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: Downtown Bloomington Association
More “Right Fit”
By: Diane Benjamin Tuesday night the Bloomington City Council is going to talk about TIF districts: http://www.cityblm.org/Home/ShowDocument?id=17858 PDF page 209 Bloomington has a long history of projects that aren’t the “Right Fit”. Start with the Coliseum and the BCPA, both catalyst project that did nothing to revitalize downtown. Between the two, around $100,000,000 has been […]
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Downtown isn’t the City Core!
By: Diane Benjamin Downtown businesses didn’t even support the Downtown Bloomington Association. Now the DBA employees are happy City employees complete with higher salaries, benefits and pensions! The Coliseum and the Bloomington Center for Performing Arts (BCPA) were supposed to brings hoards of people downtown. The Visitor’s Center in the McLean County History Museum was […]
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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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Guest Editorial
The Pantagraph never says who writes theirs, so I’m not either! It was written by a citizen sick of seeing tax dollars wasted. DOWNTOWN Bloomington The citizens of Bloomington have heard on multiple occasions the Mayor’s proclamations, “Without a vibrant downtown, economic development will not occur.” “A vibrant downtown is the primary means to spur […]
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The downtown dance
I need reader support to continue bringing you news the rest of the media ignores: Contribute Now If you appreciate the truth, please contribute! By: Diane Benjamin Last night’s Committee of the Whole had a missing alderman: Scott Black. Two citizens spoke during public comment. In an attempt to limit free speech, […]
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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, […]
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Who has a vested interest in downtown Bloomington?
by: Diane Benjamin It seems like an organization charged with managing downtown Bloomington would at least be mostly downtown business owners or residents. The people with a vested interest in the success of downtown should be the leaders. From the DBA website, the Board consists of many people who aren’t downtown business owners. The DBA […]
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Government and DBA don’t have to be responsible!
by: Diane Benjamin From the Pantagraph 7/15/2008, 10/25/2009, 9/29/2010, 4/6/2012 The Bloomington City Council had a 5 year, $850,000 plan to pay the Downtown Bloomington Association to manage the downtown district. The Association President at the time was Greg Koos. The 5 year funding plan was supposed to end in 2011. Of course, it hasn’t ended. […]
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Back when David Sage was a conservative . .
by: Diane Benjamin 2008 is no longer on the City of Bloomington website, so this information is from a Pantagraph article dated 7/29/08. At the City Council meeting on the 28th, a vote was taken to hire Doug Farr Associates of Chicago to do a Downtown Bloomington plan. One alderman was missing, so the vote […]
