One more Downtown Pic
When the City of Bloomington decided to hire the Downtown Bloomington Association staff because they could support themselves: They created ANOTHER empty space downtown: (read the awning)
Tag: DBA
Downtown Task Force is back
By: Diane Benjamin http://www.cityblm.org/Home/ShowDocument?id=15904 The report from Tari’s Downtown Task Force is back on the agenda for Monday – minus moving the library and tearing down a parking garage. One question that won’t be asked or answered: The current downtown businesses didn’t care enough about downtown to fund the Downtown Bloomington Association. The City took […]
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Hack off everybody Monday
By: Diane Benjamin If the “welcoming ordinance” discussion isn’t divisive enough, the Downtown Task Force plan will also be presented. Most of the crowd will be gone when the previous discussion ends. The mob will only be there for the “No Justice No Peace” part. The Council should have held a special session only for […]
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Guest Letter to the Council and Mayor
Dear Council Members and Mayor, If you are not able to answer the below questions, please refer me to the correct staff members. On August 28, 2017 members of the Bloomington City Council (or at least 5 of you) voted to turn the Downtown Business Association into a government entity. The DBA was given $850K […]
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It takes guts!
By: Diane Benjamin Your elected aldermen in Bloomington really have guts! On the same day they found out at least $1 Million was stolen from you – they voted to slap higher sewer and storm water rates on the victims of their ineptness! Yes, that would be Bloomington taxpayers. The conversation was really amusing. Scott […]
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Why are structural deficits okay?
By: Diane Benjamin Deficits are just fine with the Bloomington City Council because they can tax you. It doesn’t matter if you can’t afford it, they have needs – you have the money. Only David Sage realized that last night – years late, but better late than never. He voted against hiring the Downtown Bloomington […]
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Dumping Dollars Downtown
By: Diane Benjamin Downtown Bloomington is going to get more of your money tonight: Just at this one meeting the History Museum gets $145,000 (https://blnnews.com/2017/08/27/bloomington-supports-friends-with-your-money/ ) and the DBA doesn’t need to support itself. You get 2 new employees with gold-plated benefits and pensions! Another $289,305 sucked out of your wallet! See the DBA […]
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How many LIES will you tolerate?
By: Diane Benjamin “Resistance to tyrants is obedience to God.” –Thomas Jefferson “Necessity is the plea for every infringement of human freedom. It is argument of tyrants. It is the creed of slaves.” –William Pitt in the House of Commons November 18, 1783 Just this year the City of Bloomington created a Transportation Committee, a […]
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Failed Downtown Bloomington Assoc
By: Diane Benjamin I hope Tari’s handpicked stacked Downtown Bloomington Committee is having fun dreaming of how to spend your money. At the end of this month they will enlighten the public with ideas for getting people downtown. Just because somebody builds it, it doesn’t mean anybody will come. How many decades has taxpayer money […]
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Tari’s Downtown Task Force
By: Diane Benjamin The Budget Task Force was ignored, so I have no idea why Tari is organizing another task force for downtown. More interesting is who he appointed: Justin Boyd – Tari’s campaign chairman Tricia Stiller – head of the Downtown Business Association (DBA) that was supposed to be self-sufficient years ago. They still […]
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WGLT: Your local tax dollars
By: Diane Benjamin UPDATE to this story: https://blnnews.com/2017/01/23/redistributing-your-wealth/ Since WGLT is National Public Radio, your federal tax dollars already fund them. They aren’t allowed to sell advertising, all they can do is “underwritten by” non-specific ads. That doesn’t keep your local tax dollars from ending up in their pocket though. I received this information under […]
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Pretending to create success
By: Diane Benjamin Government in this country has never created prosperity. Every dollar they spend they stole from people who worked for it. Capitalism requires government to get out of the way so individuals can create their own success – or fail on their own. Bloomington government believes they can create economic development by throwing […]
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Untraceable spending – because they can
By: Diane Benjamin Did you know Bloomington didn’t have an Economic Development person until 2012? Are things better or worse now? From 2016 Total Compensation report: http://www.cityblm.org/index.aspx?page=21&parent=5443 GRAMMERAUSTIN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COORD Salary and benefits: $94,583.89 . Where do some of your tax dollars go? UN-accountable government agencies! The EDC (Economic Development Council) is getting $490,000 […]
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Thoughts on sharing Sales Tax
By: Diane Benjamin If you don’t pay attention to how Normal and Bloomington operate, once they start talking publicly about anything it’s already a done deal. Both Councils are stacked, so Renner and Koos can easily talk them into the latest declared “best practice”. Independent thoughts are too rare matter. Have some lunch. Here’s what […]
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Downtown TIF: 2010
By: Diane Benjamin Below are the disbursements listed on the 2010 Downtown Bloomington TIF report: 2010 Report Remember how the DBA (Downtown Bloomington Assoc) was supposed to pay for itself years ago? What did $324,368 get them (OR YOU?) I wonder where asbestos was removed? Good records matter. Wonderlin Galleries is now listed as being […]
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Backfire: very revealing
By: Diane Benjamin In addition to approving minutes from a meeting held 9/21/2015, Monday the Council will be asked to approve minutes from a meeting held: March 20, 2010 Only THREE Aldermen are still on the Council: Schmidt, Sage, Fruin The minutes are interesting reading since not much has changed. The Council is still dwelling […]
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Renner wants you downtown and his lies continue
by: Diane Benjamin Show of hands please – How many of you shop downtown? Go to downtown restaurants? Maybe you go to the Farmers Market, but ever go downtown for anything else? Maybe jury duty, go to the BCPA or Coliseum occasionally, hit the bars, any other reason? There are people in downtown Bloomington, […]
