By: Diane Benjamin The first day petitions for the City Council could be circulated was August 28th. That’s almost 3 months ago. Amelia Buragas finally decided on the final day that she wasn’t running again. She probably notified Tari a few days ago which led to a frantic attempt to get signatures for a candidate […]
By: Diane Benjamin Long time readers know the former Coliseum managers would issue their financial statements, and then the auditor would issue theirs. The media always reported the CIAM numbers but never the audited numbers. Audited losses were much higher! The media is continuing to report fake news because the audited number from VenuWorks aren’t […]
By: Diane Benjamin One of the 5 charged in connection with the Coliseum pleaded guilty yesterday. See this Pantagraph story: https://www.pantagraph.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/guilty-former-bloomington-arena-official-gets-fine-probation-after-plea/article_00b6cb16-2aeb-5558-9614-2a50e543d503.html#tracking-source=home-top-story-2 One part of the story doesn’t make any sense: ________________________ I hope these numbers aren’t what the entire case against the five is based on. The commissions don’t make any sense either. According to […]
By: Diane Benjamin Congrats Illinois. Democrats are in complete control. Will somebody please name one place where Democrats have allowed prosperity. Anyone? Anyone? Democrats create dependents, not a vibrant growing economy. Illinois will collapse under the weight of politicians who refuse to fix the problems. Likely it is too late to leave Illinois since property […]
By: Diane Benjamin The paper decided to publish a multi-part story on sexual assault victims. Gee, why? This is one of them: https://www.pantagraph.com/news/local/b-n-sexual-assault-survivors-reveal-trauma-lessons/article_e6a2547d-f8a2-5b55-908f-1b4ca3c6f764.html#tncms-source=infinity-scroll-summary-siderail-latest If they thought it would get out the democrat vote, they probably did the opposite. The story claims those that have now come forward did so because of the Kavanaugh hearings. Yes, […]
Naked guys in a former temple are now 1/2 price! Note who this show is sponsored by! http://www.artsblooming.org/Home/Components/Calendar/Event/9674/710?backlist=%2fhome-bcpa
By: Diane Benjamin I’m not supposed to be anywhere near a computer screen with a concussion, but some things have to be said. The media is not the enemy of the people, they are the enemy of the truth. I have reports from multiple sources that the Pantagraph hasn’t printed at least 20 Letters to […]
By: Diane Benjamin If you haven’t decided who to support in the McLean County Clerk’s race, this article in the paper should make it crystal clear: https://www.pantagraph.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/mclean-county-clerk-hopefuls-push-improvements-bemoan-bitter-race/article_b4244ca0-16a0-5910-8666-00349ca6c74e.html#tracking-source=home-top-story-2 If you live in the County (not Bloomington-Normal) are you under-served by the Clerk’s office? Nikita Richards thinks you are and plans to spend more money to serve […]
The City’s personal press is reporting Nikita has been cleared! When consultants are hired they always give the requested results. Congrats citizens! I wonder how they explain all these websites: https://blnnews.com/2018/10/12/gleason-cant-find-a-problem-with-nikita/ By: Diane Benjamin The ethics complaint filed with the City of Bloomington by Kevin Gerrard was never taken seriously. As this email proves, the […]
Today the Pantagraph embarrassed itself again with an article welcoming Matt Sorensen back from prison: https://www.pantagraph.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/ex-mclean-county-board-chair-sorensen-completes-federal-sentence/article_c78c7b6d-a1f5-5c73-8f9c-36518d5a5ed2.html How many other felons have they welcomed back? Is the Pantagraph going to endorse him for office again too? Is this “welcome back” because Matt was the consummate insider who complied with the establishment line, except for a tiny detour […]
By: Diane Benjamin Gerrard is the guy who filed the ethics complaint with the City of Bloomington against Nikita Richards. This morning he left a comment on this site that neither the Pantagraph reporter or the WJBC reporter contacted him before doing stories. He stated he is not behind the Bloomington Deserves Better Facebook page, […]
By: Diane Benjamin It looks like the Decatur newspaper actually investigates government, unlike the Pantagraph. Both are owned by Lee Enterprises. (Stock price $2.75 a share) It’s a long read, but it NEVER mentions Decatur’s former City Manager (and now Bloomington’s) Tim Gleason. Everything is blamed on the City Council. City Managers are hired to […]
By: Diane Benjamin I been on the ICMA email list for years. ICMA is INTERNATIONAL CITY/COUNTY MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATION. This is the place for managers who think government solves problems. All it takes is money, of course yours. The daily email is a summary of what government is up to, mostly around the country, but also internationally. […]
The stay issued by Judge Casey is still in place. Mikey will not be leaving Massachusetts. It will stay in affect until appeals are heard. This is a copy of the judge’s ruling: 2018-09-18 – Decision Judge Cronan Bottom line is he decided Mikey is in no danger right now. Duh. The danger is if […]
By: Diane Benjamin https://www.pantagraph.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/years-after-debt-free-milestone-normal-stands-by-uptown-spending/article_3fc56076-8d9b-5367-9899-4af94445ed20.html#tracking-source=home-top-story The Pantagraph ran this cute story about Normal on Tuesday. Quote from the article: Question: Does Normal not know how much debt they are in, or is the Pantagraph making up numbers? Town of Normal – Comptroller This is the debt reported as of March 31, 2018 to the Illinois Comptroller’s […]
By: Diane Benjamin Note: Comments on this site will be deleted if it’s obvious the writer is only trying to attack. It’s my site – my rules. Either come here to have discussion or start your own site. Note to the idiot commenting about BEC. The election results are not posted where they should be […]
By: Diane Benjamin Sometimes the biased reporting of the Pantagraph is clear. Gee, they left one word out of the following: https://www.pantagraph.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/mcbride-to-run-again-for-normal-council/article_2343d2f9-03af-5b94-833c-eb1310ce6228.html Chissell was just elected in March. I’m betting she was the only person running, but BECVOTE.org doesn’t have the primary election results posted: http://www.becvote.org/wordpress/electiondatesandoffices/pastresults/ Keep that in mind when Democrats say the […]
By: Diane Benjamin Let’s play a game! Who can spot the fake news? Source: https://www.pantagraph.com/opinion/editorial/editorial-cheers-to-arc-teachers-readers/article_3e9ba81f-188f-5be7-909d-e78e823f2825.html Anybody see a problem? . . . . Nothing was approved! The agenda even states the presentation was to get direction from the Council: What else does the Pantagraph publish they don’t think you are smart enough to know is […]
By: Diane Benjamin I can’t imagine men dying to attend. Since the BCPA doesn’t make money, the tax dollars of Bloomington citizens will be used to fund this show. Note: No one under 18 can attend. Also note who is sponsoring this event – see the bottom of the pic. A video preview is available […]
By: Diane Benjamin The Pantagraph has a story titled: https://www.pantagraph.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/police-meth-bust-among-mclean-county-s-largest-cases-on/article_7c910a35-074b-5d4f-84a9-b99d32a389fe.html Police: Meth bust among McLean County’s largest; cases on rise Quote from the story: Cagle was jailed in lieu of posting $15,035; Guilliams was released on a $5,000 personal recognizance bond. I believe Amber Buck and her boyfriend were arrested with 206 grams of meth. […]
By: Diane Benjamin The Illinois Supreme Court just ruled Danville is responsible for injuries a woman sustained because she tripped on an uneven sidewalk: https://www.ilnews.org/news/justice/illinois-supreme-court-rules-city-liable-in-trip-and-fall/article_c7227c6e-9ccc-11e8-945c-6725ad9095d1.html If government stuck to essential services, like maintaining sidewalks, they wouldn’t have a problem. Bloomington has a BIG one. ____________________________________________ WGLT held a forum to discuss local media last week. […]
By: Diane Benjamin John Butler wants his trial moved out of McLean County because of remarks made by David Hales and Tari Renner. I was also mentioned as a reason because my lawsuit made him look guilty! Yes it did! Since MANY readers are new, this story recaps the information I was able to obtain: […]
By: Diane Benjamin I filed a Request for Review with Lisa Madigans’s Public Access office on January 18, 2018. The request was for a ruling on the budget workshop held by the Town of Normal that was not posted as a meeting with an agenda, time, and place. I received a ruling yesterday. 5 ILCS […]
By: Diane Benjamin The local Democrats are against abolishing the Bloomington Election Commission. Instead of lessening the tax burden by eliminating one of the way too many government agencies in Illinois, they would rather create an unaccountable new one to oversee elections. The County Clerk is an elected position, Democrats want to create a commission […]
By: Diane Benjamin Below is the email (printed with permission) from the attorney for Michael Cadena to the Pantagraph reporter who included #FakeNews in her article: I redacted her email address because it isn’t important. The only reason I got involved in this case is because of the reporting by the Pantagraph. Michael Cadena was […]
By: Diane Benjamin Michael Cadena: The Pantagraph reported IN ERROR that Michael Cadena was deemed an unfit parent by a judge. That is not true – Michael has NEVER been deemed unfit! I’m sure the Pantagraph will publish a tiny note correcting the story. It won’t be seen by everyone who saw the defaming article […]
By: Diane Benjamin Maybe the City can compensate Grossinger for all the bad publicity by giving them naming rights to the Ice Center. Pepsi quit paying for it YEARS ago, but even in meeting documentation Parks and Rec still calls it Pepsi Ice Center. I bet Pepsi loves it – free advertising! Monday night this […]
By: Diane Benjamin The book handed out to the Councils Monday night (and me) needed some corrections. Maybe that’s the reason for the delay in posting the information. Normal has posted links to the presentation including video of the Monday meeting: https://www.normal.org/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=1796 The local paper today called for a binding referendum. They called the complex […]
By: Diane Benjamin If you missed the original story, read it HERE I was in court to see what would happen today. The Attorney for Amber Buck filed something this morning and expected the judge to rule on it. Evidently Mr. Billington doesn’t understand how the court works. The judge gave the attorney for Michael Cardena […]
By: Diane Benjamin The Pantagraph thanked Alderman Diana Hauman for serving and for publicly stating she is not running for reelection to the Bloomington City Council because she was not able to develop a cohesive Council. When Judy Stearns and Kevin Lower were members, the Council was very cohesive. Everything they said was ignored. The […]
One more update: Now David Hales is being blamed for not returning phone calls. Aldermen Mathy and Hauman have claimed on Facebook to have talked to City staff. Their reports conflict with the original post. Both claim nobody at the City has been called. Keep in mind civil servants are masters of double speak. The […]
By: Diane Benjamin We are being intentionally deceived. Politicians do it. Media does it. Schools are doing it. Social media reveals just how bad it is. This pic was not taken locally, but it was posted locally. The person who posted it doesn’t see a problem? Do you? That brings me to Sonny Garcia – […]
By: Diane Benjamin I reader sent this to me this morning – it’s a Facebook post: Since the Pantagraph never credited me for their story, Sarah – how do you know? Maybe they saw Jenn’s story with the burning limousine and ALSO thought it was a threat! Even if they did steal the story from […]
By: Diane Benjamin For Mother’s Day Black Lives Mater bailed out a mom already out on bond for retail theft in Springfield. She was arrested for the same thing here and for having her baby with her when she did it. Keep in mind, everything you buy is more expensive to cover the losses from […]
By: Diane Benjamin According to the Pantagraph (I actually cite sources), Renner is calling a special meeting July 9th to discuss the welcoming ordinance. Of course, he will have to waste more money holding it at the BCPA. Since threats of violence have been made (yes, you Jenn Carrillo), police officers will have to attend. […]
By: Diane Benjamin Ms. Lunny just published a story on the Jenn Carrillo violence post and didn’t mention where the Pantagraph found it. I know where she found it: I have this sweet little program linked to my website that tells me where reads are from. Above are two of the reads, I know there […]
By: Diane Benjamin According to this article (buried on their website), Heartland Community College is planning on not having a balanced budget until 2021. https://www.pantagraph.com/news/local/education/heartland-board-approves-first-budget-with-deficit/article_a0c39e6e-4dca-5637-b1ba-749dc4cd88b1.html Do you deficit spend for 2 years or more? Government does. The planned deficit is because they lost the authority to levy “equity property taxes” amounting to $3 million. Of […]
By: Diane Benjamin The local paper has an editorial declaring the new City Manager the right guy because Decatur re-did their downtown. They think Normal did, so there is no reason Bloomington can’t. They forgot Normal was in ZERO debt before they spent around $100,000,000 on Uptown. (Is that restaurant space on the Circle still […]
By: Diane Benjamin Kat (Kathleen) Cantrell (Wilson) is the person in charge of making sure subscribers get delivery of the Pantagraph. She has access to the database of subscribers and likely payment information, how else could she verify whether a customer deserves delivery? Does her access include credit card numbers? The following is from the […]
By: Diane Benjamin The only reason I am posting this information is because so many people have questioned the conclusions drawn by prosecutors. When the son of a government employee is involved everyone wants to make sure justice was done. It should happen with every accident, but I can understand being suspicious. I filed two […]
