Normal wants a study for between $40,000 and $60,000 to see if a sports complex makes sense.
Seriously?
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By: Diane Benjamin
The local soccer people held a press conference in August 2013 to demand taxpayer funding for their complex. It was complete with cute little kids in their soccer uniforms. The group handed out copies of this book – easily over 100 pages including numerous letters from supporters.
What have these people been doing since 2013?
Evidently waiting for local governments to build it for them so taxpayers take all the risks. How much money have they raised from all those supporters? Zero?
Supporters are back in the paper today stating other towns are interested in building a complex if Bloomington and Normal aren’t. The proposal is for the west side, good luck getting there without damage to your vehicle, but that’s not the point.
Both local governments don’t have money to spend but they will anyway – just not on a soccer complex. It doesn’t fit the agenda. If the complex was in downtown Bloomington it might. I wonder why Tari’s Downtown Task Force didn’t come up with this idea?
Most of the reader comments amount to: Goodbye
There is a comment to the newspaper’s story claiming the writer has FOIA information from the airport about what’s really behind telling soccer to leave. The writer claims the FAA doesn’t care if they stay as long as they pay market rates to be there.
Think the Pantagraph will investigate?
(hint: they don’t do investigations)
My kid wants to learn how to surf. Can we build an ocean? Impossible you say!?! But it’s for the children!
Both towns have ample park space. The local youth football programs play at different sites. I don’t see why soccer teams can’t. I have played soccer almost my entire life. I have been a coach and referee. I have been very disappointed with the local soccer leadership. My daughter has played on fusion (now fire) and pcsl. I would not recommend either organization for soccer. The referee quality and training at the pcsl level is dangerous for older kids. I would look to surrounding communities. I will actively work against these fields being built.
Goodbye, indeed! Stop shaking your tin cup at us taxpayers. Listen to this loon in the birdcage liner: “Politicians don’t see the light until they feel the heat. Bring the heat,” Kim told the group at Normal Community High School. “We’ve heard from the city, ‘We don’t want to do Coliseum 2.0,’ but this one is really a no-brainer.” Haha! Sounds like a community organizer! “Bring the heat”, really?! Most people accomplish goals in business through cooperation, negotiation, and professionalism…not pressure. Katie Kim is a real estate consultant from Peoria. It appears she wants us – you know, taxpayers – to help her return money to her firm’s investors.
They need to raise the money for their fields. The Pony and Miracle leagues raised their own money in order to have field(s). I’m tired of taxpayers having to foot the bill for people’s entertainment.
The old I.S.S.C.S. grounds has a park with ENOUGH ground for about ANY kid in town to play soccer, AND they have a hockey rink. I saw in the “weekly reader” where only a dozen or so parents wanted it build at a cost of $22 million. Let THEM fork out the $2 million each. THEY want soccer so bad.
The numbers of citizens who want something doesn’t matter. Look no further than Bike BloNo and DBA.
Good point
True. There’s no merit (sorry, Carlo), no consideration for broad public appeal, and no requirement for skin in the game. In fact, all of these crybaby tax dollar recipients – Bike BloNo, DBA, and the soccor complex – have one important thing in common, they are failures! 100% failures. They aren’t successful and never will be successful on their own. So what do they do, well they whine to government for your money of course.
My kids are too old to benefit from a soccer complex, but I have many friends with younger children, who would benefit. However, there is absolutely no reason for the government to fund this project. If the bunch of entitled soccer moms and dads had spent HALF as much time fund raising, partnering with local businesses who might want to sponsor part of this, in exchange for advertising space, or even selling candy bars, over the last 4.5 YEARS, they would have most if not all of the $$ by now.
Renners true campaign slogan mirrors the entire demon-cratic party.
“Deceive to Achieve.” Lie, spend and tax. Reward friends through public/private partnerships. Get votes for payback. Rinse and repeat.
build it inside the former mitsubishi plant because RIVIAN isnt actually going to produce any cars there….
Let ’em scrape their little knees on that massive asphault parking lot. Wait, the weeds will serve as turf to cushion.
they can kick the balls off all the VWs rusting away
I think the airport just wants the current field land so they can develop it and sell it off. Anytime airport board needs cash they sell some land so they don’t have to get taxpayer scrutiny over raising taxes or airline opposition over high fees. Soccer club should do what PONY did with building their own fields. With what Normal did for softball with paying for Champion fields, I can understand how soccer want to have taxpayers do it for them.
When my daughter was young, she participated in dance. We the parents, paid for lessons, costumes and props. We the parents, helped pay for venues, like the BCPA and Braden Auditorium. We the parents sold tickets, worked backstage, sewed costumes, and some even participated in the recitals. Never, not once, did we ever ask the government for assistance.
If they decide to go ahead with this soccer complex, I will feel robbed and cheated. The government once again, picking winners and losers.
BTW, my fiancé’s kids participated in jfl. Again, the team her kids played on was owned privately. Everyone had to pay for uniforms and equipment. The fields where the kids played were local parks and they even were allowed to play occasionally at IWU and ISU, if they weren’t using the fields. Fields were striped by parents. Money was raised by parents. A lot of the coaching was done by parents.
SOCCER PARENTS, STEP UP AND TAKE CARE OF YOUR OWN KIDS!!!