Tag: BCPA

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

BCPA event reports – too many shows and not enough attendees!

By: Diane Benjamin BCPA event reports: https://www.bloomingtonil.gov/government/advanced-components/documents/-folder-2097#docan2735_6873_64 Note the attendance at each show. Loss: $4,091.79 Profit: $21,933.02 Loss: $3,861.88 This one isn’t on the BCPA calendar: https://www.artsblooming.org/events/all-events-list-view/-toggle-allpast Loss: $18.56 This one took place on 2/8 – not 2/7 Loss: $6,468.96 Profit: $2,525.50 Embarrassing loss: $5,130.61

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Bloomington’s Last Meeting of the Year

By: Diane Benjamin The Council will take the final vote on raising your property taxes. Tis the season . . . The Finance Director will give his monthly report – he should present it before the property tax vote but won’t. The City has plans for your money. You aren’t allowed to keep and spend […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Hear a sucking sound from the BCPA?

By: Diane Benjamin That is the sound of your tax dollars disappearing – $25,120. Figure out government isn’t capable of “business type” activities? Losses don’t matter because it isn’t their money. Loss: $5,423.36 Loss: $9,967.73 I hope that wasn’t paid twice – it is listed on page 145 and again on 151: https://www.bloomingtonil.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/29818 Loss: $14,131.85 […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Bloomington hits the accelerator on entertainment

By: Diane Benjamin Where are the Event Reports for Coliseum events? Anybody have a problem with government entertainment? Instead of capitalism determining what people want, tax dollars are used to promote what government employees want. No event reports other than ISU hockey have been posted since September on the City website: https://www.bloomingtonil.gov/government/advanced-components/documents/-folder-2063#docan2735_6873_64 There was a […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Bloomington hires a booker for Arena and BCPA

By: Diane Benjamin Nick Leroy had a short-lived venue called The Stable in downtown Bloomington. Hopefully he knows shows that make money instead of subsidized entertaining for the elites. When is the City going to admit the Coliseum isn’t The Grossinger Motors Arena anymore? Too hard to take the sign down? In case you missed […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

BCPA loses money, nobody should be surprised

By: Diane Benjamin Two new BCPA reports below – of course the Performance Fee aren’t included. Did they quit reporting attendance because it’s embarrassing? The performance fees are hard to decipher because they aren’t marked correctly on Bills and Payroll reports. There wasn’t an event on 4/23, did they mean 4/20? Then there are these […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Another edition of: BCPA Event Reports

By: Diane Benjamin I had to file a FOIA request to get this reports posted. Some dates of performance fees don’t match any performance dates. Loss: $206.84 Loss: $7,932.72 Loss: $6,854.53 Here’s where report dates don’t match event reports: There wasn’t an event on 2/23/2023. https://www.artsblooming.org/events/calendar?cury=2023&curm=2&curd=28&curview=month Three performance fees are listed as 3/23/2023, there were […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Bloomington: Travel and bonds

By: Diane Benjamin Proof COVID is over, Bloomington employees are back to traveling: https://www.cityblm.org/home/showpublisheddocument/27940/637884879474800000 Go to PDF page 130 and following see for yourself. Don’t miss this one: $6754.00 for ONE Conference. I could say I hope more than one person went for that price, but then I’d have to ask why more than one […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Bloomington 5-9-2022

By: Diane Benjamin Recap: Grant Walch was appointed Ward 1 Alderman – Jeff Crabill and Julie Emig voted against him. Evidently they didn’t like replacing a self-identified progressive alderman with a more conservative one. Road funding isn’t close to what it needs to be. The $7 million was increased to $9 million, factor in inflation […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Bloomington over bid a project by $2,140,700

By: Diane Benjamin Agenda for Monday: http://bloomingtonil.iqm2.com/Citizens/FileOpen.aspx?Type=1&ID=1150&Inline=True Bloomington wants to rehab these two water tanks off Fort Jesse. The NEVER used water tower in the same area isn’t mentioned: https://blnnews.com/2015/08/04/more-ineptness/ Money was budgeted for this project – WAY more than what the project will cost: PDF page 185 Monday they are already spending what they […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

BCPA’s astonishing lack of transparency

By: Diane Benjamin https://www.cityblm.org/government/advanced-components/documents/-folder-114 No BCPA event reports have been posted to the City website. Evidently I have to FOIA all of them. From this year’s budget: $1,700,000 of the Revenue is from Home Rule Sales Tax. Of that $840,206 goes to bond payments. See the complete BCPA presentation in the budget starting on PDF […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Bloomington’s final meeting of the year

By: Diane Benjamin Council is meeting tonight at 6:00 to clear the rest of December for Christmas. None of the event reports at the BCPA have been posted on line: https://www.cityblm.org/government/advanced-components/documents/-folder-114 Evidently I have to FOIA all shows. Is the City afraid to tell citizens how much is lost to subsidized entertainment for the well […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Tax rate Monday: Bloomington

By: Diane Benjamin Three more Performance Fees at the BCPA are on Bills and Payroll tonight: https://www.cityblm.org/home/showpublisheddocument/27250/637727480979430000 On 11/12/21 there was only 1 show: The Brubeck Brothers Quartet The 11/17/21 was Shake & Holla Only two items are on the Regular Agenda: FY2021 ended 4/30/2021. Seven months later the Financial Statements are released. I wonder […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

BCPA: Where are the event reports?

By: Diane Benjamin Two performance fee bills were paid last night for the BCPA: 9/29 was: Escape to Margaritaville 10/8 was: When Disco Was King Two other events were held earlier in September. Meanwhile, an events tab hasn’t even been created yet on the Bloomington website: https://www.cityblm.org/government/advanced-components/documents/-folder-114 In previous years I had to FOIA these […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Bloomington Bills and Payroll tonight

By: Diane Benjamin https://www.cityblm.org/home/showpublisheddocument/26917/637667133834300000 Payroll shows 887 employees. Remember when Renner constantly reminded us the City only had 650 employees? Some of those 887 are seasonal and maybe part time employees. Below is what the City of Bloomington reported to the Illinois Comptroller as of 4/30/2020. Updated information as of 4/30/2021 should be available in […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

BCPA still closed

By: Diane Benjamin The event calendar for the Bloomington Center for the Performing Arts is mostly blank. They do have one event scheduled for October. Unfortunately it is a fund raiser for themselves: https://www.artsblooming.org/Home/Components/Calendar/Event/13308/762 Remember the grand plans for the Creativity Center? Details here: https://blnnews.com/2019/01/26/what-no-one-in-bloomington-talks-about/ The City even hired a fundraiser for the Friends of […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Bloomington Payments tonight

By:  Diane Benjamin Bills and payroll 7-13-2020 A total of $12,599,344.25 will be approved tonight.  Unlike Normal, payroll is actually listed.  $5,216,642.14 of that amount is employees.  $1,633,607.61 is Wire transfers listed at the end, not enough details is available to know what most of them are.  I don’t remember the last time somebody asked about […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Today’s Silly and More

By:  Diane Benjamin Bloomington City Manger Tim Gleason didn’t answer my email from yesterday: The “Sorry, no hello” is an insider joke.  Tim Gleason has always been straight forward with me, this time I don’t see it. What the whole “parade” shenanigans amounts to is City employees do not understand your tax dollars aren’t their […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Update: Call Tari

Renner’s open house will be by phone today: I can’t imagine what you could ask Tari,  – oh maybe why the BCPA is not transparent?   Wasn’t Renner Mayor Transparency?  https://blnnews.com/2020/03/20/bcpa-resorts-to-deception/ How about telling Tari to scrap the $738,000 STUDY for O’Neil Park!  They can no longer afford it!

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Update with artist fees: BCPA Resorts to Deception

By:  Diane Benjamin Since the BCPA is shut down, staff had time to do event reports.  Well, they sort of did reports.  To disguise how much money they are losing, most of the reports below don’t show any REVENUE.  Of course the Artist Fees aren’t on the reports either.  You are looking at the reason […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Why isn’t Connect Transit shut down?

By:  Diane Benjamin Events all over Bloomington-Normal are cancelled because of the Wuhan Corona Virus.  The BCPA cancelled shows through August 12th.  Taxpayers are likely cheering that one, months of no money losing shows!  Are the employees going to be laid off until then? WEEK compiled a Bloomington list:  https://week.com/2020/03/12/bloomington-shuts-down-bcpa-calls-off-arena-events-due-to-covid-19/ Connect Transit still transports people […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

UPDATE: BCPA reports – finally

A reader located the missing artist fees.  The BCPA should know by now they will lose money paying more than $10,000 for an artist!  Only 1 show made money! By:  Diane Benjamin https://www.cityblm.org/government/advanced-components/documents/-folder-1784 A lot of reports were recently posted.  None of them have the artist fee.  I added a few that I could quickly […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

BCPA posts another event report!

By:  Diane Benjamin Source:  https://www.cityblm.org/Home/ShowDocument?id=23753 Looks impressive, RIGHT? Not so fast, see below. The artist fees are blank again! (see previous stories) https://www.cityblm.org/Home/ShowDocument?id=23691 Obviously this show lost money just like most of the others.   See the event as promoted here:  https://www.artsblooming.org/Home/Components/Calendar/Event/10963/710?curdate=12-13-2019&curm=12&cury=2019  

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

BCPA and Coliseum reports MIA

By:  Diane Benjamin Jamie Mathy urged citizens to look at the upcoming shows at the BCPA during Aldermen comments at last night’s Council meeting.  He claimed a show that costs $100 in Chicago could be only $30 here.  See upcoming events:  https://www.artsblooming.org/events/calendar Meanwhile, the last event report posted for the BCPA was a show held […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Bloomington payments for 1/13/2020

By:  Diane Benjamin No bills were approved at the last council meeting since it was held off-schedule for the holidays.   Monday night $14,244,476.43 is up for approval.    https://www.cityblm.org/Home/ShowDocument?id=23691 As always, there was extensive travel.  A lot of it is in the PCard spending, see PDF page 271 and following. 2020 starts where previous years […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

What were the “artist fees” for BCPA shows?

A READER put this together for me!  He took the show recaps in this story and looked up the artist fees:  https://blnnews.com/2019/12/11/bcpa-reports-finally-posted/ He saved me a lot of time, I really appreciate it. A previous reader said the Pirate Penelope show didn’t have artist fees. Since it appears the artist fees were not included in […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Peoria has Private Investors

By:  Diane Benjamin In Bloomington and Normal government believes they are required to spend your money to create economic development.  Peoria evidently doesn’t.  Maybe it’s because Peoria is too broke – they have made significant budget cuts.  Maybe broke government  is the key to allowing the private sector to flourish.   See this story:  https://www.pjstar.com/news/20191210/kim-blickenstaff-purchases-stake-in-peoria-armory-plans-renovation  Excerpts: […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Bloomington Monday night 12/9/19

By:  Diane Benjamin Source:   http://bloomingtonil.iqm2.com/Citizens/FileOpen.aspx?Type=1&ID=1051&Inline=True Does the highlighted name look familiar?    https://blnnews.com/2019/11/04/bloomington-fireman-5-gets-off/ You might have missed the Edgar County Watchdogs version:  https://edgarcountywatchdogs.com/2019/11/illinois-state-university-police-let-fireman-off-of-alleged-dui-due-to-his-employment/ The BCPA staff uses this building instead of the the BCPA offices.  No event reports have been posted for the BCPA since my last FOIA.  Citizens have no idea what happens in […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Trolls Live Scores, attendance dismal

By:  Diane Benjamin Unlike the BCPA who think event reports aren’t important, VenuWorks posts theirs.  This proves the difference between a company that can be fired and City employees who know nobody cares if they do their job.  The BCPA hasn’t posted any event reports since the last time I FOID’d them.  Thanks for the […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Do I have to FOIA reports BCPA?

By:  Diane Benjamin The last event report posted by the BCPA was from October 2: https://www.cityblm.org/government/advanced-components/documents/-folder-1784 Are they: hiding losses? afraid to show what happening at this TAXPAYER owned building? on a long vacation? way too busy to do a simple report? coming to work late and leaving early? Taxpayers deserve to know what the […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Update to Hiding BCPA numbers!

By:  Diane Benjamin The numbers for the Cultural District were included BELOW Parks and Rec.  Thanks to the person who pointed that one out. Update to this story:  https://blnnews.com/2019/10/30/hiding-bcpa-numbers/ https://www.cityblm.org/Home/ShowDocument?id=23337 PDF page 195 PDF page 196 Can somebody explain why this is a great idea?  Why is attendance way down? It isn’t Quality of Life […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Hiding BCPA numbers

See update:   https://blnnews.com/2019/10/31/update-to-hiding-bcpa-numbers/ By:  Diane Benjamin Read this one slow!  Lots of info to absorb. The ONLY mention of the BCPA in the just released financial statements is the number of employees – PDF page 194  https://www.cityblm.org/Home/ShowDocument?id=23337 First, note the BCPA is part of Parks and Recreation.  Second, celebrate the number of employees has decreased.  […]