By: Diane Benjamin Yesterday I obtain an email address for an officer with the State Police who has knowledge of the Coliseum investigation. I sent him an email stating not only concession commissions were an issue, but the CITY employees who allowed the problems to happen. It’s unconscionable that David Hales allowed CIAM to operate […]
By: Diane Benjamin Something happened at the Bloomington Council meeting last night that wasn’t on the agenda! I hope the Live Stream is permanently repaired before the next meeting. It didn’t work last night. Tom Dabareiner, Community Development, stated that a meeting will be held on September 22nd – but it’s only for the downtown […]
Dan Swaney was nice enough to talk with my this afternoon on WJBC. Here’s the link:
By: Diane Benjamin I’m happy to see the Illinois State Police were called in to investigate the former management of the Coliseum. However, I have no proof they are investigating my allegations that surfaced because of my lawsuit, Or that David Hales is being investigated for his role. CIAM would not have been able to […]
By: Diane Benjamin Hales is frequently praised for pulling Bloomington back from the brink of disaster, but Tari Renner claimed he did it when he became mayor. See his announcement for re-election. Both believe taxing people to death creates prosperity. For government it does, not so much for those not in or profiting from government. […]
By: Diane Benjamin On August 31st I posted the Coliseum timeline to show how long I have been trying to bring problems at the Coliseum to the City’s attention. https://blnnews.com/2016/08/31/coliseum-the-timeline/ Today I found another piece to the puzzle that I had forgotten. The City Council meeting where hockey was changed from professional to junior was […]
By: Diane Benjamin We are supposedly a Representative Republic where people are elected to represent us in government. If you’ve ever watched a Bloomington City Council meeting, it doesn’t take long to realize only 1 guy on the Council represents citizens. Of course, Kevin Lower. The rest are there to represent the City to the […]
I just sent this press release to numerous local media: Diane Benjamin BlnNews.com September 2, 2016 Press Release Bloomington City Manager David Hales needs to step down immediately Last week I obtained concession sale documents from the US Cellular Coliseum in Bloomington Il. These documents were only obtained because of a Freedom of Information lawsuit […]
By: Diane Benjamin Within a 1/2 hour of receiving the Coliseum Concession documents, I had the numbers plugged into the spreadsheet shown in this story: https://blnnews.com/2016/08/26/bombshell-sit-down-before-reading/ It wasn’t difficult and I did it for FREE! Last year David Hales earned almost $240,000: http://www.cityblm.org/Modules/ShowDocument.aspx?documentid=10245 Hales didn’t have time in more than seven years as City Manager […]
By: Diane Benjamin Today the local media finally decided to report on the Coliseum: http://www.pantagraph.com/news/local/government-and-politics/city-examining-ciam-s-concession-sales-at-coliseum/article_32b4b33e-8f50-5782-a8be-4ea5a57fbf0b.html It needs a few corrections: I knew Renner was going to try to say the concession problems I’ve been writing about for YEARS only came to light under the new management of the Coliseum. The City is investigating other issues […]
By: Diane Benjamin Last week I posted a story about documents I received showing concessions sales at the Coliseum from 2013 – 2015. https://blnnews.com/2016/08/26/bombshell-sit-down-before-reading/ I never would have received them if I hadn’t filed a lawsuit in 2015. The City of Bloomington did not suddenly discover problems existed when the new management took over. I’ve […]
By: Diane Benjamin April 14, 2014 was the Council meeting where CIAM’s management agreement was changed to allow Junior Hockey instead of Professional Hockey. The badly worded contract could have been scrapped and renegotiated, the City choose not to. I realize most readers NEVER watch the video’s I post. You prefer reading what was said, […]
By: Diane Benjamin I’ve been writing about the Coliseum since early 2014. My lawsuit against the City of Bloomington was the last resort to getting somebody’s attention! I would not have this information without the lawsuit. Earlier this week I received part of the information I sued for: three years of concession sales information. I […]
By: Diane Benjamin Being a citizen watchdog has two purposes: Report what the media is refusing to report Make sure laws are followed Bloomington is showing again Monday night that laws don’t matter. On the agenda for the “Special Meeting ” at 5:00 pm is approving the minutes from the August 8th meeting. http://www.cityblm.org/Modules/ShowDocument.aspx?documentid=11077 See […]
By: Diane Benjamin I’ve now got proof that Bills and Payroll, approved by the Council at regular meetings, is meaningless. Nobody is holding checks waiting for the Council vote. I wonder how many aldermen even read what they are asked to approve! If you don’t know what Bills and Payroll looks like, see this webpage. […]
By: Diane Benjamin It’s great to have a plan, but Bloomington is going to create debt that future Councils have to deal with. Tari Renner promised to fix the roads. He didn’t promise to raise taxes to do it, and he sure didn’t say it would take borrowing tons of money to do it. Keep […]
By: Diane Benjamin Sick Leave Buy Back will cost Bloomington taxpayers for decades. New employees are no longer eligible as of (I think) 2013. All other employees could be getting paid for unused sick leave when they retire. The City is too chicken to tell employees it isn’t fair for them to get a benefit […]
By: Diane Benjamin David Hales began as City Manager in January of 2009. In January of 2017 he will be vested in his pension. Yep, 8 years is all it takes. I predict he will take the money and run! The City of Bloomington was failing when he got here and it’s headed downhill now. […]
By: Diane Benjamin The Davids were missing: Hales and Sage. Renner declared July Parks and Recreation month, no word on why he waited until the 25th of July. David Hales has hired yet another assistant: Melissa Hon. Administrative costs continue to rise while essential services aren’t performed. Expect that to continue since big government always […]
By: Diane Benjamin Neither defendant responded to my latest court filing! Did they finally give up? Court might get as hot as it’s going to be outside. Start time is 1:15, Courtroom 5C. The media won’t be there, so I hope YOU are. I’ve been writing about the Coliseum for YEARS. For new readers, this […]
By: Diane Benjamin My next lawsuit is going to be for the AUDIO of the Executive Session where the Attorney General ruled the Open Meetings Act was violated. I will demand the judge listen to the entire audio to insure the City doesn’t redact items that shouldn’t be redacted. Why? Stay with me: See the […]
By: Diane Benjamin The media has never reported on my lawsuit against the City of Bloomington and Central Illinois Arena Management (CIAM) – the old Coliseum manager. John Butler was the principal agent for CIAM. Possible fraud or abuse of taxpayers isn’t news. The lawsuit is based on a denied FOIA for the 2014 concession […]
By: Diane Benjamin On June 23, 2016 I posted an email from Alderman Hauman questioning why David Hales did a City Manager’s Report: https://blnnews.com/2016/06/23/hauman-shows-no-respect-for-citizens/ It looks like Hales agrees and is therefore not compiling the report anymore. For May, some data is in a folder – most is missing: http://www.cityblm.org/index.aspx?page=21&parent=9539 I’m sure posting real information, […]
By: Diane Benjamin Another example of incompetence happened at the Council meeting last night. Increasing Video Gaming fees was illegally on the agenda: Increasing fees on video gaming machines was first discussed at the April 25th meeting. It was TABLED to a Committee of the Whole meeting : Why is “Tabled” important? City Code: http://www.cityblm.org/index.aspx?page=262 […]
By: Diane Benjamin The approval of a Liquor License was left off the agenda last night. Since the recipient has a Father’s Day event planned, he can’t wait until the next meeting for approval. Therefore the Council is planning a quick meeting whenever they can get 5 aldermen together to approve it. Who dropped the […]
A special 3 minute meeting was just called for later this week. Put approval on that agenda Tari! By: Diane Benjamin The last time the City Council looked at their Secret Meeting minutes, as required by law, they refused to release the old City Manager Tom Hamilton’s performance reviews. In other words, people still […]
By: Diane Benjamin The Pantagraph needs to explain why an alleged Open Meetings Act violation against the McLean County Health Department is so much more important than the one they also reported this week against the City of Bloomington. That story was quickly buried on their website – comments were NEVER allowed. Comments ARE allowed […]
By: Diane Benjamin Today’s edition has a story on the Attorney General’s ruling about the Bloomington City Council violating the Open Meetings Act: http://www.pantagraph.com/news/local/government-and-politics/ill-ag-city-council-violated-open-meetings-law/article_5dfb7bef-4515-52af-96a9-e8fb37c8abb0.html See this story from June 4th: https://blnnews.com/2016/06/04/renner-is-guilty/ Of course the paper’s version contains errors. The AG ruled the “verbatim recording” must be released in addition to the closed session minutes […]
By: Diane Benjamin David Hales has posted his April City Manager’s report, but much of it is missing: City Manager’s Report – April 2016 The biggest missing item: Finance Previous reports have shown tax receipts above budget. So why are those numbers missing from the April report? David? ************************** Congrats to Golf: Out of the […]
Re-posted only to change how it was originally posted. By: Diane Benjamin The Attorney General finally ruled on the Open Meetings Act Violation filed in 2013 by then Alderwoman Judy Stearns! A couple of weeks I wrote about Madigan’s failure to rule and asked readers to call. https://blnnews.com/2016/05/19/madigan-too-busy/ I know at least a few of […]
By: Diane Benjamin David Hales got his raise last night with only Alderman Lower voting no. Lower stated Hales salary is not representative of the local economy and that other employees will expect the same raise. Considering the Hales’ review took many Executive Sessions, I imagine Lower’s comments and probably more were expressed behind closed […]
By: Diane Benjamin This was on the Consent Agenda for last Monday’s meeting: http://www.cityblm.org/index.aspx?page=242&parent=9534 Many old minutes are approved at meetings like this. Alderman not on the council when the meetings took place are approving minutes YEARS after the meetings. What’s the law? 30 days or the next meeting! The Bloomington City Council is GUILTY […]
By: Diane Benjamin A long string of local golfers took the mic last night to sing the praises of the City employees managing the three Golf Course. They urged the Council to pass the ordinance stating they were dropping any investigation of privatizing or selling any of the courses. Yes, David Sage – the Budget […]
By: Diane Benjamin Remember the Budget Task Force? Remember how they were looking for places to cut? GOLF won’t be one of them. On the Agenda for Monday night it this: There was a Citizen’s Summit. A Budget Task Force. Budget hearings. What did citizens get? A proposed budget that spends another $20,560,849, only an […]
By: Diane Benjamin Repeat lies often enough and either some people will believe them – or somebody might check the facts! Let’s check some facts! David Hales and the Coliseum management like to spout economic impact numbers. If accurate, the City should be swimming in all the new revenue created by the amazing gift thrust […]
By: Diane Benjamin David Hales can’t make a decision to save his life, but firing him will not change the tax and spend trajectory Bloomington is on. Hales is doing what Tari tells him to do! Want proof? See this email Tari sent me in 2013: Tari was responding to this email from me: Put […]
By: Diane Benjamin David Hales finally finished the January 2016 City Managers Report: http://www.cityblm.org/index.aspx?page=21&parent=9539 Attendance at the BCPA was dismal, but I guess that can be expected for January: The most interesting part of the report is tax receipts – see page 19. Except for Auto Rental, all other taxes are above projections. The additional […]
By: Diane Benjamin Transparency must be dead: No Coliseum reports have been posted on-line since 4/30/15. (Meanwhile the media is instructed to report false information about real losses) City Manager Monthly Reports haven’t been posted since December 2015. Sewer rates will increase: This is from the Budget Work Session for 2017. Providing the sanitary sewer […]
By: Diane Benjamin Scott Black was missing last night! More proof the elected Council representing the voters is just a campaign slogan. I had to laugh during a discussion about the proposed storage facility in south Bloomington and the Zoning Board of Appeals. Nobody showed up to protest the ZBA approval, even though the meeting […]
By: Diane Benjamin I find it amazing the Pantagraph has details of the budget David Hales is going to propose Monday night, but the citizens don’t! Nothing is included in the packet, do the aldermen have details? Obviously the Pantagraph is running interference for the City yet again. In 2013 the General Fund spending was […]
