By: Diane Benjamin The easiest way to tell who supports which candidates for local office is to look at who collected signatures for them. You can see what each filed here: https://www.normalil.gov/114/Municipal-Elections Kathleen Lorenz: Chris Koos, Kevin McCarthy, and Sonja Reece Karyn Smith: Sonja Reece, Kevin MCarthy Andy Byars: John McIntyre (Byars says he’s republican), […]
By: Diane Benjamin The information below comes from 2 websites: Illinois School Report Card: https://www.illinoisreportcard.com/district.aspx?source=studentcharacteristics&source2=enrollment&Districtid=17064003026 Open the Books: https://www.openthebooks.com/members/employer-detail/?Id=71090&tab=1&Year_C=2021 Both have tons of other information not detailed below! Quick lesson on using OpenTheBooks.com Click on Menu – LEFT SIDE – below the scrolling reports. Choose Illinois – Data is available for all levels of government. […]
Overheard while flying around: Bloomington City Manager Tim Gleason really wants the lobbyist the Council voted 5-4 not to hire. Money, money, money – never enough! Gleason wants a re-vote. The aldermen didn’t fall in line! Who is going to flip and change their vote? Does Deputy City Manager Billy Tyus still have a job? […]
By: Diane Benjamin Agenda including possible budget cuts: https://meetings.boardbook.org/Public/Agenda/1482?meeting=566908 I’m told closing the school in Carlock has to be done, it doesn’t have enough students to justify the staff costs. Otherwise, cutting Administration is just now being considered? What took so long? Where is the report detailing NEW REVENUE? The referendum should be voted down […]
Who is attending?
By: Diane Benjamin Kathleen thinks her, Karyn Smith, and Andy Byars are the positive candidates. Of course she implies the other 3 aren’t. I am positive these 3 will raise taxes and fees, vote for more bike paths, throw your money to the underpass when it goes way over budget, pretend government creates markets, and […]
By: Diane Benjamin The Unit 5 School Board did nothing to control costs, they just want you to pay more. They are putting the exact same referendum back on the April ballot. That is the same referendum that was defeated in November. The only way it passes in April is if supporters vote and you […]
Why do Democrats need contributions if local elections are non-partisan? Obviously they aren’t!
By: Diane Benjamin Tri-Valley held a school board meeting on January 18th. I attended the December meeting: https://blnnews.com/2022/12/20/tri-valley-zero-transparency/ All I asked of them is post all information the school board members see before meetings. They failed again! The agenda was posted, noting else. The Board has retreat schedule for January 31st. The agenda is posted, […]
By: Diane Benjamin Correction: Early Voting starts February 23. I hate to throw the County Clerk’s office under the bus, but they had it listed wrong. It has been fixed. Since early voting starts February 1st, the below is what I know so far: From Danenberger’s LinkedIn page: This information is important so you have […]
By: Diane Benjamin I would ask him but he didn’t respond to my last email. I heard a request was made to District 87 for John Wyatt Danenberger’s child (children) to attend Oakland School instead of Washington. Since Danenberger didn’t answer my last email I saw no reason to ask him. I asked District 87 […]
By: Diane Benjamin Attorney Tom Devore thinks the Town of Normal will be paying at least $50,000 to the lawyers they hired to keep from complying with being an Incorporated Town. Yesterday Normal has 4 lawyers in court, only 1 was a staff attorney who said nothing the entire time. One of the other hired […]
It is almost 11:15, the case is still being argued. Normal has 4 lawyers in court. Only 2 have spoken so far. Taxpayers will be.getting a huge bill! Those 4 lawyers, at least 3 of them because Brian Day is on staff, likely cost taxpayers $2000 an hour. 9:30 to 12:00. I talked to Tom […]
By: Diane Benjamin Bloomington Parks and Rec are out plowing Constitution Trail on the East Side of Town. A friend lives on a short street that backs up to the trail. After every snow storm she sees the trail get cleared, sometimes more than once, while she can’t get her car out of the driveway. […]
By: Diane Benjamin Citizens of Normal should find out today if the Town of Normal is required to elect offices stated in the law for Incorporated Towns or if they get a pass. 3 people filed petitions for the offices of Supervisor, Clerk, and Collector. All three are listed as SHALL be elected in Illinois […]
By: Diane Benjamin WGLT employee RC McBride chaired the Vote YES for Unit 5 group that failed to get the referendum passed in November. That should convince you WGLT actively tried to convince you to vote YES, RC is the General Manager. On January 19th WGLT did a story detailing draconian cuts that would happen […]
By: Diane Benjamin Sheila Montney pulled hiring the lobbying firm from the Consent Agenda. I don’t remember the last time something was voted down after being placed on the agenda. Administration knows where everyone stands before it’s placed for a vote – 3 on 1 meetings usually clear the path. Tim Gleason didn’t attend the […]
Tonight they voted 5-4 against paying a lobbyist $270,000 over 3 years in hopes of getting grants from Congress. Details tomorrow.
By: Diane Benjamin Bills and Payroll: https://www.bloomingtonil.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/28905/638096498401870000 806 Employees, remember when the City had 650? Maybe shows aren’t booked because you have to pay up first? Your cost for empty buses: Agenda: https://d3n9y02raazwpg.cloudfront.net/cityblm/257b0a83-7d4f-11ed-9024-0050569183fa-a809f54d-d2d4-4538-9941-6f673252daac-1674252308.pdf National debt is now $31.5 trillion. That doesn’t include all the unfunded liabilities that can never be paid. Our national security is […]
By: Diane Benjamin The hearing Wednesday is at 9:30 AM in courtroom 5D. Tom Devore will attend via Zoom. Citizens can watch on Zoom or attend in person. Either way the judge will know how many people are looking for a resolution. If the Town of Normal is an Incorporated Town, do they have to […]
Tip: Typically, you and I are not on the same side of most matters, but in this case, it’s in the best interest of everyone in the city that this individual not be elected to city council. Redacted has shown himself to be a narcissist and a prolific and pathological liar (making him an excellent […]
By: Diane Benjamin https://www.boxofficeticketsales.com/grossinger-motors-arena?msclkid=ac4450df0ccf192916d5331304eab1a2 Since the City of Bloomington now running the Coliseum, click on that link and check out ticket prices. It almost looks like every couple of seats has a different price depending on where it is. It must be too difficult just to have a few different prices, this event needs tons […]
By: Diane Benjamin The hearing Friday was delayed by Tom Devore because he needed more time to respond to the filing by Normal’s attorneys on Wednesday. The hearing on January 25th is at 9:30, it will be on Zoom. You should be able to access it at this link: https://mcleancountyil.gov/1422/Remote-Hearings Page down to Judge Fellheimer’s […]
I’ve identified one candidate for Council with something to hide. I wonder if that person wants exposed or will slink away for “family” reasons to prevent it? Could be Bloomington or could by Normal 😉 Stay tuned!
By: Diane Benjamin The case has been continued until January 25th so both sides can review filings.
By: Diane Benjamin’ https://www.usgbc.org/articles/us-green-building-council-announces-2022-top-10-states-green-building Illinois ranks third, behind Washington DC and Massachusetts, in the LEED certified number of square feet per capita. Many of those LEED buildings are in Normal. The new Uptown buildings have it written on the doors, Normal requires LEED construction whenever they can. The Children’s Discovery Museum is one of those […]
By: Diane Benjamin I received what the Town of Normal’s lawyers filed with the court. Normal looks like they don’t care how much taxpayer money they spend fighting citizens. Look at all the attorneys listed in the filing: . This is what they filed: The hearing is Friday, 1:30 in courtroom 5D. The Motion to […]
By: Diane Benjamin Follow-up to this story: https://blnnews.com/2023/01/18/no-response-to-foia-bloomington/ Shortly after posting this story yesterday I received what was called “a copy” of the extension request they had previously sent. I never received the request, maybe how it was written is why: I have no idea what Titan Virgil means plus the original request is not […]
By: Diane Benjamin I had another meeting to attend last night so I didn’t watch either Normal or Bloomington live. Normal’s was only around 1/2 hour so I did watch it. I heard 2 media outlets showed up with video cameras, maybe they were expecting fireworks that didn’t happen. Mayor Koos wasn’t there, maybe not […]
By: Diane Benjamin H/T a reader This picture is of the NEVER used Fire Station #5 on Six Points Rd in Bloomington: I filed a FOIA request on January 4, 2023 for any documents stating why public safety vehicles are parked in this fire station when it has never been used as a fire station. […]
By: Diane Benjamin Colleen Reynolds wrote the WGLT article on the forum held last Saturday: https://www.wglt.org/local-news/2023-01-14/bloomington-normal-council-candidate-nonpartisan-forum-turns-partisan She never says in the article where it turned partisan. Nice job Colleen. Are you offended the local GOP held the event only 2 far left candidates for Bloomington Council didn’t attend? Does Colleen think only WGLT should hold […]
By: Diane Benjamin https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2018/11/05/how-a-county-election-in-rural-illinois-became-a-referendum-on-wind-energy/ Excerpt: Some question whether Hartke is being paid by or is otherwise involved with national groups with ties to the fossil fuel industry. At a hearing in McLean County, resident Andy Byars raised that question, calling Hartke a “carpet-bagging wind opponent” using “fear-mongering tactics” to spark local opposition to wind energy. […]
By: Diane Benjamin The State of Illinois has taken local control of Wind Farms away from counties. This is a summary of the bill from Rep. Dan Caulkins: Wind Farm developers want to pack as many turbines as they can on the available land. 150 feet from a home is detrimental to Quality of Life […]
By: Diane Benjamin Normal’s fiscal year runs from April to the following March. The below shows why Normal plans to finally fix some infrasture next year. Reserves (Ending Fund balance) are HIGH! The data portal only has 2 years of data, comparison to pre-covid would have been handy. By April 2021 I think most businesses […]
By: Diane Benjamin Did anyone notice calamity because the Federal Government has now been shut down for the third day in a row? It shuts down every weekend, today is just a bonus day off for MLK day. Remember this shutdown when media starts screaming about DEFAULT if the debt ceiling isn’t increased. Tax dollars […]
By: Diane Benjamin Government unions negotiate with friendly politicians over taxpayer’s money putting the public interest at odds with union interests. Private sector unions negotiate with management, public sector unions negotiate with the people they elect. The voice of taxpayers isn’t part of negotiations unless people representing them are elected. I ran across this on […]
By: Diane Benjamin Ward 1 – Jenna Kearns Since she’s unopposed I don’t see a reason to post her video unless someone REALLY wants to see. Ward 2 – Donna Boelen, also running unopposed Ward 4 – Steve Nalefski. His opponent John Wyatt Danenberger didn’t show up. If he had he would have been asked […]
