By: Diane Benjamin
Hit play below to hear Tari’s message. He spoke for around 15 minutes even though he started his speech with it would be shorter than usual.
He credits cuts for balancing the budget – solid waste finally balances. (They finally transferred all costs to taxpayers meaning you pay more now)
He claims Bloomington continues to appear on “best of” cities. (He must not know about the League of Women Voters poverty meeting) Crime might just be a spike, we need to wait and see.
Tari continues to claims cuts from 850 to 650 employees. (City hasn’t had 850 employees in over 10 years – pre Tari)
Tari almost sounded like a capitalist:
Can’t cut and gut to prosperity, can’t tax to prosperity. We need to expand and grow the local economy.
He regressed:
Capital investment has been neglected over many generations. He plans to buy up property downtown using the excuse of too many property owners to deal with. (Huffs owns most of the properties he wants – Front and Center, People’s Bank, Elks Club)
He wants a state of the art library.
He touted the rental property inspection program and administrative court. (They targeted everybody instead of just people who needed it)
He thinks a Downtown Transfer Station for Connect Transit will create prosperity. He claims CT has money. They do, it came from you.
Tari is still claiming the 100% transparency rating from Illinois Policy Institute as an achievement. It was based on what the City puts on their website, not how they operate. IPI quit rating cities in 2014. Please stay current Tari.
Tari thinks Bloomington is a model for the country and others to follow.
Following Tari was the only public comment, Scott Stimeling. He hammered Tari on many issues, but last was the hiring of a Deputy City Manager.
At 52:30 Tari claims any City with 2000-3000 people has to have a Deputy City Manager to take over when the City Manager isn’t available.
Just so you know what Bloomington’s is going to cost: http://www.cityblm.org/Home/ShowDocument?id=20729
With benefits including what looks like a car allowance, $206,302 a year.
What can I say? The man sees what he wants to see. Believes what he wants to believe. And thinks he is smarter than us and is always right…. The reality that is facing our city… that is seen and felt by the citizens everyday…. does not even enter into his consciousness. He is in his ivory tower… gazing at his imaginary city…. while the real city crumbles into economic ruin.
WHEN are they REALLY going to plow the streets??
And WHO is going to be the NEW MAYOR, as I heard on WGLT this a.m that Tari says “We NEED bold leadership-blah, blah, blah” So who’s the NEW bold leader?
The emperor wears NO clothes!
It’s fun sending his photos/videos to friends around the country, and the replies I get.. Better then the funnies!! So, WHY take the Pantagraph when you have Tari??
Tari’s rose colored glasses just keep getting darker and darker. His nose keeps getting longer and longer as well.
Somebody should ask if all the new signage will include the reminder to call 9-1-1 in the event of an armed robbery or a murder, since either of those will be Much more likely than a business owner deciding to locate or expand into Bloomington.
Did Taxin’ Tari give us an update on his P-card investigation by the ISP (sorry, I can’t bare to listen to this clip of him droning on about how great he is)? We’ve had murders in this town solved faster than it has taken to get resolution in the mis-use of Tari’s P-card.
No kidding.