By: Diane Benjamin
If the rules issued by Gov. Pritzker don’t apply to City of Bloomington employees, they don’t apply to you either.
This pic is from the birthday boy’s mom’s Facebook page – it is only to prove a City employee is involved:
Does this look like 6 feet away?
Yes folks, there is one set of rules for us and government can doing whatever they want. Does this look like essential travel only? If the virus keeps spreading locally, should the City of Bloomington be blamed?
Somebody forgot to tell us the quarantine is over!
Previous stories – in order:
https://blnnews.com/2020/03/30/illegal-parade-yesterday/
https://blnnews.com/2020/03/31/gleason-response-to-parade/
https://blnnews.com/2020/03/31/i-expect-apologies-the-kid-isnt-even-sick/
https://blnnews.com/2020/04/01/to-save-face-bloomington-calls-in-the-media/
This was a nice gesture that went wrong. It started as an arguably minor misuse of public funds then turned into it an obvious health hazard. (Unless all in the picture were sheltering in the same home.) One has to wonder if the child ends up with Corona could the City be financially liable?
We are so tired of government not having to abide by the same rules they make us. I.e. health care, pensions, living within means, social distancing, etc. The parade is just another reminder of this fact. It is less the fault of the garbage man. This is the culture created by his politician and government administrator bosses. They have led by poor example for years.
Bloomington should just say sorry this happened, thank you for pointing this out, then move on. Unfortunately Bloomington and Normal have a history of being unable to admit and fix mistakes. Think Colosseum, Uptown, Connect Transit and Hales.
Well said!
Amen !
Don’t be rediculous! It was a sweet gesture that certainly brightened the day if this little one as well as the giver! In these days of uncertainty, kindness should spread a trillion times faster than this “thing”!!
It is ridiculous for government to use tax dollars for one kid. Charity isn’t taking money from everybody and picking who to give it to. They are taking responsibility away from the people who should be doing it, us.
You rock. I don’t know how you do it!
Interesting WGLT runs a story about Bloomington Public Works only handling essential tasks:
https://www.wglt.org/post/b-n-public-works-limited-essential-work-prep-covid-19-0
Apparently parades at the taxpayer expense are essential but not other work. It would be so easy to issue an apology, say they screwed up, and that appropriate disciplinary measures have been administered.
Instead they did another parade! Looks like only one emergency vehicle this time, check out the paper on line.
But my street doesn’t get plowed til three days later if at all sometimes. Salted,,,hahahaha! Leaves don’t get picked up. Weeds are not attended too. No resources for what taxpayers that pay taxes for but obviously they’ve got time on their hands to play.
Why does the coronavirus virus numbers never exceed a 2% mortality rate? Internationally the rate does not exceed 5%. In 2017 the CDC and WHO said a severe pandemic would have to have a 10% mortality rate What is going on?
This journalists story seem to make nothing out of something. People build relationship with these essentials employees, the fact he had a gift they knew each other on a personal level. A hi and bye is still social distancing. Please share the positive in this story.
Most people KNOW government wasn’t formed to pick winners and losers. Obviously you think it’s fine.
I would bet that you are in complete support of the dozens of city parties, food, drinks and gifts that help People Build Relationships paid for with my tax money, while the road I have to drive on every day (Hershey) looks like it was recently bombed?
Here is a positive story that I would like to see, Brittney: City’s surplus being funneled into more street resurfacing!
They have tons of money for streets! .08 per gallon tax. How about refunding what they stole?
Yall got to much time on your hands get a job
Maybe we have jobs!
Right…. Perhaps you should allocate some more time from your busy schedule to put together a comment that is in some way meaningful and adds to the conversation here? That would be nice…
They look about as worried being around each other as everyone flocking to still get fast food & pizza. Not knowing who those people are making it & if they are sick or not. Sorry fast food doesnt seem essential. Those workers all stand side by side everyday if one gets sick many do
Not to rain on this parade (pun intended)..it was a nice gesture….but a waste of money and against quarantine recommendations. However, why this one particular child ? There are sick children I am sure all over the city and in the hospital. Where is their parades ? What about the abused children ? ( I support the G.O.C.’s ) Where’s their parade ? The city needs to admit this was not a great idea and apologize for the unnecessary waste of taxpayers money.and go back to raising taxes to not resurface city streets. Oh yeah I said Not Resurface. This was promised over 10 years ago with an additional gas tax and hardly any streets were resurfaced. Sound familiar? The high taxes and government’s unfulfilled promises were part of the reason why I moved to Missouri.
More will get done this year because there is an election next year!
In a time of crisis, it’s great to see that we can all pull together to hate on a kid and something that made him happy.
Nice to see you can’t see the city is blamed, not the kid
Please get a life asap. There’s other things to write about, how about how the community has been great in getting us through this crisis. What a terrible use of your platform…
Note to readers: this is why Illinois corrupt. It’s citizens don’t care.
Diane Benjamin, Do you seriously not have anything more productive you can do with your time then criticize the people in this photo?
Did you actually take the time to talk to these people and find out what was going on?
Just as another reader posted on here I am looking at this photo and see someone that happens to be a city employee handing a toy to a child. Possibly a random act of kindness and generosity.
He could also be a family member of theirs who lives with them and is on his break from work and dropping that gift off?
Are we to assume that is not a possibillity as well because he has a different skin color or racial background?
If you feel the local or state goverment is not meeting your expectations you are free to go live in another state and see if that works better for you. Or maybe you would be a lot happier in another country, that is an option as well and I doubt you will be missed.
Thanks for clarify why Illinois is corrupt. Edicts to stay home and 6 feet away are immaterial if government says they are. Rules for them and different rules for everybody else.
Dear T.L.Scanlon,
Perhaps (for your own mental health) you should read only news that the Pantagraph writes and listen to WGLT?
These publications will tell you what other people want you to here and they will omit news that the “other people” don’t want you to read or hear.
Diane has the guts to tell the truth about everything… even if it involves a child and a black person.
You see.. T.L. this story is NOT about the child or the black guy or the spirit of helping a child.
It is about this:
The lack of transparency that both city governments have that manifests itself in events like this or under the table gifts of bicycles to political operatives.
The spending of tax dollars for perks for city employees. Whether it is parties or gifts or any number of perks (handouts) given to both cities’ employees, they spend taxpayer money like drunken sailors.
The very real divide between those on the inside (city employees, local crony capitalists or liberal elites) that there a rules (and money) for those who support or play both governments’ game and cover ups, deceit, lies and obfuscation for those who don’t.
So T.L. – maybe take your fake outrage and you lack of understanding about what is happening here somewhere else?
We adults have this under control.
Sincerely,
Trouble 2 (your worst nightmare in an argument about anything you think you know anything about)
PS Do something productive today T.L…. Diane is and so am I.
Trouble2, You call sitting around and constantly complaining about the local government and how they spend “your” money “Doing something productive”?
My worst nightmare? Oh, yes I’m sure that’s the case.
I have no fear of someone that is too much of a coward to post on here hiding their identity behind a fake profile name and proclaiming their supposed superior intelligence.
Although you are likely fairly safe from virus exposure out in Ellsworth or whatever other country bumkin area you dwell in. You are still free to have sex with your relatives with minimal risk of exposure and hold your Klan meetings as those fancy white hoods you have are likely as effective at virus protection as an N95 mask.
Perhaps your time would be better spent volunteering to help your community in a time of need instead of complaining about it.
Personal attacks always work to make you the problem. Maybe he’s a local business owner who knows “violations” would be coming his way if he used his real name! If you aren’t here for a conversation all future comments will be deleted.
Not everyone can nor should be a cheerleader for government. South Korea and China expect all of their citizens to be cheerleaders. Should the US go that route? Why is it so wrong for some of us taxpayers to want government to be accountable for how they spend the money they take from us? We complain about the roads and they don’t fix those, unless they are in Uppity Town. It would be nice if one the blind faith government cheerleader types would give us a list of what we can hold government accountable for and what we cannot.
Cry me a river. Are we really blaming the city of Bloomington for not following rules. When all I have seen since the orders been in place is the total opposite from everybody. Every time you step into an essential business and walk up to the checkout line, you are not essentially 6 feet apart. I seen people BBQ, hanging with friends at parks, you name it. I think we could take this energy and put it into something way more important. Cause I can bet my dollars if none of this Covid19 was going on and someone seen this he would of made the paper saying total opposite. Headline would of been blm/normal going above and beyond for child on his route or something of that nature.
Wrong again. I’ve called out government many time for things like sending flowers with tax money to sick people or for a funeral. That shows they don’t really care, if they did they would use their own money.
Please read my comment to TL Scanlon –
Love God, love others. Please use your energy to do something helpful and positive, you will be happier and there are many people that need help in one way or another.
Be safe.
You need to to see the upcoming story. Government loves the informed, they really love the people who refuse to be informed. By the way, I couldn’t be any happier if I tried, I know where true happiness comes from. It is knowing where I’m going when I die.
And use your energy to find out the truth?
And use your energy to hold your government accountable?
I refuse to be docile (I have been that way my whole life)
I refuse to look the other way
I have always fought for the little guy or the disadvantaged (which sometimes hurt me)
First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a socialist.
Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a trade unionist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.
Pastor Martin Niemöller (Germany 1946)
All this back and forth from both perspectives shows more people read Diane’s site than what people realize. It is not just the right or left reading it.
Some may criticize her and call her just a “blogger”. But what she writes is relevant. She cites references, she does research, she has photos.
Thank you to all the far “lefties“ and RHINOS for reading and commenting on her site. This all helps justify why we have a representative government and not a one person rules all government. (This of course does not currently apply in Normal where the council gave Koos and Pam dictatorial powers.)
OK Diane,
So… posting something like (your worst nightmare in anything you think you know and anything you think you know anything about) isn’t starting a personal attack?
I unfortunately came to this “site” because a headline popped up on my phone stating “The Quarantine is Over in BN”. Wondering what in the world that headline was about I decided to read it only to find a nonsensical story attacking a nice gesture between a goverment employee and local citizens.
You can choose to block my future comments because you say they are personnal attacks or I am not here for conversation. It is more likely that you would be blocking them because they don’t fit you agenda and you and your cronies can’t defend yourselves against some of you underlying hatred of your local government and others.
I don’t need you to tell me there is too many pot holes in our roads or that we didn’t need to build the collesium. I as well as most others am more than capable of figuring that out on my own.
You can keep telling yourself and your sheep that you are a perfectly happy person and you are spending your time on here to expose corruption, create awareness or whatever.
Your time would be better spent helping your community and not complaining about it.
Your site is full of a lot of garbage. You are likely quite a miserable person, hiding behind this site when your time can be spent doing something way more productive.
So block comments all you wish. I won’t be back on here. This site and your rants are a waste of time.
Since you have no idea what I do when I’m not writing, don’t assume you know anything about me.
Mind reading is one of the things that leftists seem to specialize in now days. The leftist media is always doing stories on what President Trump is thinking, what he was thinking and what he might be thinking. Since in appears that T. L. is getting most of his information from the mainstream echo chamber, he thinks he can read your mind and tell everything about you because you write stories he disapproves of.
Note: to T.L.:
Don’t judge when you really don’t know because you never REALLY know who you are talking to or the depth of their knowledge and experience.
Wow… I really got to you…! You socialist elites are just so easy to rattle (especially with the truth).
This is for you since it appears that you would be the engineer keeping the trains running on time to the camps:
First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a socialist.
Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a trade unionist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.
Pastor Martin Niemöller (Germany 1946)
Please come back T.L! I miss you already….
P.S. It really sucks to have people actually challenge you doesn’t it?