen a serious attempt to make any changes!
Because no one can. Koos has his council and it’s going to stay that way. People in this town don’t vote, plain and simple. The only ones that do are those who are for Koos and his council (mostly ISU employees).
The Council does what they are told. Koos needs replaced. If you haven’t met with his opponent and started working to get him elected, yep it’s useless.
Yes, yes he does!!
I have no clue who is opponent is, didn’t even know someone was running against him. Perhaps he needs to advertise more. I don’t know who it is, and I already support them, 100%!
Marc Tiritilli [email protected]
He has spoken at Council meetings, is informed on the issues, and very well spoken. He needs citizens setting up meet and greets in homes and then getting people to vote! Email him.
Two big items left out of this story: Tonight Council will be voting on approving a $1.4 million feasibility study to determine if they can build a downtown underpass at Uptown station. Gee, I wonder what Council will do if the study comes back $1.4 million later and tells them this isn’t a good idea???? The other item is giving Mark Peterson a raise. $183,000 a year isn’t enough for this public servant. Maybe that’s why police and fire pensions are underfunded.