The below is from the website of one of the groups supporting a “Welcoming Ordinance”. Click this link to see the rest of the website: http://www.illinoispeoplesaction.org/welcoming-cities.html (Click to enlarge) This is an old picture from my archives: . . . .
By: Diane Benjamin The 111 felony count indictment against CIAM employees was returned by the Grand Jury on September 20, 2017. In case you forgot, CIAM formerly managed the Coliseum. Every story the Pantagraph has written since has mentioned the Illinois State Police investigated for 18 months. Since it takes time to put together a […]
By: Diane Benjamin Not In Our Town didn’t care when the mayor of Bloomington abused numerous citizens with vile comments. They didn’t care when he attacked an elected alderman. He used his position to intimidate people with different opinions. How is that any different than Matt Lauer, Charlie Rose, and Harvey Weinstein? Because sex isn’t […]
By: Diane Benjamin I’m sure you’ve heard Tari has 3 Town Hall meetings scheduled for December. The only questions now are: How many police will be at each event to protect him? How many of “his” people will attend to applaud his every word? Will anybody be able to have opinions other than his? Will […]
By: Diane Benjamin From Connect Transit’s October report: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1anF4rCMlP7zqbGQ3vM1EE6PhNz-FaJ9x/view PDF page 14 Ridership Increasing! Problem? Those 225,646 generated less than $100,000. The first chart only reflects Fixed Routes, not Connect Mobility. Of course there is more to the story: See this link for October 2016: PDF page 20 https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B4zAZemF_qQuZEhveVl3aVMzakE/view Total Operating Revenue with fewer riders […]
By: Diane Benjamin When the citizens aren’t paying attention to what their government is doing, you get the below. If you thought $100,000,000 was ridiculous for Uptown, be prepared for more folly. PDF page 59: http://www.normal.org/DocumentCenter/Home/View/7440 This statement is in the Town of Normal’s Annual Report: There is a good reason people want to work […]
By: Diane Benjamin Laws most likely broken by the Town of Normal Council don’t matter because prosecutions need a prosecutor. The citizens of Normal don’t have one! In case you forgot the facts, see this story: https://blnnews.com/2017/11/16/normal-your-government-is-fixed/ Basics: The Town held a Secret meeting (Executive Session) on August 11th at 9:30 in the morning. The meeting […]
By: Diane Benjamin Today I received the documents showing Bill Thomas and his wife “gifting” Union Hall to the Atlanta Library. See them here: Union Hall Gift Deed There are a couple of problems though. The documents claim the address is 114 Arch Street, the Logan County Assessor’s office has it located at 120 Arch […]
By: Diane Benjamin With all the heat Tari Renner has been feeling now for months, was last night’s packed chamber wanting a “Welcoming Ordinance” his way to get some love? Or was it a way to divide people based on ideology? Is the real goal to unravel the threads of a civilized society by turning […]
Matt Sorensen reported to federal prison somewhere today. Since he has been on an “I’m not guilty” tour: He pled guilty to one count of FELONY wire fraud. He avoided a possible REALLY long sentence by not going to trial. He is jointly responsible for repaying $490,975 that was stolen by billing for consulting fees […]
People who don’t care about laws are going to pack the Council chamber tonight to demand a welcoming ordinance! It doesn’t matter that Rauner already declared Illinois a sanctuary state. Nothing is ever good enough for the people who want America destroyed. Congrats Bloomington! Now we know why the law says felons can’t serve on […]
By: Diane Benjamin Couple more things on tonight’s agenda: 1) The parking ordinance downtown will be modified to keep City employees from just moving their car every couple of hours in the Government Center lot so they get free parking. 2) A brand new Brick Street Master plan will be adopted including: The next Council […]
By: Diane Benjamin Another item on the agenda tonight is spending $910,155.73 for new automated parking equipment at 3 garages: Market, Lincoln & Pepsi Ice Center The Pepsi Ice Center garage is in its 11th year of operation and the Downtown Task Force wants to tear down the Market Street garage, but those are just minor details. […]
By: Diane Benjamin http://www.cityblm.org/Home/ShowDocument?id=15356 PDF page 147 Bloomington sealed its own fate last April. When the people elected believe they can create economic growth by stealing your money, the future is bleak. Essential services aren’t funded because things like fixing roads aren’t sexy. Building a legacy is. Tari Renner lost his self-defined economic development role […]
By: Diane Benjamin If you still haven’t read the story of Dr. Witold Rybicki from the Federalist website, access it from this story: https://blnnews.com/2017/11/23/be-thankful-this-wasnt-you/ I sat down for around an hour with the doctor last Wednesday. He is 85 years old, still working part-time as an anesthesiologist in a Morton surgery center. He looks closer to 65 […]
By: Diane Benjamin Bill Thomas is the Treasurer for the Atlanta Il Public Library. He writes the checks and pays all the bills for the Library and the Palms Grill. He is also the guy who requested the $25,000 grant the State now wants back. https://blnnews.com/2017/11/17/atlanta-library-get-a-free-building/ On November 6th I sent a FOIA request for […]
By: Diane Benjamin The taxpayers of Bloomington have been abused by their chicken government. I’m talking about pension spiking. It’s bad enough taxpayers with no pensions are forced to pay for the retirements of highly paid city employees. It’s worse when they are allowed to increase their retirements at your expense when it’s easily avoidable. […]
By: Diane Benjamin http://www.cityblm.org/Home/ShowDocument?id=15366 PDF page 118 NO Tari free lunches in October: (No expense report payments are included either) Buy local doesn’t apply to government – cordless blower for Administration? Why is Bloomington supporting a non-profit with your money? Are they buying votes? What about that Chili Cook-off? Do laws matter? Why does government […]
By: Diane Benjamin Back when the City Manager did real Monthly Reports, the library traffic was easier to understand. It always included year-to-year comparisons. The summary now doesn’t. See this graph from October 2015: PDF page 43 http://www.cityblm.org/Home/ShowDocument?id=9452 This is what was reported for October 2017: PDF page 11 http://www.cityblm.org/Home/ShowDocument?id=15324 Several items are noteworthy: a large […]
The story below is from a website called the Federalist earlier this month. I’ve always been fascinated by history. We are entering a time where history may repeat the horrors of the last century. This story shows how cruel people can be to each other, it also shows people can triumph over evil. I was […]
By: Diane Benjamin It wasn’t that long ago the people in government in Logan County thought Bill Thomas was doing a great job with Economic Development. The Logan County State’s Attorney refused to act even with definitive proof of criminal activity – including grant fraud that led to the Atlanta Library being ordered to repay […]
By: Diane Benjamin Government help frequently makes the problem worse. There is no clearer case than Connect Transit! Keep in mind the Federal Government is funding this lunacy at your expense across the country. The below was an addendum to last month’s agenda: PDF page 3 https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B4zAZemF_qQubmxRRUsxaHZicFU/view 65% funding is the same as 2017. […]
By: Diane Benjamin The newspaper is reporting CIAM (of 111 felony counts fame) is suing the City for commissions they are owed. . . . . . . . . . Sorry, I couldn’t help it. Maybe the City could counter sue them to recover the costs of the auditors trying to figure out […]
By: Diane Benjamin Angela Scott continues to speak the truth the City doesn’t want to hear. Note to Chief Heffner: speaking truth isn’t a physical threat, people noticed. If you want to know what that last statement means, attend the next Council meeting and observe. Just hit play below to hear Angela. Fast forward to […]
By: Diane Benjamin Bloomington was recently named the number one City in Illinois for: http://247wallst.com/special-report/2017/11/20/drunkest-city-in-every-state/4/ The title of the article is: The Drunkest City in Every State This isn’t the kids downtown because Champaign has more of them than Bloomington. Hum, maybe Judy Stearns and Kevin Lower were right to vote against a liquor license for Ovation […]
By: Diane Benjamin According to Kyle Ham (Economic Development Council) at last night’s Bloomington Council meeting: McLean County lost 2000 jobs between 2015 and 2016 K-12 schools are down 1100 students in the last 5 years which affects aid from the State New housing starts are down 56% from 2000 to today 8 out of […]
By: Diane Benjamin http://www.normal.org/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/2784 Town of Normal payments for tonight: (Click on any pics to enlarge) Would you take your kids Trick-Or-Treating in Uptown if you knew you paid for the candy? The ICMA conference was in Texas, looks like a FOIA for all credit card charges is needed. Sit down if you aren’t already: […]
By: Diane Benjamin On November 6, 2017 Normal had this payment on the meeting documentation: http://www.normal.org/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/2772 I filed a Freedom of Information request for details. See the response here: Invoice for Camp Workshop CAMP stands for Commissioner Assistance & Mentoring Program. The full name of the Payee is National Alliance of Preservation Commissions.. It looks like Normal […]
If you missed the first story, the local Diversity project took a group of young people to Auschwitz/Birkenau last summer. The participants have been writing about the experience, their stories are worth sharing. I will continue to post them occasionally. See the first story HERE ______________ I’ll never find the right words to describe the series […]
By: Diane Benjamin Woodford County is dropping how economic development has been funded: http://www.pantagraph.com/news/local/woodford-county-dropping-membership-in-economic-development-groups/article_5ca02933-c093-5916-87b4-d68cf5891b78.html The Logan County Board will decide soon whether to cut all funding for their economic development council. Monday night Bloomington wants to go in the opposite direction. http://www.cityblm.org/Home/ShowDocument?id=15302 The council will hear presentation about funding BN Advantage and a Small Business […]
By: Diane Benjamin At last Monday’s Bloomington City Council meeting, David Sage was adamant that an agenda item signed by 6 Council members be on this Monday’s Committee of the Whole agenda. Tari Renner attempted to stall, but it is on the agenda: http://www.cityblm.org/Home/ShowDocument?id=15300 Instead of bringing it up Monday, it has played out in […]
By: Diane Benjamin See the meeting recap HERE Public comment is at the beginning. The Library Board accepting the “Gift Deed” is at 17:40 The two officers are shown at the end of the video. A Freedom of Information request has been filed for the deed and all documents involved.
By: Diane Benjamin Video here: https://blnnews.com/2017/11/17/video-atlanta-library-meeting-11-16-2017/ This meeting was rescheduled from last Thursday when the Agenda had not been posted as required under the Open Meetings Act. No one who spoke during Public Comment was excited about the “Donation of Union Hall” agenda item. The best comment was made by a gentleman who ended his remarks […]
By: Diane Benjamin Years ago I attended a MoveOn rally outside the Bloomington Public Library. I only went to hear what they had to say. The speaker recognized me, made a few comments, I responded with if anyone wants to talk I’m available. Several people did. I found out they despise corporations: The owners or […]
By: Diane Benjamin The citizens of Normal probably already knew “outsiders” aren’t allowed to participate in their government, how many Trustees have quit during their term so the Mayor could appoint a replacement? The last Mayor did the same thing so incumbents have an edge in the next election. I expect Chris Koos to do […]
By: Diane Benjamin I’ve received several reports from citizens about State Farm leaving their building in downtown Bloomington. One person just commented they are in the process of moving out the last group now. When did the evacuation start? Why isn’t that public knowledge? Did the Bloomington City Council know? Is the City of Bloomington […]
GUEST! (In response to this story: https://blnnews.com/2017/11/15/who-called-the-officer-to-the-retreat/) . Once upon a time there was a Scary Citizen who actually stood up in public and told The Truth! And that is enough to scare the bewillikers out of the King and his court! That is enough to conjure tales of mean and terrible citizens who insult or […]
By: Diane Benjamin The City of Bloomington claims no calls exist! Evidently an officer took it upon himself to show up at the City Council retreat at The Den just for fun. The report I received showed he stayed for an hour. That’s an hour he wasn’t out patrolling or doing other work. Bloomington wants […]
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