Month: January 2019

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Common Sense Anyone?

By:  Diane Benjamin How many bikes have you seen in the bike lanes?  How much money has been wasted painting them?  How much congestion has been caused ON PURPOSE:  “traffic calming”. It turns out biking isn’t the great savior Bike BloNo convinced Renner and company it was! From Townhall:   https://townhall.com/columnists/jeffjacoby/2019/01/09/is-the-bikelane-fever-breaking-n2538771?fbclid=IwAR1irKigQS-g7Cy04OigATSOtxtsFodH6TreZtsXSkp-4hh2nh1bUAtyh-o I will start with the […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Bloomington Spiking, VenuWorks, and More

By:  Diane Benjamin Bills and Payroll for Monday:    http://www.cityblm.org/Home/ShowDocument?id=20735 Two more employees are spiking their pensions – this is the penalty charged to taxpayers         When VenuWorks took over management of the Coliseum they wanted to remodel at taxpayer expense.  The City borrowed the money from them for the remodel.  These are […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Consider this:

By:  Diane Benjamin Joliet chose Bloomington’s City Manager. Bloomington had 3 candidates to replace him – all from Illinois. Bloomington chose Decatur’s City Manager.  He then chose another guy from Decatur as an assistant. The Streator City Manager has now been chosen by Decatur. The Bloomington City Clerk came here from Arizona.  She didn’t stay […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Pantagraph and Social media

By: Diane Benjamin Yesterday the Pantagraph printed an editorial called: Commentary: Social media is hurting America, and 2019 is the year we need to do something about it It was supposedly from the Dallas Morning News with no names attached.  Read it here if you missed it:    https://www.pantagraph.com/opinion/columnists/commentary-social-media-is-hurting-america-and-is-the-year/article_10a43651-9261-5463-8009-d67ea18be67c.html Yes, they claim social media is hurting […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

TWO arena show results

By:  Diane Benjamin The results of two shows, one in November and one in December, are now posted:    http://www.cityblm.org/government/advanced-components/documents/-folder-1612 Both shows made money. but both reports show a problem. Who BUYS tickets to a show and doesn’t attend?  Both reports show more tickets were sold than the total of people who actually attended – even […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Are all Commissions really a joke?

By:  Diane Benjamin We know Bloomington’s Police Review Board (PSCRB) has been in existence for a year, held lots of meetings, prepared information for citizens, and has yet to hear one complaint.  Anybody think it was set up as a “feel good” board and never intended to hear complaints? Now we will see if Normal’s Historic […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Update: Atlanta: Laws followed

Link to hearing video:   https://edgarcountywatchdogs.com/2019/01/atlanta-electoral-board-removed-2-candidates-from-ballot/   By:  Diane Benjamin The hearing that wasn’t legal last week was held today.  This time an agenda was available and all parties that needed to be there were there. Several citizens expressed sympathies to Billie Cheek and apologized if their comments when she wasn’t present at the last meeting […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Update: Koos and McBride don’t want your opinions!

The first public comment speaker was Karyn Smith (not Karen) – also a candidate for Normal Town Council.  Other than her comments last night I don’t know anything else about her – yet. By:  Diane Benjamin When Chris Koos began public comment he made clear he would time limit the speakers so they could get […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Why pay dues to the Chamber of Commerce?

By:  Diane Benjamin The McLean County Chamber of Commerce has this cute map on their website:     https://mcleancochamber.org/file/781/LegislativeUpdate18_FinalBOPI.pdf It claims Illinois isn’t in the top or bottom 10 states for Tax Climate. I wonder why people are fleeing Illinois then? The reason is because the Chamber is putting lipstick on a pig! They should have […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Facts don’t matter

by:  Diane Benjamin Facts frequently don’t matter because too many people think with their heart instead of their brain.  They twist facts to prove to themselves why conservative values are wrong.  Any one who thinks government is their friend falls into this category.  Government doesn’t exist to solve problem because:  1) it isn’t their money […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Normal spending+ Monday night

By: Diane Benjamin http://www.normal.org/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/3156 Explanation needed: Understand now why the Chamber endorses who they endorse? More employee benefits at your expense:: Rivian! Is the first floor still empty?  Did anybody report how many bikes are actually used?   Consult on what? Does anybody else pay dues?  Ever see a report?  Remember Bloomington’s Downtown Association that dissolved? Paying […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

81% Gas tax increase Monday!

Monday’s Lame Duck session of the Illinois General Assembly plans to hit you with a 30-cent increase (81% increase) in your gas taxes, making Illinois the highest priced gasoline in the nation.  And Democrats say that they are looking out for the “little guy!” . Some citizens will rally in the Capitol building 11:00 a.m. Monday Jan. […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

More Atlanta corruption?

By:  Diane Benjamin As reported HERE, the petition challenge in Atlanta was not a legal meeting since no agenda had been posted 48 hours in advance.  The Atlanta Mayor, Fred Finchum, proclaimed he didn’t know meetings required agendas.  He should immediately resign since laws are too difficult for him. The hearing board should have three members, […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Ed Burke arrested!

Maybe there is hope for Illinois!  The Feds are trying! This story is in the Chicago papers, but since you can’t read them for free (if you reached your limit), read it here: https://www.illinoispolicy.org/longtime-chicago-ald-ed-burke-charged-with-extortion/ Ed’s wife is on the Illinois Supreme Court. I met Ed Burke while poll watching in Chicago.  He was on the […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Will half of all colleges close?

By:  Diane Benjamin Since Bloomington-Normal is a college town, this is an article that needs to be read.  It was printed in Forbes Will Half Of All Colleges Really Close In The Next Decade? Harvard Business School Professor Clayton Christensen consistently turns heads in higher education by predicting that 50% of colleges and universities will close or […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Video Update: Laws do occasionally matter!

This is the link to the Edgar County Watchdogs story with video from the hearing held for the Atlanta Library petition challenges:  Library challenges By:  Diane Benjamin Frequently we all have to wonder if laws matter.  This morning they did in Logan County. Six people who had filed petitions to run for the Atlanta Library […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Debt: Normal vrs Bloomington

By:  Diane Benjamin As of 3/31/18 Normal had total debt of $89,823,286.  $88,125,000 won’t be paid off until 2041.  Interest rates range from 2.00% to 6.30%. Source As of 4/30/18 Bloomington had total debt of $242,010,034.  $57,095,000 won’t be paid off until 2035.  The interest rates aren’t listed.  $173,646,119 is liabilities for pensions and associated […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Is this your wish for 2019?

By:  Diane Benjamin The Bloomington City Council has until April 1st to fire VenuWorks:  PDF page 2    http://www.cityblm.org/Home/ShowDocument?id=10901 The Coliseum (Grossinger Motors Arena) continues to fleece taxpayers. The audited loss for last year was $2,168,534. https://blnnews.com/2018/11/18/the-media-wont-report-this/ Taxpayers were deceived by the consultants before it was built – against the wishes of citizens.  They predicted revenues […]