This is the group I’ve written about before. VMS helps veterans with home repairs at no charge to them. https://blnnews.com/2022/09/02/this-group-is-helping-veterans-and-worthy-of-support https://blnnews.com/2023/07/03/save-the-date-july-15th Veterans Maintenance Solutions website: https://servingvets.net/ Of course they need money to keep helping, so if you like to golf sign up to help them help vets:
By: Diane Benjamin Some state legislatures don’t meet every year. Taxes are lower and citizens have more freedom because elected officials don’t attempt to tell citizens how to run their lives. This is a list of bills that passed both houses in Springfield that started in the House: https://ilga.gov/reports/Preview.asp?t=cr&k=6&ga=17&y=2&h=House%20Bills%20Passed%20Both%20Houses%20(2nd%20Yr) This is a list of bills […]
By: Diane Benjamin Illinois Budget: https://www.ilga.gov/legislation/103/SB/PDF/10300SB0251eng.pdf How many of your tax dollars are going to illegal immigrants? That is ONE BILLION allocated to replacing the citizens that have left this state with unvetted illegals. This is listed elsewhere, funny how the amounts don’t match the above: Maybe passing a bill in the middle of the […]
I see lots of people on social media concerned about numerous police cars at some location or flying down some street. FYI: If a situation is possibly dangerous a police show of force is likely to de-escalate the situation. That’s why numerous vehicles are responding. It produces safety for EVERYONE involved. PS: I watch too […]
By: Diane Benjamin Separation of church and state is not explicitly mentioned in the Constitution or law. The Bible was the first textbook used in schools. Money wouldn’t say “In God We Trust,” and the top of the Washington Monument wouldn’t say “Laus Deo” if our forebearers wanted God removed from public life. The Latin […]
By: Diane Benjamin Unit 5 and District 87 will graduate students without an education. Bloomington High School has a dismal graduation rate of 79%: https://www.illinoisreportcard.com/School.aspx?schoolId=170640870250001 McLean County Unit 5 has a graduation rate of 91%: https://www.illinoisreportcard.com/District.aspx?districtId=17064005026 Your kids have ONE chance at an education. Local Public Schools are failing them. Individual schools can be looked […]
By: Diane Benjamin Instead of a LOW – it’s tragic. Connect managed to lose more than $1.4 million in just April: PDF page 7: https://connect-transit.com/file/2405/05%2028%202024_Board%20Meeting%20Packet.pdf Compare that with 3 short years ago – May meeting in 2021: PDF page 9 https://connect-transit.com/file/186/May%2025%202021%20Board%20Packet.pdf That is an increased loss of $461,194 in just 3 years. All of those […]
By: Diane Benjamin This slide was in the streets presentation at last night’s Bloomington City Council: The entire presentation will be on the City website sometime today, right now it isn’t. Remember when I told you the City could push a button or two and know how many lanes miles are rated the worst? Obviously […]
By: Diane Benjamin I’m told all the Rivians that were at State Farm got moved back to the plant late last week. This article claims Rivian is cutting prices on existing vehicles: https://www.carscoops.com/2024/05/rivian-reportedly-cutting-prices-up-to-6000-on-existing-inventory/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR1z3iomszUx_LdyRctX-wEu1DhPodGP1j4RgCYl4bhdb6PuZNRcQsOUZf4_aem_AYtZqwPMyEpz37xLNJEG_yPiLaFf7NS8D9go5i5zJr2Smdkd7Y2E_Ft2u74D7xZaZ-5hKKXrc0PO0UY8EVS2eY2Y I was told the majority of the production lines are taking Fridays off – as in employees only get 32 hours instead […]
By: Diane Benjamin Bloomington Agenda: https://d3n9y02raazwpg.cloudfront.net/cityblm/f7056f24-5bbe-11ee-ae13-0050569183fa-791fe512-602c-4d20-98c8-ecdbbed39134-1716574900.pdf There are two annexation Public Hearings for land on W Washington. On the regular agenda is approving the annexations. I have no idea why a solar farm wants to be inside the City limits. https://d2kbkoa27fdvtw.cloudfront.net/cityblm/2216655a5d132afd5554038e390ffa4c0.pdf Road resurfacings for next year won’t be bid since the City thinks only Rowe […]
By: Diane Benjamin $13 billion more than pre-Pritzker. The Center Square wrote this article and Just The News made Illinois a national laughing stock: https://justthenews.com/nation/states/center-square/illinois-senate-advances-largest-spending-plan-state-history-house?utm_medium=social_media&utm_source=mail_social_icon&utm_campaign=social_icons The Senate passed a $53 billion budget. According to the Democrat leadership the House and Senate are close to agreeing. Of course no republicans agree, but they are immaterial. The […]
By: Diane Benjamin Memorial Day was set aside to remember those who died for our country. They took an oath to the Constitution which of course includes the Bill of Rights. The 1st Amendment includes Freedom of the Press. People recognize fake news when they hear or see it. It’s not difficult to notice the […]
By: Diane Benjamin The local employment stats in this story were from March: https://blnnews.com/2024/05/20/stats-you-needs-to-see/ April statistics are now out: https://www.illinoispolicy.org/chicago-lags-as-8-of-13-illinois-metro-areas-add-jobs-in-april/ Some cities in Illinois gained jobs, Bloomington continued to lose them. Meanwhile the County just west of us thinks your tax dollars shouldn’t be spent on migrants in the country illegally: https://www.wglt.org/illinois/2024-05-22/woodford-county-declared-non-sanctuary-for-undocumented-migrants Evidently the far […]
By: Diane Benjamin h/t a reader
By: Diane Benjamin In 2023 twenty states expanded school choice. More were added in 2024: https://schoolchoiceweek.com/2023-yes-to-school-choice/ Georgia, Louisiana, MIssouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Oklahoma, and Tennessee are working to pass some form of school choice. https://www.edchoice.org/engage/school-choice-in-the-states-april-2024/ Illinois canceled the Invest In Kids Act because teacher’s unions demanded it. Illinois kids are at a great […]
By: Diane Benjamin City Manager Jeff Jurgens has some comments at the end of the meeting – before they went into Executive Session to discuss buying property. Expect an agenda item soon so they can build another fire station. It won’t be in north east Bloomington. I’m just guessing here! Jeff stated the entire bulk […]
By: Diane Benjamin In 2019 the Net Taxable Value of the mall was $10,666,667. Property taxes paid were $901,454.96. The Net Taxable Value now is $6,666,667. That represents a property tax loss of $344,257.60. The City of Bloomington thinks downtown can be a destination if millions are spent. Meanwhile a huge white elephant is sitting […]
By: Diane Benjamin Interest rates were kept artificially low for far too long. It allowed everyone access to cheap money that allowed living above their means – including government who took advantage of unrealistic money value. See this link for an historical look at mortgage interest rates: https://money.usnews.com/loans/mortgages/articles/historical-mortgage-rates Government and the Federal Reserve created the […]
By: Diane Benjamin Let’s review: The US Census Bureau claims the population of Bloomington-Normal decreased in 2023: https://blnnews.com/2024/05/20/losing-population/ The US Bureau of Labor Statistics claims local employment dropped just since November 2023 and the unemployment rate increased: https://blnnews.com/2024/05/20/stats-you-needs-to-see/ Patrick Hoban, CEO of the Economic Development Council, sang a different song last night. His comments are […]
By: Diane Benjamin At last night’s Committee of the Whole meeting the Mayor did two more proclamations. One was for National Public Works week, the other was recognizing May as National Law Enforcement Appreciation month. Note: the police proclamation happened on May 20th when May is more than half over. The local police deserve the […]
By: Diane Benjamin I’m sure the problem is Bloomington’s downtown: https://www.bls.gov/eag/eag.il_bloomington_msa.htm
By: Diane Benjamin According to US Census Bureau estimates both Bloomington and Normal are losing population: https://www.illinoispolicy.org/did-neighbors-leave-your-town-last-year/ With population declining, why is there a housing problem? Tonight the Bloomington City Council will discuss local housing needs: This group will think they can fix available housing with incentives or government housing. According to the McLean County […]
By: Diane Benjamin Below are the only roads in the 2024 Resurfacing plan: https://www.bloomingtonil.gov/departments/public-works/bloomington-streets#ad-image-1 On the left side is the rating on the scale of 3 to 8. Total 6.11 miles! Fort Jesse is 3 lanes .45 x 3 = 1.35 lane miles Towanda is 5 lanes .3 x 5 = 1.5 lane miles Washington […]
By: Diane Benjamin Monday Bloomington Committee of the Whole: https://d2kbkoa27fdvtw.cloudfront.net/cityblm/71da98b657d141c8434a7276f3c1a7b60.pdf Panel Presentation and Discussion on Community Housing Needs , as requestedby the Administration Department. This is brought to you by the same mindset that build the Coliseum, bought the Consistory and refurbished it, build a never used water tower, and built a never used why […]
By: Diane Benjamin At the end of 2015 the Sewer Fund had $79,316.68. With another 8 years of residents paying $5 a month, what’s the balance now? According to this 2015 story, there was a difference of $4,674.63 then between what I was told is in the fund and what the bank statement showed. https://blnnews.com/2015/08/15/stanford-games-with-your-money/ […]
By: Diane Benjamin Part #5 will link to all previous stories: https://blnnews.com/2024/05/12/road-ratings-part-5/ The pic below shows all of the ratings of Bloomington roads. https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/36eea74c6ede4cd08e7d6ec03ed14246 All are rated between 3 and 8. The only roads I consider better than mediocre are light orange, yellow, and lime. The dark red (3’s) are the worst rated and the […]
By: Diane Benjamin The speaker in this video is Kirk Allen – Edgar County Watchdogs. The topic was democracy, we aren’t one. I could post the video of the guy who followed who tried to claim we are a republic democracy or some such nonsense. I’d hate to embarrass him so I won’t. I taped […]
By: Diane Benjamin Lots of people have asked me who is responsible for last night Bloomington Township meeting. The meeting was called because it only takes 15 valid signatures to force a township meeting. Maybe those who think the Bloomington Election Commission should be abolished should put a question on the November ballot! There are […]
By: Diane Benjamin I found the mis/dis information last night the League of Women Voters is seeking to expose. Their members need to watch the Live Stream of the Bloomington Township meeting on the Edgar County Watchdogs Facebook page. Maybe LWV voters can ask the 28 people who voted to put the anti-Israel question on […]
By: Diane Benjamin We are witnessing the destruction of McLean County at the hands of progressive socialists. Things that matter to citizens don’t matter to government. I have the roads survey done, results probably tomorrow. Last night the Bloomington City Council heard two presentations. One was from the McLean County Regional Planning Commission about the […]
By: Diane Benjamin Mayor Mwilambwe and alderman Cody Hendricks didn’t bother to attend last night. Public comment by a resident who lives close to the Tent City in downtown Bloomington: These illegal campers are terrorizing area residents and requiring many public safety resources. Welcome to socialism, the camp should have been disbanded the first day. […]
By: Diane Benjamin Local antisemites want to put this question on the November ballot: Shall the United States federal government and subordinate divisions stop giving military funding to Israel, which currently costs taxpayers 3.8 billion dollars a year, given Israel’s global recognition as an apartheid regime with a track record of human rights violations? https://bloomingtoncitytownship.org/documents/ […]
By: Diane Benjamin Not a list they want to be on and one they won’t admit: Cities Americans are abandoning in droves https://247wallst.com/population-and-social-characteristics/2024/05/13/cities-americans-are-abandoning-in-droves/ Obviously Normal is included in the population. Champaign-Urbana is #34, Chicago area is #36, Decatur is #24. California has numerous cities that made the list. “Migrants” are moving in while citizens are […]
By: Diane Benjamin On tonight’s agenda: https://d3n9y02raazwpg.cloudfront.net/cityblm/f701e2e2-5bbe-11ee-ae13-0050569183fa-d854eb82-3702-4140-9de6-ac3a8e3f379d-1715296014.pdf The Lake Bloomington building burned down 5 years ago. The City collected $536,581.87 from insurance according to these docs: PDF page 80: https://bloomingtonil.iqm2.com/Citizens/FileOpen.aspx?Type=1&ID=1167&Inline=True That document is from the May 9, 2022 Council packet. The estimate in 2022 was $565,000 for the total project. (PDF page 90). Since inflation […]
By: Diane Benjamin Link to all previous stories from Part #4: https://blnnews.com/2024/05/10/road-ratings-part-4/ Sorry, but I’m still not done mapping the rated 3 roads. This part has a ton of tiny roads and small roads with pieces rated 3 and other pieces rated 4. Part #6 should be the end. Just so you know, some of […]
By: Diane Benjamin The video below is from the McLean County Finance Committee meeting on May 8th. The price of farmland has risen dramatically since the early 2000’s. Statutes cap property tax increases at 10% a year which means the economic value of the land is higher than it is being taxed. With high interest […]
By: Diane Benjamin Part 3 has a link to the first two stories: https://blnnews.com/2024/05/09/road-ratings-part-3/ I might be able to finish this with one more part. Keep in mind I’m only summarizing the number of lane miles for the worst roads – those rated 3. There are MANY just slightly better at 4. The picture below […]
