By: Diane Benjamin
The City of Bloomington included a newsletter with October Water/Sewer/Garbage bills. You can see it here: HERE
There are a number of problems with the newsletter. I wonder whose job it is to put it together and include it with the bills. The Communications Director?
First, the newsletter sent in October is dated AUGUST.
Second, upcoming events listed on the second page included September events, some October events had already taken place by the time residents received it.
Third, the City is still touting the Illinois Policy Institute transparency award they received in June. City staff still don’t understand posting information on a website as IPI suggests doesn’t mean they are transparent. Since tax receipts by month are no longer posted, it’s clear evidence Hales and Renner don’t want citizens to know that information. YEARS of reporting tax receipts every month and now not reporting can only mean: They Have Something To Hide!
More proof of no transparency:
- My Freedom of Information Lawsuit
- Another FOIA lawsuit just filed in the Jamie Snow case: http://edgarcountywatchdogs.com/2016/10/city-of-bloomington-sued-under-foia-for-withholding-public-records/
- The last pieces of a monthly City Manager’s report are from August
- The audio of the illegal Executive Session held November 15, 2013 has never been released. A supposed transcript has been released, but citizens have no guarantee it is accurate and they can’t hear HOW various phrases were said by Hales and Renner.
- The City used to release letters the auditors wrote to the Council. Evidently the council never read them because they kept giving Hales raises when the auditors found the same problems and possible fraud year after year after year. Last year they refused my request for the letter under FOIA.
Obviously City employees aren’t even capable of doing a simple newsletter. Obviously City employees weren’t capable of supervising the Coliseum. City employees weren’t capable of building a Water Tower in Normal the right height. City employees weren’t capable of building a fire station that didn’t leak and in a place it was actually needed. The list of big costly errors and failure to hold contractors and developers accountable have cost taxpayers big money.
If the City isn’t capable of doing a timely newsletter, think they are capable of doing much of anything else right? It all starts in Administration – David Hales. More of his errors will be discovered long after he is gone. Remember who is on the Council now letting him get away with it and rewarding him with huge salary and perks.
Meanwhile, I will keep filing lawsuits until they figure out documents don’t belong to them.
Water tower: https://blnnews.com/2016/04/05/that-un-used-water-tower/
Fire station #5: https://blnnews.com/2016/04/05/unused-station-5-history/
Those who pay their water bills via e-bill do not receive any of those inserts therefore are not provided with such information or notification. The average citizen doesn’t even know the city has a website much less know how to maneuver through it. Control is best accomplished when the masses are uninformed.
The calendar of events for the BCPA is also sent out after half of the events have occurred which could partly explain low attendance.
MORE pay MORE laziness, that’s the Hales/Renner philosophy! Where’s lunch??
Sad though really.