By: Diane Benjamin
Remember that anonymous letter I received: https://blnnews.com/2016/10/27/i-cant-stop-smiling/
I filed this FOIA request based on the information in that letter. Note: This was NOT a Town of Normal employee who gave me the tip, it was a fed up taxpayer.
Per the Constitution of the State of Illinois: http://www.ilga.gov/commission/lrb/con8.htm
You work hard or maybe you are retired and on a fixed income. Government steals part of your income because they need it.
The Town of Normal steals your money and gives it away!
You can see all the documents I received for this FOIA here: Normal FOIA
This email accompanied the above:
Maybe an Econ 101 class would help here.
If a business pays an employee for days when they aren’t working, it is a cost to the business! Obviously their job is either left un-done or other employees have to do their job for them. Overtime might even be involved! Government makes their own rules so they can’t see the obvious.
It gets better:
This spreadsheet is included: (click to enlarge)
Normal is raffling days and weeks off with pay for contributions to United Way.
So, Normal taxpayers are paying employees not to work AND the employee gets a tax write-off for donating to the United Way. A highly compensated employee could bid $500 for a week off and not only get the tax write-off, but still collect a week’s wages for not working – maybe $2000. That’s how much an employee earning $104,000 a year makes.
It still gets better:
The Town also awards gifts and meals for employees who donate. Here’s the 2011 program – other years are included in the FOIA link above:
That’s YOUR money they are giving away!
I’ve worked for private companies who don’t do anything close to this. They just encourage employees to sign up for a payroll deduction.
The Town of Normal raised a lot of money from their employees. How much was by intimidation? See the “Fair Share” category? That’s leftist speak for contributing to the commune.
I wonder if Bloomington does the same thing?
There is nothing in the law that says money can be confiscated from you through taxes and then given away to private charity or used to entice employees to contribute their money to a private charity.
This is misappropriation of your tax dollars, possible intimidation of employees, and possible buying votes by pushing an agenda.
Next time the United Way wants your money and you live in Normal, tell them the Town already contributed for you.
Better yet, elect people who understand that government can’t take your money a frivolously use it for whatever they choose.
Normal will be scratching their heads in disbelief. The proper role of government got lost a LONG time ago.
Many of the large charitable organization were compromised years ago. Many are scams.
Take a look at reports readily available on the internet and it’s easy to see.
Unreal! United Way is a fraud anyway. Give to the charity of your choice and skip these scammers. Government certainly has no business investing in United Way when they use the people’s money.
I’ve seen this movie before. Years ago I worked for a school corporation that started the United Way presentation by stating “everyone will participate.” This is intimidation and I’ve seen it over and over again with a major employer here in town that I used to work for. Supervisors do know of the employees who choose not to participate and there are repercussions for employees who don’t.
To top it off we’re seeing not for profit, United Way sponsored organizations come before both of our city governments wanting their share of the sales tax levy. I’m speaking specifically of the YMCA’s proposal for their relocation proposal at the Great Escape location.
I refuse to give anything to the United Way. If I want to contribute to any of the organizations they give to I will and I have. Here in McLean Co, the United Way gives to Planned Parenthood and I refuse to see any of my money go there.
Great work, Diane, but good luck getting anyone to see the problem. I can speak from experience. I’ve been blackballed for speaking out against the tactics of the United Way.
This goes right with bloated payrolls at government entities. A city manager…an assistant city manager..a second assistant city manager, and an administrative assistant. They need so many because of these kinds of perks. And…they still accomplish nothing. So they have Communications Director to put spin on it.
I’m here to serve King Koos, though as soon as my house sells, it’s out to the country I go…
Want a house in Tri-Valley?
Thanks, but north or west of town, closer to my kids’ school.
Like many corporations (State Farm) they have layers of worthless bureaucracy that adds little or no value to the deliver of their services. City government is a service provider. A service provider in the private sector would be out of business quickly if they had the kind of bureaucratic dead wood like the city has on their payroll. But then when you have to actually make the money you use to pay your staff, you are much more frugal. When you just get handed money, you act like a spoiled rich kid. When the education bubble bursts all this will come to an end. Normal will have to make draconian cuts in staff and services. This will happen in less than 5 years.
reason number one million why I got the heck out of BLONO!