By: Diane Benjamin As a veteran one would think Chris Koos has said the Pledge of Allegiance so many times it would be impossible to forget. Last night he couldn’t remember the words, maybe because it was at: “One Nation Under God”. Also note instead of saying the Pledge, Chemberly Cummings put a sign on […]
By: Diane Benjamin The Normal Town Council met for over 3 hours last night. I wonder if Chris Koos and Pam Reece know their days are numbered and they are attempting to achieve nirvana before they get kicked out? This meeting will take more than one story! The soon to be ex-mayor took it upon […]
By: Diane Benjamin Think all the way back to March 16, 2020. That was pre-shutdown and the Normal Town Council was still meeting in person. The staff got raises at this meeting and the Council was forced to approve a site plan for Stan Nord’s property. It isn’t in Uptown so different rules apply – […]
By: Diane Benjamin Since the media isn’t interested in holding tyrannical dictators accountable, I must keep posting Mayor Koos taunting protesters. This picture speaks volumes about him and his buddies on the Council – the PLAN is the only thing that matters, not you. But there is more: A guy name Josh Favus is Koos’ […]
By: Diane Benjamin Executive Orders are not law. We don’t live in a dictatorship, the only power government has is what you let them get by with! The Illinois shutdown has morphed from “bending the curve” to tyranny. The Edgar County Watchdogs have been leading since March by simply reading the law. The State and […]
By: Diane Benjamin Yesterday Tari Renner participated in a video conference led by the Peoria’s mayor. There were MANY other mayors on the call, Chris Koos was not one of them. Below is a clip of just Renner. He starts by thanking Mayor Ardis for his leadership, he asks a question, then expresses his appreciation […]
By: Diane Benjamin Pritzker has no power to shut down businesses. Neither does Renner or Koos. Local governments are graveling at Pritzker’s feet instead protecting your rights. They are probably afraid of losing State grants. Not living within your means makes them captive to the overlord Pritzker, Has anybody read the Illinois Constitution? Where does […]
By: Diane Benjamin Mayor Chris Koos posted this statement to his official Facebook page yesterday: Did he bother to read the Emergency Order # 20-008 he signed on April 4th? http://www.normal.org/DocumentCenter/View/16503/Emergency-Order-20-008—Stay-at-home-enforcement-?bidId= Excerpts: Did somebody forge your signature Mayor? One or more of the below is true: Koos is intentionally deceiving citizens Koos knows his order […]
By: Diane Benjamin It probably isn’t possible that you missed yesterday’s story, but in case you did: https://blnnews.com/2020/05/09/chris-koos-taunts-protestors/ If you need more proof that Not In Town Town is a joke to silence free speech, keep reading. From the NIOT Facebook page – written by Matejka himself: Mike’s mission isn’t to stop bullying if the […]
In response to citizens peaceably protesting yesterday” Normal Il mayor taunted “nonessential” struggling citizens and business owners while his business is OPEN. The banner proves he has NO compassion for his own community. He knew people were coming to protest, his message to those NOT ALLOWED to work: his middle finger! Worse – Koos told […]
By: Diane Benjamin READ all the way to the bottom please! The tyrants keeping Illinois shut down have no basis in the law to continue doing so. Start with Chris Koos – his original ordinance #5804: http://www.normal.org/DocumentCenter/View/16424/ORD-5824—Emergency-Authorization—032320?bidId= That ordinance references: Koos is basing his Executive Powers on the Governor’s Executive Order. What does the […]
By: Diane Benjamin One more story on the bike given to Jeff Fritzen from Mayor Koos’ bike shop. A copy of the invoice was included in the FOIA I received from Normal. I hadn’t noticed until today at the top was a Purchase Order number. This morning I filed a FOIA for that Purchase Order. […]
Two emails have been added to the bottom. I’m all the way to page 314 of 924! By: Diane Benjamin I’m paging through 924 pages received by FOIA, I’m up to page 187. When I see something citizens need to know I do a story. What I received belongs to citizens, you paid for them […]
Followup story: https://blnnews.com/2020/04/16/more-on-the-normal-ordinance-scam/ By: Diane Benjamin The Normal Town Council rushed through an emergency ordinance. One section was very problematic for citizens. See details in this story: https://blnnews.com/2020/03/22/normal-emergency-meeting-monday/ The offending section, granting emergency powers to only Koos and Reece, was rapidly removed from the ordinance when suggested by Chris Koos and immediately amended by Kevin […]
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 […]
By: Diane Benjamin From this story: https://blnnews.com/2020/04/14/koos-caught-in-another-lie/ Besides the typo, see anything else? Anybody? . . The Council only has SEVEN members. Koos claims he talked to SIX! http://normal.org/1135/Meet-the-Council If Koos hadn’t wasted time talking to himself he would of had time to call Stan! (I was waiting for somebody to notice)
I found more emails you need to see. So far I haven’t found any responses from the Mayor to Stan. (At bottom) By: Diane Benjamin See this WGLT story: https://www.wglt.org/post/normal-cracks-down-large-gatherings#stream/0 Excerpt: Koos claimed he could not reach one council member! He didn’t try: Koos didn’t have time At least he apologized, I wonder if […]
By: Diane Benjamin h/t some readers Must read story from yesterday: https://blnnews.com/2020/03/29/why-dave-shields-defends-koos/ This story won’t make any sense without reading the first story. There is more to know. Start with the Matter Family Foundation: Stephen S. and Anne E. K. Matter Foundation Family foundation Since this is a non-profit, tax returns are on line. See […]
By: Diane Benjamin Tonight the Town of Normal will attempt to seize power there is no need for: https://blnnews.com/2020/03/22/normal-emergency-meeting-monday/ Mayor Koos and Pam Reece want broad powers to respond however they see fit when no emergency exists locally. See this story from earlier today: https://blnnews.com/2020/03/23/just-the-facts-china-corona-virus/ Worse, the Town of Normal doesn’t want citizens present. Public […]
By: Diane Benjamin At last Monday’s meeting of the Normal Town Council Chris Koos tried to justify the Town buying a bike from his business to present to retiring Trustee Jeff Fritzen. The bike was in addition to the lavish party the Town threw for him. https://blnnews.com/2020/03/03/more-on-fritzens-retirement/ Koos claimed he sold the bike to the […]
By: Diane Benjamin Two citizens mentioned the gift to Jeff Fritzen during public comment tonight. Koos didn’t like being challenged so he decided to respond. He claims he overlooked submitting the bill, that explains a lot mayor especially below market leases. Koos also claimed he sold it to the Town at cost. Koos claimed no […]
By: Diane Benjamin In case you forgot, see this story: https://blnnews.com/2020/02/01/fake-news-wglt-2/ WGLT did a story attacking Stan Nord using a letter City Manager Pam Reece sent to Stan Nord. WGLT couldn’t possibly have obtained it by FOIA. That letter was leaked to them, yes folks your government is either anti-business or willing to destroy anyone […]
By: Diane Benjamin The Mayor decided to post on Facebook yesterday: I guarantee he isn’t suddenly MAGA and voting for Trump. Two of the responses are perfect: Koos did have a couple of supporters: I will let the guy that helped win WWII respond for me: . . . . . . .
By: Diane Benjamin Chris Koos posted this on Facebook: Other than bad grammer, this statement proves he is clueless. He has not been paying attention to citizens because he doesn’t want to! Facts Chris: 1 Uptown Circle is a failure because of the ridiculous lease your previous Council approved to get the building built 1 […]
By: Diane Benjamin Would anybody be surprised if there was? We do live in Illinois after all! WGLT did a story yesterday about Stan Nord’s property on W. College. First you need to know this: Below are payments to WGLT from Normal taxpayers while one of WGLT’s employees was a trustee: (RC McBride) Why did […]
By: Diane Benjamin All emails received by FOIA. This comment appeared in a December 4th article – Mayor Koos: https://www.pantagraph.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/in-step-or-out-of-line-normal-council-wants-to/article_deebde5c-33be-5c08-bd94-828984d434bf.html The Mayor was talking about the Citizens Summitt. He wanted only “invitees” to participate. Stan Nord invited the Town from his Facebook page. Koos and Pam Reece were annoyed at the December 2nd council meeting: […]
By: Diane Benjamin Surprise surprise! Normal had an agreement with IDOT to build an overhead passenger walkway at their expense: The source for the above is the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed by former City Manager Mark Peterson and officials from the State of Illinois and Union Pacific Railroad: 12.6.16_MOU Your elected officials decided a […]
By: Diane Benjamin When Chemberly Cummings held her poorly attended Daring Diversity Summit the Town of Normal created an entire web page to it, now they are advertising for 2020: http://www.normal.org/daringdiversity The Town had numerous Facebook posts in September for the October 3rd event. The Pantagraph even did an article quoting some council members and […]
By: Diane Benjamin 1) The Director of the McLean County History Museum recently left after only 1 1/2 years on the job. Was there some financial improprieties? I’m hearing rumors. If this is true it is yet another person allowed to quit without an investigation. He then moves on to do the same thing somewhere […]
Ask the elitists: Why they needs to ride instead of mingling with their constituents How much the carriage cost taxpayers – in past years it was $700 https://blnnews.com/2016/11/07/normal-time-to-say-no/ Doesn’t Normal own any worthy vehicles they could have used Who will be riding with Koos since Fritzen and McBride are gone. Will it be Chemberly Cummings? Kathleen […]
By: Diane Benjamin If Illinois had a competent Attorney General a ruling against Normal for their public comment policy would have been written many months ago. (the law requires them to rule within 90 days) We don’t, so Normal continues to stifle citizen speech only because they can. A complaint was filed with the AG […]
By: Diane Benjamin Pam Reece can’t understand why Stan Nord is questioning the actions of past Councils. If Pam can’t understand why Stan was elected, she had an opportunity handed to her: Stan has raised questions about a number of issues. Some of them included Town owned properties being leased for much less than market […]
By: Diane Benjamin Citizens of Normal can expect more backroom deals and handouts to friends because most of the Normal Trustees didn’t get the message from the last two elections. Voters can permanently get a representative government in 2021. Meanwhile Stan Nord and Karyn Smith are by themselves expecting fiscal sanity. The excessive spending trying […]
By: Diane Benjamin Definitive proof the Connect Transit Connect to the Future working group is wasting their time comes from the words spoken by member and Connect Transit Board member Judy Buchanan. Agreeing at the last Board meeting to purchase 35 foot electric buses for the next 5 years confirms it. Go back to the August […]
By: Diane Benjamin Kathleen Lorenz claims to be a Republican, so does Scott Preston. It is Republicans like these that made me leave the Republican Party years ago. The days of voting for party are long gone. Base your vote on the CHARACTER of the candidate, not the party. Both Lorenz and Preston know Normal’s […]
By: Diane Benjamin Chris Koos’ bike shop sells electric bikes. https://www.vitessecycle.com/product-list/bikes-1000/ebikes-electric-bikes-1038/ These bikes can reach speeds of 30 MPH, but they are not banned on Constitution Trail. Signs on the trail say “No Motorized Vehicles”, so why are electric allowed? Safety doesn’t matter? Aren’t some bikers on the trail already a hazard? How is “electric” […]
By: Diane Benjamin This story should explain why Tari Renner despises Clarence Thomas. https://blnnews.com/2019/05/25/tari-renner-clarence-thomas-doesnt-act-afro-american/ Thomas is black and successful. Clarence proves being born poor and black in America does not mean you are doomed for life. The same applies to Ben Carson and many other minorities who are living the American Dream because they worked […]
By: Diane Benjamin One more thing happened at Monday’s Normal Town Council meeting that you need to see. First, some background. Both Bloomington and Normal have decided in recent years to write minutes that don’t reflect exactly what happens at meetings. If citizens want to research something that happened a year ago and don’t know […]
By: Diane Benjamin Last night’s Normal Town Council meeting lasted over 2 1/2 hours, it will take more than one story. Chris Koos declared again last night that he was holding a “business meeting”. Since the Town of Normal produces nothing and only has money they steal from taxpayers, he isn’t holding a “business meeting”. […]
