By: Diane Benjamin I’m posting these GOP write-in candidates again because I keep getting asked: Either some candidates don’t know the law or are ignoring it: https://ilga.gov/legislation/legisnet90/sbgroups/sb/900SB0655LV.html Democrat running as a Republican Amy McFarland has two signs on public property at the corner of Streid Drive and White Eagle. Think a judge should know the […]
By: Diane Benjamin Start with gas taxes: Federal Gas Tax: https://www.marca.com/en/lifestyle/us-news/2022/03/14/622f1813268e3e976c8b4593.html 18.3 cents per gallon 24.3 cents per gallon for diesel Illinois Gas Tax: https://www2.illinois.gov/rev/research/taxrates/Pages/motorfuel.aspx 38.2 cents per gallon 46.7 cents per gallon for diesel Both Bloomington and Normal add another 8 cents per gallon, diesel and gas are the same. Every time you fill […]
By: Diane Benjamin Google has the name of Veterans Parkway wrong, no it hasn’t been changed. See yesterday’s story and update: https://blnnews.com/2022/06/08/is-this-a-joke/ Apple Maps has Veterans Parkway – h/t a reader. Google just has the name wrong, but you can report directly to them. Start by clicking this link: https://www.google.com/maps/place/Bloomington,+IL/@40.4759484,-88.9535708,16.75z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x880b087039089ac1:0x2e424aa54a23bc1e!8m2!3d40.4842984!4d-88.993721 Your browser may show up […]
Update: Back in 2017 lawmakers did rename part of I55, but it stopped north of Pontiac: https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/national-international/barack-obama-expressway-illinois/19044/?amp Somebody tell Google! By: Diane Benjamin h/t a reader https://www.google.com/maps/place/Bloomington,+IL/@40.4813823,-88.9527323,15.92z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x880b087039089ac1:0x2e424aa54a23bc1e!8m2!3d40.4842984!4d-88.993721 Apple maps shows Veterans Parkway! If Veterans is now an Expressway, can we drive as fast as we want.
By: Diane Benjamin https://health.mcleancountyil.gov/708/CORONAVIRUS-COVID-19 You still have less than a 1% chance of dying from Covid. I have no idea what “New Hospitalizations” means:
By: Diane Benjamin Want to know why taxpayers have to pay $51,290 to make Uptown Circle ADA compliant? Somebody filed a complaint with the Illinois Attorney General who investigated and told Normal it doesn’t comply. Evidently that person did not approach the Town first. The biggest item is adding a handrail, but the ramp is […]
By: Diane Benjamin I attended part of the Angles4Freedom meeting last night. I would have stayed the entire time if Normal hadn’t been meeting. Lots of candidates and voters attended. Kathy Salvi has my vote for US Senate. I found out we have mutual friends she works with on election integrity issues. She is a […]
By: Diane Benjamin Remember the roads report Normal has been working on for close to a year? https://blnnews.com/2022/03/18/denied-foia-normal/ At the next meeting Pam Reece claims that report will be presented. Last night the Town forced the Council to vote on the roads to be fixed before they see the report in 2 weeks. The Council […]
By: Diane Benjamin Phillip Nelson, former Director of the Illinois Department of Agriculture and former Director of the Illinois Farm Bureau, has stated that Candidate Rodney Davis has taken donations from a group who’s mission is directly adversarial to the mission of Illinois’ farmers. We found that Rodney Davis took donations in 2013, 2018, twice […]
By: Diane Benjamin April 2022 – 4 drug deaths PDF page 31 https://mcleancountyil.gov/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/8721 March 2022 – 4 drug deaths PDF page 70 https://mcleancountyil.gov/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/8677 February 2022 – 2 drug deaths PDF page 104 https://mcleancountyil.gov/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/8615 January 2022 – zero There must have been 4 more since the April report. I asked the Coroner’s office if Fentanyl was […]
By: Diane Benjamin The Connect Transit Board met back on May 24th: https://www.connect-transit.com/file/586/05%2024%202022_Board%20Meeting%20Packet.pdf Of course they lost over ONE MILLION DOLLARS. Ridership from March dropped 3.31%, maybe because service hours and miles dropped – See PDF page 8. Connect Mobility ridership was down .52%, every ride on their smaller buses had a subsidy of $32.75! […]
By: Diane Benjamin https://www.normalil.gov/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/4310 It would be nice if a Trustee asked if the Town was reimbursed by the show: It would also be nice if a Trustee asked why Uptown Circle wasn’t built ADA compliant the first time: This one is on the Omnibus Agenda, unless somebody pulls it questions won’t be asked. Gala […]
Someone just sent me your ad. You claim to be a “CONSERVATIVE Fighter.” I have yet to witness you fight for conservative values. You may have voted no on occasion but never have I seen you fight against the tax and spend agendas of the self-described Trump hater Mayor Koos and Queen Pam Reece. I […]
By: Diane Benjamin 1) Jason Barickman: What are you thinking? Ken Griffin buying a governor is okay with you? Hoping for some of Griffin’s billions? Is Irvin paying you from the $50 million he got from Griffin? Do you always host fake Republicans? 2)
By: Diane Benjamin https://www.wglt.org/local-news/2022-06-01/in-the-wake-of-uvalde-b-n-teachers-want-change-not-guns Corey Beirne needs to report the WGLT article as a campaign contribution. He is running for the McLean County Board and WGLT just happened to pick him for an interview him from all the teachers in the Unit 5 School District. Beirne proves he isn’t qualified to hold an elected office […]
By: Diane Benjamin I filed a FOIA request with the Ridgeview School District for the following: All documents and communication concerning one of your students currently being bused to school in Leroy. Please include cost, documents showing reasons, and communication with Leroy schools/parents. Ridgeview claimed most of my FOIA is exempt, but I did get […]
By: Diane Benjamin How are kids supposed to learn the correct use of pronouns when the definition is whatever people define themselves as? Refuse to comply with nonsense! Participants need to proudly where their “pronoun pins” so the world knows who sows confusion. The Normal Public Library tops the list. Is drag queen story hour […]
Flying around the Fairview School area I overheard talk of undrinkable water! I hear kids who need to take medicine at school are provided bottled water instead of getting water from the drinking fountain. Anybody else heard the same? Do you have kids at Fairview? Ask them about the water!
By: Diane Benjamin Follow-up to this story: https://blnnews.com/2022/06/01/normal-bad-water-is-your-fault/ A resident of Normal filled their backyard pool with Town of Normal water. This is what the filter looked like after on 2.5 days: They are in an older neighborhood where the water main hasn’t been updated in decades. . . . . .
By: Diane Benjamin Have brown water? Green water? Cloudy water? Funny how the Town of Normal’s go-to fix is flushing hydrants when their new water report claims nothing is wrong with the quality. https://www.normalil.gov/DocumentCenter/View/19832/TON_2022_WaterReport All those 60 year old water mains aren’t playing any part in water quality, there is nothing in the report blaming […]
By: Diane Benjamin Illinois Treasurer Michael Frerichs needs new authority to fine any business that sends your money to the State instead of refunding it directly to you. Years ago we subscribed to the Sunday only Pantagraph. After only getting delivery occasionally I cancelled delivery and requested a refund. I remember being told it would […]
