See this story too: https://blnnews.com/2018/02/23/they-had-to-have-bought-all-new-phones/
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Internet is provided from CIRBN and not included in the below. CIRBN was paid on the last bills and payroll: Library 420.33, City 2725.01 http://www.cityblm.org/Home/ShowDocument?id=15822
By: Diane Benjamin
http://www.cityblm.org/Home/ShowDocument?id=15938
I used to have to examine all the free lunches on PCards, those day are mostly over since Renner’s PCard got pulled. I’ve noticed communications spending for quite a while, I just never had time to look at the totals. Today is the day.
These charges were paid by check:
All of these charges were paid by PCard:
Checks total: $6,843.36
PCard total: $209,026.79
Total: $216,077.72
Why is AQUATICS charged $6,059.76 when the pools aren’t open?
I wish Bloomington had an Inspector General so an independent person could examine who has cell phones, who needs cell phones, and why departments sitting at desk all day have cell phones.
Need budget cuts – look here. Let’s pretend Bloomington has 650 employees. At $209,027 a month for wireless, that is $322 per employee. I doubt every employee has a cell phone, so why are you forced to pay this much?
Hello, Tranquility base? Can we get a to go order for 650, with extra sauce?
HOW in the H***, awww, this is just crazy!! No WONDER things don’t get done! They’re ON THE PHONE!!
That’s way, way, WAY TOO much money. Holy Toledo Batman!
I cannot imagine how this is justified. I just cannot fathom it. Is it the same every month or do they pay it annually or quarterly? I want my cell phone bill paid. Wonder if we can FOIA itemized phone bills. It would be fun to see who is calling who.
I’m writing another story now that may explain it.
Maybe Renner has a special batphone so he can call Black?
Ah, makes sense that Batman and Robin would have a secure line to each other.
This is outrageous, absolutely outrageous. Only people with an identified need that is job related should be issued a city cell phone. Obviously, every Tom, Dick, Harry, and Mary Jane has one. We know David Hales was not a good steward of the people’s money. The new City Manager needs to step up and start making all the cuts in areas such as this, and Mayor Renner needs to be brought before a judge,through a lawsuit, seeking his removal from office, for his negligent actions and malfeasance while in office, that has been detrimental to the City of Bloomington. Unless this is done,this continual financial abuse and neglect, along with his outrageous conduct and personal abuse of citizens isn’t going to stop. I know for a fact this is only a small piece of the internal monetary abuse that can be stopped that will result in substantial cost savings. Judy Stearns and Kevin Lower had tangible cost cutting ideas that were ignored and ridiculed by Renner. Diane keeps unveiling them here in her publication. Bruce Meeks and Donna Boelin are on top of the various issues that touch all of us. Yet the beat goes on, and they keep doing what they are doing. The head of the snake needs to be cutoff. The abuse, of us, the taxpayer, needs to end. The games need to to stop. His use of the the YWCA , college students, the League of Women’s Voters, etc, and bringing this vocal mob into City Chambers to drive his political agenda is disgraceful. Each one of you should be sending complaints to the IRS challenging the tax exempt status of any 401C3 or 501C3 because of their activist lobbying. WGLT employees, who are state employees, and the station , which assets are owned by the government and by which it’s transmissions are are emitted through the air thus making it subject to the authority of the Federal Communications Commission, needs to be held accountable for its biased reporting and ethics violations of station employees. Station Management needs to decide if they want to be politicians or on air personalities/columnists – you can’t be both on the the public dime. Using this station to further an ideology and particular candidates, or pressing story’s favorable to a particular politician and being used by that politician(s) needs to stop.
Someone needs to step up besides Diane (who is far too busy) and form a small group and put together a lawsuit. Three and four heads is better than one. Then all of us need to kick in some money, to get this done. I’ll pledge right now some financial support. But folks, we need to stop the bitching, and start taking action. I personally believe we would of been successful in overturning the BEC decision in court when I challenged his Petitions last year. But I was not going to personally finance that endeavor on a fixed income. The local GOP was on his side, and the good ol boy network ( Jesse and Friends) turned out to attest to his honesty and integrity. The fact of the matter is, there was enough there to overturn the decision which would of knocked him off the ballot. Two people stepped up to help me in the audit and that help was appreciated. But that was pretty much it. So, let’s do something now or suffer through the remainder of this Mayors term. I’m pretty much done saying my piece anymore unless we the opposition unify and change. My thanks to those who I have already identified by name above. You’ve done much more than me. Either more people like Angela get on the train and everyone starts uniting despite pettiness, then I’m stepping off completely and getting out of dodge as soon as my wife retires in a few years.
Chill out – another story soon.
@Kevin Gerard—supply links to these places people are to send complaints. Rally those who don’t want sanctuary city status and constant tax & fee increases to attend meetings and email Council members. Pack the Chamber just like the activists. If you speak to Council have a specific concern and recommend a solution, regardless of what the solution might be. Bitching gets nothing accomplished. Failure only happens if you don’t try. ACTION, please!
#pawsw/claws
I’m not sure who you are and have no idea what you’re referring to when you say “ supply links to these places are to send complaints,,,”. What links? (SMH). I don’t attend Council Meetings anymore, I watch online. I prefer to as I just know myself all too well. Nothing good would happen and Renner would throw me out anyway. I have no respect for this Mayor or every member of the Council. I have had plenty of interaction with them by email or phone, and it’s been very adversarial. I don’t take kindly to fools and the boneheaded decisions these self serving people have made. I’m tired of liberals taxing us to death,trampling on our rights and the Constitution, abusing their authority and financially ruining this city. I’ve tried gathering a few people together on a few occasions over the years , and I also did so just recently and there was only 1 person interested. It’s apathy plain and simple. So, when you preach to me, pardon me if I give you a big LMAO in return. It’s obvious you didn’t grasp my message above either. So,I will leave you all with this final thought because I am done with this maddnesss. Renner and his tribe are smart. They know how to organize and leverage their strength because there is power in numbers and they know how to use it, They are unified, they know how to gain support from other groups and they speak with a united voice even though their message is the wrong one. The opposition, YOU, are the complete opposite. No cohesion, no unified message, all individual messages, infighting, backstabbing, and egos centered on self promotion or more individual need for relevance then for the common good for all of us, So either change and succeed or keep doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results, and you know what they call that. Madness, In the meantime, I tap out . Have a good weekend and Chill back at ya Diane.
Don’t like it, don’t print it.
I didn’t say that – I’m working on an update!
So, our gov doesn’t use land lines anymore? At the company I used to work at that’s all the office personnel had. If you wanted to use a cellphone you paid for it and service yourself.
In public works there’s 7 with cell phones. Out of all the employees under a quarter have phones. Verizon also has the gps system account. Basically every vehicle has a gps system
“Why is AQUATICS charged $6,059.76 when the pools aren’t open?” I don’t know. Did YOU ask? You’re the “reporter” with the “news” site. Instead of asking leading questions you think point to some sort of malfeasance, why don’t you call the parks and rec director and ask…and then TELL all of us. I’m actually curious.
Reporter? Not really, I lay out the facts and expected the people getting FLEECED to fight their own battles.