By: Diane Benjamin Elections in Bloomington aren’t nonpartisan because the violators during the last local election faced no consequences. If your kids swipe cookies with no consequences, do they keep swiping cookies? Duh. The City Code needs changed since it pretends candidates are nonpartisan. Pretending is over. Cody Hendricks, Jenna Kearns, and Abby Scott made […]
By: Diane Benjamin If you missed it, see yesterday’s story on the League of Women voters: https://blnnews.com/2026/05/04/uncovering-the-truth-about-mclean-county-elections/ 1) Diana Hauman spoke at a Bloomington Council meeting last August on behalf of the “nonpartisan” League of Women Voters that isn’t actually nonpartisan. Is Hauman still a League member? Is she pushing for Rank Choice Voting? The […]
By: Diane Benjamin It’s nice to see everything the Council considers is no longer hashed out during 2 on 1 meetings. Previously every agenda item was decided behind closed doors making Council meetings mostly useless. Of course that means meetings are longer as Council members ask questions and state their opinions. Last night was 2 […]
By: Diane Benjamin WGLT is not allowed to sell advertising. What did The Town of Normal pay WGLT to do? (2025 data isn’t available yet) https://www.openthebooks.com/search-results/details/?n=Wglt-Normal&e=73583&t=c&burl=%2Fsearch-results%2F%3Ft%3Dc%26F_Name_S%3DWGLT%26F_State%3DIllinois%26F_Year%3D0 . Has WGLT applied for State of Illinois money? If you don’t know about the plan Springfield passed to subsidize media, read up on it: https://dceo.illinois.gov/expandrelocate/incentives/taxassistance/new-journalism-tax-incentive-program.html Yes, non-profit media […]
By: Diane Benjamin There was only 1 Public Comment. The speaker was greatly concerned about the Salvation Army and the Federal grant they received to rehab apartments on Tracy Drive for veterans. According to him, Bloomington needs to intervene more than they have. Police have responded to numerous incidents and progress isn’t happening: . Alderman […]
By: Diane Benjamin Elected officials are once again exempt from prosecution. All future local elections will be highly partisan since 3 democrats got away with violating city code. Republican leaning candidates need to play the same game and expose the far left candidates who want you to believe they are just normal democrats. They aren’t. […]
By: Diane Benjamin In the two years John Danenberger has been on the Council he evidently didn’t notice procedures. He wanted to pull item K from the Consent Agenda, but instead of just stating that he preceded with an explanation and motion. That should have come after the vote on the other items, not before. […]
By: Diane Benjamin 1) I attended the swearing-in ceremony yesterday. I estimate the BCPA auditorium was about two-thirds full. Alderman Sheila Montney wasn’t able to attend; I’m sure she will be sworn in soon. The right oath of office was used! A reception was held downstairs afterward. It was fun talking to lots of different […]
By: Diane Benjamin Know what this is? https://www.bloomingtonil.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/28541/638798959668170000 That is Bloomington’s Administrative Court docket for April 16th. Note SEVEN cases are scheduled at 8:30 and another SIX at 9:00. The City has the audacity to waste time of the people waiting to have their case heard. Staff time is more valuable than the people’s they […]
By: Diane Benjamin Tonight’s agenda: 4/4/2025 The agenda omits penalties for Cody Hendricks and Jenna Kearns’ flagrant City Code violations (details: https://blnnews.com/2025/03/25/cody-hendricks-chief-cheater/). In two years, Bloomington’s consolidated elections will become fully partisan due to this lack of accountability. Worse, residents will question why they must follow City Code when elected officials don’t. This ‘rules for […]
By: Diane Benjamin It didn’t go national because it’s another government who demands more of your money. The issue got published by Just The News because there is alleged election interference by local schools: https://justthenews.com/nation/states/center-square/mclean-county-sheriff-investigating-alleged-election-interference?utm_source=mux&utm_medium=social-media&utm_campaign=social-media-autopost# If you don’t know John Solomon, founder of Just The News, read his bio. He has a LONG history of […]
By: Diane Benjamin 1) Cody changed his endorsements, perhaps after years in office when he finally read the city code and realized he had violated it by claiming the McLean County Democrats endorsed him. He replaced it with an endorsement from Alderman Jenna Kearns, who violated the same code in the same way Cody did. […]
By: Diane Benjamin Mailer #2 from Cody Hendricks is below. It directly violates the Bloomington City Code, the laws under which Bloomington supposedly operates. He is unfit to be mayor due to these violations of the Bloomington City Code. He has no respect for the laws of the city he seeks to represent. Alderman Sheila […]
By: Diane Benjamin Public Comment was adorable last night. The far left showed up to demand the council and candidates support a Springfield bill to Lift the Rent Control ban. Just hit play to hear them on the video below. What none of them said was what they expect if the ban is lifted. Do […]
By: Diane Benjamin The only eventful part of the meeting was the discussion about changing the language for seats at the PSCRB. (Public Safety Citizens Review Board) About three years ago Mollie Ward wanted 2 seats for 16-21 year old’s. They did have two kids for about a years, in the last 2 1/2 years […]
By: Diane Benjamin No one new filed in Normal. The deadline is close of business on Monday. Current mayor Mboka Mwilambwe filed for reelection: https://bloomingtonelectionsil.gov/2025-consolidated-elections/ Who circulated petitions is always interesting. Former Alderman Joni Painter circulated for Mboka. Did you know current Ward 1 Alderman Jenna Kearns is an attorney? She was one of the […]
By: Diane Benjamin You can’t see any of the Public Comments because the camera never changed to show them. You can only hear them. Even though City Code prohibits holding meetings on a Federal or State holiday they did. (Chap 2 Sect 15) Maybe staff had the day off except for a rookie called in […]
By: Diane Benjamin The probable Project Labor Agreement coming to the City Council is a clear example of pay-to-play politics. Labor unions throw money at aldermen to get them elected, then those alderman pass ordinances that are good for labor unions while also being destructive to taxpayers. Bloomington’s City Manager stated union representatives helped write […]
By: Diane Benjamin Bloomington City Council last night: Occasional reminder that Ward 1 Alderman Kearns does not believe in Liberty and Justice for All. She never says the Pledge of Allegiance: Just an example of Mr. Giggles at work:
By: Diane Benjamin READ to the bottom! City of Bloomington Live Stream video YouTube page: https://www.youtube.com/@cityofbloomingtonil/streams Feel free to check all videos is you like wasting time! On May 1st 2023 numerous socialists were supposedly sworn into office. Video from the previous 3 swearing in ceremonies are posted, but not 2023. I only checked because of this story […]
By: Diane Benjamin Last night’s Bloomington City Council meeting proved why failure of the majority of registered voters to actually vote is destructive to your wallet! The majority of people can’t wait to vote in meaningless national elections and then they ignore local elections allowing the far left to run your city. Citizens are the […]
By: Diane Benjamin Last night’s Bloomington City Council meeting will take more than one story. Did Mollie read the packet? The discussion was about the library levy – from the packet: A 4.93% increase is a tax increase. Alderman Mollie Ward wants you to know it isn’t. The library only captured part of the increased […]
By: Diane Benjamin Everyone but Tim Gleason managed to show at last night. Gleason might have been attending another meeting. Jenna Kearns: Just stay seated during the Pledge of Allegiance. You would look like less of a hypocrite: The upcoming presentation for downtown wasn’t mentioned, supposedly the room in the Government Center will be done. […]
By: Diane Benjamin Thanks to no one else running in Ward 1 last April a socialists walked on to the Bloomington City Council without a fight. Nice folks. You should know Jenna Kearns does not say the Pledge of Allegiance which means her oath of office to the Constitution of both the US and State […]
By: Diane Benjamin Read this WGLT story: https://www.wglt.org/local-news/2023-09-12/group-looks-to-rally-support-for-a-community-land-trust-in-bloomington-normal-aimed-at-housing-affordability Local housing is a problem that the free market will self-correct. Interference in the process is why housing is unaffordable. One thing is certain: Additional housing can’t be created next month. It takes time and creating a Community Land Trust isn’t going to fix anything quickly. They […]
By: Diane Benjamin Ward 1 – Jenna Kearns Since she’s unopposed I don’t see a reason to post her video unless someone REALLY wants to see. Ward 2 – Donna Boelen, also running unopposed Ward 4 – Steve Nalefski. His opponent John Wyatt Danenberger didn’t show up. If he had he would have been asked […]
