Public Test of Election Equipment Today
I just received this, if the Bloomington Election Commission is holding a public test I wasn’t notified:
Category: Local
Front and Center building
By: Diane Benjamin The City of Bloomington wants to condemn the Front and Center building since it’s been sitting empty for a long time. WGLT reported: https://www.wglt.org/local-news/2024-02-29/bloomington-condemns-landmark-downtown-building-at-front-and-center If the current owners object, taxpayers get to fund a court battle. With or without legal fees taxpayers will get the demolition cost which includes asbestos removal. Keep […]
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Final on the Local Housing Assessment report
By: Diane Benjamin More from this story on the local Housing Assessment: https://blnnews.com/2024/03/05/ignoring-the-elephant-in-the-room/ PDF page 32 – copied and reformatted since the paragraph is difficult to read: Poverty levels have increased in McLean County over the last 5 years, Bloomington and Normal. Poverty is measured by the Official Poverty Measure (OPM), which measures pre-tax income […]
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Ignoring the elephant in the room!
By: Diane Benjamin The McLean County Regional Planning Commission hired an Indianapolis firm to conduct a local housing survey. The draft version is available here: https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/a2/83/4592f3f04409bcdd453644d32b78/draft-final-rise-plan.pdf Comments can be made on this document until 3/14. I’m not close to going through all 97 pages, but problems are pretty easy to see. The chart on PDF […]
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Please oppose this Illinois bill!
By: Diane Benjamin Submit witness slip OPPOSING HB 4198 which is sponsored by Carol Ammons(D, Urbana) and is one giant step towards Illinois becoming an ALL VOTE BY MAIL state. Please take action by Tuesday. 3/5 by 2PM. Jimmy Carter opposed vote by mail decades ago because fraud was easy! HB4198 provides that each election […]
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Pritzker tax hikes
By: Diane Benjamin The Illinois Policy Institute recapped the Illinois budget JB is proposing. See their story here: https://www.illinoispolicy.org/pritzker-wants-to-spend-record-amount-but-needs-898m-in-tax-hikes-to-do-it/ Of course it’s a record budget that includes massive tax increases. Pritzker made a big deal about eliminating the grocery tax: See that last line? At the last Bloomington City Council meeting the Finance Director stated […]
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Two things I wish I had pics of
By: Diane Benjamin I get tips frequently, mostly people forget to take pictures or aren’t able because they are driving. If you can stop and get a picture, please do! Visual is always better. 1) With the severe winds over the weekend I hear the tent city in downtown Bloomington had garbage blowing everywhere. A […]
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3 Things
By: Diane Benjamin 1) The Bloomington never used #5 Fire Station is being used, just not as a fire station. It’s a meeting hall as well as a garage for extra vehicles. Meeting this week: 2) One of my FOIA requests was denied by the City of Bloomington because they claim a complaint filed by […]
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Weekend Levity
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Ty Carlton awards speak volumes!
By: Diane Benjamin I FOIA’d the City of Bloomington for awards given to Ty Carlton for the past 15 years. What I received isn’t the whole story. From the Bloomington Police Facebook page where Ty is mentioned a lot, this isn’t mentioned in the FOIA: This is what I received by FOIA, notice no details? […]
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Bloomington Police: Walley, Moreland, Carlton
By: Diane Benjamin Three years ago a lawyer, Samantha Walley, tendered her resignation as the City Manager of Leroy. At the time she was in a kerfuffle with the Leroy Police Chief. She was and is married to a Bloomington Police Detective named Steve Moreland. Walley had previously worked in the States Attorney’s office. Walley […]
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Do you only see White doctors Gleason?
By: Diane Benjamin The policy under Tim Gleason in the City of Bloomington is to hire employees who resemble the people they serve. Just listen for 25 seconds: Gleason is talking about the rebranding program the Council never approved but now is expected to continue funding. If the majority of the Council wasn’t socialist the […]
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Two things
By: Diane Benjamin 1) In April I will have been writing for TWELVE YEARS. Actually page views went over 10,000,000 a few years ago, but lots of views aren’t officially counted because many of you are Following BlnNews.com and getting an email for every story written. All of those reads aren’t included in the totals. […]
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DEI Bloomington
By: Diane Benjamin There was a Township meeting before the Council meeting, Council doesn’t start until 59:00 on the video. This item on the Consent Agenda was pulled before the meeting: . The documentation says this Review Board hasn’t had a case since August of 2011 after being established in 2011, but that didn’t keep […]
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Connect Transit festivities tonight
By: Diane Benjamin Alderman Donna Boelen mentioned at the Council meeting last night Connect Transit hasn’t presented their budget to the City as required by the Inter-Governmental agreement. They never do. The budget includes $800,000 more for them anyway. It was reduced last year when CT said they didn’t need the money. Now it’s back. […]
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Guess who is STILL Spiking Pensions
By: Diane Benjamin That’s to IMRF (Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund) for answering my FOIA request the same day it was filed! I filed it because there is another Accelerated Payment to IMRF on the Bills and Payroll to be approved Monday night. That practice should have ended years ago. If you don’t know what it […]
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Required reading at ISU: Violence and Marxism
By: Diane Benjamin A reader sent me this link to a Daily Wire story: https://www.dailywire.com/news/state-universities-are-teaching-students-to-blow-up-oil-pipelines-records-show Excerpt: At Illinois State University, students in an English class are required to read only four books, one of which is “How To Blow Up a Pipeline.” Another is a book on Marxism by Friedrich Engels, whom Vladimir Lenin called “the […]
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999 Bloomington employees
By: Diane Benjamin Payroll approved at the last Bloomington City Council meeting showed 953 employees. Payroll tonight shows 999. Source 1: https://www.bloomingtonil.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/30070/638429797206570000 Source 2: https://www.bloomingtonil.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/30104/638441880489500000 Evidently that still isn’t enough employees since two items are on the Consent Agenda to “brand” the City. $10,960 + $55,450 = $66,410 to make them Employer of Choice! I […]
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Spanish Billboard in West Bloomington
By: Diane Benjamin YOUR government is advertising benefits to people who are here illegally, in a foreign language, and sending you the bill. Want to know why you can’t find a doctor? This billboard is on the West side of BLOOMINGTON: See the link stated above: https://abe.illinois.gov/abe/access/ Abe Lincoln would be appalled! Browse around that […]
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Obituary: Gary William Scott
Gary William Scott, 74, of Bloomington passed away on Monday, February 19, 2024, with his family by his side after a hard-fought battle with cancer. Gary was born in Bloomington on December 20, 1949 to William and Beatrice (Evans) Scott. He was preceded in death by his parents, sisters Elma Piefer and Nancy Fisher, great […]
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Rivers of Rivians
Parked at State Farm Then this video appeared tying to unionize the plant:
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Weekend Back to Winter Relief
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Sometimes the truth has to be said
By: Diane Benjamin I can think of 3 recent times democrats changed the law in Springfield to benefit government, this isn’t “democracy”. I’m not a republican but I will never be a democrat because of oppression like this. The first one was the Town of Normal conspiring to pass a law to exempt ONLY Normal […]
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Fly on the Wall: Il House District 88
Evidently free dinners don’t motivate voters, at least not those voting in the 88th House District. Chuck Erickson’s opponent tried it here, few showed up for FREE FREE FREE food. Conservative voters know nothing is FREE. Since the majority of the district is in McLean County, maybe voters sent the message they want representation FROM […]
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ISU wants a DEI CRT hire for president
By: Diane Benjamin One of the finalist for the new head of ISU is Dr. Donald Easton-Brooks. https://www.25newsnow.com/2024/02/21/illinois-state-university-names-second-presidential-candidate-finalist/?outputType=amp Who is he? See this story: https://www.nevadaappeal.com/news/2021/aug/28/guy-farmer-critical-race-theory-advocate-unr/ Next see his own website: https://donaldeastonbrooks.com/page/ Quote: Dr. Easton-Brooks Is Best Known As An Award-Winning Author, Leader, Researcher, And Advocate In The Area Of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, And Culturally Responsive […]
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Progressives billing you for illegal immigration
By: Diane Benjamin Just so everyone is clear when Charlotte Alvarez shows up at another public meeting: She is getting paid by taxpayers. From the Illinois Comptroller website: https://illinoiscomptroller.gov/financial-reports-data/find-a-report/state-contracts The $1,200,000 was for FY 2021 – right when the border was opened. Coincidence? The $579,000 was for FY 2023. Another coincidence? The $253,926 is also […]
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Bloomington Police Sergeant Fired!
By: Diane Benjamin H/T to the person who gave me this tip All of this information was received by FOIA. A formal investigation by the State Police was launched last August. Why Carlton was fired is detailed in this document: . What this document doesn’t say is how the police found out. The multi-page documents […]
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5 things you need to know
By: Diane Benjamin 1) Stay tuned for the NEXT story – Breaking News 2) The hearing in Springfield on banning pre-2010 diesel engines got canceled! This is likely the reason, thanks to everyone who filed a witness slip. 3) Dick Durbin posted this on X yesterday. Dickie doesn’t understand local governments don’t spend money on […]
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Springfield Bozos
By: Diane Benjamin A flurry of bills are being filed in Springfield. If you aren’t on the Illinois Family Institute email list, please get on it. They have a list of anti-family bills on their website that need witness slips: https://illinoisfamily.org/ There is another stupid bill that needs massive opposition: A new bill has been […]
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Money spending plans in Bloomington
By: Diane Benjamin Last night the Bloomington City Council heard Capital Projects plans for FY 2025, that starts May 1st. You can see all the slides from the presentation here: https://www.bloomingtonil.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/30100 My highlights: This is the City’s portion, the County and Normal also contribute. A grant pays for most of this trail. Ever see anyone […]
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Tri-Valley will change Public Comment Policy
By: Diane Benjamin See the entire agenda here: https://go.boarddocs.com/il/trivalley3/Board.nsf/vpublic?open McLean County was going to allow a whole 15 minutes for public comment at meetings. So generous of them considering the County is huge and the population is over 170,000 people. Tri-Valley School District is miniscule in comparison. Below is what Tri-Valley has on the agenda […]
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Connect the dots
By: Diane Benjamin Just info: Tari Renner got the City to buy this property on North Main so the City could control what was built there. 3 Kirk Holdings was involuntarily dissolved in 2018 according to the Secretary of State website. Search corporations here: https://www.ilsos.gov/departments/business_services/business_searches.html After years of realtors unsuccessful trying to unload it, the […]
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Free electricity, but only for your EV
By: Diane Benjamin EV owners don’t pay motor fuel taxes, even though they drive on the same roads as those of you who do. Buy an EV (that most people can’t afford) and the taxpayers will subsidize it with a tax credit. In 10 years, that EV will likely be junk because replacing the batteries […]
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Weekend All the News fit to Laugh at +
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HB 3751 tells who to vote for
By: Diane Benjamin Those who don’t know history are doomed to repeat it. One reason Rome fell is because they outsourced their safety to people they conquered. They had no allegiance to Rome when their empire was invaded. HB 3751 grants non-citizens the right to become police officers: https://www.ilga.gov/legislation/billstatus.asp?DocNum=3751&GAID=17&GA=103&DocTypeID=HB&LegID=149009&SessionID=112 If you are in the 105th […]
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County Must See Public Comments
By: Diane Benjamin Evidently many people wanted to speak at Public Comment last night concerning the LRS/Henson transfer station. They were not allowed to speak, Chair Catherine Metsker explained why at 5:35. Jackie Beyer was allowed to speak. She gave a first hand account of what happened at the Rules Committee and the Executive Committee […]
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Voting By Mail?
By: Diane Benjamin Below is a post that is on NextDoor. The writer talks about not getting mail, lost mail, and “busted up” packages. Voting by Mail is too risky if you expect your vote to count! Drop off you completed ballot at the election office or vote early in person instead of trusting the mail.
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Voting? At least be informed first
By: Diane Benjamin Sample ballots area available for everywhere but Bloomington here: https://mcleancountyil.gov/1600/Ballots I don’t know why Democrats would show up since I didn’t see a single contested election except President and that vote is immaterial. Will Dems vote Republican to take out candidates they hate? I wouldn’t be surprised. Republicans at least have a few contested races: County […]
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Need proof Val Laymon was wrong?
By: Diane Benjamin More on this story: https://blnnews.com/2024/02/14/a-legal-public-comment-policy-isnt-on-the-county-board-agenda-blame-democrats/ All of the proposed changes before the Rules Committee were written by Democrats. The rule changes were theirs, you need to know that to see why Val Laymon’s motion to reconsider violated Robert’s Rules of Order and Board rules. The proof is right in the document the Democrats proposed changes […]
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A Legal Public Comment policy isn’t on the County Board agenda. Blame Democrats
By: Diane Benjamin I wrote this story about the Rules Committee meeting, but there is more to the story: https://blnnews.com/2024/02/09/what-happened-at-the-county-rules-committee-meeting/ Besides Democrats attempting to weaponize the County Board against Republicans, numerous other changes were presented. Most were discarded because Republicans objected to their nonsense. Now we know why this meeting is not on video! Democrats don’t want you to […]
