By: Diane Benjamin More on this story: https://blnnews.com/2022/08/10/is-truth-too-difficult-for-pam-reece/ Not only did Pam Reece try to hide information that would have been nothing without her deception, she signed an agreement that violated FOIA laws. This statement is in the agreement: Very little government does can legally be hidden from citizens. This statement should never have been […]
By: Diane Benjamin This payment was in the 8/1/2022 Normal Town Council packet: Note the $2000 was paid from Pam Reece’s discretionary funds. Since it was paid from her funds, she should know why it was paid. Watch this exchange that happened at the meeting. Pam can’t remember what the $2000 payment was for, she […]
If you want to listen to Kathleen Lorenz’s interview with Steve Suess, it isn’t on the Cities 92.9 website. Use this link: https://open.spotify.com/episode/5IPYpDxgHmOmQeJJ4XMjt3 By: Diane Benjamin The referendum question has enough verified registered voter signatures to be on the November ballot. I doubt that will stop the “elites” from challenging them. The article below explains […]
By: Diane Benjamin On the 7/25/2022 Bloomington Bills and Payroll report was an Accelerated Payment to IMRF for $5,568.15. Since the Sick Leave Buy Back policy was FINALLY phased out, I FOIA’d information on this payment. This is the explanation I received from the City of Bloomington: Their note doesn’t explain what I received from […]
By: Diane Benjamin The actual meeting was only around an hour. The Council was in Executive Session for the rest of the video. Gary Lambert lambasted the City for the cash reserve levels during Public Comment, this is a must listen: Hit play below to hear the City is only spending around $9 million on […]
Update: The Town of Normal can not pay staff to review the signatures, that would be electioneering and illegal! Close to 2200 signatures will be submitted to the Town of Normal this afternoon. Signing the petition only gets a Yes or No question on the November ballot. Next the real fun starts! Let’s see who […]
By: Diane Benjamin Packet: The City will be spending $5,220,438.92 on general street resurfacing. Of course that isn’t nearly enough to even begin catching up. See PDF page 245 and following for a list of streets. Bills and Payroll: https://www.cityblm.org/home/showpublisheddocument/28184/637951356778730000 Number of employees is now 947. The meeting looks pretty boring. Maybe somebody can liven […]
By: Diane Benjamin No recent reports have been posted to the website, I had to FOIA them again. Why is the City of Bloomington hiding this information? https://www.cityblm.org/government/advanced-components/documents/-folder-1993 Better sit down. Two events made money, overall loss however: $17,431.46 No events happened in June, July, and August. The City switches to billing taxpayers for downtown […]
By: Diane Benjamin Review: All of these commissioners were hand-picked by Chris Koos. The Council is told they have to approve whoever he picks. The names of appointees aren’t given to the public until after the Council rubber-stamps them with a YES vote. RC McBride was kicked off the Council by voters, now he chairs […]
By: Diane Benjamin Doing a favor for the guy who gave you an internship Andy? You were the first one to jump on a motion to approve what was presented last night! I’ve got video! If Kathleen Lorenz is really worried about developers rejecting Normal after watching what happens there, this fiasco will send them […]
By: Diane Benjamin I attended Normal’s Planning Commission meeting last night. I only stayed for 3 hours, it was still going on when I left. Here’s the takeaway: When government claims it can’t protect your property rights because laws and regulations don’t allow it, your government needs replaced with one who understands the Constitution. See […]
By: Diane Benjamin Refer back to this story: https://blnnews.com/2022/08/03/normal-planning-commission-tomorrow/ Town Planner Mercy Davidson sent me an email stating they don’t livestream or video Board and Commission meetings. Keep in mind, all the appointees were picked by Chris Koos himself. The public doesn’t know in advance and the elected Trustees (all but one) think it is […]
By: Diane Benjamin If you like listening to Biden and Harris explain the economy, this video is for you. I’m only posting it in case Karyn decides to run for re-election next year. This is from last Monday’s Normal Town Council meeting. It’s fingernails-on-a-chalkboard folks:
By: Diane Benjamin Remember this mowing fail from July 20th? https://blnnews.com/2022/07/20/5-things-you-need-to-know-5/ The next day it was cleaned up: (Thanks to the same reader who sent the above) The pictures below are from a different reader. These are a little north of the ones above. The reader claims this hasn’t been touched in months. Normal put […]
By: Diane Benjamin The Town of Normal lives on grants, they think it is fantastic to bring money back to Normal. What Normal is really doing is getting grants for things they can’t afford – the underpass being the latest. It is an amenity that isn’t needed, Normal just want it. Like inflation? The feds […]
By: Diane Benjamin One would think since this meeting is being held in the Council Chambers it would be Live Streamed. There are two items a LOT of people will be interested. It will NOT be on video! See this story for details of the agenda: https://blnnews.com/2022/07/31/north-normal-normal-and-barickman-want-to-devalue-your-property/ I asked Mercy Davidson about video: I will […]
Next Wednesday Unit 5 will vote to put a referendum on the November ballot to raise property taxes. Taxes on a home valued at $180,000 will increase $500 a year. Nothing in the WOKE curriculum is being cut. Next April voters can elect non-teachers union backed School Board members. If this doesn’t pass in November, […]
The Bloomington Election Commission Director that was hired last November just resigned. Everybody agree it’s time to dump BEC? Are they now going to screw up the November election?
Ask your kids if they have ever been told not tell you about something that happened at school. I know one district where it has happened. Make it clear to your children they MUST tell you. You are your kids parents, not the school. You can’t keep them safe from things the schools are hiding.
By: Diane Benjamin I hope you listened to at least parts of Kathleen’s interview from this story: https://blnnews.com/2022/08/01/kathleen-lorenz/ Since she explained over and over that she is data-driven and has an analytical engineers mind, I asked her two questions: Kathleen, I listened to your interview twice only because I was in the car. I’m […]
By: Diane Benjamin I received a tip that before David Mouser left Tri-Valley for his new job as Superintendent of District 87 he got approval allowing the children of employees to attend Tri-Valley even if they don’t live in the District. His wife works at Tri-Valley, the family moved probably because District 87 thought their […]
By: Diane Benjamin See tonight’s packet here: https://www.normalil.gov/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/4382 Besides other items, Normal will be giving $100,000 from ARPA funds to Carle for the Mobile Clinic that Bloomington already passed giving $150,000 for. https://blnnews.com/2022/06/14/bloomington-minus-2-aldermen/ FYI: Normal has an undated Social Media policy: https://www.normalil.gov/DocumentCenter/View/18492/Social-Media-Disclaimer-?fs=e&s=cl If the Town’s public comment policy doesn’t prove to you Normal does not […]
By: Diane Benjamin Steve Suess interviewed Kathleen Lorenz for his entire Sunday show. Actually Kathleen did most of the talking. This is a must listen to discussion. I am not going to comment until Stan Nord is on the same show next Sunday. I refuse to be accused of feeding Stan talking points, he has […]
By: Diane Benjamin Before reading the rest of THIS article, read this one: https://nypost.com/2020/07/21/joe-bidens-disastrous-plans-for-americas-suburbs/ On Thursday the Planning Commission will hear testimony about high-density and medium-density housing right next to expensive housing in Wintergreen Subdivision. This is exactly the plan Obama started under the guise of Equity housing. Biden is continuing the plan to destroy […]
By: Diane Benjamin Elections were held Wednesday across the State for the GOP Central Committee. They are the Governing Board of the Illinois Republican Party. The people below were elected – look at how many supported Richard Irvin who lost massively in the Republican Primary for governor. Obviously democrats are running the Republican Party, not […]
By: Diane Benjamin If you don’t know who Rachael Lund is, this will refresh your memory: https://blnnews.com/2020/10/30/who-is-the-real-rachael-lund/ After Lund failed to win her County Board election, Chris Koos appointed her to the Planning Commission. That speaks volumes about Koos, of course the Council has been told their only role is to approve anyone Koos picks, […]
By: Diane Benjamin Follow up to this story: https://blnnews.com/2022/07/02/mclean-county-goes-woke-without-a-vote/ I FOIA’d the County trying to find out. Start here, two employees include their pronouns on emails: Cassy Taylor, County Administrator, sent the email to all employees requiring them to take the DEI training. She didn’t use pronouns or her last name. Amy Baker was hired […]
By: Diane Benjamin The longer a City Manager hangs around their progressive ideology become more apparent. Tim Gleason was evidently hired from Decatur because he spearheaded redevelopment there. Decatur’s is busy during the day because people work downtown. It dies at night, they don’t have the bars Bloomington has. Progressives think government creates prosperity and […]
By: Diane Benjamin In case you forgot, PASER is the Pavement Rating and Assessment Project the Normal Town Council passed last October: https://www.normalil.gov/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/3770 See PDF page 35. The Council was told the total cost would be $100,000 with a grant arranged by the McLean County Regional Planning Commission for $80,000 of that. The Town would […]
By: Diane Benjamin Donna Boelen wanted this on the record, unless you see her Council comment at the end of the meeting it is only on the record for staff. Donna asked again about the updated Intergovernmental Agreement with Connect Transit. Supposedly Bloomington has done their work and it’s sitting in Normal stalled. She shouldn’t […]
This story is hot on Social Media: https://thechalkboardreview.com/report-615-midwestern-teachers-reveal-why-theyre-really-leaving-the-classroom/ 615 verified teachers were surveyed by the writer. I’d love to know if local teachers agree with the results. By far the biggest reason teachers reported quitting is the behavior of students and administrations refusing to do anything about it. Salary comes in third after progressive politics […]
By: Diane Benjamin The Council meeting last night was relatively tame. The most friction came from which Ward Map to approve. It will go into effect immediately since petition packets will be distributed at the end of August for the LOCAL election early next year. Map number 2 was chosen 6-3 with Jeff Crabill, Mollie […]
Guess what the Town of Normal painted over – West College:
By: Diane Benjamin The State of Illinois made Social Emotional Learning Standards the law. Every teacher will be trained in these methods. It’s all about “how you feel” and then creating activists. Illinois learning standards are already poor, educating students to read, write, do math and and science isn’t the goal of any public school. […]
By: Diane Benjamin Bills and Payroll: https://www.cityblm.org/home/showpublisheddocument/28152/637939229937530000 If using accumulated sick time to spike a pension was eliminated, what is this? This is spiking pension(s). Why the Bloomington Election Commission needs eliminated, the elected County Clerk should run all elections instead of unelected bureaucrats: Packet: https://d3n9y02raazwpg.cloudfront.net/cityblm/5a20b9c4-a62d-11ec-8a90-0050569183fa-36dc0a47-f3e1-4a7f-ab53-55227cac04fe-1658440789.pdf PDF page 95: Looks like a Public Hearing on […]
The podcast will be available here by 5:15 pm. You need to hear what Tari said about Mboka. https://www.cities929.com/2022/06/05/the-steve-suess-show/ By: Diane Benjamin Tari Renner was just on the Steve Suess show. He hasn’t changed. Nothing that spews from his mouth can be believed. The tragic news is he hasn’t ruled out running for mayor again. […]
Does this look like you are represented? Currently, Normal residents have trustees who are supposed to be representing the entire town, but they live in 2 small areas of town (see map). There are no Trustees who live east of Veterans or west of Beech. We would like to see Normal have a system where […]
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