By: Diane Benjamin Before reading the rest of THIS article, read this one: https://nypost.com/2020/07/21/joe-bidens-disastrous-plans-for-americas-suburbs/ On Thursday the Planning Commission will hear testimony about high-density and medium-density housing right next to expensive housing in Wintergreen Subdivision. This is exactly the plan Obama started under the guise of Equity housing. Biden is continuing the plan to destroy […]
By: Diane Benjamin Elections were held Wednesday across the State for the GOP Central Committee. They are the Governing Board of the Illinois Republican Party. The people below were elected – look at how many supported Richard Irvin who lost massively in the Republican Primary for governor. Obviously democrats are running the Republican Party, not […]
By: Diane Benjamin If you don’t know who Rachael Lund is, this will refresh your memory: https://blnnews.com/2020/10/30/who-is-the-real-rachael-lund/ After Lund failed to win her County Board election, Chris Koos appointed her to the Planning Commission. That speaks volumes about Koos, of course the Council has been told their only role is to approve anyone Koos picks, […]
By: Diane Benjamin Follow up to this story: https://blnnews.com/2022/07/02/mclean-county-goes-woke-without-a-vote/ I FOIA’d the County trying to find out. Start here, two employees include their pronouns on emails: Cassy Taylor, County Administrator, sent the email to all employees requiring them to take the DEI training. She didn’t use pronouns or her last name. Amy Baker was hired […]
By: Diane Benjamin The longer a City Manager hangs around their progressive ideology become more apparent. Tim Gleason was evidently hired from Decatur because he spearheaded redevelopment there. Decatur’s is busy during the day because people work downtown. It dies at night, they don’t have the bars Bloomington has. Progressives think government creates prosperity and […]
By: Diane Benjamin In case you forgot, PASER is the Pavement Rating and Assessment Project the Normal Town Council passed last October: https://www.normalil.gov/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/3770 See PDF page 35. The Council was told the total cost would be $100,000 with a grant arranged by the McLean County Regional Planning Commission for $80,000 of that. The Town would […]
By: Diane Benjamin Donna Boelen wanted this on the record, unless you see her Council comment at the end of the meeting it is only on the record for staff. Donna asked again about the updated Intergovernmental Agreement with Connect Transit. Supposedly Bloomington has done their work and it’s sitting in Normal stalled. She shouldn’t […]
This story is hot on Social Media: https://thechalkboardreview.com/report-615-midwestern-teachers-reveal-why-theyre-really-leaving-the-classroom/ 615 verified teachers were surveyed by the writer. I’d love to know if local teachers agree with the results. By far the biggest reason teachers reported quitting is the behavior of students and administrations refusing to do anything about it. Salary comes in third after progressive politics […]
By: Diane Benjamin The Council meeting last night was relatively tame. The most friction came from which Ward Map to approve. It will go into effect immediately since petition packets will be distributed at the end of August for the LOCAL election early next year. Map number 2 was chosen 6-3 with Jeff Crabill, Mollie […]
Guess what the Town of Normal painted over – West College:
By: Diane Benjamin The State of Illinois made Social Emotional Learning Standards the law. Every teacher will be trained in these methods. It’s all about “how you feel” and then creating activists. Illinois learning standards are already poor, educating students to read, write, do math and and science isn’t the goal of any public school. […]
By: Diane Benjamin Bills and Payroll: https://www.cityblm.org/home/showpublisheddocument/28152/637939229937530000 If using accumulated sick time to spike a pension was eliminated, what is this? This is spiking pension(s). Why the Bloomington Election Commission needs eliminated, the elected County Clerk should run all elections instead of unelected bureaucrats: Packet: https://d3n9y02raazwpg.cloudfront.net/cityblm/5a20b9c4-a62d-11ec-8a90-0050569183fa-36dc0a47-f3e1-4a7f-ab53-55227cac04fe-1658440789.pdf PDF page 95: Looks like a Public Hearing on […]
The podcast will be available here by 5:15 pm. You need to hear what Tari said about Mboka. https://www.cities929.com/2022/06/05/the-steve-suess-show/ By: Diane Benjamin Tari Renner was just on the Steve Suess show. He hasn’t changed. Nothing that spews from his mouth can be believed. The tragic news is he hasn’t ruled out running for mayor again. […]
Does this look like you are represented? Currently, Normal residents have trustees who are supposed to be representing the entire town, but they live in 2 small areas of town (see map). There are no Trustees who live east of Veterans or west of Beech. We would like to see Normal have a system where […]
This is a national story I haven’t heard reported locally, of course I don’t watch all the local media. Illinois Governor’s Office Made Secret Payments To Former Campaign Aide After She Was Caught Stealing From Taxpayers, Lawsuit Says Political influence scheme alleged in the very agency dedicated to stopping political patronage The office of Illinois Gov. J.B. […]
By: Diane Benjamin If you missed these two stories, read them now: https://blnnews.com/2022/07/07/normal-and-the-mica-fleece/ and https://blnnews.com/2022/07/14/normals-mica-vrs-bloomingtons-gallagher/ Brief recap: Normal has purchased comprehensive insurance through MICA for decades, they don’t bid this insurance because they claim MICA does Normal’s Finance director is on MICA’s Executive Committee Normal does accounting work for MICA The cost for Normal’s insurance […]
By: Diane Benjamin I really didn’t want to post this video today, but I’m going to anyway. Chris Koos made a campaign commercial featuring Normal for JB Pritzker. One would almost think Pritzker was governor when Rivian bought the plant. (He wasn’t) One would think the Feds hadn’t poured printed money into Illinois that helps […]
By: Diane Benjamin Yesterday I walked around Uptown. Beaufort Street has signs advertising space available. Here’s a few: The first floor of 1 Uptown Circle doesn’t have For Rent signs in the windows anymore. Did they give up or is someone finally going to rent it? It doesn’t appear any work is being done inside. […]
By: Diane Benjamin Temporary sign regulations will be heard at the Planning Commission August 4th at 5:00. Below is an excerpt from an email Pam Reece wrote to the council before the July 5th meeting: Did you catch Uptown Signs are next? Why was a Public Review process needed? During the meeting there were flimsy […]
By: Diane Benjamin 1) I’m collecting signs gas stations have on their pumps to comply with Pritzker’s demand people know he delayed the $.02 increase until after the election. Thorton’s at Route 9 and Hershey just has the Pritzker verbiage. Correction: This is at the Exxon Mobile station off 74 in Downs. The reader who […]
By: Diane Benjamin First, I only watched the first hour of the 2 hour and 21 minute meeting. I flipped over to Normal at 7:00 and didn’t go back and watch the rest of Bloomington as I usually do. I’d rather be outside! Every alderman managed to show up for this meeting. The first hour […]
By: Diane Benjamin A couple of priceless moments: See 42:38. Chris Koos tells Stan Nord he should ask questions in advance. (Evidently citizens don’t need to know what questions are asked) Nord replies that he has an email from Pam Reece stating she won’t answer his questions unless he gets 3 other people to agree […]
By: Diane Benjamin At last night’s Council meeting the Kevin McCarthy had to point out the Town paid off an $8 million bond from 2012. Wonderful, but how much debt is left? As of 3/31/2021 the Town reported $81,345,000 to the Comptroller’s Office: We won’t know the exact number until the 3/31/2022 reports are released, […]
By: Diane Benjamin I know I am thrilled to watch council meetings in both Bloomington and Normal tonight. I can hardly contain my excitment! https://www.cityblm.org/government/city-council/meetings-and-agendas At the COW meeting (not my abbreviation – the City uses it 😁) I have no idea what A. is:
By: Diane Benjamin https://www.normalil.gov/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/4376 Beech street won’t get fixed this year. PDF page 37: Staff estimated the cost to be $$389,960.00. Only one company bid – $550,360.18. Council is asked to reject the bid, Town will rebid it next year. PDF 102 – Town is buying 18 Flock Safety License Plate Reader cameras, $83,550. Every […]
By: Diane Benjamin Or, Normal could have a really lousy FOIA retrieval system. Or, Normal doesn’t keep good records. Or, Normal is hiding information. Or, Normal just does things this way because that’s the way they’ve been done for decades – it’s a secret. Start with my FOIA pertaining to Normal doing the accounting work […]
By: Diane Benjamin Note: Petitions are still being collected. See the website to help: https://betternormal-il.com/why-district-normal%3F-1 Before you read the extensive story WGLT wrote about the petitions being circulated to ask Normal voters if they want to switch to Wards, some points WGLT didn’t make: Most of the current Trustees think they are a Board of […]
By: Diane Benjamin Follow-up to these two stories: https://blnnews.com/2022/06/14/need-accounting-services-hire-the-town-of-normal/ and https://blnnews.com/2022/07/07/normal-and-the-mica-fleece/ What we know: Normal has purchased comprehensive insurance through MICA for decades, they don’t bid this insurance because they claim MICA does Normal’s Finance director is on MICA’s Executive Committee Normal does accounting work for MICA The cost for Normal this year is $1,945,934 […]
By: Diane Benjamin I hope you aren’t excited by the “plummeting” cost of gas – that is how one local media described the price trend. Plummeting would be back to $3.00 or less as it was before WAR was declared on fossil fuels. Unaffordable everything is a direct result of that war, the poor and […]
From a new poll conducted by HEARTLAND/RASMUSSEN: See the entire poll and more details at this link https://www.heartland.org/news-opinion/news/heartlandrasmussen-poll-majority-of-democrats-would-abolish-supreme-court-call-it-racist-and-sexist LV is likely voter average. Do you have a very favorable, somewhat favorable, somewhat unfavorable, or very unfavorable opinion of the U.S. Supreme Court? Do you strongly agree, somewhat agree, somewhat disagree, or strongly disagree with the […]
By Diane Benjamin Remember when we defeated the Progressive Income Tax amendment? Amendment 1 will be on the November ballot, it must be defeated too. This Amendment hands power to government unions that shouldn’t exist at all. They shouldn’t exist because they elect people to negotiate their own contracts. We just get the bills. Amendment […]
By: Diane Benjamin Correction: this was his hearing the last time he was appointed. No hearings are scheduled yet for his current appointment. If he isn’t confirmed by the end of this Congress this year the process starts over. If you were wondering about Chris Koos’ appointment to the Amtrak Board, hearings are scheduled for […]
By: Diane Benjamin The Council proved they are capable of sane discussions last night, maybe because one person was absent. Can Bloomington get the names right? Donna Boelen was acting mayor last night since Mboka is out of the country because of his father’s passing. Nice job Donna for the first time being thrust into […]
Flying around the Normal Public Library I heard two people discussing what the Town of Normal wants to buy now: Alexander’s Steakhouse Will steaks be free for all citizens of Normal? Or, is Normal usurping capitalism again to make sure the “Right Fit” moves in? Maybe it will become a branch library! Keep in mind, […]
By: Diane Benjamin If you want to see what bills are being paid they are no longer under City Council, probably because the Council never questions them at a meeting. They are now under Finance. The report still shows 970 employees: https://www.cityblm.org/home/showpublisheddocument/28098 Did you know this what your tax dollars pay every month? (Connect Transit) Green Top […]
By: Diane Benjamin This is a link to a spreadsheet of Illinois School Districts that refuse to teach the National Sex Education Standards. https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1sU4MdybeSthyh6sr6TmTBIXG8j1JuGRluyaWkwJ31S0/htmlview# Unit 5 opted in for grades 8 and 9 – they didn’t have to! Unit 5 didn’t have to spend money developing the curriculum to comply with exposing your children to: […]
By: Diane Benjamin Does the Town of Normal know their signs would have to be removed if their assault on free speech gets passed? (Changed to their sign ordinance) Did anyone ask Chemberly Cummings what her job as Trustee is if it isn’t governing? Silly voters think they vote for people to represent them!
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