By: Diane Benjamin
Last night a debate was held between Normal’s current Mayor, Chris Koos, and his challenger Marc Tiritilli.
In 2017 the same two faced off, only 18.2% of registered voters bothered to vote. Think your vote doesn’t mater? Look at this:
WGLT has the debate posted on their Facebook page. Tiritilli thinks Normal needs better priorities and consensus building instead of the division Koos has created through incentives to choice businesses, executive orders, and marginalizing voices of citizens who don’t agree with him.
Too many of the questions concerned social issues.
The underpass project was never mentioned. Imagine a freight train derailing on top of it!
I have many documents from the Town looking for grant money for the underpass. Normal doesn’t believe in paying for what they want themselves, they want taxpayers across the country funding their folly. This project is lavish and proves why labor unions are supporting Koos: JOBS. https://www.normal.org/DocumentCenter/View/15907/Urban-Connector-Presentation?bidId=
When the nicest structures in Town are government owned it shows where their priorities lie.
See this snip from one the documents:
The above is from the Build Grant submission in July of 2019, PDF page 98:
Note the Town Council has never voted on building the underpass or anything to do with construction. This year Pam Reece has stated numerous times there is nothing the five year budget for construction. At least the Town accurately reported their credit ratings instead of just claiming they are AAA. Who authorized them to say the Town has $7.38 million for the project? Nobody but staff.
I could post a ton of documents staff prepared searching for money, but I will show you this one Chris Koos signed in January 2021:
That document contains the above and states Normal will pay $380,000 if ICC forks over more grant money.
This proves the following, among others:
- Staff and Koos present their “products” to the Council for a rubberstamp
- The Town Council is kept in the dark (unless Pam Reece informs her favorites)
- The Town of Normal wants to fund less than 2% of the total cost
- Staff has spent MANY hours working on this project, keep in mind they could have had a free overpass from the railroad
Since the latest request for more funding is from two months ago, is Koos desperate to finalize this project? If Koos does secure another $5,000,000, where is the $380,000 going to come from? Nothing is in the budget!
Is the underpass a priority for the citizens of Normal? Marc Tiritilli thinks roads, good water, and public safety pensions are a higher priority (they are seriously underfunded). Staff spends an inordinate amount of time looking for ways to get nice things with other people’s money.
Local elections are always decided by who shows up at the polls. Many more voters need to show up if you want change. Trustee allies also need to be elected: David Paul Blumenshine, Steve Harsh, and Karl Sila.
(Funny note: WGLT doesn’t believe the local group that went to Washington DC were no where near the capital on Jan 6th, maybe they need a map.)
Most people say they want Term Limits but then vote for the same people over and over. Isn’t 18 years of Koos debt and tax increases enough?
Is Koos going to try to save his job by announcing he got the money before the election?
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The icing on the cake for all this unneeded underpass folderol? Koos somehow finagled his way onto the Board of Directors for Amtrak, which would be a conflict of interest. How does that happen, especially under the Trump administration? Do we have Durbin/Duckworth to thank for this?
Yes
1. EMPTY city buses are crossing the track if you are concerned about crossing on foot.
2. We can afford it? We only pay interest on loans now.
3. Why should we pay for underpass when we can accept the offer of FREE overpass (underpass is dangerous, rape, robbery, flooding, cleaning, lights etc)
4. Cost now compared to proposed cost 5 years ago
5. Make a plan to maintain roads, water, etc in this town.
5. Pay our debts-NOW!
Vote for a new Council and Mayor
100% in favor of the overpass instead of a high cost underpass, overpasses are used a LOT in many cities – I’ve seen a lot of nice low cost and efficient Overpasses in many cities especially in other countries for both over train tracks and over high traffic roadways. I also agree with the underpasses being dangerous in all of the ways stated as well as FAR more expensive.
It’s pretty clear to me that Koos and his pals, namely Kathy Lorenz and Kevin Mccarthy are running scared right now. They know Koos is in trouble and they’re scared to death they will be loosing their power. Kathy and Kevin’s trolling on Facebook, along with others from the elitist club proves this. Just take a look at the over 400 comments on WGLT’s Facebook page from last night’s debate and who is responsible for the majority of them. Look for things to get really, really nasty in the upcoming weeks. These people will stop at nothing to hold onto their power.
Maybe they don’t want Overpasses For America to show up!
Someone needs to resurrect the picture of the sign Koos made and was standing underneath when he was taunting the business owners who were protesting their businesses being shut down last year. He had the sign hanging from his open business and he was standing underneath of it, I believe the sign said special discount to all protestors. I was in that group and the mayor was being an arrogant as#$%*& to all us business owners.
I reprint it often
Democrats ALWAYS cheat to win and as long as they are NEVER held accountable they will continue to cheat to win! Don’t forget it was President Trump who was unwise enough to picked Koos to be on his Amtrak Council……………DEMOCRAT LEADERS = RULING CLASS!
I doubt very highly that President Trump appointed kooskoos. While it’s true that President Trump was in office when kooskoos was appointed, it is likely the case that he knew little if anything about it. He had democrats coming at him from all directions 24/7/365 for for years. AND he had rinos and traitor Mike Pence running interference in his inner circle. Just my opinion. I just don’t think he would have been told by any of these people that C.K. is a communist. P.S. I am so sick of kathy lorenz and her childish, arrogant, disrespectful behavior.
Kathy is exactly that, childish, arrogant, disrespectful and may I add stupid. Her sidekick McCarthy is just a bad. Kathy’s not running for reelection. McCarthy is. In case you need any more reasons to get rid of Koos, here’s two more.