By: Diane Benjamin
The silent majority who just want government to leave them alone are being stomped by the local boots of government. They stayed home yet again for the local elections. Evidently their destruction is the only remedy for narcolepsy. Stay asleep, that’s what they want (and your money).
This is what Democracy looks like!
The loudest voices get what they want, everybody else is immaterial. Only 1 month into Bloomington’s completely compliant Council, two issues have been proclaimed “progress”.
- Bike Lanes on E. Washington
- Civilian Police Review Board
These two prove why America was founded as a Republic, not a democracy.
Even though Bike Blono has very few members compared to the population, many members did attend the Open House last night to cheer bike lanes. Democracy is mob rule, Bike Blono brought the mob. Common sense and opposition of people who didn’t show up are immaterial, but they will be forced to pay. Two more Open Houses are on the City calendar – June 13 and June 14th (http://www.cityblm.org/government/advanced-components/calendar?cury=2017&curm=6&curd=1&curview=month)
People are spouting on Facebook and the radio – Bike Blono’s democracy will still win because the opposition will stay home. Think traffic is bad now? Just wait until an entire vehicle lanes disappear!
Soon the Police won’t be allowed to do their job. Small segments of the population object to methods police use, so they want to police the police. Bloomington already has a Police Commission with citizens on it. Does the group wanting a Review Board want anonymous complaints investigated? The police didn’t agree to serve to be seconded-guessed by citizens sitting on the sidelines. To not be investigated, the police will stop policing. Crime will go up, mobs will run the streets. See Chicago for details.
Local government isn’t capable of common sense, they only want to control. Mobs do intimate the Council, at least the ones who don’t already believe bikes need their own lanes and the police are evil.
Normal isn’t immune – their council has been completely compliant for much longer than Bloomington’s. It takes a genius to put the bike sharing plan in place the Pantagraph reported on today:
This is an excerpt:
Users will only pay 20%, Normal complains about unfunded mandates and then gives themselves unfunded mandates. Brilliant!
The story says BroMenn is donating $10,000. I walked by the share rack at BroMenn everyday for 2 weeks. One bike never moved, the other bike moved once:
.
More “If we build it they will come”.
How’s that working for Connect Transit? (Their monthly meeting got changed to the 30th)
.
.
.
Amen and Amen. Thank you again for your devotion to freedom. Especially freedom from Democracy. Have you read Eric Metaxas’ new book *If You Can Keep It*? Very good.
I haven’t read it.
You are wrong on the police review board. Your assertion is anecdotal if not rife with Strawman statements. The purpose of a civilian review board is to make sure complaints about the police are being investigated, not to prevent them from doing their job. In fact, the review board for Chicago had ignored police misconduct and in 2016, Rahm Emmanuel abolished the Independent Police Review Board and a new one, the Civilian Office on Police Accountability, replaced it. Sounds like those officers were still able to do their job absent independent oversight. It was a rubber stamp to quash investigations into bad cops (notice I said “bad cops”. Don’t twist my words). Kansas City has a successful review board. In the end, acceptable behavior is the responsibility of the police officers and their superiors.
You can debate the need for a civilian review board or panel but to suggest it is only there to hinder good cops is overreaching. When they are run correctly, they are beneficial.
Do want people second guessing how you do your job? Especially those with a possible conflict of interest?
At least you recognize the key sentence, “When they are run correctly, they are beneficial.” However this is Bloomington and a major problem exists that the appointees will be chosen by an unethical mayor who has repeatedly demonstrated his lack of concern for governing, “,,,the Republic for which it stands.”
Personally, I don’t want a terrorist group–Black Lives Matter–telling the police how to do their job, INCLUDING protecting me from actions by groups like Black Lives Matter. Don’t think for one minute that some of their members are not extremely violence prone and very dangerous.
(Especially the white members!)
Apples to oranges. The difference is police are authority figures and have to the power to limit your freedom or cost you your life. I have to deal with legislation in my line of work because people decided to cook the books, or violate privacy laws. It sucks to deal with but if it stops some person from stealing money from retirees or punishes people for mishandling my private information, I am all for it. The company I work for even has policies to report people who are engaging in unethical or illegal behavior. If you are only worried about people second guessing you and not complaints being ignored for ignored then you are susceptible to unethical behavior too.
What does the Police Commission do? Shouldn’t handling complaints be their job? Why bring in uniformed people?
BLM is not an advocacy group. It’s a terrorist organization. This council will not be “investigating complaints.” When a certain suspect is resisting and has to be taken to the ground…BLM cries racism. When a certain suspect is handcuffed roughly…BLM cries racism. When the cops execute a search warrant….BLM cries racism. When police suggest more community resources for policing of violent neighborhoods…BLM cries racism.
What about this proposal convinces you the council will be fair and objective?
My guess is, “fair and objective” isn’t your goal….it’s to advance an ideology.
My ideology? BlueLivesMatter
Well you are good at guessing what I am not. I support Law Enforcement, but I don’t support bad police officers. From personal experience, my brother was attacked from behind by a state trooper while he was trying investigate a disturbance regarding his girlfriend and her ex-boyfriend. Out of no where, a trooper throws him face first into the ground. Busted nose and stitches for seeing why his girlfriend was arguing with her ex-boyfriend. When his lawyer asked for the dashcam and audio tapes, they said they lost them. The trooper had complaints against him before. My brother pleaded guilty on the advice of his lawyer. Never knew why since it seemed odd that a dashcam video would just disappear. No apology from the trooper or anything. There are people who shouldn’t be police officers, just like doctors, teachers, coaches, etc. There needs be joint effort with law enforcement and the community it serves. You can’t fight crime if both sides don’t trust each other.
I do not see anyone reporting that there were about 40 people at the open house, about 10 of which were either elected or appointed officials and city staff. Half of the civilian attendees were not in favor of bike lanes on Washington Street. Keep in mind, there were a lot people with various insights who designed the current bike plan. Now a dozen members of a special interest group want to change the plan to suit their vision of what complete streets should look like to meet their specific desires. There are options to voice your opinion. Speak up or forever hold your peace.
What we need is a Civilian Council Review Board, made ou of volunteers who are NOT appointed by the mayor. Only problem is that without “official” govenrment appointees, there will never been any recognition in any of the local media bird cage liner, radio, etc., and will therefore be a labeled as fringe group to be ignored. Anything this city does anymore has a pre-set agenda of stacking the deck to support the socialist/communist agenda. Compliments of Renners background in education and assorted affiliations. One doesn’t need to be a genius to see what is intentions are. This council is absolutely clueless. So sad of what is happening to America.
One more note: the meeting about the bike lanes on Washington scheduled for June 14 is at the Planning Commission. Once the Planning Commission conducts their hearing, their decision will sent to the City Council for approval. This is how the game is being played.
The Planning Commision will do what the puppets Renner and Hales direct. Citizens are immaterial. Funny thing about it is that that the Bike BloNo people are stooges that are being taken advantage of due to their self destructive mindless ideology.
Mudd-I’m well aware of how the commissions are stacked and function as puppets. My comment was mainly an FYI. The sad thing is, City staff was not in favor of the change to use Washington Street but are being bullied. The people in the know, those actually doing the work and have traffic statistics, are being ignored just like the Council continues to do with other matters.
Played? Sounds like SLAM DUNK to me.
On another note, was riding with a friend from out of town yesterday. He says” What’s that” it’s the NEW Portillos! Normal gave them this and this in concessions. “You got suckered” Was his reply. He works with government ALL the time and cannot believe WHAT ALL the towns are GIVING away at our cost! And he lives in Springfield!
@ skunk ~ your comments are appreciated my friend.
Thanks, mudd. Yours are as well. I like to raise a stink-lol.
Just a quick observation I was in pretty much every main part of town the last 3 days probably about 6 hours total driving time and I saw…2 bikes, one was balancing a case of beer (this is common) the other was a “serious rider” (fancy bike, expensive little outfit helmet etc.) 2 bikes, two, one WAS in a bike lane, he may have been told to make himself visible often, and use the lanes) and the other was on a side street with no bike lane. (I am pretty sure that one has DUIs and has been relegated to self powered travel)