By: Diane Benjamin
I did finally receive my FOIA for the General Ledger entries to the Sister Cities accounts. Travel expenses is sometimes in “Travel” and sometimes in “Community Relations”. The accounts are full of transfers and memo entries that make it difficult to determine what is happening.
The Sister Cities program is supported by both Bloomington and Normal. Normal wrote checks to Bloomington in August of 2016 and August of 2017 for $12,100.00. Bloomington agreed to contribute $12,101.00 a year. The General Ledger shows a long list of transfers, to Sister Cities accounts and later back to the General Fund.
This program is set up as a non-profit existing under the City of Bloomington. They are not required to file tax returns themselves. The General Ledger shows way more expenses than what was budgeted. In fact, the City failed to budget anything in this year’s budget for the 55th anniversary trip: Page 399 of the current budget: http://www.cityblm.org/home/showdocument?id=13157
I filed a FOIA request on July 31st for the names of the people booked with IACE Travel. The list posted yesterday is what I received. It shows they “donated” $68,333 from March through May. I could file many more FOIA requests that the city would extend or twist to delay transparency. I’ve played their game long enough. Instead, I turned what they sent me from March – July into a spreadsheet, these months cover when the people who went on the trip should have paid.
It looks like $55,008.47 more went out than came in. That means Japan did cost taxpayers money, regardless of what anyone says. Worse, Tari and Margot’s plane tickets were bought on a PCard in May for which the statement would have been received in June. The total was $3,671.34. Margot’s check was for $1,835.67 and deposited June 2nd. Unless the City rounded the deposit to $1,845.00 it isn’t listed. Since neither the deposit or the expense went through a Sister Cities account, add another $3,671.34-$1,835.67 to what Japan cost taxpayers.
If the City had been transparent from the beginning, I would keep researching the cost. They weren’t, and now they have recruited the media to hide the truth.
I wonder if Tari’s buddy Dick Durbin has talked to the State Police? http://www.wjbc.com/2017/05/02/sen-durbin-undergoes-outpatient-heart-procedure/
It wouldn’t be the first time the State Police were not allowed to do their job. If you don’t know the Michale Callahan story, get the book: https://www.amazon.com/Too-Politically-Sensitive-Since-Murder/dp/0615281036
How could the Pekin Mayor be prosecuted and not Renner?
It will be interesting to see if Tari still has a PCard after flagrantly violating the City policy. If he does, why should any of the other more than 200 PCard holders follow the rules?
The fastest way to fix the sister Cities program is to cut them loose. Bloomington and Normal could still make their yearly contributions, but the committee is charged with raising money for all other expenses. We wouldn’t see anymore free pizza at Lucca Grill with $100 tip. https://blnnews.com/2017/08/10/japan-what-we-dont-know/ We also wouldn’t see any more expenses with fuzzy accounting.
The next meeting of the sister Cities committee is scheduled for September 11th at the airport:
Maybe they will be more transparent than the City of Bloomington. Maybe they will say what Renner was up to in Japan too.
General Ledger – source:
Simply out of curiosity, was there a beginning balance for the Sister City account carried over from previous years? The SC Committee knew in advance that the 55th Anniversary trip was to be planned.
I’m really beginning to think that the “budget” is so convoluted that no one knows whether there is enough money available for expenditures or not.
Income and expenses don’t carry from year to year. I don’t see anything showing fund balances.
Is this all that’s happening? So over it.
Depends on the State Police now since the Council is useless.
Is downtown revitalization the only order of business for the City? I’m SOOO over it…30+ years is such a long time.
That’s the 7:00 meeting!
7:00 meeting is only for signage. That is a drop in the buck compared to the Downtown Task Force. In reality, the signage should be coordinated with the Task Force recommendations. Is the Library moving? Will new signs need to be made and moved causing a waste of money like Connect Transit?
Any money they waste is ridiculous
I am coming to a conclusion that has simply been a suspicion for a LONG time – it’s ALL really just a big money pool/slush fund for them to move about as they wish, and a not so tiny portion of it goes for travel expenses and food and little “get togethers” that they call meetings and “business lunches” oh and whatever trappings they want for their offices and “work spaces” that they buy at grossly inflated prices from their comrades. Like skunk says, it’s so convoluted it’s nearly impossible to follow- don’t think for one minute that is NOT on purpose. As to the State Police – I just hope and pray they are not tooooo tainted, but I am losing hope, especially since Dirty Dick Durbin was mentioned – he is a disgrace – no wonder he is Tarry’s buddy, birds of a feather and all that.