By: Diane Benjamin The picture below is from the Facebook page of the downtown Bloomington business that holds Drag Queen story hour for kids. Can anybody honestly say this is not an attempt to sexualize children? Note the names of books they are reading to the kids. There aren’t other life lessons as told […]
By: Diane Benjamin Pepsi hasn’t paid for naming rights at the Ice Center for years. That doesn’t keep Bloomington from still giving them free advertising: PDF page 196 of the annual financial statements: http://www.cityblm.org/home/showdocument?id=20281 “Pepsi” is also on PDF pages 32 and 33. Grossinger Motors does pay for naming rights of the former US […]
By: Diane Benjamin Below are the ADMIN salaries for Parks & Rec – the pencil pushers: (pensions and benefits not included) Parks, Recreation & Cultural Arts Administration What does the Zoo cost? Miller Park Zoo Budget Yes, citizens of Bloomington are paying almost $600,000 for the Zoo. It’s very cool, but obviously not run as a […]
By: Diane Benjamin Government doesn’t have to be competent, especially when incompetent people are elected! The City of Bloomington has proven over and over they know where to get more money. YOU! The naming rights for the Ice Center expired more than two years ago. Pepsi is no longer paying to have their name on […]
By: Diane Benjamin I filed a FOIA request for the profit and loss at the Ice Center. Note – it isn’t “Pepsi” anymore because they chose not to renew the sponsorship almost two years ago: https://blnnews.com/2018/01/10/quit-calling-it-the-pepsi-ice-center/ The Ice Center did show Revenues of $990,556.60 and Expenses of $853,498.89 for a profit of $137,057.71. This is […]
By: Diane Benjamin Proving yet again that essential items slip through the cracks at City Hall, Pepsi did not renew the naming rights contract for the Ice Center. Either nobody is looking for a replacement or nobody wants to buy the sponsorship. The naming rights expired the same time the Coliseum naming rights expired: March […]
The on-line version has been corrected. How are they going to correct all those printed copies? Are there enough to worry about? ______________________________________________ By: Diane Benjamin If anyone was expecting a hard-hitting editorial by the anonymous writers at the Pantagraph against Tari Renner for once again inflaming the local acrimony Monday night, you will be […]
By: Diane Benjamin After the McLean County Chamber of Commerce supported every big spender in the local elections, they are now want a huge sports complex at your expense. If government created prosperity, Illinois would be the most successful state in the country! Instead, people are fleeing high taxes, regulations, and government nonsense. But the […]
By: Diane Benjamin The City of Bloomington Finance Department posted a summary as 4/30/16 – the end of the City’s fiscal year: http://www.cityblm.org/Modules/ShowDocument.aspx?documentid=10958 The information is un-audited and tax receipts from State sources lag months behind, but the 63 pages provides a good snapshot of where finances were at the end of April. Below is […]
By: Diane Benjamin Received under the Freedom of Information Act – the City DID get paid in the settlement for repairs to the Pepsi Ice Center parking garage: (click to enlarge)
I originally had the law firms backwards! By: Diane Benjamin The Bloomington City Council is meeting again tonight. They will be asked to approve more bills. Below are a few: CLARK BAIRD SMITH LLP (This is the Chicago law firm) CHECK TOTAL 4,270.43 Last week a payment of $8,798.75 was approved LYNN MONTEI ASSOCIATES […]
by: Diane Benjamin Celebrate Celebrate! The Pantagraph is cheering the Bloomington City Council for moving quickly to fix the Pepsi Ice Center parking garage. It’s been closed for 11 months Pantagraph! Worse, the parking garage isn’t even 10 years old. Taxpayers paid around $3,3000,000 for the original construction. Monday night the Council will review bids […]
by: Diane Benjamin First some background: Thousands of kids play soccer in Bloomington-Normal. They will soon lose their fields on the airport property because the FAA thinks it’s too dangerous. A group of supporters recently put together a proposal for a new complex on the west side combined with relocating the YMCA to south Bloomington. […]
by: Diane Benjamin Allow me to set this up: The City of Bloomington owns the Pepsi Ice Center. I reported earlier the Pepsi Ice Center showed a profit: http://blnnews.com/2013/10/15/how-much-does-the-pepsi-ice-center-cost-you/ The City of Bloomington own the Coliseum, but they handed it over to CIAM to manage. The Pepsi Ice Center now has so many users they […]
by: Diane Benjamin Surprise, Surprise! The Pepsi Ice Center had an operating profit last year! The profit doesn’t include paying for the building but, at least operationally, it didn’t costing the taxpayers money:
