By: Diane Benjamin McMIllan has this pinned to the top of his Facebook campaign page: Even though Ray Lahood lied to the FBI, the justice system has laws for the well connected and different laws for the rest of us. Brad McMillan was right by Lahood’s side. He didn’t know Lahood failed to disclose a […]
By: Diane Benjamin Anybody remember BN Advantage? It was a huge collaboration of the unelected who got your money to operate. This story explains who: https://blnnews.com/2015/10/29/round-2-bn-advantage/ It would take a lot of research to figure out how much of your money was thrown to this group. This story shows $423,867 just from Bloomington: https://blnnews.com/2019/04/29/bn-advantage-magazine/ Where […]
By: Diane Benjamin I received this letter by FOIA. It is written to Chris Koos on letterhead from the Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 99: Excerpt – note the date: So, Local 99 is upset with Chris Koos for not awarding the project to a local contractor using local union labor on a Town of Normal […]
By: Diane Benjamin Mailboxes in Normal are being flooded with fancy large mailers supporting Scott Preston, Kevin McCarthy, and Chris Koos urging votes for the incumbents on the Normal Town Council. The Illinois Realtor Fund Super PAC is paying for them. This group must not know what they are supporting: https://illinoissunshine.org/committees/25064/ Illinois Sunshine not only […]
By: Diane Benjamin Keep in mind: That would be campaign Manager for these people: Now listen to Jenn Carrillo saying she won’t condemn violence, what will happen when her candidates lose next Tuesday? The video is from 5/31/2020, Law and Justice Center Black Lives Matter event. It is very short, seconds over a minute. h/t […]
Mulberry School Board President Nick Keever claims the signs are not on their property. According to GIS they own the corner of Beech and Lincoln. He also claims they don’t own the property with the Mulberry School sign on it. Nick claims half of their building is owned as a private residence and the signs […]
By: Diane Benjamin h/t to a reader! February 19, 2018 This item was on the agenda: https://normal.org/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/2890 The clip below shows Chemberly Cummings claiming: it isn’t an easy decision for her things like this keep me up at night too many unknows with this company everything seems so convoluted and secretive I want it known […]
By: Diane Benjamin First, you need to review what the Local Black Lives Matter group wants: Who are they endorsing, supposedly because a survey they filled out? I wonder if Chris Koos watching Target get looted had anything to do with their decision? Cities that have cut funding to their police departments have seen astronomical […]
By: Diane Benjamin Keep in mind Jenn Carrillo is the campaign manager for the People 1st Coalition: These four people believe the same things she does or she wouldn’t be running their campaigns: What do they believe? Start here. When Jenn ran for City Council she had a campaign treasurer named Zachary Kirkton: https://illinoissunshine.org/committees/34814/ Who […]
​https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-03-30/tesla-can-move-forward-with-trade-secret-suit-against-rivian Tesla Inc. can move forward with a lawsuit claiming that Rivian Automotive Inc. stole its trade secrets with the help of former employees of the electric carmaker. Read the rest yourself!
By: Diane Benjamin Evidently Koos is just another leftist attempting to re-write history. Record low unemployment and rising wages especially for lower wage workers went right over his head. He claims in this campaign flyer McLean County barely survived Trump: Koos will do anything to not run on HIS record of debt, friends and family […]
By: Diane Benjamin The candidates below have refused or ignored invitations to appear on Cities 92.9 radio. That means they don’t want to discuss issues with those who lean right and aren’t interested in earning your vote. Maybe they know their policies can’t be defended. Chris Koos – Normal Mayor Jackie Gunderson – Bloomington Mayor […]
By: Diane Benjamin Chris Koos and has band of merry fleecers will continue to increase funding to Connect Transit. They adore empty buses and the $1,000,000 a month the feds and state poor into McLean County to keep it running. They love electric buses and solar panels. They love transfer stations that give their union […]
By: Diane Benjamin I’ve written almost 7600 stories since 2012. Most I can not remember, luckily readers do remember. The story below is one readers remembered that I didn’t. Chris Koos is infamous for his insider deals that benefit friends and a compliant Council that allow the fleecing of taxpayers. I can’t possibly remember all […]
By: Diane Benjamin Remind you of democrat controlled cities all last summer? Original story: https://blnnews.com/2018/06/26/jennifer-carrillo-this-looks-like-a-threat/ Didn’t Jenn get fired from the YWCA for this post she hurriedly removed from her page? What will Jenn do when all her people running for the Bloomington Council lose? Don’t forget she’s their campaign manager:: Law enforcement: You now […]
By: Diane Benjamin WGLT did another hit piece on Stan Nord, but as usual they MISSED the story and left out details: https://www.wglt.org/post/normal-council-member-stan-nord-alleges-discrimination-independent-lawyer-disagrees First, just like the lawyer Normal hired to conduct the assault on Joes Stationhouse Pizza, the results were completely predictable. Second, WGLT claims they obtained a copy of the 7 page page […]
By: Diane Benjamin From the PAC website: https://www.responsiblecities.com/ Gee, it sounds like this group wants the best candidates for the entire community. They don’t. Chris Koos and Kevin McCarthy have recently stated they were elected by the citizens of Normal and they don’t care about Bloomington. They want to run water pipes on top of […]
By: Diane Benjamin Yesterday Rivian showed 211 job openings in Normal, today they have 213: https://rivian.com/careers?location=Normal&workType 2 of the positions are part-time. Check it out of you need work.
By: Diane Benjamin I heard Jenn Carrillo handed out candy bars to buy votes two years ago. Now it’s pizza. Maybe in two years they will have to move up to ribeye steaks. At least they provided a partial list of candidates who do not believe voters are intelligent enough to know socialism fails every […]
By: Diane Benjamin As a graduate of ISU I am continually appalled by their lurch to the far left. Below are two examples. Both articles were in a newsletter meant to extol the great research done at ISU. Instead of common sense solutions to educating kids, both want to change how teachers teach. We know […]
By: Diane Benjamin h/t a reader Remember this: https://www.pantagraph.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/normal-mayor-chis-koos-nominated-to-serve-on-the-amtrak-board-of-directors/article_e6cd0399-5940-595f-83ce-dc657a026246.html Chris Koos isn’t on the Amtrak Board because he was never confirmed by the Senate: https://www.congress.gov/nomination/116th-congress/1915 Koos will never be on the Amtrak Board unless he is re-nominated. See the explanation for Senate Rule XXXI listed above: Excerpt: The Koos nomination ended in September 2020. Did […]
By: Diane Benjamin When you vote April 6th keep in mind Chris Koos appointed people to this board (after leaving a seat empty for 1 year and and half) and fully supports this massive abuse of taxpayer dollars! https://drive.google.com/file/d/1l1-FAtzgx813CrntasrMvlqTvhxYcITY/view PDF page 22 Free bus rides during February 2021 totaled 108,736 February 2020 rides were 236,504 […]
We are 13 days away from a critical election. I first came here in 1961 from Detroit. My father was a professor at Illinois State University. I graduated from NCHS back in the last century in 1975. Time flies. Later graduated from Western New Mexico University and went on to work for Whirlpool in the Boston […]
By: Diane Benjamin Ward 5 candidate Patrick Lawler was supposed to participate in a debate tonight. Instead he posted this: Let’s deconstruct! Patrick isn’t interested in listening to Republicans. “Regardless of what party” is a load of crap or he would be there tonight. Patrick obviously only gets news that lied about the former President. […]
By: Diane Benjamin h/t a reader Jenn Carrillo was absent for the Committee of the Whole meeting where plans for O’Neil Park were discussed. She could have expressed her views then, but failed to represent her ward. Last night she voted yes on the $11.8+ million project. Today she evidently has re-thought that vote: Hint […]
By: Diane Benjamin Last night’s Bloomington council meeting: Tari Renner and the Clerk had to be reminded Public Comment was skipped. I hope the next mayor can read and follow an agenda, Tari can’t (numerous examples from recent meetings). See around 49:00. There was only one Public Comment. Ward 3 candidate Willie Holton Halbert took […]
By: Diane Benjamin h/t a reader More hypocrisy from those local caring folks who just want to help. No they don’t, it’s all about political power. November 21, 2019 https://www.pantagraph.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/protesters-in-normal-demand-end-to-detention-of-immigrant-children/article_2c2e903e-dcc7-556a-96cd-288d7b81c0b0.html Story claims more than 100 people protested government holding children who illegally crossed the border. Excerpt: Charlotte Alvarez, executive director of the Immigration Project in […]
By: Diane Benjamin http://bloomingtonil.iqm2.com/Citizens/FileOpen.aspx?Type=1&ID=1107&Inline=True It will be fun to see if Jenn Carrillo’s head explodes: She has questioned all spending for the police in the past. A Public Hearing will be held on the budget. Likely few or nobody will make public comment. What you should know: The budget history: http://bloomingtonil.iqm2.com/Citizens/FileOpen.aspx?Type=1&ID=1063&Inline=True https://www.cityblm.org/Home/ShowDocument?id=21525 Pre Tari: https://www.cityblm.org/Home/ShowDocument?id=5010 […]
By: Diane Benjamin Thinking about voting for Jackie Gunderson, Kelby Cumpston, Patrick Lawler, or Willie Holton Halbert? You should first look at what Jenn Carrillo and Jeff Crabill have done for Bloomington: Juneteenth, Welcoming City, Defund the police, not showing up at meetings, etc. If you want a Social Justice Council that ignores the essential […]
By: Diane Benjamin Do you want a mayor of Bloomington with an agenda or one that listens to citizens? Mike Straza was on Cities 92.9 last night with Steve Suess. Listen to the beginning of the podcast: Straza worked on Chris Koos’ re-lection campaign 4 years ago. Much worse, Straza was on Dave Shields team […]
If you still can’t decide who to vote for Mayor of Normal – watch this: https://video.wtvp.org/video/s33-e29-normal-mayoral-conversation-roglrq/?fbclid=IwAR3Akay5gwseBWgZDGKPHds6rJcteyQVJm50QEJnQhbZt1nYg241W4pPVAs
By: Diane Benjamin Chris Koos knows he has nothing to run on. Instead of discussing issues he clipped and chopped comments made by Marc Tiritilli before Rivian incentives were approved by the Normal Town Council. Koos wants you to believe Tiritilli was against Rivian buying the plant when Marc was actually against taking money from […]
By: Diane Benjamin Chris Koos had rulings against him before for violating the Open Meetings Act, but never 2 very close together. This was the first violation: https://wordpress.com/stats/post/90250/blnnews.com The Attorney General’s office finally found time to rule on a second (OBVIOUS) violation. This one was filed in 2019 by Karyn Smith. WEEK has the story: […]
By: Diane Benjamin From the McLean County Chamber of Commerce Political Action Committee Facebook page: Notice a missing endorsement? No mayor of Normal? Gee, Chris Koos isn’t pro-business with his “right fit” philosophy? Chamber? Brad McMillan: McMillan teaches at Bradley: From their website: https://www.bradley.edu/academic/departments/ecl/faculty/profile.dot?id=8d940fe9-a5f4-40ab-b417-967975ce03d8 McMillian is Executive Director of the Institute for Principled Leadership in […]
By: Diane Benjamin If a website changes over time and something isn’t there anymore you need, it can still be seen. Type Way Back Machine in your browser and it will access a web archive site. It will also expose liars, like Kevin McCarthy. McCarthy isn’t a psychologist, but he was playing one on the […]
By: Diane Benjamin The Responsible Cities PAC was formed by people like Chris Koos and Mike Straza. Look at who donated to the PAC, these are the top 25: If you look at the entire list of donor you will find other familiar names: RC McBride, Allen Sender, his wife Elizabeth Robb, Paul Harmon, George […]
By: Diane Benjamin Stan Nord was on Cities 92.9 this morning talking about Mayor Chris Koos attempting to silence him Monday night. Listen at the top of the 8:00 hour: https://www.cities929.com/scott-robbins/ It wouldn’t be possible to locate all of the taxpayer fleeces I’ve written about under Chris Koos, but here’s a few: Normal lost $330,000 […]
