By: Diane Benjamin Remember this story? https://blnnews.com/2024/09/30/will-downs-choose-flooding-over-people/ A developer still hasn’t given up on building housing on a hill on Rt. 150. The above story details how the homes at the bottom of that hill already flood. Building more houses on quarter acre lots will benefit the developer, the people at the bottom of the […]
Congrats to the Village of Downs! Proof the American Experiment is finished: I suggest the Trustees remaining increase property taxes by 100% to wake your citizens up! Think people might notice? Of course you could ask Bloomington to annex Downs, you too can have crappy roads. Oh wait, parts of Downs already does. (perfect fit)
By: Diane Benjamin No, I haven’t talked to Mary Goveia. Mayor Mike James and Kenneth Adkisson need to stop blaming her for their names showing up here. There are other citizens in Downs that want what’s happening in Downs exposed. Get used to it. The August minutes were approved at the September meeting. See them […]
By: Diane Benjamin This post appeared on Facebook: The value of this property was increased significantly with TIF (Tax Increment Finance) money: https://blnnews.com/2016/07/26/adkissons-tif-money/ If the business is sold, does the $41,331.44 have to be paid back? Or, does the Adkisson family get to keep it? You might want to ask the Mayor and Village Board […]
By: Diane Benjamin The minutes of the Downs July meeting have been posted. See a copy here: Meeting_Minutes_july_7_2016 This permanent record of Council proceedings will forever say LAWS don’t matter. Mayor James didn’t respond to Council member Mary Goveia’s request for the liquor reports. Mayor James didn’t show up for a scheduled meeting with Mary […]
By: Diane Benjamin Mayor Mike James of Downs has a lot in common with Bloomington’s Mayor, Tari Renner. Both had a chance to not have situations explodes, but both chose to pretend nothing happened. Mary Goveia set up a meeting with James to discuss Adkissons liquor problems, he never showed. He must have thought Mary […]
By: Diane Benjamin Evidently the Downs Liquor Commission doesn’t meet very often. See the reports on the Downs website here: http://www.villageofdowns.org/liquor-commission-documents.htm The minutes from the April 2016 meeting won’t be approved until they meet again. The agenda lists renewal of the Adkissons Liquor License. There is NO discussion on the agenda pertaining to their violations […]
By: Diane Benjamin See previous post: https://blnnews.com/2016/07/08/downs-is-now-a-banana-republic/ I deleted Ken Adkinson’s letter. He has had enough free publicity trying to justify breaking the law. Instead, read what I received under the Freedom of Information Act – it proves he was in violation of the liquor code for a total of 24 months. Adkissons.LLC-2
By: Diane Benjamin Various reports MUST be filed by law with the Illinois Comptroller. Mike (laws don’t matter) James has failed to file the Downs annual report and two TIF reports. TIF’s under corrupt leadership can be used as a slush fund to hand money to friends. Is that why they aren’t filed Mr. Mayor? […]
Two follow-up stories: https://blnnews.com/2016/07/08/mike-james-another-job-you-arent-doing/ https://blnnews.com/2016/07/08/the-adkisson-letter/ By: Diane Benjamin See this previous story: https://blnnews.com/2016/06/04/downs-mayor-i-make-the-laws/ One trustee quit last night because he moved outside of Downs. He did the right thing. Meanwhile Dan Lush didn’t quit and has no intention of quitting even though he has moved to Leroy. He gets his mail in Downs and still […]
