By: Diane Benjamin
The good news is: Connect Transit might be out of money by 2023!
The bad news is: Some people in town need transportation.
12 people spoke during Public Comment. Many of them were there because Connect Transit isn’t listening to them. Routes are being eliminated and fares may be going up.
Side note: Obviously Connect isn’t listening when it’s clear the huge buses aren’t needed.
Two Board members of Connect Transit, Ryan Whitehouse and Judy Buchanan, also spoke. Ryan is the one who threw out the 2023 year. Ryan also claimed April ridership was way up. Ryan: It could increase 10% and the buses would still be empty.
Most of the speakers want Bloomington to appoint people to the Board who actually ride the bus. Instead Bloomington is thinking of expanding the Board so more people can be appointed. The “intellectuals” have to stay in place. Council member Jenn Carrillo wants to have a discussion about making the bus free.
Hey Jenn: The Local Sales Tax was increased to subsidize Connect. The people needing transportation have already been hit, CT still doesn’t have enough money. See, socialism never works. Connect budgets around $650,000 a year from fares. Should sales tax be increased again to provide “free rides”?
Judy Buchanan thinks the recently formed “working group” will solve problems.
Bloomington is giving Connect $1,237,375 this year. Normal is giving them $75,158.33 a month ($900,000+ a year). Both are substantially more than former years. A bus system has existed locally since the 1970’s. Does the financial problems in recent years have anything to do with who is running it? (New building, remodeling, endless new buses, solar panels, etc)
Mboka Mwilambwe was appointed Mayor Pro Tem. No one else was considered. See 1:13:25.
Expanding the Enterprise Zone for Brandt Enterprises passed unanimously. It was nice to see Carrillo and Crabill realize giving corporations taxes breaks creates jobs. They did want to know how much the cost would be, nobody could answer that question. The total affect will be impossible to calculate since including the impact of more high paying jobs won’t be measurable. See 59:30 for the entire discussion.
The Council took 15 minutes to approve calling your representatives Council members instead of alderman. It did include a discussion started by Kimberly Bray about how things are supposed to get on the agenda – Council Initiatives. See 1:18:40. Bray made it clear she doesn’t want to see those rules violated in the future. Jenn tried to claim on Facebook this was her idea. The conversation proves other wise:
Position of Power Jenn? Sounds like public servant has no part in what you think your job is. Since Jenn thinks she has “power”, everyone in her Ward should ask her to fix the streets and anything else that needs it.
Just hit play for Public Comment:
An obvious narcissist, Carrillo will not be able to stay out of her own way when it comes to council business. All it will take will be someone to challenge her in public comment and she will totally lose it. She is a ball of uncontrolled emotion ready to blow at any moment. Once her ward figures out she is really working for Illinois People’s Action instead of them, they will be pining for Karen Schmidt or at least someone else. Her ignorance on matters of real city business will not take long to show where she will insert her foot in her mouth sooner rather than later. Using today as another example, she cannot stay off of Facebook using it to brag on herself and grandstand. She will post several stupid things on that forum before it is all over. I wouldn’t be surprised if even at some point Tari has to pull her aside and tell her to cool it if she wants to get re-elected or to not embarrass him. Likely, she will be a one-termer anyway because after a while she will become bored with the business of the city. Once she gets her personal and IPA agendas passed, she will check out and return to the street agitation where the real excitement is.
Perhaps Carillo will be the AOC of the Renner regime to drive him completely off his edge. Keepin’ my fingers crossed, lol.
Maybe former illegal Jenn could ask all the bus drivers and all the employees of Disconnect to donate their time. Then she could ask the riders to donate for the busses and the fuel. Then it really would be free and I wouldn’t have to pay for a service I never use!!!
You know another great democrat once offered free rides on public transit (CTA) for some. Blagojevich another example of democrats at their finest. He lives in Colorado….if we could get Tax’n Tari and Commie Carillo to join hime on a 10 year plan. Give them Bubba and Bertha as roommates.
Connect Transit can’t be fixed…at least not with the current cast of characters in City Hall, the Council, and the various local so-called business and commerce groups. Too many cronies and friends of government feeding at the trough. The usual solutions have already been enacted or proposed – dedicated fee/tax (likely siphoned off for pensions), “working group” (of status quo insiders), asking (or rather, begging) the state and feds for more grant money, and increased marketing to average citizens (that clearly don’t want to ride the bus). Regarding Jenn, she will quickly become a liability for Tari and the establishment. She won’t be able to help herself. I wonder if/how they will manage her. Can’t wait until a citizen dares to question her at a City Council meeting. She clearly does not know how to respond to criticism or otherwise act professionally, especially in the face of a difference of opinion.
Question for the Council members: How many of you ride Connect Transit on a regular basis? Okay, seeing no hands…how about within the last year, not including photo-ops? Okay, seeing no hands…what is/are the reason(s) you don’t ride Connect Transit? [mic drop]
AOC has NOTHING on Jen. As MPEABODY stated above, she’s a cannon WAITING to go off, and it would be funny as heck to see her do it in a council meeting at one of the members OR TARI!! THIS could be the moment we have ALL been waiting for, as when people start to “align” themselves with people they CANNOT control, the resulting “fireworks” tend to blow up in the “stockpile” THIS will be just a matter of time.. As for her”gender identity” thing, well, hope she can wear the pants well..