Category: Pantagraph

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Remember the Connect cameras?

By:  Diane Benjamin Remember Connect Transit spending $10,853.31 on security cameras?  https://blnnews.com/2017/08/23/2/ What are the cameras watching? The riders or you? See this Pantagraph article:  http://www.pantagraph.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/rape-charges-filed-against-murder-suspect/article_a9cb15ea-9a5a-522c-bdb2-4852b3f2e5bd.html Remember the guy who stabbed a woman to death in a hotel room? How did a City bus get video of the guy riding away from the scene?  Are […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Bloomington supports friends-with your money

By:  Diane Benjamin From Monday’s bills and Payroll:  http://www.cityblm.org/Home/ShowDocument?id=14534 Some of the more interesting spending: 1) Every non-profit in Bloomington needs to get their share of the free taxpayer money Bloomington hands out to their friends – this time the McLean County History Museum.  It helps if you can claim you create Economic Activity: 2) […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Council indifference

By:  Diane Benjamin The Bloomington City Council is meeting tonight, but nothing is on the agenda about the Renner media blitz spreading misinformation. The only people discussing enforcement  of the law will be citizens – should they choose to make public comment.  The meeting begins tonight at 5:30. If the City Council wants to hold […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Little of this and a little of that

By:  Diane Benjamin Gas in Decatur today $2.11.  Gas in Bloomington today $2.25. _____________________________ A complaint was filed against Tari Renner for violating the garbage can ordinance:  https://blnnews.com/2017/08/06/do-laws-codes-regulations-matter/ It was filed by a Bloomington resident who has recently been hassled by the City.  The resident filed a FOIA request for the letter sent to Renner’s address, […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

How many LIES will you tolerate?

By:  Diane Benjamin “Resistance to tyrants is obedience to God.”  –Thomas Jefferson “Necessity is the plea for every infringement of human freedom. It is argument of tyrants. It is the creed of slaves.”  –William Pitt in the House of Commons November 18, 1783 Just this year the City of Bloomington created a Transportation Committee, a […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

More Travel-did Margot ride? pay it?

By:  Diane Benjamin If you’ve been following the Japan Sister Cities saga, you already know about this expense: That was only a partial payment! That’s a total of $5,365.00.  Tari hasn’t said a word about this one, but at the Open House last night he and Margot floated that she should get a refund because […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

MONDAY: Come support the POLICE!

The first Bloomington City Council meeting starts at 5:00  http://www.cityblm.org/Home/ShowDocument?id=14456 Public comment will start a little after 5:00. The Council is then holding a secret meeting (Executive Session), so come outside and show your support for the Bloomington police: Link to Facebook Event

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Welcome Tyranny to Bloomington

By:  Diane Benjamin Normal came really close to ending their tyranny when Chris Koos was almost defeated in April.  Renner didn’t get Modified Wards, but now that he’s reelected, nothing is going to stand in his way.  The Council certainly won’t – gee they approved his girlfriend’s ticket to Japan! No, nobody is looking out […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

It’s still illegal Tari

By:  Diane Benjamin Not only illegal, it’s breaks the City PCard policy.  AND – more than one City employee (which Tari is) broke the policy. Note the date – May 12th.  From documents obtained by FOIA, this purchase was on the PCard held by Beth Oakley, Executive Assistant to somebody. She violated State law and […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Maybe THIS is Tari’s excuse:

By:  Diane Benjamin The following Press Release was sent today by the City of Bloomington.  It has a couple of problems though! Who gave Tari the award? Did he award himself in his hotel room?  I predict a GLOWING Pantagraph article! ___________________________________________________ From: Nora Dukowitz <ndukowitz@cityblm.org>Date: Wed, Aug 9, 2017 at 11:19 AMSubject: Press Release: MAYOR RECEIVES […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Is this Renner’s defense?

By:  Diane Benjamin The conversation below is from Mayor Tari Renner Facebook page.  Krista Vogel Cardona was Renner’s campaign manager twice and the daughter of Steve Vogel.  John Kraft is one of the Edgar County Watchdogs.  The two names I redacted are private citizens and not the same person.  If you have a Facebook account, […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

UPDATE: PCard Fraud and CITY Policy

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 […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Imagine how many Lifeguards . . .

By:  Diane Benjamin Would you prefer an adequate number of Lifeguards on duty when you take your kids to the pool, or a historic building benefiting one lady? If the taxpayers in Normal knew all the facts concerning the “historic” property at 305 Pine St, they might consider it a waste of their money.  Let’s […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

What Few Realize + More Tari

By:  Diane Benjamin Police: Police Officers have a LOT of discretion in who gets a ticket, who gets their car searched, and who gets hauled off to jail.  You respect their authority under the law and they will respect you.  You act like a jerk and you will be treated like a jerk if you […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Yes, there is Free Lunch and Travel

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: […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Begging for more taxes!

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. […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Local FAKE NEWS: The Pantagraph

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 […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Pantagraph’s FRAUD, bikes

By:  Diane Benjamin I bet some lawyer would take this case as a class action suit against the Pantagraph for fraudulent selling of subscriptions. This isn’t the first time I’ve heard this story, but now I hear it so often it’s worth writing.  If you are stupid enough to still be a subscriber, read this […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

It’s Official: Tari hates Capitalism

By:  Diane Benjamin Capitalism has lifted millions of people around the globe out of poverty.  It’s the perfect formula for success:  I have a widget that you want.  You give me something of value for the widget.  Both of us are happy.  With the Internet, exchanging things of value is possible across the globe. If […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Pantagraph: Facts matter

By:  Diane Benjamin Today the local rag has a story extolling the greatness of the Heartland Turbine.  Maybe they got their info from Heartland, maybe they shouldn’t have.  Their story says 23,000 Megawatts have been generated – in 5 years.  That’s 4,600 MW a year.  Now convert that to Kilowatt hours so their story and […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Question:

By:  Diane Benjamin How many people urging the Council to approve a Citizens Advisory Board to police the police think: Hands Up Don’t Shoot really happened? How many people on the Council think it did? I saw this comment on Facebook today from a local lady – she made it to a story about Michael […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Laws are immaterial

By:  Diane Benjamin The ruling by the Attorney General’s Public Access office against the City of Bloomington is completely meaningless.  Read the entire ruling here:  17-004 The only penalty for the Bloomington City Council violating the Open Meetings Act by holding an illegal Executive Session is: The tape of the meeting must be released The […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Tari’s latest attack

By:  Diane Benjamin I wonder when Renner is going to take his comedy show on the road! Source:  http://www.pantagraph.com/business/local/expert-communication-diversity-key-for-economic-development/article_145290bf-c5c5-50cd-9536-8b1b4c6e34bc.html Renner’s comments don’t deserve any respect. We know transparency is much less since Tari became mayor. We know anyone who challenges his beliefs are his enemy.  (“Pick the target, freeze it, personalize it, and polarize it.”) […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Normal: Last night’s 4 minutes

Update:  FOIA filed.  Locust has to do with an ISU land swap from 2015. By:  Diane Benjamin The video of last night’s Normal Town Council says it’s 10:23 minutes.  The meeting doesn’t start until 6:48, so the actually meeting was less than 4 minutes. See the video here:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?list=PLNC0lO-kCBYjaSv4sZ4udZFRwMu8bwYGr&v=3XAyHvlFBKE Start the video around 6 minutes […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

What really happened with Hudson mayor

By:  Diane Benjamin Evidently the media isn’t the least bit curious about Hudson’s mayor quitting right after he got elected.  Jason Collins said he was quitting for personal reasons. It wasn’t easy to get a copy of the letter Collins sent to the Board, but I did receive a redacted version. This is what Section […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Connect Transit: Great News

By:  Diane Benjamin Source:  http://www.connect-transit.com/documents/05-30-2017%20Regular%20Board%20Meeting%20Binder1.pdf Tonight Connect Transit’s Board will discuss ending some unprofitable routes.  Sorry, they don’t mean all of them since NONE of the them are profitable.  They just want to get rid of the worst ones.  One would think Connect is trying to reduce the massive operating losses, sorry again – that […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Run Over by Democracy

By:  Diane Benjamin The silent majority who just want government to leave them alone are being stomped by the local boots of government.  They stayed home yet again for the local elections.  Evidently their destruction is the only remedy for narcolepsy.  Stay asleep, that’s what they want (and your money). This is what Democracy looks […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Bray starts bad! (and other spending)

By:  Diane Benjamin Kimberly Bray was just elected to represent the 9th Ward.  Rumor has it she has never voted in a local election before this one. (If she did – she could easily prove it!)  Rumor also has it that Joni Painter and Tari Renner recruited her to run. She obviously doesn’t read BlnNews […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

The media must have left early

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 […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Mboka wants truth hidden

By:  Diane Benjamin Alderman  Mboka Mwilambwe doesn’t like that these pictures of the damage done by teenagers at McGraw Park are on social media: I hope he doesn’t like them here either! The teenagers have been caught after police were called at 2:00am.  According to the Pantagraph, a neighbor of the park followed them until […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

More trouble tonight

By:  Diane Benjamin The City of Bloomington is selling this property for $5,000 tonight.  The house was condemned years ago, the City tore is down for $9,690.00.  The address is 206 N Dorrah.  PDF page 54  http://www.cityblm.org/Home/ShowDocument?id=12802 The sale was advertised in the Pantagraph, the City needs to find a new way to publicize sales […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Bloomington dying under Renner

By:  Diane Benjamin The real story of Bloomington is it is in a steep decline.  We felt it, Moody’s confirmed months ago that Bloomington-Normal is in a recession. Here’s more proof:  http://247wallst.com/special-report/2016/09/22/cities-with-the-fastest-growing-and-shrinking-economies-2/7/ Bloomington was named the NUMBER ONE city in the country with a shrinking economy! Note: this is 2015 – 2016 was worse! Also […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Lake Bloomington – Docks

By:  Diane Benjamin If anybody still reads the Pantagraph, they have what looks more like a hit piece against the City of Bloomington than reporting:  http://www.pantagraph.com/news/local/government-and-politics/trespass-some-lake-residents-may-lose-their-boat-docks/article_3263bf43-a08b-5c85-90d3-5314b7417024.html Some of the people making comments on the Pantagraph site are clueless! Homeowners on Lake Bloomington are leasing the land – Bloomington owns it.  They are paying property taxes […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Normal’s Monday Grift

By:  Diane Benjamin You decide if “grift” fits: Bills for approval at the Monday’s Normal Town Council meeting: Source:  http://normal.org/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/2610 Click on any picture to enlarge. .. . Paying someone to apply for grant: . Misc: . More Baseball and More Water Main break Expense . Annual Dues – Where ridiculous ideas come from . […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

For Steve Vogel:

Stevie, I received an anonymous donation today with this note: Many thanks to whoever sent it. Evidently many people are dying for real news.  I will continue to investigate and write as long as people are willing to contribute. I might even be able to afford a new computer soon!  Without the daily numerous crashes […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Remember that UN-USED Water Tower?

By:  Diane Benjamin I found this while looking for something else. The first time I remember writing about the Water Tower Bloomington built in Normal was August 2015:  https://blnnews.com/2015/08/04/more-ineptness/ I have no idea how much money was spent on that project, but many MILLIONS is probably close.  The only thing I knew for sure is […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Tomorrow-you win or lose

By:  Diane Benjamin Tomorrow either big government people will dominate Bloomington-Normal for the next 4 years, or citizens will.  Will the Pantagraph and the Chamber of Commerce get their picks, or will the people forced to pay for the vision of Big Spenders finally throw them out? You get the government you deserve by not […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Updated Pension SPIKING cost

By:  Diane Benjamin All the City of Bloomington had to do to prevent paying the penalties below was change when accumulated sick and vacation got paid to employees. David Hales, Steve Stockton, and  Tari Renner refused to change their policies, so the below was paid as a penalty.  These employees were allowed to spike their […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Complete Insanity!

By:  Diane Benjamin Connect Transit is the biggest FRAUD ever perpetrated on the citizens forced to pay their bills! Before I show you the offensive February financial statements, see these notes included in the packet:  http://www.connect-transit.com/documents/March%2021,%202017%20Regular%20Board%20Meeting%20Binder1.pdf See PDF page 17 of the link above.  The General Manager can spend up to $50,000 without Board approval. […]