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 […]
By: Diane Benjamin A fake Twitter account was created only to defeat Ian Bayne. Twitter is a sewer where people hide behind fake names they think nobody can trace back to them. Twitter allows almost anything, so these local leftists are allowed to spew as much hate and false information as they want. What should […]
By: Diane Benjamin The County Public Comment policy is hard to find on their website – so below is the entire text. The first thing it stresses is non-members should be speaking in Committee Meetings instead of in front of the whole Board. If Public Comment policy exists for Committee meetings, I can’t find it. […]
By: Diane Benjamin A reader sent me screen shots of a conversation County Board member David Selzer was having on Facebook about moving the County Board meetings to 7:00 at night. If he hadn’t deleted the conversation, I probably wouldn’t be posting it here. Evidently Selzer knew he was wrong. More than one person was […]
By: Diane Benjamin Yesterday the McLean County Board passed a new Wind Farm ordinance that benefits developers over people. Livingston County had a referendum on their last ballot asking whether a 1600 feet setback was enough, the voters there said NO. McLean’s ordinance is a measly 1500 feet from any occupied home – not the […]
By: Diane Benjamin It’s not unless the County Board KILLS it. There is a public hearing Wednesday October 19, 2016 at 6:00pm – Central Catholic High School. I don’t know why, but it is scheduled until 9:00pm. The last plan I remember is a 4 lane divided highway with divided bike paths. If you ever […]
By: Diane Benjamin County Board elections do not pretend to be nonpartisan like the City elections do. Although it’s hard to tell that some members of the County Board are Republicans, the GOP and Democrats hold different views of what government should be. Candidates that will be on the November ballot shouldn’t be hiding what […]
By: Diane Benjamin Scared? We can agree on some things! Erik wrote a response on the ISU website to this question: His answer is excellent. Read it for yourself here: https://news.illinoisstate.edu/2016/09/ask-a-redbird-scholar-how-did-we-end-up-with-2-unpopular-presidential-candidates/ Besides being assistant to the chair and undergraduate advisor, Department of Politics and Government, Erik is a member of the McLean County Board […]
The below is written by my 15 year old intern. I had her listen to the County Board discussion of an amendment that would have prevented a property tax increase. This is what she thought of the discussion. By: Sarah Welander In a McLean County Board meeting on November 17, there was an amendment […]
By: Diane Benjamin McLean County Board member Paul Segobiano has a charity organization called Great Plains Life Foundation Inc. See the website here: http://www.greatplainslifefoundation.org/ It looks like a noble effort to help kids stay in school. Check out the Board of Directors page: http://www.greatplainslifefoundation.org/Board_of_Directors.html The page lists names you might know like Bloomington Police Chief […]
By: Diane Benjamin It’s tragic that citizens don’t pay attention to local elections. Matt Sorensen, under Federal indictment for wire fraud and the guy who cast the deciding vote to raise property taxes, got 48% of the vote and won in District 2. Scott Murphy came in second with a great Write-in vote. Scott is […]
By: Diane Benjamin I heard again last weekend “I don’t vote in primaries because I don’t want to declare a party”. The guy who said it will complain in November about only having the same inept people available to vote for. The GREAT candidates lose in the primary. Challengers don’t have the money incumbents have, […]
By: Diane Benjamin Invenergy wanted to build a wind farm in Livingston County. The Livingston County Board refused to approve the project. All of this was very recent. Being defeated in Livingston County, Invenergy has moved to McLean County to try again. Before the McLean County Board jumps at yet another wind farm in McLean […]
By: Diane Benjamin I’ve written stories about McLean County Board member Dave Selzer’s property tax problems. His taxes were purchased by people profiting from people unable to pay. See these stories: https://blnnews.com/2016/02/29/selzers-tax-problem/ https://blnnews.com/2016/02/15/dave-selzer-tax-deadbeat/ Freedom of Information requests from the County led to the people buying taxes: RealTax Developers (Huffs) and Shannon Logsdon. Another FOIA request […]
By: Diane Benjamin McLean County Board member Dave Selzer has a problem paying his property taxes. See this previous story: https://blnnews.com/2016/02/15/dave-selzer-tax-deadbeat/ More information has surfaced. First, there is a thriving business buying taxes for people who can’t afford to pay them: http://www.professorprofits.com/states/county.php?state=IL&county=McLean Unpaid property taxes create a serious cash-flow problem for McLean County, Illinois. To […]
By: Diane Benjamin Dave has now protected his Facebook page – only his “Friends” can see it. He wrote this however: David Selzer Apologies to my friends. If you have received any “hate” noties from the person involved with this or their friends. Seems I and possibly some of you are now targets……I HATE politics […]
By: Diane Benjamin Another reader called and said I should check McLean County Board member Dave Selzer’s property tax payment record. See below from the County website: http://mcleanil.devnetwedge.com/view/RE/14-27-254-012/2014 See this post from earlier today: https://blnnews.com/2016/02/15/countys-david-selzer-them-vrs-us/ Selzer can’t pay his property taxes, but he wants to spend your money as a County Board member. He was […]
Don’t miss the two followup stories: https://blnnews.com/2016/02/15/dave-selzer-tax-deadbeat/ https://blnnews.com/2016/02/15/selzer-now-running-scared/ By: Diane Benjamin The post below appeared on Republican County Board member Dave Selzer’s Facebook page yesterday. The comments are even more revealing. Dave agrees with Democrat Tari Renner 75% of the time! The McLean County transparency rating by the Illinois Policy Institute is F. I knew […]
By: Diane Benjamin Recently the wind turbines east of Bloomington have frequently been dead. See this SHORT video from a few minutes ago: The McLean County Board approved the initial wind farm on 9/20/2005. Approval included the below: Thanks to County Board member Susan Schafer for sending it to me back in 2013. Twelve years […]
By: Diane Benjamin I don’t know which of these is bigger – you decide. My lawsuit against the City of Bloomington pertaining to payroll and concessions at the Coliseum goes to trial February 5th. Today I issued a subpoena for: David Hales Bloomington City Manager I have a long list of questions he needs to […]
By: Diane Benjamin I’m hearing from a RELIABLE source that Matt Sorensen has resigned. More details when I get them. ****** I need reader support to continue bringing you news the rest of the media ignores: paypal.me/blnnews If you appreciate the truth, please contribute!
By: Diane Benjamin If elected officials are conservative, the local media is relentless in attacking them. Any representative opposing “progress” on the grounds it isn’t government’s job, will get vicious treatment for not going along with the majority. The majority is bankrupting taxpayers, but that’s immaterial to media. Examples: Judy Stearns, Kevin Lower, and Lee […]
Read carefully – this shows the total for 5 years! Not per year. By: Diane Benjamin As usual, the County website has less information than any other government website. Citizens would be appalled at vendors and the amount of County tax dollars they receive – if they knew. Unfortunately, there is no yearly summary […]
By: Diane Benjamin h/t Illinois Leaks/Edgar County Watchdogs http://edgarcountywatchdogs.com/2016/01/mcclean-county-board-chairman-indicted-in-federal-court-for-theft-wire-fraud-totaling-over-890000/ You can see the entire 14 page indictment here or on the Edgar County Watchdogs site above: Indictment-Sorensen
Additional stories: https://blnnews.com/2016/01/07/sorensen-more-info/ https://blnnews.com/2016/01/06/county-board-a-chance-to-change/ https://blnnews.com/2016/01/05/sorensen-grand-jury-indictment/ https://blnnews.com/2016/01/05/more-on-sorensen-court-press-release/ By: Diane Benjamin Maybe if the local press did investigative reporting we would know. Why did the press not care when Matt Sorensen left State Farm under less than amicable circumstances. What does it take for State Farm to fire a high-ranking employee, let alone the McLean County […]
By: Diane Benjamin According to an interview on WGLT, the chances of finding a buyer for the Mitsubishi Auto plant aren’t good. Paul Eisenstein, of the Detroit bureau-dot-com, said dozens of plants have closed in the US in the last decade, most have been torn down. Cleanup will cost millions. New plants are built away […]
By: Diane Benjamin Everybody in the County is represented by 2 Board members. These two are mine: Jim Soeldner, District 2 Matt Sorensen, District 2 The possible construction of an east-side bypass would never had happened if one of these guys wasn’t fully behind it. The other voted to take the 10 million dollars to […]
by: Diane Benjamin Saturdays are more amusing since Steve Vogel started writing editorials. He can not hide who he really is anymore. Back when he was on the radio he did a much better job of covering. I’d hate to think he used to be a conservative but aged into a liberal – usually it’s […]
by: Diane Benjamin Does anybody remember when McLean County was the conservative bastion of Illinois? Those days are long gone, but you can help repair the damage done by people who think government solves problems. They don’t, they just throw YOUR money at it. The County strongly believes in looking for money from the Feds […]
When McLean County got offered money, they took it. The only NO vote was Chuck Erickson. McHenry County is smarter. The top three things McHenry County taxpayers need to know about ‘free’ ObamaCare money 29 Oct 2014 | Naomi Lopez Bauman The McHenry County Board recently took a brave stance by voting to reject “free” […]
by: Diane Benjamin County Board Chairman Matt Sorensen is quoted today in the Pantagraph: “When we look at these salaries, we’re obligated to look around the state”. He cast the deciding vote for pay increases for the County Clerk, Sheriff, Treasurer, himself, and other board members. By 2018 the Treasurer and County Clerk will […]
by: Diane Benjamin If you are voting in the GOP primary, this information is to provide you information on the conservative candidates running. See this previous post too: https://blnnews.com/2014/02/28/running-as-gop/ County Board – District 4 Vote for: Mark W. Johnson instead of Jeremy Lee Foster (under indictment for drugs) State Treasurer: Vote for: CPA Bob Grogan instead of Tom Cross […]
by: Diane Benjamin So much for the elected working for WE THE PEOPLE! We aren’t allowed to speak – on purpose. Normal finally got the message, of course it took the Attorney General to force them. County Board: should I file now or give you a week? http://www.mcleancountyil.gov/DocumentCenter/Home/View/992 5.14-7 Appearance by Non-Members (A) Any member […]
I hear County Clerk Kathy Michael is confused as to where her office money comes from. On the last day of the year she orders employees to get on the Internet office supply websites and order whatever they want for their desk, telling them she isn’t giving that money back to the County Board and […]
by: Diane Benjamin The McLean County Board is holding the line on your taxes, even decreasing them a bit! That is great news for taxpayers enduring decreases in salaries, higher fees, higher insurance costs, and tax increases threatened by most of the rest of government. Email addresses are available here: http://www.mcleancountyil.gov/Directory.aspx?DID=11 Unfortunately you can’t email […]
by: Diane Benjamin Maybe the County Board hasn’t heard household incomes are still down 4.4% since the recession supposedly ended. (http://news.investors.com/ibd-editorials/082213-668484-household-incomes-still-way-down-under-obama-recovery.htm) I guess they also haven’t heard that the real unemployment rate isn’t what the media keeps spinning, It’s much higher, people have just quit looking for work and aren’t counted. (http://www.forbes.com/sites/dandiamond/2013/07/05/why-the-real-unemployment-rate-is-higher-than-you-think/) 60% of jobs […]
Below are the members of the McLean County Board. 3 were absent from the vote on accepting $170,000 grant to enroll area residents in ObamaCare. Members Don J. Cavallini, District 1 Republican Stan Hoselton, District 1 Republican Jim Soeldner, District 2 Republican Matt Sorensen, District 2 County Board Chairman Didn’t vote as chair (R) Julie […]
Update: https://blnnews.com/2013/08/21/phony-republicans-on-the-mclean-county-board/ by: Diane Benjamin Today the County Board voted to accept a $170,000 State grant to help implement ObamaCare in McLean County. They accepted the money from a bankrupt state which got it from the bankrupt feds to implement a program that is failing across the country and will never be ready to start […]
Livingston county passed this resolution in February. It was sent to Matt Sorensen (McLean County Board Chairman), no response. RESOLUTION of the COUNTY BOARD of LIVINGSTON COUNTY, ILLINOIS RESOLUTION SUPPORTING THE PASSAGE OF “THE FAMILY AND PERSONAL PROTECTION ACT,” ILLINOIS HOUSE BILL 0997 WHEREAS, the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution states “the right of the […]
by: Diane Benjamin Your elected County Officials have been keeping citizens in the dark for years. They don’t believe you have the right to know details about the people you elect, if the elected are qualified to do their job, or if they are fiscally responsible. Worse, the information is not available under the Freedom […]
