By: Diane Benjamin
The petition against the gas tax now has over 500 signers. Signing a petition does little – making them vote while staring you in the face does!
The Bloomington City Council meeting starts at 6:00. Since the meetings rarely start at 6:00 and Tari has two police officers that have passed probation, some other agenda items first, the vote will not take place until after 6:30.
The HUGE question is which aldermen will not show up tonight? Which ones don’t want to be on record voting to steal more of your money? 9 members vote, if one is absent and the vote is 4-4, Taxing Tari gets to break the tie. He will vote YES. Is the fix in?
Taxing Tim Gleason did the same thing when he was City Manager in Decatur. The only difference is their tax on gas is .05 and diesel is only .01. Bloomington wants to tax both at .08. They must want to see semi’s drive on by Bloomington! He also mentioned a sunset – see the 2016 story here, the Decatur roads are still awful just like Bloomington’s after the first Motor Fuel Tax and Sales Tax increased passed: https://herald-review.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/decatur-city-council-oks–cent-gas-tax/article_aabc821a-b112-50de-a417-ec483361d749.html
Keep in mind citizens now have to pay the entire cost of garbage service when the taxes they already paid used to cover the cost.
Ditto that for Water, Sewer, and Storm Water.
The Coliseum doesn’t have to break even.
The BCPA doesn’t have to break even.
The City decided the only money they can spend on roads is from additional taxes. (Except paying back the money they borrowed for roads after decades of not spending anywhere near enough)
Below are some of the comments left on the petition: Sign the petition
If you want to address the Council in person, show up before 6:00 and sign up to speak.
Suggestion. Before this Council goes off half loaded, why don’t they ask all those Truck Stops and Truck Convenience Centers, on the West side what an additional .08 on Diesel will do to help INCREASE their business?
It’s an additional .04
They knew what the answer would be. By doing so, the Council would invite a bigger backlash against the tax.
NOTHING short of total destruction of this community out of this council would surprise me anymore.
You can bet that businesses that used to deliver for “free” will no longer will be doing that. You will pay a fee for that free delivery. You can bet the next time you need a service call on your plumbing/electrical/ or just your dishwasher you will be charged a fee for the gas And when you have to pony up more of your money at the gas station be sure to remember which City Council members are responsible for it and vote em out of office!