By: Diane Benjamin
The Town of Normal scheduled ONE day for the Council to review next years budget put together by staff. So far they have met for a little over 9 hours and they aren’t done. They will continue Monday before the Council meeting.
Note: 9 hours all at once with a few breaks.
They planned to spend ONE day spending $138 million. A few observations:
- How many citizens are going to watch a 9 hour and counting video?
- How many Council people are even paying attention for this long?
- Is that why the Town does budgeting like this?
- Multiple meetings on different topics is too difficult for the staff?
- If they meet for another 3 hours on Monday, they will be spending $11,500,000 per hour.
The proposed 5 year budget is 369 pages long: https://normal.org/DocumentCenter/View/18048/Proposed-Budget-2021—2026
Now for Rivian:
The Town has already spent $250,000 on an engineering study to run water on West College to Rivian. They are duplicating services since Bloomington already has water lines to Rivian. If you ever wondered why the two municipalities don’t combine services to save you money – this is the perfect example. They don’t want to.
Start at 8:44:15. Stan Nord is still trying to get an explanation for the project. The budget lists this as critical and has $4.75 million more listed as the cost. That is $4.75 million that won’t be spent upgrading ancient infrastructure that badly needs it. (Just another example of priorities that need aligned with needs instead of wants)
Stan Nord doesn’t get an answer, Chris Koos did not allow the staff to answer. Koos claims his questions have been answered. The Town did not provide any proof economic development will happen if they spend this money.
Side Note: Bloomington built a NEVER used fire station because they thought Diamond Star/Mitsubishi would be an economic boom to the west side. It is now sitting idle except for occasional meetings held there.
Jump to 8:55:00 and listen for a few minutes. Kathleen Lorenz claims water usage is down so she considers this a business strategy looking for new commercial users that will grow the market and keep rates low for citizens. She wants shovel ready projects for when somebody wants to locate by Rivian. Stan jumps back in at 8:58:10. He wants to look at community development in coordination with Bloomington instead of laying pipes next to theirs. Pam Reece follows, she wants more commercial users for the same reason as Lorenz. Since there are no new commercial businesses to connect water lines to, she must be planning to connect to Rivian because otherwise they are pipes to nowhere.
My sources tell me Rivian doesn’t use near as much water as Mitsubishi did, so it may not be the windfall Normal expects.
If the goal is to keep water rates low, why speculate with more than $5 million now in hopes of future revenue? Nord pointed out that development takes time to build and the Town could still run lines in time to meet needs. Of course he was ignored.
Isn’t this the same philosophy that buried citizens in debt for Uptown? If we build it they come! Have you seen the empty store fronts in Uptown?
Town of Normal water supply wells are reliable in a drought, whereas Bloomington impoundments go nearly dry. This is a Rivian risk management issue, however, Rivian should be shouldering all costs for the main extension.
The Rivian scam should be shouldering costs or be run out of town. It really makes me wonder just how stupid (or possibly greedy and cunning) these people are that they continue to shove help and cash at “RJ” Scar-cringe and his ongoing con. Yes, I am still of the camp that does not believe they will ever amount to anything besides a few mock-ups and stories about how great they are GOING to be, someday…maybe not in our lifetimes, but hey whats another 30 years of supporting a con man’s pie in the sky pipe dreams?
They do have vehicles now doing deliveries in California
First, no business of consequence given current circumstances in either community would even consider relocating or expanding here. Over the coming months and likely within two years, thinking people will come to realize Rivian is part of an EV and crony capitalist scam invented by power brokers to force you into a life you can’t afford or want. I want to know why Rivian would even consider taking money from George Soros for the operation? Koos’ intentions for cuddling up to these frauds and crony capitalist opportunists will also come to light. Chris is already likely lining his personal bank account with kickback money from all his friends in high places. Being part of the socialist plan to change world energy policy likely pays off big. Both Rivian and Koos likely had no problem with the Keystone Pipeline shutdown. There are so many people involved in this sham it will make your hair stand on end when it is finally accomplished.
And what if Rivian took money from George Soros? Apparently Anti-Semitism is par for the course here on this blog. Next thing I’ll hear is that the California wildifires were caused by Jewish laser beams from space funded by George Soros.
Rivian is also being funded by Amazon, Ford and has raised 8 billion since 2019. Rivian’s post-money valuation is now $27.6 billion.
General Motors will stop producing vehicles that run on gasoline or diesel fuel over the next 14 years, replacing the fleet with all-electric cars, SUVs and light trucks. So it seems that Rivian is at the cutting edge of all electric trucks and SUV’s. What is driving it is capitalism with corporations like GM, Amazon, Apple all pushing technology away from oil and gas to renewable fuels. Oil like coal is a dying industry. All your claims of “socialism” is in reality capitalism favoring innovation over the status quo.
Your first comment almost got this deleted. Lie if you must.
Where is the electricity going to come from? Capitalism is giving people what they want, I don’t know anyone who wants electric vehicles. They are trying to create a market that doesn’t exist,
I would be concerned taking money from a person that is actually on record saying he wants to rid the world of the United States. Also, you do realize Soros was turning Jews into the Nazis during WW 2 so who was the self-loathing Jew hater? Currently those wanting electric cars is less than three percent of the entire vehicle market. The only reason there is any investing in electric by anyone and why manufacturers are going electric because they know the government is forcing the combustion engine out of existence. Oil and gas arent dead or unpopular, the government knows this has to force the cars off the market by outlawing them. All of Rivian ‘s investors know this and are getting in on the ground floor. Just like failed Solendra, government tax breaks to create a market that’s not there so we will force you to buy it whether you want it or not. You’ll still need oil anyway to build your stupid batteries that take hours to charge and might get you as far as Chicago. Don’t worry you win in the end but not by free and open markets. Guess I’ll be walking. Wouldn’t buy an overpriced Rivian piece of shit starting at $60,000 to $ 80,000 anyway. Who’s the dummy in the end? Only the oligarchs win because of stupid people like you. Do yourself a favor and educate yourself to what is really going on in the world around you and who is behind it.
It’s hilarious that you would pull the “antisemitism” card when it comes to Soros, that vile little baggy eyed stoat helped kill Jews in the Holocaust and he did it with glee, as he reaped the benefits – he considers it some of the best time of his miserable life. Oh and nobody thinks it was “Jewish laser beams” but it likely was some little scumbags who got a nice little check for setting fires and destroying prime land that was wanted by other higher up scumbags that caused the out of control California fires. Your lack of information is appalling and yet you arrogantly speak as if you are in the know.
Is Koos a dictator? How does he have the authority to say whether a Council member’s question can be answered? I guess I’m wondering why Stan doesn’t fire back at him.
Useless
Stan,
My perspective is outnumbered on the Council. Koos and Reece have such overwhelming support from the other council members that getting heated would only further marginalize my efforts and allow them to paint me as unhinged.
If taxpayers want the values I represent to be the direction their town goes, then voters must elect people with similar principles as councilpersons and the mayor.
On April 6, we will find out which direction taxpayers want to go.
BTW…Many, many, many, many people complain, but only a small percentage of people actually vote in the local elections. Mail-in ballots can be requested now. Request one today!
https://mcleanil.seamlessdocs.com/f/VoteByMail
Stan Nord – Normal Council Person
Look for some “businesses” where Koos, Reece and Lorenz have a financial interest to suddenly pop up out by Rivian. Or else Rivian is just writing checks directly to them. Bet on it.
That would certainly not surprise me, of course they will have to be the “right fit” in other words in lock-step with the other greedy pigs they are rolling around with.
@rockenwood. Look up the real history of George Soros one of the biggest anti-Semites that’s ever lived. In his youth, he turned in fellow Jews to the Nazis. Fact. Look it up and squalor in your hypocrisy. Anti-Semitism on this blog doesn’t exist. Pay attention.
I hadn’t sen your comment i just informed him of the same thing.
The cars Rivian produces (if any) will be coal-fired cars.
“They do have vehicles now doing deliveries in California” – yes I had sen that and though I don’t know for SURE (haven’t bothered checking) I will bet they come with a nice “incentive” especially for fleets. Just go look at some Lithium mines (needed for their stupid little batteries they put in these stupid electric vehicles, I can’t even call them cars) and then at some completed oil pipelines then tell me which one is actually more gentle on the environment/animals etc.
Wow…$4.75 million on water pipes to nowhere, but only $3 million for maintaining roads that are actively used every day by individuals and businesses. Which is sound business and economic development and which is not?! More “build it and they will come thinking” from our dear leaders. If they have businesses ready to locate out there, Koos and Reece would not hesitate to take a victory lap and use that is leverage to sell this spending. If it turns out this spending is for or associated with Rivian, it should be added to the calculation of cost versus reward of supporting them with tax dollars. The jury is still out.