By: Diane Benjamin
At tonight’s City Council meeting BN Advantage will get $125,000. That is in addition to the $100,000 currently paid to the Economic Development Council which happens to be part of BN Advantage.
Confused?
It’s not going to get any clearer since both organizations can not be FOIA’d.
PDF page 277 http://www.cityblm.org/Home/ShowDocument?id=18156
This is in addition to Austin Grammer, Economic Development Coordinator, who was paid a total last year in salary, benefits, and pension $103,503.34. The Community Development guy who left, Tom Dabareiner, received $159,969.38. (He’s been replaced) Now add $26,068 going to the Small Business Development Center at IWU. the total is over a half a million dollars.
This is a list of goals for BN Advanage: (same page as above)
All of these groups make up BN Advantage:
Every been part of a group of 35 who had to make decisions? How did that go?
The majority of the money will probably go for salaries of people charged with making the above happen. We won’t know unless the Council demands transparency.
One good thing about the documentation for tonight:
“Right Fit”
isn’t mentioned!
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Bloomington is not business-friendly! It’s hard to know what the EDC has done or has failed to do. I’ve yet to find something to cheer for at the EDC. It should be 100% private sector. I’m told that Austin is very difficult to deal with and gets in the way of new and innovative ideas that challenge the status quo. There’s a surprise…haha. If the EDC went all private it could remove the central planners from government. Bloomington, on the whole, is incredibly anti-business unless you’re friends with either Mayor’s office and/or a government vendor. This is a horrible place to start and grow a business. The local government is incredibly unwelcoming (unless your the “right fit”), while the EDC and Chamber have no ideas other than to cherry pick stats and self-congratulate each other on the prosperity of the local economy. Meanwhile, over at State Farm…
How can we so consistently as community (and within the state) seemingly lack a fundamental understanding of the economics. “B/N Advantage” seems more like the first step in shaping/articulating a marketing campaign message for a sales force than an actual organization with a responsibility for deliverables. In business we typically segregate Account Management (protect and nurture existing clients in the portfolio) and Sales (bring in new clients, onboard them and then nurture them within the portfolio). Marketing then gets ahead of sales to shape a wave and identify the best prospects for organic growth and growth through acquisition/development of new accounts (businesses in this case). Of course, if expenses and efforts in government are not aligned, if taxes are outrageous and trending badly, then there’s no chance for the wave to shape or gain energy. The value of being a member of the herd declines and the herd starts to dissipate. Does that decline sound familiar? People want to be part of a winning team, and perhaps that’s why they cluster up on things that feel good. It’s a distracting sense of short-lived comfort. Time to shift to actual doing, and measuring results against timely goals. Stop doing things that don’t contribute, and redirect resources to those that do.
Yes and I know people who have started businesses here that this is true. Unless you are part of the in crowd and fit into the crony system here… you will not be welcome. My sources tell me it is D-Day at State Farm this coming Friday…. more layoffs…
I heard the same. LARGE number.
The local media, BN Advantage, and EDC will be in full spin mode. That is, of course, if they actually report on the layoffs.
EDC has lots of rules laid out for them tonight in exchange for the money. In other words, nothing changes.
I am wondering what the number will turn out to be at State Farm for the next round of layoffs? This is course going to continue for at least the next couple years…. continued downsizing and layoffs. State Farm is in serious trouble and really doing nothing to fix their problems. Of course our leadership and our media can’t seem to read or don’t want to know the truth. This is not going away because they ignore it. Houses are already flooding the Real Estate market…. and now another round of layoffs?
While driving by the old Mennonite Hospital, Electrolux Building on N. Main St., the other day I viewed the lot and noticed the rest of the building that has not yet been razed. ALthough it sits back from the road, it is riddled with broken windows and most likely infested rats, roaches, and other misplaced critters. I wonder how long the city will allow this dangerous eyesore to remain standing.
Only certain people have to comply with coeds, not all.
Lol, last time I complied with a coed she married me, we had four kids and twelve grandkids. Life is good 🙂
Funny, fingers and eyes aren’t working today.
What a jirk! [sic]
That property is owned by IWU……..I guess they don’t have the money to tear it down as planned and promised.
Wealth Redistribution. They STEAL our tax dollars, and funnel them to the people of these fake organizations who pretend to do something. That’s how otherwise untalented, undeserving, and unemployable marxists get paid. A private company would never employ these people. So, they are GIVEN a position on one of these boards. Those of us who actually work for a living have our tax dollars stolen and given to these losers.
Bloomington as a BUSINESS FRIENDLY community? Well slap me silly? This is a joke right? We have bad roads, a high tax rate and a mayor and council that feels that anything but a jock strap is the RIGHT FIT! And we are business friendly?
As for State Farm. They WILL be gone in 10 years!
Maybe Judy Valente can report on this!! After she calls Chuck..
I could not help but notice Alderman Mathy’s Facebook Page was bashing Core Eatery…maybe Kelly’s is the only right fit.
He’s MIA again tonight
Does he go to any meetings? I noticed he is the only Alderman without a pic on the City Web Site.
Misses more than most