Month: December 2022

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Bloomington’s last meeting of the year:

By: Diane Benjamin Bills and Payroll: https://www.bloomingtonil.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/28759/638060206887430000 Who got the Gift Cards? How much was each worth? Meeting Agenda and documents: https://d3n9y02raazwpg.cloudfront.net/cityblm/5f6cdea7-b41c-11ec-a5da-0050569183fa-d969cfc2-89f9-4a31-922c-c0ff80c0370c-1670599987.pdf The Property Tax Levy will be approved and then a sure to be riveting presentation by Public Works: 2022 RoadWork Wrap-up. If the 2035 goal isn’t met it won’t matter. The City Manager […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

This WGLT article has little to do with the title

By: Diane Benjamin https://www.wglt.org/local-news/2022-12-09/normal-mayor-wants-town-to-draft-rules-to-allow-auxiliary-housing Title of the story: Normal mayor wants town to draft rules to allow auxiliary housing At least half of the story is Koos condemning Stan Nord. Here’s what Koos ignored in the interview: The clerk would not have posted the petitions for Supervisor, Collector and Clerk on the website if Stan […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

State Farm posts a BIG underwriting loss in 3rd Quarter

Excerpts from the link below: H/T a reader Introduction Rapid increases in costs to repair and replace vehicles appears to have significantly impacted costs to close both new and older claims in the third quarter, an S&P Global Market Intelligence analysis of newly filed statutory financials by the No. 1 U.S. private auto insurer concludes. […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Weekend Funnies

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Happenings at the Electoral Board:

By: Diane Benjamin Mayor Koos was said to be unable to attend, so the Board was Kevin McCarthy and Scott Preston along with the attorney Normal hired – Michael Kasper. The Town really needs to explain why Brian Day, the attorney they already pay, couldn’t handle this hearing as he did the last challenge. The […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

1st Hearing 11:00 today

This hearing may have some surprises or it may not. The Town of Normal wants to make sure citizens have as little access to their government as possible. That’s why they didn’t want representatives elected by districts. The hand-picked Trustees represent the Town, not you. Attend if you can. I will report later today. Details: […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Tri-Valley wants more money with ZERO Transparency

By: Diane Benjamin Back in 2018 Tri-Valley got voters to approve a referendum: https://blnnews.com/2018/01/29/tri-valley-referendum/ The property tax rate would have gone down because bonds were paid off. Work was essential at the High School, some classrooms had been created with temporary walls. Instead of asking for money just to fix essentials, Tri-Valley asked for the […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

HUGE News and I mean HUGE

By: Diane Benjamin The three candidates running for offices that Normal claims they don’t have to elect have an attorney: https://blnnews.com/2022/12/01/normal-spending-your-money-to-not-comply/ Tom Devore The challenges to petitions will not be heard tomorrow, those will be delayed until Devore has a chance to file a written response. Tomorrow will only be getting the formalities out of […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

I’d love to hear how Normal Police explain this one

By: Diane Benjamin Imagine the neighborhood bully attacks you in your driveway and does this with a knife? Then the Normal police arrest you for defending yourself even though other neighbors and your family tell them the victim wasn’t the aggressor? This happened last May to a Veteran named Chad Berck. Charges against him were […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Why hasn’t Normal produced it?

By: Diane Benjamin The Town of Normal’s year end was 4/30/2022. Shouldn’t all required reports be completed by now? It’s been over 7 months! One report is still missing: The missing report is for the Uptown TIF. It isn’t “missing” because Redevelopment is spelled wrong, it’s always been spelled wrong. Illinois Comptroller – Town of […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Update: The story of Normal you haven’t heard:

The hearing was just posted for Friday: https://www.normalil.gov/DocumentCenter/View/20916/OMA-Notice—Electoral-Board-Meeting—12722 Proof laws don’t matter in Normal. By: Diane Benjamin Remember Normal claiming they hired a law firm when the three petitions were filed for offices that don’t currently exist? Now it is easy to see why Koos and crew did that. The LAST place they want challenges […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Finally sort of getting to Bloomington

by: Diane Benjamin Ward 4 Alderman Julie Emig was on sick leave until the end of November. She still wasn’t back Monday night. She hasn’t attended a meeting since September, her Ward has been un-represented for over 2 months. It’s funny to watch the Council continue to conduct business with 8 alderman instead of 9. […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Today!

The American Legion Honor/Color Guard will have a tribute to Pearl Harbor Day on December 7th Wednesday at 10:30 at the Old Court House Downtown Bloomington,(the Historical Society) Also remember December 17th (Saturday) at 12:00 Noon we will be at Evergreen Cemetery Mausoleum to distribute wreaths for Wreaths Across  America. We will have a speaker, […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Hilarity continues in Normal!

By: Diane Benjamin The petitions submitted for Supervisor, Clerk, and Collector have been challenged by TWO people. The challenges are identical. Were they afraid the Normal Electoral Board couldn’t read the first one so they filed two? Guess who is back challenging again? The guy who got Normal into this mess: Patrick Dullard He is […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Media fail: the email is immaterial to the facts

By: Diane Benjamin Did anyone notice the subject line in Stan Nord’s email? Due Process The three people who filed petitions with around 600 signatures each have a right to their day in court. The Normal Clerk’s office attempted to deny their right to Due Process – the bedrock of all laws. Normal does not […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Normal REALLY doesn’t want citizens interfering in their playground

By: Diane Benjamin Everything happening in the Town of Normal right now was self-inflicted. Chris Koos’ buddy Patrick Dullard argued that Normal was an Incorporated Town and therefore citizens didn’t have the right to put a referendum on the ballot to elect Trustees by district. Judge Kording reluctantly agreed with him: That “parade of horribles” […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Theater tonight in Normal

By Diane Benjamin The Normal Town Council meeting turned into a s**t show tonight. 2 things to know:  Kathleen Lorenz and Karyn Smith can’t run on lower property taxes.  Both voted against it when given a chance. The rest of the ridiculous theater happened because Normal wants to pretend Judge Kording’s ruling is immaterial.  They […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Barickman announces retirement RIGHT AFTER running for re-election

By: Diane Benjamin From Barickman’s Facebook: I have chosen to retire from the Illinois Senate, effective at the end of my current term, which expires on January 10, 2023. I have now served in the Illinois House and Senate for twelve years. My oldest son was born during the final days of my first legislative […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Bloomington Tax Hearing tonight!

By: Diane Benjamin PDF page 4 https://www.bloomingtonil.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/28699/638052450340400000 Bloomington is projecting General Fund Reserves at the end of the year (4-30-2023) of: $34,494,213 PDF page 469: http://bloomingtonil.iqm2.com/Citizens/FileOpen.aspx?Type=1&ID=1108&Inline=True In case that number shows up too small to read, the projected General Fund Balance less than a year ago (4-30-2022) was: $24,296,676 That represents an increase in Reserves […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Normal isn’t raising property taxes because they want Unit 5 to raise them

By: Diane Benjamin Tonight’s packet: https://www.normalil.gov/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/4519 PDF page 49: Depending on the assessed value increase for your property, taxes should stay about the same as last year. If Unit 5 raises property taxes Normal wins big. Remember TIF districts? Normal has 5. Any increase in property taxes for TIF properties goes to the TIF, not […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Pre-Monday poem

Twas the night before petition challenges are due Who will file to prevent voting by you? Will a Town of Normal stooge file as before? Maybe the 3 filings the Town will ignore. An Incorporated Town Koos wanted to be Seems like complying with code should be the key. Have laws ever mattered where tryanny […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

4 things you need to know

By: Diane Benjamin 1) ISU has announced the speaker for their annual MLK Cultural Dinner: Yusef Salaam. He was one of the five convicted of a rape and murder in New York City decades ago. After many years in prison all 5 were exonerated thanks to DNA technology that wasn’t available in 1989. Read more […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Weekend Funnies

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Piranha everywhere!

By: Diane Benjamin Watch the fresh meat tossed in the water – it’s YOU. City of Bloomington, District 87, and Unit 5 are all holding property tax hearings because they want more of your money! What do all 3 of these have in common? Easy. The people who represent the citizens for all 3 are […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Is Normal using tax dollars to create an objection?

By: Diane Benjamin Follow up to this story: Normal: Spending your money to not comply The deadline to file objections to petitions is Monday. Did Normal hire an outside law firm to create an objection? Are they using tax dollars to make sure citizens don’t have the RIGHT to vote for legal offices? Is Normal using […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Bloomington: Subverting government with Equality

By: Diane Benjamin There is a short version of the below going around social media, this is an 11 minute version. Democracy always ends in tyranny, that’s why America was created as a Republic instead. The video is from 1966 and nails what is happening today. Democracy wasn’t on the November ballot, authoritarianism was. TAKE […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Normal: Spending your money to not comply

By: Diane Benjamin Normal issued this statement yesterday: Let’s start with the Trustee candidates listed with red stars by their name. Add former trustee RC McBride to that list. What do they all have in common? They all come from the Planning Commission! This proves why Chris Koos doesn’t tell the public who he plans […]