By: Diane Benjamin Mike Matejka posted this on his Not In Our Town Facebook page: . Of course Mike is implying there is no difference between the KKK and ICE. Since Wikipedia has a fake history of the KKK, see History.com instead: https://www.history.com/articles/ku-klux-klan Quote: Founded in 1865, the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) extended into almost […]
By: Diane Benjamin H/t a reader https://www.centralillinoisproud.com/news/local-news/community-fight-hate-bullying Not In Our Town doesn’t fight hate and bullying in Bloomington-Normal. They fight what THEY consider hate and bullying. Just in the last few months Not In Our Town said NOTHING about: NIOT are frauds and so is anyone who was coerced into signing their stupid pledge card. […]
By: Diane Benjamin The below was sent to me by a reader. Note Able’s 2021 post was on Mike Matejka’s group: Not In Our Town. If you stop by the NIOT Facebook page, it claims they exist to: stop hate, address bullying and build a safe, inclusive community. That isn’t true since nothing is posted about […]
By: Diane Benjamin Words like racist now have no meaning. Other words are rapidly suffering the same fate: Nazi, White Supremacist, Democracy, and Fascist. Throwing out labels where they don’t apply makes them immaterial and it proves those who use them are incapable of independent thought. Example: . Many people today have no idea what […]
By: Diane Benjamin Agenda: https://bloomingtonil.portal.civicclerk.com/event/1021/files/agenda/6725 Justin Boyd is getting a Proclamation for serving 9 years on the Planning Commission. The documentation doesn’t say if he’s leaving or if he’s just being celebrated. My question: Is Bloomington better now because of his ‘Planning” than it was 9 years ago? Guess what’s back! . TEN YEARS ago […]
This isn’t a Star of David either (h/t a reader): By: Diane Benjamin Follow-up to this story: https://blnnews.com/2025/03/10/did-you-know-the-paint-app-is-antisemitic/ This is the Star of David: . This isn’t: I will be expecting apologies from you and Camille Taylor. Your baseless attack means I was right. The candidates I specified are far left radicals. Will Not In […]
By: Diane Benjamin Using “Paint” is just an easy way to highlight whatever I want highlighted. These are some choices for highlighting: . See the story below from the local FAR leftists, Monday mornings need laughs. I bet they haven’t called “Paint” antisemitic for making the star an option. That’s all they’ve got? 😂🤣😁 https://www.niot.org/blog/bloomington-normal-responds-when-candidates-are-targeted […]
By: Diane Benjamin Everyone should know by now the Coliseum never performed as sold to the citizens of Bloomington: It will never cost you a dime! Billy Tyus, Deputy City Manager, admitted the obvious to WGLT: https://www.wglt.org/local-news/2024-02-01/with-hockey-team-in-place-bloomington-looks-to-bring-arena-back-to-life?fbclid=IwAR1YSf-4fJksOpolUowyg7i2Qz9WmQlSCllxjwsP0BTE2Yb7G6tkVC6F_6k Excerpt: Note: The hockey team won’t be around long if they have to help the city recoup costs. Meanwhile, Mike Matejka who […]
By: Diane Benjamin From 2009-2010 Democrats controlled all 3 branches of government. Joe Biden had the same thing in 2021 when the Senate was 50-50 giving Kamala Harris the tie breaking vote. They could have legalized illegal immigrants and DACA and recipients all by themselves, they didn’t even try. If they care so much about “migrants” why didn’t they? […]
By: Diane Benjamin Evidently they have open door policies in their homes because they don’t want to protect McLean County from Biden’s invasion of the country – estimated now at 8 million people who walked across the border. These people know nothing about local and national laws, many expect to be taken care of by taxpayers. See Chicago […]
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 […]
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 […]
By: Diane Benjamin It wasn’t that long ago when the Town of Normal was punishing businesses with fines who were just trying to stay open. Hypocrisy now should encourage those businesses to file lawsuits against Chris Koos and Pam Reece because TWICE in the past few weeks they have proven that Executive Orders and internal […]
By: Diane Benjamin Chris Koos didn’t ask for nominations from the public before naming his good buddy Mike Matejka Normal’s citizen of the year. If that had been done he would have had to open up the party to everyone, instead it was by invitation only. In the many accolades to support why Matejka was […]
By: Diane Benjamin I attended the Normal Planning Commission meeting last night. It was over 3 hours because MANY citizens did not want alcohol in the park. The video below is of Town Planner Mercy Davidson. She claims the Town Council brought this forward last year. Actually staff brought it forward and the bobbleheads said […]
By: Diane Benjamin More on the “Attack” Stan meeting last week. Attorney Brian Day spoke about 3 items-video below: 1) Day didn’t talk about Pam Reece’s procurement ethics, just Stan Nord’s. Day complained about Nord talking to local vendors AFTER the Town had already picked their favorite. Day left out the AFTER. The Town didn’t […]
By: Diane Benjamin The Public Safety and Community Relations Board (PSCRB) in conjunction with Not In Our Town conducted a survey concerning the Bloomington police and what citizens want in the next police chief. The PSCRB held a meeting Thursday, the survey was discussed. Mike Matejka (who voted yes to building the Coliseum when he […]
By: Diane Benjamin h/t a reader More hypocrisy from those local caring folks who just want to help. No they don’t, it’s all about political power. November 21, 2019 https://www.pantagraph.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/protesters-in-normal-demand-end-to-detention-of-immigrant-children/article_2c2e903e-dcc7-556a-96cd-288d7b81c0b0.html Story claims more than 100 people protested government holding children who illegally crossed the border. Excerpt: Charlotte Alvarez, executive director of the Immigration Project in […]
By: Diane Benjamin https://www.pantagraph.com/opinion/columnists/mike-matejka-normal-election-potholes-vs-progress/article_b11f20fe-e830-5d01-bc84-d912acc37bf5.html Anybody know why the guy who voted to build the Coliseum gets to write a column in the paper? Better yet, why does anybody listen to him when he not only voted against the will of the people but has never apologized for his taxpayer fleece? Of course Mike is campaigning […]
By: Diane Benjamin https://www.wglt.org/post/final-coliseum-defendant-pleads-guilty-misdemeanor-agrees-restitution#stream/0 The last Coliseum theft case was settled last week. The two main culprits got off with misdemeanor convictions while 2 low level employees who couldn’t afford to pay lawyers for years now have felony convictions. All 4 received plea deals, another defendant had all charges dropped. The City of Bloomington received […]
By: Diane Benjamin Figure out LIMITED Government yet? I remember posting about limited government years ago and getting comments like “you don’t want police and fire”. Obviously that isn’t what LIMITED Government means. Government uses your money for their folly because they can. You would have much more money in your pocket if government only […]
By: Diane Benjamin See both previous stories at this link: https://blnnews.com/2020/07/23/in-support-of-art-and-camille-taylor/ . Art Taylor, in his four-page screed complaining of his treatment during the incident closes with this: Not being accorded the respect of the “benefit of the doubt” is what hurts the most, and that is why citizens of color feel like there are […]
By: Diane Benjamin 9:00 – Stan pulled the bills for further discussion – particularly paying property taxes. Pam Reece and attorney Brian Day didn’t have good answers for not filing paperwork to make them exempt. 14:45 Koos ends the conversation. Next was the contract with the McLean County Regional Planning Commission. Stan wanted the same […]
By: Diane Benjamin It probably isn’t possible that you missed yesterday’s story, but in case you did: https://blnnews.com/2020/05/09/chris-koos-taunts-protestors/ If you need more proof that Not In Town Town is a joke to silence free speech, keep reading. From the NIOT Facebook page – written by Matejka himself: Mike’s mission isn’t to stop bullying if the […]
By: Diane Benjamin Need proof Normal’s spending is to provide union jobs? Keep reading. When the private sector isn’t providing jobs, government is the only alternative. Mike Matejka is the Governmental Affairs Director, Great Plains Laborers District Council representing LiUNA locals in central Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska and South Dakota. Why is Mike Matejka arranging official […]
By: Diane Benjamin I already reported Mike Matejka left facts out of his forum commentary: https://blnnews.com/2019/11/15/mike-matejka-leaves-out-some-facts/ Yesterday he did some community organizing to make sure his followers stay fired up and uninformed. It’s all politics all the time for Mike, facts are immaterial. Matejka didn’t lead this event, but he posted it on his Facebook […]
By: Diane Benjamin You will probably remember Matejka as a former Bloomington Alderman. During his tenure he voted FOR the Coliseum and FOR the never used fire station. If he could get your money to fork over to union members with a government project he was all in. Now he is at it again. It […]
By: Diane Benjamin I don’t know how many people pay attention to the blathering on WJBC by Forum commentators, but what Matejka said about TIF’s is nothing more than government talking points. Matejka is after all Chris Koos’ good buddy. See what he said here: http://www.wjbc.com/2019/03/13/wjbc-voices-understanding-tif-investments/?fbclid=IwAR12JhuXkWjHND1rhHt_Y0UlUjfoszIG6WStPU9lVKiGpM2KofKlh3_DfII One side note first: It’s great to see Democrats […]
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 Meeting docs: http://www.normal.org/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/31937 In this story about Bloomington spending: https://blnnews.com/2019/01/26/bloomington-bills-for-monday/ I listed 4 payments to the EDC for $1600 each. It looks like Renner, Buragas, Mathy, and Tyus won the One Voice trip this year to Washington DC. Buragas is leaving the Council April 30th and Tyus is the brand new Assistant […]
By: Diane Benjamin The Town of Normal needs to immediately kick Mike Matejka off their Planning Commission: http://www.normal.org/401/Planning-Commission Matejka is still spreading hate on the Not In Our Town Facebook page: The entire premise of the story is based on the false narrative of what happen. Matejka evidently only gets his news from far left-wing […]
By: Diane Benjamin Not In Our Town has done nothing to correct the #FakeNews on their Facebook page. The hateful comments below are still on their page with no apologizes. Obviously this Facebook page only exists to create dissension. Videos of what really happened are all over the internet. On this Martin Luther King day, […]
By: Diane Benjamin The Bloomington City Council has until April 1st to fire VenuWorks: PDF page 2 http://www.cityblm.org/Home/ShowDocument?id=10901 The Coliseum (Grossinger Motors Arena) continues to fleece taxpayers. The audited loss for last year was $2,168,534. https://blnnews.com/2018/11/18/the-media-wont-report-this/ Taxpayers were deceived by the consultants before it was built – against the wishes of citizens. They predicted revenues […]
By: Diane Benjamin Long time readers know the former Coliseum managers would issue their financial statements, and then the auditor would issue theirs. The media always reported the CIAM numbers but never the audited numbers. Audited losses were much higher! The media is continuing to report fake news because the audited number from VenuWorks aren’t […]
By: Diane Benjamin Note: Comments on this site will be deleted if it’s obvious the writer is only trying to attack. It’s my site – my rules. Either come here to have discussion or start your own site. Note to the idiot commenting about BEC. The election results are not posted where they should be […]
By: Diane Benjamin Government doesn’t have to be competent, especially when incompetent people are elected! The City of Bloomington has proven over and over they know where to get more money. YOU! The naming rights for the Ice Center expired more than two years ago. Pepsi is no longer paying to have their name on […]
By: Diane Benjamin Ms. Lunny just published a story on the Jenn Carrillo violence post and didn’t mention where the Pantagraph found it. I know where she found it: I have this sweet little program linked to my website that tells me where reads are from. Above are two of the reads, I know there […]
By: Diane Benjamin The agenda for last night’s Bloomington City Council meeting was extremely light, Tari hadn’t planned to make it back in time from the US Conference of Mayors. Serious issues couldn’t happen without his presence. Judy Stearns returned to Public Comment last night, only four people spoke. Three of the four represented what […]
By: Diane Benjamin The majority of the meeting was spent talking about TIF districts. The City of Bloomington currently has two: Empire Corridor which is a massive area along Empire street, and Downtown Southwest. The City is trying to get approval from the other taxing bodies for two more: The old Junior High building area […]
By: Diane Benjamin Monday’s Bloomington City Council meeting ended with accusations against Tari for what 2 aldermen heard he said at the conference below. It would be really easy to find out the truth – just ask Mike Matejka or Chris Koos – they were there with Tari: https://events.illinoisstate.edu/event/social-ethnic-racial-boundaries-campus-community-21st-century-race-immigration-trump-administration/ You might want to look at […]
