By: Diane Benjamin Downtown Champaign can’t get much cuter. It has lots of restaurants, bars, arts, and small businesses. It is also a dangerous place. Gangs are waging war against each other. Friday afternoon a 17 year old was killed and 4 wounded in a parking lot as mourners gathered after the funeral of another […]
By: Diane Benjamin Since no documentation is available for today’s “special” City Council meeting, citizens need to show up. Rights are lost when government acts without witnesses present. TODAY: Since the meeting is being held at the VFW Post, hopefully attacking the 2nd Amendment isn’t part of their plans.
By: Diane Benjamin The worst part of the Council raising your property taxes last night is they did it for no good reason. They might need the money in the future, so 3% it is. You lucked out, it could have been an increase of 5%. I attended the Danvers Council meeting last night with […]
The TIF Administrator has confirmed that issuing a Request for Proposal was legal. It is also still true that this Mayor and this City Council have never publicly mentioned doing this. What that means is that a backroom deal is being set up. Non-existent transparency caused this problem. Obviously something is brewing, the question is […]
By: Diane Benjamin See this file, start at Page 9: Master I don’t write often about Normal because it seems the citizens really don’t care about taxes and fiscal responsibility. The list below I found while looking for something else. If anybody in Normal does care, send the Town a FOIA request for more information. […]
by: Diane Benjamin Tomorrow I’m going to print another email I had to file a lawsuit to get. It will clearly show your alderman have no voice on the City Council. Most of them willingly gave it up. The potted plants exist only to vote yes on whatever is brought to them. The email will […]
by: Diane Benjamin I’ve talked to many people recently who think they aren’t smart enough to run for City Council. Have you watched a Council meeting? Seriously, most of the current elected do as they are told. If you are capable of any amount of independent thought, you would be among the best and brightest […]
Update Interesting timing! I had no idea somebody was re-writing the ordinance! At Monday’s City Council meeting a bunch of changes are going to be made to the Boards and Commissions. It looks like somebody thought adding more was a good idea, but most got scrapped. If you want to decipher what is happening – […]
One alderman sent a note: While initially expensive, these cans will provide for automation which will save money in the long term. Update #2. the author of this story needs to do more research. Some of the facts stated are not correct. I’m told there is no $50 fee. Also, statements and quotes are either […]
Watch the City Council proceedings from last night – especially the funding of the Black Church project. First their is a line of Pastor’s and citizens begging for the money. Then find out what Alderman Stearns and Lower really said before the vote. This was a project thrown together without even exploring private funding. The […]
by Diane Benjamin Tuesday night the Bloomington City Council is being asked to provide a little over $21,000 to a group of ministers to operate a 12 week summer program for older youth. The money will be used for rent (at 2 Westside churches), salaries, and really big utility bills. See the meeting packet: http://www.cityblm.org/Modules/ShowDocument.aspx?documentid=5206 […]
This progressive tried to intimate a new conservative on the Bloomington City Council with a short Letter to the Editor. What are you afraid of Lee? Government not spending enough of the citizens money? Do you actually believe government makes better decisions than citizens? If you think government control of electricity is so great – […]
Why did Carol Koos write a Letter to the Editor supporting Write-In guy? First Chris Koos write’s on the guys Facebook page: Chris Koos wrote on write-in’s timeline: Jamie. You’re on a hard path. I’m not supposed to cross borders, but this just makes sense. Good luck! Then Carol Koos writes a supporting letter! Congrats Bloomington! You […]
by Diane Benjamin I realize most of the readers of BLNNews.com are not willing to pay for the Pantagraph, and I certainly don’t blame you. They are an agenda driven paper, and that agenda does not include reporting accurately and looking out for the people. Investigative journalism should be their highest priority, but the Pantagraph […]
Bernie Anderson wants the no-name write-in guy appointed to fill out the rest of his term on the City Council – maybe 6 or 7 meetings. Why? He doesn’t say, but then one can surmise the reason: He’d be just like me! Exactly what is that Bernie? Voting for budgets that don’t fund pensions? […]
It appears that Stockton, so unhappy Bernie Anderson won’t be a lap dog any longer for David Hales, is determined not to let a guy that might oppose frivolousness spending like Kevin Lower get appointed to fill the Ward 1 seat. Even though Mr. Lower will be the only guy on the ballot because nobody else cared […]
by: Diane Benjamin 2018 is not going to be a good year! From page 85 of the CAFR (Comprehensive Annual Financial Report) After re-financing general obligation bonds to a lower interest rate (good thing) and putting off massive principle payments another 2 years (bad thing), the large payments start in 2018: 2013 $5,559,764 2014 […]
Bloomington Mayor and City Manager announced to the Council that the CAFR (Financial Statement) would NOT be released as required by law on 10/31/2012. This is a misdemeanor offense. Cities do not have the ability to set their own rules! Shouldn’t rules be applied equally to all citizens? Shouldn’t the entire city council and the city manager be […]
Update: I’ve now learned the replacement flag was purchased by a citizen, not the City. by Diane Benjamin Numerous citizens have asked the Bloomington City Council to remove the UN Flag from the Council Chambers. They have refused to openly discuss the issue, but privately they email each other. Here’s how they feel about the […]
When buzzing in my ear is too great to ignore – I must report! Buzzing around the Bloomington Council chambers, I heard Mayor Stockton wants committees! For what – who knows. I’d bet a committee on Form Based Code would be a Big Hit. Pack it with council members and like minded citizens who compile a […]
Attn: Everybody who applied to fill the seat of Jason Chambers on the Normal City Council You never had a chance of being selected. Kevin McCarthy got the job because he fully supports Chris Koos and the “Sustainability” agenda the built Uptown Normal. Below is a billing sheet from the Hile Group – Kevin McCarthy […]
Let’s talk local government. What is their job, what is their responsibility to citizens? Bloomington thought you needed entertainment, so you got the Coliseum and the BCPA, neither has made a profit or even broken even. They both need YOUR TAX DOLLARS. Normal thought you needed a new Uptown and they aren’t done building and […]
It’s been over a week since the last Bloomington City Council get-together but the goings-on still ring fresh in my mind. Local media co-conspirators, the Pantagraph and WJBC radio, as well, continue to frame the most popular issue – visioning. It continues to resonate throughout a significant segment of their programming and reporting topics. In […]
I spoke this morning to the Attorney General’s Office (7/30/12). Bloomington is responding to Request For Review today. The Attorney General will forward a copy of the response to me when they receive it. by Diane Benjamin I thought the Pantagraph was going to file – Pantagraph?
Attending the McLean County Regional Planning Commission meetings, one might think, would be a rather dull, uneventful and uninteresting waste of time. Quite the contrary. Given the fact that this body of unelected townspeople have at their charge the power and ability to plan, design, orchestrate and guide some of the most important decisions of our […]
February 5, 2012 WHAT IF OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS WEREN’T DOING THEIR JOBS? You might ask why and how that might happen? What if they weren’t aware of what their jobs were? What their duties were? Or, what their obligations were? These are all very valid questions, especially if we, the citizens, aren’t aware of what their […]
CityWatch is a group of citizens keeping an eye on local government. This is the first in a series of articles about the City of Bloomington government. http://citywatch1.blogspot.com/2012/03/wish-you-were-there-bloomington-city.html From: March 27, 2012 Upside down government. I’ve addressed it before. At last evenings Bloomington City Council meeting, more topsy-turvy politics appeared. It doesn’t surprise me any […]
