Month: August 2019
Proof: Failure to Launch
By: Diane Benjamin Somebody calling themselves: just accused me of lying in this story from yesterday: https://blnnews.com/2019/08/29/failure-to-launch-local-dems/ Here’s part of the comment: I made up the whole thing? I lied? I know Derek has been to “Democrat Boot Camp”. That means he wants to run for something. The local dems have nothing to run on […]
Normal: Corporate Welfare
By: Diane Benjamin The handouts of tax money continue in Normal on TUESDAY. Unless developers are paid to build in Uptown it doesn’t happen. Monday’s giveaway teeters on laughable. The documentation claims the $1.6 million project will not go forward unless a rebate from sales tax of $150,000 is approved. Can you see the bulls-eye placed […]
The highway department employee electrocuted yesterday
By: Diane Benjamin The County confirmed the death of Scott Bundy earlier today. Scott is survived by his wife Shana and 3 small children. Sources who know the family say he was also raising one of his sister’s children after she was killed in a house fire. https://www.pantagraph.com/news/local/obituaries/amy-mccubbins/article_b22e94a6-fbcc-11e2-8f13-001a4bcf887a.html The same source tells me Scott’s mother […]
Art Gallery opens at the Airport today
By: Diane Benjamin From a Press Release issued by CIRA: Of course there is more to the story. This is an epic case proving when government is involved everything is much more difficult and more expensive. It proves yet again why government must be limited. Received by FOIA Start with this email – note the […]
Failure to Launch: Local Dems
By: Diane Benjamin Well it seems as if the Dems had a snafu at the last County Board meeting. Eventual candidate (more about that later) Derek M. Lough appeared to be ready to do a fire and brimstone speech about voter suppression in McLean County. The Dems are all fired up about waiting lines in […]
Marc Tiritilli and Connect Transit
Connect Transit is the best example of a government agency throwing away tax dollars. In the near future they will want more of your money to throw away. Marc Tiritilli posted the below to Facebook. Keep in mind he requested an appointment to the Connect Transit Board to fill the year long empty seat representing […]
Stan Nord and Scott Preston
By: Diane Benjamin Stan Nord has tried to reach out to fellow Trustees who claim to care about taxpayers. Scott Preston was one of those. Think back to this story: https://blnnews.com/2019/07/31/did-chris-koos-lie/ Preston knew before the rest of the Council that Chris Koos wasn’t telling the truth about Nord going “lone wolf” because Preston was copied […]
The upcoming IML conference
By: Diane Benjamin I’ve written about the Illinois Municipal league numerous times. If you don’t know much about them, start with this story from 2016: https://blnnews.com/2016/03/29/the-iml-scam/ IML is holding their annual conference in Chicago in September. Many local people will be attending at a cost of at least $310 each. From Bloomington, Tari Renner, Julie […]
Tari Then and Now plus council last night
By: Diane Benjamin May 11, 2016, Tari on WJBC: https://audioboom.com/posts/4551685-tari-renner-bloomington-mayor-5-11-16?t=0 At the very end: Tari states that having NO Video Gaming in Bloomington should be on the table. He groused about it making more need for police, especially when combined with alcohol. The rest is entertaining if you want to relive history. Downtown, downtown, downtown. […]
One final response to Kathleen
By: Diane Benjamin One person responded to Kathleen Lorenz’s survey with more information than requested. He accuses Kathleen of campaigning one way on issues and then changing after being reelected. Then he goes on to call Stan Nord “not a nice guy” and a “bully”. Jeff must prefer politicians that misrepresent their positions to get […]
Lorenz, Koos, and Nord PART 2
By: Diane Benjamin See Part 1 here: https://blnnews.com/2019/08/26/lorenz-koos-and-nord/ Questions for Kathleen: Why do the opinions of only a few matter? Why were the opinions of those wanting to save the building in Uptown with the mural immaterial? Why were the opinions of the people not served by Connect Transit immaterial? The Working Group isn’t even […]
Lorenz, Koos, and Nord – PART 1
See Part 2: https://blnnews.com/2019/08/27/lorenz-koos-and-nord-part-2/ By: Diane Benjamin https://www.wglt.org/post/koos-says-nord-went-lone-wolf-fire-department-merger-uptown-recruitment#stream/0 In the above article Chris Koos said this to WGLT when he tried to denigrate Stan Nord: Has WGLT or the Pantagraph reported Stan Nord has proof Koos lied to them? https://blnnews.com/2019/08/23/the-normal-council-knew-the-truth/ Nope! According to Koos, Trustees aren’t allowed to gather information – the staff does […]
Comparing government to government
By: Diane Benjamin Evidently local governments don’t know that a $15 minimum wage is coming thanks to the State of Illinois. Your taxes will go up along with the price of everything. People will lose jobs because mandatory wages mean some businesses will cease to exist. Other businesses will increase the price of their products […]
Connect Transit proves government doesn’t work
By: Diane Benjamin Some people think Medicare for All would be fabulous. Dig slightly deeper folks, it would be a disaster! Compare Medicare for All to Connect Transit. Some people think access to public transportation is a “right”, these same people think healthcare is a “right”. Neither are “rights” because both require other people to […]
Anybody know . . .
A pavilion was heavily vandalized somewhere in a Bloomington park last night. If you know where, let me know. Otherwise, I will find out later.
Bloomington Monday 8-26
By: Diane Benjamin Bills and Payroll: https://www.cityblm.org/Home/ShowDocument?id=22497 Indoctrination camps, the Illinois Municipal League represents cities, not taxpayers: The Coliseum continues to bleed taxpayers: This is year THREE for the Small Business Development Center. Is anybody asking what has been developed? https://blnnews.com/2018/01/03/knuckleheads/ Option 1 (50/50 split): That the Resolution approving the Small Business Development Center funding […]
Chemberly isn’t fit to serve
By: Diane Benjamin Stan Nord has been trying to fix a few things in Normal since before he was elected. Everybody should know by now the Town has been throwing away taxpayer dollars paying property taxes they don’t owe. Stan has tried to bring some other Council members into the discussion in an attempt to […]
Normal’s new trees and landscaping
Summit and School – Next to Calvary Baptist Church. Normal re-did the sidewalks and created this. If this was your yard you would be fined! Those weeds will get as big as the small trees that died. Maybe that’s the plan. Don’t forget, they claim to be a “Full Service” Town.
The Normal Council knew the truth!
By: Diane Benjamin Everything below was received by FOIA. I received another treasure trove of emails – stay tuned. Remember this note Mayor Koos sent to Bloomington and leaked to the media? This note was in the Pantagraph on July 17th. https://blnnews.com/2019/07/31/did-chris-koos-lie/ On July 26th, Stan Nord sent proof to the Mayor and the entire […]
The Dead Tree Chronicles Continues
By: Diane Benjamin Follow-up to this story: https://blnnews.com/2019/08/05/more-from-the-normal-foia-dead-trees/ I found the original problem with new trees dying in Normal only because of a FOIA request for other information. The pic of a newly planted tree in the previous story proved no dirt has been put on top of the root ball. This story included to […]
Catch a glimpse inside FOIA requests
By: Diane Benjamin The Freedom of Information Act was created to insure citizens can obtain information about the government THEY pay for. All documents belong to citizens, not government. There are a few exemptions to what can be withheld, but every FOIA request starts with the assumption documents are available to anybody who asks for […]
Who thought Jenn’s racist video was great?
By: Diane Benjamin Continuing this story: https://blnnews.com/2019/08/21/the-carrillo-crabill-circus-continues/ If you aren’t on Facebook you probably don’t know how it works. People can comment on what you post, share it, or click to “like” – “love” – “laugh” etc. Jenn didn’t get a ton of comments, but one is from a former candidate for office who is […]
Let’s Revisit the Route 66 Gas Station/Gift Shop
By: Diane Benjamin The location is 305 Pine in Normal – the former Sprague’s Service Station. It is supposedly historic and a Route 66 attraction. The Town of Normal: paid off Terri Ryburn’s mortgage – $229,000 gave Ryburn $5000 bought the lot next door for $24,000 paid $148,000 to replace the parking lot paid property […]
The Carrillo/Crabill circus continues
By: Diane Benjamin Jenn Carrillo makes up history and twists facts to fit her own agenda: she wants democratic socialism. She will tell you that democratic socialism is much different from just plain old socialism, but it isn’t. Anybody who thinks government is capable of running your life better than you skipped civics and history. […]
Bloomington meeting was PAINFUL
By: Diane Benjamin Public comment: Most of the speakers were there to talk about video gambling. A big fear of the local business owners is the State of Illinois raising the minimum wage to $15 per hour. Even though democrats think business owners have stashes of cash in the back room, they don’t. Many of […]
Council Member Jenn: Hate America?
Read this email exchange Jenn Carrillo had with a citizen of Bloomington. If Jenn thinks America is such an evil place, why is she here? Obviously her parents came to America (illegally) and brought her along for some reason, what was it Jenn? Congrats Ward 6 on electing a representative who thinks white people are racists. […]
Normal meeting last night
By: Diane Benjamin The Normal Council meeting last night edged close to boring. Trustee comments at the end were more interesting than most of the meeting. Both Karyn Smith and Stan Nord brought up the empty seat for Normal on the Connect Transit Board. No response from Koos. The American Legion will be installing a […]
Bring in the clowns
by: Diane Benjamin Oh wait – they are already here: Jenn Carrillo still thinks being an alderman requires a public displays of sexuality: Jeff Crabill decided to stage his own protest with a T-shirt: This is what the shirt says: Jeff confirmed everything the democrat party is saying: People here illegally are more important than […]
Normal’s taxpayer attacks tonight
By: Diane Benjamin http://normal.org/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/3389 Tonight Normal will prove laws don’t matter, specifically this one: Because Stan Nord has been asking why the Council approves payments when Chris Koos has said TWICE on video they aren’t, the wording on the agenda has been changed: Illinois doesn’t care when government violates the law. There is no one […]
Bloomington Tonight – Connect Transit and more
By: Diane Benjamin https://www.cityblm.org/Home/ShowDocument?id=22465 Tonight a representative from the McLean County Regional Planning Commission will talk about local transit. She will be followed by the Connect Transit’s General Manager. Prediction: Neither speaker will mention the buses are too big to serve the people with no other means of transportation. Neither speaker will recognize the huge […]
More from Koos’s Facebook posts
By: Diane Benjamin More Facebook connected to this story: https://blnnews.com/2019/08/18/is-koos-doing-a-teenage-girl-imitation/ Chris Koos made three separate posts, I covered 2 of them above. This was the third one: This one only has 22 comments, here’s a few: Normal has a mayor who thinks we are a democracy! The United States is a Republic mayor, democracy is […]
Is Koos doing a teenage girl imitation?
By: Diane Benjamin Mayor Koos started this discussion on Facebook in a group called: News Happening in Bloomington Normal McLean Co Area and All Over This group has 34,727 members! Have popcorn ready before reading! I copied most of the comments, note most of the people on the page didn’t appreciate his juvenile post. Koos […]
Feel sorry for Fazzini?
By: Diane Benjamin I’ve known for quite awhile that for Bloomington Alderman Rob Fazzini had sued people involved with the Cornbelters. Since I was at the courthouse yesterday I decided to pull the court documents. If you ever want to see a file, get the Case Number from Public Access ( https://www.mcleancountyil.gov/137/Public-Access-Search-System ), then go to the […]
Fun stuff! Normal suing Bloomington?
By: Diane Benjamin I thought Chris Koos was all lovey-dovey with Tari Renner now and Metrozone was just a footnote in history. Maybe not: An email received by FOIA. Did Normal forget to redact this one on the basis of pending litigation, or did Normal want the info out? If you forgot, Metrozone was an […]
Rodriquez likely won’t stand trial
By: Diane Benjamin The Jose Rodriquez case had a hearing today concerning the accident that killed Corey Cottrell. The State’s Attorney wanted a September trial, the judge set another hearing for September 11th so Jose could be present. He is currently in ICE detention in Wisconsin. ICE will probably deport Rodriquez before he stands trial. […]
Who is the Working Group working for?
By: Diane Benjamin Why was the Connect Transit Working Group formed? Think back: People disenfranchised by route changes, non ADA compliance, fare increases, and huge empty buses showed up at City Council meetings (over and over) demanding changes. These people had tried talking to the Connect Transit Board and were ignored. They tried talking to […]
Market and Clinton
The sidewalk is ADA compliant though!
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