By: Diane Benjamin
Long before Rivian received major investments, the Town of Normal put deposits down on TWO Rivian vehicles. https://blnnews.com/2018/12/21/merry-christmas-rivian/
Buying one could be considered supporting a Normal business, but why two VERY expensive luxury vehicles?
The Council has not approved purchasing any at this point. We have no idea who would drive them or why. Since production is supposedly happening soon (if not now), look for something before April 30th.
The other thing to watch is the underpass. Normal is sitting on a $13 million grant that will not cover the cost. Something strange happened at the budget meeting last week that might provide the rest of the money Normal needs to proceed with yet another WANT.
Stay tuned, I will be writing about it sometime this week.
“Working lunches” catered by Jimmy John’s can come out of the personal-use expense budget.
Cheap, private, yet still tax-deductible.
$70k luxury electric vehicles, on the other hand, need to be stolen from taxpayers in plain sight.
You and I both know the Rivian horse hockey goes all the way to the federal level. Koos is the local political overseer to make sure the scam gets local cover. No doubt in my mind Pritzker and Dickie D will get their share of “green kickbacks” too. After the anomaly wears off and Rivian becomes a “to big to fail green operation” Clark Kent sells out and retires as a multi- millionaire while Amazon reinvents the operation under a another name with some ownership of the battery tech for his war with Musk. The auto manufacturing will be no more and the facility will be shuttered while what’s left of it will be renamed and transferred out of the state. No matter, Chris and FOC along with JB and Durbin will already have their dirty money banked. It all smells because it does indeed stink and has from the beginning. As you say, follow the money. It’s all about the new green economy and the new green deal.
If kooskoos doesn’t campaign, send mailers, display signs, etc. then we’ll know the election is rigged for him. That’s what I’m looking for.
I too have been wondering what’s up with Koos’ inactivity on the campaign circuit. It appears to me that Tiritilli is about to clean Koos’ clock. Either Koos is scared to death and defeated with no fight left in him or he’s got a carefully devised plan up his sleeve. Anything is possible with Dominion software.
rigged how ? Are you saying the Mclean County Clerk would rig or allow to be rigged an election for KOOS ? Doubtful. There’ are in fact people in this town capable of just putting their name down and Winning- no campaign required. A gentleman beat 3 opponents ,including an incumbent doing just that not to long ago on the county board . simply a matter of name recognition and personal popularity.
Evidently you haven’t heard the County Clerk first doesn’t count votes and second votes can be manipulated without her involvement. The only way to assure accurate elections is paper ballots with photo ID counted by hand. That won’t happen
YES, JamesMadisonsGhost, WHY does “uptown” need TWO $70K TRUCKS? Which is what Rivian is making.
I guess they have to JUSTIFY putting in all those charging stations in uptown?
BUT, with the right adaptor one can use OTHER electric devices at them also FREE on the uptown folks..
So, it’s multiple choice here (can check more than one):
☐ Koos and Reece get the luxury vehicles for their own exclusive use (imagine what a MAGNET that would be to impress the deplorable unwashed masses — and star-struck kids dreaming of a career in politics, too!)
☐ Koos and Reece (likely others) get kickback “campaign contributions” from Rivian…for the city’s beneficence (as if an exclusive taxpayer-funded $5 million water line — which benefits no one but Rivian and its schemers, not Normal residents — wasn’t enough)
☐ The vehicles are bought by the city, barely used, and then later sold to Koos/Reece (or friends of), unadvertised, for a fraction of original cost.
Feel free to add your own!
C’mon man! Chris and Pam need their very own Rivian to drive around town to show their support for local business. Glad I could be of some help. You’re welcome.
It is my gut feeling that Rivian is less focused on making luxury electric pickup trucks and SUVs than it is with making…something else. Something else that requires a LOT of water. Who buys a $70k pickup truck? Very few people. The bed on it is tiny and serves little purpose. The SUV is nothing special and boxy at a starting price of $72,500. Tesla filed a big lawsuit against Rivian this past July for stealing trade secrets and poaching employees. Yet the capital seems to keep flowing into it from places as unlikely as Amazon. Wonder why? Something smells.
.
Rivian just poached more, at least the reports are 2 left Tesla
IMO this will be a very close race for Normal Mayor ,but Tiritilli will win this time IF he gets his people out to vote. I think because Mayor Koos does not have a lot on campaign signs and tv ads means nothing. He has a built a built in fan base of loyalists and hopeful leach/grifters that are good for at least 48%. He has about. a equal chance of winning without having to do anything. Tiritilli however must spend heavily , advertise , work like hell to get his 47%. It could go either way , but one candidate has to work MUCH harder to make a victory than the other. The loser will be getting on the Bus Full of Hate , 1st stop : Elsworth.