By: Diane Benjamin
Since a BIG part of Normal’s population is college students, the census could have a huge impact on government funding.
The Town of Normal shouldn’t have to worry about the census if Illinois State University cooperates:
Student living on campus might be counted by the university, they wouldn’t need to fill out forms or go on-line if the university agrees to participate. Students living off campus or back home with their parents need to be counted as living in Normal. If they haven’t been told, their parents may have already counted them with the family.
The video below says the Census Bureau has a way of weeding out duplicates. If students are counted in two places hopefully they won’t be counted twice. Much more info is at the link above. The only way Normal will get hurt is if nobody knows or doesn’t follow the rules.
What Normal should be really worried is is Uptown, it’s largely deserted:
Without students and businesses forced to close, where is the money coming from to pay the developer rebates and massive bond debt?
Numerous emails I received by FOIA this week mentioned changing the vacation policy for employees. Evidently quite a few were planning on taking off for spring break. One email summarized Pam’s initial response to COVID-19. Note this is from Match 18th: Pam Reece email
Excepts:
3 days before the stay at home order started and her top priority was making sure overpaid town employees with 100% free health care and forever pensions can reschedule their paid vacation time. I have not been paid since this fiasco started. My job is sacrificed and she is worried about her trip to Tahiti. I am sure the vacation time discussion got way more attention than how they will fill the craters that keep screwing up my alignment. Would be nice if this f’n town would just one time consider the roads and taxpayers their priority.
Stay at home order was 3/9
It was signed on the 9th but did not start until the 21st.
“…I hereby order the following, effective March 21, 2020 at 5:00 pm…”
https://www2.illinois.gov/Pages/Executive-Orders/ExecutiveOrder2020-10.aspx
Yes, on 3/9 he declared Illinois a disaster area. (Actually way late, Illinois became a disaster area when Democrats, Pritzker and Madigan ruled the statehouse. It was just a continuation of the disaster created by bloated state pensions).