By: Diane Benjamin
1)
Another reason to abolish the Bloomington Election Commission:
You can not vote with a paper ballot in Bloomington until election day. The entire rest of the County can at either the County Clerk’s office or at the mall. It will take a little longer because they have to look up what ballot to give you and print it. You don’t have to trust electronic voting machines to not switch your vote “by accident” except in Bloomington.
This proves the difference between having an ELECTED person running elections and an unaccountable appointed commission you have no influence over. BEC need to go away!
2)
Apply the same logic to eliminating the County Auditor. Why would anyone want an unelected bureaucrat working for you? It destroys your ability to hold them accountable.
3)
Sign up for newsletters here: https://newillinoisstate.org/
4)
America’s trust in media continues to drop: https://news.gallup.com/poll/651977/americans-trust-media-remains-trend-low.aspx
Long form podcast interviews have many more sources to get information and more in depth conversations. People are sick of 30 second sounds bites and media editing to only convey what they want conveyed. In other words, lies. The latest being the Kamala Harris 60 Minutes interview.
5)
Before the 2020 election businesses across the country were boarding up windows because violence was expected.
Bloomington Police prepared for violence: https://www.wjbc.com/2020/11/03/bloomington-police-prepared-incase-things-turn-for-the-worst-during-election-night/
Note: There weren’t mass riots on the streets. Businesses should prepare again because violence is decided by who loses.
6)
If you are interested in running for School Board, sign up for newsletters from the Illinois Policy Institute: https://www.illinoispolicy.org/newsletter-signup/
The newsletters have a link at the bottom to a survey. I have no idea what help they are offering, but these are good people. Their newsletters have information you won’t get anywhere else.
If the few that bother to vote in local elections keep picking school board candidates the teacher’s unions recommend your property taxes will continue to increase.
On 2). Agree….Champaign County pulled this removal stunt too.
Id say they stepped on some folks toes (retaliation move) by counties and elites.
If they want to reduce “costs” I’d say remove/reduce the other unelected layers and people paid way too much on OUR dime! Having an Auditor matters (and be elected).
Conflicts of interest in systems, contracts and process are heavy here in Central Illinois for years.
we shouldn’t be paying elected officials over $100k per year to do nothing but obstruct the County financial business. Why the auditor gets paid that much when it’s not even a full time job is beyond me. Get rid of it.
She hasn’t made over $100,000 the last 2 years. Look it up at OpenTheBooks.com
Yes let me clarify, the County shouldn’t be spending over $100k on an auditor. Her Salary may be in the 80ks but she gets another 20k in benefits and other compensation.
https://www.mcleancountyil.gov/DocumentCenter/View/24178/2023-Total-Compensation-Report—Public-Act-097-0609
They plan to hire one to replace her. Accountants aren’t going to save a dime
And so called FinTech, “AI” and InfoSec and compliance is a scam and exploitive joke (money/data funnel on taxpayer dime)
Lotsa local players- bad (many got lotsa PPP $)
they do not make that! Layers if unelected unelected “roles/layers” cost taxpayers WAY more
Oh the County “elites” money funnel?
They will also need a grants coordinator as the auditor works with the grants. Government loves grants and it is a full time job reporting them. The city has a finance director that makes over 100k and they have accountants on the payroll. The county plans on keeping the accounting specialist position. Other staff will not want to absorb the auditors duties for the same pay. This will not save money but cost more. The auditor is not a part time job as others have said.
She prepares the financial statements. Somebody want that job? Outside auditing will take longer due to non compliance
Vote yes to keep the elected auditor. This is the DEMOCRAPS wanting to appoint someone they “love” They like to have all that control.
I think to do that is a NO vote
The electronic voting machines for both the City and the County don’t actually cast your ballot for you. They cannot “switch your vote” as you claim. The machines simply act as a printer. Then it comes out on paper. And, you cast the ballot by placing it in the large ballot box that scans it.
Whether you color in the circle or have the voting booth print your completed ballot, both types of ballots are casted the same to count your vote.
Don’t pander…ask the BEC and County to confirm anything. It’s that easy.
See Rock Island Il. One machine was changing votes
Your story is not about Rock Island. It’s about Bloomington and McLean County.
Is it the same machine? Loose correlation…
Grow up