By: Diane Benjamin A reader asked me how much the Town of Normal contributes to the CornBellters, so I FOIA’d that information. The Normal Cornbelters are another quasi-government organization with no transparency. Did you know for 20 years Normal is rebating all food and beverage taxes? I wonder if they audit sales? How are cash […]
By: Diane Benjamin This is an update to yesterday’s story: https://blnnews.com/2018/07/11/not-the-right-fit-tari/ This morning I spoke to the Marine veteran who was the subject of the Facebook post by Danny Leifel. He wants to remain anonymous because of the large number of phone calls he received yesterday. One phone call he never received was from […]
The Town of Normal still does not have this meeting properly posted. They do have the 7:00 pm meeting posted. Their lawyer needs to re-read the Open Meetings Act. By: Diane Benjamin The notice below is not posted on the Town of Normal website under agendas or anywhere else I looked. This was sent to […]
By: Diane Benjamin This morning the McLean County Board held a meeting without announcing it. Is the Open Meetings Act too difficult to understand? Notice of ALL meetings most be posted 48 hours in advance along with the agenda. This morning they held a legislative breakfast for the entire Board AND State Senators Bill Brady, Jason […]
By: Diane Benjamin It would be nice if everything that could be recycled was. Normal passed an ordinance mandating recycling for multi family housing. The joke just might be on the kids who begged the Trustees to pass it. Their rent will go up and all “recyclables” may end up in the landfill anyway. Of […]
One more update: Now David Hales is being blamed for not returning phone calls. Aldermen Mathy and Hauman have claimed on Facebook to have talked to City staff. Their reports conflict with the original post. Both claim nobody at the City has been called. Keep in mind civil servants are masters of double speak. The […]
By: Diane Benjamin We are being intentionally deceived. Politicians do it. Media does it. Schools are doing it. Social media reveals just how bad it is. This pic was not taken locally, but it was posted locally. The person who posted it doesn’t see a problem? Do you? That brings me to Sonny Garcia – […]
By: Diane Benjamin The Council was close to sickly sweet to each other last night. Not one of them mentioned the failed attempt by Tari Renner is bully them into passing the welcoming ordinance. Citizens did however. Just hit play to watch Public Comment. If you want to see the guy Sonny Garcia calls a […]
By: Diane Benjamin At 9:26 last night Chris Koos posted this to Facebook: Why does the left always call us a democracy? We aren’t a democracy, that means mob rule. Somebody wants your bike, the mob can vote to steal it from you. That’s democracy. We are a Republic where we elect people to represent […]
The dog and pony show for tonight has been cancelled. The meeting would have been illegal because City hall isn’t big enough for everyone to attend that wants to. Tari knew that when he scheduled it. The Council now needs and ordinance not allowing Tari to call special meetings without agreement by a majority […]
By: Diane Benjamin Government doesn’t have to be competent, especially when incompetent people are elected! The City of Bloomington has proven over and over they know where to get more money. YOU! The naming rights for the Ice Center expired more than two years ago. Pepsi is no longer paying to have their name on […]
By: Diane Benjamin Bloomington City Council meeting tonight: http://www.cityblm.org/Home/ShowDocument?id=18264 Beginning on PDF page 380 Remember the Wayfinding signs? In August 2016 the Council hired a firm to design the signs for $62,190. In December 2017 the Council approved spending another $28,095 for design after the original designs were nixed. They could have held a local contest […]
By: Diane Benjamin Sonny’s latest threat after the Dan Ryan was shut down by protesters against gun violence: Who runs Bloomington? Send Tari a thank you message! . . . . . . .
By: Diane Benjamin These are the people who helped elect Tari both times, note he looks much younger in the pic below. The talking points haven’t changed. These are the people demanding a “welcoming ordinance” now. These are also Tari’s people: This is what “civility” looks like in Tari’s Bloomington. Proof: Tari’s hate filled rant […]
Local elections will be in March of 2019 – Even number Wards. Think you should vote this time?
By: Diane Benjamin I reader sent this to me this morning – it’s a Facebook post: Since the Pantagraph never credited me for their story, Sarah – how do you know? Maybe they saw Jenn’s story with the burning limousine and ALSO thought it was a threat! Even if they did steal the story from […]
By: Diane Benjamin The proposed “welcoming ordinance” is now posted. Illinois People’s Action, the YWCA, and all the other radicals demanding it will celebrate, but they are the big losers: The ordinance is a worthless exercise that changes nothing. It only recaps what is already happening. Some flowery Tari language is included only so the […]
By: Diane Benjamin If the new City Manager is able to sell his house in Decatur, maybe he can take David Hales’s house off his hands. It is still for sale, reduced AGAIN to $245,000. It started at $279,900 last November. https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/5-Conway-Cir-Bloomington-IL-61704/76972678_zpid/?fullpage=true Tari’s favorite non-profit, Illinois Policy Institute, wrote about Bloomington’s new City Manager, it’s […]
By: Diane Benjamin Campaign Contributions: Friends of Nikita Richards Why are 4 of the 5 contributions NOT from McLean County? Two are from Chicago and one from Rockford!
By: Diane Benjamin In typical progressive politics, Tari Renner wants to beat the Council into voting on the Welcoming Ordinance. Nothing is posted yet on the City website, but somehow the Pantagraph knows this meeting is going to take place on Monday. Yes, more proof the media prints what they are told to print! The […]
We are only free if freedom is defended. Every generation must fight those wanting to steal it. Happy Independence Day Let Freedom ring
By: Diane Benjamin I’m betting the Town of Normal has a problem: Discrimination! Is it legal to pass an ordinance that tells some people they HAVE to do something while others people don’t have to? That is exactly what the Normal Town Council did last night. They have a legal department, did anybody check to […]
By: Diane Benjamin For Mother’s Day Black Lives Mater bailed out a mom already out on bond for retail theft in Springfield. She was arrested for the same thing here and for having her baby with her when she did it. Keep in mind, everything you buy is more expensive to cover the losses from […]
By: Diane Benjamin The Normal Town Council meeting lasted more than 10 minutes last night! It actually went over an hour because of the mandatory recycling ordinance. ISU kids showed up to demand their right to recycle. Some called it a necessity, one claimed she had to drive 5-10 minutes to drop hers off and […]
By: Diane Benjamin Erik Rankin is on the McLean County Board. He is also the local Democratic Party Chairman. Democrats are VERY outnumbered on the County Board. VERY! Since Jason Chambers ran on the Republican Party ticket for State’s Attorney, his replacement until the next election has to be a Republican. Ranken was on WJBC […]
By: Diane Benjamin http://www.normal.org/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/2996 Tonight Normal may prove government destroys affordable housing. On the agenda is mandatory recycling for all multi-family housing. Non-compliance fines are $100 per day! Who MUST recycle: Attacking the poor is so easy when ideology rules over common sense. Affordable housing will become even less affordable. Where is the League of […]
By: Diane Benjamin Nikita Richards wants to be the next McLean County Clerk. She has a problem with facts however. See this post from her Facebook page and try to spot the problem: Spot it yet? Should I wait? waiting . . . waiting . . . Nothing? She claims she met a guy in […]
By: Diane Benjamin If you missed any of the first three stories, see them HERE (Videos) and HERE (Phone Message) and HERE (Emails) Judy Valente had settled down until the videos were published I obtained under the Freedom of Information Act. Besides the phone message above, she also emailed Chief Woodruff. She is no longer calling him Aaron. […]
