By: Diane Benjamin Why are tax dollars going to private institutions? Why did Unit 5 and District 87 get money for facilities when they conned people into voting for a 1% Sales Tax? Evidently no one on this list is capable of living within budgets based on the needs and ability of the people they […]
Follow-up story: https://blnnews.com/2025/12/05/why-cant-3rd-graders-read-dont-blame-covid/ By: Diane Benjamin https://www.illinoispolicy.org/how-well-are-your-local-third-graders-reading/ Even under loosened proficiency standards, over half of Illinois third graders couldn’t read at grade level in 2025. District 87 has no schools where over 50% of 3rd graders were proficient. Unit 5 has ONE. Obviously education isn’t the goal. Page down to the bottom – Tri-Valley’s one elementary school is […]
By: Diane Benjamin The tax return for Krystle Able’s first full time job, Illinois Alliance for Retired Americans, has been filed for the year ended December 31, 2024. It is a non-profit. Click this link to see multiple years of tax returns. Illinois Alliance For Retired Americans Krystle should be crying inequality and gender discrimination […]
By: Diane Benjamin See the comparison to last year and what the township just passed below. The first column came from the County records stating property taxes Normal Township received in 2025: PDF page 7: https://www.mcleancountyil.gov/DocumentCenter/View/30349/Districts-1-100?bidId= The second column came from the Normal Township levy they passed for money they want to receive in 2026 […]
By: Diane Benjamin Adding to this story: https://blnnews.com/2025/12/02/normal-fire-department-start-here/ The two calendars below have additional information. The RED Bloomington are mutual aid calls showing Bloomington responding to calls in Normal. When Bloomington is listed more than once it is because they ran calls more than once. . PDF page 210: https://www.normalil.gov/DocumentCenter/View/28107/Annual-Comprehensive-Financial-Report-for-the-fiscal-year-ending-March-31-2025—locked?bidId= This chart shows the number […]
Part 2: https://blnnews.com/2025/12/02/normal-fire-department-part-2/ By: Diane Benjamin Normal residents are concerned about the closing of the College Avenue fire station when they move to the new station east of Menards. That prompted me to look further into operations. This is going to take more than one story, so stay tuned. I sent a FOIA to Normal […]
By: Diane Benjamin I know most residents of Normal don’t care or they would quit electing the same people over and over, but just for the few who do care: https://www.25newsnow.com/2025/12/01/normal-city-manager-line-49-raise-topping-what-peoria-bloomington-managers-make Quotes: Normal Mayor Chris Koos is recommending a 4.9% pay raise for City Manager Pam Reece, which would lift her base salary above what […]
https://www.illinoisworknet.com/LayoffRecovery/Pages/IllinoisWARNData.aspx Happy Holidays won’t be had be these folks.
By: Diane Benjamin With all the local taxing bodies raising property taxes, the cost of rent and homes will continue to rise. You are being taxed on unrealized gains. Your home is worth more but you will never see the profit unless you borrow against it or sell your home. Home Equity loans won’t be […]
