By: Diane Benjamin No reports are posted for Bison Games: https://www.bloomingtonil.gov/government/advanced-components/documents/-folder-2104#docan2735_6873_64 $421,948 – $344,167 – $32,301 – $841 = $44,636. $97,984 – $52,500 – $52,500 = <$7,016> It’s hard to tell if all the above applies to this show, but they apply to some show. It still looks like I’m missing some payment for this […]
By: Diane Benjamin As of right now these are the only reports posted: https://www.bloomingtonil.gov/government/advanced-components/documents/-folder-2104#docan2735_6873_64 A WWE show happened on June 22nd. Accounting must be too difficult for the staff to create a report and post it. I’m dying to see how they explain this: Did this show make money? Is a loss why the event […]
By: Diane Benjamin The City is developing a nasty habit of not posting event reports for the arena or BCPA until I FOIA them. No reports had been posted since a 5/17 performance to the BCPA site: https://www.bloomingtonil.gov/government/advanced-components/documents/-folder-2105#docan2735_6873_64 The Arena shows nothing since March 15th: https://www.bloomingtonil.gov/government/advanced-components/documents/-folder-2104#docan2735_6873_64 There are still many event reports missing, evidently keeping […]
By: Diane Benjamin Link to Jeff Jurgens salary: https://www.bloomingtonil.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/30312/638496297817500000 Link to Tim Gleason’s 2023 salary: PDF page 7 https://www.bloomingtonil.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/30290/638487793683670000 Hard to read? Of course it is. Jeff Jurgens Total Compensation negotiated when he became City Manager: $262,802.52 Tim Gleason Total Compensation for 2023: $241,614.68 For the math challenged: Jeff Jurgens is making $21,187.84 more than […]
By: Diane Benjamin More on this story from yesterday: https://blnnews.com/2024/06/06/foiad-bloomington-payments-coliseum/ That story showed a payment for the Disney on Ice show of $539,703.57. It also showed the event report wasn’t posted on the City website. This morning it is! In fact it’s posted twice: https://www.bloomingtonil.gov/government/advanced-components/documents/-folder-2104#docan2735_6873_64 Note: There used to be a tab to find documents, […]
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
By: Diane Benjamin See this story: https://blnnews.com/2024/01/20/more-coliseum-event-reports-%f0%9f%98%ab/ I didn’t have the artist fee for this one: Now I do: -$20,988.67 A clean losing sweep!
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 […]
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 […]
By: Diane Benjamin Shows are heading in the right direction. How many years did it take? Profit: $15,783.33 See the description of the show below: https://www.artsblooming.org/Home/Components/Calendar/Event/16140/762?toggle=allpast I’m not sure this show had any artist fees:
By: Diane Benjamin I will continue to call the arena the Coliseum until it has a real name. One note: I was told if parents left the arena after IHSA events their child participated in they had to pay again to re-enter later. If the goal is increasing traffic downtown, this policy prevents that from […]
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 […]
March Meltdown was at the Coliseum, so the BCPA is still looking for their first show this year to make money. The Performance Fee below is from a show called the Adventures of the Tortoise and the Hare. I still don’t have that report. I was missing one report from the BCPA – March Meltdown. […]
By: Diane Benjamin’ I think the Grossinger Motors naming rights expire next year. It was a 5 year agreement in June of 2017. Expect something really original like Bloomington Arena to replace it. Of course that means new signage. Maybe the City can just paint the name on the building instead (don’t hold your breath). […]
By: Diane Benjamin Both of these shows were re-schedules from before Covid was a thing. One is listed as a rental, the other was co-produced meaning the City of Bloomington wasn’t assuming all the risk. Co-producing also means the profit is much less, but at least both show a profit. I had to FOIA both […]
By: Diane Benjamin On October 29, 2021 I submitted a FOIA to McLean County pertaining to John Butler’s case. After a couple reminders about the FOIA being late (they have 5 business days), I was told it’s taking so long because of staff shortages. I was promised I would receive the information on December 8, […]
By: Diane Benjamin THREE more events – all losers: Report shows a profit of $142.68. With performance fee the loss is ($9,257.32). 192 attended Performance Fee: Report shows a loss of ($2,566.37), with performance fee the loss is ($33,066.37). 107 attended. Performance Fee: Report shows a profit of $3,944.97, with performance fee the loss is […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
By: Diane Benjamin VenuWorks finally posted 2 hockey reports for the new league playing at the Coliseum. (Grossinger Motors Arena is too long folks) The memo states these are the top two teams in the League, a new one from here will be playing next year. I do not know why these two games were […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
By: Diane Benjamin Obviously the mission of the BCPA is not to make money or even attempt to break even! No event reports have been posted since the last time I FOIA’d them. The Carole King show was close to a month ago – still no report. It gets better! This show is FREE, I’m […]
It must be too difficult to list each event held at the BCPA separately. The posting buried two shows by posting all on the same link. Normally each show has it’s own link. These two actually made money, one would think they would want people to see them: Since September this brings income to $18,083.26 […]
By: Diane Benjamin Evidently I have to file a FOIA to get event reports posted. They will be posted and then my FOIA will be denied because they are posted. I wonder if they would ever be posted without a FOIA? So far only one report from a month ago is available: https://www.cityblm.org/government/advanced-components/documents/-folder-1784 This looks […]
By: Diane Benjamin Nothing is more frustrating than government employees who can’t get their story straight. Here’s another example: See PDF page 4 of the February City Manger’s report: http://www.cityblm.org/Home/ShowDocument?id=21477 According to the guy in charge, the BCPA held 6 events in February. How many do we have event reports for? http://www.cityblm.org/government/advanced-components/documents/-folder-1702 TWO! Where are […]
By: Diane Benjamin The missing event reports from Grossinger Motors Arena have finally been posted. Details here: https://blnnews.com/2019/03/11/more-venuworks-city-fail/ Last year the Bacon and Beer Fest made a profit of $ 12,230.53. 1319 people attended. http://www.cityblm.org/Home/ShowDocument?id=15976 This year the event was held earlier in the day, attendance dropped to 1166, profit dropped to $ 8,037.07. http://www.cityblm.org/Home/ShowDocument?id=21322 […]
By: Diane Benjamin Keep in mind what the VenuWorks contract says: (No Later Than) PDF page 17 – contract The Kane Brown concert, which was supposedly sold out, was held on February 28. No report is posted: http://www.cityblm.org/government/advanced-components/documents/-folder-1694 The Bacon and Beer festival was held March 2nd, tomorrow will be 10 days. People on Facebook […]
By: Diane Benjamin Bills and Payroll: http://www.cityblm.org/Home/ShowDocument?id=21131 The BCPA hasn’t posted an event report since my last FOIA. Transparency isn’t part of their game! Most artist fees are $5000 or less, not this one. Do I really need to FOIA every report to get them on the website? Looks like throwing parties for themselves. […]
By: Diane Benjamin Just yesterday I predicted the Hot Wheels Monster Truck event recap would magically appear after I FOIA’d it: https://blnnews.com/2019/02/21/arena-event-reports-fail/ Surprise – here it is. All I need now is a FOIA denial. This was four shows, average attendance per show was 2,136. Note too this show was a rental. Many of the […]
By: Diane Benjamin I filed a FOIA request for all the event reports missing from the BCPA site. I actually found this earlier Friday, the FOIA denying my request was finally received at 4:45 pm Friday. It’s pretty clear why event reports weren’t on the website. http://www.cityblm.org/government/advanced-components/documents/-folder-1702 I recapped the events for you: How can […]
By: Diane Benjamin It wasn’t a smart move by the City of Bloomington to pretend to deny my FOIA request for the event recap of the Naked Magicians show because it was posted on the website. As I reported, no event reports between February 2018 and November 2018 have been posted – just the one […]
By: Diane Benjamin I filed a FOIA request for a recap of the Naked Magicians Show held at the BCPA. My request was denied because the report is on-line, I was directed there instead. Here’s where it gets funny for me, likely tragic for Bloomington taxpayers. http://www.cityblm.org/government/advanced-components/documents/-folder-1555 These are the only shows listed, no event […]
By: Diane Benjamin February events – net profit on each event is listed Bacon a Beer Fest – 12,230.53 http://www.cityblm.org/Home/ShowDocument?id=15976 8 tickets were comp’d, I wonder to who? Hockey 2/17 – 6,231.53 http://www.cityblm.org/Home/ShowDocument?id=15978 452 tickets Comp Hockey 2/7 – 1,109.92 http://www.cityblm.org/Home/ShowDocument?id=15928 384 tickets Comp Guns and Hoses – 2,799.53 http://www.cityblm.org/Home/ShowDocument?id=15926 0 Comp IHSA Cheerleading – 46,391.53 http://www.cityblm.org/Home/ShowDocument?id=15830 302 […]
Update: The management announced today the naming rights have been sold – and for the same amount US Cellular was paying: $175,000 a year. It will be name Grossinger Motors Arena for at least 5 years. I haven’t heard who is paying for the new signs, letterhead, business cards, menus, etc. _____________________________________ By: Diane Benjamin […]
