Why didn’t Jason Barickman help fellow Republicans?

By: Diane Benjamin Barickman still has a campaign fund even though he quit the Illinois Senate right after being re-elected in 2022. WJBC reported his retirement in December of 2022 but failed to mention he was re-elected in November of 2022. Here’s election proof: https://mcleancountyil.gov/DocumentCenter/View/22469/OFFICIAL-election-summary?bidId= WJBC story: https://www.wjbc.com/2022/12/05/bloomington-republican-announces-retirement-from-illinois-senate/ I call that a con job by […]

Was the Carden Springs deal legal?

By: Diane Benjamin In case you forgot, this development was opposed by area property owners because they feared it would devalue their property: https://blnnews.com/2022/07/31/north-normal-normal-and-barickman-want-to-devalue-your-property/ Normal resident Doug Fansler was concerned when the Town gave preferential treatment to a developer. See this WGLT story: https://www.wglt.org/local-news/2024-10-08/normal-council-amends-annexation-agreement-for-carden-springs-townhouse-project Carden Springs is being developed by Fairlawn Capital from Champaign. What […]

Useless GOP – Barickman’s replacement

By: Diane Benjamin Even with FAR better choices available the County Chairs who decided who would serve for 2 years went with the establishment: Tom Bennett Rumor is that Dan Brady pushed Bennett. Bennett doesn’t inspire anybody. He did have a guy in his district ready to take his House seat, so of course that […]

The GOP way

By: Diane Benjamin Not only did Jason Barickman win his election last November and then quit, so did Keith Sommers. Sommers isn’t sticking around long enough to finish his term. GOP Chairs from McLean and Tazwell County are picking his replacement. They met on December 22nd to review applications. GOP chairs from all of these […]

Update: Campaign Cash-the rules for using it when not in office

See update below By: Diane Benjamin At the end of September Dan Brady was sitting on $438,947.66. https://www.illinoissunshine.org/committees/7645/ Jason Barickman was sitting on $835,282.52. https://www.illinoissunshine.org/committees/23150/ We won’t know the actual balances now until both file 4th Quarter reports. Both will no longer hold elected office in January. Many states require closing campaign accounts 60 days […]

Barickman announces retirement RIGHT AFTER running for re-election

By: Diane Benjamin From Barickman’s Facebook: I have chosen to retire from the Illinois Senate, effective at the end of my current term, which expires on January 10, 2023. I have now served in the Illinois House and Senate for twelve years. My oldest son was born during the final days of my first legislative […]

Chemberly pulls out the race card

By: Diane Benjamin This agenda item made last night’s Normal Town Council meeting last almost 3 hours: Ordinance Rezoning Property in the Town of Normal (4.14 Acres in the Wintergreen Subdivision) This is Jason Barickman’s company (Fairlawn Capital) plan to build houses that will most likely be rentals. The more than 100 houses will be […]

Normal didn’t get $6 mil more, they only got $3,157,375

By: Diane Benjamin See original story: https://blnnews.com/2022/05/09/no-surprise-normal-needs-6-million-more-to-build-the-underpass/ Monday packet: https://www.normalil.gov/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/4398 PDF page 62: Either people all across the country are funding Normal’s amenities or money is being printed so Normal can have an underpass vehicles can’t use. Brilliant. Oh, the Subway inside the Amtrak station closed, another Uptown success story. Remember what Normal did when […]

Why Planning Commission meetings aren’t on video:

By: Diane Benjamin Review: All of these commissioners were hand-picked by Chris Koos. The Council is told they have to approve whoever he picks. The names of appointees aren’t given to the public until after the Council rubber-stamps them with a YES vote. RC McBride was kicked off the Council by voters, now he chairs […]

Planning Commissioner Byars should have recused himself

By: Diane Benjamin Doing a favor for the guy who gave you an internship Andy? You were the first one to jump on a motion to approve what was presented last night! I’ve got video! If Kathleen Lorenz is really worried about developers rejecting Normal after watching what happens there, this fiasco will send them […]

Property Rights Immaterial in Normal

By: Diane Benjamin I attended Normal’s Planning Commission meeting last night. I only stayed for 3 hours, it was still going on when I left. Here’s the takeaway: When government claims it can’t protect your property rights because laws and regulations don’t allow it, your government needs replaced with one who understands the Constitution. See […]

Normal: Planning Commission TOMORROW

By: Diane Benjamin One would think since this meeting is being held in the Council Chambers it would be Live Streamed. There are two items a LOT of people will be interested. It will NOT be on video! See this story for details of the agenda: https://blnnews.com/2022/07/31/north-normal-normal-and-barickman-want-to-devalue-your-property/ I asked Mercy Davidson about video: I will […]

North Normal: Normal and Barickman want to devalue your property

By: Diane Benjamin Before reading the rest of THIS article, read this one: https://nypost.com/2020/07/21/joe-bidens-disastrous-plans-for-americas-suburbs/ On Thursday the Planning Commission will hear testimony about high-density and medium-density housing right next to expensive housing in Wintergreen Subdivision. This is exactly the plan Obama started under the guise of Equity housing. Biden is continuing the plan to destroy […]

Two things you need to know:

By: Diane Benjamin 1) Jason Barickman: What are you thinking? Ken Griffin buying a governor is okay with you? Hoping for some of Griffin’s billions? Is Irvin paying you from the $50 million he got from Griffin? Do you always host fake Republicans? 2)

Campustown Clown

By: Diane Benjamin Evidently the owner doesn’t believe vaccines work, is he scared of his shadow too? He only wants vaccinated people in his store but they have to wear a mask? What about people who had COVID and therefore have antibodies? They aren’t allowed in? Daniel C Maloney doesn’t believe people know how to […]

Local RINO’s: Painting with Bold Colors isn’t allowed

By: Diane Benjamin The biggest reason people refuse to call themselves Republican is because the Republic Party is the do-nothing party when they have the reins of power. DC Republicans voted dozens of times to end Obamacare when their votes were meaningless. When they actually were able to end this healthcare disaster and replace it […]

Bill Brady in Chicago Tribune

By:  Diane Benjamin Chicago Tribune columnist John Kass must have a tough life living and reporting on the Chicago corruption.  If you’ve ever rad his columns, he turns it into comedy. Kass wrote a column on January 30th pertaining to the supposed ethics reforms in Springfield:  https://www.chicagotribune.com/columns/john-kass/ct-illlnois-political-corruption-kass-20200130-m44sodf625ab3mjeb7vprhsidu-story.html After Kass is done skewering Pritzker he gets […]

How did Bill Brady Vote?

By:  Diane Benjamin See this story first:  https://blnnews.com/2020/01/09/fake-republican-dan-brady/ Billie voted NO on 2 of the 3 bills.  He voted Yes on the BIG one! Thank Billie when you fill up your gas tank. Thank Billie when your plate sticker costs $50 bucks more this year.  Remember just a few years ago when it was $48?  […]

New Illinois vehicle tax is class warfare

By:  Diane Benjamin Starting January 1st under a new Illinois law you will pay more sales tax if you trade-in a vehicle for more than $10,000. If you trade in a nice car to buy an even nicer car, you have a tax bulls-eye on your wallet.  Democrats think you are rich and therefore must […]

Four B’s and an R (Gas Tax)

By:  Diane Benjamin Dan Brady, Bill Brady, Jason Barickman, Tom Bennett, and Chapin Rose I bet the gas prices are killing your budget.  Lawmakers never understand you have to cut your budget in other places to pay their tax increases.  You have less money to spend, therefore tax revenue, like sales tax, will decrease.  You […]

More on the VA story from yesterday

By:  Diane Benjamin This is an update to yesterday’s story:     https://blnnews.com/2018/07/11/not-the-right-fit-tari/ This morning I spoke to the Marine veteran who was the subject of the Facebook post by Danny Leifel.  He wants to remain anonymous because of the large number of phone calls he received yesterday. One phone call he never received was from […]

Used Car Law makes GOV your daddy

By:  Diane Benjamin Anybody else noticed that people get stupider every year? Long gone are the days of citizens expected to take care of themselves.  Government has usurped the right of self-determination by deciding it must act as parents to the population, the peasants aren’t capable themselves! The latest usurp: Illinois has a law going […]

Jason Barickman

Senator Barickman was the ONLY Republican to vote YES on gay marriage.  He even gave an impassioned speech on the floor to urge it’s passage. Can we all together say RINO?  (since some people still don’t know: Republican In Name Only)  Pat Brady probably loves him now. Wonder if Jason still has 2 homestead exemptions?  Did the […]