By: Diane Benjamin The building codes discussion wasn’t very interesting until they got to sprinklers retro-fitted in old buildings – mostly downtown. If more than 300 people attend events they might be requiring sprinklers within the next 3 years. Evidently they want to see a lot more empty buildings downtown! Even Jenn Carrillo knows that […]
By: Diane Benjamin I remember years ago when I mentioned “limited government” some people didn’t understand what that means. Politicians are constantly claiming they will save us from whatever and they actually make the whatever worse. Just this week Minneapolis citizens and their leadership are wondering why the police don’t show up when called. Other […]
By: Diane Benjamin The meeting lasted a little of an hour. Tari wasn’t there because the internet was out at his house. Mboka Mwilambwe acted as mayor. Tim Gleason was also absent, nobody said why. Maybe he didn’t want to be present when they voted on his contract extension and raise – without any discussion. […]
By: Diane Benjamin In case you forgot, Tari Renner endorsed Daniel Biss a committed socialist for governor. https://blnnews.com/2017/09/05/tari-still-supporting-biss/ Jenn Carrillo and Jeff Crabill are democrat socialists. Many of the rest lean left, some farther than others. Two socialist candidates have already announced they are running next April. It’s still really early but nobody in Bloomington […]
By: Diane Benjamin Monday: Bloomington Council meeting: http://bloomingtonil.iqm2.com/Citizens/FileOpen.aspx?Type=1&ID=1089&Inline=True Bloomington will get their own cannabis dispensary. It will be centrally located at GE Road and Veterans Parkway. It is owned by the same company that operates the one in north Normal. Likely it will draw customers from Bloomington and Normal. Sorry Normal. (Let the city wars […]
By: Diane Benjamin Connect Transit held a meeting on August 25th: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1EbHKo7ekQqGztDU9fvqRgbALV64ZfNI0/view This is how their year ended on June 30, 2020. (PDF page 8) The actual loss was slightly below the 12,000,000 budgeted: See PDF page 15: The budgeted loss for this year is 12,825,000. Connect is well on the way to meeting that […]
By: Diane Benjamin Nikita Richards is not only the chair of the local Democrat Party, she is an employee of the City of Bloomington in Human Resources. Yesterday she posted this on Facebook: Nikita just alienated all 130 Bloomington police officers. Nikita accused every officer of being unprofessional at best and racist at worst. How […]
By: Diane Benjamin Remember when cannabis was legalized in Illinois? Remember how the point system was suppose to award licenses to those most affected by past drug enforcement policies? https://chicago.suntimes.com/cannabis/2019/10/1/20894020/pot-marijuana-cannabis-shop-dispensary-license-illinois If those “disproportionately” affected planned to profit they thought wrong. Meanwhile local money is spent in Normal, but where does it go? https://www.streetinsider.com/Globe+Newswire/Jushi+Holdings+Inc.+Reports+Second+Quarter+2020+Financial+Results/17293320.html Jushi Holdings […]
by: Diane Benjamin Normally the Finance Director presents a report monthly. Monday night City Manager Tim Gleason said it would be posted to the website. It is now: https://www.cityblm.org/Home/ShowDocument?id=25082 Start with the bottom of page 3. The only reason Bloomington is not bleeding now is because they STOCKPILED your money. Under David Hales the number […]
By: Diane Benjamin John Butler and his lawyers have been telling media John didn’t know his employees were stealing concession money. Evidently he’s such a great guy he agreed to a misdemeanor and paid $450,000 in restitution just because. That of course was after spending who knows how many thousands (hundreds of thousands?) on attorneys […]
By: Diane Benjamin State’s Attorney Don Knapp just sent me the final documents. The City of Bloomington is getting $430,230. The Illinois Department of Revenue is getting $19,770. That’s where the $450,000 previously reported came from. Butler plead guilty to a Class A misdemeanor for manipulating concessions sales. BMI Concessions, operated by John Butler plead […]
By: Diane Benjamin Tari Renner attended the Township meeting held before the Council met at 6:00, but then left claiming he had an appointment. Maybe he didn’t want to discuss a mandatory mask ordinance. Several on the Council would jump at the chance to enforce draconian rules when we know where all the new cases […]
The video is from 8/14 – 9 days ago, not a few weeks ago Tari. Can we had liar to hypocrite. . . By: Diane Benjamin Bloomington’s Mayor Tari Renner is threatening to pull liquor licenses from any establishment that doesn’t follow the COVID rules. Since he isn’t complying, he needs to remove himself from […]
By: Diane Benjamin Below is a post by Jenn Carrillo on why people are shooting each other in her neighborhood – see WGLT story https://www.wglt.org/post/gunfire-hits-driver-vehicles-homes-3-shooting-incidents-bloomington The sad truth is Jenn doesn’t expect better behavior. She doesn’t expect citizens to be civil. Just because someone is poor it doesn’t mean they go around shooting each other, […]
By: Diane Benjamin If written many stories about the Art and Camille Taylor incident, they are all linked in this story along with the body cam videos: https://blnnews.com/2020/08/08/was-art-taylor-attempting-to-incite-something/ More information has been received by FOIA after an earlier FOIA obviously didn’t produce all of the documents involved. It was filed by John Boch. Start with […]
By: Diane Benjamin The Council met for a whopping 16 minutes last night, they didn’t have an Executive Session. Tim Gleason started the meeting with a COVID update. He claimed cases are up because people have been traveling now and are out and about more. He ignores the obvious: College kids are back and out […]
By: Diane Benjamin The Bloomington City Council will meet on Monday with only 1 item on the agenda (besides approving minutes and hear how everything needs to stay locked down because 20 somethings can’t protect themselves from COVID) Has anyone ever celebrated Columbus Day? I wonder if Jenn knows her native language is Spanish because […]
By: Diane Benjamin The Bloomington Fire Department seems to be plagued with drinking problems. This one has been kept quiet, probably because he’s a Captain. See the previous stories here: https://blnnews.com/2019/11/04/bloomington-fireman-5-gets-off/ From the County Public Access system it appears he was picked up for DUI in February of this year: He finally was sentenced in […]
By: Diane Benjamin WEEK reported earlier this week DOZENS of Democrats have signed a letter calling on Speaker Mike Madigan to step down: https://week.com/2020/08/11/mclean-county-leaders-among-dozens-of-democrats-calling-for-speakers-madigans-ouster/ Locally these people signed: Notice who didn’t sign, other than the local Democrat Party Chair Nikita Richards? Tari Renner and Chris Koos Are they pro-corruption or just weenies? That brings me […]
By: Diane Benjamin McLean County Clerk Kathy Michael contacted me after she received a phone call from a reporter at WGLT. Knowing that it was likely Tari Renner who told Ryan Denham what to write, she wanted the truth out first. This saga starts with Bloomington City Manager Tim Gleason sending an email to Kathy […]
By: Diane Benjamin One more thing from Monday’s Bloomington Council meeting – see 2:45, Tim Gleason’s COVID comments. The City will be implementing a Customer Service Hub at what Gleason calls the Arena, most call it the Coliseum. He claims it will be a one stop shop for citizens. All of these departments will be […]
By: Diane Benjamin The entire meeting was only around an hour but then they spent almost 1 1/2 hours in Executive Session reviewing minutes they won’t release and talking personnel. Bloomington has been holding Executive Session minutes for decades, citizens aren’t allowed to see the glowing endorsements given to previous City Managers by their elected […]
By: Diane Benjamin Bloomington packet: http://bloomingtonil.iqm2.com/Citizens/FileOpen.aspx?Type=1&ID=1084&Inline=True O’Neil Pool demolished: If you have ever wondered why roads that look fine are being treated: Reclamite extends the useful life of roads. Maps of what roads will be treated are on PDF pages 127 – 128. PDF page 152 – Approval for a shopping center along E Empire […]
Socialism Kills! Obviously Carrillo was never taught history and doesn’t bother to learn. She is the enemy within. She and Jeff Carbill need to be marginalized by the other Bloomington City Council members. Congrats Bloomington: Two of her buddies are running next April. Capitalism is the fairest way to exchange goods and services and the […]
By: Diane Benjamin Link to all previous stories: https://blnnews.com/2020/08/05/the-art-and-camille-taylor-police-reports/ The story above also has Art Taylor’s version of what happened on July 11th. Besides social media, who did he send it to? That answer was received in a FOIA filed by one of the “neighbors” with Trump signs in the yard. The email below is […]
See response to FOIA below: By: Diane Benjamin First a side note to Tim. Since you have a FOIAable email address I’ll say thanks here. US Representative Rodney Davis was on Cities 92.9 this morning with Steve Suess. Davis was asked about the $8 million grant to Connect Transit for a downtown Bloomington transfer station. […]
By: Diane Benjamin The Public Safety and Community Relations Board met yesterday. Since “diversity” has it’s roots in DIVIDE, this board is the perfect example of what that means: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nW-u2Zh6e8Y One white community member and THREE minority members. One member was absent, Jeff Woodard – also minority: Monday night Tari is making an appointment […]
By: Diane Benjamin The CT Board held a meeting on 7/28/2020. No financial information was included in the packet because June was the end of their fiscal year. That doesn’t mean other information wasn’t included in the packet: https://drive.google.com/file/d/13_-iBZ8DuPQ_3Or2S90fgHrWo9JhJ1Wf/view PDF page 3 shows customers were down 13.6% for the year July 1, 2019 – June […]
By: Diane Benjamin I am very familiar with one of the payouts below – it’s highlighted. What caught my attention was how this was paid – by the City of Bloomington’s insurance company. You will hear the results soon. That got me wondering what else the insurance company pays for that we never see, the […]
By: Diane Benjamin As if it isn’t already ridiculous that Tari puts time limits on your elected representatives, now he doesn’t want them pulling items from the Consent Agenda. Maybe he’s taking lessons from Chris Koos. Tari was upset Donna Boelen pulled two items, he claims Consent Agenda items have no need to be discussed. […]
By: Diane Benjamin The City of Bloomington has dealt with Aldermen who disrespect the flag with activist signs and refuse to say the Pledge of Allegiance, just make them disappear. Next they need to work on the disrespect to their oaths of office, promoting socialism or worse is not compatible with the Constitution they swore […]
By: Diane Benjamin Source: http://bloomingtonil.iqm2.com/Citizens/FileOpen.aspx?Type=1&ID=1082&Inline=True I bet you thought gas taxes went to fixing roads, not if it can be diverted to other expenses: Sewage backed up in their house after repairs to a water main break went bad: Remember the $172 MILLION Water plan discussed last week? https://blnnews.com/2020/07/21/bloomington-met-too-last-night/ Tonight the plan is on the Consent […]
http://www.truenorthreports.com/Anthropologist-Says-Christopher-Columbus-Critics-Have-Their-History-Wrong It isn’t unusual for the Cancel Culture to get their facts wrong, Columbus just might be one of them. Of course, Jenn won’t care – canceling history is popular in her circles. She mentioned at the last Council meeting she will make changing Columbus Day to Indigenous People’s day a Council initiative. Excerpts: Read […]
By: Diane Benjamin See all previous stories: https://blnnews.com/2020/07/23/in-support-of-art-and-camille-taylor/ and here: https://blnnews.com/2020/07/24/breaking-in-support-of-art-and-camille-taylor-2-0-the-un-redacted-truth/ This incident had NOTHING to do with race – Art and Camille Taylor made it about race. Not In Our Town jumped at the chance to accuse Trump supporters of racism. The entire video proves race played no part except to the Taylor’s. See […]
By: Diane Benjamin At last Monday’s Bloomington Council meeting Ryan Whitehouse, Connect Transit Board Chair, declared transportation to the Veterans Clinic isn’t a problem. https://blnnews.com/2020/07/21/bloomington-met-too-last-night/ Veterans do not agree. No one coordinated construction of the facility with Connect Transit, Bloomington should have made sure transportation would be adequate. Economic Development must only matter downtown. As […]
By: Diane Benjamin Executive Orders used to at least be signed by Chris Koos. No longer! Now the Town of Normal is issuing edicts from on high as press releases. Your elected Council Trustees had NO input and were not asked to agree or disagree. This is the latest: https://www.normal.org/DocumentCenter/View/16779/Outdoor-Dining-Press-Release—extension-announced-through-November-1 Businesses affected by actions […]
By: Diane Benjamin Bloomington Committee of the Whole tonight: http://bloomingtonil.iqm2.com/Citizens/FileOpen.aspx?Type=1&ID=1080&Inline=True It looks like Mboka Mwilambwe doesn’t know the city is spending money taxpayers had to work for so the City can steal way too much of it. He wants to give employees another paid vacation day! I looked at 2 of the latest union contracts […]
By: Diane Benjamin Several media outlets claim Tari Renner is trying to decide whether to run for a third term. From his 2017 run for office: https://illinoissunshine.org/committees/32320/ Remember Tari’s campaign chairman in case he tries to slide Justin in to replace him. Fazzini is running for County Auditor, a good reason not to vote […]
By: Diane Benjamin Other than all Bloomington Police Officers, guess what these 23 have in common: https://www.cityblm.org/Home/ShowDocument?id=21565 The link above is to the Total Compensation report for last year. See the column labeled “misc”. Below is […]
By: Diane Benjamin Part 1: https://blnnews.com/2020/07/14/bloomington-last-night-3/ Tari wanted the Council to reappoint Ryan Whitehouse to the Connect Transit Board. Jenn Carrillo and Jeff Crabill were opposed because that wanted someone more closely aligned with their ideology. They lost. Whitehouse has now replaced Mike McCurdy as chair. The budget process this year is going to be […]
