By: Diane Benjamin Contract Transit met on 6/23/2020: Meeting documentation Can supporters of Connect Transit explain why a system of empty buses with deficits that loses close to 1 MILLION every month is a valid use of taxpayer money? Whatever they say can’t possibly justify this abomination that only gets worse with continued spending on […]
By: Diane Benjamin ISU President Dietz spoke at the NAACP rally. The only video I can find is posted is on the WEEK 25 Facebook page. Unless you are on Facebook you won’t be able to see it. He only spoke for a few minutes. His comments ended with ISU is committed to social justice. […]
By: Diane Benjamin The local socialists are demanding public funds be used to protect the most vulnerable in the community. It doesn’t matter to them that government is the least effective mechanism possible. It doesn’t matter to them local charities are working hard to help. It also doesn’t matter the feds are going further in […]
By: Diane Benjamin h/t a reader If you make a comment here that is so devoid of facts it is obvious the truth is immaterial, it won’t get posted. The media gets much of the blame for making people really stupid. A lot of media has an agenda, if you absorb news not looking for […]
By: Diane Benjamin This story raises lots of questions: https://blnnews.com/2020/03/16/corona-was-already-here-you-just-didnt-know-it/ We know ISU has students from foreign countries. Since Illinois kids can go to college out of state for less than in Illinois, ISU actively recruits foreign students. https://illinoisstate.edu/admissions/international/ 74 countries? This is from the 2019 enrollment recap: Fall 2019 Enrollment Report Some of those […]
By: Diane Benjamin I don’t want you to miss the comment made to this story: https://blnnews.com/2020/03/15/a-real-emergency-will-kill-you/ It says everything I’ve been trying to tell you: Everyone needs to relax. This virus has been here for some time, and I wouldn’t be surprised if the actual number of cases is 10 times what has been […]
By: Diane Benjamin Years ago ISU decided to tear down old dorms. This led to a plethora of private companies building housing for ISU students. Buildings went up all over Normal that contribute to the Town budget through property taxes. ISU has now decided to build a sophomore dorm. Are 2nd year kids living on […]
By: Diane Benjamin Some time around 2017 the rules changed at the Law and Justice Center for taking electronic devices inside the building. The head Circuit Court judge appointed a member of the media to approve press credentials so they could take in cameras, cell phones etc. The first press coordinator was Edith Brady-Lunny who […]
By: Diane Benjamin h/t a reader Defining what it means to be Progressive is Nikita Richard, failed candidate for McLean County Clerk: Nikita “tagged” McLean County Clerk Kathy Michael and McLean County Sheriff Jon Sandage apparently to embarrassed them into allowing prisoners here to vote. Sheriff Sandage responded: Next, Kathy Michael responded, these comments appear […]
2 National news outlets picked up this story. Sorry Sonny, they didn’t use your name. By: Diane Benjamin Bloomington’s own Democrat Socialists who support Bernie Sanders made the Champaign News last night. They are upset Betsy Dirksen Londigron won’t have another debate with challenger Stefanie Smith. The report claims they did have a recent debate. […]
By: Diane Benjamin This handy chart from Illinois Family Institute can help. If you want illegal immigrants to get free healthcare at your expense, there are many to choose from. If you want to live in the stone age under the Green New Deal, lots of choices there too. The only two opposed aren’t in […]
By: Diane Benjamin Normal and ISU get along so well because both believe in ruling instead of governing. Neither thinks you have the right to know what they are up to. I asked ISU for emails just in the last 8 months concerning the leased space for ISU Galleries and the Town of Normal. If […]
By: Diane Benjamin DON’T miss the Update to this story: https://blnnews.com/2020/02/04/normal-foia-fail/ At last Monday’s Council meeting Pam Reece stated the bonds owed for construction of the parking garage that houses the ISU Art Gallery does not require a fiduciary duty to lease the space for a profit. Did anyone but me wonder about Normal’s fiduciary […]
By: Diane Benjamin Last week the Redbirds played a home game. Fans park on the street when the games are played on the weekends. This game was during the week. The street signs say no parking on weekdays, but lots of fans parked there anyway. I’m sure they assumed it was okay since school was […]
Instead of getting exercise walking across campus, today’s kids need a bus to the taxpayer subsidized work out facilities and classrooms. Heartland will only be paying 82 1/2 cents per ride. Sounds like a war on the poor who are forced to pay $1. They will vote on a 6 month extension. https://www.connect-transit.com/documents/SpecialMeetingDecember17.pdf
By: Diane Benjamin According to this story: https://blnnews.com/2019/04/25/connect-transit-and-isu-facts/ ISU pays an average of .80 per ride for their students, The Connect Transit-ISU contract expires at the end of this year. I fully expect an emergency meeting since on December 5th the two sides couldn’t agree on what ISU will pay next year. Meanwhile, the ISU […]
By: Diane Benjamin More from the Workbook the Council used for their 2-day meeting. This meeting is posted on the website every year as required by the Open Meetings Act, but if citizens didn’t look for it they would never know it was open to the public. It is also always held during the week […]
By: Diane Benjamin 1) The Director of the McLean County History Museum recently left after only 1 1/2 years on the job. Was there some financial improprieties? I’m hearing rumors. If this is true it is yet another person allowed to quit without an investigation. He then moves on to do the same thing somewhere […]
Ask the elitists: Why they needs to ride instead of mingling with their constituents How much the carriage cost taxpayers – in past years it was $700 https://blnnews.com/2016/11/07/normal-time-to-say-no/ Doesn’t Normal own any worthy vehicles they could have used Who will be riding with Koos since Fritzen and McBride are gone. Will it be Chemberly Cummings? Kathleen […]
By: Diane Benjamin One bit of new information: Connect Transit does track transfers even though they aren’t reported anywhere. Mike McCurdy stated transfers aren’t up when he appeared at a Normal Town Council meeting, so I FOIA’d that info per month. I got this: This is one step closer to finding out exactly how many […]
By: Diane Benjamin Below are some things from the last Normal FOIA I found interesting. Some other things are very interesting, I had to file another FOIA for those. For now – enjoy these: On September 1st at 8:55 pm a resident of Normal sent an email with this title: The email is long, basically […]
By: Diane Benjamin On September 12, 2001 we were all Americans. American flags lined neighborhoods. For one day we were a united country. It didn’t last. The citizens of Normal sponsored the Racial Equity Summit held yesterday and today: Why are some minorities wildly successful and some aren’t? Maybe they didn’t “stand idly” waiting for […]
Update: A reader found this information: By: Diane Benjamin Just Bloomington, not including Normal. https://ilbusinessdaily.com/stories/513055916-bloomington-ranked-294th-in-state-for-resident-earnings-in-2017#.XYgF7wwE5dk.gmail Excerpt: Bloomington ranked 294th among cities in Illinois by annual earnings per resident, according to data obtained from the U.S. Census Bureau in August. The median income of Bloomington residents was an inflation-adjusted $33,702 per year. Bloomington had 31,652 households […]
By: Diane Benjamin This story should explain why Tari Renner despises Clarence Thomas. https://blnnews.com/2019/05/25/tari-renner-clarence-thomas-doesnt-act-afro-american/ Thomas is black and successful. Clarence proves being born poor and black in America does not mean you are doomed for life. The same applies to Ben Carson and many other minorities who are living the American Dream because they worked […]
By: Diane Benjamin Many people wondered what the Town of Normal was up to when they decided to stop enforcing the State Energy Codes. For a Town that has no problem spending taxpayer money to be “green” it didn’t feel right. See this story: https://blnnews.com/2019/08/06/normals-stan-nord-fires-back/ Side note: ISU is building housing for sophomores. What codes […]
By: Diane Benjamin Somebody calling themselves: just accused me of lying in this story from yesterday: https://blnnews.com/2019/08/29/failure-to-launch-local-dems/ Here’s part of the comment: I made up the whole thing? I lied? I know Derek has been to “Democrat Boot Camp”. That means he wants to run for something. The local dems have nothing to run on […]
By: Diane Benjamin From a Press Release issued by CIRA: Of course there is more to the story. This is an epic case proving when government is involved everything is much more difficult and more expensive. It proves yet again why government must be limited. Received by FOIA Start with this email – note the […]
By: Diane Benjamin Well it seems as if the Dems had a snafu at the last County Board meeting. Eventual candidate (more about that later) Derek M. Lough appeared to be ready to do a fire and brimstone speech about voter suppression in McLean County. The Dems are all fired up about waiting lines in […]
By: Diane Benjamin Dan Brady: It took until last night to connect with Dan Brady about HB 2040. See this story: https://blnnews.com/2019/05/06/illinois-gop-a-minority-on-purpose/ He told me he didn’t hear any opposition to the bill, one of the reasons he voted YES. Evidently we aren’t a Representative Republic where the elected reflect the values of the people […]
By: Diane Benjamin h/t a reader See this Press Release: What is “For a Better Tomorrow” and where do the funds raised go? This was attached to the Press Release: I still have no idea who this group is, they don’t appear to be an official non-profit. The money raised is going to FOUR Chosen […]
By: Diane Benjamin The purpose of this story is to clarify how many ISU students ride buses and how much ISU pays for those rides. Keep in mind employees at ISU ride with a pass just like students. The information I received does not distinguish between the two. To determine what the relationship is between […]
By: Diane Benjamin This guy ran for Normal Town Council – note the shirt: He was wearing this shirt on election night. He is a graduate of Illinois State University. So is Jenn Carrillo, a self-called democrat socialist. How many other kids leave ISU as socialists? Is Illinois State University creating socialists on purpose? Our […]
By: Diane Benjamin It really isn’t difficult to stop employees from pocketing your money. The City of Bloomington leaders buried their heads underground when they were repeatedly told about CIAM, evidently ISU did the same thing at Bone Student Center. Pantagaph article: https://www.pantagraph.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/woman-accused-of-stealing-from-isu/article_e6587ca4-0cf7-531b-b17d-1b3b4ec87c73.html#tracking-source=home-breaking A woman is accused of stealing $161,000 going ll the way to […]
By: Diane Benjamin The local Democrats shared this on Facebook: Of course they had to pretend the Republicans are the party of the rich, facts don’t matter when talking points to keep the minions uniformed work better. Since democrats don’t bother with history before legislating, Pritzker and crew think the rich will hang around and […]
By: Diane Benjamin Bills and payroll for Monday night: http://www.cityblm.org/Home/ShowDocument?id=21241 6 more employees will be spiking their pensions: This is the penalty for the last group who spiked theirs: The legal budget must be running out of money, this is less than a normal month. I filed a FOIA request for the […]
By: Diane Benjamin The ISU College Democrats endorsed Jenn Carrillo! Do you know what the Progressive agenda is? In short, socialism. Progressives want to force government to run everything because they do not believe in freedom, liberty, and capitalism. They want to tell you how your property can be used. They want higher taxes because […]
By: Diane Benjamin Thanks to the Democrats in a Springfield and the traitor Bruce Rauner, Illinois taxpayers are forced to pay for abortions. Illinois will become the abortion capital of the Midwest as women flock here to murder their babies. That is why Rauner lost – he lied about not signing the bill. This letter […]
By: Diane Benjamin Since Bloomington-Normal is a college town, this is an article that needs to be read. It was printed in Forbes Will Half Of All Colleges Really Close In The Next Decade? Harvard Business School Professor Clayton Christensen consistently turns heads in higher education by predicting that 50% of colleges and universities will close or […]
By: Diane Benjamin For last years MLK dinner, Illinois State University hired Marc Lemont Hill as the Keynote speaker. Hill was just fired from CNN for extreme antisemitic remarks. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/amp/ncna942151 Previously ISU had Van Jones speak at an MLK dinner. He resigned from the Obama administration after his ties to Marxist and communist groups became […]
By: Diane Benjamin Ward 8 wasn’t represented as Diana Hauman was absent. Of course nobody mentioned why. The ISU kids showed up in Bloomington to support Tobacco 21 during public comment. ISU has indoctrinated them well to believe government needs to “parent” the population for the good of the collective. Sending your kids to college […]
