By: Diane Benjamin
The Bloomington City Council is meeting tonight, but nothing is on the agenda about the Renner media blitz spreading misinformation.
The only people discussing enforcement of the law will be citizens – should they choose to make public comment. The meeting begins tonight at 5:30.
If the City Council wants to hold a meeting while pretending the Mayor hasn’t lost the respect of many citizens, they will only diminish confidence in the mayor and themselves.
I’m seeing a pattern.
The State Police are still investigating improprieties at the Coliseum because the COUNCIL didn’t do their job.
The State Police are now investigating the mayor because the COUNCIL didn’t do their job.
Hold the meeting as scheduled at your own risk Council. Discussions don’t have to be listed on the agenda, only votes. What happens tonight will prove who represents citizens and who is too chicken to speak truth to power. (cluck cluck)
It takes courage of conviction to stand before the Council and voice one’s concerns. Failure to do so means one is squandering their right to voice their grievances and hold their elected officials accountable. Failure to speak up against wrong doing makes one complicit–complicit with the Council.
Maybe people could line up to ask the mayor to resign. That doesn’t take much courage.
People only seem to be able to do that on social media in the safety of thei won home.
and – that has ZERO impact!
Then, they have squandered their rights. They have no one to blame for their unhappiness but themselves. They have no right to complain about their diminished quality of life. They are no better than an air chair general who sends others out as fodder.
@skunk says:
August 21, 2017 at 1:33 pm
Then, they have squandered their rights. They have no one to blame for their unhappiness but themselves. They have no right to complain about their diminished quality of life. They are no better than an air chair general who sends others out as fodder.
> So any discussion on this blog site is a waste of time? I don’t think so. It is a matter of recorded public opinion. Contributors as such, do a great service, more than you seem to want to give credit. Of your researched and many wise posts here Skunk, this time I wholeheartedly disagree. <
Speaking for Skunk without a shred of approval: I think the comment reflected the frustration of a citizens who sees Bloomington being destroyed and the citizens oblivious.
@sticky bean: I faithfully follow the Council meetings. How often have you looked them in the eye and spoken directly to them. I have yet to see the comments shared on this site or on FB presented at a Council meeting. Council Chambers needs to be packed with the outraged citizens posting on these sites. From experience, I know once the frustration is typed and sent out into cyberspace, the frustration dissipates and life goes on without any change.
My challenge to you and all who complain is: go out…go forth…make a difference!!
Been there, done that… You are 100% correct that (outraged) citizens need to be present and vocal. First they need to pay attention. How do you achieve that skunk? Find the answer to that, and you’ll make motivational speaker Tony Robbins look like an amateur. The idea that government serves the people is a lie has been successsfully sold to the people and they keep the faith. More are waking up eveyday but will it be soon enough? Truly it is the government (at all levels) that have enslaved the people. Through social programs of dependance such as welfare, golden employment with excellent pay and benefits, taxes, more and more taxes enslave us, as well many are unknowingly enslaved in their minds. As well government has been (B-N practices this tactic) successful (in their minds) at ignoring the citizens, which in turn demoralizes them and shuts them down. So I applaud those arm chair generals asit’s a start. That said those arm chair generals many times carry the info learned with them and spread the word. Others become aware. It is an info war. Time will tell.
@sticky bean–Plenty of people are paying attention as shown by the comments made on social media. It is those to whom my comments are addressed. The Council and Mayor can dismiss the “tiny, nasty minority.” But, they cannot dismiss a crowd of angry citizens.
In the age of social media, there is a term used for what I called armchair generals. The term is “virtue signaling.” It is a noun describing the action or practice of publicly (on social media) expressing opinions or sentiments intended to demonstrate one’s good character or moral correctness of one’s position on a particular issue for the purpose of validation.
It takes courage of conviction to stand out in the open, on the front lines, so to speak, and challenge the impropriety of government. If nothing else, Renner should be publicly chastised for attacking a citizen for exercising their rights to share their grievances with their government.
Diane was right in her interpretation of my comments. My comments were an expression of my frustration and intended to get a reaction–they did, at least from you!!
I have another question. If this site is of such value in spreading information, why does Diane have to continue to ask for donations.