Contact me – I’m in the book. Or provide a valid email address. Sources are ALWAYS confidential – it’s up to you. Update: I work for FREE! Sorry, but I’m not doing goose chases for somebody I can’t ask questions of.
by Diane Benjamin You will have to read the previous post to understand this one: http://blnnews.com/2014/02/13/more-coliseum-nonsense/ Look once more at the Income reported by CIAM. These items are listed as INCOME because the Coliseum is reimbursed for these expenses from the events held at the Coliseum. CIAM is taking their 4% without netting the Income […]
by: Diane Benjamin This information is from the Coliseum Report compiled by the Company hired to manage the Coliseum – CIAM and the contract the City has with CIAM. CIAM Report: http://www.cityblm.org/Modules/ShowDocument.aspx?documentid=5459 City agreement with CIAM: (I don’t know why the contract calls them CIA!) Management Agreement CIAM 10.1 Management Fee. (page 20-21) As base […]
by: Diane Benjamin I really hate to keep reminding the City of Bloomington: The citizens voted NO on the Coliseum, but you built it anyway. Government is NOT smarter than the people. Government does NOT create sustainable jobs. Government is not capable of being financially responsible with YOUR money because they don’t have to. Call […]
The League has announced they aren’t going to take a position on Modified Wards. Interesting since 2 leaders helped get signatures for the petition. They supposedly did emergency research. I wonder why they can’t make a decision? Um . . . .
by: Diane Benjamin On the ballot are some BIG issues: If you live in Bloomington – Modified Wards. This is how it will be worded on the ballot, evidently they aren’t Aldermen anymore:: Shall the City of Bloomington elect part of the councilmen at large (3) and part of the councilmen from districts (5) with […]
Look at the numbers. Debt per Citizen and Debt per Taxpayer. Go to the bottom – look at Liability per Taxpayer. Both the US House and US Senate just voted for more debt. Congrats America – the future is bleak. Add another $12,011 per citizen for Illinois. http://usdebtclock.org/
by: Diane Benjamin Government asking citizens what they think is a great thing. Obviously it didn’t work with the Coliseum, but government has since learned a better way to ask questions. Yes/No doesn’t achieve the correct results. Google Delphi Method. Delphi is technique City leaders and those with an agenda are TRAINED in so consensus […]
The below was sent to me by Scott Fowler of the McLean County Regional Planning Commission. I agreed to post the information. I asked Scott how many cyclists were in the area, this is his response: We currently don’t have a number for how many cyclists live in Bloomington-Normal. We are hoping that this effort will […]
About appointing a Council member to replace Jennifer McDade: Stockton polled the Council for their choice and never informed the members of what the others thought. Has Renner already made up his mind? I hear at least 3 people are interested. Who will get a fair shot at the seat? How transparent will Mayor Transparency […]
by: Diane Benjamin All of the following information was obtained under the Freedom of Information Act from the Attorney General’s Public Access Office. In November, when Alderwoman Stearns walked out of an Executive Session because she thought the discussion violated the Open Meetings Act, Mayor Renner all but called her accusations a joke. Let’s review. […]
by: Diane Benjamin This morning Scott Laughlin read an article on the air from a website you’ve probably never heard of, written by a guy you’ve probably never heard of. The article accused Bruce Rauner of being behind the attacks on Dan Rutherford. I have no way of knowing what the truth is, but the […]
by: Diane Benjamin Mayor Renner assumes that citizens can’t read. The email below clearly shows Renner and Fazzini working together to write the petition for Modified Wards. One of these guys is a liar! You deserve to know which one. Listen to Mayor Renner on Cities 92.9 this morning. Notice the date on the email […]
by: Diane Benjamin A citizens sent this link to me today: http://bloomingtonil.mindmixer.com/ It isn’t connected to the official City of Bloomington website, but City employees are asking for your input. The Bike Blono crowd is going to respond to the surveys and show up at meetings. Citizens who will be paying for bike lanes and […]
by: Diane Benjamin Illinois State University is hosting Karen Lewis on February 24. Information can be found here: http://stories.illinoisstate.edu/university/media-relations/identity-events/chicago-teachers-union-leader-speak/?utm_source=Relay&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=Illinois%20State%20News Karen Lewis is known for saying some really bizarre things, but her biography as listed in the article is even more bizarre: She later transferred to Dartmouth College, earning a degree in music and sociology. Lewis […]
If you are looking for a link to the lawsuit filed against Rutherford today: http://www.rebootillinois.com/2014/treasurer-employee-s-suit-accusing-rutherford-of-sexual-harassment-11940?utm_source=facebook-rbt&utm_medium=mbondi&utm_campaign=2/10/2014 It has nothing to do with this story. by: Diane Benjamin Elected officials used to work for no pay – a long time ago! They were public servants who felt it was their duty to serve for a brief time […]
by: Diane Benjamin Springfield had severe problems with Open Meeting Act violations and failure to respond to Freedom of Information Act requests before Todd Greenburg became the City Corporate Council. I think they called the latest Shred-Gate after some local officials decided to destroy evidence. In case you forgot, Greenburg formerly worked for the City […]
by: Diane Benjamin A month ago this story was posted: http://blnnews.com/2014/01/08/fly-on-the-wall-kathy-michael/ Kathy Michael ranted in the comments – she has a real problem with being anything less than perfect and somebody pointing that out. Kathy, here’s a tip: just tell the truth and nothing else matters. I told you to get me proof of what […]
by: Diane Benjamin Yesterday the Chicago Tribune posted a long article on a vote Bill Brady took last November that benefited his family. The local press not only didn’t report on Brady’s vote, they never looked for any corruption in it. Local insiders are exempt from any scrutiny. The Pantagraph and WJBC have a firm policy […]
Illinois Now Has the Second-Highest Property Taxes in the Nation In the last decade, the state has been climbing the charts—and could pass New Jersey this year. BY DENNIS RODKIN PUBLISHED JAN. 2, 2014 With all the snow this week and the brutal cold forecast for Chicago next week, it’s no wonder so […]
Mayor Renner wants a hotel in downtown Bloomington. I thought the purpose was to help the Coliseum. But, the hotel feasibility study includes a 20,000 square foot convention center. I thought the Coliseum was the convention center. How is this going to help the Coliseum? Besides, 150 rooms isn’t going to handle a lot of […]
by: Diane Benjamin Jennifer McDade is quitting the Bloomington City Council for “personal reasons”. Her petitions were challenged when she ran in 2013 and enough of them were ruled invalid to get her off the ballot. She spent THOUSANDS appealing the decision and won at the next level – then won the election. Now she […]
by: Diane Benjamin Operations of the Coliseum are extremely complicated. Management hired by the City is operating some functions without any over-sight or accountability. The taxpayers deserve to know the truth. The City has a contract with Central Illinois Arena Management (CIAM) to run the daily operations. The Coliseum Fund is audited by an independent […]
Drive in downtown Bloomington and by Wesleyan University and the streets are in great shape! Meanwhile, residents can’t drive in their neighborhoods because the roads are solid ice. One resident, finally fed up with calls to the city, posted a video on Facebook of the City truck finally arriving and being unable to make it […]
by: Diane Benjamin I’m surprised anybody is still publicly supporting Modified Wards since former supporters are now in hiding and changing their stories (http://blnnews.com/2014/02/02/say-it-together-hypocrisy/), but another Letter to the Editor appeared in the Pantagraph today. The writer, Carol Koos, is trying to sell Modified Wards on the 4-votes talking points. Rob Fazzini has already made […]
by: Diane Benjamin Just like the Modified Ward referendum, the schools decided to put an important vote to raise Sales Taxes on a PRIMARY ELECTION ballot. Primaries have low voter turnout, one has to wonder why they picked this election. With 2 important ballot initiatives, I doubt voter turn out will be as low as […]
Source: http://www.glennbeck.com/2014/02/05/david-barton-voices-support-convention-of-states-in-letter/ Wallbuilders Founder David Barton has authored a letter expressing his support for a Convention of States. Alongside his co-host on Wallbuilders Live Rick Green, Barton says he has spent years researching a Convention of States and is urging Americans to support this legislative effort to limit the scope of the federal government. He writes: Fellow […]
The office of Gov. Pat Quinn is claiming victory off a study released Thursday by CareerBuilder and Economic Modeling Specialists International. The study shows that Illinois ranked third-highest nationally in the creation of net new business establishments from 2009-2012. An establishment is defined as a single location that produces some form of economic activity, and Illinois had […]
by: Diane Benjamin From the Pantagraph 7/15/2008, 10/25/2009, 9/29/2010, 4/6/2012 The Bloomington City Council had a 5 year, $850,000 plan to pay the Downtown Bloomington Association to manage the downtown district. The Association President at the time was Greg Koos. The 5 year funding plan was supposed to end in 2011. Of course, it hasn’t ended. […]
by: Diane Benjamin 2008 is no longer on the City of Bloomington website, so this information is from a Pantagraph article dated 7/29/08. At the City Council meeting on the 28th, a vote was taken to hire Doug Farr Associates of Chicago to do a Downtown Bloomington plan. One alderman was missing, so the vote […]
by: Diane Benjamin The League of Women Voters has a history of being on the wrong side of issues. I remember discussing ObamamCare on Facebook with a member before it was passed. The League supported ObamaCare and so did the member I discussed it with. I wonder if they have changed their minds? If not, […]
by: Diane Benjamin From the Illinois Policy Institute http://illinoispolicy.org/wp-content/files_mf/1381871836102_countiesFINAL.pdf# Online transparency is the best solution to address the corruption problems in Illinois. Illinois does not need to be the national headquarters for political corruption; this state can be a national leader when it comes to good government transparency and accountability reforms at the state and […]
by: Diane Benjamin Yesterday I posted a story about how the McLean County Chamber of Commerce is working against the interests of small businesses. It riled at least one Republican. I believe he is an establishment type Republican because I’ve heard the same talk for years. They have no idea what it means to be […]
by: Diane Benjamin Yesterday there was a fascinating Letter to the Editor in the Pantagraph by Mike Matejka. He came out against the March referendum for Modified Wards! It was only a few months ago Matejka helped Rob Fazzini craft a different Letter to the Editor in support of Modified Wards: http://blnnews.com/2013/12/13/expect-to-see-this-in-the-pantagraph/ Is Matejka running a […]
by: Diane Benjamin Businesses join the Chamber of Commerce because they think they need to. The Chamber is promoting propaganda that has nothing to do American values of free market capitalism and limited government. Small businesses pay them around $250 a year to be members. These businesses are unwittingly funding this anti-American propaganda. They […]
by: Diane Benjamin The national and local Chamber of Commerce is now the enemy of the American people. They are pouring money into politics to get immigration reform – they want cheap labor. More unskilled workers taking jobs will hurt American workers trying to break into the workforce. They don’t care about the little people. […]
