By:  Diane Benjamin

Early voting is happening now through April 4th for the April 7th consolidated election.  Wards 4, 5, and 8 in Bloomington have contested elections.  Wards 2 and 6 aren’t contested.

Elections in Bloomington are perfectly clear.  If you love Mayor Renner vote for his hand chosen picks.  (Buragas, Hauman and Painter)

If you want to stop Renner vote for the other guys:  Kelley, Franklin, Diaz

Turnout will be the deciding factor.  If citizens are paying attention, this election should be to throw out the rascals like after the Coliseum was passed   Low turnout will elect Renner’s picks and then the spending will begin.  Fundamental transformation won’t begin to describe what will happen to Bloomington.  Taxpayers will then have 2 choices: Move out of Bloomington (vote with your feet) or pay higher taxes.  Since the citizens didn’t pay attention until the Coliseum was passed, I have little hope.  Why do people have to be severely fleeced before they vote?

In Normal I am not aware of any candidates that won’t be controlled by Koos.

School Board elections are also on the ballot.  These are the most important and the most ignored elections.

The local TEA Party held a forum for school board candidates, 4 attended.  They issued this summary after the meeting, it may help you make a decision:

UNIT 5 CANDIDATES

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GLENN BLOCK  Glen is a lifelong community member who loves kids and education. He is the oldest of 11 children and has worked with Lions Clubs for 20 years.   Mr Block is opposed to Common Core.  He brings financial knowledge and a degree in economics to the position.  He believes in cost cutting through sensible solutions.

 He sees three challenges facing Unit 5

1)   Inadequate funds.  The state of IL is not forthcoming with promised monies.  The Unit will have to work around this deficit

2)   Enrollment.  The growth has leveled off due to State Farm relocations.  The Unit has grown in the past 20 years from 3,000 to 13,000 students

3)   Technology.  All 6-12th graders will be supplied laptops and will need to be taught continuing technology.

www.block4unit5.com

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JOHN HOWARD KUK comes to our area from Chicago and is eager to serve our community.  He is an ISU graduate where he was involved in ROTC and has expertise in technology.  He learned business management at Country Companies.  Mr Kuk is eager to promote America’s good and wants students to have access to vocational training.  This election is his first foray into politics.  Mr Kuk desires to be known as a supporter of the next generation.  He seeks to find solutions to problems and use a practical attitude towards problems.  He believes local PTO’s can be of great help and also desires involvement in each school by the students’ parents, seen as taxpayer control of their own funds.

[email protected]

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DISTRICT 87

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JAMES ALMEDA served our country in the military, is a Kiwanis and is committed to community service and is a fiscal conservative.  He is currently serving on the board as he was appointed last summer to fill a vacancy.  He believes Common Core hinders teachers through requiring too many assessments.  He desires to work with the State Board for flexibility.  He acknowledges decreased funding from the State and would work to overcome this through other avenues.  He sees his role as a board member to be an advocate for all groups.  He considers himself able to work with people of all ages

[email protected]

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MARK WYLIE is a retired engineer who went through the District 87 schools as has (and are now) his own 5 children and foster children from time to time.  His desire is to give back to his community.  District 87 will not grow population wise as with the State not meeting its obligations to schools Mr Wylie looks to proactive maintenance of school buildings as well as offering vocational training for the entire of McLean County

829-6246

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All 4 candidates stressed community service as a motive and all were opposed to Common Core to some degree.

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Submitted by Maureen Barnes, McLean TEA Party board member.