By: Diane Benjamin The next Normal Town Council meeting will be Wednesday because of the holiday. See the packet HERE From the agenda: Amtrak can’t afford to buy a “tram” to move handicapped people from the south platform, across Broadway, and up the north platform – so the Town taxpayers are buying it for them. Don’t […]
By: Diane Benjamin We have an A+ rating from the Illinois Policy Institute for transparency. – Tari Renner Did is more applicable Tari. Proof: The Attorney General found Renner and the WHOLE Council guilty of violating the Open Meetings Act by discussing Metrozone in secret. They were ordered to release the audio of the meeting […]
Andy is going to work next week! We are so blessed with his recovery and the people who have pitched in to help with the medical expenses. Thanks so much for the prayers, words of support, and financial aid. Andy will probably be very tired, but he is close to a full recovery. We have […]
Just a few stories most media ignores: History of Illinois Fiscal Crisis (Hint: both parties are at fault) https://www.illinoispolicy.org/reports/the-history-of-illinois-fiscal-crisis/ Austin’s Complete Streets Nightmare (Austin went with buses, since few ride buses here – local government is forcing bike lanes) http://www.texasturf.org/2012-06-01-03-09-30/latest-news/2113-austin-s-complete-streets-policy-a-complete-nightmare?mc_cid=1b7d77465e&mc_eid=26ab1cd66c Renner didn’t sign on – Koos did Update: Renner did sign – he […]
By: Diane Benjamin From July 2016 through May 2017 they lost $9,428,569 (PDF Page 8 https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B4zAZemF_qQuZzVIekJtLTVTN28/view ) May 2017 ridership was up over last year, but year to date is still behind and they are way behind projections – See PDF page 11. Are rides up because Bloomington-Normal now has more poor people who can’t afford […]
By: Diane Benjamin Maybe the P-Card spending starting on page 115 explains it: http://www.cityblm.org/Home/ShowDocument?id=14187 Some excerpts: In 2015 the City spent $22,321.49 travelling to Japan: https://blnnews.com/2015/04/24/more-throwing-your-money-around/ Tari and Hales aren’t the only travelers. See the rest at the link. Tari must have business lunches by himself – nobody else is listed. Or maybe Mayor Transparency doesn’t […]
By: Diane Benjamin Every vote was 9-0 with virtual no discussion, so the Council part of the meeting was boring. Public comment was better. Note to City: The length of public comment isn’t 30 minutes – the time citizens spend talking is 30 minutes. The chair is capable of wasting the public’s time. First up […]
By: Diane Benjamin The Bills and Payroll the Council approved for payment last night have never been posted on the City website: http://www.cityblm.org/government/advanced-components/documents/-folder-500 I wonder if the council was given a paper version or if they just approved spending without knowing what the voted on? Keep in mind – these are the same people who […]
By: Diane Benjamin Anybody else noticed that people get stupider every year? Long gone are the days of citizens expected to take care of themselves. Government has usurped the right of self-determination by deciding it must act as parents to the population, the peasants aren’t capable themselves! The latest usurp: Illinois has a law going […]
By: Diane Benjamin Tomorrow the stacked Downtown Committee is holding a listening session – public comment at 5:15 in the Council Chambers. In case you forgot who is on this committee: https://blnnews.com/2017/05/03/taris-downtown-task-force/ Showing up and telling them downtown isn’t worth reinventing won’t help (The town moved east, but they haven’t noticed). The Committee has three […]
By: Diane Benjamin Capitalism has lifted millions of people around the globe out of poverty. It’s the perfect formula for success: I have a widget that you want. You give me something of value for the widget. Both of us are happy. With the Internet, exchanging things of value is possible across the globe. If […]
By: Diane Benjamin http://www.cityblm.org/government/advanced-components/documents/-folder-500 Bills and Payroll isn’t posted yet for Monday night: Hiding something? ________________________ Tari Renner and Chris Koos are in for a treat today at the US Conference of Mayors: Former Present Bill Clinton spoke at the “City Livability Luncheon”. I wonder if he will speak longer than scheduled? I wonder […]
By: Diane Benjamin We wouldn’t be talking about bike lanes on busy streets if Bike Blono wasn’t pushing for them. Bike Blono members voted for and helped elect Tari Renner because he supports their agenda of promoting the use of bikes for all transportation. (Beats fixing the roads!) That brings me to the Planning Commission […]
By: Diane Benjamin The contract between the City of Bloomington and Grossinger Motors is in the packet for the City Council meeting Monday night: PDF page 115 http://www.cityblm.org/Home/ShowDocument?id=14175 The City will use up to $75,000 of their first payment to offset changing the signage. One problem – page 121: Since the document is a legal […]
By: Diane Benjamin Today the local rag has a story extolling the greatness of the Heartland Turbine. Maybe they got their info from Heartland, maybe they shouldn’t have. Their story says 23,000 Megawatts have been generated – in 5 years. That’s 4,600 MW a year. Now convert that to Kilowatt hours so their story and […]
By: Diane Benjamin Tari Renner and Chris Koos are lounging around Miami this weekend at your expense. Smart organizers would have held the twice a year US Conference of Mayors in Miami in the winter, but these are government people. I wonder if we will see photos of them on the beach? (eek!) All last […]
Update: The management announced today the naming rights have been sold – and for the same amount US Cellular was paying: $175,000 a year. It will be name Grossinger Motors Arena for at least 5 years. I haven’t heard who is paying for the new signs, letterhead, business cards, menus, etc. _____________________________________ By: Diane Benjamin […]
Note: A reader commented on the ISU student – Wes Ward (not Wood) By: Diane Benjamin I tried to watch the video of Monday’s Normal Town Council, but never made it past Public Comment. Marc Tiritilli is still the voice of reason and fiscal responsibility. I dare you to watch his comments without standing and […]
The writer of this comment continues to make comments – all too vulgar to post except the one where he claims the mayor pays him to harass his opponents on line. It’s a good thing mental illness is becoming a priority, I know a guy who should be locked up. _______________________________________ By: Diane Benjamin In […]
By: Diane Benjamin How many people urging the Council to approve a Citizens Advisory Board to police the police think: Hands Up Don’t Shoot really happened? How many people on the Council think it did? I saw this comment on Facebook today from a local lady – she made it to a story about Michael […]
By: Diane Benjamin Yesterday I did not receive a response from the State’s Attorney or the Sheriff. The illegal joint meeting between the Council and the Library Board took place. Bloomington attorney Jeff Jurgens admitted in an email the two meetings now posted on the Library Board website were not posted 48 hours in advance. […]
By: Diane Benjamin The entire Council came to last night’s Committee of the Whole meeting with plans to put citizens in charge of the police force – except David Sage. Maybe he didn’t get invited to the lunches and private meetings everybody on the Council obviously was treated to. I wonder if Chief Heffner already […]
I’ve said over and over laws are broken here because nobody will prosecute. Tonight’s illegal meeting will take place and so will the illegal meeting the library has scheduled for tomorrow. The Sheriff doesn’t care – he hasn’t responded to my email. The States Attorney’s office doesn’t care either – Knapp hasn’t responded to […]
By: Diane Benjamin Chuck Erickson was elected GOP chair in 2014 and re-elected in 2016. 75-100 people used to attend the monthly breakfast meetings BC (before Chuck). Today the breakfast had less than 30, according to an attendee, and most of them were elected members of the County Board. Sue Feldkamp, who ran for the […]
Evidently someone at the library is pretending this was posted: I have a picture of the library website on my phone from this morning with a date and time stamp showing the first two meetings were not posted. Today’s meeting is illegal and so is tomorrow’s. 48 hours people! Do I need to bring the […]
The County Board Chairman of Stark County has resigned. The Vice-Chair should be following her. She had lost the trust of the people she supposedly represented. See the original story: HERE See her resignation letter HERE
By: Diane Benjamin The Town of Normal spend $1.4 million to STUDY the proposed Uptown Crossing: Source What did they get for $1.4 million? Evident what they want to pass Monday night: The plan doesn’t know if ADA compliance can be achieved? Bike Blono has to dismount? The at-grade crossing is adjacent? Why is the underpass […]
By: Diane Benjamin The Council meeting to discuss forming a citizens review board to oversee the police will be held in the Council Chambers – starting at around 6:15. http://www.cityblm.org/Home/ShowDocument?id=13151 It had previously been schedules for the Osborn room in the Police Station where live streaming doesn’t exist. The joint meeting of the Council and […]
Update is at the end. By: Diane Benjamin Thursday night I road tripped with the Edgar County Watchdogs (John Kraft and Kirk Allen) to Stark County. We attended a “Special” County Board meeting which occurred because the meeting on Tuesday was adjourned after the citizens who showed couldn’t all fit in the room. The chairperson […]
By: Diane Benjamin The President of Northern Illinois University is just the latest to step down amid allegations of scandal. The bigger scandal is what the Board is planning on paying him to leave! Details of that soon. Remember when ISU paid Tim Flanagan to leave – the day before he got arrested? The Illinois […]
By: Diane Benjamin It isn’t an accident the Bloomington City Council had relatively short meetings before the April election and now two-hour or more regular meetings will be the norm. Renner hid his agenda with talking points and now he’s ready to activate the plans he had safely tucked out of sight. Bike lanes of […]
By: Diane Benjamin The council never asks questions. I wonder if they even look at the documentation! Bills and Payroll from last Monday: http://www.cityblm.org/Home/ShowDocument?id=13099 The Coliseum cost more – architect: Did the City buy tickets for employees? Feel free to FOIA! Why did the BCPA return so many deposits? Why does the BCPA […]
By: Diane Benjamin Bloomington wouldn’t have a Bike Master Plan without Bike Blono. Bloomington wouldn’t have a Complete Streets plan without Bike Blono. Bike Blono had private meetings for months with Public Works to make lanes on Washington happen. (as stated by Michael Gorman of Bike Blono) Bikes have always been allowed on the roads, […]
By: Diane Benjamin Media did report Illinois universities had their credit ratings downgraded by Moody’s. Their details were sketchy though. Here’s the story: https://www.ilnews.org/news/economy/moody-s-downgrades-seven-of-illinois-public-universities-five-speculative/article_bd88b102-4d66-11e7-8a6d-af95b89dd478.html The University of Illinois’ new rating is A1 with a negative outlook. Read the story – this is because U of I is doing nothing to control costs and relies too […]
By: Diane Benjamin Bike Blono thinks their few numbers have superior rights. They are launching a bullying campaign against anybody who doesn’t agree with bike lanes on E Washington. From Facebook: The speakers knew there wasn’t a vote by the Council, they knew there was another hearing yesterday and a vote TODAY by the Planning […]
By: Diane Benjamin Renner didn’t ask to extend the time so everybody could speak, so everybody didn’t get to. Tari did make sure Mike McCurdy of Bike Blono, WGLT radio, and Connect Transit got to speak though. To hear all of the public comment – just hit play below. Then listen to the second Public […]
By: Diane Benjamin New Alderman Jamison Mathy didn’t show up last night for the Bloomington City Council meeting. As usual, nothing was said. Everybody acted like it’s perfectly normal for an elected representative to be a no-show. Unfortunately, his absence might have cost one family their property rights. (stay tuned) Alderman Diana Hauman didn’t show […]
by: Diane Benjamin This is a Bloomington road that school buses travel on. It’s also close to an apartment complex. (different section of the same road) The City budget only spends $3.8 million resurfacing roads when more than $9 million a year is needed just to keep the roads rated poor. Tonight the Council will […]
