By: Diane Benjamin At least the walk will be shorter for Pantagraph reporters if Bloomington City Hall moves some of their offices to the Government Center. Of course we had to find out from the paper: https://www.pantagraph.com//govt-and-politics/bloomington-city-hall-council-meetings-to-move-to-county-government-center You have to read down to find out Connect Transit may chose the old City Hall building for […]
By: Diane Benjamin h/t a reader Follow-up to this story: https://blnnews.com/2020/07/02/bloomington-5-years-and-no-news/ According to the reader: I was working around 807 N Main that you had in an article yesterday. There is no for sale sign on the property. The parking lot in the rear is being used for parking the vacuum trucks for the sewer […]
By: Diane Benjamin The only reason units of government have been allowed to meet on-line instead of in person is because of Gov. Pritzker’s Executive orders: https://www2.illinois.gov/Pages/government/execorders/executive-orders.aspx#y2020 Everything on that page was ruled illegal last Thursday! Pritzker’s authority to act like a dictator expired 30 days after his first proclamation. He made NO attempt to […]
The Clay County judge ruled today that any orders issued by Pritzker past the 30 days given to him by law are invalid! There are now no limitations on ANYONE in the State of Illinois. You are open, open, open. This applies to schools too – Illinois can not require masks. This also voids any […]
By: Diane Benjamin Bloomington bought this property almost 5 years ago just to control who built on it: The address is 807 N Main, the site of the old Mennonite hospital. In May of 2019 the Council voted to list it for sale with Coldwell Banker after they tried to sell it on a national […]
Ask Angela Fyans what she is hiding from her time with Sorling Northrop. She is now a City of Bloomington lawyer. The Bloomington police did an amazing job stopping your looters, unlike Normal. That doesn’t mean problems don’t exist in the department. You will find out soon, with or without what is still hidden. It […]
By: Diane Benjamin The local elections next year could give the radicals complete control of Bloomington. Right now they have 2 out of 9 seats, 5 and the mayor up for election next April. The radicals will be running candidates, all they need is 3 more seats to turn the Bloomington into their Marxist utopia. […]
By: Diane Benjamin The City of Bloomington Council meeting will reconvene Wednesday at 7:30. Technical difficulties were experienced with the Live Stream. Instead of having the meeting anyway and posting video today, the meeting was rescheduled. That was a good thing because it allowed Jenn Carrillo and Jeff Crabill to comment on a Live event […]
By: Diane Benjamin http://bloomingtonil.iqm2.com/Citizens/FileOpen.aspx?Type=1&ID=1079&Inline=True The McLean County Regional Planning Commission is getting paid by Bloomington: Look at where most of their funding comes from. Who do you think they are really working for? Does the below apply to Vision Zero? Not when the contract says information is confidential! https://blnnews.com/2020/06/20/julie-hiles-contract/ End of an era for the […]
By: Diane Benjamin Normal paid the McLean County Regional Planning Commission $54,000 as their last meeting: https://blnnews.com/2020/06/13/normals-asininity/ I previously wrote about Julie Hile’s involvement with the MCRPC here: https://blnnews.com/2020/05/21/progressive-julie-hile/ I received a copy of the contract Hile signed with the MCRPC. See it here: Vision_Zero_Contract-HG-20190619_(Final_Executed)_redacted Excerpts: The contract was sign in July of 2019, so […]
By: Diane Benjamin Indiana is open. I know locals who have driven to the Beef House right across the border to sit down for a good meal. Iowa is open for full capacity in-restaurant dining. Wisconsin is open after their Supreme Court ruled the governor’s actions illegal. Illinois has Pritzker’s boot on everybody’s neck, he […]
By: Diane Benjamin https://www.cityblm.org/Home/ShowDocument?id=24638 The meeting is going to be out of order (pun intended) tonight. Meetings usually end with Mayor and Council comments, there must be a reason for this change: I’m sure other items will be interesting, but severing ties with VenuWorks piqued my interest. I don’t know why but the City wrote […]
Below are the rules for restaurants and bars planning to open in Bloomington. They are REQUIRED to REGISTER with the City. Of course it includes threats too. At Monday’s meeting this wasn’t going to be rushed, evidently they changed their mind.
By: Diane Benjamin Last night’s Bloomington City Council meeting was over 3 hours, it included a Township meeting that started at 5:00. The longest discussion was about the Community Development Block Grant funds from the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Stop for a second and think about this program. The Feds take your money […]
By: Diane Benjamin Bills and Payroll for tonight: https://www.cityblm.org/Home/ShowDocument?id=24570 Coliseum expenses: The first entry is for bills Bloomington paid that VenuWorks needs to reimburse – all the rest are coming out of taxpayers pockets: I don’t remember ever seeing a check written for loan payments, usually they do wire transfers: $795,000 was paid in principal […]
By: Diane Benjamin http://bloomingtonil.iqm2.com/Citizens/FileOpen.aspx?Type=1&ID=1075&Inline=True Delayed because of Memorial Day, tonight’s meeting starts with a Proclamation against gun violence: See the whole document Renner will probably read on PDF page 11. Note the last 3 words above. Gun violence isn’t caused by guns, the person holding the gun is the problem. We don’t value unborn life […]
By: Diane Benjamin The City of Bloomington has been paying VenuWorks $4,999.98 sporadically since 2016, payments are marked loan principle. This story says why: https://blnnews.com/2016/10/06/so-bloomington-claims/ The short version: VenuWorks paid John Butler (CIAM) for equipment at the Coliseum. The City is reimbursing them for that purchase. The total was $299,999, no interest, payments over 5 […]
By: Diane Benjamin If only they had spent a little more on consulting and architects for bus stops, they could have made it to $1,000,000 lost in ONE MONTH: Cost per trip is now a whooping $9.26, last April it was $3.30. Cost for Connect Mobility is far worse: $117.13 per rider. Last year it […]
By: Diane Benjamin h/t a reader Bloomington taxpayers are forced to pay the City for hauling garbage, recycling, and brush. There is no competition so service can be whatever the City decides it is, and they got the Council to pass automatic increases to spare the embarrassment of taking votes. The situation below is not […]
h/t a reader – taken today:
By: Diane Benjamin Tim Gleason started the meeting with a COVID update: The City has used $2 million of $4 million in excess reserves. They won’t have a clear picture of the hit to the budget until June or July. Police respond to all calls of violation of shelter in place. They attempt to gain […]
By: Diane Benjamin Dictator Pritzker is playing politics while Illinois burns. It is obvious now the shutdown in Illinois was never about bending the curve. It is about trashing the economy in hopes of a huge bailout while crushing small businesses and people deemed non-essential. Congratulation democrats – you elected a dictator. Proof: Raising taxes […]
By: Diane Benjamin Committee of Whole meeting 5/18 http://bloomingtonil.iqm2.com/Citizens/FileOpen.aspx?Type=1&ID=1076&Inline=True Alderman Mathy doesn’t understand people don’t want to pay for parking. That is why strip malls and other shopping options are where people go – not downtown. Mathy has 3 Council initiatives for the Council. They will vote Yes they want to hear more or NO […]
By: Diane Benjamin With threats from Pritzker, Koos, and Renner to call out law enforcement to keep people and businesses from exercising their Constitutional Rights, it is time to remember your oath of office. It wasn’t to Pritzker, Koos, or Renner. The only power government has is from the Consent of the Governed. See the […]
By: Diane Benjamin City of Bloomington employees held another birthday party parade today. This time is was for a 12 year old girl – golden birthday. She is also the daughter of a City employee! The vehicles were staged on private property, they didn’t ask permission before using it. Isn’t that called TRESPASSING? Maybe the […]
By: Diane Benjamin Both Bloomington and Normal are closing the pools, canceling fireworks, and other OUTDOOR event for the summer. Yahoo News from the middle of April: https://news.yahoo.com/sunlight-destroys-coronavirus-very-quickly-new-government-tests-find-but-experts-say-pandemic-could-still-last-through-summer-200745675.html Koos and Renner don’t let science get in the way of their ideology! Since fireworks are at night, but still outside, they don’t trust people to be safe […]
By: Diane Benjamin Total Bills and Payroll approved at the first meeting in May of 2019: Total Bills and Payroll for approval Monday: Employees are getting paid as usual, other spending is WAY down. This wouldn’t exist if the Bloomington Election Commission had been abolished FYI Either the fireworks show is going to be a […]
By: Diane Benjamin READ all the way to the bottom please! The tyrants keeping Illinois shut down have no basis in the law to continue doing so. Start with Chris Koos – his original ordinance #5804: http://www.normal.org/DocumentCenter/View/16424/ORD-5824—Emergency-Authorization—032320?bidId= That ordinance references: Koos is basing his Executive Powers on the Governor’s Executive Order. What does the […]
By: Diane Benjamin Media was quick to report East Peoria is moving forward with reopening their City. WEEK Live streamed Mayor John Kahl’s press conference on May 1st. The only place I have been able to find it is on the East Peoria’s Facebook page. What I have not heard in any media report is […]
By: Diane Benjamin The local beggars held another weekly call Wednesday night. Alderman Jeff Crabill wants the Council to be compassionate and cough up money. https://week.com/2020/04/29/despite-setback-twin-city-coalition-resumes-battle-to-ease-covid-19-economic-stress/ Excerpt: I could make an extensive list of how government has no compassion, but that isn’t necessary here. Also according to the article, these groups made up the attendees: […]
By: Diane Benjamin Public comment last night was loaded with those who think they are entitled to tax dollars. Yes people have lost jobs and yes paying bills is next to impossible, but that doesn’t make them entitled to anything. The good socialists showed up en masse to criticize the FIVE Council members who voted […]
By: Diane Benjamin Make sure you read to the bottom! http://bloomingtonil.iqm2.com/Citizens/FileOpen.aspx?Type=1&ID=1069&Inline=True Monday there is an ordinance up for approval to prorate refunds paid for video gaming licenses since these businesses are closed. See PDF page 374. Anybody else hold a license you can’t use? Demand a refund too, equality supposedly matters. PDF page 372 has […]
By: Diane Benjamin Watch the Pledge of Allegiance at 1:55:00. The only part where Jenn’s lips move is “Liberty and Justice for All”. She obviously has no clue where liberty comes from, she must think government grants freedom, of course government must also give justice for her hommies too. Two years ago I did a […]
By: Diane Benjamin With barely a peep the Bloomington City Council passed a huge budget tonight. Did you know that NO CITY in the world is laying people off because that would cause the unemployment rate to rise? Did you know just because an item is budgeted that doesn’t mean it will get done? Somebody […]
By: Diane Benjamin Five days a week I get a newsletter form ICMA – International City/County Management Association. The email is links to stories, sometimes around the world, detailing actions taken in various places. Both local City Managers attend their conferences, we never hear reports on what they learned. This story is in today’s edition: The […]
I forgot to mention one of the callers to Public Comment is running for the County Board: RJ McCracken. Since he demanded handouts with no facts just feelings, he is unqualified to serve. By: Diane Benjamin The meeting started with Public Comment. The Crabill gang had 4 people lined up to beg for money. Jeff […]
By: Diane Benjamin City of Bloomington has a Committee of Whole meeting Monday. Agenda: http://bloomingtonil.iqm2.com/Citizens/FileOpen.aspx?Type=1&ID=1072&Inline=True On the agenda: How the Budget Overview is presented will be fascinating. If it is “sugar-coated” it will be to promote the discussion following. Tax revenue has to be plummeting: Income tax, Sales Tax, Food and Beverage Taxes, Hotel/Motel Tax, […]
By: Diane Benjamin The local socialist lost the case for setting prisoners free, so they are moving on. Below is the latest email sent to every elected and appointed official with any power to hand out money. Note the writer wasn’t smart enough to put it in her own words, she copied and pasted the […]
By: Diane Benjamin The local political parties elected their leadership this week. The Republicans picked Connie Beard for a second term. Connie works in the private sector. The Republicans previous leader was John Parrott. He worked in the private sector. The Democrats chose Nikita Richards. She works for the City of Bloomington. Their previous chairman […]
By: Diane Benjamin Citizens were spared from a long line of people wanting the City to fork over your money. Most of public comment was emailed, those were forwarded to the Aldermen but not read out loud. One of the comments was called in, the form aid would take is never mentioned. Stan Nord also […]
