By: Diane Benjamin Did you know 300,000 unaccompanied minors are still missing? The guy in charge of making sure they were safely placed was Xavier Becerra, Biden’s head of Health and Human Services and current finalist for California governor. He lost track of them. ICE has located about 145,000. Some of them were sex trafficked. […]
By: Diane Benjamin Below is a picture of the portable Stop Lights I mentioned in this story: https://blnnews.com/2026/06/06/this-is-why-bloomington-must-opt-people-out-of-aggregation/ . This is Ireland Grove Rd by The Grove. They say “rental” on them. I didn’t know stop lights could be rented! Note: No cars are coming from the opposite direction. It would be easy to drive […]
By: Diane Benjamin When you have a loved one being rushed to the hospital in an ambulance minutes count. I was a passenger in an ambulance eight years when my husband shouldn’t have lived – but did. I was in Bloomington yesterday. I was at the stop light southbound on Hershey waiting for the light […]
By: Diane Benjamin Bloomington’s latest budget is almost $318 million but the camera didn’t work last night. The meeting would have been 15 minutes but appointments and a proclamation used up time. 3 people spoke at public comment (see 17:55). Everything passed with no discussion. The only video is of slides presented. The first 10 […]
By: Diane Benjamin Last Friday I attended this meeting. Lots of people attended. The meeting opened with a 14 year old singing our national anthem. Next an employee and veteran led the crowd in saying the Pledge of Allegiance. Another employee led the group in prayer after that. Nobody protested, I didn’t see anyone not […]
By: Diane Benjamin On the regular agenda: https://bloomingtonil.portal.civicclerk.com/event/4104/files/report/5227 . The former Clay Dooley building is in the Downtown TIF. Premium Loaves plans to spend $4.2 million to turn it into the above. The corporate office will be on the second floor, the first floor will be available commercial space. The developer claimed the project required […]
By: Diane Benjamin Both Bloomington and Normal played granny state and opted people into their electric aggregation program. Now we know the rate this year is higher than Ameren, people can opt out by contacting Ameren. Citizens are forced to fix government blunders or pay more money. Most will never get that message. The below […]
By: Diane Benjamin If you haven’t figured out the McLean County League of Women Voters has no values, look at their Facebook page or the national organization website they mimic. This one is my favorite, they are upset the Department of Justice has proof the Southern Poverty Law Center funded organization like the KKK to […]
By: Diane Benjamin The Grocery Tax and Data Centers were never the reason the meeting was called. The local radicals wanted a vote against Israel. . Isn’t it nice that Public Comment is on the Agenda AFTER the vote? It sounds like the Agenda got rearranged. All 3 items passed. All three are meaningless, especially […]
By: Diane Benjamin 1) Both Bloomington and Normal opted every household into electric aggregation. Now we know if everyone doesn’t opt out they will be paying more for electicity. The right thing to do is opt everyone out! Will government do it? Everyone affected will never hear they need to opt out. 2) Executive Session […]
Unit 5 is paying the 6% to encourage employees to retire. To qualify teacher’s have to be eligible under the Teacher’s Retirement System rules and have 10 years working for Unit 5. Remember when there was a teacher’s shortage? It’s brilliant to encourage experienced teachers to retire. I still have no explanation for all the […]
By: Diane Benjamin 1) For the first time I can remember, the Ecology Action Center has recommended opting out of electric aggregation because you will be paying more if you don’t. This applies to Bloomington and Normal. https://www.wglt.org/local-news/2026-05-27/ecology-action-center-recommends-opting-out-of-electricity-aggregation-this-year I don’t know if it is too late to opt out, see this Bloomington link: https://www.bloomingtonil.gov/community/municipal-electric-aggregation Normal: […]
By: Diane Benjamin A few weeks ago this post appeared on NextDoor: . This was one of the responses, obviously by a person who follows local politics: , Evidently some people are allowed to not follow rules: . A complaint was sent to the City back in March. Nothing has changed, the sidewalk is impassable. […]
By: Diane Benjamin Sick of high property taxes? The City Council raised your taxes last year after being told they had no choice. The 1% grocery tax was added for the same reason. It’s dire. In the video below, go to 1:37:48 and listen to Sheila Montney. The Finance Director had just finished his report. […]
By: Diane Benjamin Agenda: https://bloomingtonil.portal.civicclerk.com/event/4116/files/agenda/12728 This easily puts Jurgens in the top 5% of all wage earners in the country: The meaningless ethics ordinance is on the Consent agenda, self regulating means no consequences: In case someone claims Bloomington isn’t paying for the improvements to Sunnyside park, it’s still tax dollars paying for it. It […]
By: Diane Benjamin In the land of Progressia, the ruling faction had a problem. Their grand policies kept producing the opposite of what they promised: taxes that crushed working families, cities where shoplifting became a protected lifestyle, borders that functioned more like welcome mats, and schools more focused on gender ideology than reading. Energy prices […]
By: Diane Benjamin H/T a reader West Washington, across from the Government Center in downtown Bloomington: Does this sign apply? Or this sign? Can you park for 2 hours or not? The signs are within feet of each other: . I suggest parking by the green sign, taking a picture of your vehicle and sign, […]
By: Diane Benjamin The McLean County Regional Planning Commission is planning for 2045. This is the same group that wanted an eastside bypass a few years ago. If you don’t know who is runs these “planners”, see the Board members here: https://mcplan.org/about-us/about-mcrpc/the-commission What this unelected Commission reports is considered gold to Bloomington, Normal, and all […]
By: Diane Benjamin Remember when Sonny Garcia called for a special meeting of the Bloomington Township to get this on the ballot: https://blnnews.com/2024/05/15/want-to-see-the-petition-signers/ That effort failed because citizens of Bloomington Township outnumbered his ilk. Time for Bloomington Township voters to do it again! This time the organizer is Zach Gittrich who appears frequently around town. […]
By: Diane Benjamin The Bloomington City Council was downright pompous about passing a shiny new ethics ordinance. How could anyone possibly oppose it? An ethics ordinance with zero penalties is completely worthless. They already ignore City Code with impunity — this will be no different. After all, they get to decide what’s ‘ethical,’ so violating […]
By: Diane Benjamin On the Agenda tonight: https://bloomingtonil.portal.civicclerk.com/event/4129/files/agenda/12698 The same woman who got Normal to pass a meaningless ethics ordinance is getting Bloomington to do the same: https://blnnews.com/2026/04/07/normal-now-has-a-meaningless-code-of-ethics/ City code is is ignored by elected officials, an ethics ordinance won’t change that. No penalties exist for being unethical. It will pass easily anyway with some […]
By: Diane Benjamin In Illinois you can’t have a nice home without being taxed into selling and leaving the state. This house in NOT in Hawthorne Hills, homes there are even worse: This is an increase of 42% in 10 years. The people most responsible are elected in local elections few bother to vote in. […]
By: Diane Benjamin Remember the church at 411 E Mulberry that caved in? The City of Bloomington tore it down because it was an extreme hazard. Previous story: https://blnnews.com/2025/07/15/last-night-bloomington-council-2/ How much did that cost? (Invoices below) $300,606.18 + $10,794.77 + $59,727.80 + $11,546.11 + $12,217.00 = $394,891.86. How much has the City been reimbursed by […]
By: Diane Benjamin Illinois has WAY to many units of government with no one watching what they are doing. Just look at your property tax bill, it shows all the taxing bodies where no one from the public attends meetings. Nothing happens at these meetings by chance. Projects often take years. Thanks to a local […]
By: Diane Benjamin The League of Women Voters is conducting a survey aimed at creating a Commission like the Bloomington Election Commission is handle all elections in McLean County. They want to take the responsibility away from the elected County Clerk and hand it to unelected bureaucrats that CAN NOT be held accountable by voters. […]
By: Diane Benjamin 29:50 public comment – guy has a problem with the Bloomington police. Has he taken his proof to the PSCRB? 36:50 public comment about Flock Cameras. Of course they are an invasion of privacy while making policing much easier. Many cities have determined that tradeoff isn’t worth it. Nothing was pulled from […]
By: Diane Benjamin Agenda: https://bloomingtonil.portal.civicclerk.com/event/4103/files/agenda/12675 I don’t have time today to analyze, read it yourself. The only regular agenda item is exchanging some property with IWU: . Just so you don’t forget, the City has $1,400,000 in that part marked 807. https://blnnews.com/2025/07/16/flashback-to-2016/ The City bought it in 2016 to control development. So far no one […]
By: Diane Benjamin Filing a Statement of Economic Interest is required by law to reveal conflicts of interest. Evidently the fines of $100 a day don’t start the day filing is past due. Fines should start immediately to cover the cost of Certified Mail and the staff time it takes to process mailings. Filing was […]
By: Diane Benjamin 1) Diana Hauman made a drive-by comment to me as she left the data center meeting. She thinks I need to know more about the League of Women Voters before writing about them. I spontaneously burst out laughing! I’ve been writing about the LWV since 2013. See every story at this link: […]
Held today: Let’s see if Democrats file an objection. Democrat Ben Matthews was present.
By: Diane Benjamin On December 8, 2025 the Bloomington City Council heard a presentation on Proactive Property Maintenance Enforcement Update: . Since I didn’t write much about this, I asked GROK AI when it happened. I remembered it, just not when. Grok gave me the answer in 10 seconds. PDF page 5: https://bloomingtonil.portal.civicclerk.com/event/1012/files/agenda/9377 As long […]
By: Diane Benjamin I attended enough of the first discussion yesterday at the BCPA on data centers to know that those present want nothing to do with building one in Bloomington. I heard from an attendee that lots of different people showed up for the evening event with the same views. The biggest reasons why […]
By: Diane Benjamin For awhile yesterday this video was not in the story: https://blnnews.com/2026/05/05/nchs-violence-reason-for-evacuation/ Evidently some people don’t understand that students acting like animals at school wouldn’t hesitate to call in a fake bomb threat to get out of going to school. . Today is Data Center Day: . Did you know the United States […]
By: Diane Benjamin If you missed it, see yesterday’s story on the League of Women voters: https://blnnews.com/2026/05/04/uncovering-the-truth-about-mclean-county-elections/ 1) Diana Hauman spoke at a Bloomington Council meeting last August on behalf of the “nonpartisan” League of Women Voters that isn’t actually nonpartisan. Is Hauman still a League member? Is she pushing for Rank Choice Voting? The […]
By: Diane Benjamin The McLean County League of Women Voters claim they are nonpartisan. https://www.lwvmclean.org/ It’s easy to tell they aren’t. Using the terminology: Defending Democracy is a giveaway they aren’t. Democracy is mob rule, we are a Republic. It’s the same terminology Democrats have used in the last few elections to con voters while […]
By: Diane Benjamin This property was randomly picked and is the same one from previous stories: https://blnnews.com/2026/04/30/congrats-how-much-is-stolen-from-you-is-posted/ The Bloomington house increases are in this story: https://blnnews.com/2026/05/01/taxing-bodies-in-bloomington-increases/ Total taxes paid in 2025 vrs 2026: . Congrats go to the Normal voters who fell for the “property taxes will go down” if you vote for a 1% […]
By: Diane Benjamin Same property as previous stories – picked at random. https://blnnews.com/2026/04/30/congrats-how-much-is-stolen-from-you-is-posted/ For context on the airport tax: Bloomington and Normal properties are still being taxed by the airport — see Central Il Reg Airport Auth. In 2025, it appeared on bills as “BLM-Nrm Airport Auth.” This year’s 2026 in-town bills now show $0.00 […]
MCLEAN COUNTY CLERK PRESS CONFERENCE: FRIDAY, May 1, 11:00 am, Lobby of Government Center 115 E. Washington Street, Bloomington, IL The Democrats on our McLean County Board have gone too far. I can handle bullies, but not when they unjustly try to scare and bully members of our staff by sending the IL State Police […]
By: Diane Benjamin In other words, the new property tax bills have been posted. You will never own your property, you are renting it from government. If you live in the County you will be charged for the airport without a vote by you. Springfield elected officials passed it because Dave Koehler presented it. Taxation […]
By: Diane Benjamin Remember the ISU table flipper? https://blnnews.com/2025/11/21/update-on-derek-lopez-hes-still-being-held-in-custody/ The court record shows he tried to get out on bond, the order on his motion isn’t available so I assume he is still being held. There was a pretrial conference held in April, I have no idea when his trial will be. Local Public Defender […]
