Tari Renner signed the form agreeing to comply with the PCard policy: Renner PCard forms Is he going to turn in his PCard voluntarily since he has violated the policy numerous times? Is the Council going to let him get by with it? Are rules just for everybody but Tari? __________________________________________________ By: Diane Benjamin Did […]
By: Diane Benjamin I was just checking media reports from Topeka Kansas to see if the Council had picked a City Manager yet. Nothing so far. Something else interesting did pop up though: They paid their last City Manager $175.134. The population is 126,808 Supposedly the population of Bloomington in 2016 was 78,005 Note: one […]
By: Diane Benjamin It’s time to review Tari Renner’s history as Mayor: Tari is the only mayor in Bloomington’s history censured for his foul language on this site. See the comments to this story: https://blnnews.com/2015/02/10/does-tari-know-that-judy-isnt-running/ Tari has an extensive history of attacking anyone who doesn’t agree with him – especially women. See this story for […]
By: Diane Benjamin Previous stories: https://blnnews.com/2017/07/30/do-we-have-a-prosecutor/ https://blnnews.com/2017/07/31/tari-responds/ The City of Bloomington pays a small fortune to be members of the IML (Illinois Municipal League) and attend their conferences. Tari and Jeff Jurgens even spoke last year about the “new media and watchdogs”. I’m sure they have seen this the below. It isn’t me accusing Tari […]
By: Diane Benjamin Evidently Tari is still reading this site contrary to his claims. Or maybe one of his minions contacted him about last night’s story: https://blnnews.com/2017/07/30/do-we-have-a-prosecutor/ He couldn’t stop himself from calling me a liar and threatening to sue: He fails to explain how the charge for Margot’s ticket got on the PCard statement […]
Did Tari Know a large crowd was coming? It matters. By: Diane Benjamin The Bloomington Police Department was told loud and clear last night they were a huge problem. I wonder how many officers today are questioning why they are willing to die on the job to protect and serve people who despise them. I […]
By: Diane Benjamin Packet: http://www.cityblm.org/Home/ShowDocument?id=14322 1) Monday night Tari Renner is busy with more appointments. One of them shows how commissions are being stacked with liberal progressives to do Renner’s bidding. He is appointing Victoria Harris to the Zoning Board of Appeals. Harris was a Democrat member of the McLean County Board, but she was […]
By: Diane Benjamin From Bills and Payroll for Monday night: http://www.cityblm.org/Home/ShowDocument?id=14312 Nothing is on the City Calendar for 6/23/17, was this a private party? This month’s eating and travelling at your expense: Why does Public Works need the Pantagraph and why is it cheaper for them than regular people? Even the police get fraudulent charges: […]
By: Diane Benjamin Two truths: Bloomington road resurfacing is seriously underfunded Tari has stacked the commissions with people who think just like him Tomorrow the Historic Preservation meeting is at 5:00 in the Council Chambers. http://www.cityblm.org/Home/Components/Calendar/Event/5532/17?backlist=%2f On the agenda is discussion of a Master Plan for Brick Streets. Keep in mind Master Plans are suggestions […]
By: Diane Benjamin I filed this FOIA request on June 28th: It was due on July 5th, but I didn’t receive it. I keep a log of FOIA requests, this morning I had a minute to review them and noticed I hadn’t received this one. I sent a reminder to the City of Bloomington City […]
By: Diane Benjamin The Pantagraph filed this report from a meeting held last night between Parks officials and the public. http://www.pantagraph.com/news/local/bloomington-residents-urge-city-to-develop-parks/article_1a548766-9440-56e6-8d33-ddbe9d47f045.html First a quote from the article: Evidently Master Plans are only non-binding when they are created. Once approved they are thrown in the face of citizens who object. Think Bike Lanes and Complete Streets. […]
By: Diane Benjamin Bloomington is now run by special interest groups. The Council will pass a Citizens Advisory Board at the next meeting if only to pacify the large crowd that showed up last night and will show at the next meeting to intimidate them. Of course, the Council will pretend to not be intimidated. […]
By: Diane Benjamin Scott Laughlin clarified this morning on WJBC why the local media is useless. The host hates people who think government should do nothing. Scottie doesn’t realize “those” people don’t want government doing nothing, they want them doing only the things the population can’t do themselves. Like fix the roads! How are the Bloomington […]
By: Diane Benjamin Thank God Steve Vogel is retiring for good! His column today doesn’t merit commenting on and I sure didn’t read the whole thing. If I hadn’t jumped to the comments I would have missed that he is walking off into the sunset – keep walking Steve! I wonder what left winger will […]
By: Diane Benjamin Bills and Payroll got posted for Bloomington Monday night: http://www.cityblm.org/Home/ShowDocument?id=14211 Why is the City using your money for Rotary Club Dues? Library too! Bronner isn’t conducting an annual audit, are they helping the State Police? Did you get your picnic invite? See this story: https://blnnews.com/2016/09/28/consultants-another-one-that-slipped-by/ Yocum only bills the City every six […]
Ask Tari to explain the contribution illegals make verses the cost: https://www.nationaleconomicseditorial.com/2017/07/04/illegal-immigration-cost-illinois/ _______________________________________________________________ By: Diane Benjamin Mayor Tari Renner wanted to lump 3 controversial items together at Monday night’s Council, but one got derailed. The Council will consider: Bike Lanes on E. Washington to create congestion Welcoming ordinance for illegals The Citizens Advisory Board to […]
By: Diane Benjamin Maybe the P-Card spending starting on page 115 explains it: http://www.cityblm.org/Home/ShowDocument?id=14187 Some excerpts: In 2015 the City spent $22,321.49 travelling to Japan: https://blnnews.com/2015/04/24/more-throwing-your-money-around/ Tari and Hales aren’t the only travelers. See the rest at the link. Tari must have business lunches by himself – nobody else is listed. Or maybe Mayor Transparency doesn’t […]
By: Diane Benjamin The Bills and Payroll the Council approved for payment last night have never been posted on the City website: http://www.cityblm.org/government/advanced-components/documents/-folder-500 I wonder if the council was given a paper version or if they just approved spending without knowing what the voted on? Keep in mind – these are the same people who […]
By: Diane Benjamin The contract between the City of Bloomington and Grossinger Motors is in the packet for the City Council meeting Monday night: PDF page 115 http://www.cityblm.org/Home/ShowDocument?id=14175 The City will use up to $75,000 of their first payment to offset changing the signage. One problem – page 121: Since the document is a legal […]
Update: The management announced today the naming rights have been sold – and for the same amount US Cellular was paying: $175,000 a year. It will be name Grossinger Motors Arena for at least 5 years. I haven’t heard who is paying for the new signs, letterhead, business cards, menus, etc. _____________________________________ By: Diane Benjamin […]
By: Diane Benjamin Yesterday I did not receive a response from the State’s Attorney or the Sheriff. The illegal joint meeting between the Council and the Library Board took place. Bloomington attorney Jeff Jurgens admitted in an email the two meetings now posted on the Library Board website were not posted 48 hours in advance. […]
I’ve said over and over laws are broken here because nobody will prosecute. Tonight’s illegal meeting will take place and so will the illegal meeting the library has scheduled for tomorrow. The Sheriff doesn’t care – he hasn’t responded to my email. The States Attorney’s office doesn’t care either – Knapp hasn’t responded to […]
By: Diane Benjamin It isn’t an accident the Bloomington City Council had relatively short meetings before the April election and now two-hour or more regular meetings will be the norm. Renner hid his agenda with talking points and now he’s ready to activate the plans he had safely tucked out of sight. Bike lanes of […]
By: Diane Benjamin The council never asks questions. I wonder if they even look at the documentation! Bills and Payroll from last Monday: http://www.cityblm.org/Home/ShowDocument?id=13099 The Coliseum cost more – architect: Did the City buy tickets for employees? Feel free to FOIA! Why did the BCPA return so many deposits? Why does the BCPA […]
By: Diane Benjamin New Alderman Jamison Mathy didn’t show up last night for the Bloomington City Council meeting. As usual, nothing was said. Everybody acted like it’s perfectly normal for an elected representative to be a no-show. Unfortunately, his absence might have cost one family their property rights. (stay tuned) Alderman Diana Hauman didn’t show […]
by: Diane Benjamin 1) Mayor Transparency is now not listing the cost of items on the agenda. See tonight’s agenda here: http://www.cityblm.org/Home/ShowDocument?id=13109. Go to page 114 to find out the Motor Fuel Tax is being raided to pay for street light electricity. This tax was passed as being for the streets – not lights: (Page […]
By: Diane Benjamin Only a tiny group of citizens want bike lanes. Tari Renner ran for office twice pledging to fix the roads. He obviously isn’t as serious as the people with damaged vehicles are. This is from 2015: http://www.cityblm.org/government/departments/public-works/streets-sidewalks/street-resurfacing The table shows how much money per year is required just to have TERRIBLE STREETS. […]
Update: The lady in the video reported Amelia stated her family won’t be using the bike lanes – too dangerous! She is supporting the plan because Bike Blono wants it. By: Diane Benjamin Yesterday I attended Renner’s Open House for the first time. I don’t attend because I already know what answers are going […]
By: Diane Benjamin I saw this on the agenda for the Town of Normal last Monday: http://www.normal.org/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/2634 The document goes on to appoint the Deputy City Manager as representative to IMRF. The Town of Normal hasn’t paid the huge penalties Bloomington has from pension spiking. Bloomington has paid $1,877,252.40, in August of 2015 Normal had paid […]
By: Diane Benjamin The local area has THREE agencies coordinating economic development: B-N Convention and Visitors Bureau, BN Advantage, and the Economic Development Council. There is MUCH more to this story – but not today. The Bloomington Normal Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) has another committee nobody has ever heard of: Sports Commission Board The Board […]
By: Diane Benjamin Mark Peterson – Normal’s City Manager – talked to WGLT yesterday: http://wglt.org/post/public-private-partnership-lacking-establish-sports-complex#stream/0 Peterson thinks taxpayers should pony up $20-$30 million for a sports complex! The total cost will be $50 million, but it’s not a Public-Private partnership. He doesn’t say where the rest of the money will come from or who will […]
By: Diane Benjamin The old type Bloomington City Manager reports with real usable information ceased to exist when Alderman Diana Hauman called their “printing” a waste of money. The last REAL report was April 2016. City manager David Hales still does a City Manager report on-line, but it has little useful data. The old reports […]
By: Diane Benjamin The new City website isn’t fine. Last week the OLD website was back: https://blnnews.com/2017/05/26/not-up-in-smoke-its-the-cloud/ This morning this is what I got at cityblm.org It has been like this for hours. It can still be navigated, but is this what tax dollars paid for? (I just checked again, it may now be fixed. […]
The newer website is now back. The Council approved the website back in March of 2016: http://www.cityblm.org/home/showdocument?id=10583 ________________________________________________ By: Diane Benjamin I came across the name of the company I think the City of Bloomington hired to do their new website. I went to cityblm.org to research payments. Surprise – the new website was gone and […]
Evidently WJBC isn’t doing podcasts today – no Karch interview available. By: Diane Benjamin Kevin Lower ran for mayor on fixing the streets. Tari did too but, but unlike Lower – Tari wasn’t telling you the truth. This morning, Public Works director Jim Karch was on WJBC. The ONLY money Bloomington is spending on streets […]
By: Diane Benjamin At every recent Council meeting Mayor Renner has appointed people to various boards and commissions. He is obviously transferring his agenda to every part of Bloomington and anywhere he can in the County. How many people didn’t want to stop serving, but were forced to? Monday night Renner has two appointments and […]
By: Diane Benjamin I recently had some time to read through the minutes of CIRA Board meetings and other information on their website. Discussion about extending the soccer lease took place in March: http://cira.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/March-14-2017-minutes.pdf Normal has every intention of forcing its citizens to pay for the proposed complex: I found another item that is even […]
By: Diane Benjamin The media did leave the Committee of the Whole meeting early. I didn’t see any reporting on the most important item on the agenda: Burying you in taxes and/or debt! Here’s the plan: PDF page 65 http://www.cityblm.org/Home/ShowDocument?id=12980 The City wants to spend $285.82 million over the next 5 years with only $59.78 […]
By: Diane Benjamin The City of Bloomington has Master Plans for everything – instead of fixing the roads, they spent MILLIONS of dollars on plans that are now out of date. Gee, maybe they should just do the essential services citizens want and quit trying to create demand where none exists! (Limited Government – figure […]
By: Diane Benjamin At the Council meeting two weeks ago, where City Manager David Hales got a raise, Alderman David Sage promised a speech praising him at the next meeting. That meeting was very lengthily, so he wanted to delay his accolades. Since every vote was unanimous Monday night, the meeting was short. Sage took […]
