By: Diane Benjamin
1)
The State of Illinois budget is “balanced” on the backs of local taxpayers.
https://mayorscaucus.org/legislative-priorities/restoring-lgdf-revenues/
Budgets aren’t cut. Local government raise taxes instead. This contributes to Illinois being the highest taxed State in the country. Congrats.
2)
If Pritzker signs this bill, Normal Township will raise your taxes: https://www.wglt.org/local-news/2026-08-05/change-could-give-illinois-townships-more-ways-to-help-people-who-are-financially-struggling
The Karl Marx loving Krystle Able will happily tax more to give away more stuff. Creating dependents is how she plans to stay in her cushy job.
Read the story to see the difference between fiscal responsibility and nonsense.
3)
The Bloomington City Council won’t be meeting on Monday because too many aldermen are out of town.
Will Abby Scott yell at them like she did Sheila Montney? https://blnnews.com/2026/06/24/abby-scott-and-corey-beirne-failed-the-ethics-test/
Abby: Is it okay for aldermen to cancel meetings because a quorum won’t be present? Or is Sheila missing one BHCC meeting because of a family emergency different?
Is Abby one of the reasons the meeting is cancelled?
4)
5)
Scenario: You buy a house for $152,000 and spend $20,000 on improvements. You then sell the house, not including the land for at most $125,000. That’s $47,000 tied up in land that generates no income because the house buyer will never own it.
That is how the Bloomington-Normal Community Land Trust plans to create affordable housing. The pace is 1 house a year relying on contributions. This one was made possible by a $150,000 State grants – your money. Brilliant interference in the private market. This is of course socialist redistribution of your wealth. Nothing about 1 house a year solves the “housing crisis”.
Is BNCLT financing the house, the story left that part out. If yes, what’s the interest rate?
Can the buyers afford maintenance? Story doesn’t cover that either.
Can the buyer afford the property taxes? Of course the 2026 taxes of $3,288.70 will be higher next year since local governments can’t stop stealing money and making housing more unaffordable. https://mcleanil.devnetwedge.com/parcel/view/1434352002/2025
If BNCTL is financing, are taxes and insurance included in the payment? Can the buyer afford at least another $300 a month?
Side note: Land records show this house was owned by former head football coach at IWU, Norm Eash.
6)
Have you noticed the talk of what to do with Eastland Mall has popped up again? Nobody local owns the mall but they want a say in redevelopment. It’s almost like taxpayers are being setup to fund it!
WGLT is the latest: https://us22.list-manage.com/survey?u=4c58934c4291d45ed926fc150&id=892bd786b7&attribution=false
Point #1. The state definitely is balancing their budget on the backs of local taxpayers! They cut back or eliminate state funding of schools and municipalities and redirect those funds to their chosen pet projects like green energy and illegal alien aid. The state with their left wing supermajority refuse any and all attempts at property tax reform. Illinois taxpayers approve all of this every time at the ballot box!
The mall will become a regional homeless shelter/social services center if local democrats get their way.
On point #2 – Sounds like the idea is to open up handouts to people who for a number of reasons don’t currently qualify for public assistance.
Things like:
*Level of current assets
*Income limits
*Level of current public aid
*Residency and documentation required
*Mandatory Job Search or Workfare Compliance
What is left out is a discussion by WGLT and Able about what the current qualifications are and why.
I believe this is the current state requirements –
Illinois Public Aid Code (305 ILCS 5/) https://law.justia.com/codes/illinois/chapter-305/act-305-ilcs-5/article-vi/ (This shows the qualifications)
Why does this matter. Able and comrades don’t care if a current law is sufficient or effective. The point is to transfer as much tax payer’s income to others by any means possible even if that means just about anyone can walk in and grab as much as they want whenever they want for as long as they want.
One small step for socialism, one giant step for a welfare state.
The new qualifications will be there are no qualifications anymore. From the state law awaiting the governor’s signature:
“to persons who are poor, indigent, homeless, or in need of immediate assistance regardless of their eligibility.”
As long as you claim “need if immediate assistance” you are eligible. Literally anyone. Do you think some socialist minded bureaucrat is going to actually investigate and document proof of the “need”?
https://ilga.gov/Legislation/BillStatus/FullText?GAID=18&DocNum=3565&DocTypeID=SB&LegId=166615&SessionID=114
Welcoming Illinois and Bloomington/Normal will be overrun. Next will come government control of the flooded housing market.
Welcome Cloward Piven who advocated- “Militant anti-poverty groups to will facilitate a political crisis.”
Able the anarchist is well versed.
Point 5, land trust. This was started and run by Mark Adams, current unit 5 school board member, and now challenger to Kent Lee in Bloomington Ward 8.
His good friend and close comrade is that radical self described “communist” at ISU, Andrew Franzen (also a buddy of Tanner Starr, a Krystle Able acolyte running for Normal council). Franzen is the guy organizing the protests against the sensible town of normal regulations against sleeping in public property and harassing transit center paying customers.
If you can’t connect the dots, all the Democrats running for office this November and in the municipal elections next spring are
Spinning the same the “housing” crisis rhetoric. Expect more and more county and city government handouts to subsidize or even own low income housing in town. More homeless shelters, which does what? Of course, attracts more homeless people here.
This is NY Mandami style socialism right in little ol rural McLean county. And you, the productive workers and families will pay for it. Unless you run for office, volunteer/donate to the campaigns of those running, and vote.
#5 This is the same Mark Adams that has announced his candidacy for Bloomington City Council Ward 8. This is his “affordable housing” solution. This BNCLT organization has existed for several years now. Look how long it took for them to raise enough money to buy 1. Think about how many and how quickly they can create these land trusts once they gain access to a huge pool of property taxpayer money with the CITY OWNING THE LAND!
This is the same U5 School Board member Mark Adams that has justified the large U5 property tax increases because education is a “social contact”. This is the same Mark Adams who thinks housing is a right (yet doesn’t define housing)
The Socialists are trying to create a whole slew of SOCIAL CONTRACTS:
HOUSING,
CHILDCARE,
TRANSPORTATION,
CLOTHING,
FOOD
All funded with local tax dollars
FREE, FREE, FREE is the Socialist way. They are making inroads fast in Bloomington-Normal. Unless the Democrat voters wake up, B-N is going to become a Socialist wasteland. Every single person who votes for these crackpot Socialists should be forced to stay here and pay for what they create. But no, I’m sure they will move because they can no longer afford to live here and wonder why their property taxes are so high.
I just read the ideas for Eastland Mall. Does anyone know how much it would cost (probably taxpayers) to develop any of these ideas?
Obviously the plan is to destroy America brought to you by the communist ideology through gradual and then more socialism bring back feudalism.