By: Diane Benjamin Does the Constitution matter or not? The right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed. (Militia meant every person capable of using a gun, don’t try that argument here) Illinois Constitution: Article One, SECTION 22. RIGHT TO ARMS Subject only to the police power, the right of […]
Illinois’ neighbors scrapped Prevailing Wage
June 13, 2018 by 5 Comments
By: Diane Benjamin Yesterday I wrote about Bloomington approving a prevailing wage ordinance: https://blnnews.com/2018/06/12/without-the-king-not-much-business-to-do/ Since Illinois is run by unions, the demise of Illinois will continue. Government isn’t for the citizens, it’s for buying votes and getting campaign contributions in exchange. The Illinois Policy Institute reported a few days ago that Michigan is the […]
Pension Funding
May 23, 2018 by 2 Comments
By: Diane Benjamin “One of the best-funded pension plans in the country is the nearly 90 percent funded Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund, which has long had the ability to enforce payments into the plan.” IMRF funding isn’t a problem. That’s why pension spiking penalties were enacted, the fund couldn’t afford to pay pensions for employees […]
What State Farm is doing to Tacoma
January 15, 2018 by 16 Comments
A reader found these stories: http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/business/article194506349.html State Farm employees were reeling Friday from the shock of Thursday’s announcement that the company plans to shutter its Tacoma operations by the end of this year. Potentially 800 people could be out of work of the 1,400 people in the company’s two downtown Tacoma offices. Workers will have […]
Why jobs and people leave Illinois
November 13, 2017 by 4 Comments
By: Diane Benjamin The Technology and Manufacturing Association released their Legislative Scorecard today showing legislative support in Illinois for manufacturing. From the report: Illinois has been at the heart of transportation, distribution, and manufacturing for decades. Yet, we are losing one resident every 4.6 minutes – 114,000 in 2016 alone. Those moving out of state include members […]
From Outrage to Action:
July 27, 2017 by Leave a Comment
If you have had it with Illinois, if you are thinking of running for office, if you are ready to do something: IllinoisConservativesUnited.ORG (Obviously Republicans aren’t going to save the State!) . . .
Bill Mitchell’s Funding
July 13, 2017 by 1 Comment
By: Diane Benjamin Mitchell is my representative and one of the guys who defected from the Republican Party to raise your taxes. I wonder if he knew that bill also raises gas taxes .05 a gallon? I doubt it since nobody had time to read the bill. More surprises may surface. Today I got a […]
1st the State – local fleecing next
July 9, 2017 by 5 Comments
By: Diane Benjamin Illinois politicians at almost every level don’t understand how to live within their means. They don’t believe you are entitled to spend your money how you want it spent. Quality of Life! They know what that is, you don’t. Chris Koos just got a nasty surprise: Funny how both mayors didn’t have […]
Update: Illegals welcome, police questionable
July 7, 2017 by 10 Comments
Ask Tari to explain the contribution illegals make verses the cost: https://www.nationaleconomicseditorial.com/2017/07/04/illegal-immigration-cost-illinois/ _______________________________________________________________ By: Diane Benjamin Mayor Tari Renner wanted to lump 3 controversial items together at Monday night’s Council, but one got derailed. The Council will consider: Bike Lanes on E. Washington to create congestion Welcoming ordinance for illegals The Citizens Advisory Board to […]
Kick the can GOP
July 6, 2017 by 3 Comments
By: Diane Benjamin Today, if the House has a quorum, Madigan is calling a vote to override Gov. Rauner’s veto of the income tax hike. 15 Republicans voted for it the first time even though no concessions were made by the Democrats and nothing gets solved. The GOP holds all the cards because the Democrats […]
Evacuate!
July 5, 2017 by 1 Comment
By: Diane Benjamin The Illinois Senate needed one Republican to vote with the Democrats to override Gov Rauner’s veto of the income tax hike. They got one: Dale Righter. Madigan got MORE Republicans than he needed to pass the tax hike in the House – 15 of them. (Including Bill Mitchell and Mike Unes from […]
Will the GOP help the DEMS fleece you?
January 25, 2017 by 6 Comments
By: Diane Benjamin Of course Illinois doesn’t have enough money! Springfield has no interest in a balanced budget and spending cuts. Democrats want more of your money and the Republicans may help them get it because they are desperate. Your income tax could be going up 40%. In exchange you get a two-year property tax […]
Democrats in Illinois want you to pay for abortions!
November 16, 2016 by 15 Comments
By: Diane Benjamin I am 1000% against killing babies! I will make no apology to ANYBODY for wanting to protect unborn life. It’s not tissue – it’s a beating heart of a person who has no choice in the decisions a mother makes. I have to stand up for the over 50,000,000 million people who […]
If you haven’t seen “Madigan: Power, privilege, politics”
October 26, 2016 by 8 Comments
Democrats running for election should have to state why they aren’t a Madigan puppet! Watch for more info. . Northwest Herald, Joliet Herald-News and DeKalb Daily Chronicle to host online screening of “Madigan: Power, privilege, politics” Full-length documentary will be available to watch online at newspapers’ websites starting at 7 p.m. tonight through 7 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 26 . […]
Bikers have rights (and a death wish)
October 24, 2016 by 16 Comments
By: Diane Benjamin On January 1st bicycles in Illinois will be considered vehicles under a new law: http://chicagotonight.wttw.com/2016/08/19/new-bike-law-gives-cyclists-right-way-illinois House Bill 5912 amends the state’s vehicle code to assign the same right-of-way privileges to cyclists that car drivers have. In essence, it clarifies that bicycles are vehicles. Saturday I saw three bikers on Route 9 about eight […]
UPDATE: Government is doing this:
August 19, 2016 by 2 Comments
More current information: July-Jobs-Report-Unemployment-Rate-Drops-as-Illinois-Workforce-Shrinks-by-33600-during-summer-moving-season/ . IRS Migration Data: Taxpayers Leave NY, IL & CA For TX, FL & SC The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) just released its July 1, 2013 to June 30, 2014 migration data, which “approximates the number of individuals” who moved between states in the U.S. California was the third largest net […]
Kirk vrs Duckworth
August 5, 2016 by 15 Comments
By: Diane Benjamin The choices we have for US Senator are almost as despicable as the choices for President. Mark Kirk votes with Democrats way too often. He rarely represents me. Voting 3rd party for Senate won’t accomplish anything, even though I’ve thought about it. I am now voting for Kirk because of one picture […]
Chapin Rose on Illinois’s budget
June 29, 2016 by 6 Comments
By: Diane Benjamin A number of people have asked me recently where the tax money is in Illinois if the bills aren’t being paid. Senator Chapin Rose took the time on Tuesday to fill me in. First, he went over how we got in this mess. Of course, this is his opinion. The Democrats didn’t […]
Bloomington is ANTI-business
June 13, 2016 by 11 Comments
By: Diane Benjamin Governor Rauner ran on a platform of making Illinois business friendly. He has failed because the Democrat super-majority in Springfield doesn’t care if companies move across the border to save millions of dollars. They don’t care if Caterpillar leaves the state along with other companies who can’t compete in this high-tax high-regulation […]
Downs Mayor: I make the laws
June 4, 2016 by 6 Comments
By: Diane Benjamin First, Village Trustee Dan Lush no longer lives in Downs, he moved to Leroy. Since Lush no longer lives in Downs, he can not vote in local elections. Therefore his is not a “qualified elector”. Dan: I expect your immediate resignation. If your voter’s registration isn’t changed in the next week, I […]
Rauner is being TOO nice!
June 1, 2016 by 6 Comments
By: Diane Benjamin Democrats have super-majorities in the Springfield House and Senate. They can pass anything they want, the Governor can veto it, and they can override the veto. After May 31st they need 3/5 of both chambers to pass a budget, it won’t happen. Democrats refuse to do it because tax increases would have […]
A MADIGAN sued by Watchdogs
May 13, 2016 by 12 Comments
By: Diane Benjamin The Edgar County Watchdogs have filed a lawsuit against the Illinois Arts Council Agency headed by Shirley Madigan – wife of Speaker Mike Madigan and mother of AG Lisa Madigan. The suit accuses IACA of violating the Freedom of Information Act. See the documents here: 2016-MR-23-1 The Liberty Justice Center is representing […]
Destroying Illinois, one business at a time
May 10, 2016 by 6 Comments
By: Diane Benjamin State Farm isn’t growing here. Formally local jobs now exists in other states. Send Mike Madigan a thank-you card. A recent report rated all 50 States from Best to Worst for business. See this story: http://chiefexecutive.net/2016-best-and-worst-states-for-business-full-list/ Celebrate now – Illinois is number 48. Businesses and jobs will never return to Illinois as […]
What media forgot to report: Rauner
May 7, 2016 by 16 Comments
By: Diane Benjamin I was at Nord Outdoor Power yesterday for Gov. Rauner’s press conference. Quit listening to the liberal media demanding that Rauner compromise just to pass a budget. He won’t. He will do what ever it takes to bring jobs back to Illinois and grow the State’s economy. The Democrats are blocking everything. […]
As you head to work . . .
April 4, 2016 by 2 Comments
The 10 States With the Highest and Lowest Tax Rates in 2016 http://wealthmanagement.com/third-party-research/10-states-highest-and-lowest-tax-rates-2016#slide-0-field_images-1148671 State with the LOWEST effective tax rate: State with the HIGHEST effective tax rate: What are you getting for your money? One person leaves Illinois every 5 minutes. Now you know why. Send Madigan, Renner and Koos a thank you card. They […]
Kick Mark Kirk out of the US Senate!
March 5, 2016 by 2 Comments
By: Diane Benjamin If you are voting in the Republican Primary: Mark Kirk can’t be considered a Republican – he frequently votes with Democrats. If you missed this story from 2014, it reveals Kirk’s character: https://blnnews.com/2014/05/21/senator-mark-kirk-revealed/ You have a MUCH better option: James Marter. He doesn’t have the money for flashy TV and radio ads, […]
Vogel: Get some facts first
January 24, 2016 by 5 Comments
By: Diane Benjamin Saturday little Stevie Vogel spewed more nonsense in his weekly Pantagraph Editorial. The best I can say is he put his name on it. Nobody else at the Pantagraph is brave enough to acknowledge their work. Yep Stevie, Illinois is all but destroyed. People leave everyday, more wish they could leave. Jobs […]
Scratch your head and wonder if . . .
December 29, 2015 by 6 Comments
By: Diane Benjamin For the last couple of months the anonymous editorial writers at the Pantagraph have occasionally written the truth. They must have somebody new writing a few editorials because they actually contain some common sense. I thought there might be a little hope for local media, but today the old guy must be […]
Why Illinois is bankrupt – Bloomington follows
November 10, 2015 by 7 Comments
By: Diane Benjamin Illinois ranks very close to the top of the worst run states in country. Illinois should be a wonderful place to live – natural resources, centrally located, world-class universities, Fortune 500 companies with headquarters here, just to name a few. Instead, we don’t even have a budget. Illinois’s government exists for government […]
Rauner is right – here’s proof
October 22, 2015 by 7 Comments
By: Diane Benjamin Bloomington residents: Have you looked at the address you send water payments to? If you have the misfortune of taking a trip in an ambulance, and get billed for it – where does that payment go? Remember yesterday’s story about ISU? https://blnnews.com/2015/10/21/isu-destroying-free/ What do they all have in common? Illinois discourages business! […]
Taxes increases would be easier with TRUTH UPDATE
September 16, 2015 by 35 Comments
How did I forget? 5 years ago Tari, Bloomington wasn’t sending around $50,000 PER MONTH to Springfield for legal! By: Diane Benjamin Renner on WJBC: http://cdn.stationcaster.com/stations/wjbc/media/mpeg/Tari_Renner__Bloomington_mayor-1442412227.mp3 Renner on WGLT: http://wglt.org/wireready/news/2015/09/01831_09-15Renner_070330.shtml Tari Renner: We aren’t doing anything today that we weren’t doing 5 years ago. Inflation is causing the need for tax increases. 5 years ago […]
A New Low
July 22, 2015 by Leave a Comment
By: Diane Benjamin An actual Pantagraph headline: New law could end benefits for dead people COULD end? COULD?!? The article was written by Kurt Erickson (Springfield dude) , so I don’t know if it was his title or the Pantagraph staff. We are in Illinois, land of the dead voting, surprised they get paid too? Indiana just […]
Gov Units: Too many!
April 21, 2015 by 3 Comments
By: Diane Benjamin One target for reform championed by Gov Rauner is decreasing the units of government in Illinois. See this report by the Illinois Policy Institute: https://www.illinoispolicy.org/reports/too-much-government-illinois-thousands-of-local-governments/. Illinois has too many units and they cost taxpayers way more than necessary. On the Illinois Comptroller’s website is a tab labelled The Local Government Warehouse: http://www.ioc.state.il.us/ […]
Rauner using Reagan’s playbook
February 8, 2015 by 7 Comments
By: Diane Benjamin Ronald Reagan defeated the establishment by taking his message to the people. Today Governor Rauner did the same thing in Bloomington, in fact he is going all over the state taking his message to the citizens. His favorite line (used over and over): “I don’t care who I make cranky”. Close to […]
Enter the Twilight zone
January 2, 2015 by 3 Comments
For the Bloomington-Normal leaders who still think we are growing: Another moving survey shows people leaving Illinois Illinois was the No. 3 state in America for outbound moves in 2014, United Van Lines said Friday. Earlier this week, Allied Van Lines said Illinois was No. 1 for outbound versus inbound moves in 2014, according to […]
Flamingos? This time you get monkeys!
December 15, 2014 by Leave a Comment
By: Diane Benjamin On the Bloomington City Council agenda tonight is $111,300 for a monkey exhibit at the zoo. RECOMMENDATION/MOTION: Recommend that the RFP for Design/Construction Oversight of DeBrazza Plaza at Miller Park Zoo be awarded to SWT Design, in the amount of $111,300, the contract approved and the Mayor and City Clerk be authorized […]
Unconstitutional
November 22, 2014 by Leave a Comment
By: Diane Benjamin An Illinois Court ruled yesterday the pension fix law passed by the legislature and signed by Gov Quinn is unconstitutional. Yipee – Illinois is at least $100,000,000,000 in debt because of pensions, but we have a constitutional responsibility to pay. How much is in your wallet – fork it over now. I […]
Brady Grant back on the agenda for Monday night
November 20, 2014 by 3 Comments
by: Diane Benjamin Tensions build. Will Bloomington vote to secure 4 measly acres of land for the low low low price of $750,000? Will Joni Painter really vote NO this time? Will Mayor Renner repeat that he had nothing to do with putting the deal on the agenda? Will Fruin recuse himself, or say he’s […]
