Slap in the face to the citizens of Bloomington

By: Diane Benjamin More on last night’s meeting tomorrow, start with this. Tim Gleason announced last night the Council will consider honorary street names for: (you have to hear it for yourself – 8 seconds) First, Bloomington is completely incompetent at zoom. Tim Gleason is talking, see his face up there anywhere? Hold a meeting […]

Bloomington’s Master Planning

By: Diane Benjamin Government is not capable of Master Planning because they are spending YOUR money not theirs. They use your taxes as a piggy bank to fulfill their wishes. Voters keep electing progressives who promise to make their lives better and of course not raise taxes to do it. Insert your own joke__________________. Proof […]

Local Government Isn’t Your saviour

By: Diane Benjamin Monday night the residents with damaged property due to flooding last June didn’t show up at Council. They have been to every other Council meeting since June making Public Comments. Maybe they were too appalled the Library would claim $20 million+ was all they need for GLORIOUS while their homes remain damaged […]

Tari Flashback, Monday’s agenda

By: Diane Benajmin Something I found while looking for something else, this is dated in December of 2017: https://www.wjbc.com/2017/12/13/renner-bloomington-wont-be-sanctuary-city-mayor-sees-need-to-cut-personnel-costs-to-reduce-spending/ Excerpt: Monday night Jenn Carrillo’s Welcoming City Ordinance is on the agenda: Are you going to tell the Council not to approve this Tari? Change your mind? You now want Bloomington to be a sanctuary City […]

History Friday (local)

By: Diane Benjamin Figure out LIMITED Government yet? I remember posting about limited government years ago and getting comments like “you don’t want police and fire”. Obviously that isn’t what LIMITED Government means. Government uses your money for their folly because they can. You would have much more money in your pocket if government only […]

Tari’s Ward 4 candidate and more

By: Diane Benjamin Clearly Emig is Tari’s pick for Ward 4, he’s holding an open house at his house for her.  If you aren’t a left winger and want to attend, just show up.  Responding on Facebook will get you blocked. Remember about a year ago when various Council people held “priority based budgeting” townhalls? […]

Is this your wish for 2019?

By:  Diane Benjamin The Bloomington City Council has until April 1st to fire VenuWorks:  PDF page 2    http://www.cityblm.org/Home/ShowDocument?id=10901 The Coliseum (Grossinger Motors Arena) continues to fleece taxpayers. The audited loss for last year was $2,168,534. https://blnnews.com/2018/11/18/the-media-wont-report-this/ Taxpayers were deceived by the consultants before it was built – against the wishes of citizens.  They predicted revenues […]

2003 Letter to the Editor

By:  Diane Benjamin I heard this from TWO sources when I started posting old articles from when the Coliseum vote was taken. Evidently Mayor Markowitz wanted the arena built, at least in part, because her son loved hockey and she wanted him to move back to town. My sources heard her say after the vote:  […]

Rennerwitz and Burtejka

By:  Diane Benjamin I attended the Black-Sage-Schmidt Townhall meeting last night at the BCPA.  At most 30 citizens attended and many staff members.  The aldermen didn’t waste a lot of time going over what people already knew.  Most of the time was questions and answers, mostly about budget issues. One citizen asked why a NO […]

The SAD Coliseum history

By:  Diane Benjamin I’ve been reading a TON of media stories from before and after the Bloomington City Council voted to build the Coliseum. Judy Markowitz didn’t care what people thought.  She was going to build it and nothing was going to stop her.  She really believed she was saving downtown.  Mike Matejka and former […]

City should have sued their consultants

By:  Diane Benjamin The City of Bloomington paid consultants before building the white elephant.  They predicted revenues of $7,000,000 a year and net income of  $2,319,000 a year.    https://blnnews.com/2015/07/21/coliseum-the-jokes-on-you/ The City has now gifted the financial statements from almost a year ago – 4/30/2017.  The Coliseum audited statements are included:    http://www.cityblm.org/home/showdocument?id=15348 Revenue for the year was […]

Coliseum: Who to blame

By:  Diane Benjamin All the way back in October of 2000, Tari Renner had his students do a survey of Bloomington residents about building an arena on the EAST side. 63% opposed a tax increase to build it.  The estimate to build it was only $25 million.  Renner lamented the questions asked were worded negatively. […]

Reviewing the past:

By:  Diane Benjamin A reader found this story from 2005 in Peoria Magazine:  http://www.peoriamagazines.com/aa/2005/jun/silhouette It’s an interview with former Mayor Judy Markowitz when she left office. Quotes from the article: Are both running successfully yet? The BCPA is a big money loser, you already know about the Coliseum.  (Another Coliseum story:  http://ilnews.org/9870/financial-probe-of-coliseums-former-manager-may-involve-concession-money/) Every mayor since […]