By: Diane Benjamin I didn’t attend to hear what Kathy had to say, her press release said most of what she wanted people to know: https://blnnews.com/2026/04/30/press-conference-1100-am-friday/ I attended to hear what questions the press was going to ask. The WGLT story was reasonably fair, which was surprising after listening to questions asked by the reporter. […]
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 […]
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 From Bills and Payroll: https://www.bloomingtonil.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/32515/639124583137330000 Another spiked pension taxpayers have to cover: Why did Bloomington buy a lot? Tonight’s Agenda: https://bloomingtonil.portal.civicclerk.com/event/4115/files/agenda/12646 The Welcoming America Committee is being discontinued and absorbed by Human Resources. Failures to consistently have a quorum at meetings is blamed. The Empire TIF Fund needs $500,000 to pay the […]
By: Diane Benjamin Facebook comments to this story are below, it has a slightly different name on Facebook: https://www.wglt.org/2026-04-26/politics-chat-trump-rushed-away-from-the-white-house-correspondents-dinner The left isn’t smart enough to realize if Trump was implicated in the Epstein files Democrats would have used it against him in the 2024 election. He wasn’t, in fact the released data clears him. Most […]
It’s will be 14 years on April 28th since I started writing. I’m taking today off, maybe longer. If anyone is wondering, I don’t get paid for “clicks”. That is a story for another day.
By: Diane Benjamin If you aren’t a subscriber to their emails, you should be: Subscribe here Last week the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) released its seminal, annual Rich States, Poor States report, which ranks all 50 states on their economic competitiveness using metrics like total tax burden, labor laws and the cost of debt service. Open […]
By: Diane Benjamin Below is an email that was sent and answered in March by William Bessler to McLean County Clerk Kathy Michael on behalf of the Finance Committee. The chair of that committee, Val Laymon, at least one other committee member, and administration also received the response from Kathy Michael. Bessler’s questions are listed […]
By: Diane Benjamin Another 1480 jobs have been lost so far in April. https://www.illinoisworknet.com/LayoffRecovery/Pages/IllinoisWARNData.aspx In February, Illinois unemployment was much higher than surrounding states. That likely continued in March with another 2080 layoffs reported according to the above link: https://www.illinoispolicy.org/illinois-unemployment-rate-ties-for-3rd-worst-in-the-nation/ . April Reported Layoffs to Date: Resilience Healthcare – West Suburban Medical Center, LLC3 Erie […]
By: Diane Benjamin It looks like the County Board Democrats were merely playing theatrics to promote their McLean County Clerk candidate. If you appreciate lies, then we all know who you are going to vote for. PDF page 238 https://mcleancountyil.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_04162026-1174 This was passed last Thursday: This is what the Board actually approved – from Kathy […]
By: Diane Benjamin In case you forgot, May 1st your water rates are going up again. https://www.bloomingtonil.gov/departments/water/resident-community/water-rate-increase-and-capital-project-updates
By: Diane Benjamin Awarding a new contract to build the underpass is NOT on Monday’s agenda: https://www.normalil.gov/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/5568 Did the Council finally come to their senses? Don’t count on it. Link to just one of numerous underpass stories: https://blnnews.com/2026/03/06/normal-doesnt-have-an-underpass-contractor/ That story says the grant deadline to finish the project is June 2027, but I also heard […]
By: Diane Benjamin The media can either perpetuate lies or report fairly. This will clearly show who is only interested in promoting the left and who actually cares about the truth. I have emails proving McLean County Clerk Kathy Michael responded to the Administration and Finance Committee when questions were raised about budget overages. I […]
By: Diane Benjamin One thing good about Krystle Able: She responds to FOIA requests on the same day I file them! It goes downhill for her from there. You wouldn’t know that if all you read was WGLT: https://www.wglt.org/local-news/2026-04-15/normal-township-approves-ballot-question-on-pro-israel-state-law Follow-up to this story: https://blnnews.com/2026/04/15/what-really-happened-at-krystles-meeting/ Krystle claims putting the anti-Israel question on the Township Agenda was […]
The writer’s name is Jeff Lord, candidate for McLean County Board Distrist 5 By: Diane Benjamin Krystle Able’s version is in this story: https://blnnews.com/2026/04/15/some-things-you-need-to-know/ This was posted on Facebook by a guy who attended. I would use his name but I don’t have his permission to use it. If he contacts me or comments below, […]
By: Diane Benjamin https://www.wglt.org/local-news/2026-04-15/isu-takes-part-in-campaign-to-recruit-teachers-from-other-career-fields . In other words, if you are WHITE – don’t apply. Teaching skills, including the ability to connect with students, won’t be considered. DEI discrimination is alive and well in Illinois. The lie that students can’t learn from someone with a different skin color is evil. https://www.wglt.org/illinois/2026-04-14/house-speaker-backs-millionaires-tax-but-democrats-split-over-how-much-to-devote-to-property-tax-relief . The ruling party […]
By: Diane Benjamin Remember when the local anti-semites’ tried to put this on the ballot using the Bloomington Township annual meeting? Shall the United States federal government and subordinate divisions stop giving military funding to Israel, which currently costs taxpayers 3.8 billion dollars a year, given Israel’s global recognition as an apartheid regime with a […]
By: Diane Benjamin One big difference between Mayor Mwilambwe and Mayor Brady: Meetings start at 6:00. I don’t remember time mattering to Mboka. Arbor Day got a proclamation. Trees are wonderful, I’ve got a bunch of them still dropping dead branches from the last ice storm years ago. I hope since Bloomington has two arborists […]
By: Diane Benjamin We spent the weekend in Wisconsin visiting our 4 months old adorable grandson. While northern Illinois is littered with solar fields and wind turbines, we saw none north of the border. We always go through Belvidere instead of Rockford. Besides avoiding paying to leave Illinois and come back, we need a driving […]
By: Diane Benjamin Link to tonight’s agenda Agenda: https://bloomingtonil.portal.civicclerk.com/event/4102/files/agenda/12569 I bet some local business is kicking themselves for not jumping on the naming rights for the Coliseum. You could have gotten free advertising forever—nobody else seems to want their name on the building. Just pay for a few years, cancel the contract afterward, and your […]
By: Diane Benjamin This is the final consultant report. Stories the last few days total the almost $6 million I reported by on March 18th: https://blnnews.com/2026/03/18/paid-consultants-inccrra/ Heartland Community College got $165,408.88 to run a pilot program to train childcare workers. My original FOIA stated Heartland got $169,408, maybe expenses were exceeded. All of the rest […]
By: Diane Benjamin See this story: https://www.illinoispolicy.org/waste-watch-illinois-gives-500000-to-health-advocacy-non-profit/ Type Bloomington in the SEARCH to see what Illinois budgeted. Wesleyan isn’t the only non-government entity getting money. Is Wesleyan discounting tuition to local residents too much to fund their own projects or did the local reps decide to gift them your money? . Next type Normal in […]
By: Diane Benjamin The groups below got grants. Some grants say PLANNING and some say Implementing, but they all relate to the Birth to Five program: United Way (various locations) Spark $59,900, Northwest Consortium $44,309, Champaign $108,758 YWCA (various locations) Willowbrook-$90,228, Tri-Town (Villa Park)-$52,700, North Chicago-$75,000 The Collaboration for for Early Childhood care and Education […]
By: Diane Benjamin WordPress didn’t allow the title to show as intended! The real company name is 1o8 LLC. The zero isn’t a zero, it’s an “O”. A reader tipped me off to that one! That hasn’t been clear anywhere I’ve seen. It does make it easier to find information! See this website: https://www.inc.com/profile/1o8 Quote: […]
By: Diane Benjamin It took 3 weeks to get a FOIA from IDHS based on this story: https://blnnews.com/2026/03/18/paid-consultants-inccrra/ The delay was caused by 2 extensions. They had to get the information from the local INCCRRA office. That story includes a list of some of the paid consultants involved in the $17 million Illinois Network of […]
By: Diane Benjamin https://www.centralillinoisproud.com/news/local-news/district-87-superintendent-award The superintendent of District 87 schools in Bloomington has been named a Superintendent of Distinction by the Illinois Association of School Administrators. Enrollment is dropping while Mouser increased taxes. He’s on a spending spree with new projects including pre-school. Test scores are DISMALL! https://www.illinoisreportcard.com/district.aspx?source=trends&Districtid=17064087025 Then there is this gem: https://blnnews.com/2026/03/19/district-87-to-students-being-american-doesnt-matter/ Dr […]
By: Diane Benjamin This is the closest I can get to showing what happened yesterday, because the City of Springfield pulled the video. https://www.wandtv.com/news/illinois/springfield-council-meeting-ends-abruptly-after-clash-between-alderman-former-police-chief/article_e21b6b00-a8f0-430f-99af-9dea8d6d6bd5.html I know many people who speak during Public Comment believe they deserve an instant response from the Mayor or City Council. This is why that doesn’t happen. The former police chief […]
By: Diane Benjamin The Code of Ethics Normal passed last night is really cute, but it has no enforcement mechanisms. Therefore it is meaningless. Four Council members will continue to ignore the citizens who don’t want money thrown away on a $40+ million underpass. Those four will continue to vote for spending whatever it takes […]
By: Diane Benjamin h/t a reader Hebrews 13:8 says, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” Jesus isn’t a “progressive”. The local Unitarian Church is: https://uubn.org/wp/ Quotes from their website: Unitarian Universalism is an unambiguously, unapologetically progressive faith. Our congregation affirms the inherent worth and dignity of all people through our work in […]
By: Diane Benjamin Subscribers: I don’t think the Weekend comics posts was sent on Saturday (WordPress problem!). See it here: https://blnnews.com/2026/04/04/weekend-comic-truth/ Illinois has the highest property tax rates in the country: https://smartasset.com/taxes/illinois-property-tax-calculator Those rates make homes and rental units unaffordable. This year they will be increasing again. The new assessed values for taxes this year […]
By: Diane Benjamin IRS form 990 for Brightpoint, formerly Children’s Home and Aid: https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/362167743/202521309349300107/full From their tax return: WE ADVANCE THE WELL-BEING OF CHILDREN BY INVESTING IN FAMILIES TO DISRUPT THE SYSTEMIC AND MULTI-GENERATIONAL CYCLE OF RACIAL, SOCIAL, AND ECONOMIC INEQUITY. This webpage shows they operate in 10 counties, but the majority of offices are […]
By: Diane Benjamin Are the electric buses alive now? Are these 12 buses really running? This page lists the bus fleet: https://connect-transit.com/about/our-fleet 6 hybrid. 32 other buses are listed as diesel. This was mentioned at the March 2026 Connect Transit meeting: The Gillig buses that Connect Transit already has are diesel. The documentation for this […]
By: Diane Benjamin Meeting is at 4:30 today. February statistics I care about, others are in the packet: See PDF page 11. New Fare Structure! And Evidently how it is collected: PDF page 4: PDF page 15: BUDGETED 2027 loss: Income: $1,752,000 Expenses: $27,632,170 27,632,170 – 1,752,000 = 25,880,170 25,880,170 / 12 = Connect Transit […]
By: Diane Benjamin PDF page 75: https://www.normalil.gov/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/5414 . The underpass is going to be even more expensive when a new contract is proposed for construction later in April. It’s possible the Town is stripping amenities to bring down the cost, all the fancy items will be added back in future years. Chris Koos, Kevin McCarthy, […]
By: Diane Benjamin The story below is the most comprehensive one I’ve seen. Mayors from more than two Illinois cities are headed to Rome on diplomatic mission that includes meeting with the Pope. Maybe Koos and Brady can give everyone a report on what they accomplished – other than site-seeing. What happened to separation of […]
By: Diane Benjamin This needs a re-visit: . This spending happened because the City website is not ADA compliant. The Department of Justice is requiring all cities with a population of more than 50,000 to be compliant by April 2026. How long has the City of Bloomington been looking at making their website compliant? I […]
By: Diane Benjamin If you haven’t, you probably don’t know you are funding it. This tip came from a reader. Their website: https://illinoismigrant.org/history Even though they claim to have been around since 1966, Propublica states they became a non-profit in 2024: You can see numerous tax returns at this link: https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/362597070 One thing to note: […]
By: Diane Benjamin The item that should never have been on the Consent Agenda as mentioned yesterday got pulled: https://blnnews.com/2026/03/23/bloomington-tonight-3-23-26/ The Clerk read the names of email public comments and many others showed up at Public Comment. Some were opposed to the City paying Flock cameras bills. The documentation claims those charges were for work […]
By: Diane Benjamin Budgeting low for optics is how government works. That is why many “budget amendments” happen throughout the year. It isn’t departments that budget low, it’s administration cutting budgets to make themselves look good. Since the 2025 County financial statement haven’t been issued yet, look at 2024: https://mcleancountyil.gov/DocumentCenter/View/30155/ACFR-123120240001 PDF page 122 and following […]
