By: Diane Benjamin
It could take a long time to report everything I received with a FOIA of emails between Stan Nord and Normal City Manager Pam Reece. One thing obvious is she doesn’t approve of Stan looking at what she and the “professional staff” do. Pam thinks Stan’s job is setting policy, not looking at day-to-day operations.
That’s funny because the “professional staff” prepares documents for the Council to rubber-stamp. Mayor Koos thinks bills were already approved when the budget was passed and therefore don’t need to be discussed. Where does the Council set policy? With an already prepared budget to rubber-stamp?
Nothing proves your election representatives are immaterial more than this:
I bet NOTHING scares Pam Reece more than Marc Tiritilli becoming the next mayor!
Let’s start with ever failing Connect Transit!
It’s obvious the Board, appointed by the mayors, is doing the bidding of those mayors and paying no attention to citizens. The mission of Connect is not to serve people who have no other choice in transportation, they want to force everyone to ride their huge buses. They won’t give up on that goal and therefore the only hope for change is throwing out the mayors.
Start with this email from a citizen – the Town knew about the problems with the VA clinic in June and did nothing, two CT employees were copied on this email:
Stan Nord sent an email to Pam because various location were asking him why they don’t have a bus stop. See the list in Pam’s reply – it’s all places that should be served. Of course Pam jumps to tax increases:
This was also a response from Pam about adding routes:
Connect Transit is not responsive to citizens, the Town of Normal steals your money to fund them, but your elected representative isn’t suppose to care. Brilliant Pam.
In a much longer email Pam extols the great things Connect does and attempts to get Stan to be more positive. “Best Practices” is code for sit-down-shut-up we know what we are doing.
Below is a complete discussion starting with an email from Stan to Pam. Following is her response:
Pam is on the Connect Transit Board. So is Bloomington’s City Manager Tim Gleason. Pam thinks Stan should take concerns to Isaac Thorne, the General Manager of Connect Transit. As of June 12th she was still clueless about citizens being ignored by Thorne and the Board.
They operate by “best practices”.
The “working group” is a joke as proven by Board Member Julie Hile’s son being included.
Sit down and Shut Up will only be replaced with For and By the People when voters elect people who believe that is what government is supposed to be.
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So Pam believes she is the ruler? She doesn’t understand she works for the citizens which Stan and Karyn represent? Perhaps when the new Mayor and Council get elected next cycle the first agenda item should be to fire her.
Reece shows what is wrong with the government in general. The people elected Nord in hopes of getting someone to represent them in city matters especially when not handled to their satisfaction. Nord is also part of a council that has been trusted by the public to reflect their desires and to serve the public by doing what they can to achieve their wishes. Reece is expected to do as the council determines and as such works for them In any boss/worker relationship the boss always has the right to do as needed to reach those goals. When a boss sees the that those (Nord) serves are not being handled by the employee (Reece) a course of action has to be taken. First do whatever is needed to solve the problem. Then second remove those who have forgotten they are to serve the public not ignore as noted has happened. If Marc is the next mayor may he serve those people by asking people with attitudes as she has displayed for their resignation, if not given fire them. The government is supposed to work for us not the other way around.
I don’t think her or Koos know that.
The procedures and best practices Pam describes are completely reasonable when one is dealing with a responsive, well-functioning local government. Stan was elected by a landslide precisely because we Do Not have a responsive, well-functioning local government. In that context, Stan is doing Exactly what elected officials should be doing – providing needed oversight to the procedures and filling in the broken steps of the best practices until we Do have a responsive, well-functioning government.
Thank you Stan and Karyn, keep up the good work!
Stan is a new element that the officials have never had to deal with. They are used to tax and SPEND. Never have they had to deal with a console member that found ways to REDUCE spending! Stan is a good problem for the taxpayers.
STAN NORD FOR MAYOR!!
It makes me happy to see Stan “stir the pot”. Reese is trying to put him in his place to no avail. I am impressed that he hit the ground running.
I’ll admit I DID NOT read ALL this BS, as I believe that IF a person has spent time SERVING OUR COUNTRY, I don’t care if they live in KICKSTUMP, they SHOULD have bus service OR an available ride program!
These are PEOPLE (yes Jen and Tari & Koos, etc. REAL LIVE PEOPLE) who have done a SERVICE to OUR country and TAKEN ORDERS -whether they agreed or not (unlike our local politicians) and IF they served in a foreign conflict, then they SHOULD have a PRIORITY to get assistance in transportation!! Pam Reese, etc. or NOT! Let alone ANY of the CT “leadership” so to speak.
This REALLY speaks VOLUMES about the RESPECT that these people have for CUSTOMERS and VETERANS of the company they work FOR and NOT RUN!!
WE AS TAXPAYERS RUN IT, FUND IT, AND SHOULD HAVE THE FINAL SAY SO!!
HOW the heck can these “people be SO DAMN ARROGANT???
Time for ANOTHER tea party!
Read the rest of them, more than Connect Transit
As a short term resident of Normal, who is now moving back to Bloomington next week, I’ve had it with the clowns in this Town. I hope Stan sends her into fits of rage GO STAN! I know one thing for sure. Our idiots in Bloomington, not including the Mayors or City Managers, they are far worse than all the idiots put together, but Bloomington’s idiot’s are a bit smarter than Normals idiots. I’ll explain further, but I need Stan Nord to contact me at [email protected] before I disclose why, and in my book it’s a doozie!
We know what Mark T would do to shake up the status quo, can you imagine what would happen if Stan Nord ran as well against Koos?
Only need one – Marc is ready.