By: Diane Benjamin Below are all the people who filed for County offices. The ones in red boxes will be on the primary ballot, evidently retiring dem party chair Erik Rankin couldn’t stop leftists from competing to see who can be the most extreme. 2 races will have democrat primaries, only one republican. I wonder […]
By: Diane Benjamin Here’s the list: Danvers, Hudson, Leroy, Arrowsmith, and Gridley What are they NOT doing? Illinois is in the process of switching to Next Gen 9-1-1. It requires the addresses to be consistent, the Geographic Information System (GIS) system across the County needs to be updated. Many other rural communities are already in […]
By: Diane Benjamin Projects governments dream up never include the true cost, interest paid for decades could increase the price by 50%. It could be even worse for Normal because they are paying no principal on many of their bonds – just interest. Monday night is the semi-annual bond payments approval festivities. Of course, discussion […]
By: Dine Benjamin Normal Trustee Kathleen Lorenz compiled a form email she sent to numerous residents who asked why she changed her vote. Yes folks, she was convinced the Town’s credit rating is more important than not fleecing residents for more money. She still spews the AAA credit rating from the much smaller Fitch Ratings […]
Instead of getting exercise walking across campus, today’s kids need a bus to the taxpayer subsidized work out facilities and classrooms. Heartland will only be paying 82 1/2 cents per ride. Sounds like a war on the poor who are forced to pay $1. They will vote on a 6 month extension. https://www.connect-transit.com/documents/SpecialMeetingDecember17.pdf
By: Diane Benjamin The Cornbelt Ambucs presented an Amtryke to Tri-Valley High School student Zachary Thorndyke this morning. Zac couldn’t stop smiling! This bike has been customized for Zac. Ambucs works with a physical therapist so the recipient is not only safe but is able to build strength using it. Ambucs also works with Easter […]
By: Diane Benjamin When a candidate for office declares what they plan to do if you vote them into office they should actually do it. Some members of the Normal Town Council have openly criticized Stan Nord for doing just that. He is accused of playing politics because he isn’t rubber-stamping “the plan”. He is […]
A READER put this together for me! He took the show recaps in this story and looked up the artist fees: https://blnnews.com/2019/12/11/bcpa-reports-finally-posted/ He saved me a lot of time, I really appreciate it. A previous reader said the Pirate Penelope show didn’t have artist fees. Since it appears the artist fees were not included in […]
By: Diane Benjamin See the reports here: https://www.cityblm.org/Home/ShowDocument?id=23615 All of these are new event report postings: 10/22/19 The Phantom Carriage <$1,438.41> 106 attended, zero for artist fees 11/5/19 The Four Italian Tenors $7,581.21 308 attended, zero for artist fees 10/20/19 The Carol King Musical $44,535.44 1113 attended, zero for artist fees 10/25/19 Southern Fried Comedy […]
By: Diane Benjamin For decades Voter ID laws have been blocked because opponents claim the minority vote would be negatively impacted. Either this isn’t true or the State of Illinois is now discriminating against minorities. January 1st everyone wanting to purchase legal cannabis in Illinois is required to show a government issued ID. Who is […]
By: Diane Benjamin In Bloomington and Normal government believes they are required to spend your money to create economic development. Peoria evidently doesn’t. Maybe it’s because Peoria is too broke – they have made significant budget cuts. Maybe broke government is the key to allowing the private sector to flourish. See this story: https://www.pjstar.com/news/20191210/kim-blickenstaff-purchases-stake-in-peoria-armory-plans-renovation Excerpts: […]
By: Diane Benjamin A reader emailed me about cannabis legalization. He currently has a medical cannabis card. He tried to purchase a 22 caliber rifle to target shoot with his grandkids about a year ago. He failed the background check because of his medical card. A State cop told him he would not pass the […]
By: Diane Benjamin According to this story: https://blnnews.com/2019/04/25/connect-transit-and-isu-facts/ ISU pays an average of .80 per ride for their students, The Connect Transit-ISU contract expires at the end of this year. I fully expect an emergency meeting since on December 5th the two sides couldn’t agree on what ISU will pay next year. Meanwhile, the ISU […]
By: Diane Benjamin Next Monday is when the Bloomington City Council will make their final decision on manufacturing, processing, distributing, selling, and use of marijuana. Merry Christmas Bloomington, dollar signs and social justice warriors will decide Gettin’ High is the Way To Fly! 12:15 Chris Collins of Housing Our People Everywhere wants some of the […]
By: Diane Benjamin Below is another sheet the participants at the Citizens Summit worked from. Although most of the questions show Normal has no idea what citizens think government should be – Question 5 is especially telling. The person who sent this page to me reported the entire table answered it: NOTHING! The table was […]
By: Diane Benjamin The Bloomington financial statements have the same debt table as Normal in this story: https://blnnews.com/2019/12/09/more-on-normals-credit-rating-and-debt/ PDF page 91: https://www.cityblm.org/home/showdocument?id=23337 The chart has a typo: the 2035-2029 probably should have been 2025-2029. $52,090,000 for bond payments and $11,576,172 for interest. The interest adds 22% to the total repayment. Don’t get too […]
By: Diane Benjamin Normal reported the same credit ratings in their financial statements that I reported in this story: https://blnnews.com/2019/12/07/moodys-normal-doesnt-have-a-aaa-credit-rating/ PDF page 33: https://normal.org/DocumentCenter/View/15625/CAFR19-FINAL-DOC What they failed to tell you is that Fitch is owned by a French company and is the smallest of the “Big Three” ratings companies. https://www.sapling.com/7319147/sp-moodys-fitch-ratings S&P doesn’t not have […]
Tale of two cities, of course you know which one is which. How much did each cost? I hope both know! . . . . . . .
By: Diane Benjamin Source: http://bloomingtonil.iqm2.com/Citizens/FileOpen.aspx?Type=1&ID=1051&Inline=True Does the highlighted name look familiar? https://blnnews.com/2019/11/04/bloomington-fireman-5-gets-off/ You might have missed the Edgar County Watchdogs version: https://edgarcountywatchdogs.com/2019/11/illinois-state-university-police-let-fireman-off-of-alleged-dui-due-to-his-employment/ The BCPA staff uses this building instead of the the BCPA offices. No event reports have been posted for the BCPA since my last FOIA. Citizens have no idea what happens in […]
By: Diane Benjamin Go to Moodys.com to see this information. You will have to sign in with Facebook or create an account. Remember I’ve mentioned Normal has a high credit rating because they aren’t afraid to tax? Moody’s confirms that: It is still a really good credit rating, but it isn’t AAA. I wonder where […]
By: Diane Benjamin If you believe Common Sense is absent in society today, see more Thomas Sewell quotes here: https://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/2056.Thomas_Sowell?page=1 Who is paying a price for 1 Uptown Circle? The building was only constructed because the Town of Normal agreed to rent an entire floor at over market rates. The first floor is STILL vacant. […]
I’ve lost track of every source that has wished to remain anonymous. If you want to be another one, have no fear! I need information on this: Is District 87 doing the same them? Any other area schools? Email me: blnnews@yahoo.com
By: Diane Benjamin Sometimes I can put puzzle pieces together on my own, sometimes I can’t. It takes you readers filling in the missing pieces! Many have, it is much appreciated. The underpass has MANY puzzle pieces! Frequently I forget what I have written and what has happened at Council meetings – I am a […]
By: Diane Benjamin This story is only possible because of TWO tips. Keep them coming! Know what this is: Maybe a bigger pic will help: If you look at the stretch above the shadow’s head, you might be able to tell this strip (purposely embedded in the concrete) is supposed to be a drain. Instead […]
By: Diane Benjamin Surprise surprise! Normal had an agreement with IDOT to build an overhead passenger walkway at their expense: The source for the above is the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed by former City Manager Mark Peterson and officials from the State of Illinois and Union Pacific Railroad: 12.6.16_MOU Your elected officials decided a […]
Since two people have contacted me with this information today: Kelly Loeffler was appointed by Gov Kemp to fill a seat vacated for heath reasons. Pro-Life groups are not happy, the Governor tweeted this: Read more about objections to her appointment here: https://www.lifenews.com/2019/12/02/georgia-gov-brian-kemp-names-planned-parenthood-activist-kelly-loeffler-to-open-senate-seat/?fbclid=IwAR2z7WYzEvi3FZ_zRU-4B3wNoJj5tJjzFghuTWdBNBpgvXN6FucU7BR-OOs Time will tell what kind of Senator she will be, I hear […]
By: Diane Benjamin See the original on PDF page 7: https://www.connect-transit.com/documents/Meetings/Packets/Board%20Packet%2012-5-19Final.pdf Shucks! Connect almost made it to a million dollar loss in 1 month! Maybe they should have traveled more and had more meetings: (PDF page 5) See PDF page 8 – Ridership on both fixed routes and mobility was down from the same month […]
These people are doing something about it! There is nothing better than citizen Watchdogs with a lawyer. Full disclosure – I know the people behind this: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE December 2, 2019 CONTACT: Babette Holder Director of Communications/Social Media E: babetteh@ilpac.org W: ILPAC.org IL State Board of Elections Violates Law Faces Citizen Legal Action Carol Stream, […]
Toggle Me The ILGOP will never reform Illinois with leadership like this:Source: https://www.wcia.com/news/capitol-news/geez-bill-plummer-says-brady-offered-him-ethics-post-if-hed-agree-to-back-off-ethics-reform/ ‘Geez, Bill:’ Plummer says Brady offered him ethics post if he’d agree to back off ethics reform CAPITOL NEWS by: Mark Maxwell Posted: Dec 3, 2019 / 12:55 AM CST / Updated: Dec 3, 2019 / 09:03 AM CST SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WCIA) — Senator Bill Brady’s tenure as […]
By: Diane Benjamin The worst part of the Council raising your property taxes last night is they did it for no good reason. They might need the money in the future, so 3% it is. You lucked out, it could have been an increase of 5%. I attended the Danvers Council meeting last night with […]
By: Diane Benjamin The Town of Normal reneged on their vote to not raise property taxes. It was obviously orchestrated by the staff and elected officials who can’t live within their means. It started with the guy I hear wants to be the next mayor – Kevin McCarthy. See 26:30. He would have been hilarious […]
By: Diane Benjamin A reader sent me these pics last week. Do you know what and where this is? I can tell you this site looks even worse in person, I drove by yesterday. The location is on S. Morrisey Ave, I believe where Wildwood Industries used to be. Drive one road west of Morrisey […]
Connect Transit responded to my FOIA request: Connect Transit has not held a Christmas party and has no information to provide regarding “any charges from ISU, costs to decorate, food, etc.” It was brought to the attention of Management at Connect Transit that the “Christmas Party” to which you may be referring was an annual […]
Below is a graph of the water usage of the family refereed to below – it clearly shows the water leak. Below that is the denial from the “insurance” company: By: Diane Benjamin The Water bill below looks nothing like the ones I received by FOIA, see this story: https://blnnews.com/2019/12/01/tari-and-water-part-2/ The charges don’t look […]
By: Diane Benjamin See part 1 here: https://blnnews.com/2019/12/01/tari-and-water-part-1/ Below are the regular water etc bills for the house Tari lives in. I didn’t receive the June 2019 bill in the FOIA, since the July bill shows a previous unpaid balance it wasn’t paid by the due date. This time penalties are added, June was the […]
By: Diane Benjamin Since Mayor Renner’s house flood so severely he had to move out, I wanted to see the water bills. I FOIA’d the water bills for his address from April 2019 through November 2019. The water break occurred when Tari was at the US conference of Mayors in Hawaii at the end of […]
