Posted to twitter 3 hours ago: What EVIL are you fighting Jenn? Capitalism? Not enough free stuff? Evil oil companies? Karen Schmidt? Anybody who isn’t a democratic socialist? Obviously the election wasn’t non-partisan. Jenn has a agenda that isn’t negotiable.
By: Diane Benjamin Normal decided they had to spend tax dollars for a bike share program: https://blnnews.com/2017/05/24/run-over-by-democracy/ Instead of allowing Zagster to set up their own program, if there is even a demand for bike sharing, the Town once again usurped capitalism. How is bike sharing done in the most liberal city in Texas – […]
By: Diane Benjamin In the latest show of support for the socialist Connect Transit redistribution of wealth, WGLT public radio has been joined by another government entity: At least one person is on the bus! Can we assume no private sector businesses want their name attached to this fleece of taxpayers? Speaking of public radio […]
By: Diane Benjamin Below are the Quarterly losses VenuWorks has previously reported for this fiscal year: 5/1/2018 – 7/31/2018 -130,634.54 PDF page 5 http://www.cityblm.org/Home/ShowDocument?id=20022 8/1/2018 – 10/31/2018 -96,333.02 PDF page 5 http://www.cityblm.org/Home/ShowDocument?id=20795 11/1/2018 – 1/31/19 -68,108.47 PDF page 5 http://www.cityblm.org/Home/ShowDocument?id=21235 Year to date for THREE quarters shows a loss of $295,076.03. The 4th […]
By: Diane Benjamin This link describes what BN Advantage is: https://www.bnadvantage.com/resources/ If somebody can explain what it is other than a cheer-leading squad for those who know the “right fit”, please let me know. Last week BN Advantage mailed a glossy magazine, likely to businesses. I has 8 pages of members and another 21 […]
By: Diane Benjamin The Pantagraph did this story about a flight from Columbia Mo. to Chicago made an emergency landing in Bloomington last night: https://www.pantagraph.com/news/local/public_safety/chicago-bound-regional-jet-makes-emergency-landing-in-bloomington/article_390f574d-ce47-5824-874c-ce4d6f1731f6.html#tracking-source=home-top-story-1 That story might make you think it was no big deal. Other media has a different story. Evidently the Pantagraph didn’t send a reporter to the airport to talk to […]
By: Diane Benjamin Do some Bloomington Firemen have a problem with respecting the law? Four in a little over a year: #1: https://blnnews.com/2018/12/08/blood-alcohol-226-legal-limit-is-08/ #2 and #3: https://blnnews.com/2019/01/21/another-bloomington-firefighter-arrested/ Since two firemen were involved, I’m counting them was 2 and 3. Only one was charged. #4 is new. I redacted the plaintiff’s name. This happened in Sangamon […]
By: Diane Benjamin It’s been 10 years since Jack and Duncan Leichtenberg were murdered by their father. The authorities claimed there wasn’t enough money for supervised visits. This is the 9th year Amy Leichtenberg is holding the: Taking Steps to End child Abuse 5K Color Run/1 Mile Walk Around 127 pre-registered and around 15 walk-ins […]
New story from Champaign: http://www.news-gazette.com/news/local/2019-04-28/emails-profs-absence-created-stir-ui.html By: Diane Benjamin The Champaign newspaper did this story yesterday: http://www.news-gazette.com/news/local/2019-04-26/ui-professor-under-investigation-says-hell-leave-job-end-may.html Professor Joe Petry, who was previously put on leave, plans to retire at the end of May. He was previously a mayoral candidate in Champaign and has resigned as a member of the Historical Preservation Commission. What is he […]
By: Diane Benjamin The paper did a story about the Community Health Care Clinic: https://www.pantagraph.com/news/local/years-later-community-health-care-clinic-still-responding-to-community/article_09100674-ae9e-5719-8808-176424142626.html Excepts: Illegal aliens can’t legally work, what infrastructure work are they doing? Slave labor? Bloomington changed the JM Scott Healthcare Trust because they didn’t have many people needing help. At the time they blamed the Affordable Care Act and Medicaid […]
Correction: Ford invested $500M not $400M. By: Diane Benjamin Since Rivian now has $500,000,000 from Ford, will they continue to accept subsidies from taxpayers? PDF Page 4 and following: https://www.normal.org/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/2258 December 8, 2016 What are the details that “will be negotiated at a later date“? I’m sure they still want the property tax rebate – everybody […]
By: Diane Benjamin Nothing is more frustrating than government employees who can’t get their story straight. Here’s another example: See PDF page 4 of the February City Manger’s report: http://www.cityblm.org/Home/ShowDocument?id=21477 According to the guy in charge, the BCPA held 6 events in February. How many do we have event reports for? http://www.cityblm.org/government/advanced-components/documents/-folder-1702 TWO! Where are […]
By: Diane Benjamin This report was filed with the City of Bloomington through the MyBloomington App: Wood Street is not on the original list of roads scheduled to be resurfaced: https://blnnews.com/2019/03/01/what-roads-are-getting-resurfaced-in-bloomington/ If a new list has been created since the Motor Fuel Tax increase passed, I haven’t seen it. The person who submitted the request […]
By: Diane Benjamin The purpose of this story is to clarify how many ISU students ride buses and how much ISU pays for those rides. Keep in mind employees at ISU ride with a pass just like students. The information I received does not distinguish between the two. To determine what the relationship is between […]
By: Diane Benjamin If you haven’t already figured it out, a LOT of what I write comes from tips. Today I received prediction from a reader. Connect Transit has an opening for a board member representing Normal. Any guesses on who will be appointed? How about RC McBride Mayor Koos made a big point of […]
This deserves your support! No government dollars stolen for this FREE event: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Connie Beard, [email protected], (309) 824-9394 Crossroads Area Student Theater to showcase ‘Godspell Jr.’ Bloomington-Normal Illinois Crossroads Area Student Theater (C.A.S.T) is back this spring with an exciting production of the hit Broadway musical ‘Godspell’. The talented group of young people […]
By: Diane Benjamin When David Hales was still City Manager, the Council held a meeting to look at every program the City has. They couldn’t come up with a thing to cut. They failed because a conversation on the role of government is never allowed to take place. Instead Bloomington has been allowed to grow […]
By: Diane Benjamin The meeting was scripted with pre-determined results, there was very little discussion on anything. The Public Hearing started with a presentation of how the Federal Grant money (CDBG) will be spent. No one commented, it wouldn’t have changed the vote anyway. People were urged to take the survey to determine how next […]
By: Diane Benjamin Sam’s Club payments show up frequently on Bloomington’s Bills and Payroll. I filed a FOIA request for receipts on this one: This was the first response: Sam’s Club invoice for FOIA 19-04-0403_Redacted The invoices show purchases of lots of food. By looking up the person who placed the order, I can see […]
By: Diane Benjamin The Welcoming Ordinance will be quickly back before the Bloomington City Council as soon as the new Council members are seated. This time it will easily pass. It will also be a lie. Citizens will be told the ordinance is only to make illegals feel comfortable enough to report crimes. That isn’t […]
By: Diane Benjamin The waste of valuable resources continued in March. The far right column is year-to-date, 3 months remain in their fiscal year. https://www.connect-transit.com/documents/April%20Connect%20Transit%20Board%20Packet%204-19.pdf Nobody should be surprised by Mike McCurdy’s comments in the article below. He is not listening to the people. He was appointed by Chris Koos who also doesn’t listen […]
For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 1 Corinthians 1:18
By: Diane Benjamin See this previous story: https://blnnews.com/2019/04/19/things-that-dont-fit-anywhere-else-3/ Democrat County Board member Carlo Robustelli berated GOP Chair Connie Beard for inferring municipal election are actually partisan. Carlo: Why did the Democrat Party interfere in the last local non-partisan election? Maybe they aren’t really non-partisan Carlo? Erik Rankin sure thinks they aren’t! See picture below. The […]
By: Diane Benjamin It looks like Kroger won’t be building on East College. There is a sign on the property now advertising Commercial property for sale,. The Pantagraph ran the story below using 10 years of data, not the data from last year showing the Bloomington-Normal Metro area lost population. https://blnnews.com/2019/04/18/yep-people-are-leaving/ Say it together: #FakeNews. […]
By: Diane Benjamin Agenda and documentation: http://www.cityblm.org/Home/ShowDocument?id=21652 The agenda is slammed with final spending from the budget that expires 4/30/19 and spending from the new budget just passed. Either this never made the news or I missed it, a fire at Lake Bloomington destroyed two vehicles that are being replaced. The fire was in March […]
By: Diane Benjamin City of Bloomington AFSCME Local 699 ratified a new contract yesterday that eliminates Sick Leave Buy Back. The City Council will approve it Monday. Congrats to both sides! For once the City did not hire a Chicago lawyer to negotiate for them. That made a contract easier to achieve and saved both […]
By: Diane Benjamin Source: https://www.ilnews.org/news/economy/for-first-time-population-in-all-illinois-metro-areas-declines/article_11f6e1c6-613f-11e9-910f-b70b85966b74.html Excerpts: U.S. Census data released Thursday showed the population in every one of the state’s metropolitan areas declined in the past year for the first time. The Chicago metropolitan area, which includes suburban cities and portions of Wisconsin and Indiana, reported the largest population decrease in the nation, shrinking by […]
By: Diane Benjamin Bills and Payroll for Monday: http://www.cityblm.org/home/showdocument?id=21630 See the agenda for the US Conference of Mayors here: https://www.usmayors.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/USCM-Honolulu-Agenda-041519-WEB.pdf Note the “Best practices” sessions. They want everybody to think what works in Los Angeles will work in Bloomington. Only fools think “best practices” can be determined by people not familiar with local conditions. Tari […]
By: Diane Benjamin Monday night the City Council got a long report from multiple City employees on what is happening downtown this summer. Your large garbage pickup got changed to twice a year, downtown will see garbage and recycling picked up 7 days a week. The streets will be swept twice a week. The Way […]
By: Diane Benjamin If you needed any more proof the YWCA is one of the radical centers of McLean County: DSA is Democratic Socialists of America. They claim democratic socialism is much different from regular old socialism. It isn’t. It is just the first step to becoming Cuba or Venezuela. They convince people to vote […]
By: Diane Benjamin Can 97% of taxpayers in Illinois pay less in taxes while the State plans to spend more? The local Democrat Party must think citizens have ZERO common sense: They don’t mention Springfield is planning to give financial aid to illegal aliens too. The FLAT income tax has been continually increased. The State […]
By: Diane Benjamin We have decades of history proving every form of government eventually fails when those in power do not let the free markets work. Even capitalism will fail when government interferes and large corporations are allowed to write their own legislation to eliminate competition. See Net Neutrality for an example, Google was an […]
By: Diane Benjamin The Normal Town Council meeting last night was over TWO hours long. Not because there was heavy discussion of spending, it was tribute night for departing Jeff Fritzen and RC McBride. The election is still stinging the establishment! The are worried about “the plan” and should be. The $100 a month lease […]
By: Diane Benjamin Posted on Facebook today by the McLean County Democrats: If people got smaller refunds it is because they paid less in all year! Please check the total federal taxes you paid in 2017 compared to the total you paid for 2018. Question: Why would anybody let the government use your money all […]
By: Diane Benjamin http://www.normal.org/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/3274 Lots of travel and food! Note the funeral flowers – nice but not an expense government should be using your money for. Accountants take credit cards? Most send an INVOICE! Pension Spiking: Was this event free? More waste:
By: Diane Benjamin WalletHub published a study of State taxation in March. WallettHub is Tari Renner’s favorite study to quote since in the past they have rated Bloomington as a great place to live. Those days should be over. https://wallethub.com/edu/best-worst-states-to-be-a-taxpayer/2416/#complete-rankings Including the District of Columbia, Illinois ranks #1 with highest tax burden! “Taxpayers in the […]
By: Diane Benjamin This item is on the consent agenda, meaning unless it gets pulled there won’t be any discussion: http://www.normal.org/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/3274 This is the space the engineering department used before moving to the space in 1 Uptown Circle which costs the Town $35,248.77 a month now (See PDF page 10). Worse, the first floor […]
By: Diane Benjamin I’ve heard numerous times about the lack of people working Coliseum events. Last night was no exception. I believe the final hockey game to ever be played at the arena took place last night. A local business sponsored suites and handed out free tickets. According to an attendee, there was only 1 […]
