By: Diane Benjamin It should be obvious, but evidently too many people think government needs your money, so they vote democrat. How many tax increases does the State of Illinois have to hand you before you figure out government is working for itself – NOT YOU? Illinois Democrats have no intention of fixing the unaffordable […]
By: Diane Benjamin Democrat Lund is running for the McLean County Board in District 5 against John McIntyre (Republublican) and Joann Litwiller (Libertarian) Lund cleaned up her social media sites before declaring her candidacy, but some of her posts were captured before that happened. Read below before you vote for “Nasty Woman”. Lund isn’t a […]
By: Diane Benjamin How Jenn describes herself on her Alderman Facebook page: How FIVE candidates running for the County Board describe themselves: Notice anything? All Jenn progressives The Democrat Party left you. Progressives want to run your life, they don’t think you are smart enough to run your own. Of course they think you are […]
By: Diane Benjamin If you want a County Board full of Jenn Carrillo buddies – vote Democrat. Her socialist buddy who is running for Bloomington City Council (unless he chickens out) identified one for you. County Board meetings were already live streamed before COVID. Lawler and Laymon want to make sure the public won’t be […]
By: Diane Benjamin I compiled these numbers from the Coroner’s Report filed monthly with the McLean County Board Justice Committee. All of the below can be found in the meeting attachments here: https://www.mcleancountyil.gov/478/Justice-Committee I wanted to see what effect the COVID shutdown is having in McLean County. There isn’t enough information in the Coroner’s report […]
By: Diane Benjamin Indiana is open. I know locals who have driven to the Beef House right across the border to sit down for a good meal. Iowa is open for full capacity in-restaurant dining. Wisconsin is open after their Supreme Court ruled the governor’s actions illegal. Illinois has Pritzker’s boot on everybody’s neck, he […]
By: Diane Benjamin Somewhere I heard it stated: Illinois will open when the people want it to open. Your elected officials aren’t going to help, they are bowing before Pritzker’s tyrannical rule. The County Board debated for two hours last night. Peoria and the other cities who put together the HOI plan have all backed […]
No decisions were made. After almost two hours of many thinking they have the right to violate the rights of people and businesses, a motion was made to table. Some republicans voted with the Democrats not to make a decision. Meanwhile, the surrounding states are open. ______________________ By: Diane Benjamin Bloomington and Normal have no […]
By: Diane Benjamin The McLean County Board is meeting at 5:30 next Thursday to vote on supporting the HOI re-open plan. The purpose of the shutdown was to “bend the curve”. There was no “curve” locally but the destruction to the lives of McLean County residents has been beyond measurable. Democrats want to take over […]
By: Diane Benjamin Nikita Richards, failed candidate for McLean County Clerk, was recently elected to lead the McLean County Democrats. When the economy was shut down we were told it was “to bend the curve”. The purpose was to prevent massive numbers of hospitalizations that would overwhelm the system. Overwhelming never came close to happening, […]
By: Diane Benjamin h/t a reader From the Facebook page of District 8 County Board Member Shayna Watchinski: This is who District 8 really elected, not the girl who pretended to be caring. If you don’t want to be deceived again, don’t vote democrat.
By: Diane Benjamin A couple days ago this Letter to the Editor from McLean County Board member Sharon Chung appeared in the paper: https://www.pantagraph.com/opinion/letters/race-connection-furthers-division/article_298225bf-64ea-5b14-b9a7-e62de06e15c4.html Chung is upset an amendment failed that would have removed “China” from the emergency proclamation the County passed. Sharon, Communist China wants the same thing! Most of the media has knelt […]
By: Diane Benjamin The County is FINALLY live streaming County Board meetings. The chairs have been rearranged and two cameras are being used so almost all members are on the video. The problem now is most of the work is done in Committees. If any controversy occurs, it is most likely going to happen in […]
By: Diane Benjamin Yes, this will be a love fest of local elitists. It will be difficult to stay awake, but you need to hear what these people have planned for your life. They wouldn’t have jobs if they didn’t plan for you, so they will be spending your money with or without your permission. […]
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 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 FYI: Scott Murphy was one of my representatives on the County Board. Today Scott submitted his resignation: June 18, 2019 Chairman McIntyre, We are in the process of moving from our home in District 2. Residency rules preclude me from continuing to serve as the representative of that district. It has been my […]
By: Diane Benjamin Previous stories: https://blnnews.com/2019/03/12/radicals-attack-dwight/ https://blnnews.com/2019/03/12/update-to-dwight-story/ Chicago is attempting to spread their far left lunacy across the State. They need support for bailing them out of the corrupt financial mess they put themselves in. Chicago has been completely controlled by Democrats for close to 90 years. If big government and taxing you to death […]
By: Diane Benjamin This item was on the Consent Agenda for the County Board meeting yesterday: https://mcleancountyil.gov/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/6509 This was merely a renewal of an existing lease for the Child Advocacy Center in Livingston County. Since it was on the Consent Agent it wasn’t anything controversial and was passed the previous year with no discussion. […]
See another pic: https://blnnews.com/2018/12/03/more-chicago-comes-to-mclean-county/ By: Diane Benjamin The newly elected County Board members were sworn in this morning: Shayna Watchinski proved today who she serves – it isn’t McLean County! This pic shows all the other recently elected members being sworn in, note Shayna isn’t with them: Shayna chose to be sworn into office by […]
By: Diane Benjamin The current Attorney General, Lisa Madigan, will fortunately by gone next January. She persecuted (no I don’t mean prosecuted) businesses in Illinois while allowing public corruption to flourish. Her Public access office just did it again. First see this post: I totally agree – this meeting should have been publicly announced. An […]
By: Diane Benjamin A couple of days ago a comment was made on Facebook saying Republicans were trying to suppress the vote at ISU, and that’s why kids had to stand in long lines. The person who made that comment must have not realized the election was a primary. Suppressing democrat votes does nothing to […]
Don Knapp was appointed with ZERO discussion. The fix was in. By: Diane Benjamin The County Board meets this morning at 9:00. On the agenda (Item 7) is the Chairman’s pick to replace Jason Chambers as State’s Attorney. https://www.mcleancountyil.gov/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/6150 I predict Chairman John McIntyre picked the current Assistant County Administrator Don Knapp. Don is […]
By: Diane Benjamin Pediatric Resource Center for Child Abuse and Neglect in Peoria examined Mikey Cadena and documented several injuries as well as extensive dental problems. He had severe bruising, blunt force trauma, a human bite mark, black eyes, anal tear, rope burns, etc. They concluded he was abused. […]
By: Diane Benjamin This morning the McLean County Board held a meeting without announcing it. Is the Open Meetings Act too difficult to understand? Notice of ALL meetings most be posted 48 hours in advance along with the agenda. This morning they held a legislative breakfast for the entire Board AND State Senators Bill Brady, Jason […]
By: Diane Benjamin Followup to this story: https://blnnews.com/2018/06/19/the-next-mclean-county-states-attorney/ Charges have already been dropped against one of the Coliseum defendants – judge blamed the charges filed by the State’s Attorney’s office. Now rape charges have been dropped against another defendant – again the judge ruled the charges weren’t filed right: See this story: https://www.pantagraph.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/rape-charges-dismissed-against-murder-suspect/article_8ac3ab38-b90e-57ae-9632-e6807d557d95.html In both […]
By: Diane Benjamin The biggest problem in the State of Illinois is State’s Attorneys who refuse to prosecute government corruption. I and the Edgar County Watchdogs have seen case after case of extreme malfeasance by government officials that never gets prosecuted. Breaking the law in Illinois is way too easy, getting by with it is […]
I received a legal opinion that “consideration” can allow for a vote. Janice Bettisch should attend this meeting as a board member since her replacement’s term doesn’t start until May 1. By: Diane Benjamin Below is the agenda for tomorrow night’s meeting: No votes can […]
Update: Don Knapp was the person from the States Attorney’s office I referenced below. He used to be with that office, so he should know the law. According to Samatha Walley in that office: Don has not been a part of the State’s Attorney’s Office since late November/early December of last year. He was hired […]
By: Diane Benjamin The testimony before the Zoning Board of Appeals on a new Wind Farm in McLean County is very technical. It isn’t just that people don’t want monstrous turbines by their house. If you didn’t know, the ones being proposed are MUCH bigger than the turbines east of Bloomington. Much more is now […]
By: Diane Benjamin See this story from yesterday: https://blnnews.com/2018/01/16/these-are-republicans/ The McLean County Board has an unwritten policy. All work is done in committee and the Board members rubber stamp whatever comes out of committee. I was told issues will not be re-heard before the entire Board, that’s why they have committees. (My beef was with […]
By: Diane Benjamin The McLean County Board voted for the original Solid Waste plan without the Scritchlow Amendment. The vote was 10-8 meaning 5 Republicans voted with the Democrats. I hear Don Cavallini takes winters off for warmer weather, that at least is the rumor. Board Chair John McIntyre didn’t vote. The crossed out R’s […]
The County Board voted to kill the Scritchlow amendment. I taped the meeting and will be posting the discussion. 5 Republicans voted with the Democrats. By: Diane Benjamin For once the Chamber of Commerce is on the right side of an issue. Usually they love Big government tax and spend liberals. The Ecology Action Center claims […]
By: Diane Benjamin Tomorrow we will find out who the real Republicans are on the County Board. I can assure you that some of them do not believe in limited government. Mandating recycling is not only impossible to enforce, it attacks the poor the most. If landlords and businesses are FORCED to recycle, rents will […]
By: Diane Benjamin This comment was made to my story about Republicans on the County Board possibly caving and making recycling mandatory. https://blnnews.com/2018/01/10/county-board-just-might-attack-your-wallet/ It’s hilarious that anti-freedom lovers resort to name calling when they disagree. People who don’t think government has a right to run your life are Nazis? The writer obviously has no grasp […]
By: Diane Benjamin I’m hearing rumors that the MANDATORY RECYCLING people really want the Scritchlow Amendment scrapped and they are making progress convincing County Board members to go along with them. Details here: https://blnnews.com/2018/01/06/robustelli-wrong-scritchlow-right/ The purpose of government is not to tell you how to live your life. RINO’S and Democrats think it is. If they […]
By: Diane Benjamin The local environmental activists thought they had their plan to force EVERYONE to recycle in the bag. They spent two years meeting with people they call “stakeholders”. Even if you did hear about one of their public meetings or hearings, I bet you didn’t go. Details here: https://blnnews.com/2018/01/06/robustelli-wrong-scritchlow-right/ Their plans to use force […]
By: Diane Benjamin This week the McLean County Land Use committee rejected forcing people to recycle. An amendment was brought to the committee by newly appointed member Ryan Scritchlow. Even though Board member Carlo Robustelli is not a member of the Land Use Committee, it didn’t stop him from making this comment on Facebook: Carlo, […]
By: Diane Benjamin Former Bloomington alderman Rob Fazzini announced to WGLT he is thinking of running as an independent for the County Board: http://wglt.org/post/ex-alderman-fazzini-considers-run-mclean-county-board Fazzini thinks the Board elections should be non-partisan. It’s easy to see why since Bloomington and Normal Council elections are non-partisan. Big spenders, who think everything needs managed and regulated, find it […]
By: Diane Benjamin County Board member Jim Soeldner’s Letter to the Editor today got me looking for an update to a story I did in March of 2016: https://blnnews.com/2016/03/17/segobiano-charity-facts/ Another County Board member, Paul Segobiano, has his own non-profit charity called Great Plains Life Foundation. Soeldner praised this charity for a recent event in his […]
