By: Diane Benjamin When Judge Kording announced the Town of Normal was an “incorporated town” he also stated he knew this ruling would have consequences. It does! Keep in mind the ONLY reason Normal now has a problem is because the elites didn’t want voters to decide if they wanted Trustees elected by districts instead […]
By: Diane Benjamin Remember when the Attorney General’s Public Access office found Bloomington guilty of violating the Open Meetings Act concerning the Metro-Zone agreement with Normal? https://blnnews.com/2017/06/07/laws-are-immaterial/ That was in 2017. The City of Bloomington appealed the decision, the Circuit Court ruled in their favor, but the Appellate Court just reversed that decision: See the […]
By: Diane Benjamin The Attorney General finally got around to ruling on a slam dunk Request for Reviews filed by Marc Tiritilli in November 2019. Even though the law gives them 90 days to rule, the Attorney General doesn’t comply. While Chris Koos flagrantly violated Marc’s 1st Amendment rights, the rest of the Council sat […]
By: Diane Benjamin Normal met for almost 4 hours last night. See the 6:00 pm Work Session story here: https://blnnews.com/2020/09/09/stealing-more-from-you-the-town-of-normal/ I’m going to start with the END of the regular meeting since I might have been one of the few still awake watching it. Chris Koos is attempting to fix his image since he was […]
By: Diane Benjamin The Town of Normal has waged war on it’s citizens. Besides burying you in debt they want to make sure you can’t talk about it. They know their Public Comment policy is illegal. See this story 9/5/2019: https://blnnews.com/2019/09/05/normals-illegal-public-comment-policy-2/ The Town knew LONG before the above – March 16, 2017! More than 3 […]
By: Diane Benjamin You have to laugh at bureaucrats! The Attorney General’s Public Access office just sent me a final determination pertaining to Jeff Fritzen’s bike present courtesy of Chris Koos. It took less than a month. A few days ago I posted the Town’s response to the AG in this story: https://blnnews.com/2020/04/13/koos-bike-present-violated-town-code/ Keep in […]
I have been informed Stan Nord sent the two pics below to Pam Reece. She responded with what the Town lawyer sent to the Attorney General in response to Karyn Smith Request for Review. The Town claims they read the law – the Attorney General Open Meetings Act training is immaterial. See the response here: Town […]
By: Diane Benjamin The WGLT story about last night’s Normal Town Council meeting doesn’t mention RC McBride voted for the water rate increase: http://www.wglt.org/post/water-fee-increase-solar-group-buy-making-repeat-appearances-normal Readers are left to surmise he did. This one is worse: I reported this story back on February 28: https://blnnews.com/2019/02/28/ag-investigating-town-of-normal-again/ WJBC reported it on March 4: http://www.wjbc.com/2019/03/04/normal-mayor-probed-for-alleged-open-meetings-act-violations/?fbclid=IwAR0mVvQsAVBRPrRVSWllpx_YPGc2YvMk0iHXYXWS0AWvxrBG0FXLxYbmvCg The […]
By: Diane Benjamin All day with no Internet! It’s finally back. 1) The link below is a Letter to the Editor written by Jim Simeone: http://www.pantagraph.com/opinion/letters/we-must-vote-and-then-move-on/article_ce3cb8dc-b6e8-5a4d-b335-da1b262df3e6.html The letter attempts to counter the letter written by Guy Fraker titled Renner’s Actions are Disgraceful: https://blnnews.com/2018/02/17/if-you-dont-get-the-paper/ The letter fails miserably at defending Renner, it mostly claims his antics […]
By: Diane Benjamin When a Request for Review is filed, the Attorney General’s office sends the complaint to the government body and lets them respond. I just received Normal’s response to what I filed concerning their workshop that wasn’t posted. They claimed it wasn’t a real meeting and no decisions were made. It was supposedly […]
By: Diane Benjamin The Town of Normal doesn’t want citizens showing up at meetings like they do in Bloomington. That is the reason their Public Comment policy requires citizens to sign up 2 hours before a meeting, not just walk in a fill out a card. Remember the November 6, 2017 meeting where your property […]
By: Diane Benjamin Laws most likely broken by the Town of Normal Council don’t matter because prosecutions need a prosecutor. The citizens of Normal don’t have one! In case you forgot the facts, see this story: https://blnnews.com/2017/11/16/normal-your-government-is-fixed/ Basics: The Town held a Secret meeting (Executive Session) on August 11th at 9:30 in the morning. The meeting […]
By: Diane Benjamin The 10 year agreement with CIAM to manage the Coliseum contained numerous paragraphs granting the City rights to everything happening at the Coliseum. Tari Renner, David Hales, and the Council either never read the agreement or are lying because they failed to protect taxpayers from John Butler and company. See the agreement […]
By: Diane Benjamin Yesterday’s paper had a front-page story concerning a filing by Jason Chamber’s office with the Attorney General for Open Meeting Act violations. He has been waiting 17 months for a determination. The story claims his office can only prosecute violations for 18 months. First, Welcome to our world Jason! The request filed […]
By: Diane Benjamin The City of Bloomington has been found guilty of more violations, but this makes 3 that I either filed or was closely involved in the filing. This time it’s the library: Of course there isn’t a penalty assessed even though law specifies penalties are available. Laws only matter if us peons are […]
By: Diane Benjamin Long time readers know finding a prosecutor is almost impossible. Public corruption prosecutions must be demanded by many people before equal justice under the law actually exists. Then there is McGrath Law Office in Mackinaw. These guys represent many small units of government who evidently aren’t capable of reading the Open Meetings […]
By: Diane Benjamin Remember the two illegal meetings held by the library board because they weren’t posted 48 hours in advance? https://blnnews.com/2017/06/20/followup-illegal-meetings/ Keep in mind I notified both the Sheriff and the State’s Attorney’s office prior to the meetings, they did nothing to stop the crime of violating the Open Meetings Act. Law for government […]
By: Diane Benjamin The ruling by the Attorney General’s Public Access office against the City of Bloomington is completely meaningless. Read the entire ruling here: 17-004 The only penalty for the Bloomington City Council violating the Open Meetings Act by holding an illegal Executive Session is: The tape of the meeting must be released The […]
By: Diane Benjamin I’m only writing because I received a ruling from the Attorney General yesterday regarding the Bloomington Election Commission’s violation of the Open Meetings Act. It still stands that I am not going to work for mostly free. If everything I have exposed the last five years isn’t worth $5 or $10 a […]
By: Diane Benjamin Last night the Normal Town Council defied the Attorney General’s letter and made only minor changes to their Public Comment Policy. They relied on the opinion of their City Attorney Brian Day who formerly worked for the Illinois Municipal League. First, you need to understand what the IML is. See this story: […]
By: Diane Benjamin Evidently the media can’t read or they have a short attention span and can’t make it through the 7 page Attorney General letter declaring Normal’s Public Comment Policy illegal. It is MUCH more than the 45 day rule. That one was a no brainer! See the changes Normal is planning to make […]
By: Diane Benjamin For months Normal Mayor Chris Koos has been pretending with the help of media that changing the Town’s Public Comment Policy is his idea. It wasn’t! Today the Attorney General’s Office issued an opinion that slaps him around on numerous counts. (Did the AG suddenly start doing their job? Maybe!) Craig Stimpert […]
By: Diane Benjamin I filed yet another Request for Review with the Attorney General’s office asking them to investigated the Executive Session where the Council decided to disband Metro Zone. The conversations should have taken place in public, not behind closed doors. The City claimed “Probably Litigation” as the excuse for holding a secret meeting […]
By: Diane Benjamin I’ve heard that one guy running for re-election on the Normal Town Council is telling people as he campaigns door to door the debt isn’t a problem. I believe he is actually calling other candidates liars for questioning the debt. Hit play on the video below from last Monday’s meeting. The speaker […]
By: Diane Benjamin Is the Metro Zone fight between Bloomington and Normal REAL, or a campaign stunt? I’m leaning toward real. Side Note: Normal’s budget for 2016-2017 was more than $120 MILLION. The estimated $1.2 million Normal would lose from Metro Zone represents 1% of their total budget. The Normal Town Council had no problem […]
By: Diane Benjamin A few weeks ago I wrote about an Open Meeting Act violation Lisa Madigan’s Public Access office was asked to review. It was filed in 2014 against the Bloomington Election Commission and evidently lost because no ruling was made until I asked for the resolution. First they claimed the number I provided […]
By: Diane Benjamin Bloomington resident April Huber isn’t sitting by and letting Illinois Attorney General get by with not doing her job. She asked me to post this information. I would not have been forced to file a lawsuit against the City of Bloomington concerning the Coliseum if Lisa Madigan’s office had done their job. […]
By: Diane Benjamin 1) Tari Renner was on WJBC earlier this week with Scott Laughlin. One of the topics was public comment. Scott wondered why they bother or why they don’t set ridiculous rules like Normal and the County. Tari played along. What Tari should have said is the County and Normal’s public comment policies […]
By: Diane Benjamin If Tari isn’t doing anything wrong with the Liquor Commission, like violating the Open Meetings Act, why did he fire the other commissioners and declare himself Liquor King? Remember when former Alderwoman Judy Stearns filed an Open Meetings Act violation against the City for Renner and Hales actions in an Executive Session? […]
By: Diane Benjamin The City of Bloomington still doesn’t believe laws matter. From the Attorney General’s website: http://foia.ilattorneygeneral.net/Default.aspx It is the public policy of this State that public bodies exist to aid in the conduct of the people’s business and that the people have a right to be informed as to the conduct of their […]
By: Diane Benjamin I won’t have to file another lawsuit for the transcript of the Executive Session that Judy Stearns walked out of. I now have it, parts are redacted. A link is at the end of this article. The meeting was held November 15, 2013. First, everybody in this meeting, except facilitator Lynn Montei, […]
By: Diane Benjamin The Public Access division of the Attorney General’s office was designed to hold government accountable and give citizens a voice. As with Judy Stearns’ case against the City for violating the Open Meetings Act, justice can take years of mostly no action. I lost count of how many Request for Reviews have […]
I need reader support to continue bringing you news the rest of the media ignores: Contribute Now If you appreciate the truth, please contribute! By: Diane Benjamin Last night’s Committee of the Whole had a missing alderman: Scott Black. Two citizens spoke during public comment. In an attempt to limit free speech, […]
By: Diane Benjamin The Liquor Commission under Steve Stockton had 5 members. Under Tari Renner it only has three people, including himself. Tari controls the commission with one compliant person on the board who agrees with anything Tari wants. Rumors abound that Tari is going to BE the Liquor Commission from now on, nobody else […]
By: Diane Benjamin The Executive Session that Judy Stearns walked out of was held during a RETREAT held 11/15/2013 and 11/16/2013. Tari had been Mayor since May 1st. The retreat was held at the Den at Fox Creek – so NO video exists because the retreat room isn’t equipped for live stream. On the 15th, […]
By: Diane Benjamin Yesterday I posted the 2nd email Tari Renner sent to Judy Stearns, but I didn’t post Judy’s response. See this post: https://blnnews.com/2016/07/13/renner-emails-judy-again/ The original email exchange started here: https://blnnews.com/2016/07/13/renner-hauman-running-scared/ As a review, here is Tari’s 2nd email: Here is Judy’s response: The next Council meeting could get interesting! Maybe Tari can explain […]
By: Diane Benjamin My next lawsuit is going to be for the AUDIO of the Executive Session where the Attorney General ruled the Open Meetings Act was violated. I will demand the judge listen to the entire audio to insure the City doesn’t redact items that shouldn’t be redacted. Why? Stay with me: See the […]
By: Diane Benjamin Why are Minutes missing from Liquor Commission meetings? The LAW requires approval within 30 days or the next meeting. http://www.cityblm.org/index.aspx?page=21&parent=9530 Citizen Bruce Meeks filed a Request for Review with the Attorney General and they agreed to investigate: 42623 FI Let Meeks alleges: The 5/24/16 meeting did not have a quorum The only […]
By: Diane Benjamin Former Alderwoman Judy Stearns spoke during public comment last night. Mayor Renner broke HIS own rules and responded to her comments. Since he responded, so do she, at which time he called her out-of-order. Stearns was there to talk about the majority of the Council not representing the citizens of Bloomington. She […]
By: Diane Benjamin I’m reading a great book called Anatomy of the State. Shock: “We The People” aren’t the government and government is not for “We The People”. Look no farther than the State of Illinois, now close to its second year of no budget. Mike Madigan is threatening 4 years of no budget because […]
