By: Diane Benjamin This is the first of at least two Connect Transit stories today. This continues reporting on two previous stories: http://blnnews.com/2015/10/23/connect-transit-more-money/ http://blnnews.com/2015/10/27/hows-connect-transit-ridership/ No ID required to VOTE, but you need a photo ID to get free or reduced fare bus ride. (Protecting the integrity of elections isn’t as important as protecting who rides […]
By: Diane Benjamin I’ve written a long list of articles concerning the Village of Stanford and the Allin Township Fire Protection District. Just for the record, Sheriff Sandage isn’t investigating and State’s Attorney Jason Chambers isn’t prosecuting anything I’ve written about. They probably won’t care about the Allin Township Fire Protection Trustees appointing an illegal […]
By: Diane Benjamin The citizens elect Aldermen to represent them. We could talk all day about who they really represent, but how can they represent the people when they don’t attend Council meetings? Last Monday Aldermen Sage and Black were absent. No mention of the empty seats – 2 of 9. The roll was […]
A picture you can’t miss has been added!
By: Diane Benjamin This Thursday could be a monumental day across the country! There is a Million Student March – ISU has a chapter. The local organizer is Zachary Braun, an employee at Walgreens and an ISU student. His LinkedIn account describes him as: Team Leader at Progressive Democrats of America What are they marching […]
By: Diane Benjamin Illinois ranks very close to the top of the worst run states in country. Illinois should be a wonderful place to live – natural resources, centrally located, world-class universities, Fortune 500 companies with headquarters here, just to name a few. Instead, we don’t even have a budget. Illinois’s government exists for government […]
By: Diane Benjamin Tonight the Bloomington City Council will approve an Enterprise Zone. The majority will vote yes because they believe government creates economic activity. From the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Activity website: The Illinois Enterprise Zone Program is designed to stimulate economic growth and neighborhood revitalization in economically depressed areas of the […]
By: Diane Benjamin From tonight’s Bloomington City Council Bills and Payroll: http://www.cityblm.org/Modules/ShowDocument.aspx?documentid=9366 Three employees took advantage of Sick Leave Buy Back-the HOURS is blank, see pages 11 & 13: SLBB 12,195.20 ___________ ________________ ________________ Total: 12,195.20 Total Employees: 1 SLBB 12,192.35 ___________ ________________ ________________ Total: 12,192.35 Total Employees: 2 (From 10/12/15: SLBB 12,192.37 2 – […]
By: Diane Benjamin That’s how long the packet for Monday’s Council meeting is. Ever get the idea David Hales doesn’t expect the packet to be read? Kind of like: “We have to pass the bill to find out what’s in it.” I think the packet was posted on Thursday. See it here: http://www.cityblm.org/Modules/ShowDocument.aspx?documentid=9364 What’s up […]
By: Diane Benjamin Remember this pic? Read this email from Tari From: Tari Renner <trenner@cityblm.org> Date: Wed, Nov 4, 2015 at 6:54 PM Subject: Re: COB Suspend Meetings To: Bloom Ington <Redacted> Cc: City Council and Mayor <citycouncil@cityblm.org>, “Don.Knapp@mcleancountyil.gov” <Don.Knapp@mcleancountyil.gov>, jason.chambers@mcleancountyil.gov, JJones@atg.state.il.us, Jeff Jurgens <jjurgens@cityblm.org> Just to be clear to everyone. These were stopped over […]
By: Diane Benjamin I’ve said this many times, but I will repeat it again. If I send a Freedom of Information request to Normal I actually get the information I want. No games, no attempting to circumvent the rules, just transparency. Bloomington will HIDE, IGNORE, PRETEND the rules don’t matter, and go to any lengths […]
File a Freedom of Information Request if anything strikes you as weird! By: Diane Benjamin I’m continuing this post: http://blnnews.com/2015/11/02/legal-expense-why-have-staff/ It’s very difficult to figure out what some of the payments on the 2015 Treasurer’s Report are for. I’m sure something got missed or I didn’t get something quite right, but this is close. Thanks […]
By: Diane Benjamin On October 31, 2015 the Pantagraph printed a Letter to the Editor critical of Mayor Renner and his plans to use public money to redevelop downtown. http://www.pantagraph.com/news/opinion/mailbag/downtown-financing-not-for-taxpayers/article_13e845ac-a6b8-5585-b601-426d46a64601.html It is surprising they allowed the letter since many are rejected, but now there is a new twist. All comments to the letter have been […]
By: Diane Benjamin January 1st the local Sales TAX is going up 1%, just because. Maybe this chart from the Bloomington financial statements explains it: http://www.cityblm.org/Modules/ShowDocument.aspx?documentid=9336 Page 175 Tax receipts have been declining for two years. Instead of spending less money to compensate for an obvious economy in decline, the City of Bloomington raised the […]
By: Diane Benjamin State’s Attorney Jason Chambers doesn’t agree with the Attorney General’s email from yesterday: http://blnnews.com/2015/11/03/bloomington-holds-illegal-meeting/ Not surprising since he didn’t see a problem with Mayor Renner announcing at a Council meeting that art is for sale in his City office: http://blnnews.com/2014/05/05/pay-to-play-okay-if-nobody-prosecutes/ Chambers interprets the City Code that the Mayor is part of the […]
By: Diane Benjamin David Hales City Manager report for September is now on-line: http://www.cityblm.org/Modules/ShowDocument.aspx?documentid=9344 Interesting notes: 1) Attendance for the BCPA was 7,369 for September on-site events, activities, meeting, etc. The Facility usage was 47 on-site functions. (Page 31) . 7,369 divided by 47 events = 157 people per event. . Doesn’t the BCPA lose […]
By: Diane Benjamin Don’t miss the update: http://blnnews.com/2015/11/04/more-on-the-illegal-meeting/ Today an illegal meeting was held at City Hall. David Hales has divided the Council into groups of three to meet on various issues. Instead of being open and transparent by discussing City business at City Council meetings, they are meeting with no public notification as required […]
By: Diane Benjamin This chart showing the areas 10 largest employers is available in the City of Bloomington financial statements: Page 181 –http://www.cityblm.org/Modules/ShowDocument.aspx?documentid=9336 Compared to 2006, State Farm looks relatively stable. What you really need to compare this list to is what it said LAST year: Page 179 – http://www.cityblm.org/Modules/ShowDocument.aspx?documentid=7479 Here is 2014 and 2015 […]
By: Diane Benjamin Since McLean County only had one previous Freedom of Information case (filed by me) judges need time to familiarize themselves with the law and requirements. That’s another way of saying nothing interesting happened. The City is going to try to drag this case out as long as possible, just like the last […]
By: Diane Benjamin On Friday the City of Bloomington dumped a lot of documents on their. On was a vendor list and payments for the last fiscal year. You can see it here: http://www.cityblm.org/Modules/ShowDocument.aspx?documentid=9335 This morning I’ve got the first hearing on my court case against the City of Bloomington concerning the Coliseum. That means […]
By: Diane Benjamin Yesterday I participated in an event titled “The Diversity of Perspective”. Junior High and High School kids from many different schools are in this group to learn. They meet every Sunday to listen and ask questions of speakers with different views on a given subject. Yesterday’s topic was: Who are Media? . […]
By: Diane Benjamin The below if from page 29: http://www.cityblm.org/Modules/ShowDocument.aspx?documentid=9336 The financial statements released last Friday contain a wealth of information. There will be much more information coming in the next few days. The City of Bloomington has been trying to make residents pay more for garbage service since 2005. Prior to 2005 the cost […]
