By: Diane Benjamin Tari was on WJBC yesterday talking about the budget: http://cdn.stationcaster.com/stations/wjbc/media/mpeg/Tari_Renner__Bloomington_mayor-1438177885.mp3 He claims the City costs go up 2% every year, the County and Normal just increase taxes and its no big deal. He wants the same powers. Tari and the interviewers agreed that government isn’t run like a business. Nobody mentioned that maybe it […]
By: Diane Benjamin Last week the Bloomington City Council voted to buy new scoreboards for the Coliseum. They were deceived into thinking the purchase was put up for competitive bidding. http://blnnews.com/2015/07/16/can-we-call-this-fraud/ Nobody on the Council brought it up last Monday night when John Butler and Bart Rogers made a presentation to the Council. Does anyone […]
By: Diane Benjamin Evidently David Hales, Tari Renner, and John Butler think I can’t prove concessions need to be audited at the Coliseum. Maybe this will help them out. Click on the picture, it’s easier to read if it’s bigger: The above was internally prepared at the Coliseum. John Butler is supposed to pay the City […]
By: Diane Benjamin The Coliseum was NEVER going to cost citizens a dime, at least that’s what citizens were told. Consultants predicted Revenues of more than $7,000,000 and large attendance at events. Income was projected to be $2,319,000 a year. See predictions here: Consultant: Hyman Review NOTHING predicted has come close to being true. Last […]
By: Diane Benjamin Maybe the local reporters aren’t very smart. Maybe the City is writing the articles for them. Either way, the result is to make sure citizens never know the truth. Today the Pantagraph did it again. Instead of reporting the AUDITED LOSS from last year, reporter Maria Nagle used the number CIAM reported – […]
By: Diane Benjamin The Bloomington City Council is holding a Committee of the Whole meeting Monday night. The June Committee of the Whole meeting was NOT live streamed or video taped. Transparency? NOPE. That means, you better attend! John Butler and Bart Rogers from CIAM are scheduled to proclaim the greatness of what they have […]
By: Diane Benjamin Monday night the City Council approved buying new video board equipment for the Coliseum – $1,389,605 before interest accrues from borrowing the money. The documentation and discussion claimed the purchase was competitively bid because a group called The Cooperative Purchase Network was used for the purchase. The documentation given to the […]
By: Diane Benjamin Last Monday the Bloomington City Council voted to BORROW around $1.5 MILLION to buy video equipment for the Coliseum. Only Aldermen Scott Black and Kevin Lower voted against it. Karen Schmidt got out of the vote because she was acting mayor in Renner’s absence. Alderman Joni Painter evidently didn’t do her homework […]
By: Diane Benjamin City Manager David Hales was on WJBC with Scott Laughlin yesterday. The interview is the perfect example of the media not forcing the truth from a City official. Maybe Scott didn’t know what questions to ask. You can listen to the interview here: http://cdn.stationcaster.com/stations/wjbc/media/mpeg/David_Hales__Bloomington_City_Manager-1436880986.mp3 Yes, it’s painful, but the part that interested […]
By: Diane Benjamin The Council voted to give up $100,000 last night to pretend they are helping the environment. Where is that money going? All I heard was it goes to people promoting wind and solar. Like Solyndra? Campaign contributors who collect big bucks on government contracts? The Council didn’t think that part was important […]
By: Diane Benjamin Monday night the Coliseum will get a new video scoreboard for the low low price of $1,389,605! Less than 1000 people attend hockey and football games, the basketball team may not exist for long, but a new scoreboard is required. My sources tell me this board is not used for concerts, performers bring […]
By: Diane Benjamin Lisa Madigan started a Public Access office so citizens and the press can hold their government accountable. Just like Not In Our Town doesn’t hold signers of their pledge accountable, virtually nothing happens when a complaint is filed with her office. Our local State’s Attorney could prosecute cases filed against the City, but […]
By: Diane Benjamin The Coliseum contract with CIAM states negotiations for renewal must start the year before the current contract expires. It expires next year, so negotiations are happening. Have you heard anything from Renner? Hales? City Council? NOPE! When your government refuses to communicate with you, you are not just uniformed. You are left to imagine […]
By: Diane Benjamin Yesterday we all learned the Coliseum lost a lot of money. See this story: http://blnnews.com/2015/06/12/lap-dog-media-falls-for-coliseum-report/ The City of Bloomington put out their own version. The below was emailed to anybody who signed up to receive their News Update. Notice anything funny? Like the meat of the story is buried behind a link? […]
By: Diane Benjamin The Coliseum year-end report is finally out. The year ended 4/30/15. As I have reported many times, what CIAM reports is pure fiction. The birdcage liner is reporting the Coliseum lost $494,320 for the year. Of course, that number isn’t accurate. Worse, they reported CIAM’s reported loss last year of $183,727 instead of what […]
By: Diane Benjamin Remember this story: http://blnnews.com/2015/04/29/austere-budget-short-staffed-really/ ? The opening and closing of a lane at Ireland Grove and Towanda Barnes continues, but I want you to remember the other part of the story. Two City employees were sent out to mow, one guy did while the other guy sat in the truck for almost 2 […]
By: Diane Benjamin Judy Markowitz will always be known as the mayor who inflicted Bloomington taxpayers with the Coliseum. Tari’s plan for his shrine can be seen here: http://www.cityblm.org/index.aspx?page=531 The City wants to pay $8.2 Million for blank land after Giebelhausen demolishes historic buildings. The Front and Center building is not in any danger of falling down, according to […]
By: Diane Benjamin Did you ever read a report on the Committee of the Whole meeting held last Monday with area legislators? Evidently the bird-cage liner didn’t want to report the tears from the mayor and council. Begging for funds to not be cut from the bankrupt State wasn’t colorful enough for them. Maybe if […]
By: Diane Benjamin The below information from 2008 was obtained under the Freedom of Information Act more than a year ago, the City of Bloomington does not have Coliseum reports on-line prior to 2012. Click on either picture below to enlarge. The 2014-2015 Budget numbers can be found here: http://www.cityblm.org/Modules/ShowDocument.aspx?documentid=8264 Note: The revenue budget has […]
By: Diane Benjamin Yesterday former Mayor Jesse Smart spent 2 hours on WJBC – mostly talking about local government. I can only think of three things he said that I agree with: 1) Government needs to spend tax dollars locally. His example was printing brochures for the BCPA. He said they are printed in Champaign. […]
By: Diane Benjamin Yes the Coliseum is owned by the City of Bloomington, but that doesn’t make it legally exempt from property taxes. Central Illinois Arena Management has exclusive management rights. BMI Concessions is NOT a party to the original agreement between the City and CIAM. Until I wrote about them, 2 other companies were […]
By: Diane Benjamin The Flex basketball team played at the Coliseum last night. I’d love to post pictures of the non-existent crowd – but the Flex put them on Facebook. You have to see them there: https://www.facebook.com/flexbasketball The page also has a pic of the sign the City is planning to replace – it appears […]
By: Diane Benjamin Of course the Coliseum statements for the 3rd Qtr (Nov 14 – Jan 15) showed up today. The Pantagraph printed the fiction fed to them by Coliseum Management, so now they can release their statements. First, look at the attendance report below. Cirque Du Soleil was a 4 day event – it […]
By: Diane Benjamin I am going to keep using the City of Bloomington’s own documents to support what I write. Remember this quote from the proposed budget: Staff continued to build strong working relationships with reporters from The Pantagraph, WJBC, WGLT, and other area media. http://www.cityblm.org/Modules/ShowDocument.aspx?documentid=8224 Page 116 Today the bird-cage liner regurgitates false talking […]
By: Diane Benjamin I wrote previously about filing a Request for Review with the Illinois Attorney General. Coliseum Management is refusing to comply with a Freedom of Information Act Request. Details here: http://blnnews.com/2015/02/06/coliseum-investigated-by-attorney-general/ As the Council considers spending another $2,510,00 on the less than 10 years old Coliseum, they need to consider how Central Illinois […]
By: Diane Benjamin The audited financial statements for the Coliseum show a loss last year before depreciation of $782,945: http://www.cityblm.org/Modules/ShowDocument.aspx?documentid=7481 I predict losses this year will be much greater because very few events have been held. The 3rd Quarter statement prepared by CIAM has not been issued yet – the Quarter ended on January 31st. […]
By: Diane Benjamin The Coliseum Management has refused to turn over documents I requested under the Freedom of Information Act. I asked for the payroll for calendar year 2014 and various Micros reports for events held in the building. (the City owns the Micros equipment) I even included rulings from the Attorney General’s office saying […]
By: Diane Benjamin The candidates were asked a question, then they were given time to write a response. So Ward 4 voters can make up their own minds, I think I will clip responses for all the candidates. That will cut a lot of time off the video as candidates were given time to write […]
By: Diane Benjamin The contract signed between CIAM (Central Illinois Arena Management) and the City of Bloomington state that ONE General Manger is required AND that person is not allowed to have any other job. You probably know that clause has been broken for years. Management Agreement CIAM Here’s what the TWO Mangers do instead: […]
By: Diane Benjamin The judge is supposed to make a final ruling today, 9:00 am, in my Freedom of Information case against the City of Bloomington. She may be interested in an email I have Tari Renner wrote to a citizen blaming me for all the lawyer fees incurred by the City fighting transparency. He […]
by: Diane Benjamin For the year May 2011 – April 2012: CIAM reported an operating loss of $51,281 Source: http://www.cityblm.org/Modules/ShowDocument.aspx?documentid=6561 The auditor reported an operating loss of (1,071,599) Depreciation of 911,269 = loss of $109,049 Source: http://www.cityblm.org/Modules/ShowDocument.aspx?documentid=4650 Reporting by CIAM was off by: $57,768————— For the year May 2012 – April 2013: CIAM reported operating income of $ 176,759 […]
By: Diane Benjamin Coliseum Management issues Quarterly reports. The media used to widely report their numbers as truth, lately not so much. The year-end for the Coliseum was 4/30/14. The statements they produce are only audited once a year, Concessions are never audited and no proof exists that taxpayers are getting their share of the […]
By: Diane Benjamin I’ve written many stories about the Coliseum and the history of mismanagement and fraudulent reporting by Central Illinois Arena Management (CIAM). I was contacted today by a person who wishes to remain anonymous. Read the story, then you decide if John Butler and Bart Rogers should be fired. The City of Bloomington […]
By: Diane Benjamin From a local Facebook page – all names are being redacted: (These were SERIOUS hockey supporters) Came to a sad realization today. I have not been to a Thunder hockey game since Dec 6 and I have not missed it. They have a game tonight and I really don’t care if I […]
By: Diane Benjamin The truth about the Coliseum has been hidden from the taxpayers for years. It was intentional, even the City Council is in the dark. John Butler’s BMI Concessions is an even bigger secret. Butler set up a business inside a City owned asset, complete with a contract requiring set percentages of sales […]
By: Diane Benjamin I’ve done many Coliseum stories in the past year and changes have been made to the financial statements produced by Central Illinois Arena Management (CIAM) because of errors I have pointed out. There are still more and the management fee CIAM pays itself doesn’t make any sense. Worse though is Concession Sales. […]
By: Diane Benjamin Below is the other Freedom of Information Act request I filed in October that was completely ignored by the City of Bloomington (Tari Renner). I spoke about this one at Monday’s Council meeting, see the video posted yesterday. __________________________________________________________________ Diane Benjamin <teapartybloom@gmail.com> Oct 27 […]
By: Diane Benjamin The information below is posted on the City of Bloomington website at: http://www.cityblm.org/index.aspx?page=21&parent=6548 The Coliseum is on a fiscal year – May 1 to April 30th of each year. This is the actual income reported for the second Quarter for each year and the year to date income. 2nd Quarter […]
By: Diane Benjamin The City of Bloomington has posted the 2nd Quarter financial statement for the Coliseum as prepared by Central Illinois Arena Management (CIAM): http://www.cityblm.org/Modules/ShowDocument.aspx?documentid=7613 By the time the auditors get done correcting all the errors, the statements will look even worse, but they only do that once a year. Citizens are expected to […]
by: Diane Benjamin You probably didn’t hear, but the Coliseum had an audited operating loss last year of $1,637,477. The only Central Illinois Arena Management (CIAM) report posted for this year is for May-July. Is shows a loss of almost $140,000. Since there were very few events since July, that’s probably why nothing has been […]
