By: Diane Benjamin
Previous stories:
https://blnnews.com/2020/03/30/illegal-parade-yesterday/
https://blnnews.com/2020/03/31/gleason-response-to-parade/
The 4 year old kid that got his own City parade isn’t even sick.
Colleen Winterland, Street Supervisor (base salary $75,499.58) is buddies with the kids mom. Yes folks, government is all about WHO you know. This proves it is Us vrs. Them.
The mom, Melisa Menssen, tried to contact me yesterday over Facebook Messenger, I didn’t answer her. Today she left this message on Facebook. I verified her name with a current City employee. Yes there are a handful of City of Bloomington employees who care about your money. (only a small handful)
She also posted this to Facebook:
I am now accepting apologies from all the haters.
Feel stupid yet?
(Should I post all the hate filled comments I didn’t approve?)
If throwing a parade for a 4 year boy during a quarantine with your tax dollars is okay, think the City isn’t throwing away lots of your money?
Are your kids bored or can’t go out to celebrate a birthday? Request a parade!
City Manger Tim Gleason hasn’t answered my latest email.
This happened in Scott Black’s Ward. Ask him if he is okay with this abuse of taxpayers!
If Bloomington taxpayers aren’t mad yet, what does it take?
Spencer got his break from reality. You paid for it.
Please provide contact info on who we contact for a parade. My dog would love it.
City of Bloomington Fire and Public Works should not have participated in a private event for a birthday party. End of Story.
There is no concept of right and wrong. It doesn’t matter what is going on in the world – every day is filled with good and bad. This person’s birthday is no different.
It was wrong..yes. but as far as expenses to taxpayers, no city employee was paid. How much gas did they use? Not much I would say. I don’t see that as an issue here. It was just wrong to do it.
But the issue is that if they are willing to use their position of power and reach to do something like an illegal parade what other illegal things would they do or have done. They say the city employees weren’t paid so were they forced to participate and drive on a Sunday because they were afraid of the repercussions of not doing what they were told? Fuel for one vehicle might not be much but fuel for 10+ vehicles would add up fast. More importantly the city replaces vehicle’s by mileage so as a taxpayer any unnecessary miles would be ideal.
Yes you should post the haters, just to remind us of the mentality of the “them” part of society. Did Gleason lie or know this kid was not sick? If not what is his response now? The parade also could have been just as effective with personal vehicles and signs.
Had the kid actually been sick, it could be something where you shrug your shoulders and move on because the total cost is a few dollars in gas. There are bigger battles to fight. But a parade for a typical birthday is really ridiculous.
Fuel for one vehicle might not be much but fuel for 10 vehicles would add up fast and since the city replaces vehicle’s by mileage as a taxpayer you should want no unnecessary miles on those vehicles. But like I commented above if they are willing to use their position of power and reach to do something like an illegal parade what other illegal things would they or have they done?
It was a nice gesture and it was wrong. What people are missing is all of these “small” unnecessary/wasteful expenses add up over a year. I doubt this was the only time this has happened.
“Watch the pennies and the dollars will take care of themselves”
Bad optics on the part of the City. Yes, marginal cost, but a cost just the same. On top of which, City employees actively participated in disobeying state orders that might have resulted in a fine or imprisonment were it private citizens organizing a public gathering. Lead by example, City of Bloomington.
Yep, I seem to remember quite a few St. Pat’s day parades that were cancelled….Obviously not of the same scale but….
Hey, it’s a big family and you are not invited to the events they put on for their family members. What is amazing is that no one in the family thought about the impropriety of using city vehicles, employees and gas to entertain an employee’s child? It is almost like the family members are detached from or oblivious to the world that us “regular” people live in?
So disappointing, but not unexpected, when the money/time you spend — to demonstrate your personal generosity — is not even your own. =(
So you want apologies from people whom you didn’t allow them post their comments. Yeah sure. After you milked this story for over two days. You certainly have weird priorities. Today more people died from COV-19 in this country than on 9/11. Perhaps you can post more irrelevant stories.
Are doctors using the 2 drugs that work? Every trial shows 100% recovery.
So those drugs are suppose to bring back the 3,873 dead to date in this country. O. K. talk about magical thinking.
I don’t know what “trial” you’re even quoting with a 100% recovery. My source is the CDC. You can look up death statistics anywhere someone isn’t burying their heads in the sand.
Bring back? How about stop people from dying.
Really? More today from Wuhan Virus than 9/11? Cite your source.
Dear Meg,
Really?
So this story and transparency of government bothers you? (Are you OK?)
Milked the story? (how?)
Weird priorities? (this sounds like projection)
Irrelevant stories (only to you and people like you)
More people died from COV-19 in this country than on 9/11 (the same can be said for hammer related deaths)
Sincerely,
Trouble 2 (the smart and well informed grandfather you never had and obviously needed)
Meg Baker – I certainly hope you are not implying the Corona virus is worse than the countless atrocities committed by terrorism or even governments on their own people. This small parade confirms that connected people get preferential treatment. My God, look at the Dave Shields story, same preferential treatment, just more money involved. I suggest you stick with reading the self-righteous WGLT view of the world. Man can not control Mother Nature. We can point out flaws and expect better of our fellow man.
Your comment makes no sense.
But I talk to myself with multiple aliases. You’re the only site that let’s me do that. So sorry.
And no matter what that certainly beats what your doing. Denying science, and denying that a pandemic virus can’t touch you. I wonder if and when the virus starts taking out your friends and family what exactly you’re going to do. It certainly puts into perspective your petty grievances put forth daily on this blog. Yes today COV-19 claimed more people than died on 9/11. Trump today had to finally admit that between 100,000 to 240,000 people may die from the virus. Again, bury you head in the sand, keep on insisting that this is a hoax. Go on bloviating about wars being worst etc. How this “parade” is somehow relevant.You blog will still be about news that nobody wants.
You are done regina, I’ve never called it a hoax. Go back to la la land!
The only claim of a hoax here would be about you. Obviously it is a hoax if you think you possess an IQ greater than 50. Regina/Meg
Wasn’t a water department director fired for having workers helping him move on the taxpayers dime? Let’s be consistent. Someone needs to go.
I don’t think I’ve heard that one
This is a systemic issue. I know Colleen she is a nice person. She has been a bartender, the mother of this child is a bartender. (likely out of work)I believe the intentions were good. Good intentions pave the road to hell. It was wrong. We can do better. This type of taxpayer money abuse just can’t happen. It just can’t. Next time a City Employee is feeling generous. Please use your own time, your own money, and your own equipment. Stop ✋ paving roads to hell and start paving roads in our city. I am happy for this little boy and glad he had that experience, However if you drive by the plasma center about 8:30 or 9 pm you’ll see individuals sleeping on the concrete ground. Perhaps the city resources could be better used to care for these folks.
If you block or don’t approve comments you are just as bad as any other media. Biased and only posting what you want. Hypocrisy at its finest.
Comments I block contain personal attacks. Want a comment posted be civil!
Dear DB IS FAKe NEWS,
Really?
Perhaps you should start doing citizen journalism and publish it like Diane does?
That would allow you to do what you want, right?
You see… Diane writes and publishes this… so she can do what she wants. Just like you could do what you want if you wrote and published something.
It is called Freedom of Expression and I think it is in our Bill of Rights?
And if you are suggesting that Diane should allow trolls to post hate filled Trump Derangement Syndrome BS and personal attacks on her or on people commenting in the threads, you need to leave this site for your own mental health reasons.
Sincerely,
Trouble 2 (your worst nightmare in a debate about any subject)
Miss Diane
I will start by saying I don’t agree with you, however everyone is entitled to their opinion. I would like to know though if you are expecting a stimulus check from the government during these trying times? If yes, you do realize that everyone will not be getting one, don’t you? Are you ready to get your feathers ruffled for this? My point is, you are exhausting yourself on what was a happy and innocent event for a CHILD. So Miss Diane, I would think your time could be better spent on more important issues then simply acting like a CHILD yourself.
PS This was a 5-10 minute drive by at best NOT a parade and YES I was there!
I’m sure it was great. It was also theft of tax dollars. The vehicles didn’t drive there and back in 5-10 minutes!
Miss Diane
Why am I paying taxes on my wages? Then paying sales tax to spend my money. Then paying income taxes on money that they are already taxed and paying property taxes after I already paid sales taxes on said property?
So with all the time on your hands maybe you could explain this to me and then we’ll get back to your “theft of tax” issue. PS I’ll take that as a yes that you’ll be cashing your stimulus check. Proud to be an American🇺🇸
You’re paying those taxes for private parades for a birthday party! Happy?
Wow Miss Diane
I didn’t expect such a clever response -🤷🏻♀️- as much as I’m enjoying this bantering with you even being quarantined doesn’t make me bored enough to waste anymore of my time, because, unlike you, I feel there are more important things to be worried about. As I’ve always said “be good or be good at it!” I’m gonna choose to be good, I think we all know what you choose to be. PS I live in Normal but totally irrelevant LOL (I’m sure you’ll have plenty to say about that one🤣)
If you read those stories you would know!
“I didn’t expect such a clever response” Really?
You have: “More important things to worry about?” (Please tell us what you are doing that is more important than a citizen journalist who works her a$$ off everyday to tell the people the truth?)
“unlike you, I feel there are more important things to be worried about”
Here are some things that you can worry about if you like Christy:
1. You are in an area, with 2 main economic drivers that art both currently being disrupted, making the near economic future of this area very much in question.
2. Our area has shown NO economic growth during the national economic boom making it extremely vulnerable to the current downturn and its after effects.
3. We have leadership that has NO idea how to lead, be transparent, spend tax money wisely or provide a business environment that will grow our economy.
4. We have a lapdog media that NEVER questions our leadership and does NO investigative journalism at all.
Yes, Christy… all of the above and more have been written about by Diane and discussed by the residents who follow this site.
Let us know what important things you are doing to help make Bloomington-Normal a place that will provide good jobs and good lives in the future.
Diane is already doing her part.
What are you doing Christy?
Evidently violating the shelter in place order since she admits she was at the party!
Well “TROUBLE2”, by the way, how fitting. I will respond only once to your overly winded comment. I am working daily processing income taxes so people staying home and safe (presumably you) can receive tax refunds and stimulus checks. I am processing payroll checks for essential employees so families can still buy daily necessities. I am processing applications for businesses so when businesses are allowed to reopen they are properly prepared to.
A round of applause for Diane writing some articles while myself and others are actually making a concrete contribution to this community. I think I’ve answered your question, now please stop wasting my time!
Don’t forget, you violated the shelter in place orders too
Diane
You already made your comment clear. You can also stop wasting my time. Write another article bringing down the good in humanity while I go write a paycheck!
Wonderful Christy…. best not to denigrate without cause. Keep up the good work and remember that a free press is a vital part of our democracy. BLNNews is a perfect example of what is happening all across the planet as citizen journalists tell us the truth. If you don’t like it… listen to WGLT or read the Pantagraph. They will tell you what others want you to hear. Diane and people like me will tell you the truth.
Outstanding bit of news here. This “micro” parade of government vehicles for a childs bday party, while there is a social distancing directive due to a deadly pandemic, is a clear indication that this city official is corrupt, feels she is above the law and cares nothing for society. #FireHer
Who gives a flying f**k?? Where was your outrage when the Town of Normal spent MILLIONS on projects that have never been used/paid for themselves? I call BS!