By: Diane Benjamin Continuation of this story: https://blnnews.com/2024/11/29/alleged-illegal-activity-at-mclean-county/ Lizzy is Elizabeth Johnston. She plans to be the new County Board chair since the Democrats are now the majority. (I told you this is going to be fun!) The text messages below are between Trevor Sierra and Lizzy Johnson. Trevor is requesting a refund for the […]
By: Diane Benjamin PDF page 71: https://www.bloomingtonil.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/30862/638677145542530000 To pay off anything you can’t pay just interest. This is almost $300,000 of your tax dollars thrown away on interest. Bloomington taxpayers still owe over $21,000,000 almost 20 years after it was built: https://blnnews.com/2024/09/24/coliseum-spotlight-last-night/
Follow-up story: https://blnnews.com/2024/11/30/why-did-lizzy-refund-a-contribution/ By: Diane Benjamin The email below was written by a former employee of the McLean County State’s Attorney. Soliciting funds for any political purpose is illegal if it was done at or on government property. If anyone has WRITTEN proof of that please forward it to me: blnnews@blnnews.com Honorable Members of the […]
By: Diane Benjamin The only reason I went to the bid opening is because I’ve written many story about the underpass. Just SEARCH blnnews.com for even more. Don’t ever forget the underpass saves walking 50 feet: . Don’t ever forget Normal could of had a FREE overpass: See this link: https://blnnews.com/2019/12/05/normal-taxpayers-fleeced-again/ . Don’t ever forget […]
By: Diane Benjamin I attended the bid opening in Uptown Normal today for building the underpass. The lowest bid was $35+ million, the only other bid was $40+ million. Watch the video. One bidder submitted a HUGE stack of papers, the other didn’t. More details tomorrow.
By: Diane Benjamin Here’s the most exciting part of last night’s meeting – just hit play: There was only one Public Comment with no sound. Toward the end somebody finally figured that out, the comment must have been funny because it made mayor giggles laugh. The rest of the meeting was predicable, nothing exciting. Do […]
By: Diane Benjamin Agenda: https://d3n9y02raazwpg.cloudfront.net/cityblm/f73ab5c8-5bbe-11ee-ae13-0050569183fa-791fe512-602c-4d20-98c8-ecdbbed39134-1732227412.pdf More License Plate reader cameras: You will be seeing this on east Fort Jesse: Regular Agenda: The financial statements from the year that ended almost 7 months ago will be presented. This will merely be a celebration of all the numbers are in the right columns. The Finance Director will […]
By: Diane Benjamin This item should have every taxpayer concerned: Champaign-Urbana taxes directly instead of getting contributions from both cities like Connect transit does. I’ve heard for years that Connect wants to be a mass transit district with the ability to tax you directly. I guarantee if that ever happens Bloomington and Normal will not […]
By: Diane Benjamin Democrats can save their money. Pritzker money will filter down to the preferred candidates. Since most races are contested – except in Bloomington – money won’t even matter.
By: Diane Benjamin If you read the 2023 Youth Build Annual Report this Charter School is fantastic: https://static1.squarespace.com/static/55bb8525e4b0a459046e6739/t/65b9afabb435b867dbf069cd/1706667953249/2023+Annual+Report.pdf Now see the Illinois School Report Card for YBMC: https://irc.isbe.net/School.aspx?source=profile&Schoolid=17064005026001C Chronic Absenteeism is 87%. The Academic Progress is redacted for Proficiency in English Language Arts, Math, and Science. Science Assessment shows 0% proficient. Graduation rate is redacted. […]
By: Diane Benjamin While ZERO of Connect transit electric buses are operational, last night Unit 5 bough 5 electric buses and 5 charging stations with $2,076,015 of your money. Austin Texas has 46 electric buses parked. Same manufacturer as Connect’s: https://www.fox7austin.com/news/capmetro-new-electric-buses-shelved Central States isn’t the manufacturer. Usually the Feds hand out grants to buy electric, […]
By: Diane Benjamin This slide is on the Unit 5 video from last night: See 3:33:59 https://vimeo.com/event/4378038 . What they are trying to say is the RATE of increase has slowed down while making it look like the actual increase isn’t happening. This slide is at 3:39:37 . The EAV growth amounts to an increase […]
By: Diane Benjamin Board candidate Casey Misch reported he was the only person running April 1st to actually attend the Tri-Valley Board meeting last night. Yes your property taxes got a massive increase because they can. Meetings aren’t on video and few people stand up to the Tax Class. You will get your property tax […]
By: Diane Benjamin I’m just now getting back to Bloomington’s Monday night meeting! The other big item on the agenda was the 5 year plan for Community Development Block Grant Funds (CDBG). Screen shots from the video: The City of Bloomington conducted a citizen survey. Look at all the staff time spent trying to elicit […]
By: Diane Benjamin Read this story: https://www.wglt.org/local-news/2024-11-18/tri-valley-district-will-have-contested-school-board-races?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=facebook Excerpt: Maybe this Ben: https://blnnews.com/2024/09/20/tri-valley-incident/ Numerous kids report they saw a gun. The way this incident was handled had 6 parents speak at the September Board meeting according to the minutes. Other parents present didn’t speak. Maybe transparency is a better option than Mouser’s “don’t tell your parents”? […]
By: Diane Benjamin Even though the agenda reappeared tonight’s meeting will not be legal. 48 hours means 48 continuous hours. Unit 5 is violating the Open Meetings Act. https://meetings.boardbook.org/Public/Agenda/1482?meeting=660148 File: Â Exhibit 7.10-E3 Name or Gender Identity Change Request (revised 10-16-24) Your child can change their gender at school without you being notified. How many parents […]
See update: https://blnnews.com/2024/11/20/unit-5-agenda-is-back-see-this-item/ By: Diane Benjamin Unit 5 has a regularly scheduled meeting tonight: https://www.unit5.org/board-of-education/annual-meeting-calendar-notice-of-public-hearings An agenda was posted yesterday because I looked at it. This morning it is missing: https://meetings.boardbook.org/Public/Organization/1482 . The Open Meetings Act requires an agenda to be posted for 48 hours before the meeting. It isn’t. If the agenda suddenly reappears […]
By: Diane Benjamin Update to this story from yesterday: https://blnnews.com/2024/11/18/4-deadbeat-elected-officials-and-2-others/ I hope everyone appreciates the gravity of having elected officials who think laws don’t apply to them. The State Board of Elections has notified all the people mentioned and they chose to ignore those letters. This morning I sent a FOIA request to SBE for […]
By: Diane Benjamin Bloomington staff wanted to raise your property taxes, the Council complied for the library. They didn’t increase their own share. Maybe a public comment from a guy who stated property taxes are driving him out of his home had an impact. I don’t know if the spelling is correct, but he was […]
By: Diane Benjamin Illinois Governor Pritzker doesn’t understand why Harris lost the election. He’s doubling-down on promoting transgender ideology for minors. Most kids outgrow gender dysphoria. Pritzker wants to permanently maim kids too young to buy cigarettes or alcohol, sign contracts, legally work, or do anything adults can do. Will parents finally get mad when […]
See update: https://blnnews.com/2024/11/19/update-to-the-deadbeat-list/ By: Diane Benjamin A list of political committees with unpaid fines was released by the State Board of Elections. The people on this list are barred from being on future ballots. From SBE: 10 ILCS 5/9-30. Ballot forfeiture. The State Board of Elections shall not certify the name of any person who […]
By: Diane Benjamin Unaccountable bureaucrats continue to abuse power. Bloomington Election Commission continues to make their own rules. The unelected Commission held a petition challenge on a National Holiday, Veterans Day: . They didn’t issue a press release, the notice is just hidden on their website under About Us, then Meetings: https://bloomingtonelectionsil.gov/ The challenge was […]
By: Diane Benjamin Tonight’s meeting got changed from a Committee of the Whole to a Special Meeting. Besides the below there is a presentation on Community Development Block Grant spending. https://d2kbkoa27fdvtw.cloudfront.net/cityblm/75de54c5ef363097fbab4d251ab6c43a0.pdf Of course funding pensions is the reason (always) for raising property taxes. Government knows they are required to fund the lavish Illinois pensions but […]
By: Diane Benjamin First of all, the Assessor sets property tax rates, not the County Board. . The levy is the total amount the County wants to collect in property taxes. Explain this if the levy was decreased 3.5%. November 14, 2023: PDF page 176 https://www.mcleancountyil.gov/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/9855 November 11, 2024: PDF page 180 https://www.mcleancountyil.gov/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/10531 Isn’t $49 […]
By: Diane Benjamin Krystle’s latest: Facts matter not how Krystle feels. Oregon did pass Rent Control in 2019. See the results in this article from July of 2023: https://www.opb.org/article/2023/07/26/oregon-cost-of-living-housing-construction-building-land-use-high-rent/ Excerpt: If Krystle wants to do the same to Illinois get Rent Control passed! I bet Able doesn’t know California voters rejected Proposition 33 that would […]
By: Diane Benjamin Just since last August the local Immigration Project has received $212,588.72: https://illinoiscomptroller.gov/financial-reports-data/data-sets-portals/chartsgraphs/asylum-seekers According to the Illinois Comptroller, Illinois has spent $478,000,000 + $129,082,199 = $607,082,199 on “asylum seekers”. The $129,082,199 has been spent since June of last year. The Comptroller doesn’t report how much money the Feds printed to reimburse Illinois. If […]
By: Diane Benjamin If you haven’t been keeping track of all the layoffs and plant closures in Illinois, you should: https://www.illinoisworknet.com/LayoffRecovery/Pages/IllinoisWARNData.aspx So far in November there have been 259 people affected. October has 1,654. Almost 2000 people and their families won’t have a Merry Christmas this year. Illinois has a high unemployment rate – look […]
By: Diane Benjamin Keep in mind the Springfield City Council is the same one that planned to not put Public Comments on video. They changed their mind when opinion turned against them. https://blnnews.com/2024/10/18/surprised-our-state-capital-is-censoring-citizens/ On October 29th the Springfield City Council told Rosanne Pulido she had to cover her T-Shirt. She was not allowed to speak […]
By: Diane Benjamin Read this story: https://www.realclearinvestigations.com/articles/2024/11/12/schoolhouse_limbo_how_low_will_educators_go_to_better_grades_1070484.html?mc_cid=ac0e6166c0&mc_eid=a903ff179f Did you know some states are lowering standards to make assessments look better? The story mentions Oklahoma and Wisconsin are doing just that to combat declining test scores. It also mentions the new head of Maryland schools, Carey Wright, who is refusing to lower expectations for students. She […]
By: Diane Benjamin Facebook removed this story as soon as it was posted. They called it spam. Last night’s meeting wasn’t as long as the video shows. The commercials before the meeting used 10 minutes and comments by the City Manager, Mayor and the Council lasted another 15 minutes. Jeff Jurgens mentioned this site to […]
By: Diane Benjamin All of these coroner reports are available in the documentation for the County Justice Committee: https://mcleancountyil.gov/478/Justice-Committee See January-March of 2024 reports here: https://blnnews.com/2024/05/03/the-coroners-reports/ The first 3 months of 2024 show 7 suicides. I don’t know if “probable” are reflected the following month or not. The reports below add another 12, total of […]
By: Diane Benjamin The Bloomington City council is meeting tonight, delayed by Veterans Day yesterday. Agenda: https://d3n9y02raazwpg.cloudfront.net/cityblm/f7368c9b-5bbe-11ee-ae13-0050569183fa-791fe512-602c-4d20-98c8-ecdbbed39134-1731088776.pdf On the Consent agenda, which means it won’t be discussed: . The changes: . This should apply to your neighbor’s dog that barks all day and the drivers with the music so high it rattles your car at […]
By: Diane Benjamin There had to have been close to 200 people at the VFW Hall today. They included a busload of kids from Washington Elementary. The speaker claimed this might have been the largest crowd ever. It was standing room only. The guy seated on the far left sang the National Anthem and God […]
Restaurants honoring veterans today: https://www.cities929.com/2024/10/28/mclean-county-veterans-day-ceremony-moves-to-new-location-for-2024/
By: Diane Benjamin 1) The entire turbine field by Carlock was turned off yesterday: To be fair, a few hours later they were spinning. Maybe they require wind. 2) Krystle Able finally revealed why she wants the rent control ban lifted: Of course she doesn’t see the ridiculous here. Let me help her out: Proof […]
