By: Diane Benjamin At 1:221:45 the Bloomington Council finally got to the regular agenda. First was hiring a consultant to update the historical preservation plan. The City Planner claimed this group is going to do extensive public outreach. (Bring it On Bloomington flopped, but the results of that public outreach are golden https://blnnews.com/2014/09/19/bring-it-on-bloomington-flops/) One thing […]
By: Diane Benjamin Bloomington Council last night: Public comment started at 25:50. The first two speakers wanted to slow down the cannabis discussions. The 3rd speaker was in favor of hiring a consultant for historic preservation. 4th was a frequent pot user and Renner supporter. When he started to abuse aldermen who don’t want cannabis […]
By: Diane Benjamin Bloomington has finally posted the 4/30/19 financial statement. OPEB = Other Post Employment Benefits Both Bloomington and Normal are in more debt now because of pensions and OPEB. Bloomington has almost $231,000,000 in long term debt and growing Normal has more than $186,000,000 in long term debt and growing. Illinois isn’t even […]
By: Diane Benjamin On September 16, 2019 VenuWorks presented THEIR report to the Council. We know now the report was fictitious. The audited loss is much higher, VenuWorks should only be allowed to present audited financial statements in the future. https://blnnews.com/2019/10/25/how-much-the-arena-really-lost/ 11:45 – Kimberly Bray thanked Lynn Cannon for everything contributed and the fantastic […]
By: Diane Benjamin Remember the celebrations when VenuWorks announced they ONLY lost $276,367? They budgeted a loss of $495,514, so everybody happily reported they lost less than expected. See PDF page 27: https://www.cityblm.org/Home/ShowDocument?id=23151 Long time readers won’t be surprised to learn the auditors didn’t agree with the VenuWorks accounting. The audited financial report has appeared […]
By: Diane Benjamin https://www.cityblm.org/Home/ShowDocument?id=23355 I’m not sure all these PCard purchases were reflect in event expenses. Walking With My Ancestors doesn’t show any catering or concessions: https://blnnews.com/2019/10/22/bcpa-as-predicted-foia-denied/ Of course the $1500 for the announcement party wasn’t included. Why does government send “flowers” and pretend they are sympathetic? Using taxpayer money to express condolences is fraud. […]
It must be too difficult to list each event held at the BCPA separately. The posting buried two shows by posting all on the same link. Normally each show has it’s own link. These two actually made money, one would think they would want people to see them: Since September this brings income to $18,083.26 […]
By: Diane Benjamin Kirk Allen of Edgar County Watchdogs was back before the Bloomington City Council again. We will find out what happened to Officer Squires before he resigned. Kirk spelled out in his comment why the citizens need to know what happened. Squires was suspended before he resigned. Kirk read the applicable emails we […]
By: Diane Benjamin Evidently I have to file a FOIA to get event reports posted. They will be posted and then my FOIA will be denied because they are posted. I wonder if they would ever be posted without a FOIA? So far only one report from a month ago is available: https://www.cityblm.org/government/advanced-components/documents/-folder-1784 This looks […]
By: Diane Benjamin Question that will never be answered: The main Connect Transit office used to be downtown before they built new offices on the far west side. Why do they need a transfer station downtown now when they abandoned downtown? Poor planning? From the Board Packets: https://www.connect-transit.com/about/trustees/packet.asp Why was there a huge drop in […]
When people like Chris Koos refuse to change the Public Comment policy until he is forced to, the above is the reason. Who you elect matters, too many have no moral compass and won’t stop violating laws until they are forced. Angela Scott can’t make it to Public Comment Monday night because she will still […]
By: Diane Benjamin Monday Bloomington is holding a Committee of the Whole meeting for two reasons: Discuss Community Development Block Grant Funds Hear from the Cannabis Task Force Public meetings were held for citizens to give their opinion on how CDBG money should be spent. One meeting was evidently held at the library. From the […]
By: Diane Benjamin Update to this story from yesterday: https://blnnews.com/2019/10/16/tari-on-wjbc-3/ Usually when there is good news people like to report it quickly. The Luke Combs concert profit is good news, why it wasn’t posted as required by the arena contract is a mystery. https://www.cityblm.org/Home/ShowDocument?id=23305 Country music concerts always do well. If VenuWorks had self-promoted this […]
By: Diane Benjamin The Bloomington Public Library wants another tax hike. They are still looking to expand. What is clear is they aren’t expanding for books. To keep traffic coming to the library their focus is events. http://www.bloomingtonlibrary.org/Assets/files/bpl_board/boardpackets/2019/2019.10bplboardpacket.pdf Do taxpayers get a voice? Does the Bloomington Library exist to hold free events? Is that something […]
By: Diane Benjamin Ol’ Mayor Renner called “bloggers” liars this morning on the Scott Miller show. So far I haven’t been able to find a podcast. If somebody sees it please let me know! This link was posted in the comments: https://post.futurimedia.com/wjbcam/playlist/2/listen-233.html?cb=1571239016.737804 Tari also complained about negative reporting by bloggers. I thought I would do […]
By: Diane Benjamin Eric’s Too Beer Garden got sent back to the Liquor Commission. I was disappointed to see Scott Black absent sent he had sent this email: (Received by FOIA) If Eric’s was doing outdoor seating before the Council approved it, the Liquor Commission should deny their request. Otherwise the meeting was fairly boring. […]
By: Diane Benjamin Tomorrow is a Federal Holiday – Columbus Day. Evidently the Code Bloomington writes for themselves is immaterial. The City Council is scheduled to meeting tomorrow anyway: http://bloomingtonil.iqm2.com/Citizens/calendar.aspx Tari must think he can ignore a Federal Holiday because he is doing this: Proclamation Recognizing Indigenous Peoples’ Day in the City of Bloomington on […]
By: Diane Benjamin I received a lot of information from a FOIA filed with the City of Bloomington. Almost everything is redacted including discussion of Holiday Decorations for downtown. That must be a state secret! This is what you get when you pay a law firm in Springfield almost $60,000 every month! (pre Tari the […]
By: Diane Benjamin As reported in this story, the Public Comment by Marc Tiritilli was cut from the posted video at the 9/30/2019 joint meeting of the McLean County Board, Town of Normal, and Bloomington City Council: https://blnnews.com/2019/10/07/comment-cut-from-video-tiritilli/ I filed a FOIA Request with Bloomington since they had posted the rest of the video. It […]
By: Diane Benjamin The information below was given to the Connect Transit Working group. Maybe it was meant to justify losses. It does show common sense and fiscal responsibility aren’t considered.
BY KIRK ALLEN City of Bloomington Mayor Tari Renner fabricated information during a phone interview in an attempt to deflect from the resignation of a police officer, Curtis Squires. Renner’s interview was on WJBC radio on the 25th of September, following the City Council meeting where I urged him and the rest of the council to […]
By: Diane Benjamin We know Connect Transit had plans to buy huge electric buses regardless of what the Working Group reported about the size of buses needed: https://blnnews.com/2019/09/27/proof-the-working-group-is-a-joke/ We know Connect Transit fabricated a response in order to delay my FOIA request: https://blnnews.com/2019/09/27/more-proof-connect-transit-shouldnt-exist/ I did receive the FOIA last Friday, 633 pages of the […]
No, I’m not moving to either Bloomington or Normal and I’m NOT running for office. This story is about YOU. I started writing this site in April of 2012 only because I saw how bad the local media was. Today most are even worse. The majority of them hate this site without ever reading any […]
By: Diane Benjamin Yes, this will be a love fest of local elitists. It will be difficult to stay awake, but you need to hear what these people have planned for your life. They wouldn’t have jobs if they didn’t plan for you, so they will be spending your money with or without your permission. […]
Huge News Coming soon! Stay tuned, I haven’t decided on the exact day yet.
By: Diane Benjamin Source: https://www.pjstar.com/news/20190923/pekin-city-council-approves-3-cannabis-sales-tax Excerpts: The Pekin City Council approved an ordinance imposing a 3% sales tax on cannabis sales during Monday’s meeting. The tax will be in addition to other local sales taxes collected by the city. “Collection of municipal sales taxes on the sale of cannabis would not start until September 2020,” […]
By: Diane Benjamin On August 29th I filed a FOIA request with Connect Transit: Smart Growth America is the “facilitator” they hired for the Working Group in June of 2019. See this WGLT story – $53,000 https://www.wglt.org/post/connect-transit-board-modifies-pink-route-hires-facilitator#stream/0 First Response to the FOIA: The due date of September 6th was extended 5 days. Next I got […]
By: Diane Benjamin Pantagraph story: https://www.pantagraph.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/connect-transit-to-buy-at-least-electric-buses-over-four/article_63972e20-636a-52ea-81d2-a56849c9cef2.html#tracking-source=home-top-story-2 So many things are wrong with what happened at the Connect Transit meeting, but start with the fake reporting: Stan Nord wasn’t there! Bloomington Alderman Donna Boelen did and she did ask the Board to wait until the Working Group was finished. Did a reporter even attend? Was stating […]
By: Diane Benjamin Link to tonight’s meeting packet: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1VnNpRDPK7mbHSOgI1fZO2yfmT4yioSrR/view Loss for the month of August: Boarders per hour: Yes, less riders. In August of last year they lost $953,797.79. With a couple hundred thousand more riders they might break even. They will have to be imported however. Cost per trip in August was $4.01, down […]
By: Diane Benjamin You can watch Public Comment on the City website, but I filmed Kirk’s comments from a different perspective. Kirk spoke to Council several years ago and his comments were mysteriously cut – just him – the video worked fine for all the other people. That was one reason I filmed him. Another […]
By: Diane Benjamin The Downtown Task Force was a joke, the vast majority of people did not want to build a new library and bus transfer station by tearing down a parking garage. Tari claimed the Budget Task force was a success, it proved that Council was incapable of making any cuts. Huge success Tari. […]
By: Diane Benjamin I drove by the Creativity Center on my way to the Bloomington Council meeting last night. The signs on the north side of the building are no longer there! City Manager Tim Gleason has not responded to my email. Evidently removing the signs is his response: https://blnnews.com/2019/09/19/remember-the-signs-at-the-creativity-center/ If you watch City […]
By: Diane Benjamin Payments for tonight: https://www.cityblm.org/Home/ShowDocument?id=23165 Who did they pay moving expenses for in Administration? More traveling at your expense! The cost of auditing, don’t forget – they aren’t looking for fraud. Can’t announce a new season without a party! I wonder if there is a course in “Right Fit”? What’s happening at the […]
Update: A reader found this information: By: Diane Benjamin Just Bloomington, not including Normal. https://ilbusinessdaily.com/stories/513055916-bloomington-ranked-294th-in-state-for-resident-earnings-in-2017#.XYgF7wwE5dk.gmail Excerpt: Bloomington ranked 294th among cities in Illinois by annual earnings per resident, according to data obtained from the U.S. Census Bureau in August. The median income of Bloomington residents was an inflation-adjusted $33,702 per year. Bloomington had 31,652 households […]
Ward 6 Alderman Jenn Carrillo wants to turn America into Venezuela. Think she doesn’t want to do the same thing to Bloomington? How much time does she even spend in Bloomington? Facebook:
By: Diane Benjamin See this story: https://blnnews.com/2019/09/09/why-is-bloomington-allowing-propaganda/ Last week I was downtown so I took my own pictures of the signs in the windows on the Chestnut Street side of the GOVERNMENT owned Creativity Center. Here are the three most offensive and obvious propaganda: I sent these pics to Bloomington City Manager Tim Gleason along […]
By: Diane Benjamin The only hockey that still exist at the Coliseum is ISU. VenuWorks is charging them $2,000 a game – the event report for ISU vrs Bradley shows 120 tickets were sold, 181 people who attended got in free. https://www.cityblm.org/Home/ShowDocument?id=22627 The Flying Aces were charged $5,000 per game. Since attendance was dismal, they […]
By: Diane Benjamin No one showed up for Public Comment last night at the Bloomington meeting! There is A LOT more to cover about Normal, I will get back to that meeting eventually. First on the Agenda was a presentation from VenuWorks. I have no idea why this presentation is allowed instead of the AUDITED […]
Take your pick: (or don’t)
By: Diane Benjamin The City of Bloomington is now posting information about meetings in a new place with a different presentation: http://bloomingtonil.iqm2.com/Citizens/Detail_Meeting.aspx?ID=1129 Instead of being able to view supporting documents on-line, everything now downloads automatically. Either people will no longer look at the documentation or their computers will be clogged with a bunch of […]
