By: Diane Benjamin This video is of wind turbines near Broadwell Il. It was WINDY yesterday, but none of them were turning. I saw a small solar field on the west side of I55 too, a nice hail storm will destroy it. Only the un-informed would believe either will provide enough energy to fuel the […]
By: Diane Benjamin I was in Springfield yesterday along with thousands of other pro-life citizens. The march is about all life in a state that doesn’t respect any life. There were many inspiring speakers, including pro-life legislators. It was impossible to get pictures of the entire crowd without being on top of the capital, but […]
I was right. Congrats Jeff. Now cancel rebranding and fix the roads! By: Diane Benjamin I predict Jeff Jurgens will be named City Manager. He wouldn’t be named today if the council wasn’t already on board. Jurgens is one of the good guys, at least in my dealings with him. Of course any City Manager […]
See the agenda here: https://go.boarddocs.com/il/trivalley3/Board.nsf/vpublic?open
By: Diane Benjamin It’s pretty clear that shows drawing a couple hundred people or less lose money. Broader appeal shows can make money. All BCPA event reports are here: https://www.bloomingtonil.gov/government/advanced-components/documents/-folder-2097#docan2735_6873_64 The report for this show is being revised after I questioned $32,000 for “stage hands”. It should have only been $26,872.74 per Katherine Murphy. Either […]
By: Diane Benjamin If you’ve ever watched a council meeting you know why I call him Mr. Giggles. Those giggles hide the fact that he’s a big government guy and pushes a progressive (communist) agenda. Can’t Bloomington do better? https://www.wglt.org/local-news/2024-04-15/mwilambwe-to-run-for-2nd-term-as-bloomington-mayor?fbclid=IwAR0pqO6wAXClBrJMohOXCUvF6sQlDT4B1FNa2HwPj3OwLAA2m1M6xwqZS5Y Mwilambwe to run for 2nd term as Bloomington mayor Excerpts: Mwilambwe said he wants to […]
By: Diane Benjamin Surrena Fish was back with an update on Tent City. She claimed there is a waiting list now and police had to be called to break up a fight. Just hit play to hear her comments. The Connect Transit update on the downtown transfer station isn’t that long. If you don’t want […]
By: Diane Benjamin Bloomington has been tired of spending money on the Market Street Garage for many years, but I certainly don’t remember a vote to hand it over to Connect Transit. That garage belongs to Bloomington residents. I can’t wait to see how they make this one legal. An Intergovernmental Agreement will probably appear […]
By: Diane Benjamin We know in 2021 The Immigration Project was 99.95% funded by tax dollars: https://blnnews.com/2024/02/12/the-immigration-project-you-dont-know/ Using the new Benjamin Chat Box on OpenTheBooks.com I searched under “Vendors” for payments made to them. Try it, incredibly easy to use! Results are emailed to you after it searches multiple databases. In 2022 ISU gave them […]
By: Diane Benjamin Maybe the League of Women Voters can investigate since they think they are the arbiter of truth: https://blnnews.com/2024/04/01/league-of-women-voters-squash-the-1st-amendment/ See this WGLT story: https://www.wglt.org/local-news/2024-04-12/mclean-county-clerk-addresses-disability-voting-incident-at-county-board-meeting Skip down to the Amendments sections: The Board didn’t vote to “relax” anything. They didn’t “waive” anything. The Attorney General ruled Public Comment policy that was in effect was: […]
By: Diane Benjamin In case you missed this story: https://blnnews.com/2024/04/12/no-one-was-denied-the-right-to-vote/ Piling on by the far left because laws are immaterial, Corey Beirne had to add his 1 cent brain: DEI is Marxist ideology that eliminates exceptionalism. I hope Corey gets a DEI doctor some day. Microaggressions are merely attempts at limiting speech for fear somebody […]
By: Diane Benjamin There was no discrimination. Feelings are immaterial, adults know that. Just because you “feel” discriminated against doesn’t make it truth. Adults move on, they don’t need to grandstand. Thanks for clarifying your divisiveness Krystle. Vote by mail in November, no poll workers to deal with.
By: Diane Benjamin The video below is from Public Comment at the McLean County Board meeting last night. Just hit play. These speakers expect poll workers to be perfect. Perfection doesn’t exist. Nobody is perfect. 4 people spoke and then Kathy Michael. Why anyone would sign up to be a poll worker if they aren’t […]
By: Diane Benjamin April 28th will mark 12 years for BlnNews.com. I only started writing because I saw lousy local reporting on things that matter. The 1st Amendment guarantees Freedom of the Press – unless government has other plans. There is a hearing going on today in the House because they are considering a Press […]
By: Diane Benjamin OpenTheBooks.com has a wonderful new feature for seeing how your money is spent. It’s called BENJAMIN chatbox. It isn’t named after me, it’s named after Benjamin Franklin. Click this link and look in the lower right corner: https://www.openthebooks.com/ You can search salaries, pensions, and vendor payments for anyone who gets tax dollars. […]
By: Diane Benjamin h/t a reader Another reader just sent this pic: Remember Public Safety is a high priority! Your taxes paid for the fire department response. 😁 Spraying water:
B: Diane Benjamin In case you missed this story: https://www.wglt.org/local-news/2024-04-08/town-of-normal-and-firefighters-are-repairing-relationship-after-no-confidence-vote-in-chief Quote: In a September letter to the mayor and council obtained by WGLT under the Freedom of Information Act, the Local 2442 of the International Association of Firefighters union said 84% of membership voted no-confidence. The Town of Normal is now covering fire calls in […]
By: Diane Benjamin Future council are NOT bound by the actions of this council. If they were this plan from 2013 would have already been a reality: . If you want people elected who actually care about the roads, start voting for them! A few things in that plan were done, like Way Finding signs, […]
The report finally got posted around 11:00am. Since it was beautiful yesterday I was outside and haven’t looked at it in depth. I will though. The email I received didn’t explain why it was late. By: Diane Benjamin I’ve got more to report from last night’s meeting but it will wait until tomorrow. Bills and […]
By: Diane Benjamin When Dr. David Mouser ran Tri-Valley, according to former employees, he told students “don’t tell your parents”. Tri-Valley is tiny compared to District 87, yesterday’s lockdown reasons were harder for him to keep secret. The message below was sent to parents. It isn’t a false alarm (as reported by media) when “a […]
By: Diane Benjamin The cameras worked last night. A new voting system actually worked last night. Bloomington now has TWO tent cities. Another one sprung up under the Center Street bridge – according to a Public Comment (19:45). The reason people are illegally living in tents in downtown Bloomington is because the first person was […]
By: Diane Benjamin The County Board meeting is Thursday, the Executive Committee meets today and may make changes to what is proposed. The changes failed to pass in February because of democrat shenanigans: https://blnnews.com/2024/02/14/a-legal-public-comment-policy-isnt-on-the-county-board-agenda-blame-democrats/ See the new policies from the Rules Committee starting on PDF page 4: https://mcleancountyil.gov/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/10128 Summary: 15 minutes allotted (not enough for […]
By: Diane Benjamin Tonight’s agenda: https://d3n9y02raazwpg.cloudfront.net/cityblm/f6fa5291-5bbe-11ee-ae13-0050569183fa-d854eb82-3702-4140-9de6-ac3a8e3f379d-1712335286.pdf If you forgot or never heard, Bloomington has a water tower that has never been used because it wasn’t built high enough: https://blnnews.com/2015/08/04/more-ineptness/ That one won’t be mentioned tonight because the City must maintain the appearance of competence. On the agenda is building another one: This one disturbs me […]
By: Diane Benjamin As inflation eats your prosperity government is of course obliged to contribute to your demise. Their costs go up too. The only difference is all they have to is raise your taxes and fees to compensate. Try that with your boss. BNWRD is the Bloomington-Normal Water Reclamation District. At the April 8th […]
By: Diane Benjamin It’s nice to see true colors: . https://www.timesofisrael.com/historian-new-evidence-shows-fdrs-bigotry-derailed-many-holocaust-rescue-plans Franklin Roosevelt was an antisemite. Even Wikipedia agrees: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franklin_D._Roosevelt_and_civil_rights Don’t forget FDR sent Japanese Americans to concentration camps too. https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/fdr-signs-executive-order-9066 FDR also threatened to pack the Supreme Court because they kept striking down his unconstitutional edicts: https://www.history.com/news/franklin-roosevelt-tried-packing-supreme-court (History is repeating itself now!) FDR, elected […]
I hear NCHS students will be doing a charity talent show. Fabulous except where the money raised will go: Palestine Children’s Relief Fund. That organization is an NGO with more than 90% of it’s revenue from tax dollars. Obviously there aren’t any local or state children that need “relief”. Did students or advisors pick PCRF? […]
The below was sent in a newsletter by Illinois State Senator Craig Wilcox. Citizenship in Illinois means being a piggybank so Democrats can give freebies to illegals. “When it comes to Governor JB Pritzker’s gold-plated healthcare plan for non-citizens, the running joke in Springfield is that people want to fly to Mexico and walk back into […]
This is an expansion of an existing network of schools. Tired of public schools? Illinois needs school choice, competition would make public schools instantly better. An education monopoly creates mediocre education. Your kids deserve better, tell legislators you demand choices. Many states are passing school choice, Illinois kids will be left behind. If you need […]
By: Diane Benjamin https://www.decaturtribune.com/2024/04/03/city-beat-tim-gleasons-return-as-city-manager-is-good-news-for-decatur Except: Gleason didn’t get the job in Arizona: https://www.wglt.org/local-news/2024-03-29/tim-gleason-reflects-on-his-six-years-as-bloomington-city-manager Also from the 1st article: Is this why Gleason “was interested in returning to Decatur”?
By: Diane Benjamin Of course Normal Mayor Chris Koos didn’t say those words. For once he is very transparent in what he did say: https://www.wglt.org/local-news/2024-04-02/mayor-of-normal-town-does-not-owe-alan-beaman-a-further-statement The case was filed by Alan Beaman in 2014. How much did Normal waste on legal fees before they decided to settle? Would a jury have awarded Beaman more money? […]
By: Diane Benjamin I like data, if you don’t this one isn’t for you. I found these number surprisingly low. 2020 and 2021 numbers were higher. You can find numerous December (year end) numbers in the February Justice Committee packets here: https://mcleancountyil.gov/Archive.aspx?AMID=70 Did these numbers go down because of the Safety Act? If the purpose […]
By: Diane Benjamin Decatur hired Tim Gleason as City Manager last night for the 2nd time. Fun facts: https://www.bestplaces.net/compare-cities/decatur_il/bloomington_il/costofliving . Tim Gleason will get a salary of $230,000 a year in Decatur: https://www.decaturtribune.com/2024/04/01/city-council-affirms-gleason-as-city-manager-approves-new-universal-yard-waste-service/ Last time he was Decatur’s City Manager this was his salary – he came to Bloomington in 2018: Below is his salary […]
By: Diane Benjamin People lie. Politicians lie. Freedom of Speech is written into the 1st Amendment because the authors thought people were smart enough to hear all sides, inform themselves, and then make decisions based on informed thought. There is no such thing and Mis and Dis information. There are only elites who want to […]
By: Diane Benjamin If you forgot the details of this case, see this story: https://tinyurl.com/fkwse7hd Mr. Beaman lost at least 13 years of his life, of course the Town of Normal won’t admit the police blew the investigation. Jennifer Lockmiller’s killer is still free. He deserves at least this much money. From the documentation – […]
Is this why Tim Gleason is leaving? Tent City growing! H/T a reader
By: Diane Benjamin From Awake Illinois: The attempt by Rep. Anne Stava Murray and the Rules Committee to separate you from your children by labeling you a child abuser for not “affirming” whatever your child dreams up has failed: (HB4876) Read the Awake Illinois release here: https://www.awakeil.com/so/08Ow5zUR0?languageTag=en&cid=3b7fba15-9618-40cc-a0f2-62e8c26fd1d0 If you aren’t on their email list SIGN […]
