By: Diane Benjamin Budget book 2 – PDF page 132 https://www.bloomingtonil.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/29127 The paragraph below sure sounds like the City let Grossinger Motors off the hook for naming rights long before the contract was over last summer. Grossinger is still on the building anyway. The City still refers to it at Grossinger anyway. The EXCESS reserves […]
By: Diane Benjamin Every small town in McLean County should pass the same resolution now. See what Leroy passed in 2018 when CIRA wanted to tax the entire County: Not everyone who uses CIRA lives in McLean County but they aren’t being taxed. Every small town and city in the County can’t afford to have […]
By: Diane Benjamin The Bloomington Election Commission has a long history of failing at their one job: Elections. Just in November they couldn’t tell candidates for Bloomington Council how many signatures they needed on petitions because of redistricting. In 2022 BEC requested and increase to their budget of $550,000. BEC has had a hard time […]
By: Diane Benjamin Will someone ask Bloomington why they had 904 employees in mid December? https://www.bloomingtonil.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/28863/638084456490870000 Bloomington ended the year with 820 employees, still way over the previous numbers! COUNTY taxpayers are forced to fund the Bloomington Election Commission while having no oversight! This is taxation without representation because BEC doesn’t answer to anyone. Green […]
I heard the Bloomington Election Commission can’t tell candidates in revised wards how many signatures they need to run! I also hear candidates are told to consult a lawyer – sure, for a job that pays $2,300 a year. Brilliant. (You have ONE job) I wonder if they know the law? (10 ILCS 5/29-4) (from Ch. […]
By: Diane Benjamin Only slightly over 60% of registered voters in McLean County bothered to vote. (35,980 out of 59,448) Evidently 40 year high inflation and Pritzker tax increases weren’t enough pain for the other 40% I can’t tell you how many registered voters in Bloomington bothered to show up. Not only did it take […]
By: Diane Benjamin Bills and Payroll: https://www.cityblm.org/home/showpublisheddocument/28152/637939229937530000 If using accumulated sick time to spike a pension was eliminated, what is this? This is spiking pension(s). Why the Bloomington Election Commission needs eliminated, the elected County Clerk should run all elections instead of unelected bureaucrats: Packet: https://d3n9y02raazwpg.cloudfront.net/cityblm/5a20b9c4-a62d-11ec-8a90-0050569183fa-36dc0a47-f3e1-4a7f-ab53-55227cac04fe-1658440789.pdf PDF page 95: Looks like a Public Hearing on […]
By: Diane Benjamin Note: Petitions are still being collected. See the website to help: https://betternormal-il.com/why-district-normal%3F-1 Before you read the extensive story WGLT wrote about the petitions being circulated to ask Normal voters if they want to switch to Wards, some points WGLT didn’t make: Most of the current Trustees think they are a Board of […]
By: Diane Benjamin Voting 6 weeks before the actual election date is merely a ploy to bank votes from uniformed voters. Do not vote now, the ballots aren’t even available yet to preview before you vote. The ballots were likely delayed by petition challenges. Only those who want to be uniformed vote before campaigning even […]
By: Diane Benjamin Bloomington could have a short meeting tonight: http://bloomingtonil.iqm2.com/Citizens/FileOpen.aspx?Type=1&ID=1163&Inline=True Some highlights: Is anyone going to ask why businesses keep leaving downtown for the East side? Is anyone going to admit the City Core is Veterans Parkway not downtown? Sick Leave Buy Back is still being paid, it just can’t be used to spike […]
By: Diane Benjamin I recently filed a FOIA request with the Bloomington Election Commission. In case you missed this story, the COUNTY pays the bills for Bloomington’s Election Commission: Bloomington Proved BEC is a WASTE of Money The only thing this office does is elections. There might be three elections this year, there might […]
By: Diane Benjamin The Bloomington Election Commission got their space in the Government Center downgraded when Bloomington offices moved in. Now they got pushed out so Bloomington’s Legal Department can move in. BEC (which shouldn’t exist because it duplicates the services of the County Clerk) is moving to the building next door: https://www.instantstreetview.com/@40.479618,-88.993312,178h,-2.59p,0z,wpb1CabIaO1Ad8groyQ-XQ The address […]
The below was sent by the local GOP, Democrats likely sent it out too. People who demand the law be followed are needed, BEC needs a watchdog. Here is the news release from the BEC. DATE: November 24, 2021SUBJECT: Announcing commissioner position vacancy on the City of Bloomington Board of Election Commission The Bloomington Board […]
By: Diane Benjamin It took a long time for the Bloomington Election Commission to name a new Executive Director, the last one quit in May. I’d still like to know why Tim Mitchell quit suddenly and why it took so long to replace him. Did they have trouble finding a qualified applicant? The new Executive […]
By: Diane Benjamin Bills and Payroll: https://www.cityblm.org/home/showpublisheddocument/26488/637588526176300000 Wasn’t Sick Leave Buy Back abolished? Buy local? Not when Amazon can deliver office and cleaning supplies with a mouse click. This is what the City spent in one month: Even administration participated: Remember when the Coliseum was sold as it would pay for itself? https://blnnews.com/2017/01/28/coliseum-who-to-blame/ Hint: It […]
By: Diane Benjamin The Bloomington Election Commission need to be abolished now. The Executive Director Tim Mitchell is no longer there – effective today. From all appearances he did not give any notice. An employee said by phone Tim chose to work outside the office, whatever that means. I do know the County is moving […]
If you love Jenn Carrillo’s version of governing, you will love Kelby: By: Diane Benjamin I wonder how the poll workers kept up with so many voters exercising their constitutional right to pick their representatives: Keep doing this voters and somebody is going to propose abolishing elections because they are just too expensive and people […]
By: Diane Benjamin On Bloomington’s agenda tonight Jenn Carrillo wants the Council to petition the Federal and State governments to replace Columbus Day in favor of Indigenous People’s Day. https://blnnews.com/2021/01/22/cancel-culture-back-at-bloomington-monday/ Evidently Jenn doesn’t know the entire month of November is Native American People’s month. Maybe she doesn’t know that’s another way of saying Indigenous People’s […]
By: Diane Benjamin https://www.cityblm.org/Home/ShowDocument?id=25694 The cost of buying a page for the financial statements keeps going up. See the page on PDF page 14: https://www.cityblm.org/home/showpublisheddocument?id=25360 Why isn’t abolishing the Bloomington Election Commission back on the April ballot? When non-elected officials can’t be held accountable for screwing up elections they need to go. Besides, Bloomington doesn’t […]
By: Diane Benjamin Most pollsters have no credibility. The one who got 2016 right was https://www.thetrafalgargroup.org/ Trafalar predicted a Trump win in 2020. In the future, pollsters need to be marginalized. They intentionally over-sample those who produce the results they want to see. Media has no credibility. The majority of the media misled the public […]
By: Diane Benjamin I was informed by a VERY reliable source: Yesterday at the Coliseum a Bloomington Election Commission judge was telling people to vote YES on the Progressive Tax Amendment. That is illegal, the police were called and a report was made. Election officials are not allowed to influence your vote. Meanwhile, Jenn Carrillo […]
By: Diane Benjamin https://www.cityblm.org/Home/ShowDocument?id=25362 I thought there was a deadline for City of Bloomington employees to retire if they wanted to spike their pensions, but evidently it’s still happening: These two employees will receive much higher pension benefits merely because nobody at the City stopped them. This fleece has cost Bloomington taxpayers MILLIONS of dollars […]
By: Diane Benjamin It was pretty easy to determine the COUNTY was paying for the Bloomington Election Commission for this story: https://blnnews.com/2020/10/08/you-cant-make-this-stuff-up-bloomington-election-commission/ I emailed the Bloomington Finance Director just to verify and didn’t receive a response until yesterday: That is 7 days after I wrote the story! This is the document they sent, you have […]
By: Diane Benjamin Remember the ballot error that caused the Bloomington Election Commission to shut down early voting? https://blnnews.com/2020/10/01/early-voting-suspended-in-bloomington/ I received questions from people who had early voted with the ballot that left off retaining two judges. Some were worried their vote would be invalidated. I emailed BEC to see what the plan is. This […]
By: Diane Benjamin Did you notice the Democrats weren’t crying “Voting Suppression” when BEC shut down early voting for days to fix their ballot problem? What would they have said about Republican Kathy Michael if the County would have shut down early voting? Did you also notice there is no one voters can hold accountable […]
By: Diane Benjamin I think that boat has sailed BEC. If you have a problem with your ballots everybody who has already voted has a problem. How many ballots have you mailed? The specimen ballot on the BEC website does have a problem – two questions are missing: https://www.becvote.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/General-Election-1120.pdf Anyone who has already voted did […]
By: Diane Benjamin Last week the Kathy Michael, McLean County Clerk, and Tim Mitchell, Executive Director of the Bloomington Election Commission, issued a joint Press Release. Note: If you had voted to abolish BEC when you had the chance there wouldn’t be TWO now! (No, I’m not letting you forget) You will be getting a […]
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 The below was sent to the election judges yesterday by the Bloomington Election Commission. See the original story: https://blnnews.com/2020/04/07/you-should-have-abolished-the-bloomington-election-commission/ Note how nothing is ever government’s fault, in this case it’s the bank’s fault. Yes folks, banks accidentally bounce checks all the time. . . . . .
The original Facebook post below might be slightly wrong. It is looking more like BEC wrote checks on an account they forgot to transfer money to before sending them out. People who call are being told to re-submit their checks. Proof of fees incurred has to be submitted to be reimbursed. By: Diane Benjamin Having […]
By: Diane Benjamin Title to a story in a newsletter to all City Managers who are members of ICMA – both Bloomington and Normal are: Santa Barbara Moves to Partner With County for Emergency Dispatch Services https://www.noozhawk.com/article/santa_barbara_moves_to_partner_with_county_for_emergency_dispatch_services Quote: Santa Barbara hopes to save up to two minutes in response time by combining emergency dispatch services […]
By: Diane Benjamin http://bloomingtonil.iqm2.com/Citizens/FileOpen.aspx?Type=1&ID=1049&Inline=True Details on PDF page 11: Great job by City employees, what took so long to recognize them? PDF page 63 – the City needs to budget for extensive restoration of the outside – BCPA. This is just repairs. PDF page 93 – Another cost taxpayers could have avoided if they had voted […]
By: Diane Benjamin A few of them that stood out: https://www.cityblm.org/Home/ShowDocument?id=23453 Bloomington taxpayers: If you had voted to abolish the Bloomington Election Commission you wouldn’t be paying this now: Community Relations? Is the tweet from the same Candacy Taylor? Payment #3 for improvements to the Coliseum. How many in total? How many more years does […]
By: Diane Benjamin If the City Code doesn’t apply to the City, it doesn’t apply to you either. Right? https://blnnews.com/2019/10/13/bloomington-violates-their-own-code/ If they do meet tonight, here’s what’s on the agenda: http://bloomingtonil.iqm2.com/Citizens/FileOpen.aspx?Type=1&ID=1039&Inline=True The City has already budgeted $100,489.40 for repairs to Oneil Pool. Tonight they are adding $24,900 for sidewalk repairs around the pool. This will […]
By: Diane Benjamin This question will be on the ballot for Bloomington voters only: Voting YES abolishes the Bloomington Election Commission and puts elections in the hands of the ELECTED County Clerk. Here’s why voting YES is important: Peoria County is one of the few with an Election Commission. That Election Commission screwed up the […]
By: Diane Benjamin The wording is what is legally required. If you want to save money by not having two separate offices conduct elections, you must vote YES to abolish the Bloomington Election Commission. Since all BEC does is elections, what do they do when there aren’t any? Republicans and Libertarians think voters should have […]
By: Diane Benjamin This morning Connie Beard, McLean County GOP chair, held a press conference. (Note: the GOP is led by a woman! Democrats aren’t) The purpose was to touch on three topics: 1) Referendums The GOP has placed three on the ballot. The first two will only be on the County ballots. These two […]
By: Diane Benjamin The actual election is November 6th, but thanks to the Illinois progressives, voting starts September 27th. Yep, some people can’t get to the polls without over a month of voting. The purpose of early voting is to make sure people vote before any news comes out that might change their mind. Votes […]
By: Diane Benjamin Sometimes the biased reporting of the Pantagraph is clear. Gee, they left one word out of the following: https://www.pantagraph.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/mcbride-to-run-again-for-normal-council/article_2343d2f9-03af-5b94-833c-eb1310ce6228.html Chissell was just elected in March. I’m betting she was the only person running, but BECVOTE.org doesn’t have the primary election results posted: http://www.becvote.org/wordpress/electiondatesandoffices/pastresults/ Keep that in mind when Democrats say the […]
By: Diane Benjamin A couple of days ago a comment was made on Facebook saying Republicans were trying to suppress the vote at ISU, and that’s why kids had to stand in long lines. The person who made that comment must have not realized the election was a primary. Suppressing democrat votes does nothing to […]
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