Normal for Monday night

By:  Diane Benjamin https://normal.org/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/3477 PDF page 15:  https://normal.org/DocumentCenter/View/15625/CAFR19-FINAL-DOC $610 for this?  The financial statements were released before they received the 2019 certificate, so they re-used the one from 2018: Bloomington paid her $3000 too:  https://blnnews.com/2019/11/07/bloomingtons-monday-payments/ Purpose? Redistributing your money: Not much exciting on the agenda, maybe a few tears about property taxes not going up.  […]

Update to NEXT Week’s meetings

By:  Diane Benjamin The December 2nd joint meeting of the Bloomington and Normal Councils to print money for a sports complex has been cancelled.  Evidently they found out that is illegal. Actually Bloomington has little interest in funding a $43 million project guaranteed to lose money and Normal can’t do it alone.  Why a meeting […]

Trolls Live Scores, attendance dismal

By:  Diane Benjamin Unlike the BCPA who think event reports aren’t important, VenuWorks posts theirs.  This proves the difference between a company that can be fired and City employees who know nobody cares if they do their job.  The BCPA hasn’t posted any event reports since the last time I FOID’d them.  Thanks for the […]

FOIA Lawsuit filed

Remember when the Edgar County Watchdogs spoke to the Council concerning a police officer who suddenly “quit”?  He is now working for the County.  Since his departure facts were buried, I wonder what he told them? We know there is more to the story.  Numerous emails were redacted – too many to comply with the […]

Glen Ellyn vrs Normal

By:  Diane Benjamin Glen Ellyn also got a federal grant.  While Normal received $13 million, they got $14.4 million. The grant is for reconstructing their Metra station and a pedestrian tunnel: What’s the price tag? $20,000,000 Source:  http://www.dailyherald.com/glen-ellyn-to-celebrate-144m-grant-for-metra-station-project What is the price tag for Normal’s underpass (only)? $22,000,000 Glenn Ellyn’s tunnel will have ramps to […]

What’s going on at Heartland Head Start?

By:  Diane Benjamin First, I am not even slightly familiar with Heartland Head Start.  I am using information I’ve been told and info received by a FOIA request.  HHS isn’t subject to FOIA. There is one familiar name on their governing board:    https://www.heartlandheadstart.org/en/get-involved/governance/governance-board HHS is supported by federal tax dollars and some local organizations.  […]

Normal: Outrageous Price!

By:  Diane Benjamin At Monday’s Council meeting at was announced they think the formerly $24,000,000 underpass can be built for $22,000,000.  This Uptown vanity won’t allow a single car to avoid sitting at a crossing waiting for a train to pass.  It won’t stop people from crossing the tracks on foot at other crossings. Compare […]

Hockey AGAIN?

By:  Diane Benjamin Here’s my take on today’s hockey announcement: Hockey can show a profit for VenuWorks if they are smarter than in the past. ISU is only charged $2000 to play at the Coliseum, the ticket sales are dismal so they might not break even.  At least they aren’t bleeding for the privilege of […]

Another Lesson in Limited Government

By:  Diane Benjamin There are two types of people in government:   Those who think their position demands they “make progress”   Those who think their job is to create an environment so people can create their own “progress”. One uses your money for their vision, the other allows you to create your own vision.  […]

Normal Recap Part 2

By:  Diane Benjamin City Manager Pam Reece claimed they posted audio of Public Comment from the previous meeting.  All I see is a deleted video. Lesson from this Council meeting: Cummings wasn’t on video this time during the pledge.  Coincidence? If you want to talk for more than 3 minutes during public comment – first […]

Normal recap 11/18/2019 Part 1

By:  Diane Benjamin Normal held two meetings last night.  The first one was a Work Session pertaining to the underpass. Public Comment was first: 7:30  Sonja Reece explained why the underpass is essential.  One item she noted was buses from Chicago bringing field trip kids from Chicago need a way to get the kids across […]

Bloomington recap 11/18/19

By:  Diane Benjamin Two council members were absent:  Joni Painter and Kimberly Bray Connect Transit’s Judy Buchanan didn’t show up.  The presentation was cancelled “due to illness”. Side Note: WGLT reported only 6 members out of 13 attended the illegal Saturday meeting – they discussed items for almost 4 hours anyway:  https://www.wglt.org/connect-transit-likely-delay-fare-increase-again-awaits-working-group-report How much of […]

Champaign gets Costco, Bloomington?

By. Diane Benjamin A new Costco store will be opening in the former Bergners location in the Champaign mall.  Was Bloomington even looked at? https://www.news-gazette.com/news/champaign-council-approves-tax-incentive-deal-for-costco/article_5016464f-879d-5eef-a0bd-73c4f09f9969. Where is the Economic Development Council?  Where is Bloomington’s Economic Development department? Champaign had to promise tax breaks based on future sales, is an empty store better? Bloomington’s mall has […]

Bloomington Tonight – Committee of the Whole

By:  Diane Benjamin http://bloomingtonil.iqm2.com/Citizens/FileOpen.aspx?Type=1&ID=1045&Inline=True Dimmitt’s Grove planning will be discussed  If you own property there, pay attention.  Government planning is inflexible and usually steals property rights. This paragraph is included:  Connect Transit must not have room on the empty buses to drop residents off  at any of the grocery stores to the east, northeast, or […]

Connect Transit: Empty Buses and Brains

By:  Diane Benjamin After NOT posting the Agenda for today’s meeting 48 hours in advance as required by the Open Meetings Act (LAW!), yesterday Connect moved the meeting and thought people would magically know:    https://www.connect-transit.com/about/trustees/cttf_working_group/agendas.asp No surprise, they didn’t have enough people for a quorum, some members of the public went to the wrong […]

Jenn recruited Decatur radicals

By:  Diane Benjamin The radical leftists are running rampant again just like they did in the 60’s.  They weren’t stopped then until they showed their violent side, expect the rabble-rousing to accelerate in the future. The Decatur City Council  voted to not allow a cannabis dispensary.  A group called the Decatur Dispensary Project is collecting […]

Mike Matejka leaves out some FACTS

By: Diane Benjamin You will probably remember Matejka as a former Bloomington Alderman. During his tenure he voted FOR the Coliseum and FOR the never used fire station. If he could get your money to fork over to union members with a government project he was all in. Now he is at it again. It […]

How to get crowds downtown

By:  Diane Benjamin Last night the Planning Commission approved onsite use of cannabis.  That makes cannabis just like a bar! Where are the bars? Downtown! Users will flock downtown to smoke weed inside even though cigarettes have been banned for years.  Maybe some snack shops will open to satisfy the munchies of the participants. Jenn […]

BCPA FREE show

By:  Diane Benjamin Obviously the mission of the BCPA is not to make money or even attempt to break even! No event reports have been posted since the last time I FOIA’d them.  The Carole King show was close to a month ago – still no report. It gets better! This show is FREE, I’m […]

Do electric buses work in the cold?

By:  Diane Benjamin In Indianapolis their electric buses started losing the charge when the temperature got below 50 degrees! See this story:  https://www.theindychannel.com//indygo-electric-buses-having-battery-problems-cant-handle-the-cold Excerpts from TODAY’s story: INDIANAPOLIS — The IndyGo electric buses are already showing signs of trouble as the temperatures plunge. It’s a problem Call 6 Investigates first exposed in March, and now it’s happening. […]