By: Diane Benjamin
Watch the Pledge of Allegiance at 1:55:00. The only part where Jenn’s lips move is “Liberty and Justice for All”. She obviously has no clue where liberty comes from, she must think government grants freedom, of course government must also give justice for her hommies too.
Two years ago I did a story that showed the massive budget increases since Tari Renner became Mayor: Budget History
The 2014 Budget Tari inherited was $169,633,232.
Last night the Council passed a budget totaling $230,300,000.
The City wants to spend $60,000,000 more than it did just a few years ago.
That isn’t inflation! The vote to spend this much was unanimous. The current budget is $227,542,262.
No one signed up for Public Comment, the citizens have said very little about this budget. Maybe they know it wouldn’t have mattered anyway. Renner isn’t just taking $60M more now, it’s millions more EVERY year to get to the current $60M.
See 3:30 – Renner makes some inside joke. If anyone knows what it meant, let me know.
Are your roads great? What did the citizens get for the massive spending increases? Employee raises, benefits, Sick Leave Buy Back, pension funding, and addition to the jail, Connect Transit, anything essential like roads better than poor?
Public Works is already planning on cutting $1,000,000 from Asphalt and Concrete because streets can only be fixed with Motor Fuel Taxes and those taxes aren’t materializing while we are locked in our homes. See 7:20
15:20 – Scott Black thanked everyone for the smooth process.
17:40 – Tari claims prudent financial management has the city in good shape.
18:35 – Donna Boelen wants citizens to know the budget is hope, if the money doesn’t come in projects won’t get done.
If you have ever watched a Normal Town Council meeting, you know questioning spending isn’t allowed because “it’s in the budget”. So far Normal has said NOTHING about receiving less revenue other than they are keeping track of COVID expenses in hope of the Feds will shower them with money. I wonder if they heard Mitch McConnell say states aren’t getting bailed out – they should file bankruptcy.
23:10 – Jamie Mathy stated Bloomington is among the top 10 employers in the city. Cuts to City staff can not be done because it would create a ripple through the local economy. Tari followed claiming not a City on the planet is cutting staff for the same reason. At 24:45 Julie Emig agreed.
Point of Order guys: The salaries paid by the City can not be obtained in the private sector. Yes it would cause a ripple to layoff personnel or downsize government. It would also allow people to keep more of their own money instead of dumping it into the City coffers. An economy based on government spending is a false economy. It only survives by stealing more from citizens. The statements made by both Mathy and Renner prove they think government solves problems when in reality government creates more problems than it solves. The $60 million more stolen from citizens proves it. Utopia by government is nowhere in sight.
30:25 – City Manager Tim Gleason made a comment about needing a haircut, Tari couldn’t resist taking a jab at the President.
The Fireworks started at 32:25 when Kim Bray made a motion to adjourn and Mboka Mwilambwe seconded it. Tari lost control of the meeting from here. I wrote about it last night. https://blnnews.com/2020/04/22/fireworks-spending-230-million-wasnt-a-problem-though/
If you are locked in your home it’s must see TV.
Sides are being picked: Socialists vrs the others. Jamie Mathy and Scott Black haven’t picked a side yet, both are attempting to play all sides. If Jenn thinks government gives justice she should have voted against the budget and insisted on lowering taxes so her buddies kept more of their own money. She didn’t, she wants your money given to them after the government launders it instead. (her fake version of justice)
Diane, Do you have a private email?
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[email protected]
Perfect time for Tari and his cronies to pass a massive budget, while folks are distracted with work, home life, and health concerns. Now would be the time to cut the budget since we all know that revenues are going to fall like a rock. Of course, when reality strikes, Tari and company won’t touch government worker headcount, pension spiking, or pet projects. It will be roads and infrastructure with a side of tax and fee increases. Not sureTari is aware, but government salaries and other spending can’t happen without a strong private sector.
If these people would look outside their bubble they would see other municipalities taking action to reduce staffing costs.
https://week.com/2020/04/14/peoria-park-district-furloughs-employees/
https://www.cnbc.com/amp/2020/04/22/coronavirus-relief-bill-layoffs-coming-to-state-local-governments.html
https://pamplinmedia.com/pt/9-news/458965-373650-metro-cutting-40-of-workforce-because-of-covid-19-revenue-cuts
Do a google search and find a ton of municipalities reducing employee costs. I would let the bloated government positions remain if they would give up their golden pension plans for a 401k plan. I wouldn’t hold my breath on that happening.
Tari takes orders from the US Conference of Mayors instead of reality.
Mr. Renner is mistaken about no cities cutting staff. The top story right this minute on Foxnews.com is how state and local governments are expecting layoffs as revenues plummet.
ABSOLUTELY CLUELESS! Sorry about all the caps. Just trying to shout from the roof tops so that the wanna-be-kings of B-N hear my comment.
Michigan laying off 2,900 government employees…B/N officials are out of touch with reality. The bloat should have been shed long ago.
https://amp.lansingstatejournal.com/amp/3003401001
If you read the article posted: “The affected state employees will join more than 1 million Michigan residents who have filed for unemployment since the first case of COVID-19 was identified in Michigan in mid-March.”
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Your comment was deleted for numerous reason, the first is because commenting from Switzerland means you know nothing about the local economy. The second reason is because you know nothing about the local economy. The library is closed and the BCPA, why are those employees more “special” than the private sector who laid their employees off? You obviously don’t want to have a conversation when you think I want police and fire laid off. Start your own sight, nobody will read it.
Just like all politics is local…. all economies are local. It is hard for me to believe that Mayor Little Man does not understand what is currently happening to our economy. Sane leadership would be slashing spending with a vengeance.
“Tari claims prudent financial management has the city in good shape”
Really Tari?
We have been hit by a sizable economic bomb. The damage appears to be invisible right now but is just outside are ability to perceive it. None the less, the damage has already been done and with each passing day of this virus insanity the blast radius and the damage grows.
This is the LAST thing our area needed. Are we heading for a perfect storm scenario?
Below are the legs of this perfect economic storm:
1. Our service and education dominated economy is being challenged and disrupted by technology making it extremely vulnerable to economic downturns.
2. The Chinese Communist Party Virus shutdown will do significant economic damage to small businesses precipitating many closings and layoffs. GDP will fall and the ripple effect of additional closings will further hurt our economy.
3. State Farm or Country Financial or ISU could use this opportunity to downsize and eliminate jobs.
This could begin a spiral that will be impossible to stop until it has reached the bottom.
I guess this is why you don’t elect an Ivory Tower college professor to run a city government’s finances.
Wtf was Jen Carrila doing during this meeting? Was she on an exercise bike? Was she even paying attention to the meeting?