By: Diane Benjamin
Bloomington Council meeting last night – comment at the end of the meeting from small business owner Alderman Jamie Mathy:
Jamie ran down some stats for how much money stays in the local community if you buy from a local business, a chain store, or on-line. He ended with buying on line means ZERO stays in the community.
Does Jamie know how much of your tax money the City of Bloomington sends out of town every year to just ONE business?
The Amazon delivery vehicles must be frequent flyers to the library and other City offices. Buying local doesn’t mean the City has to buy local, just you!
This isn’t even a full year:
$219,032.64 shipped out of town because it’s easy? Cheaper than sending an employee out to pick up needed items? Jamie doesn’t say a word about the City buying through Amazon but he doesn’t think you are entitled to easier and cheaper?
Everybody say it together:
This is what hypocrisy looks like.
City Manager Tim Gleason also mentioned small business shopping downtown. I’d post a pic of his slide but the camera didn’t show it.
.
.
.
.
.
.
One then has to wonder WHAT is being purchased from Amazon, and if it was for the City??
Not much to buy downtown. That horse left the barn in the 1970’s when Eastland Mall etc. was built! You’d think after 40-50 years even the left wing lunatics could figure that one out. Idiots!
More than anything this illustrates the ignorance of Jamie Mathy and others in local government. Starting January 2020, Illinois is charging a 6.35% tax to online purchases that are purchased from a location in Illinois. The taxes are supposed to be applied to the location from which the purchase was made. Maybe Jamie needs to ask JB where Bloomington’s share is. In other words, it doesn’t matter if we buy local or not. The business model the Mathy’s operate under is a dinosaur and the city of Bloomington needs to stop subsidizing it.
The auditor referenced that in his report.
An obligatory annual “shop local” platitude from a politician. How original, Jamie. Of course, the local governments of Bloomington and Normal aren’t going to bash Amazon since they’re a Rivian investor.