By: Diane Benjamin
The oldest story I wrote about the Coliseum is from December 2013: https://blnnews.com/2013/12/11/coliseum-bleeding-bloomington-taxpayers/
But, look at this story from February 2014: https://blnnews.com/2014/02/06/is-coliseum-management-giving-bloomington-their-share/
First lines of the story:
Operations of the Coliseum are extremely complicated. Management hired by the City is operating some functions without any over-sight or accountability. The taxpayers deserve to know the truth.
That was more than 3 1/2 years ago! No, the investigation didn’t begin 18 months ago. It only began because I filed a lawsuit.
Three of the 5 indicted:
Judge Foley should be forced to testify against the City of Bloomington, David Hales, Tari Renner, and the City Council long time members for official misconduct. She sat in on the settlement negotiations. She heard the City lawyer say there wasn’t a problem, everything is fine, we have no idea why Diane filed a lawsuit.
John Butler has 44 felony counts against him.
Bart Rogers has 13 felony counts against him.
Kelly Klein has 12 felony counts against her.
When I was at the courthouse, indictments against the other two were not available because they had not posted bond.
It’s difficult to tell how much of YOUR money they are accused of stealing, the indictment calls it money “belonging to the City of Bloomington”. It’s really additional taxes you had to pay because the City of Bloomington didn’t do their job! David Hales should be kicked out TONIGHT! The total will be well over $1 Million.
Don’t forget – the Coliseum was audited every year. The loses the auditors reported were much bigger than CIAM (John Butler) reported. YOUR local media always reported Butler’s numbers – never the audited losses! The fraudulent media reporting is continuing, I’m sure my lawsuit against the City for documents from CIAM will never make it to press.
Concessions were never audited because Tom Hamilton and David Hales allowed Butler to form another company inside the Coliseum. The auditor’s reports never mentioned there might be a problem.
Common sense said there was a problem.
I won’t get an apology from anyone at the City of Bloomington. The media will try to make you believe the City rode in on a white horse and forced an investigation. Here’s the facts:
1) Audits are meaningless
2) David Hales failed in his duty to protect taxpayers
3) Tari Renner failed to protect taxpayers while eating his free lunches
4) The majority of the Council stuck their heads underground and ignored facts
5) The media will continue to cover for the City
And the city council members will act like innocent victims tonight, and be so greatful their hero Renner called in the ISP! Expect the lies to continue.
Heard about this on the radio coming home – My GOD, just LOOK at those three! They even look like career criminals.
Forming another company should have been a “big” indicator that something was going on to hide something.
Just maybe Joliet will tell Hales bye bye. I sure hope so. This should be an eye opener to them. The best thing that could happen would be the constituents of Joliet contact their representatives and demand he not be hired and if so let him go. Their lawyers who wrote up the contract hopefully has a bye bye clause.
I guess Butler won’t be a partner in the Bloomington Hockey league after all. Wonder what will happen to Peoria Cicic Center.
Butler and Roger are minority owners of the Rivermen
Prolly not for long.
I’ll throw them a bone and take that stake off their hands for $1,000.
Well hats off to you Diane… your persistence and watchdog attitude made this all happen. Who says one person can’t make a difference? You did and you continue every day to hold the establishment accountable! Thanks!
Hopefully NOW we WILL get justice against these “band of thieves” Nad the Mayor, Hales AND council who were seated during this time should ALSO be held accountable!
Kudos Diane!!
Wonder HOW the Pantagraph will spin THIS!
They already are! Nobody knew a thing!
Congratulations! Your hard work and dedication paid off! Hales and Renner should now be very afraid!!
This happened under Tari and his council’s watch. They need to resign.
Sheesh! Only you can take something good and make it all about you not getting credit for it. Have you ever known the feeling of accomplishment or the feeling of a job well done?
Sonny- have you ever felt the need to set the record straight?
Skunk–In my lifetime, any resoexted investigative journalists–which Diane claims to be–has rarely if ever complained about credit when charges are brought as a result of their reporting. The story stands by itself. Tari, Hales, the council has been living rent-free in Diane’s head for a long time and if all this is just to be recognized for taking someone down–to self-promote and stroke an ego, then that lessens the impact. I don’t care who did what or who uncovered it first. Diane is still going to get kudos and everyone knows the city didn’t do their job–or they blame they Collisium 5.
Way to go Diane. Time for Renner and his band of merry council members to go. How is the state police investigation going on the Japan trip?
Nobody is talking
Congrats Diane. Job well done. You stayed on this issue for a long time. You deserve your victory lap. Next will be the Atlanta Library board and perhaps others..
Hales needs to be fired now. They better not let him walk away with his pension.
At this point, I don’t think there is a choice. If he has 7-8 year here, plus he gets another 4-5 in Joliet, then retires, he’s looking at a pension in the range of $50k-$65k courtesy of the Illinois taxpayers. Not a bad fleecing considering he would have only worked 11-13 years in the state, and then you add in that being compounded 3% per year annually. I doubt he stays in Illinois either.
Criminals, all. The entire city council should resign. Their oversight was negligent at best, if not downright enabling. Congrats to you, your hard work, and persistence. If Joliet still takes Hales after this, I’ll be surprised. Unless these are the qualifications they’re looking for. Also, I wonder if the city council’s smug, arrogant, condescending attitude towards their employers the taxpayers will continue.
So…we, the citizens of Bloomington, have allegedly been defrauded by a company (CIAM) that ran an asset (Judydome) the citizens didn’t want and voted (60% Nay) against building in the first place. A fraud that was uncovered by a citizen (our Hero of the day, Diane) who had to file a lawsuit to get information; a lawsuit that was actively opposed by the representatives of the city who sided with these alleged criminals in a court of law – the losing side, I might add.
Folks, I know I’m just a simple minded Anarchist but what is the point of having a government when it acts like this (the mob)?
You did an awesome and tiresome job trying to get to the bottom of this debacle, and thanks for everything you did to bring this to fruition. The naysayers can now eat crow.
I am sick and tired of people being greedy and entitled and calling themselves public servants!
As an outsider that worries about City folks wanting to run the whole County Government, this must certainly prove that they must stay inside the City limits. Oh and it took another “outsider” to force this crooked bunch of scabs to be indicted, too.