By: Diane Benjamin Citizen survey – Normal Police: https://normal.org/FormCenter/Police-10/2020-Citizens-Survey-55 https://normal.org/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/3830 Semi-annual bond payments: The majority of these payments do nothing to pay down the debt. Interest totals $1,577,138.75. The amount to reduce the debt is only $470,000. A “Responsible City”?
By: Diane Benjamin It’s really hard to say what BN Advantage is, except that they soak up your money. Supposedly it’s a collaboration of government, the Economic Development Council, the Chamber of Commerce, and anybody else who is searching for the “Right Fit” in economic development.
By: Diane Benjamin I’ve heard that one guy running for re-election on the Normal Town Council is telling people as he campaigns door to door the debt isn’t a problem. I believe he is actually calling other candidates liars for questioning the debt. Hit play on the video below from last Monday’s meeting. The speaker […]
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE November 22, 2016 Marc Tiritilli to run for Mayor of Normal Normal—Marc Tiritilli is pleased to announce his candidacy for Mayor of Normal in the election on April 4, 2017. He has gathered the required signatures and is eagerly moving on to the heart of the campaign. Tiritilli said he is basing […]
By: Diane Benjamin From expenditures for approval Monday night: http://normal.org/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/2241 Economic development is subsided Buy Local is for us, not necessarily government (refer to link above) Free or cheap entertainment really isn’t . . .
By: Diane Benjamin Normal’s Uptown TIF began in May of 2003. Remember, TIF’s are created to encourage economic development. The hope is any money borrowed or promised will be paid back by the increase taxes received. The Town of Normal 2010 – 2015 TIF Reports are on the Comptroller’s website: http://warehouse.illinoiscomptroller.com/Downloads.cfm See the chart below. […]
By: Diane Benjamin Remember when Normal bought the former Route 66 gas station property for more than $250,000? https://blnnews.com/2016/05/16/normal-sick-of-your-government-yet/ Well, it looks like work on the parking lot has begun. The same can’t be said about the road leading to it. Are Bloomington and Normal having a contest to see who can have the worst […]
By: Diane Benjamin Unlike the Constitution Mr. Smith (Jimmy Stewart) took to Washington DC (the original), Chris Koos wrote one to serve his purpose. He was quoted in the paper: “Federal support for transportation is a longstanding tradition and a core constitutional responsibility.” Maybe somebody should ask Koos where he found that in the Constitution. […]
By: Diane Benjamin Below is another email I received under the Freedom of Information Act while looking for something else. It was written by Alderman Jim Fruin. Normal’s elections for council members are At-Large. That means nobody on the their Council represents citizens, everybody represents the entire town. It also means the Council members don’t […]
By: Diane Benjamin See this survey of the safest cities in Illinois with a population over 5000: http://www.homesnacks.net/cities/safest-places-in-illinois/ 291 cities included. Bloomington was a dismal 226 out of 291, Normal wasn’t a lot better at 189. The survey is from 2014. How’s that for Quality of Life! The meaning of rank out of 291 […]
By: Diane Benjamin The anonymous editorial writer at the Pantagraph jumped in this week to proclaim the greatness of Bloomington and Normal sharing Sales Tax. Citizens are being set up! Normal has 5 TIF districts that are costing them A LOT of money because revenues generated aren’t paying the interest and principle on all the […]
By: Diane Benjamin Normal wants Bloomington and the County to help pay the $126,000 per year bill for electronics recycling. Best Buy will take your electronics for free! Old computer? Monitor? Printer? See the full list of what they accept: http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Global-Promotions/Recycling-Electronics If that link doesn’t work, try this one: http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Global-Promotions/Recycling-Electronics/pcmcat149900050025.c?id=pcmcat149900050025 Why is government involved? […]
By: Diane Benjamin Tomorrow at the Den: Public Comment – sign up before 8:00 http://www.cityblm.org/Modules/ShowDocument.aspx?documentid=9090 Monday night at Council: Public Comment – sign up before 7:00 http://www.cityblm.org/Modules/ShowDocument.aspx?documentid=9124 Same meeting – time undetermined: Public Comment will be allowed again on Raising the Sales Tax. If you want more of your money stolen by government, stay home. […]
By: Diane Benjamin Earlier this week I wrote about the property Normal is planning to purchase and trade with ISU. Reports show they plan to pay way over assessed value. http://blnnews.com/2015/07/21/normal-do-friends-of-government-prosper/ This isn’t the first time Normal has overpaid for properties. Mayor Chris Koos was on WGLT talking about the purchase and trade so Normal can obtain property […]
Flying around, I heard something interesting: State Farm has told up to 3000 people they can transfer to one of their 3 hubs. Hear any sucking noises?
By: Diane Benjamin Obviously there are a lot of empty big retail spaces. Tax receipts in both Bloomington and Normal are down. I’ve talked to apartment owners who can’t find renters. This morning I got a call from the personal assistant of an owner of a commercial building. She wanted to know if I was […]
By: Diane Benjamin So far the residents of Normal haven’t cared that Koos is stealing more money from them every year to so he can finish his vision. Will you care this time? These 2 emails were received under the Freedom of Information Act – Bloomington is getting slightly better at complying with the law, […]
by: Diane Benjamin I received many many emails from the Town of Normal concerning Paradigm. I can spend many hours piecing the story together, but if my readers don’t care about what really happened, I won’t waste my time. Take the poll and tell me what you think: . . .
by: Diane Benjamin To absolutely no fanfare, Normal issued their financial statements for the year ended March 31, 2014. Bloomington has yet to issue theirs for the year ended April 30, 2014. Tip: If the private sector took this long, investors would be demanding a government investigation! The notes are the most interesting part. Like […]
Update: by: Diane Benjamin According to the Pantagraph, Paradigm BioAviation received almost no support last night. WHO didn’t do their homework? WHO scheduled a joint Council meeting, wasted a lot of staff time, the public’s time, the Council member’s time? I thought Normal was all about sustainability, did the crowd ride their bikes to the meeting? […]
by: Diane Benjamin In Normal there is a great sledding hill on Jersey Ave. I remember taking my kids there. Even with parking on both sides of the street, at was still hard to find a parking place at times. It’s a great hill that attracts a lot of kids and their parents. Unless you […]
By: Diane Benjamin Obviously the Bloomington City Council has no interest in questioning City Manager David Hales. Years from now Hales will be blamed for all the ills of the City, but the Alderman elected to represent their Wards don’t care now. Hales does what Renner wants, Renner has all but banned free speech of […]
by: Diane Benjamin A big complaint in Bloomington is the hiring of consultants. Most of these consultants send your tax dollars out-of-town. Evidently local employees aren’t smart enough to plan and analyze how to spend your money. Meanwhile, they tell you to spend locally to keep money here. Normal just hired a consultant of their own, […]
by: Diane Benjamin Normal is changing some intersections on the west side of town. People driving in this area have reported to me that sidewalks are being brought out into the street. When they are finished, some residents feel there won’t be enough room for a car waiting at the intersection and a car turning […]
by: Diane Benjamin Part 1: http://blnnews.com/2014/03/14/burying-bailouts-in-quality-of-life/ Community Center How did CAAY pick the property currently rented by the Great Escape to relocate the YMCA? Once again, it helps to know who owns it now. The McLean County Recorder’s Office shows: Great Escape Property 1716 RT Dunn Dr Ste 4: Parcel 21-09-452-002 Main & Veterans LLC […]
by: Diane Benjamin On Monday a presentation will be made to the Bloomington City Council pertaining to the proposed Community Center and Soccer Complex. The group behind the project wants 1/4% Sales Tax for 8 years which they say will completely pay for both projects. The group is called Citizens Advocating for Area Youth (CAAY). […]
You can’t drive in the new Uptown Normal, you have to park in a garage and walk. Almost every new building is retail on the first floor and apartments above. The Town of Normal is spending over 20,000 for a feasibility study of a grocery store in Uptown. The train station has no place to drop off […]
Isn’t it amazing how the City Council of both Bloomington and Normal are suddenly conservative? Members who never met a tax increase they didn’t like, are suddenly looking for cuts to balance their budgets – you know the ole’ property values are down, incomes are down, citizens are suffering . . . Can’t possibly have […]
Word around town – Normal may be looking at buying GREEN energy for the citizens of Normal! Think that will save you money? If it was cost effective – we would be doing nothing but green. Public hearings today: Noon and 6:45 Normal Council Chambers They don’t appreciate public comments – so you better take advantage of […]
In response to the PANTAGRAPH”s editorial dated October 25 in regards to Bulk purchase of electricity. Illinois is a regulated, deregulated state. Since 2008, residential and small business customers have been able to choose from a list of Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) approved Independent Electrical Suppliers for their home and small business electrical accounts. The […]
by Diane Benjamin Citizens and Politicians alike need a RESET! Any tax dollars government has they STOLE from YOU. Radical statement? YES. But what is the role of government? A Coliseum? A Bloomington Center for the Performing Arts? Total re-build of downtown Normal? Isn’t the REAL purpose of government to protect our rights? Anybody read […]
by Diane Benjamin At a breakfast this morning, Mayor Chris Koos talked endlessly about electric cars, the numerous charging stations he plans to bring to town, and how much he loves his EV. Evidently he doesn’t realize nobody else wants an all electric car, but it’s YOUR money being invested in charging stations nobody uses. Even if […]
The writer of this article is fighting the same battles that CityWatch and BLNNews have been reporting on – control of local government by the federal and state government. as directed by the United Nations. John F. McManus is from the Rockford area. The McLean County Regional Planning Commission recently tried to get Bloomington to […]
by Diane Benjamin Currently the Town of Normal is not in trouble because of the massive spending to create Uptown. They have a broad source of funding, and taxes were raised to pay for it. Unlike Bloomington’s investment in the Coliseum that CAN’T pay for itself, it’s easier to spread the Uptown cost over the […]
Far be it from Stanley to dis a fellow media outlet. No, you will not hear the name calling of the “Slantagraph” of the “PantaRag” from Stanley. Let’s just respectfully refer to it as the “Halesville Herald” which pretty much sums up the “Everything’s up to date in Halesville” philosophy it exudes. Oh and, let’s […]
Below is a list of the top 50 people paid by the Town of Normal in 2010. Go to OpenTheBooks.com is you want to see names. Medium HOUSEHOLD income in McLean County 2006-2010 was $57,642. http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/17/17113.html 2010 Town Of Normal $156,585.31 2010 Town Of Normal $134,396.06 2010 Town Of Normal $122,905.14 2010 […]
Attn: Everybody who applied to fill the seat of Jason Chambers on the Normal City Council You never had a chance of being selected. Kevin McCarthy got the job because he fully supports Chris Koos and the “Sustainability” agenda the built Uptown Normal. Below is a billing sheet from the Hile Group – Kevin McCarthy […]
by: Diane Benjamin The article published September 5th was a glowing endorsement of wind energy – typical left wing propaganda. Here’s the subsidy facts according to the US Department of Energy and Institute for Energy Research: Federal Subsidies for electric power – fiscal year 2010 Total in millions $ $ […]
Earlier this year in March, the citizens of Bloomington and Normal took the opportunity and exercised their right in a fair and square, uncontested, open election process that was without incident. In that election. citizens decidedly rejected a proposal that would have, essentially, allowed local government to choose the source of citizen’s electric utility and who that electricity would be provided by. In fact, more citizens participated […]
Let’s talk local government. What is their job, what is their responsibility to citizens? Bloomington thought you needed entertainment, so you got the Coliseum and the BCPA, neither has made a profit or even broken even. They both need YOUR TAX DOLLARS. Normal thought you needed a new Uptown and they aren’t done building and […]
