By: Diane Benjamin Did the local school district’s leadership even blink when Judge Grischow ruled masking kids EVIL? “Statutory rights have attempted to be bypassed through the issuance of Executive Orders and Emergency Rules … This type of evil is exactly what the law was intended to constrain.” Her statement called Pritzker EVIL! We are […]
By: Diane Benjamin The only big controversy at the 7:00 meeting was this item: See PDF page 46 for details: https://normal.org/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/3974 Stan Nord pulled this item from the Consent Agenda because this spending was not bid as required by code. In other words, Normal has been a member of the MICA pool for decades, therefore […]
By: Diane Benjamin Monday night Normal’s “professional staff” will present a plan to force their business owners to comply with Pritzker’s edicts. They will say it is the Carrot and Stick approach, but it’s really extortion. I wonder what Pritzker has promised in return for enforcing what can’t be enforced under the law? He knows […]
By: Diane Benjamin https://www.cityblm.org/Home/ShowDocument?id=23757 Since the City now has Jeff Jurgens as an employee, we will see if this disappears in the future: (he was their employee) Community Relations? did you get an invite to the feast: A future artist fee? This really needs a new name: Pantagraph scores again: This is just a members […]
By: Diane Benjamin No bills were approved at the last council meeting since it was held off-schedule for the holidays. Monday night $14,244,476.43 is up for approval. https://www.cityblm.org/Home/ShowDocument?id=23691 As always, there was extensive travel. A lot of it is in the PCard spending, see PDF page 271 and following. 2020 starts where previous years […]
By: Diane Benjamin For the second time in recent months Normal was incapable of live streaming with good audio. The posted video still has the same problem, luckily it was fixed almost 13 minutes into the meeting. About every 20 seconds the prior audio was replayed over the first. In another 20 seconds a third […]
By: Diane Benjamin https://normal.org/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/3494 The Wild Country lease will automatically renew in January, the operators just pay taxes, maintenance, and insurance. Taxpayers make nothing. No council vote required. I haven’t seen anything saying the sweet deal Terri Ryburn got for the Pine St gas station ever has to be renewed either. There are more – […]
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. […]
By: Diane Benjamin Bills for Monday night: http://www.normal.org/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/3124 Below are $2,018,187.32 in interest payments. Projects never cost what they say because interest is usually not included. If Uptown was such a huge benefit to the Town, your taxes would be going down. Are they? . . . . . . .
By: Diane Benjamin Agenda and Bills: http://www.normal.org/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/2821 If you want to know why local government isn’t run for citizens, check out where they go to learn how to do their job. NLC is National League of Cities: http://citysummit.nlc.org/schedule/schedule-by-day/ One Voice is the biggest fleece of all! Big group goes to Washington DC to beg for money […]
By: Diane Benjamin Even on sick leave, Tari can hold a business meeting at a bar and use the City PCard: http://www.cityblm.org/Home/ShowDocument?id=14856 The rest of the council still has no problem feeding themselves at your expense. Looks like the Chamber of Commerce is behind “Quality of Life” Monarch Group is Real Estate Development. Funny how WHO […]
By: Diane Benjamin Can $20 million be cut from Bloomington’s budget? David Hales thinks disaster would strike Bloomington if the tax increases were rolled back. (The media happily reports it!) Here’s a better question: The 2012 TOTAL budget was $165.3 million (Pre Tari) The 2013 TOTAL budget was $167 million (Pre Tari) That 2017 TOTAL […]
By: Diane Benjamin Filed on the City of Bloomington website – under Staff Responses – was this letter from the McLean County Chamber of Commerce: http://www.cityblm.org/Modules/ShowDocument.aspx?documentid=9176 Yes – they supported it. I didn’t realize the Chamber was part of the staff. From the Chamber of Commerce website: http://mcleancochamber.org/advocacy The McLean County Chamber of Commerce is […]
By: Diane Benjamin Thanks to the Chamber of Commerce for endorsing some candidates in next Tuesday’s local election. Since the Chamber believes in amnesty so companies have cheap labor (your former job), citizens now know who NOT to vote for. Also, the Chamber thinks government creates economic activity. While spending your money, government creates temporary […]
by: Diane Benjamin The Political Action wing of the Chamber just held a Conference Call. I received an invitation, so I called in. They made it clear at the beginning that no press or bloggers were allowed on the call, so participants could speak freely. (Tee Hee) The speaker said they are in favor of […]
by: Diane Benjamin Yesterday I posted a story about how the McLean County Chamber of Commerce is working against the interests of small businesses. It riled at least one Republican. I believe he is an establishment type Republican because I’ve heard the same talk for years. They have no idea what it means to be […]
The locals aren’t any different! DC LOBBYISTS CHEER BOEHNER’S WAR ON TEA PARTY Lobbyists are reportedly “pumping their fists” over House Speaker John Boehner’s declaration of war against the Tea Party last week. by TONY LEE According to The Hill, lobbyists were “pleasantly surprised by” Boehner’s “strident remarks” last week in which he said Tea Party groups have […]
See this previous post: http://blnnews.com/2013/08/08/why-are-these-groups-holding-private-meetings/ The invite sent for the Chamber of Commerce Forum points out that the Bibles Badges and Business Network helped promote this event, which they are doing all over the country. The Bibles Badges and Business Network is a project of the National Immigration Forum. http://www.bbbimmigration.org/ The National Immigration Forum according to […]
This article explains why the Chamber of Commerce isn’t looking out for you – they want government spending! The people they endorsed epitomize their goal. Don’t miss the 2nd story below. Pro-Business Does Not Mean Pro-Freedom or Pro-Market Representatives of the business community frequently are the worst enemies of freedom. They often seek special subsidies and handouts, […]
