Update #2 – Update: Coliseum show tonight

Not on this video is a drunk jumping on the stage. From a reliable source: Security attempted to restrain him until police arrived. Mustaine overreacted, security was not removed just relocated, the drunk was later arrested. Evidently this happens frequently at this type of shows. See this video. It sounds like at least 1 hired […]

Bloomington hires a booker for Arena and BCPA

By: Diane Benjamin Nick Leroy had a short-lived venue called The Stable in downtown Bloomington. Hopefully he knows shows that make money instead of subsidized entertaining for the elites. When is the City going to admit the Coliseum isn’t The Grossinger Motors Arena anymore? Too hard to take the sign down? In case you missed […]

4 more things from Bloomington’s Monday meeting

By: Diane Benjamin 1) The stole/scarf type things the Council members were wearing were gifts from the visiting people from India. Most of that isn’t on microphone, so the purpose is unknown. See 11:20 on the video. . 2) I have reasons to believe the Danenberger/Henricks vote flip flops was a setup to make their […]

New use for the Coliseum

By: Diane Benjamin FYI: The Council that hired Tim Gleason and that mayor are long gone. Gleason was hired to revitalize downtown because he revitalized Decatur’s (sort of). After 5:00 very little happens in the closed up downtown businesses. It is nothing like Bloomington’s downtown that exists for lawyers, people accused of crimes, homeless people, […]

Returning to the scene of the crime

By: Diane Benjamin https://www.boxofficeticketsales.com/grossinger-motors-arena?msclkid=ac4450df0ccf192916d5331304eab1a2 Since the City of Bloomington now running the Coliseum, click on that link and check out ticket prices. It almost looks like every couple of seats has a different price depending on where it is. It must be too difficult just to have a few different prices, this event needs tons […]

Bloomington tonight – short meeting

By: Diane Benjamin If nothing gets pulled from the Consent Agenda the only item remaining is the Finance Director’s Report and comments. On the Consent Agenda: The gift that can’t stop giving – Coliseum, it isn’t Grossinger Motors Arena anymore: Looks like the Market Street Garage isn’t going anywhere soon: $10.52 a square foot. Normal […]

Public-Private Partnership Fail: Coliseum

By: Diane Benjamin The Arena was renamed in 2017 when Grossinger Motors agreed to pay naming rights. See this story: https://blnnews.com/2017/06/23/arena-name-change/ The naming rights expired June 30, 2022. Grossinger Motors doesn’t even exist anymore so obviously they didn’t renew the naming rights. I would have to file a FOIA to see if they even paid […]

Bloomington: Travel and bonds

By: Diane Benjamin Proof COVID is over, Bloomington employees are back to traveling: https://www.cityblm.org/home/showpublisheddocument/27940/637884879474800000 Go to PDF page 130 and following see for yourself. Don’t miss this one: $6754.00 for ONE Conference. I could say I hope more than one person went for that price, but then I’d have to ask why more than one […]

3 Things you need to know

By: Diane Benjamin 1) We now have proof Unit 5 teaches kids what to think, not how to think. Follow-up to this story: https://blnnews.com/2022/05/04/normal-your-taxes-funded-this/ Doug Fansler sent a video of a Ted Talk to Chemberly Cummings after her Youth on a Mission promoted EV’s without considering all sides. The students obviously didn’t look for facts […]

Bloomington 5-9-2022

By: Diane Benjamin Recap: Grant Walch was appointed Ward 1 Alderman – Jeff Crabill and Julie Emig voted against him. Evidently they didn’t like replacing a self-identified progressive alderman with a more conservative one. Road funding isn’t close to what it needs to be. The $7 million was increased to $9 million, factor in inflation […]

Update #2: Update: Rent the Coliseum, Close the BCPA

March Meltdown was at the Coliseum, so the BCPA is still looking for their first show this year to make money. The Performance Fee below is from a show called the Adventures of the Tortoise and the Hare. I still don’t have that report. I was missing one report from the BCPA – March Meltdown. […]

Slap in the face to the citizens of Bloomington

By: Diane Benjamin More on last night’s meeting tomorrow, start with this. Tim Gleason announced last night the Council will consider honorary street names for: (you have to hear it for yourself – 8 seconds) First, Bloomington is completely incompetent at zoom. Tim Gleason is talking, see his face up there anywhere? Hold a meeting […]

Bloomington tonight, tune in!

By: Diane Benjamin http://bloomingtonil.iqm2.com/Citizens/FileOpen.aspx?Type=1&ID=1152&Inline=True PDF page 10 is a proclamation declaring the first week of February: National Gun Violence Survivors’ Week. Has Mboka figured out Chicago has moved downstate? This is part of the declaration: That is probably true in Chicago where crimes aren’t prosecuted and kids are frequently shot and die because criminals with […]

Bloomington’s Master Planning

By: Diane Benjamin Government is not capable of Master Planning because they are spending YOUR money not theirs. They use your taxes as a piggy bank to fulfill their wishes. Voters keep electing progressives who promise to make their lives better and of course not raise taxes to do it. Insert your own joke__________________. Proof […]

More Coliseum even I didn’t know

By: Diane Benjamin I FOIA’d the City of Bloomington for communication about the John Butler/CIAM case. That FOIA I have, I also FOIA’d the County. I haven’t received that one yet. I found some interesting emails, the City was thrilled the case was over. I’m not thrilled because no one employed or representing the citizens […]

John Butler slaps Bloomington again

By: Diane Benjamin I can’t possibly follow everything going on in Bloomington-Normal, that’s why tips from readers are vital! I would have missed this story is a reader hadn’t sent it to me: https://www.wglt.org/local-news/2021-10-20/former-bloomington-arena-manager-looks-to-seal-records-related-to-fraud-case John Butler of CIAM wants his records sealed. Maybe the IRS is after him, maybe he just wants to make sure […]

Bill Flick: Trying to re-write history?

By: Diane Benjamin h/t a reader Since I don’t read the Pantagraph, a reader told me what Bill Flick wrote in a column last Sunday. https://pantagraph.com/opinion/columnists/flick-from-jimmy-fallon-to-jay-janssen-in-no-time/article_af765d10-bbb8-5b2a-8412-bf30d1fd8685.html Maybe Flick can be forgiven for not knowing the truth since his paper dutifully printed the bogus Profit/Loss numbers reported by the former managers and NEVER the audited numbers […]

Local Government Isn’t Your saviour

By: Diane Benjamin Monday night the residents with damaged property due to flooding last June didn’t show up at Council. They have been to every other Council meeting since June making Public Comments. Maybe they were too appalled the Library would claim $20 million+ was all they need for GLORIOUS while their homes remain damaged […]

Bloomington bills approved tonight

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 […]

Bloomington last night

By: Diane Benjamin Jamie Mathy reported Jenn Carrillo did not participate because she was experiencing internet problems. The City extended the Post Office lease in the Market Street parking garage for 18 months. Usually the lease is for 5 years, the City reduced it because they are planning to replace the garage. A contract was […]

Amenity not Economic Development

By: Diane Benjamin Last night’s Bloomington council meeting: Tari Renner and the Clerk had to be reminded Public Comment was skipped. I hope the next mayor can read and follow an agenda, Tari can’t (numerous examples from recent meetings). See around 49:00. There was only one Public Comment. Ward 3 candidate Willie Holton Halbert took […]

Tari, I finally have time to get to you!

By: Diane Benjamin Tari’s greatest lies part I lost count: https://www.cities929.com/steve-suess-podcast/ Tari Renner’s interview with Steve Suess starts around 45:00. Lie #1 Nobody has ever stated your entire police force is corrupt. I stated a bad cop can make ALL of them look bad. Lie #2 Diane makes stuff up. Since Tari claimed he doesn’t […]

Normal Trustees: Whatever Stan says we vote against

By: Diane Benjamin Last night’s Normal Town Council meeting was slightly over 4 hours. It started with a presentation by County Board Chair John McIntyre and County Administrator Camille Rodriguez pertaining to sales tax increase to fund mental health. That presentation took close to an hour. Was that on purpose to deflect from the budget […]

What Mike Matejka left out

By: Diane Benjamin https://www.pantagraph.com/opinion/columnists/mike-matejka-normal-election-potholes-vs-progress/article_b11f20fe-e830-5d01-bc84-d912acc37bf5.html Anybody know why the guy who voted to build the Coliseum gets to write a column in the paper? Better yet, why does anybody listen to him when he not only voted against the will of the people but has never apologized for his taxpayer fleece? Of course Mike is campaigning […]

Tari Flashback, Monday’s agenda

By: Diane Benajmin Something I found while looking for something else, this is dated in December of 2017: https://www.wjbc.com/2017/12/13/renner-bloomington-wont-be-sanctuary-city-mayor-sees-need-to-cut-personnel-costs-to-reduce-spending/ Excerpt: Monday night Jenn Carrillo’s Welcoming City Ordinance is on the agenda: Are you going to tell the Council not to approve this Tari? Change your mind? You now want Bloomington to be a sanctuary City […]

McLean County Justice

By: Diane Benjamin https://www.wglt.org/post/final-coliseum-defendant-pleads-guilty-misdemeanor-agrees-restitution#stream/0 The last Coliseum theft case was settled last week. The two main culprits got off with misdemeanor convictions while 2 low level employees who couldn’t afford to pay lawyers for years now have felony convictions. All 4 received plea deals, another defendant had all charges dropped. The City of Bloomington received […]

Equal justice under the law?

By: Diane Benjamin No, this has nothing to do with the election. It does have to do with Judge William Yoder. None of the news stories pertaining to the former Normal Police Officer who admitted stealing $12,000 said who the judge was. The only way I know is from a WGLT picture: https://www.wglt.org/post/former-normal-police-officer-pleads-guilty-theft-case#stream/0 How can […]

Before you believe John Butler:

By: Diane Benjamin John Butler and his lawyers have been telling media John didn’t know his employees were stealing concession money. Evidently he’s such a great guy he agreed to a misdemeanor and paid $450,000 in restitution just because. That of course was after spending who knows how many thousands (hundreds of thousands?) on attorneys […]