By: Diane Benjamin
Bills and Payroll: http://www.cityblm.org/Home/ShowDocument?id=21131
The BCPA hasn’t posted an event report since my last FOIA. Transparency isn’t part of their game!
Most artist fees are $5000 or less, not this one. Do I really need to FOIA every report to get them on the website? 
Looks like throwing parties for themselves. The funny part is what account they charge these to: Community Relations (but the community isn’t invited)
Agenda:
http://www.cityblm.org/Home/ShowDocument?id=21135
On the Consent Agenda is a resolution to accept $378,000 from the State to be used for grants to repair houses. This is the second grant. Although nice in theory, it’s redistribution of your wealth. Why would anybody on the west side spend their money to fix their house when eventually they can get free money? If they don’t get picked for Round 1 or Round 2, why not just wait for future rounds? How many votes does this plan buy? How are recipients picked? Are the winners names released?
Also on the Consent Agenda is suspending the business license registration. Below is Tim Gleason’s reason for cancelling, not the real reasons. If you missed this story, a Facebook post by a local lawyer and outrage expressed to Alderman about the process likely had more to do with cancelling it: https://blnnews.com/2019/02/14/bloomington-business-registration-suspended/
Of course there is no reimbursement to the local business owners who already invested a lot of time trying to figure out how to register:
If you have never understood pension spiking, tonight is the night to be educated. Three non-union employees are going to retire, the meeting documentation spells out exactly how much it is going to cost you and how much more each will collect. See PDF page 141:
Three employees will cost you $230,151.
Nancy Nelson will collect $264.79 more per month.
Gabriel Nege will collect $420.62 more per month.
Richard Twait will collect $767.46 more per month.
All 3 simply accrued sick leave and vacation time. The law changed in 2012 because the retirement system (IMRF) couldn’t remain viable paying pensions they never received funding for. It has easily cost taxpayers more than $2 million so far. It will continue to cost you because the City is only changed the policy for new hires. All the City needs to do is change WHEN the payment is made to avoid future expense. Since it isn’t their money, they don’t care what it costs you.
In October 2018 the Council demanded union contracts in the future prevent spiking. There doesn’t appear to be any “leading by example” by non-union personnel. They can still spike, since the numerous union contracts aren’t negotiated every year spiking will continue for years.
The budget and video gaming will be discussed.
You will be told the budget is balanced. Funding road resurfacing was never a priority, so of course it balances. Instead of prioritizing spending by essential services (like roads), City priories get funding. Citizens of Bloomington should be outraged that many roads are so poor they are un-drivable.
Look at every Democrat led state, look at every Democrat led school district, look at every Democrat led pension program. They all are in the same crumbling disrepair. The problem is not the result of the leadership, it is the leadership itself. Until we are able to throw off our crony, insider style of corruption; clothed in progressivism, then we will revisit this again and again and again. We are the problem, because we buy this rubbish and call it governance.
Election fraud. Voter I.D. is most definitely needed with a paper trail.
While it sounds like we agree that Dems/Progressives are worse, cronyism and corruption are not limited to them. We need to pay more attention and fight mis- and mal-feasance no matter who’s in charge!
The only long-term solution is the reduction of government. Any time you have a pool of other people’s money available, or the power to pick winners in the private marketplace, you will always attract bad actors. With minimum money available and minimum power to wield, the only people who will be interested in so-called ‘public service’ will be those interested in Actual public service.
Hi Diane, Hope you’re doing well. Just wanted to weigh in on the part about the housing grants. While I agree that it is a “redistribution of wealth”, as far as any program that does, this is by far one of the better ones. I have known several people who have benefitted from this type of grant. They don’t go to slackers. (And it’s not money that they can spend on other things like drugs, booze, etc.) By nature, it first has to of course be someone who owns a home (not deadbeats on welfare). Someone who meets certain credit criteria, etc. It essentially does help to direct the money to people are generally responsible and hard working (akin to Habitat) but low income (often referred to as the “working poor”). What I know (from my PoliSci education and other reading) is that helping responsible people fix up there homes in poorer neighborhoods actually does “lift” the neighborhood, as well as helping low income people who are actually working hard to make it. Just wanted to weigh in. Have a great day! Lane
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I’m sure it does help some. It doesn’t help all. Like I stated, why fix your house if you might get free money in a year or two?
So where is this money from the State of Illinois coming from? One, the state is millions in debt and two if the monies come from the taxpayers then where is my share?
Renner and the Council are feeling the heat from business owners. I’m sure they’re getting calls and inquiries via Facebook and other communication mediums. The statement of allowing the Council to revisit whether the $50 fee is necessary or should be eliminated suggests that the fee is going away. (By the way, they used “and” not “or”) Why else would they mention this in such specifics and put themselves out there? It’s likely the fee will go away but the paperwork will be resurrected. Perhaps, a late filing fee will be the compromise. Renner wants the data, that’s where the real money is. Can’t wait til Jenn and these other nutjobs add their own questions to the business registration form. Don’t think it won’t happen…just wait.
They seem to think they need it for economic development. Gee, they all got letters so they already know who exists. It’s a bout a lot more than they are willing to say.
” Can’t wait til Jenn and these other nutjobs add their own questions to the business registration form. Don’t think it won’t happen…just wait.” So true….but I still got a good laugh out of it.
Can you imagine a “Crazy Jenn” question?: “List by name, age, and date of employment how many transvestite illegal aliens that you employ?”
It sounds crazy, Maggie, but that’s where it’s going. The Left in BN will use the data to justify government programs, give outs to the politically-preferred, and punishment to those that aren’t in lockstep with their ideology. It’s scary.
AFSCME local 699’s contract is due to expire this may along with I believe water and a few others
What’s the stock abbreviation for MARCOS PIZZA? I want to buy a few hundred shares..
since i’m a taxpayer and are paying for the pizza parties, WHERE’S MINE?
So the business registration is on hold till the Tech committee gets done with it? In other words, Jamie Mathy who is a techy business owner is going to be the company they use to fix this? If so, the taxpayers will pay him as a Council Member/Committee head and pay him as a business to fix the business registration. You can bet they wont be opening the job up for bids to other contractors.
I don’t see him getting paid. The programming already created wasn’t what the council thought they passed. It needs simplified.