By: Diane Benjamin Wow – 3 Public Hearings where likely no public will show up to speak: That last one will lead to approval of that Annexation Agreement. I’m the first one to admit I am map challenged, but this sure looks like the land on the SW corner of Ireland Grove and Hershey that […]
By: Diane Benjamin I’m pretty sure most of you got a card in the mail from Responsible Cities telling you who to vote for. Guess who also got a card in the mail addressed to “Responsible Citizens at . . . .”: Me I can’t vote in Bloomington elections -their preferred candidates are on the […]
By: Diane Benjamin Thankfully Bloomington’s Monday meeting was short. Most of it was the annual report of the Public Safety and Community Relations Board. The Board only had 3 cases to review for the entire year. In one case the Board made a policy recommendation the police did adopt but in all three cases the […]
By: Diane Benjamin Besides Public Comment approving minutes: SUBJECT: Presentation and Discussion of the Public Safety and Community Relations BoardAnnual Report, as requested by the Administration Department.
By: Diane Benjamin Everyone endorsed by this PAC have an agenda. That agenda isn’t doing what’s right for taxpayers, it’s doing what THEY want done regardless of your opinion. Did you want a $30 million pedestrian underpass in Normal? I hope you are noticing what electing progressives means. They work for government, not you. Dave […]
The two video below are from West Side Neighbors Facebook page. They are evidently inviting a few candidates at a time to speak to their group. Brad Wurth and Mollie Emery were also there. Since Danenberger and Hendricks skipped a forum I attended, these videos will allow you to hear both for yourself. Both think […]
By: Diane Benjamin Budget book 2 – PDF page 132 https://www.bloomingtonil.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/29127 The paragraph below sure sounds like the City let Grossinger Motors off the hook for naming rights long before the contract was over last summer. Grossinger is still on the building anyway. The City still refers to it at Grossinger anyway. The EXCESS reserves […]
By: Diane Benjamin Watching the video is much more difficult than listening. The mouths and the sound continue to not match. Spending millions on IT evidently can’t get quality video. Most of the meeting was reviewing the budget again. You can page through the presentation slides beginning at 17:40. See 20:24. Unit 5 thinks the […]
By: Diane Benjamín Bills and payroll: https://www.bloomingtonil.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/29123 IMRF wouldn’t have required this payment if some pension wasn’t spiked: . . Agenda for tonight: https://d3n9y02raazwpg.cloudfront.net/cityblm/25841e19-7d4f-11ed-9024-0050569183fa-791fe512-602c-4d20-98c8-ecdbbed39134-1678461338.pdf The meeting is mostly budget. PDF page 30 might be interesting. Take a look. .
By: Diane Benjamin Thanks to WGLT for this story on Ward 6: https://www.wglt.org/local-news/2023-03-08/bloomington-ward-6-city-council-candidates-share-visions-for-downtown They made the choice easy between Jordan Baker and Cody Henricks. Don’t forget democrats threw a fundraiser for Henricks, very non partisan: If you don’t know what Ward you are in, find out here: https://www.bloomingtonil.gov/government/city-council/ward-map Henricks wants to “radically transform” downtown. That’s the […]
By: Diane Benjamin Ward 4: You next representative could be elected by a few hundred people. You deserve better – Vote by Mail, Early Vote, or in person April 4th! If you don’t know what Ward you are in, find out here: https://www.bloomingtonil.gov/government/city-council/ward-map Only Wards 4 and 6 have contested races. DEMOCRACY! 😏 Now read […]
H/T a reader In case you can’t ready the signs, they are campaign signs for the two FAR leftists running for Bloomington Council: Cody Hendricks and John Wyatt Danenberger. This was described to me as a third looking finger or a phallic concrete monolith. Classy place for signs!
By: Diane Benjamin Hendricks is running in Ward 6 against Jordan Baker. Ask Hendricks if he’s a closet socialist: Socialist former mayoral candidate Jackie Gunderson supports Hendricks: It appears Vicki Tilton and Tari Renner do too: (talking about campaign group) Willing to cheat to win? Just Funny – Green Top didn’t solve the food desert. […]
By: Diane Benjamin When the rest of the local media refuses to report FACTS, they are the real threat to “democracy”. Cities 92.9 wasn’t afraid to report facts: https://www.cities929.com/2023/03/01/39091/ Evidently the other media thinks character is immaterial to local politics. (speaks volumes about their character) If you need more proof the Dannenberger is FAR left, […]
By: Diane Benjamin Remember the Bloomington City Council voting down spending $270,000 over 3 years for a lobbyist? https://blnnews.com/2023/02/15/gleason-thinks-the-council-works-for-him/ Gleason wants grant money for the downtown streetscape. Does he know grant money is taxpayer money? Does he know the Feds spend more money every year than they take in? $31 Trillion in debt is meaningless […]
By: Diane Benjamin Bloomington is expecting to end this fiscal year with more than $37 million in General Fund Reserves. This is a huge increase compared to pre-Tim Gleason. See PDF page 2: https://www.bloomingtonil.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/29073/638125001757630000 The $7 million is this years budget, next year $10 million is budgeted. Asphalt and Concrete is roads and sidewalks, not […]
By: Diane Benjamin The budget is the big item for tonight. Will anyone notice fixing the streets isn’t allocated enough money to even begin catching up? Streets are becoming like pensions. It doesn’t matter how much money is thrown at them, they will never be rated well funded. Is Bloomington investing pension money with companies […]
By: Diane Benjamin This is just spending on Capital Projects. FY 2023 ends on 4/30/2023, FY 2024 is what matters. Asphalt and Concrete should have been $10M years ago, it needs to be that high for MANY MORE years. See the slide at 30:13. It’s not all roads however. The Coliseum will forever be a […]
By: Diane Benjamin More on this story: https://blnnews.com/2023/02/16/bloomingtons-lack-of-transparency/ In the original FOIA multiple comments from attendees were redacted. Bloomington realized they were not correct in redacting negative comments about the training at the Holocaust Museum in Skokie Il, I now have un-redacted copies. The entire page below had been redacted. The last paragraph is fabulous. […]
By: Diane Benjamin Both Bloomington and Normal are meeting on a Federal Holiday Monday: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/federal-holidays/#url=2023 Bloomington Committee of the Whole: https://d3n9y02raazwpg.cloudfront.net/cityblm/30b941a9-75a9-11ed-9024-0050569183fa-791fe512-602c-4d20-98c8-ecdbbed39134-1676574142.pdf Normal starts at 6:00 instead of 7:00: https://www.normalil.gov/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/4575 Bloomington municipal code: https://ecode360.com/34402891 Normal municipal code: https://www.normalil.gov/DocumentCenter/View/7697/Chapter-03—Council-Meetings-and-Ordinances?bidId= Next time either tries to hold you accountable for violations of Municipal Code, ask them why violations are […]
By: Diane Benjamin Numerous Bloomington upper management police officers were sent to a 2 day training in Skokie Il. The training was called BRILL LAW ENFORCEMENT ACTION IN DEMOCRACY. “Democracy” is the first clue to this training. We aren’t a Democracy. The second clue is it was held at the Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education […]
By: Diane Benjamin FYI: The Council that hired Tim Gleason and that mayor are long gone. Gleason was hired to revitalize downtown because he revitalized Decatur’s (sort of). After 5:00 very little happens in the closed up downtown businesses. It is nothing like Bloomington’s downtown that exists for lawyers, people accused of crimes, homeless people, […]
By: Diane Benjamin More on this story: https://blnnews.com/2023/02/14/i-could-have-predicted-this-one/ Tim Gleason wasn’t at the meeting where hiring a federal lobbyist firm for $270,000 over 3 years was voted down. It wouldn’t have gone that direction if he had been there, he’s a master at changing the minds of council members. Tim Gleason is the employee of […]
By: Diane Benjamin I filed a FOIA request with the City of Bloomington on January 31st when rumors started to swirl about a revote on hiring a lobbyist. Of course they delayed my FOIA until 4:30 today – after the vote. They claimed legal had to review. Ha Ha. Here is part of one email […]
By: Diane Benjamin Bloomington failed at Live Streaming the meeting last night. There was no audio! The incompetence shown by City staff should make you wonder what else they are incompetent at doing. Below is this year’s budget for Information Technology. Almost $6 million and they can’t get a Live Stream to work in a […]
By: Diane Benjamin Remember the charge to Repairs and Maintenance pertaining to the License Plate Readers? https://blnnews.com/2023/02/09/remember-when-bloomington-bought-license-plate-readers/ I received an email from an officer wanting me to call him for an explanation. Since I prefer explanations in writing so they are useable, he put it in writing. That payment isn’t for Repairs or Maintenance. It […]
By: Diane Benjamin Unit 5 didn’t like the results of the November referendum – so they demand you vote again. Vote No Again Ask Unit 5 Board members how it is possible to be this irresponsible with other people’s money. Anybody see a problem? Anybody? Tim Gleason is pulling the same stunt on Monday. His […]
By: Diane Benjamin February 28, 2022: https://cityblm.granicus.com/DocumentViewer.php?file=cityblm_f2826ec9d9b5f6bf9ebdb349f14596b7.pdf&view=1 The actual name of the company is Flock Group Inc. https://www.bizapedia.com/ga/flock-group-inc.html The listed CEO, Garrett Langley, is the same guy who runs Flock Safety https://www.flocksafety.com/about/meet-flock-safety The “fixed cost” isn’t so fixed: The cameras haven’t even been installed a year yet and repairs aren’t covered? The fixed annual cost […]
By: Diane Benjamin The Normal Town Council lives in luxury, visit the Council chambers and observe the rest of Town Hall. They want to be a Smart City, they have software to spy on what people say on line about them, and they have license plate readers. If the Town loves high tech so much, […]
By: Diane Benjamin Rachael Lund spent a lot of time collecting signatures to run for Normal Town Council. Then she withdrew because she is leaving the area. She saved me the trouble of posting stories like this one again: https://blnnews.com/2020/10/30/who-is-the-real-rachel-lund/ Lund is obviously far left. Not many signatures are needed to run for Bloomington Council. […]
Overheard while flying around: Bloomington City Manager Tim Gleason really wants the lobbyist the Council voted 5-4 not to hire. Money, money, money – never enough! Gleason wants a re-vote. The aldermen didn’t fall in line! Who is going to flip and change their vote? Does Deputy City Manager Billy Tyus still have a job? […]
Why do Democrats need contributions if local elections are non-partisan? Obviously they aren’t!
By: Diane Benjamin Correction: Early Voting starts February 23. I hate to throw the County Clerk’s office under the bus, but they had it listed wrong. It has been fixed. Since early voting starts February 1st, the below is what I know so far: From Danenberger’s LinkedIn page: This information is important so you have […]
By: Diane Benjamin I would ask him but he didn’t respond to my last email. I heard a request was made to District 87 for John Wyatt Danenberger’s child (children) to attend Oakland School instead of Washington. Since Danenberger didn’t answer my last email I saw no reason to ask him. I asked District 87 […]
By: Diane Benjamin Sheila Montney pulled hiring the lobbying firm from the Consent Agenda. I don’t remember the last time something was voted down after being placed on the agenda. Administration knows where everyone stands before it’s placed for a vote – 3 on 1 meetings usually clear the path. Tim Gleason didn’t attend the […]
By: Diane Benjamin Bills and Payroll: https://www.bloomingtonil.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/28905/638096498401870000 806 Employees, remember when the City had 650? Maybe shows aren’t booked because you have to pay up first? Your cost for empty buses: Agenda: https://d3n9y02raazwpg.cloudfront.net/cityblm/257b0a83-7d4f-11ed-9024-0050569183fa-a809f54d-d2d4-4538-9941-6f673252daac-1674252308.pdf National debt is now $31.5 trillion. That doesn’t include all the unfunded liabilities that can never be paid. Our national security is […]
By: Diane Benjamin https://www.boxofficeticketsales.com/grossinger-motors-arena?msclkid=ac4450df0ccf192916d5331304eab1a2 Since the City of Bloomington now running the Coliseum, click on that link and check out ticket prices. It almost looks like every couple of seats has a different price depending on where it is. It must be too difficult just to have a few different prices, this event needs tons […]
By: Diane Benjamin I had another meeting to attend last night so I didn’t watch either Normal or Bloomington live. Normal’s was only around 1/2 hour so I did watch it. I heard 2 media outlets showed up with video cameras, maybe they were expecting fireworks that didn’t happen. Mayor Koos wasn’t there, maybe not […]
By: Diane Benjamin H/T a reader This picture is of the NEVER used Fire Station #5 on Six Points Rd in Bloomington: I filed a FOIA request on January 4, 2023 for any documents stating why public safety vehicles are parked in this fire station when it has never been used as a fire station. […]
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