By: Diane Benjamin The probable Project Labor Agreement coming to the City Council is a clear example of pay-to-play politics. Labor unions throw money at aldermen to get them elected, then those alderman pass ordinances that are good for labor unions while also being destructive to taxpayers. Bloomington’s City Manager stated union representatives helped write […]
By: Diane Benjamin 1) Since Cody Hendricks accepted campaign contributions from 2 labor unions, City code prevents him from voting on any Project Labor Resolution that will benefit unions. How is that not a Conflict of Interest? Of course he can’t render a fair opinion. See this story for sources and details of the contributions: […]
By: Diane Benjamin Doing a favor for the guy who gave you an internship Andy? You were the first one to jump on a motion to approve what was presented last night! I’ve got video! If Kathleen Lorenz is really worried about developers rejecting Normal after watching what happens there, this fiasco will send them […]
By: Diane Benjamin If you don’t know who Rachael Lund is, this will refresh your memory: https://blnnews.com/2020/10/30/who-is-the-real-rachael-lund/ After Lund failed to win her County Board election, Chris Koos appointed her to the Planning Commission. That speaks volumes about Koos, of course the Council has been told their only role is to approve anyone Koos picks, […]
By: Diane Benjamin If you missed these two stories, read them now: https://blnnews.com/2022/07/07/normal-and-the-mica-fleece/ and https://blnnews.com/2022/07/14/normals-mica-vrs-bloomingtons-gallagher/ Brief recap: Normal has purchased comprehensive insurance through MICA for decades, they don’t bid this insurance because they claim MICA does Normal’s Finance director is on MICA’s Executive Committee Normal does accounting work for MICA The cost for Normal’s insurance […]
By: Diane Benjamin I FOIA’d a list of all organizations Town of Normal employees are members of. The Town is not required to produce documents that don’t exist even if a FOIA them, so obviously this list is kept by the Town. Chances are good the Town is paying for memberships in many of these […]
By: Diane Benjamin All you taxpaying citizens in Normal aren’t allowed to go speak to the Council and be first up if your topic isn’t on the agenda. You have to wait until the end of the meeting which could be hours of waiting. Of course special people get to speak out of order. Remember […]
By: Diane Benjamin Previous stories for reference: https://blnnews.com/2022/01/05/see-anybody-with-a-disability/ https://blnnews.com/2022/01/05/are-koos-and-mccarthy-profiting/ https://blnnews.com/2022/01/05/some-people-will-fall-for-anything/ I wonder of Brian Day, Normal’s attorney, has a copy of this book? Normal pays the Illinois Municipal League a lot of money every year, if he doesn’t have a copy he should. Does the Town hand out copies of this 216 page book to […]
By: Diane Benjamin If you didn’t read the comments to yesterday’s story, a link was posted to Trustee McCarthy’s performance training website. Google Path Performance – the link won’t connect to this story. Well, yesterday it had a section stating Kevin did training at Rosa Parks. Today it’s gone, sort of like his disappearing claims […]
By: Diane Benjamin http://bloomingtonil.iqm2.com/Citizens/FileOpen.aspx?Type=1&ID=1118&Inline=True In a perfect example of government believing individuals have no responsibility but government does: The McLean County Regional Planning Commission will make a presentation that includes this: Eliminate fatalities and life-changing injuries from our transportation system by 2030 That is the most absurd statement ever written with tax dollars. I can’t […]
By: Diane Benjamin Monday night Normal voted to accept a new bike master plan. It will require vast amounts of money in the future to add trails all over Normal. Mayor and BIKE SHOP owner Chris Koos did not recuse himself from the discussion. One person at public comment even claimed biking is way up […]
By: Diane Benjamin This guy is the General Manager WGLT: http://wglt.org/people/category/6 McBride is also on the Town of Normal Council: http://www.normal.org/1135/Meet-the-Council If you don’t already see a conflict of interest with media helping to run government, I’m not done. Monday night the Normal Council is writing some checks to WGLT, an NPR station that […]
By: Diane Benjamin Does anybody read the City Code? Do you know elected officials who might be benefitting “indirectly” from the Giebelhausen fleecing? Chapter 16 : Section 57A : City Officers Not to Have Interest in Municipal Contracts. http://www.cityblm.org/index.aspx?page=262 No officer of the City shall be interested, directly or indirectly, in any contract made and entered into under the […]
by: Diane Benjamin Evidently the local press lacks curiosity. Maybe they aren’t allowed to do investigative reporting. Maybe reporters can’t investigate the local “insiders”. Maybe they can’t investigate their advertisers. Maybe Illinois wouldn’t be so corrupt if REAL media existed. Below are some questions I’d be asking: How about some investigation of the unemployment […]
