by: Diane Benjamin
1)
Mayor Transparency is now not listing the cost of items on the agenda. See tonight’s agenda here: http://www.cityblm.org/Home/ShowDocument?id=13109. Go to page 114 to find out the Motor Fuel Tax is being raided to pay for street light electricity. This tax was passed as being for the streets – not lights: (Page 24 – http://www.cityblm.org/Home/ShowDocument?id=6644)
Your roads will never get better – they will remain poor by design!
A total of $1,000,000 was diverted in fiscal years 2017 and 2018. The documentation from 2014 estimated $1,000,000 per year would be raised.
This was the original vote:
Ayes: Aldermen Mwilambwe, Schmidt, Painter, Fazzini, Fruin and Black.
Nays: Aldermen Stearns, Lower and Sage
Mwilambwe, Schmidt, Painter, and Black voted to raise money for roads! Are they going to tolerate this theft? Sage voted NO – will he call them out? What odds should we use – 100 to 1 none will oppose?
Money for roads is being redirected because tax receipts are down! (that’s a secret though)
2)
I don’t have time to fully analyze this one, looks aren’t always deceiving:
3)
Page 475:
In other words – your wealth is needed so others have a house. Wealth redistribution is theft by government. They will use grants and TIF funds which means everybody else has to make up the difference in taxes. It isn’t economic development – it’s immoral.
This quote pertains to the old Junior High Property that out of state developers want to use your money to convert.
4)
Another TIF – Bloomington needs more slush money, buying friends is expensive!
5)
Page 516 – The comprehensive plans calls for in-fill, no more expanding the City. For the second meeting in a row, Bloomington is annexing property. Tonight it is for Section 8 housing off Greenwood Avenue.
Keep in mind the south side is a food desert.
Keep in mind Connect Transit will be forced to serve this area.
Bloomington is in a race to the bottom.
Good thing Bloomington is in Illinois. Both think alike and can continue their downward spiral together.
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Tax receipts will continue to go down. We are general economic decline (all of downstate Illinois is except of Champaign/Urbana). In the not to distant future the city will have to raise taxes, lay-off employees and scale back basic services. Welcome to the new Detroit of Prairie.
#5). The neighboird is a high crime area already. The crime statistics are included in the packet.
It’s almost like they want more! More police, more union members voting for democrats!
The City gets grants for building these projects. Trying to get more sales tax revenue from additional citizens. This is what “infill” will look like as fewer people can afford housing.
Maybe they can fill all the low wage job the new sports complex will create!
Guess it’s why Obama noted B-N as his jewel of the midwest. Karl Marx would be proud.
Crime is going to continue to go up. My mailman was telling on Friday of an area that used to crime free is now full of crime and unsavory people. Like I said welcome to the upcoming little Detroit of the Prairie. Get signed up for you conceal and carry permit – if your planning on staying you will need to be packing heat here in the not to distant future.
Perhaps we should all purchase gas outside of Bloomington? I know I do every time I get a chance.
Would suggest purchasing EVERYTHING outside Bloomington, and being very vocal about why you are doing it. After all, the Chamber of (Crony) Commerce supports Renner!
I want the lowest price and easiest way to bring it to the house. I do object the cronyism that is promoted by the Chamber. This 20th Century Cronyism that is so widespread in this town is seriously hurting our chances of surviving the disruption of State Farm. You got to be a Chamber member to really do business here. Not only do you have to be a Chamber member but you have to go to all their events and kiss the ring of the establishment here. To me it is like going to family reunions to pick up chicks. Instead of looking for ways to bring money into the town – they are constantly trying to get Chamber members to buy from other Chamber members. Both picking up your date at your family reunion and selling to the same old set of your cronies is going to turn out badly in the end. Is it really any wonder why in June 2017 Bloomington-Normal (Midwest Center of Crony Capitalism) is in economic decline? How many empty business offices and retail stores do you see around town? Who is going to move into all those closed mall stores? Answer: No one
Bloomington is now another California, the more the gov(mayor) raises taxes for progressive projects the faster the citizens desert the sinking ship! Bloomington will become the Detroit of central IL, a shining example of progressive disaster in a city run by progressive government. When will they learn? Or will they ever?
That Downtown East TIF is rather large area made up of mainly parking lots. Wonder who owns them and what is planned. More low income housing to coordinate with the low income senior housing slated for the redeveloped former H.S?
Good observation. Once the plans are in place, Agenda 21 (30 now) will come along and totally put the screws to the downtown “stakeholders.” Downtown is not coming back with the SF exit and the massive population shift to the east side. It’s just not gonna happen. Only specilaty shops that offer great service, competitve pricing, and a superior product will survive as there isn’t and won’t be enough parking to support the conveinence that most people demand. Bottle up the transportation arteries and watch the cars stop coming. Not enough bicyclists to support any business downtown. The best retail revenue generators are tha bars. That should tell people something.
Yes – great point… How long before State Farm exits that building completely? I’m sorry but there is no (economically feasible) hope for downtown Bloomington. Retail is dying and who wants to go there? It is a Cat D9/wrecking ball special in the making.