Normal: 50 FEET!

By: Diane Benjamin Normal’s Community Investment Plan: https://tongis.maps.arcgis.com/apps/dashboards/df07946434c947f7936743df5c4eb076 I have no plans to watch Normal’s meeting last night where the Community Investment Plan was passed. The underpass spending is much less than the bids received. Since Normal has no one with better ideology to vote for in the April 1st election, watching it to see […]

Clear example of media only reporting what they want to report

By: Diane Benjamim Both the WGLT reporter and I watched the same Normal Town Council meeting last night. Nothing in the story I wrote this morning was mentioned in their story. Mine: https://blnnews.com/2022/01/19/message-to-trustee-mccarthy/ Theirs: https://www.wglt.org/local-news/2022-01-19/normal-new-public-data-portal-puts-more-information-at-your-fingertips Media picks and chooses what to report, obviously fraud isn’t something WGLT cares to cover if the Normal Town Council […]

More Normal comedy!

By: Diane Benjamin Chris Koos proved last night he doesn’t know what an Open Meetings Act Violation is. A violation occurs when a majority of a quorum discuss Town business in private. Koos accused Stan Nord of violating OMA by whispering to a fellow Council member. If TWO people is a violation Chris, the Town’s […]

Is Normal playing politics?

By: Diane Benjamin The Town of Normal is getting almost $11 million in American Rescue Funds over 2 years. Remember this slide from the Town of Normal Work Session on spending the windfall? https://blnnews.com/2021/12/07/normals-work-session-lack-of-transparency/ See the $3.5 million for the Savannah Green neighborhood. I have a map of that area below, but first you need […]

Normal Part 2

By: Diane Benjamin Part 1: https://blnnews.com/2020/12/22/im-a-proud-conspiracy-theorist-residents-of-normal-should-be-too/ Remember pre-Stan when meetings lasted about 10 minutes? Last night was close to 3 1/2 hours mostly because items were included that didn’t need to be. The Council heard a report from Beth Whisman concerning how Cultural Arts is surviving COVID. All the the part time staff, around 40 […]

Normal tonight. Rivian over citizens

By: Diane Benjamin If Normal passes an ordinance tonight to punish small businesses just trying not to close permanently here is what they are doing: Ignoring where COVID does kill people There is no proof bars and restaurants spread the virus but there is lots of proof nursing and group homes do. We know what […]

How can Normal hold a Budget Work Session?

By:  Diane Benjamin Is Normal pretending to listen to citizens? January 16th – Budget Review Work Session at 9:00. The Citizen Summit was held on December 5th.  The Council held a Work Session the next day.  Lyle Sumek was hired to facilitate both.  He has had plenty of time to compile a priorities list based […]