By: Diane Benjamin Watch a Normal Council meeting. Kathleen Lorenz will attempt at least one to convey that Stan Nord has no idea what he’s doing. In emails she is even worse. Below are a few choice picks – from FOIA: Response from Kathleen: This issue isn’t dead, I’m just waiting for more information. How […]
By: Diane Benjamin Recap of Normal’s tax history: This story has screen shots from the Normal website on May 30, 2012: https://blnnews.com/2012/05/30/normal-il-what-is-up-with-the-debt/ All current rates can be found from this site: http://www.normal.org/129/Taxes-Fees What is the rate now? 8.75% 3.5% going to the Town of Normal What is the rate now? What is the rate now? […]
By: Diane Benjamin More on this story from yesterday: https://blnnews.com/2019/03/26/connect-transit-destroys-infrastructure/ Yesterday’s story had a short recent video showing the destruction Connect Transit buses have caused to the Portillos corner. The video below is what it looked like last year – much worse. That means Normal fixed it and Connect is in the process of breaking […]
By: Diane Benjamin More follow-up to this story: https://blnnews.com/2019/03/20/huge-bloomington-error/ According to the letter the City of Bloomington sent, the original fee for “fire protection” went into effect on January 1, 2009. That means the Council vote was sometime in 2008. Documentation on the City website only goes back to 2009. That means I have […]
By: Diane Benjamin The citizens of Bloomington were shown last night that local politics is NOT non-partisan. The heavy hand of government crushed the people and businesses. Only extremists are too blind to see the national economy booming when that hand was removed in 2016. Unemployment is at historic lows, wages are rising, more people […]
By: Diane Benjamin In their continuing quest to make it un-affordable to live in Bloomington: Tonight the Committee of the whole will get a preview of upcoming fee increases: PDF page 8 http://www.cityblm.org/Home/ShowDocument?id=19646 This should be interesting: All of these items will be previewed tonight for a discussion on September 10th. Alderman Diana Hauman wants […]
By: Diane Benjamin (Something isn’t right about the Habitat solar panels, I’m waiting to hear back from an expert.) The $135,000 sales tax rebate to Habitat got tabled. Austin Grammer stated the City asked Habitat how they could help them with their project. In other words, the City volunteered to give them money. Solar panels […]
By: Diane Benjamin Forbes magazine printed the latest addition of what states people are fleeing based on data from United Van Lines data. Illinois is #1 https://tinyurl.com/Forbes-United-Van-Lines While McLean County and Normal were smart enough to cut spending, Bloomington is looking for more revenue tonight. Tari Renner is quoted in the paper saying City budgets […]
By: Diane Benjamin Tari’s protester is back in front of City Hall this morning: Below is what the Council passed last night 6-3. Alderman Sage, Schmidt, and Painter voted against it. A 95 gallon can is now $25.00 a month. It will increase $4 a month plus 3% a year that means: 1 year 29.00 2 […]
By: Diane Benjamin Tari was against privatizing garbage, so last night he changed the rules. An Executive Session (secret meeting) was part of the 5:00 meeting. I don’t remember when the video has ever started before their secret meeting. It did last night so an ASFME representative could inform the Council that privatizing garbage service […]
By: Diane Benjamin From the Packet: http://www.cityblm.org/Home/ShowDocument?id=12448 The minutes from the last Council meeting are up for approval. This statement is included. I hope it’s just worded poorly because an investigation happening is the ONLY public information. The minutes from the Budget Workshop are also up for approval. Remember, the meeting was held at the […]
