By: Diane Benjamin Oh, I forgot the Pantagraph doesn’t do investigative reporting. Printing ridiculous statements from Tari Renner and David Hales is better? For who? Your bottom line? The story today proves the Pantagraph is the last place to get news! David Hales claims to have investigated the accelerated payments problem for Sick Leave Buy […]
By: Diane Benjamin Buried in the Consent Agenda for last Monday’s Council meeting was the approval of Minutes from a meeting held October 22, 2012. See the minutes here: 10/22/2012 Minutes The meeting was a Work Session concerning pension funding and the tax levy. The discussion was not profound, why the Minutes weren’t previously approved […]
By: Diane Benjamin Even though Bloomington’s Springfield attorney (Jeff Jurgens) knew on August 24th that stopping pensions spiking wasn’t a violation of the Illinois Constitution, the policy still hasn’t been changed. See his email and IMRF response here: http://blnnews.com/2015/09/18/who-knew-and-did-nothing-imrf/ The agenda for Monday is on-line, nothing about stopping the rip off of taxpayers that is […]
By: Diane Benjamin The below are from a big pile of information I received from IMRF under the Freedom of Information Act. They all pertain to pensions spiking that David Hales allowed to keep happening and is still allowed today. Remember this when your taxes get raised Monday! I may be posting more, I haven’t […]
By: Diane Benjamin David Hales on WJBC 9/15 : http://cdn.stationcaster.com/stations/wjbc/media/mpeg/David_Hales__Bloomington_City_Manager-1442324001.mp3 Hales was asked about the comments made by Alton Franklin Monday night calling for him to be fired over the pension spiking which cost Bloomington taxpayers more than $1.2 million. Obviously Hales is the source of Alderman Buragas’s information, her email sounds just like him. […]
By: Diane Benjamin Bloomington is so “blessed” to be run by people who have no interest in good government. All they want is money, more money, and control. The video failed to capture the beginning of the meeting. I wonder if that was so Tari shuffling the comment cards wasn’t shown. Public Comment was over […]
By: Diane Benjamin Nobody gets fired. David Hales isn’t held responsible. It was just an accident that Wire Transfers weren’t brought to the Council for approval for YEARS. Nobody’s fault, just slipped through the cracks. Monday night THIS Council is asked to approve Wire Transfers from 2013, 2014, and 2015. They all weren’t members of […]
By: Diane Benjamin Why has the media NOT reported truthfully on the City of Bloomington’s waste of $1.2 Million? Pantagraph? WJBC? Cities? WGLT? Maybe they interviewed Hales or Renner, but they wouldn’t be getting truth! If you clicked on the link to IMRF in this post: http://blnnews.com/2015/09/10/proof-they-lied/ you can get to their page showing FOIA […]
By: Diane Benjamin Another taxpayer asked IMRF for information about the City of Bloomington’s policy allowing pensions spiking. Remember this cost you more than $1.2 MILLION dollars. See the email below FROM IMRF. The RED and BLUE are from me. From: John Krupa <jkrupa@imrf.org> To: (redacted) Sent: Thursday, September 10, 2015 10:53 AM Subject: […]
By: Diane Benjamin Just to make this perfectly clear: David Hales could have avoided spending $1.2 Million + JUST by changing when employees got their accumulated sick days pay. If they had been paid the day they left City employment, their pensions would not have been spiked and therefore IMRF would NOT have sent them […]
By: Diane Benjamin The David Hales saga continues, make sure you read this story first: http://blnnews.com/2015/09/08/what-did-hales-know-plenty/ From the City of Bloomington website: http://www.cityblm.org/index.aspx?page=262 (b) The Council shall approve for payment all expenses and liabilities of the City of Bloomington. Seem pretty clear to you? Need a definition of “shall”? http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shall (directive, mandatory, expected) The City […]
By: Diane Benjamin It should be more than obvious the City calls the Pantagraph to do a story when they know they are in trouble. Today there were 2 printed about spiking pensions. Gee, I wonder if citizens are upset?!? Taxes are about to be raised because you exist only to be abused by government, […]
By: Diane Benjamin In the continuing quest by the Pantagraph to prove yet again they are not real media: Today they CHEERED Bloomington and Normal for working to stopp pension spiking! WOW! Why didn’t they include how great it is that Normal WASTED $29,939.10 and Bloomington THREW away $1,215,177.70 before being exposed by the Chicago […]
By: Diane Benjamin I emailed with the reporter of the Chicago Tribune story today. Without him, you never would have known the City was allowing you to be ripped off. Joe Mahr gave me a little more history of spiking. The law disallowing employees to spike their salary in the final 3 months of employment […]
By: Diane Benjamin See this post from yesterday: http://blnnews.com/2015/08/26/imrf-what-did-hales-know-and-when/ David Hales could have stopped this insanity in 2012. $1,216,177.70 of Bloomington taxpayer dollars would not have disappeared if employees and David Hales had any ethics. All that needed to be done is this: Employees get their accumulated sick leave pay THE DAY THEY LEAVE CITY […]
By: Diane Benjamin At last Monday night’s Council meeting a discussion took place about pension spiking. The Chicago Tribune reported on Emily Bell’s pension spiking and the resulting fine of $358,394.12 the Bloomington taxpayers were forced to pay. Her fine was the highest in the State. Obviously the discussion never would have taken place if […]
According to today’s Pantagraph, the IMRF (Illinois Municipal Retirement Funds) is changing their accounting, thus the funding of accounts will look much better. MUCH! This is the same IMRF that manages the funds, performance has been dismal at best. Besides, they can always come back and raise taxes for more money. No worries. Are you […]
When investments in the pension funds don’t perform at the level required for adequate funding, the taxpayers are forced to make up the difference. Is anybody making up for your 401K losses? This is 1 of 5 state pensions funds, all have dismal returns. Pensions reforms are being debated, but it is not likely the […]
