By: Diane Benjamin I was off 1 day getting a letter from Public Access closing my Request for Review with IMRF: https://blnnews.com/2025/06/05/bloomington-is-still-spiking-pensions-2/ Facts: -My FOIA was filed with IMRF on April 28th -On May 8th I sent IMRF a Past Due notice and got NO response from them -I filed with Public Access on May […]
By: Diane Benjamin Illinois passed a law 4 years ago to make the entire State Carbon Free. Carbon is actually carbon dioxide which means the environmentalists who talked the state into this bill don’t want people living here either. We all exhale it. Suddenly the future requires massive amounts of power wind and solar can’t […]
By: Diane Benjamin I used a file from this website: https://budget.illinois.gov/#:~:text=Interactive%20Budget&text=Click%20here%20to%20be%20taken%20to%20the%20page. That might be the budget Pritzker proposed, but since the dollar amount was about the same as what was passed these items are probably still in it. I used the Operating Budget Detail Excel spreadsheet. I uploaded it to GROK and asked it to […]
By: Diane Benjamin Previous stories: 2/26/24: https://blnnews.com/2024/02/26/guess-who-is-still-spiking-pensions/ 1/28/21: https://blnnews.com/2021/01/28/how-much-was-wasted-allowing-employees-to-spike-pensions/ 10/19/17: https://blnnews.com/2017/10/19/blatant-taxpayer-abuse/ I sent a FOIA request to IMRF on April 28, 2025 after receiving a tip. Normally IMRF is very prompt, this time they weren’t. I even sent a Past Due notice to them on May 8, 2025 and got no response. I received the […]
By: Diane Benjamin H/t a reader The homeless camp by AutoZone in Normal had to be relocated for a sewer project. They have been moved to Adelaide close to Normal’s water treatment plant: . I’m told Normal used a small dump truck to move possessions. This location makes it harder for people serving them. See […]
By: Diane Benjamin Think back to 2017 when former Mayor Tari Renner got the Council to pass this: https://www.bloomingtonil.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/15354/636469576356100000 . I don’t remember the Council approving anything after that Resolution expired. They might have but I sure don’t remember the Council approving this: PDF page 39: 3/10/2025 https://www.bloomingtonil.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/31156/638767820922900000 . SBDC stands for Small Business Development […]
By: Diane Benjamin Remember when media reported Olympia tax bills were wrong? https://www.wglt.org/local-news/2025-05-21/olympia-school-district-frustrated-by-error-that-led-to-incorrect-mclean-county-tax-bills It wasn’t just Olympia. Ridgeview bills are wrong too. I called the McLean County Treasurer’s office to verify. Corrected bills will be sent out for the SECOND payment. It will be higher than the first payment which is due tomorrow. h/t a […]
By: Diane Benjamin Below are the property taxes assessed on farmland in McLean County. This is a small parcel – 45.63 acres. Also shown is the percentage increase over various 5 year time frames: See this website for historical prices of corn and soybeans: https://www.fcsamerica.com/insurance/resources/crop-price-history Corn: . Soybeans: . One thing is clear: Taxes only […]
By: Diane Benjamin Before enrolling in college the first question that should be asked is: Can the accumulated debt be paid back with my chosen major? Unless public schools are hiring, who is going to welcome recent grads with this degree: https://illinoiseagle.com/2025/05/29/isu-establishes-queer-studies-certificate/ Illinois State University (ISU) launched an undergraduate queer studies certificate this month. The […]
By: Diane Benjamin The new Illinois budget gives Sharon Chung a $7,000 a year raise. $98,000 a year for a part-time job. Public Schools are lowering the standards so testing looks better. Illegals get free healthcare. Socialists lie. You get what you vote for. In case you forgot who Biss is: https://blnnews.com/2017/09/05/tari-still-supporting-biss/ . This is […]
