By: Diane Benjamin More on this story: https://blnnews.com/2023/02/14/i-could-have-predicted-this-one/ Tim Gleason wasn’t at the meeting where hiring a federal lobbyist firm for $270,000 over 3 years was voted down. It wouldn’t have gone that direction if he had been there, he’s a master at changing the minds of council members. Tim Gleason is the employee of […]
By: Diane Benjamin Supposedly the 2013 Farr Associates (same guy who did Uptown) cost taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars. It is a glossy 126 pages in an 18 x 11 inch spiral bound format. Some items from this plan were implemented like Way Finding Signs. Those signs cost taxpayers over $500,000. https://blnnews.com/2021/06/08/if-the-camera-cant-focus/ The plan […]
By: Diane Benjamin Julie Emig hasn’t showed up now for two meetings in a row. Ward 4 had no representation last night or on September 26. Maybe that’s why the minutes from 9/26/2022 were not on the agenda for approval. Yes, the meeting had to be a record for SHORT. The Clerk continued to not […]
By: Diane Benjamin The longer a City Manager hangs around their progressive ideology become more apparent. Tim Gleason was evidently hired from Decatur because he spearheaded redevelopment there. Decatur’s is busy during the day because people work downtown. It dies at night, they don’t have the bars Bloomington has. Progressives think government creates prosperity and […]
By: Diane Benjamin 1) Remember the lady in Normal with YELLOW water? https://blnnews.com/2022/05/17/normals-yellow-water/ Yesterday it was a beautiful shade of green: 2) Now we know why Jamie Mathy stepped down from his Ward 1 seat, he wants tax breaks to redevelop a building downtown. The building has been empty for a long time, so as […]
By: Diane Benjamin Bloomington has a calendar of events. Meetings are listed, but so are other events like Ice Cream at the Zoo and BCPA events. https://www.cityblm.org/government/advanced-components/calendar Missing are the Farmers Markets which actually do get people downtown on Saturday mornings. Also missing are Saturdays on the Square. In case you missed the 2013 extensive […]
By: Diane Benjamin I couldn’t find what I was looking for on the Bloomington website, not surprising – it’s a BAD website. Instead, I found something I wasn’t looking for! https://www.cityblm.org/home/showpublisheddocument/26749/637628729553900000 The people who have believed for years that just millions more will get people downtown did a study. Keep in mind, the COVID shutdowns […]
By: Diane Benjamin Headline from the Pantagraph: h/t a reader So, a journalist from a country without any “freedom of the press” has partnered with the US government for almost 10 years to teach how to be a journalist and teach how to teach journalism I think we found the reason 95% of the media […]
By: Diane Benjamin Downtown Bloomington has it’s own website. The map below is actual size on that site, yes it’s hard to read. http://downtownbloomington.org/welcome-to-downtown-bloomington/business-parking-guide/ One glaring error – Grossinger Motors Arena should be 13, not 11. How many businesses survived COVID? Comment below if you have any information. Any flooding downtown? The website also has […]
By: Diane Benjamin I had a little time before going to the District 87 Board meeting, so I walked around downtown Bloomington. The pictures start on Center street, then Front Street to the a short walk past the CII East building, down East street to Washington, and back to Center. There is broken mirrored glass […]
By: Diane Benjamin If the weeds in the planter boxes of the CII East building aren’t bad enough: Just down the street is another weed fest: (h/t a reader) This is the corner of Washington and East Street – directly across from Bloomington’s new “Hub” in the Government Center. The CII East weeds are actually […]
By: Diane Benjamin Just design for new Way Finding Signs in downtown Bloomington cost $90,285. The cost to construct and install was somewhere around $447,000, total is over half a million. Details in this story: https://blnnews.com/2018/07/09/what-does-no-bids-tell-you-and-more-council-tonight/ 2 weeks ago I drove through downtown and noticed many of the signs are not readable because the print […]
POW/MIA Flag raising at the Mclean County Museum of History. New Normal Township Trustee Art Rodriguez led the event. Rep Dan Brady and County Board member Jim Soeldner attended. The bugler from Leroy Axillary Unit 79 was superb. Flags have been at half staff for quite awhile, nobody remembers why. It may have started under […]
By: Diane Benjamin The meeting lasted a little of an hour. Tari wasn’t there because the internet was out at his house. Mboka Mwilambwe acted as mayor. Tim Gleason was also absent, nobody said why. Maybe he didn’t want to be present when they voted on his contract extension and raise – without any discussion. […]
By: Diane Benjamin Part 1: https://blnnews.com/2020/07/14/bloomington-last-night-3/ Tari wanted the Council to reappoint Ryan Whitehouse to the Connect Transit Board. Jenn Carrillo and Jeff Crabill were opposed because that wanted someone more closely aligned with their ideology. They lost. Whitehouse has now replaced Mike McCurdy as chair. The budget process this year is going to be […]
By: Diane Benjamin 5:05 – Jon Reed was the only public comment. Others emailed the Council. I believe public comment isn’t for the Council – it is for the public. Citizens will never know what other citizens said by emailing. Get on the phone people! Jon did a great job taking down Jenn Carrillo (while […]
h/t a reader – taken today:
By: Diane Benjamin Committee of Whole meeting 5/18 http://bloomingtonil.iqm2.com/Citizens/FileOpen.aspx?Type=1&ID=1076&Inline=True Alderman Mathy doesn’t understand people don’t want to pay for parking. That is why strip malls and other shopping options are where people go – not downtown. Mathy has 3 Council initiatives for the Council. They will vote Yes they want to hear more or NO […]
By: Diane Benjamin On the front page of the City of Bloomington website is a link to the Downtown Bloomington website: cityblm.org The first time I clicked on it I got an error message, the second time the website came up: http://downtownbloomington.org/ Next I clicked on Explore Downtown – then Shop. The site has directory […]
Caption this: Downtown Bloomington yesterday in front of the vacant Commerce Bank.
Tale of two cities, of course you know which one is which. How much did each cost? I hope both know! . . . . . . .
The buzz is CVS in downtown Bloomington is closing. Millions later, new roads, and downtown Bloomington continues to decline. What exactly is this person paid to do?
A reader sent this link: https://hibid.com/catalog/182487/102-s-east-st–bloomington–il/ An auction is underway until 9/23. The listing claims it is gutting and cleaned inside. By: Diane Benjamin Lovely “Welcome to Downtown Bloomington”. 102 S East. I can’t find the listing, but the property taxes will be sold for the second year on November 1st. Last year the taxes […]
By: Diane Benjamin Had enough of “Right Fit” yet? I remember Tari telling the Council they HAD to buy the Sugar Creek Packing property to keep anybody else from buying it. (Like anybody else was interested) $245,000 subverting capitalism. Tari bought the old Mennonite Hospital property so he could control who built there. When the […]
By: Diane Benjamin h/t a reader I hear the owners of the new restaurant downtown have renamed it from The Gypsy Room to The Mystic Kitchen & Tasting Room. If you remember, Jenn Carrillo took to social media demanding a name change because Gypsy is a racial slur. Leftist are always changing the meaning of […]
By: Diane Benjamin h/t a Reader I’ve been trying not to respond to the NUMEROUS comments on line about Bloomington parks not being mowed. We’ve had a lot of rain, but evidently a couple blocks downtown takes priority. The City has been busy reclassifying employees, many will get raises. They should be hiring public works […]
By: Diane Benjamin h/t a reader Remember the song by Cher: Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves? Remember the TLC show: My Big Fat American Gypsy wedding? Suddenly the far left has decided gypsy isn’t an acceptable word. It’s RACIST! This is on the Facebook page for Bloomington Normal Restaurant Scene announcing a new eatery downtown: It […]
This is a copy of an email from the company hired to lease space in the former State Farm building in downtown Bloomington: Brochure: 112Washington Mkt So who leased three floors? Somebody knows! (Just not me)
By: Diane Benjamin This picture was taken today. The event being advertised was 3 days ago. Worse, it looks like Illinois State University paid for it! Nobody in the private sector wants their name on a bus? So far only Downtown Bloomington, WGLT, and ISU want their names associated with Connect Transit!
By: Diane Benjamin In the latest show of support for the socialist Connect Transit redistribution of wealth, WGLT public radio has been joined by another government entity: At least one person is on the bus! Can we assume no private sector businesses want their name attached to this fleece of taxpayers? Speaking of public radio […]
By: Diane Benjamin Monday night the City Council got a long report from multiple City employees on what is happening downtown this summer. Your large garbage pickup got changed to twice a year, downtown will see garbage and recycling picked up 7 days a week. The streets will be swept twice a week. The Way […]
By: Diane Benjamin The Bloomington City Council is holding a Committee of the Whole meeting Monday. On the Agenda is: http://www.cityblm.org/Home/ShowDocument?id=21582 The circus continues with this next: This Board has heard ONE case since it was created, they found the police did nothing wrong. (Their investigation is a secret however) Do the residents around Orchard […]
By: Diane Benjamin Yesterday I took a road trip to downtown Decatur. Since Tim Gleason was hired to make Bloomington’s downtown like Decatur’s, I wanted to see what has been done there. Have you heard comments about matching awnings? Below are on two sides of office space. The windows are covered with closed blinds. Have […]
Downtown Bloomington:
By: Diane Benjamin Taxing Tari has mentioned more than once that Tim Gleason has some “creative financing” ideas. This morning I think I figured out their game – at least part of it. We know they want to double the gas tax. We also know the entire amount raised won’t be spent on roads – […]
by: Diane Benjamin According to the City mouthpiece, Bloomington will double the local gas tax to $.08 for every gallon: https://www.pantagraph.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/road-weary-city-officials-eye-doubling-local-motor-fuel-tax/article_258321e6-928b-57d7-a1c0-ad250fb8e18b.html#tracking-source=home-breaking Another prediction: Somebody will say it’s only a few bucks. Quote: Here is what the mouthpiece forgot to add to the story: The $.04 a gallon Motor Fuel Tax was passed […]
By: Diane Benjamin 8 of the 9 aldermen heard an hour and a half recap of the proposed zoning changes last night. David Sage was absent, of course with no explanation. Most people don’t need to listen to 1 1/2 hours, it got much more interesting when the alderman got to ask questions. To hear […]
By: Diane Benjamin The proposed Zoning changes cover a lot of ground, but let’s start with downtown. Obviously everything the City does revolves around putting lipstick on this pig. This map is included in the documentation: http://www.cityblm.org/home/showdocument?id=19954 The Purple proposed to be D2. The Green proposed to be D1 Light Blue proposed to be […]
By: Diane Benjamin The VenuWorks report is not the audited version, it is therefore immaterial. Time allowed for the presentation is 5 minutes, included will be the fictional economic impact of the arena. See PDF page 40: http://www.cityblm.org/Home/ShowDocument?id=19928 Financial information is on PDF page 39. The loss does not include depreciation on the building which […]
By: Diane Benjamin The short answer is because of the McLean County Regional Planning Commission. The MCRPC is an organization most citizens know nothing about. In 2013 a new executive director was hired: Vasudha P. Gadhiraju. The formerly conservative Commission took a hard turn to the left immediately after. According to the MCRPC website, 2013 is […]
