I redacted the name of the writer because this could have been written by any small business owner. Note the dates as you read each email. Large corporations allowed to stay open profited at the expense of your neighbors. Received by FOIA: Response from Stan Nord: Pam sent this to the Mayor and Council. The […]
By: Diane Benjamin They not only want a bailout from the Federal government, they want their members to demand a bailout. Meanwhile AFSCME is scheduled for automatic pay increases of $261 million: https://www.illinoispolicy.org/illinois-scheduled-to-give-261m-in-automatic-pay-raises-to-state-workers/ Excerpts from an email sent to members yesterday: Illinois has been irresponsible with tax dollars for decades. Why should taxpayers in other […]
By: Diane Benjamin Strike one against Bill Brady was his failure to disclose financial interests in the gaming industry while writing laws to regulate them. If Illinois had prosecutors . . . . . A US Bankruptcy Court in Springfield ruled yesterday against Robert Brady pertaining to his bankruptcy. That Brady is not allowed to […]
By: Diane Benjamin “One of the best-funded pension plans in the country is the nearly 90 percent funded Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund, which has long had the ability to enforce payments into the plan.” IMRF funding isn’t a problem. That’s why pension spiking penalties were enacted, the fund couldn’t afford to pay pensions for employees […]
By: Diane Benjamin Normal’s budget: http://www.pantagraph.com/news/local/government-and-politics/budget-cuts-fee-hikes-monthly-water-bills-coming-to-normal/article_5a6c2b16-486f-5010-9330-9caafd2ebcc9.html Bloomington’s proposed budget: http://www.pantagraph.com/news/local/government-and-politics/city-hikes-garbage-fee-reduces-bulky-waste-pickups/article_98969c25-05f0-5009-966f-737908b06f3d.html Normal is spending $1879.70 per resident. Bloomington is spending $2743.41 per resident Bloomington also has around twice as many employees with benefits and pensions that have to be funded. Which city will be filing for bankruptcy first? . . .
By: Diane Benjamin The 110th House District includes Mattoon and Charleston. See a complete map here: https://elections.il.gov/Downloads/VotingInformation/PDF/2011Districts/2011RepDist110.pdf There is a guy running for the Illinois House in this district who looks to be misrepresenting himself: Dennis Malak, Candidate for the 110th District in Illinois claims “the system failed him” – and that is one of […]
By MICHAEL D. LAFAIVE The city of Detroit announced it has filed for bankruptcy. Gov. Snyder must still approve of the move. If he does, it is a sad day in the long decline of a once powerful city. It did not need to come to this. Warning signs were everywhere and only increased in intensity in […]
Joe Biden, Joe Biden New favorite line – Osama Bin Laden is dead and General Motors is alive. Sorry Joe, GM filed for bankruptcy after we the taxpayers shoveled tons of money at them. In fact, they still owe of $50 billion. And, they are getting ready to file for bankruptcy again. See previous post: http://blnnews.com/2012/08/20/so-obama-saved-the-car-industry/ Joe, you […]
Stockton, California has just filed for bankruptcy. They are $700,000,000 in debt. Stockton is six times the size of Normal and they started to renovate their downtown in the 90s, which is a main reason for their bankruptcy. The city made $90 million in drastic cuts over the last three years, including reducing the Police […]
