Category: State

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

How much has Illinois spent on “asylum seekers”?

By: Diane Benjamin Just since last August the local Immigration Project has received $212,588.72: https://illinoiscomptroller.gov/financial-reports-data/data-sets-portals/chartsgraphs/asylum-seekers According to the Illinois Comptroller, Illinois has spent $478,000,000 + $129,082,199 = $607,082,199 on “asylum seekers”. The $129,082,199 has been spent since June of last year. The Comptroller doesn’t report how much money the Feds printed to reimburse Illinois. If […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Are you watching Illinois layoffs?

By: Diane Benjamin If you haven’t been keeping track of all the layoffs and plant closures in Illinois, you should: https://www.illinoisworknet.com/LayoffRecovery/Pages/IllinoisWARNData.aspx So far in November there have been 259 people affected. October has 1,654. Almost 2000 people and their families won’t have a Merry Christmas this year. Illinois has a high unemployment rate – look […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Did the Springfield City Council violate civil rights?

By: Diane Benjamin Keep in mind the Springfield City Council is the same one that planned to not put Public Comments on video. They changed their mind when opinion turned against them. https://blnnews.com/2024/10/18/surprised-our-state-capital-is-censoring-citizens/ On October 29th the Springfield City Council told Rosanne Pulido she had to cover her T-Shirt. She was not allowed to speak […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

How Low Will Educators Go to ‘Better’ Grades?

By: Diane Benjamin Read this story: https://www.realclearinvestigations.com/articles/2024/11/12/schoolhouse_limbo_how_low_will_educators_go_to_better_grades_1070484.html?mc_cid=ac0e6166c0&mc_eid=a903ff179f Did you know some states are lowering standards to make assessments look better? The story mentions Oklahoma and Wisconsin are doing just that to combat declining test scores. It also mentions the new head of Maryland schools, Carey Wright, who is refusing to lower expectations for students. She […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Why didn’t Jason Barickman help fellow Republicans?

By: Diane Benjamin Barickman still has a campaign fund even though he quit the Illinois Senate right after being re-elected in 2022. WJBC reported his retirement in December of 2022 but failed to mention he was re-elected in November of 2022. Here’s election proof: https://mcleancountyil.gov/DocumentCenter/View/22469/OFFICIAL-election-summary?bidId= WJBC story: https://www.wjbc.com/2022/12/05/bloomington-republican-announces-retirement-from-illinois-senate/ I call that a con job by […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

One party wants to eliminate the Electoral College

By: Diane Benjamin I get fundraising emails everyday demanding the Electoral College be abolished. I’ve been appointed to the Advisory Board to make that happen, just donate money. Examples: Vice presidential candidate Time Walz wants it gone: https://www.politico.com/news/2024/10/08/walz-says-the-electoral-college-needs-to-go-00182981 What do they all have in common? If you don’t know you just might agree. Since the […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Did you know Illinois has a looming electricity crisis?

By: Diane Benjamin If you think electricity comes from a switch on the wall, keep reading. Illinois thinks 100 renewable electricity is possible. It isn’t. Start with this story to understand the difference between baseload and intermittent production: https://icl.coop/the-difference-between-baseload-and-intermittent-power/ That editorial was in the August issue of Illinois Country Living Magazine sent to Corn Belt […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Unemployment and Krystle Able

By: Diane Benjamin Start with this story: https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2024/09/16/nearly-500-republican-democrat-officials-urge-joe-biden-import-2-5-million-migrants-fill-american-jobs/ Excerpt: Almost 500 local and state elected officials, both Republicans and Democrats, are urging President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris’s administration to admit some 2.5 million migrants to the United States through the federal government’s refugee resettlement program. That story is from yesterday, the letter […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Normal’s Sales Tax history

By: Diane Benjamin Chris Koos and Chemberly Harris are trying to defend passing a 1% grocery tax in the press. https://www.25newsnow.com/2024/09/04/normal-narrowly-approves-local-tax-groceries/ If you didn’t watch the meeting video you missed even some far left trustees hammering Pritzker for claiming he reduced taxes by eliminating the 1% tax. It was never State revenue, they just collected […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

State pension funding – In their own words

By: Diane Benjamin I got this adorable insert with a tiny State Tax refund check: Illinois is spending more funding pensions than they do on K-12 education. It proves who is a priority in Illinois. Keep reading, expect the almost 20% of all spending to increase. The back side brags about Illinois collecting $2 billion […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Tonight: Beginning of the End for Market Street Garage

By: Diane Benjamin Tonight Bloomington finally gets to destroy the Market Street garage. The documentation doesn’t say where people parking there now will park during construction of Connect Transit’s transfer center and new parking garage. Excerpts: https://d2kbkoa27fdvtw.cloudfront.net/cityblm/0e86386b97bf1b532c53aec744be92750.pdf The documentation claims the City has spent $870,000 in the last 5 years fixing the garage. Is the […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Recycling Furniture for Families: PATH Funding Crisis

By: Diane Benjamin Organizations that relied on funding through PATH administration of grants were crushed when PATH failed them. Recycling Furniture for Families isn’t the only one, they are just the only one that reached out to me for help. PATH is no longer responsible for grant applications. The McLean County Center for Human Resources […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Rent control – More to the Story

By: Diane Benjamin Communities can already control rent increases – Quit raising property taxes! Quit pretending the needs of government are superior to the needs of people actually earning the money you take. People need to quit electing big government spenders who created the current destructive inflation by printing money. This would be Game Changing […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

4 things you need to know

By: Diane Benjamin 1) Unintended consequences are never considered when feelings are used to make decisions. Another Krystle Able post has unintended consequences splattered all over it. What is regulated you get less of. Econ 101. As a Democrat County Board member Able increased rents by voting to seize increased property taxes because property values […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Repeating the same mistakes

By: Diane Benjamin It is likely your public school didn’t tell you the Pilgrims tried socialism/collectivism and found out it didn’t work. https://www.aier.org/article/the-pilgrims-tried-socialism-and-it-failed/ McLean County used to be a beacon of freedom, after the November elections the county will probably have a County Board control by socialists/collectivists, also called Democrats. Lucky you! Your tax dollars […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Wind and Solar won’t power the country

By: Diane Benjamin Saturday when I was driving across Bloomington my vehicle said the temperature was 92. When I passed the airport it jumped to 94. At my country house it was only 89. What that proves is “record temperatures” depend on where the temperature is taken. This story is in the latest issue of […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

How is the O’Neil Aquatics Center doing?

By: Diane Benjamin I continue to get reports of few people at the O’Neil Aquatics Center. According to this article, it cost $13.8 million: https://www.wglt.org/local-news/2024-05-24/oneil-aquatic-center-makes-a-splash-with-memorial-day-weekend-opening H/T a reader. This pic is 6:00 pm on a Thursday night, the pool is open until 7:00: . Keep in mind, instead of replacing both City owned pools that […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

The Struggle for Limited Government: Conservatives vs. Progressives

By: Diane Benjamin The Constitution was written to limit government. The founders believed people can govern themselves. The fight ever since has been between people who don’t want government running every aspect of their lives and those who do. Progressives use government to enrich themselves and their friends. That couldn’t be more clear than the […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Buying Politicians: proof

By: Diane Benjamin Quotes from this article: https://unionhall.aflcio.org/bloomington-normal-trades-and-labor-assembly/news/bn-trades-hosts-candidates-forum-makes-local “On June 5 the Bloomington & Normal Trades & Labor Assembly (AFL-CIO) and the Livingston & McLean Counties Building & Construction Trades Council hosted a local candidates’ forum. Specific questions were given to candidates in advance so delegates could compare their answers.” . Read the article, unions endorsed […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

How much cash did marijuana give your town?

By: Diane Benjamin You don’t know the answer to that because local government doesn’t want you to know. Both cities use the excuse you would be able to figure out how much dispensaries earned if you knew the taxes they paid. Luckily the Illinois Policy Institute figured it out based on taxes paid to the […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Frerichs wasting your money

By: Diane Benjamin Illinois State Treasurer Michael W. Frerichs sent an email yesterday. He went into a long diatribe about a bike accident he had as a kid that ended with requiring the removal of his spleen. The point of his story is people need to ask for help when they need it. He was […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Just so you know . . .

The ACLU is the same as the League of Women Voters – both are appendages of the Democrat Party. https://blnnews.com/2024/07/03/league-of-women-voters-are-out-of-the-closet/ So much for protecting civil liberties and the Republic. Seems like both groups forgot about impeachment.

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Happy July 1st

By: Diane Benjamin https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/markets/illinois-gas-tax-minimum-wage-drivers-licenses-july-1-marks-big-changes-in-state/ar-BB1pcuTJ The Illinois gas tax goes up .02 today AND you get to pay higher sales tax after the gas tax increase. Quote: Illinois motorists also have to pay excise taxes on fuel, which is assessed by the federal government, and state sales taxes, which is applied after the state’s fuel tax […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Change your status to illegal

By: Diane Benjamin Senator Chapin Rose included this chart in a recent email. Compare your coverage to what non-citizens (illegal aliens) receive in Illinois – at your expense. Democrats value illegals, you are just their piggy bank.

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Update: Illegals could be voting in Illinois

I was just information DMV isn’t allowed to ask immigration status. That means the country no longer belongs to those who were legally born here. Congrats! By: Diane Benjamin On July 1st illegal aliens can get a driver’s license without any identifying information that shows they are here illegally. Their license is going to look […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Taxation without a referendum?

By: Diane Benjamin Democrats need to explain why they passed this one: Excerpt:  Amends the School Code. Provides that, beginning September 1, 2024, no referendum shall be required to build or purchase a building for school classroom or instructional purposes if, prior to the building or purchase of the building, the board determines, by resolution, […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Weekend The Rest of the Story

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Low tax free states vrs. Illinois

By: Diane Benjamin Some state legislatures don’t meet every year. Taxes are lower and citizens have more freedom because elected officials don’t attempt to tell citizens how to run their lives. This is a list of bills that passed both houses in Springfield that started in the House: https://ilga.gov/reports/Preview.asp?t=cr&k=6&ga=17&y=2&h=House%20Bills%20Passed%20Both%20Houses%20(2nd%20Yr) This is a list of bills […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Illinois Budget: Funding illegal immigration

By: Diane Benjamin Illinois Budget: https://www.ilga.gov/legislation/103/SB/PDF/10300SB0251eng.pdf How many of your tax dollars are going to illegal immigrants? That is ONE BILLION allocated to replacing the citizens that have left this state with unvetted illegals. This is listed elsewhere, funny how the amounts don’t match the above: Maybe passing a bill in the middle of the […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Illinois Budget is the Highest in History

By: Diane Benjamin $13 billion more than pre-Pritzker. The Center Square wrote this article and Just The News made Illinois a national laughing stock: https://justthenews.com/nation/states/center-square/illinois-senate-advances-largest-spending-plan-state-history-house?utm_medium=social_media&utm_source=mail_social_icon&utm_campaign=social_icons The Senate passed a $53 billion budget. According to the Democrat leadership the House and Senate are close to agreeing. Of course no republicans agree, but they are immaterial. The […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Did Illinois Soldiers Die for this?

By: Diane Benjamin Memorial Day was set aside to remember those who died for our country. They took an oath to the Constitution which of course includes the Bill of Rights. The 1st Amendment includes Freedom of the Press. People recognize fake news when they hear or see it. It’s not difficult to notice the […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Farmland Taxes going up another 10%

By: Diane Benjamin The video below is from the McLean County Finance Committee meeting on May 8th. The price of farmland has risen dramatically since the early 2000’s. Statutes cap property tax increases at 10% a year which means the economic value of the land is higher than it is being taxed. With high interest […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Illegal handouts by government

By: Diane Benjamin See this story from the Edgar County Watchdogs: https://tinyurl.com/Leroy-Christmas-Money It is also illegal to hand out taxpayer dollars for Christmas presents. The story has proof Leroy did it but they are far from alone. Using taxpayer dollars for funeral flowers isn’t companionate. It’s illegal to use government money for non-public expenses. Read […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Democrat “ethics”

By: Diane Benjamin Illinois Democrats have been using tricks to pass legislation for as long as I can remember. Here’s the trick: They just did it again to change election law in the middle of an election cycle: https://www.thecentersquare.com/illinois/article_2b607af8-08cb-11ef-be4b-4314e8b49453.html?a?utm_source=thecentersquare.com&utm_campaign=%2Fnewsletters%2Flists%2Ft2%2Fillinois%2F&utm_medium=email&utm_content=headline When asked about this bill Pritzker claimed it’s an ethics bill. Obviously democrats don’t have any […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

All you need to know about the ISU protesters:

By: Diane Benjamin See this WGLT story: https://www.wglt.org/local-news/2024-04-30/isu-students-set-up-pro-palestinian-tent-encampment-on-quad The pictures say all you need to know about the “protesters”: They are all wearing masks outside on a beautiful day: Why wear masks? There is only one reason: To hide their identity. ISU has a “microaggression” policy. The protest is more of a macro-aggression against jewish […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Road trip

By: Diane Benjamin I’ve been out of town the last few days. We actually saw gas $.06 less – not in time to get a pic however. Kentucky: Kentucky gas tax is $.26 a gallon. Illinois gas tax is $.454 a gallon. This morning gasbuddy.com shows local prices exactly the difference in tax higher here. […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Illinois March for Life

By: Diane Benjamin I was in Springfield yesterday along with thousands of other pro-life citizens. The march is about all life in a state that doesn’t respect any life. There were many inspiring speakers, including pro-life legislators. It was impossible to get pictures of the entire crowd without being on top of the capital, but […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

How much of your money did The Immigration Project get?

By: Diane Benjamin We know in 2021 The Immigration Project was 99.95% funded by tax dollars: https://blnnews.com/2024/02/12/the-immigration-project-you-dont-know/ Using the new Benjamin Chat Box on OpenTheBooks.com I searched under “Vendors” for payments made to them. Try it, incredibly easy to use! Results are emailed to you after it searches multiple databases. In 2022 ISU gave them […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

League of Women Voters squash the 1st Amendment

By: Diane Benjamin People lie. Politicians lie. Freedom of Speech is written into the 1st Amendment because the authors thought people were smart enough to hear all sides, inform themselves, and then make decisions based on informed thought. There is no such thing and Mis and Dis information. There are only elites who want to […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Inflation, Available Apartments, and government

By: Diane Benjamin Inflation has stolen close to 20% of your buying power – just since 2021: . Inflation will continue unless government policies change. Facts: https://www.bidenomics.com/ According to GasBuddy, the cheapest local gas is at Huck’s on West Oakland – $3.39. Three years ago gas was more than $1 less a gallon. https://www.gasbuddy.com/go/gas-prices-2021-year-in-review According […]