Shocked! I am shocked at your editorial. I am shocked that it mostly covers the issues and covers them fairly! When you disabled the comments to your Renner stories, I assumed you had folded. I see some of them are now back, but not to the original story. I can only take issue with one […]
I sincerely apologize for this story: http://blnnews.com/2015/02/11/pantagraph-covers-for-renner-facts-deleted/ I was outraged that you would use your adult son to justify your vile behavior. I shouldn’t have written it because your relationship with your son is between the two of you. Diane Benjamin Tari, none of this changes the fact that you posted comments un-becoming a mayor […]
By: Diane Benjamin Is the City Council going to hold Tari accountable? Is Tari going to quit? I have no idea. If you live in Bloomington, call your alderman. Call City Hall – I hear the phones are ringing constantly from outraged citizens. Tari has 7 Aldermen that support him almost 100% of the time. […]
By: Diane Benjamin The vile comments made by Tari Renner were posted to this story: http://blnnews.com/2015/02/10/does-tari-know-that-judy-isnt-running/ IWU students have commented at the last two Council meetings. The two took turns attacking Alderwoman Stearns. The obvious question is why since she isn’t running for reelection! Review last year – the answer is clear. Tari is getting […]
See update here: http://blnnews.com/2015/02/13/dear-tari-2/ By: Diane Benjamin The Pantagraph has posted their story on-line about Renner’s rant. Renner was on WGLT earlier today with the story that he was acting as a parent protecting his kid when he was attacked. Here’s the attack: I said “his son was Facebook friends with another IWU student – […]
By: Diane Benjamin A reporter from the Pantagraph called for a comment on Tari Renner’s post last night. According to her, Renner claimed his son called late last night (Renner was asleep) all upset that I was going after him. See previous post: http://blnnews.com/2015/02/11/tari-attacks-me-again-not-in-our-town/ Maybe Renner and his son can explain this Tweet from Brexton […]
By: Diane Benjamin Last night Bloomington’s Mayor left the following comment on this story: http://blnnews.com/2015/02/10/does-tari-know-that-judy-isnt-running/ This is what Tari claims is an attack on his son. A reader made this comment: I’m as conservative as they come, but why are you coming at a college kid and his girlfriend? Seems kind of creepy […]
Last night’s City Council performance by Public Comment Speaker and Taurus, Brexton Isaacs (with a supporting role from his close friend, Annie Kehler), was off the mark with most everything he stated, especially in the context of the area of Millennials. The Millennial concept has long been a proverbial ship this Administration has anchored its […]
By: Diane Benjamin The Peoria Rivermen signed a new deal last weekend with the Peoria Civic Center. It is for one year with an option for another. If you didn’t know – the Rivermen are co-owed by Bart Rogers and John Butler: CIAM (Central Illinois Arena Management). Meanwhile, the Coliseum doesn’t have professional hockey, doesn’t […]
By: Diane Benjamin The only interesting parts of last night’s Council meeting were the public comment and Aldermen comments at the end. IWU students have suddenly taken an interest in local politics. It doesn’t hurt that one is a Renner student and the other is his girlfriend – see below. From twitter: Brexton Isaacs retweeted […]
By: Diane Benjamin The Bloomington Normal Convention and Visitor’s Bureau gets a percent of the local Hotel/Motel Tax. That is what the $41,666.67 is. Evidently payments aren’t based on the actual tax collected per month, they got a check for the same amount in January. Maybe the total is adjusted to actual at the end […]
Correction: http://blnnews.com/2015/02/09/sorry-i-know-what-it-is-now/ By: Diane Benjamin VERY Transparent Mayor. You must be afraid to have your potted plants vote in public right before an election! All the citizens surveys said NEEDS before WANTS. You want spending downtown regardless of how bad the streets and sewers are. What the citizens say is immaterial! All your […]
Correction: http://blnnews.com/2015/02/09/sorry-i-know-what-it-is-now/ Details for Bills and Payroll are now posted: http://www.cityblm.org/Modules/ShowDocument.aspx?documentid=8179 Why does it matter, other than Council is approving over $2 Million in bills? The Council voted 7-2 at the last meeting to let David Hales spend $50,000 without their approval. See the next story – I know what they are hiding! […]
By: Diane Benjamin Ronald Reagan defeated the establishment by taking his message to the people. Today Governor Rauner did the same thing in Bloomington, in fact he is going all over the state taking his message to the citizens. His favorite line (used over and over): “I don’t care who I make cranky”. Close to […]
The local bird cage liner is going all in for Renner’s candidate in ward 4. Today they reprinted a Letter to the Editor from a liberal supporter and fellow lawyer. I wonder how many times she has sued to the City for a client? Next, cute little IWU student Brexton – proven to be a […]
I know NOTHING about the author, but he includes a lot of documentation for his claims. BNR EXCLUSIVE: Aaron Schock Sells Home Above Market Value to Political Donor Jimmy Williams | 1 day ago | Breaking News, Justice, Public Enemies, Trending Editor’s Note: Neither Congressman Schock nor his staff would speak on the record for […]
By: Diane Benjamin The Coliseum Management has refused to turn over documents I requested under the Freedom of Information Act. I asked for the payroll for calendar year 2014 and various Micros reports for events held in the building. (the City owns the Micros equipment) I even included rulings from the Attorney General’s office saying […]
By: Diane Benjamin Contrary to what government believes, all documents belong to the citizens unless it can be proven under the law they should remain secret. VERY few exceptions are available – the writers of the FOIA law realized that government DOES NOT exist without taxpayer confiscation of money and therefore the people paying the […]
This story was originally published FEBRUARY 5, 2015. The City of Bloomington continues to allow pension spiking! By: Diane Benjamin The City of Bloomington allows ALL employees to accumulate sick days and get paid for them when they retire – up to 1800 hours. It doesn’t matter their salary might have been much lower when […]
By: Diane Benjamin The candidates were asked a question, then they were given time to write a response. So Ward 4 voters can make up their own minds, I think I will clip responses for all the candidates. That will cut a lot of time off the video as candidates were given time to write […]
By: Diane Benjamin The December City Manager’s Report is now on-line: http://www.cityblm.org//modules/showdocument.aspx?documentid=8147 The City goal: Measuring Performance – Targeting Results The report by the Police only has one chart comparing current violent crime to a 4 year average. The property crimes chart is only for a year. I’d like to see year-to-year comparisons so performance […]
By: Diane Benjamin I will be posting videos from other candidates. The views expressed Tuesday night at the Ward 4 forum by Amelia Buragas need to be heard by Ward 4 residents. Finding a replacement for Alderwoman Judy Stearns who will fight for the citizens is vital to stop spending and tax increases. Buragas is […]
By: Diane Benjamin I have video of the entire debate last night between the 5 candidates for Ward 4. I will post it later. I will also be posting more clips, but I will start with the two below, turn your sound up! First, you need to understand who Amelia Buragas is. -Amelia is a […]
By: Diane Benjamin The first point citizens need to understand is this: The City made garbage and bulk waste an Enterprise Fund so they could say it has to pay for itself. Since it doesn’t, prices have to be raised. The Coliseum is an Enterprise Fund, but it’s not required to pay for itself. Why? […]
By: Diane Benjamin A sociologist At Illinois Wesleyan University has written a book about the TEA Party. No, I have no plans to read it, and yes I did talk to the author. Just the blurb on the IWU website says everything I need to know. https://www.iwu.edu/news/2015/sociologist-sheds-light-on-tea-party.html When RACE is in the title of […]
By: Diane Benjamin The contract signed between CIAM (Central Illinois Arena Management) and the City of Bloomington state that ONE General Manger is required AND that person is not allowed to have any other job. You probably know that clause has been broken for years. Management Agreement CIAM Here’s what the TWO Mangers do instead: […]
By: Diane Benjamin Keep in mind: the country is $18,000,000,000,000 in debt. (Trillion – hard to get that many zeros right!) Big banks aren’t lending money to small businesses. Some banks will lend if the loans are backed by the Small Business Administration, or sometimes the SBA just loans the money themselves. Everybody knows economic […]
By: Diane Benjamin Tari can’t help himself. He hates people who disagree with him. They are targets that he must marginalize. Holding opposing opinions is not allowed in TariVille. The potted plants on the Council happily comply. David Hales happily complies-his fat pension is at stake. Renner signed the Not In Our Town Pledge: I […]
By: Diane Benjamin I feel citizens have a right to know “who knew what and when” concerning Officer Schumaker’s racist comments. I filed this Freedom of information act request to find out: All emails between Tari Renner, David Hales, and Police Chief Finney concerning the June 2013 Calhoun/Denny’s incident and the actions/discipline of Sgt. Ed […]
by: Diane Benjamin Th article below recaps what Decatur “invested”. Most of these projects are completed. $350 Million later, is Decatur “Quality”? Is their economy better? Are businesses flocking there? Keep in mind: Everything Decatur “Invested” came from taxpayers. Decatur is dominated by unions and Democrats. Bloomington elected its first Democrat Mayor. Seeing a pattern? […]
