By: Diane Benjamin
Four years ago only 9,719 voted for mayor in Bloomington
http://results.enr.clarityelections.com/IL/Bloomington/46028/116387/en/summary.html
Four years ago only 4,403 voted for mayor in Normal
http://il-mcleancounty.civicplus.com/DocumentCenter/View/8074
Bloomington had 46,740 registered voters
Normal had 57,279 registered voters
Besides the obvious question about Normal having more registered voters with a smaller population, where were the voters?
Local elections are in April so you don’t vote!
April was set on purpose so the population is too sick of elections to vote.
They know most voters will stay home.
They know you don’t know who is running for school boards – the vast majority of your Property Tax bill.
They know you think local elected people care about their community and will make good decisions.
District 87 just raised your property taxes.
Heartland raised your property taxes.
Bloomington wants a new library, new City Hall, Community Center, new Public Works building, and a downtown hotel.
Normal wants a new library, Uptown 2.0, and a multi-million dollar underpass.
Don’t forget the new soccer complex both want you to fund!
The real Quality of Life is how much of your money you get to keep.
Meanwhile, your roads are falling apart because the winners always have other priorities.
Those who don’t vote tomorrow are the reason your priorities aren’t government’s priorities.
April 4th should be local SHAME DAY.
All voters who stay home are to blame.
How many people are YOU going to get to the polls?
How about a “rehash” of who is the BEST candidate for each race? As for the school board and such, I haven’t read much.
I haven’t looked at school board races. The best advice is if they are on the Board now, they need to go. Nothing is better than fresh faces.
I can’t vote in your elections since I don’t live in the county however,you, Diane, have done everything possible to inform the public of the importance of this election. People need to wake up to the financial mess in Bloomington/Normal. Those towns are drinking from the same “cool-aid” pitcher as the “Madigan run” State of Illinois. Change leadership before it’s too late.
If you are in Illinois, you have elections too!
Susan, you are so right. The current budget for Bloomington is from the Madigan playbook complete with the plans to raise taxes and fees after the election. Renner did that right after he was elected in 2013. Why should we think it will be any different this time around? There has been a structural deficit for years even though the budget is “balanced.”
Diane,
Thanks for sending this out. The School Board race has been really under reported. We have only one contested race in Unit 5 and I am a candidate. You can check out my facebook page (http://facebook.com/solserves) or my website http://solserves.com . The pantagraph did a very basic article on all the candidates. We just responded to 5 questions.
I am not as familiar with District 87.
But change starts local. We need educators who are wiling to listen to everyone for change. I am open for any ideas or questions you may have.
Regardless of how you vote, get out and vote.
Sol
You are the only candidate I’ve heard campaigning. Good luck.
Thank you. Unit 5 is such a strange distinct because only so many people from each Township can be on the board. So it puts head to head matches based where someone lives instead of who is the most qualified to serve. I understand representation on but it’s tough.
Sol to all your readers, get out and vote.
IF you think it’s too wet, or cold or windy out Tuesday to vote, then for 60 seconds THINK about anyone who has fought overseas in a war and what THEY went through just so you could get out and exercise your freedom of choice-there’s NO excuse…..