By: Diane Benjamin Headline from the Pantagraph: h/t a reader So, a journalist from a country without any “freedom of the press” has partnered with the US government for almost 10 years to teach how to be a journalist and teach how to teach journalism I think we found the reason 95% of the media […]
By: Diane Benjamin Everything below was received by FOIA. I received another treasure trove of emails – stay tuned. Remember this note Mayor Koos sent to Bloomington and leaked to the media? This note was in the Pantagraph on July 17th. https://blnnews.com/2019/07/31/did-chris-koos-lie/ On July 26th, Stan Nord sent proof to the Mayor and the entire […]
By: Diane Benjamin Below is the email (printed with permission) from the attorney for Michael Cadena to the Pantagraph reporter who included #FakeNews in her article: I redacted her email address because it isn’t important. The only reason I got involved in this case is because of the reporting by the Pantagraph. Michael Cadena was […]
By: Diane Benjamin Kat (Kathleen) Cantrell (Wilson) is the person in charge of making sure subscribers get delivery of the Pantagraph. She has access to the database of subscribers and likely payment information, how else could she verify whether a customer deserves delivery? Does her access include credit card numbers? The following is from the […]
Just like magic – the comments to the Pantagraph story are back. Here’s one: By: Diane Benjamin The Pantagraph has a story about Beth Whisman stepping down from the Airport Authority Board: http://www.pantagraph.com/news/local/government-and-politics/whisman-resigns-from-airport-board-due-to-job-conflict/article_4a553dc2-2423-58b8-8d44-cdd535b1f6b6.html#tracking-source=home-top-story-2 Besides proving Chris Koos and Normal’s legal team didn’t bother to read the law (or they can’t read), the Pantagraph proved real […]
By: Diane Benjamin Today the paper has a cool graph showing City of Bloomington budgets for the last 10 years. I recapped the same info here: https://blnnews.com/2018/03/08/bloomington-budget-workshop-saturday/ See the Pantagraph graph here – bottom of the story: http://www.pantagraph.com/news/local/government-and-politics/council-eyes-business-fees-overdue-parking-fines-to-balance-budget/article_b1dd3a23-7b7c-50aa-8f9e-30046a7375a9.html#tracking-source=home-top-story-1 Instead of pretending spending is up over 10 years, they should have marked on the graph […]
By: Diane Benjamin Normal is cutting: communications director, economic development director, and assistant to the city manager. If Normal doesn’t need them, Bloomington doesn’t either. Bloomington isn’t twice as big as Normal – but Bloomington’s budget is more than 100% higher! Bloomington is once again looking at a budget that does not provide enough money to […]
By: Diane Benjamin Did the Pantagraph chastise Tari Renner when he attacked Judy Stearns with a WRITTEN prepared statement in 2014? I sure don’t remember it. This video is up to 11,150 views: If the Pantagraph has cared in 2014 maybe this clown wouldn’t be mayor now. The Editorial staff must finally be at least […]
By: Diane Benjamin Editorial in the Pantagraph March 3, 2004: (available at the library) Does anybody trust the Council? Poll below↓ . . . .
By: Diane Benjamin It’s not hard to find someone at State Farm willing to talk. The employees have no idea whether they will have a job tomorrow, 3 months from now, or 6 months from now. I’m told 2018 is going to be worse for downsizing than 2017 was. Keep your eyes on this site: https://www.thelayoff.com/state-farm […]
By: Diane Benjamin When the new and re-elected members of the City Council were sworn it last May 1st, no agenda was posted: http://www.cityblm.org/government/advanced-components/documents/-folder-499/-npage-5 If you watch the video, Tari called the meeting to order anyway, see it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vfeOZOEU6xs This is the meeting where an illegal oath of office was given. Now that the City […]
By: Diane Benjamin TIF districts are like Greek to most citizens. If you don’t understand them, government will continue to redistribute money and call it Economic Development. TIF’s made easy: Government sets a Tax Increment Finance area. All government bodies in the area have to agree to forgo tax increases due to increasing property values. […]
By: Diane Benjamin I’m always suspicious when an article appears in the paper praising something when the data to back up the claims is unavailable. It happened again October 26th with this story in the Pantagraph: Normal TIF Districts Paying Dividends One has to wonder where the story came from. Did somebody at the Town call […]
By: Diane Benjamin The local paper has an article about the Cease and Desist email Bruce Meeks sent to the mayor. See it HERE I don’t know what the writer means saying Meeks is “raising questions” about the airline ticket to Japan, but I wonder why Renner chose to go after Bruce Meeks when I was […]
By: Diane Benjamin Anonymous Editorial writer published one today against Tari Renner: http://www.pantagraph.com/opinion/editorial/editorial-mayor-needs-to-change-his-ways-and-fast/article_5de7dedd-4ac6-5590-8ebe-f5c1c1f95d2b.html You can decide for yourself why they wrote it. Even though a comment by Bruce Meeks stating he had never sued the City was published in THEIR paper, the writer allowed Renner to claim yet again Bruce has been suing for 5 […]
By: Diane Benjamin See the VIDEO in this story: https://blnnews.com/2017/10/10/should-renner-be-back/ What Tari claims has happened is a FELONY. Were police reports filed? NO! Why was it denied? I originally tried to file for a longer time frame, but they told me it was too long. Then the City lost my response to a request to narrow […]
The on-line version has been corrected. How are they going to correct all those printed copies? Are there enough to worry about? ______________________________________________ By: Diane Benjamin If anyone was expecting a hard-hitting editorial by the anonymous writers at the Pantagraph against Tari Renner for once again inflaming the local acrimony Monday night, you will be […]
By: Diane Benjamin The Joliet Herald News was attacked by the City of Joliet for reporting the truth about their new City Manager: David Hales. The Herald isn’t cowering in a corner, they are putting the facts in front of the citizens. They are probably getting a tons of reads, people want real news – […]
By: Diane Benjamin Today the dead tree, as Ben Yount calls it, stated the City hired the Bronner Group back in 2015 to audit the Coliseum. Instead of “there’s an app for that”, my new saying is “I’ve got a story for that”. From September 17, 2015: https://blnnews.com/2015/09/17/bronner-group-getting-your-money/ Bronner “discounted” their rate to $145 per hour! […]
By: Diane Benjamin If I hadn’t been out of town this weekend, I would have written A LOT more on the Pantagraph story that attempted to make you believe the Bloomington roads are getting better. It’s really difficult to compose story on a cell phone, so I left a lot of details to readers: https://blnnews.com/2017/09/24/more-pantagraph-conspires-with-city/ […]
By. Diane Benjamin Today the Pantagraph lauded the $3.8 million Bloomington is spending on streets. Seems like rewriting history so people think the streets are getting better is the goal of both Bloomington and the so called press. Why? Because both want downtown spending, not silly things citizens want like the roads fixed! See their […]
The writer is reflecting on the Editorial printed by the Pantagraph September 7th. See it HERE Do you ever hold out just a speck of hope that there is some integrity left in the Pantagraph? Find it a bit hard to relegate it to the graveyard of American institutions dying a tortured death? Well the […]
By: Diane Benjamin Today an editorial writer is attempting to rewrite the history of Japan, Tari Renner, Margot Erhlich, and PCards. I have the minutes of the Sister Cities Committee. Margot is NEVER listed as a member or attending a meeting! The editorial claims she is a member and everybody should ignore the law! If […]
A Facebook poster reported seeing Tari at Target Sunday moving along quite briskly. _____________________________________________ By: Diane Benjamin The story broke on July 30th of Renner’s personal use of a government Purchasing Card. https://blnnews.com/2017/07/30/do-we-have-a-prosecutor/ On August 16th WGLT did this story of the Council being concerned about Renner’s erratic behavior. Reading the story though shows them […]
By: Diane Benjamin Remember Connect Transit spending $10,853.31 on security cameras? https://blnnews.com/2017/08/23/2/ What are the cameras watching? The riders or you? See this Pantagraph article: http://www.pantagraph.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/rape-charges-filed-against-murder-suspect/article_a9cb15ea-9a5a-522c-bdb2-4852b3f2e5bd.html Remember the guy who stabbed a woman to death in a hotel room? How did a City bus get video of the guy riding away from the scene? Are […]
By: Diane Benjamin Normal came really close to ending their tyranny when Chris Koos was almost defeated in April. Renner didn’t get Modified Wards, but now that he’s reelected, nothing is going to stand in his way. The Council certainly won’t – gee they approved his girlfriend’s ticket to Japan! No, nobody is looking out […]
By: Diane Benjamin Thank God Steve Vogel is retiring for good! His column today doesn’t merit commenting on and I sure didn’t read the whole thing. If I hadn’t jumped to the comments I would have missed that he is walking off into the sunset – keep walking Steve! I wonder what left winger will […]
By: Diane Benjamin I bet some lawyer would take this case as a class action suit against the Pantagraph for fraudulent selling of subscriptions. This isn’t the first time I’ve heard this story, but now I hear it so often it’s worth writing. If you are stupid enough to still be a subscriber, read this […]
By: Diane Benjamin Capitalism has lifted millions of people around the globe out of poverty. It’s the perfect formula for success: I have a widget that you want. You give me something of value for the widget. Both of us are happy. With the Internet, exchanging things of value is possible across the globe. If […]
By: Diane Benjamin Kimberly Bray was just elected to represent the 9th Ward. Rumor has it she has never voted in a local election before this one. (If she did – she could easily prove it!) Rumor also has it that Joni Painter and Tari Renner recruited her to run. She obviously doesn’t read BlnNews […]
By: Diane Benjamin If anybody still reads the Pantagraph, they have what looks more like a hit piece against the City of Bloomington than reporting: http://www.pantagraph.com/news/local/government-and-politics/trespass-some-lake-residents-may-lose-their-boat-docks/article_3263bf43-a08b-5c85-90d3-5314b7417024.html Some of the people making comments on the Pantagraph site are clueless! Homeowners on Lake Bloomington are leasing the land – Bloomington owns it. They are paying property taxes […]
By: Diane Benjamin You decide if “grift” fits: Bills for approval at the Monday’s Normal Town Council meeting: Source: http://normal.org/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/2610 Click on any picture to enlarge. .. . Paying someone to apply for grant: . Misc: . More Baseball and More Water Main break Expense . Annual Dues – Where ridiculous ideas come from . […]
By: Diane Benjamin One thing I’ve learned is Republicans never do what they say they will do in a campaign while Democrats lie over and over and over trying to get you to believe what they say. Just watch them for a while, you will notice it too. (Think: If you like your doctor . […]
Stevie, I received an anonymous donation today with this note: Many thanks to whoever sent it. Evidently many people are dying for real news. I will continue to investigate and write as long as people are willing to contribute. I might even be able to afford a new computer soon! Without the daily numerous crashes […]
By: Diane Benjamin Unlike the Chamber of Commerce who cancelled their interview with Kevin Lower (according to Kevin), the Pantagraph got their Editorial Board together to listen to both Renner and Lower. It was all for show. http://www.pantagraph.com/news/local/government-and-politics/renner-lower-spar-over-street-resurfacing/article_207506eb-1e52-5c45-a670-1b129fb76763.html The Pantagraph will endorse Tari Renner because they are progressives (Big government is great!) folks, just like […]
By: Diane Benjamin Connect Transit is the biggest FRAUD ever perpetrated on the citizens forced to pay their bills! Before I show you the offensive February financial statements, see these notes included in the packet: http://www.connect-transit.com/documents/March%2021,%202017%20Regular%20Board%20Meeting%20Binder1.pdf See PDF page 17 of the link above. The General Manager can spend up to $50,000 without Board approval. […]
By: Diane Benjamin The local press needs to decide if they are media or propaganda machines for Tari Renner. The people behind the Facebook page attacking Kevin Lower are Renner supporters. This is a tweet from one of them proving the connection to Renner: Justin Boyd is Renner’s campaign chairman. The vile people behind the […]
By: Diane Benjamin This time the writer didn’t get a response from the Pantagraph after submitting this letter, it was just never printed. The writer sent it BEFORE the primary, and since it still applies there was no reason it wasn’t printed, except it doesn’t reflect the views of the paper. The name has been […]
By: Diane Benjamin For months Normal Mayor Chris Koos has been pretending with the help of media that changing the Town’s Public Comment Policy is his idea. It wasn’t! Today the Attorney General’s Office issued an opinion that slaps him around on numerous counts. (Did the AG suddenly start doing their job? Maybe!) Craig Stimpert […]
By: Diane Benjamin The Pantagraph has a story today about last night’s vote to end the Metrozone agreement in Normal: http://www.pantagraph.com/news/local/government-and-politics/article_bb09a977-1687-56db-81ae-176d6c2807fd.html I didn’t make it past this paragraph : Kevin Lower signed the document with 4 other aldermen to get this vote on the agenda. Details: HERE When exactly did he oppose the measure? NEVER! […]
