By: Diane Benjamin
See this article posted on the WGLT website: New-Poverty-Report-Puts-Mclean-County-Watch-List
The article doesn’t cover everything in the report by Heartland Alliance. See the complete report HERE
Did you ever think McLean County would make a Well-Being Watch List?
The reason is obvious – except to local government:
Sales Tax was increased 1% in 2015. Normal has raised property taxes every year.
From 2012-2017 Normal took an additional $35,667,075 out of the private sector through budget increases. https://blnnews.com/2018/05/16/the-cost-of-full-service-in-normal/
For the same time period Bloomington took an additional $42,286,157 through budget increases. https://blnnews.com/2016/10/24/bloomingtons-taxing-spending-history/
Bloomington and Normal have constantly raised taxes in other areas: water, sewer, storm water, utilities, garbage, GAS TAXES, etc.
Both Bloomington and Normal budgets grew much faster than the inflation rate. The downward spiral started long before the State Farm downsizing. When government takes an ever-increasing amount from taxpayers without comparable income increases, the poor are hit especially hard. Rents increase because landlord are paying more. Rent in Normal will continue to increase thanks to new mandatory recycling.
Growing government results in poorer citizens. How many of the points below were caused by government?
From the WGLT article:
To lessen the poverty rate, Buitrago recommends creating an atmosphere to attract good-paying, stable jobs and removing barriers to employment by expanding local transportation and job-training opportunities.
But overall, Buitrago said to “push the state and federal government to create and maintain strong anti-poverty programs.”
Anti-poverty programs have been in place since the 1960’s. If redistribution of wealth worked, poverty would have been eliminated by now.
Both Bloomington and Normal need to end the “Right Fit” philosophy. The federal 4%+ overall GDP growth isn’t happening here. Since the local leadership is anti-capitalism, expect the numbers below to get even worse. Some local candidates are running on what they can do for you. If cutting government isn’t prominent, your well-being will continue to decline. The local economy can be turned around. It will take electing people who know government doesn’t create prosperity.
Any government funding of a sports complex should be dead. It isn’t.
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Sponsored:
Of course, Tari, Koos, and their liberal pals will say the answer to helping those living with economic insecurity is to tax them more to fund a government program to help them.
This comes as NO surprise. Even the Pantagraph has helped these numbers along!
Our subscription was due today, and we called to cancel, and the man says “IS there anything I can do to keep you as a subscriber” NOPE< you've screwed us enough, AND lied about your 52 weeks AND if there was ANYTHING to do, you SHOULD have already done it. SO, NO MORE WEEKLY READER. Wonder who'll they'll fire?
As for the rest of the numbers, Maybe the mayor AND council should take a GOOD<, HARD look at them, before they SPEND any more of OUR money.
but, but the library has to add on! Tax increases don’t matter! ha ha ha. better move.
The $10M expansion of O’Neil pool also is to meet the needs of the low income families as is Connect Transit. Next, there will be an ordinance for $15 minimum wage.
How foolish to keep taking money from those you claim you want to help!
I’m not low income and use Connect Transit. Not everyone using transit is poor. Saw a man in a nice suit last time I rode.
@Serving Him–You are missing the point as most “progressives” do. Taxes take a proportionately greater amount of money from the low-income families, leaving them with less to spend on their necessities. Taxes from the low-income families pay for amenities they cannot afford.
The taxes paid by low-income families are providing for you and the man in the nice suit to ride the bus.
I’m not progressive. And I’m not rich. You’re making some very large assumptions about someone you don’t know, “skunk.” My Lord, I vote Republican! I’m really hoping I get to support Mitt Romney again. Transportation is neither a conservative nor liberal issue. Lower income people pay some taxes pay for transit, the the man in the suit pays those taxes, and so do I. In fact, I looked at their website, most of the money for Connect’s budget is state and federal money, so people all over the nation and in IL are helping to subsidize it. How is this different than paying for a road…or railroad tracks and passenger cars? Since I’m helping to pay for it, I get an even greater satisfaction knowing that I’m using it. It’s also why I tithe what little I make. I know the money is going for the greater good: to help the less fortunate and spread the word of Christ.
Very FEW people use Connect yet they get $1 MILLION a month to run empty buses. People actually use the roads. Why should people across the country subsidize riders here? It’s called theft and coveting. That’s a sin.
Have you every ridden the bus? I’m never on a bus alone…don’t think I’ve ever used it when there weren’t another 5 or more people on board. Usually more. Maybe I’m on the busier routes, don’t know. And why are you casting stones? You can state your opinion without accusing me of sin.
I’m sure you didn’t notice, but that’s what you were accusing others of doing. You made yourself fair play for the same.
Who are you serving? Mike McCurdy? Connect Transit is not functional for most. It’s political. I have Mike McCurdy’s email stating as much.
Share the emai!!l
So, They are up to two riders on a Connect Transit bus now.
I have an acquaintance who works with low income senior citizens. Most do not drive for one reason or another (can’t afford a car, have medical issues, etc. For some reason, the Connect Transit buses do not stop at or near low income senior housing. In several instances it is over 400 meters to the closest bus stop. That is not much to me, but if you have leg trouble and use a cane, that is a tough walk. But the buses run to high income neighborhoods on the East side, to support some liberal fantasy that we can establish a car-free community. I have a serious problem funding the bus system, but if we are going to fund it, can we at least make sure the stops serve the people who are most likely to use it?
I’ve never used it, but there are buses for people with physical or mental disabilities that will pick people up in front of their door.
Imagine that…a government program that has no clue who its customers are or how to serve them. Mikey and his pals are in it for themselves and their political agenda. Some communities are providing vouchers or subsidies for those truly in need to use a carshare service like Lyft or Uber. Can’t get more convenient than the click of a button. And no costly overhead (how much is a bus going for these days?) or government bureaucrats to pay. But, then again, it would mean Mikey and his cronies would be out of a job.
I would like to know the statistics for the poor moving here. I have heard that it is difficult to get section 8 housing in Chicago, so people are moving here. We apparently have more section 8 available. Communities like ours need to be careful with the amount of section 8 because some social problems are correlated with section 8. We only have so much policing resources and low-income assistance available in our community. The answer is not more assistance in my opinion. I am perplexed with the recent murders of young people (18-24yrs) who were supposedly “of Bloomington”, but did not seem to be connected with our local schools. Usually, the paper says so-so young person died in a car accident and they attended or graduated from Normal Community for example, but not in these cases.
We need to embrace and help the poor, “lizard!” Where’s the evidence that people in section 8 housing have more social problems than any other segment of the population?!? I have faith in the Lord, but need proof of statements like this! I pray for a less violent community, but it’s up to people to make a difference. Reach out and help!
https://economics.nd.edu/assets/153486/carr_jillian_jmp.pdf Texas A&M study found section 8 voucher “receipt increases violent crime, and that this increase is driven by men” This study found a 95% increase in violent crimes by men.
It’s a simple concept. People don’t appreciate what they are handed for free. Spending years getting free stuff eliminates personal responsibility in all areas.
Serving him:
if you want to support the poor, go ahead, send more money to the Illinois department of Revenue. No need to wait for me. You go ahead and start a movement to support the poor. Don’t just talk the talk. Walk the walk. Put your money where your mouth is. Heck you could even donate directly to the city of Bloomington Treasury. They will surely help out all the poor.