This story has two updates: https://blnnews.com/2016/07/13/renner-emails-judy-again/ https://blnnews.com/2016/07/14/stearns-response-to-renner-part-2/ By: Diane Benjamin After Judy Stearns reamed out most of the Council Monday night, Alderman Hauman and Mayor Renner had to attack her via email. Note: When Judy was on the Council she refused to give me emails under some belief that she shouldn’t. Now she’s free […]
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 Hit PLAY below to hear last night’s Public Comment: Some of the speakers were REALLY good! Two things of note happened: Diana Hauman managed to get restrictions removed for a small business trying to open. (Listen to public comment) It seems that somewhere between the Zoning Committee and the Agenda, the number […]
By: Diane Benjamin I was looking for something else when I did a FOIA for emails recently. It never fails to amaze me what some elected officials will put in writing when they think it’s a secret. Emails are part of the public record because State law requires all deliberations be done openly in front […]
By: Diane Benjamin So, the few of you that actually voted in the last local election thought you were voting for representation. Joke is on you. First, most of the Council works for David Hales and Tari Renner, not you. Vote results are predetermined by free lunch. Tonight 2 alderman didn’t show – Painter and […]
By: Diane Benjamin Buried in the Consent Agenda for last Monday’s Council meeting was the approval of Minutes from a meeting held October 22, 2012. See the minutes here: 10/22/2012 Minutes The meeting was a Work Session concerning pension funding and the tax levy. The discussion was not profound, why the Minutes weren’t previously approved […]
By: Diane Benjamin I have to try the bird-cage liner approach for a minute, only because all this stuff doesn’t fit together: Cheers To Alderman Hauman for offering to lead the next retreat instead of paying Lynn Montei huge bucks. The Council still has to make it official next Monday. Little jeers to some Council […]
By: Diane Benjamin The best parts of City Council meetings are frequently Public Comment and Aldermen comments at the end of meetings. Last night was no exception. Alderman Hauman READ a statement declaring some people guilty of misusing free speech. She even claimed people and businesses wouldn’t locate here if they watched Public Comment. I […]
By: Diane Benjamin I attended the Roundtable council meeting held today at the Police Station. Only 4 alderman attended: Black, Hauman, Painter, and Schmidt. Mayor Renner did not, but maybe 10-12 staff people were there. I don’t personally know many of the staff, so it’s difficult for me to determine who was there. Many citizens […]
By: Diane Benjamin I realized something this morning. I’m a 2nd generation American! There was only one generation of my family born in America before me. All of my grandparents immigrated here as children. Their families FLED to this country for refuge from European wars. I never knew my dad’s parents (long story), but I […]
By: Diane Benjamin Another taxpayer asked IMRF for information about the City of Bloomington’s policy allowing pensions spiking. Remember this cost you more than $1.2 MILLION dollars. See the email below FROM IMRF. The RED and BLUE are from me. From: John Krupa <jkrupa@imrf.org> To: (redacted) Sent: Thursday, September 10, 2015 10:53 AM Subject: […]
(Edgar County Watchdogs) Bloomington, IL. (ECWd) – I recently conducted a survey of cities similar in size to Bloomington, IL., including cities with a population of between 58,000 and 108,000 residents. Bloomington has 76,610 according to the 2010 census, and fall in the middle range of this survey. So this is a good sample of […]
By: Diane Benjamin Since no charges have been or will be filed against Fistbump for knocking on Nora Dukowitz’s door, I attempted again to get an un-redacted copy of the police report she filed. See this post for what I previously received: http://blnnews.com/2015/05/28/nora-dukowitz-the-police-report/ The information I received this time remains redacted, but I do have some new parts: […]
By: Diane Benjamin Citizens of Bloomington need to watch Public Comment from tonight’s meeting. It starts about 5:30. https://youtu.be/PzTrILJQlLY Cities 92.9 sent a different representative tonight. He was a must see first speaker. Since the camera was on the speaker, viewers didn’t see Alderman Hauman get up and leave. Renner said after the speaker that she […]
By: Diane Benjamin The last time next year’s budget was discussed was March 7th. Since then – crickets. Why? Council meetings were held on 3/9, 3/16, and 3/23. Budget discussions disappeared, but then there is an election Tuesday. The new budget has to be in place on May 1st. Last year the budget wasn’t approved […]
By: Diane Benjamin The City of Bloomington loves to justify spending with economic impact numbers. The Coliseum management claims they have generated MILLIONS and MILLIONS of dollars of local economic activity, the Zoo is getting ready to create their own numbers. If we just spend more . . . Meanwhile, tax receipts are down while […]
by: Diane Benjamin Note: The Brady grant of OUR money would NEVER have happened without the approval of Renner and Hales. Blame not only Bill Brady but them for bringing it to the Council. Renner’s pick to replace Rob Fazzini, Diana Hauman, voted last night to take $750,000 from the bankrupt State of Illinois for Central […]
Renner is going to appoint one of the two candidates who applied to fill Fazzini’s seat. We already know who Renner is going to appoint, even though the Pantagraph is reporting she will be interviewed by phone. He is going to appoint Diana DeSio Hauman, it doesn’t matter the other applicant (Alton Franklin) attends virtually every […]
