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Month: February 2018
Normal feeds themselves and more
By: Diane Benjamin See the entire response to my FOIA HERE I filed a FOIA request for some items identified in this story: https://blnnews.com/2018/02/18/normals-twice-a-month-fleece/ The Koos accident report was part of the FOIA: https://blnnews.com/2018/02/22/the-koos-auto-accident-report/ Page 25 says Mayor’s insurance pending – it wasn’t his fault, so why is his insurance pending? Also FOIA’d was: If Normal […]
Get Scott Laughlin some gun facts!
The 2nd amendment wasn’t written when the only guns were muskets! Scott Laughlin thinks today’s guns don’t qualify as a right. He needs to know HISTORY. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/volokh-conspiracy/wp/2017/04/03/firearms-technology-and-the-original-meaning-of-the-second-amendment/?utm_term=.78e56d448119 Excepts: Gun-control advocates often argue that gun-control laws must be more restrictive than the original meaning of the Second Amendment would allow, because modern firearms are so different […]
Transfer Station, the full facts
By: Diane Benjamin When you drive into a town, what buildings are often the most beautiful? Bloomington has opted for designs that don’t stand the test of time, so they don’t count. Normally it is City Hall, the library, the Capital building etc. – in other words government buildings! Connect Transit isn’t happy with their […]
Other items from last night’s meeting
By: Diane Benjamin The City wants you to believe they can control only 5% of the budget. State mandates were heavily blamed. The budget discussion starts around 1:28. Not blamed was the cost of employees, the cost of their lavish benefits, and pension spiking. This Council made it worse when they hired two more employees […]
Solid Waste! DONE.
By: Diane Benjamin Tari’s protester is back in front of City Hall this morning: Below is what the Council passed last night 6-3. Alderman Sage, Schmidt, and Painter voted against it. A 95 gallon can is now $25.00 a month. It will increase $4 a month plus 3% a year that means: 1 year 29.00 2 […]
Bloomington Council Festivities
By: Diane Benjamin More than one story will be needed to cover the meetings. First some unusual items: Karen Schmidt motioned at the beginning of the meeting to take hiring the development manager for the BCPA off the agenda and move it to a Committee of the Whole meeting or Work Session. Alderman Bray pulled […]
IL GUN DAY WEDNESDAY:
Reprinted with permission from Guns Save Lives: http://www.gunssavelife.com/il-gun-day-wednesday-age-limits-bump-stock-ban-extended-waiting-periods-ban-body-armor-high-caliber-ammo/ Age limits, bump stock ban, extended waiting periods and a ban on body armor and “high caliber” ammo Mike Madigan has quite a lineup ready for Illinois’ residents this Wednesday. Despite government’s failure in Florida to protect those kids from a savage sicko, Madigan and the Chicago Democrat […]
Transportation Planning Funding and the MCRPC
Across the country, transportation planning is the responsibility of metropolitan planning organizations (MPO) established by the Federal government. The McLean County Regional Planning Commission is the agency designated as MPO for the Bloomington-Normal region. The planning process includes the local governments of McLean County, City of Bloomington, and the Town of Normal, plus Connect Transit, […]
How much THEFT can you take?
By: Diane Benjamin http://www.cityblm.org/Home/ShowDocument?id=15932 Now for the meat of tonight’s Bloomington City Council meeting! Finally we have arrived at the tax increases. Solid Waste – AGAIN! PDF page 130 The Council will get a choice – all of them cost you more: Ordinance 1: “High Service Level, High Fee Increases” Ordinance 2: “Medium Service Level, […]
You know there is no hope when . . .
By: Diane Benjamin http://www.cityblm.org/Home/ShowDocument?id=15936 PDF page 36 Lutz Road from Morris Ave. to Luther Oaks is in sad shape. This road has been discussed for years without getting fixed. On the agenda of the pre-meeting is this item – it can only mean Luther Oaks is now desperate. They are willing to contribute $150,000 for […]
No Discussion Spending
By: Diane Benjamin http://www.cityblm.org/Home/ShowDocument?id=15932 City Council Monday night: Remember the Police Review Board the local activist wanted? (Public Safety Community Relations Board) I understood this Board was created so after citizens exhausted all other avenues within the police department, they would have another place to go with complaints about the police. This Board has no […]
Mental Health Alert!
By: Diane Benjamin What sane people lose $961,115.06 in one month and think they deserve more money? https://drive.google.com/file/d/1z9J6Y41RLRkSNO-5bQwiJgGr6lSYnpGp/view PDF page 8: Connect Transit! On the Special Meeting agenda for Bloomington Monday: http://www.cityblm.org/Home/ShowDocument?id=15936 Starting on PDF page 17 Ends on page 35 – just something Farnsworth threw together for Connect Transit: The medium brown spot is […]
They had to have bought all new phones!
By: Diane Benjamin I decided to see what the PCard and phone bills were for January. I was interrupted and side-tracked at least a dozen times, forgive me if I missed something. http://www.cityblm.org/Home/ShowDocument?id=15632 January phone Checks written: $26,112.00 February checks: 6,843.36 January phone PCard Charges: $11,301.98 Total January: $37,413.98 February PCard: $209,026.79 https://blnnews.com/2018/02/23/phones-just-one-month/ Total February: $216,077.72 I […]
More from Bills and Payroll-Bloomington
By: Diane Benjamin http://www.cityblm.org/Home/ShowDocument?id=15938 Lots of travel and professional development is included. Browse the link above yourself. Check out pages 83 and 84 for who got loans and grants. Miscellaneous other spending Tari got some free lunches: The Bloomington Election Commission handed out pay raises, plus these expenses: http://www.becvote.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Minutes-Dec-5-2017.pdf Salt!: I wonder if tires and […]
UPDATE Phones: Just ONE month
See this story too: https://blnnews.com/2018/02/23/they-had-to-have-bought-all-new-phones/ _____________ Internet is provided from CIRBN and not included in the below. CIRBN was paid on the last bills and payroll: Library 420.33, City 2725.01 http://www.cityblm.org/Home/ShowDocument?id=15822 By: Diane Benjamin http://www.cityblm.org/Home/ShowDocument?id=15938 I used to have to examine all the free lunches on PCards, those day are mostly over since Renner’s PCard got […]
One Voice – Wasting your money?
By: Diane Benjamin You get to pay for a bunch of people to gravel in Washington DC for money. It’s the annual One Voice trip which supposedly shows local officials standing united. The trip is March 6th to the 8th. The EDC has finally released what they are going to beg for: Maybe we should […]
The Koos auto accident report
By: Diane Benjamin It was just a couple of days ago when I reported the Town of Normal paid $2,655.49 for repairs to the Mayor’s car. https://blnnews.com/2018/02/18/normals-twice-a-month-fleece/ I REALLY appreciate the fast responses I get from Normal! The accident happened in Normal’s award-winning roundabout. Koos was driving a 2012 Mitsubishi Mi-EV, owned by the Town […]
Why was Subway’s rent lowered?
By: Diane Benjamin PDF page 41 http://www.normal.org/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/2891 The Subway located inside Uptown Station isn’t prospering as expected. It might have something to do with the Town not allowing them to have a sign visible from the street so people know they are there. From the discussion last Monday, the Town may allow them to use Sandwich […]
Early Voting is SLOW – Yippy!
By: Diane Benjamin I’m hearing early voting numbers are very low. That’s a good thing! There is LOTS of campaigning yet to do, voters need facts first. The actual election isn’t until March 20th! Thanks to Bruce Rauner’s endless mailings filled with lies, Jeanne Ives now has name recognition across the state. I can’t believe […]
Why does the Library need to expand?
By: Diane Benjamin Library Stats from January of 2017: http://www.cityblm.org/Home/ShowDocument?id=12246 Library Stats from January of 2018: http://www.cityblm.org/Home/ShowDocument?id=15890 . . . . . . . / 2017 doesn’t say how many visited Items checked out decreased in 2018 People using the computers decreased in 2018 New cardholders decreased in 2018 Holds decreased in 2018 Wi-Fi […]
Why your roads will not be fixed
By: Diane Benjamin Both Bloomington and Normal have been governed for many years by people who want to build monuments to themselves and call it Quality of Life. Roads are too boring to fund, so are pensions. Valuable tax dollars can’t be used for what isn’t their priority. Instead they raise taxes to fund them […]
Pothole FAIL
By: Diane Benjamin I was in town this morning dodging potholes because errands made me cross Veterans Parkway. I try to never do that! Before any of my critics comment, I wasn’t driving when I shot this video – I was PARKED. This is a City of Bloomington crew working on East Oakland Avenue. The guy […]
Sports complex imminent
By: Diane Benjamin Quality of Life. Economic driver. Government thinks they create prosperity, the opposite is true. They redistribute your money to their preferred providers for services they want. Essential services, like fixing the roads, are immaterial. The Normal Town Council unanimously agreed to spend $47,000 on a study that will say exactly what they […]
These people spoke for you
By: Diane Benjamin Your government runs over you when you don’t bother to stand up to them. 5 people did stand up last night, more need to join them. Public Comment: The first guy owns Joe’s Pub and is concerned about raising video gaming fees. He asked when the tax increases are going to end […]
Losing money on purpose
By: Diane Benjamin Tari Renner was much more demure at last night’s Bloomington City Council meeting. As history shows, his new non-confrontational attitude is temporary. It looks like spending $10,000,000 on an aquatics center is dead. Several aldermen have a new-found respect for declining revenue, especially David Sage. Of course, he works at State Farm […]
Welcoming Ordinance so illegals can vote?
By: Diane Benjamin Governing should not be based on “feelings”, that’s why we have laws. The local rag tried to make laws immaterial by profiling a family brought here to work for State Farm. State Farm doesn’t need them anymore, so their visas are expiring. They have two choices: 1) go home 2) find another […]
Early Voting starts tomorrow!
By: Diane Benjamin Early voting is nothing more than a ploy to get people to vote before they have facts. It takes a long time to herd people to the polls who might not be so excited about voting. Cue the Community Bus. Don’t do it! Lines for voting in a Primary are never long, […]
Normal’s compenstion
By: Diane Benjamin The people forced to pay Normal’s employees – TAXPAYERS – have a right to know how much they are paying. If Normal posts employee compensation anywhere on their website, it is well hidden. Luckily, OpenTheBooks.com has the 2016 salaries. Benefits and the cost of pensions are NOT included. See all the salaries […]
Normal’s twice a month fleece
By: Diane Benjamin Monday’s meeting: http://www.normal.org/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/2891 Yes, Normal is hiring a firm to investigate building a sports complex. The price is $47,000. These are the questions the firm will answer: The answer to #1 will of course be it’s feasible. Consultants rarely say it’s a horrible idea. #2 will be a joke because any project that costs […]
If you don’t get the paper . . .
By: Diane Benjamin Occasionally something is worth reading in the paper, especially what they don’t write. A Letter to the Editor yesterday is one of those! The letter was written by Ruth Ann and Guy Fraker. Guy practiced law in Bloomington and wrote books about Abraham Lincoln. Ruth Ann was Supervisor of the Bloomington Township […]
Nikita wanted a Democrat disenfranchised!
By: Diane Benjamin If early voting had been started on February 8th, a Democrat running for Attorney General could have been disenfranchised. Scott Drury won in court and will be on the ballot. How many early voters would not have voted for him because he might be kicked off the ballot? How many people have […]
Pantagraph: Too late
By: Diane Benjamin Did the Pantagraph chastise Tari Renner when he attacked Judy Stearns with a WRITTEN prepared statement in 2014? I sure don’t remember it. This video is up to 11,150 views: If the Pantagraph has cared in 2014 maybe this clown wouldn’t be mayor now. The Editorial staff must finally be at least […]
Downtown Task Force is back
By: Diane Benjamin http://www.cityblm.org/Home/ShowDocument?id=15904 The report from Tari’s Downtown Task Force is back on the agenda for Monday – minus moving the library and tearing down a parking garage. One question that won’t be asked or answered: The current downtown businesses didn’t care enough about downtown to fund the Downtown Bloomington Association. The City took […]
Bloomington attacks the poor AGAIN
By: Diane Benjamin The City of Bloomington will NEVER have enough of your money. Complete control of the local economy means your money is theirs and they are free to take it at will. Monday night they will discuss taking more for their vision. http://www.cityblm.org/Home/ShowDocument?id=15904 Want your roads fixed? Even though Tari Renner and […]
Did the Library Board scam the Council?
By: Diane Benjamin The email below was written by the Bloomington Public Library Board President. I redacted who it was written to. It’s the content that is interesting. Alex was obviously worried about getting the tax increase passed the Board wanted. According to this story, the library didn’t say at the Council meeting why they […]
Smart enough to be elected?
By: Diane Benjamin Frequently we look at elected individuals and wonder who in the world would vote for them? Worse, who in their right mind thinks elections should be held for 40 days? In Illinois, that would be democrats who think it’s a hardship to get to the polls. Voting was once a sacred duty […]
Radicals and Karen Schmidt
By: Diane Benjamin Tari Renner is desperate to score political points that have nothing to do with welcoming immigrants. He is pandering to his base and Karen Schmidt is standing in his way. Illegal immigrants are just pawns in this game. Radicals think they can “progress” their fundamental transformation of America and use illegals to beat […]
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