By: Diane Benjamin
There were 2 interesting public comments last night. The first guy incurred thousands of dollars for water bills at a house no one was living in. The shutoff valve at the street keep getting turned off and on which flooded the basement 3 times. He came to Council expecting to get answers or relief, of course he got no response.
The second guy is disabled. His complaint should have been to Connect Transit because it involved a moved bus stop by the arena that he can’t access in a wheel chair or walker. Of course he got no response either because that’s the policy. The stop was moved because of area construction.
Just hit play below to hear both comments.
The report by the Special Committee on Safe Communities was the only item on the Regular Agenda. The presenter had a slide show but the camera didn’t show any of it until the last 2 slides. We didn’t get to see the slide with the 8 recommendations. Go to 34:35 to hear them.
One of the 8 was continuing this committee forever. Of course enough Council members agreed, that will be on a future agenda.
Read the documentation on the 8 starting on PDF page 20: https://bloomingtonil.portal.civicclerk.com/event/1023/files/attachment/2531
Of course more funding for a variety of programs is required. The swat team will need more members if the police are going to be required to seize guns from anyone who gets their FOID card revoked or is slapped with a firearms restraining order. Think they will voluntarily hand over EVERY gun?
Nowhere in the documentation is the suggestion to not release ANYONE found with an illegal gun.
Also suggested was more gun buyback programs and gun safe giveaways. The committee missed a few stories:
Don’t-Store-Guns-in-the-Free-Gun-Safe
Strike-Two-for-Bloomington-Police The last gun buyback event wasn’t well thought out!
The report doesn’t mention promoting fathers living with their children. It should have. If the County/BHCC needs places to spend that $20 million for Mental Health they are sitting on, this committee has places for them. The future will bring even more.
Someone will always rule and something will always be worshipped (stolen from Steve Deace). When people think government is capable of solving problems with money, government is worshipped and therefore becomes the ruler.
Gun buybacks are a joke. I saw a story recently of a shooting in Chicago that was committed with a gun that was previously “bought back” at a buyback program. That means the CPD let this gun slip out of their custody and back into a criminals hands. But citizens aren’t to be trusted with guns and therefore need to register with the government? Huh? Completely illogical.
I think I saw a story this week about police arrested for selling guns. Might have been Edgar County Watchdogs
Mollie’s report is stacked. It definitely targets legal gun owners. No accountability for those who should not have guns in the first place.
That Commission was to produce data supported actionable items to end gun violence. I see historic data but no data connected to drug culture, family structure, or behavioral and mental health meant to address gun violence. The schools are a separate taxing body that increased taxes to hire additional counselors. This commission wasted 2 years and accomplished another “silo” by its own continuation.
If the poor guy gets any justice at it will be because Mayor Dan Brady made it happen.
4 of the alderpersons just don’t care.
2 of the alderpersons are too timid to lean on the water dept. or take action to hold staff accountable.
1 of the alderpersons is too intellectually challenged to help if if she/he/pronoun wanted to.
1 of the alderpersons could help if gets the OK/permission from the local DSA chapter.
City needs to adopt a strong Mayor/Council form of government if citizens ever hope to have the tail (city staff) stop wagging the dog(elected reps).