By: Diane Benjamin Anonymous Editorial writer today thinks a soccer/sports public-private partnership is worth pursuing. That means the “private” gets to use it while the “public” gets stuck with the bills! Take a journey back in time: Preview I went to […]
Buzzing around City Hall, I heard Tari Renner announce the Pantagraph is moving to Uptown Normal. I wonder if they will care that Tari announced the move before they did! That also means, if Renner is re-elected, plans will be announced for taxpayers to subsidize redeveloping the Pantagraph building. You are the monkey-wrench, but only […]
By: Diane Benjamin Robert Fike says some good things, but I’m not sure he is informed enough to be mayor. He mentioned offering early retirement to highly paid people so cheaper ones could be hired. The last time the City did that, it cost around $4 million in Sick Leave Buy Back. Just a view […]
By: Diane Benjamin The Pantagraph has a video on-line of their mayoral candidate interviews. See the video below. Yes, as Tari likes to say FACTS do matter. The video is less than an hour – watch it. Diane Hauman is already planning to increase fees for garbage service even though a January 17, 2017 presentation […]
By: Diane Benjamin Can $20 million be cut from Bloomington’s budget? David Hales thinks disaster would strike Bloomington if the tax increases were rolled back. (The media happily reports it!) Here’s a better question: The 2012 TOTAL budget was $165.3 million (Pre Tari) The 2013 TOTAL budget was $167 million (Pre Tari) That 2017 TOTAL […]
Quite by chance, the Pantagraph has an anonymous editorial today concerning their version of Fake News! By: Diane Benjamin If the Pantagraph gets their news from Tari Renner, they need a new source. See this story they did for an article on the mayoral candidates: http://www.pantagraph.com/news/local/government-and-politics/bloomington-mayoral-candidates-taxes-streets-biggest-concerns/article_9cead315-4b3f-5c04-8516-6df801039cd1.html This statement is included: #FactsMatter The amusement tax was […]
By: Diane Benjamin I doubt any attendees of the event last night will take the time to watch this video. Actually having a discussion of facts is no longer possible. If you read the comments made to the Pantagraph reporter, it’s clear FAKE NEWS is rampant and now encouraged by both local mayors. Where was […]
Note: The original version stated Doug Fansler is running for Normal Town Council, he isn’t. By: Diane Benjamin The new name for the local newspaper was coined by a resident of Normal with experience in the FAKE NEWS they report. Since other media outlets get their news from the paper, it’s easy in Bloomington-Normal to […]
By: Diane Benjamin Yesterday the Pantagraph wrote this story: Normal Seeks AG’s Opinion On Public Comment I wonder where they got the idea for the story! Did Chris Koos call them and say “I’ve got a story for you”? Mark Peterson? The only reason Normal is considering changing their Public Comment policy is because at […]
By: Diane Benjamin From Monday’s Bills and Payroll: http://www.cityblm.org/Home/ShowDocument?id=11904 The US Conference of Mayors was January 17-19 in Washington DC. I wonder if Tari stayed for today’s inauguration? Funny, he isn’t listed as attending the conference: mayors attending . What is an EAC event and why are your taxes paying for prizes? . The Pepsi […]
Update: Comments are back on the first story – including the one that probably got them shut off. Yep – bad language on those sweet women’s signs. By: Diane Benjamin The Pantagraph has two stories about local people traveling to Washington DC. This one is about local women going to march in protest of President […]
By: Diane Benjamin Update to this story: https://blnnews.com/2017/01/17/fraud/ The Pantagraph and Cumulus (WJBC) have both read this story at least once. The questions are: Will they report? Ask questions? Continue to be bought and paid for media and ignore the facts? Last August something strange happened at a Council meeting. Finance Director Patti-Lynn Silva gave […]
By: Diane Benjamin The local purveyor of government propaganda has reported VenuWorks lost $674,000 in the 7 months since they took over. The only reason this story is out now is because Tuesday night the Coliseum Executive Director will make a presentation to the Council. _______________________________________________________________________ Side note: This is also Tuesday’s agenda: 2017 ends […]
The Pantagraph attempted actual investigative journalism by FOIAing travel expenses from numerous area governments. Their report was difficult to read since experience making numbers understandable was obviously lacking, but at least they tried. After all their hard work and hammering of Scott Preston, they failed to take him down – just as they failed to […]
By: Diane Benjamin When the local media is bought and paid for with government advertising dollars, you will never hear the truth. (Local Media Is Fake News) Did they ever tell you Connect Transit budgets a $12,000,000 loss per year so empty buses can drive all over Bloomington-Normal? I missed the bus fire at the […]
We might find out. I filed this complaint today with the Illinois Election Commission: Steve Sandvoss Executive Director, Illinois State Board of Elections 2329 S. MacArthur Blvd., Springfield IL, 62704 I am writing pertaining to local elections in Bloomington and Normal and the local media. The Pantagraph is the local newspaper, WJBC is the […]
By: Diane Benjamin Every major news source in Bloomington-Normal is supported by thousands of your tax dollars. In less than two years your tax dollars went to: Pantagraph: $338,493.91 WJBC etc: $148,965.78 Cities 92.9 etc: $30,474.30 City governments send regular payouts to these entities for thousands of dollars in what they call advertising. Not limiting themselves […]
By: Diane Benjamin Start here with a tweet from a local Pantagraph reporter: I wonder if Derek knows this, if he does he has kept it a secret! Rivian likes to hire FOREIGN labor! Americans must not know a thing about building non-conventional cars! I wonder if that agreement Normal signed says Rivian MUST hire […]
By: Diane Benjamin On January 3rd you will know why local media is the home of FAKE NEWS! Meanwhile, here’s a preview: WJBC did a year in review – listen HERE Fast forward to hear what they reported for the Coliseum at 31:00 No mention of my findings because of a lawsuit and no mention […]
By: Diane Benjamin See the report issued by the Bloomington Election Commission in this post: https://blnnews.com/2016/12/17/wjbc-please-stop-the-fake-news/ The document clearly shows Tari Renner submitted 785 signatures and after the line-by-line review he ended up with 581. That means 204 signatures were found to be invalid. Below is an email a citizen sent to […]
By: Diane Benjamin Yesterday Anonymous Editorial Writer at the Pantagraph urged readers to sift out FAKE NEWS and rely on them along with other main stream sources: http://www.pantagraph.com/editorial-it-s-simple-check-before-you-share Trying not to laugh, I read it. Just last Saturday, the Pantagraph ran an AP story that used Media Matter for America as a source: http://www.pantagraph.com/business/google-still-putting-ads-on-fake-news-sites Associated […]
By: Diane Benjamin I’ve been accumulating Renner quotes for a few days because they show his character. If his petitions looked legitimate they wouldn’t have been challenged. They didn’t. If Kevin appeals the Election Commission ruling to a higher court, I bet more signatures would be thrown off. They allow looking for patterns of fraud, […]
By: Diane Benjamin Below is the video shot by John Kraft of Edgar County Watchdogs at the meeting to hear the protest to Renner’s petitions. John kept the video running after the meeting was recessed. At 6:48 Jason Chambers, State’s Attorney, announced he was not going to intervene because his office would be responsible for […]
By: Diane Benjamin The daily rag has a new story about pension spiking at the City of Bloomington. In an effort to deflect from the City’s unethical practice of allowing employees to spike their pensions with unused sick days, they even call the practice legal. It is legal because Bloomington’s Mayor, City Manager, and Council […]
On Monday, November 21, 2016 3:42 PM, Pantagraph Letters <PLetters@pantagraph.com> wrote: . I’m sorry but your letter has not been selected for publication. Thank you. . Karen Hansen Digital news editor The Pantagraph P: 309-820-3236 @pg_digital khansen@pantagraph.com . Here’s the letter: . Logan County has “Gone with the Wind”! . Logan County Zoning & County […]
By: Diane Benjamin Information is harder to compare now that the Hales’ City Manager Reports are history. Instead of transparency, he posts bits and piece of data and I have to put it together. I imagine soon the bits and pieces will disappear because tax increases are much easier when government claims they need more […]
By: Diane Benjamin I won’t have time for a while to work for free, so here’s some stories you might not have seen: 1) FBI agents say the bureau is alarmed over Director James Comey’s decision to not suggest that the Justice Department prosecute Hillary Clinton over her mishandling of classified information. According to an interview […]
The sound system at this meeting was NOT the new system. I heard at the meeting it was, that information was false. The new system should be installed in the next 10days to 2 weeks. _______________________________ A reader commented that the Pantagraph “corrected” the story in today’s paper. Unless another story is done and posted […]
By: Diane Benjamin I thought about writing on this topic, but posted it on Facebook instead. Sunday the Pantagraph had an Editorial: Newspapers are proud of what they do. This was in the first paragraph: We use different vehicles, but we’re all committed to the same thing: Sharing stories and information about the people and […]
By: Diane Benjamin Poor Stevie doesn’t think it’s fair that some people make A LOT more money than others. Jealous? Today his column is on income inequality in McLean County using data from what he calls a left-leaning site.. He claims the top 1%ers in McLean County earn $365,000+ per year. Yep, that’s a lot of […]
By: Diane Benjamin The Pantagraph has a ridiculous editorial today urging the City to spend spend spend on downtown. They must not realize with building the Coliseum and covering the losses, rehabbing the BCPA, and with the TIF dollars from the past – Bloomington is probably close to spending $100,000,000. Don’t forget to add the […]
By: Diane Benjamin Today the Pantagraph printed this Letter to the Editor: http://www.pantagraph.com/news/opinion/mailbag/ciam-should-provide-information/article_6b4daeab-9b06-5c78-a0ab-1a41646ffe43.html That isn’t the letter Erik submitted! He emailed the original to me: Diane, This is the original text of my letter: . Thank you for your article in the Sept. 1 Pantagraph about the Coliseum and it’s relationship with the former manager. […]
By: Diane Benjamin Today the local media finally decided to report on the Coliseum: http://www.pantagraph.com/news/local/government-and-politics/city-examining-ciam-s-concession-sales-at-coliseum/article_32b4b33e-8f50-5782-a8be-4ea5a57fbf0b.html It needs a few corrections: I knew Renner was going to try to say the concession problems I’ve been writing about for YEARS only came to light under the new management of the Coliseum. The City is investigating other issues […]
By: Diane Benjamin The Pantagraph reported around 50 people showed up yesterday for Tari’s big announcement. I hear 25 of them were media. If you can read the Pantagraph on-line, the comments aren’t promising for his 2nd run: http://www.pantagraph.com/news/local/government-and-politics/elections/renner-touts-city-progress-wants-nd-term/article_512365c5-7492-5c1f-b834-e6b3fb38c2f5.html Tari claimed he stabilized Bloomington’s finances. I thought David Hales did that in 2008 and 2009 […]
By: Diane Benjamin The Pantagraph has been running this ad on Facebook: I will wait for you to stop laughing! waiting . . . waiting . . . Today an entire article is devoted to praising the City of Bloomington’s for closing last year under budget. Some things they meant to mislead you about: (tonight: […]
By: Diane Benjamin See Monday night’s Bills and Payroll here: http://www.cityblm.org/index.aspx?page=242&parent=9535 Media did well: Straightening out the mess prior management left? . This months eating at your expense: ADMIN City Council Expenses Station 220 Inc $ 32.75 07/01/16 Business lunch T. Renner (By himself?) ADMIN City Council Expenses Station 220 Inc $ 50.00 06/30/16 Business […]
Ben Yount finally agreed to hold an event here in September! He mentioned your emails! Thanks. _______________________________________________________ By: Diane Benjamin A Mrs. Powel of Philadelphia asked Benjamin Franklin, “Well, Doctor, what have we got, a republic or a monarchy?” With no hesitation whatsoever, Franklin responded, “A republic, if you can keep it.” I was at […]
By: Diane Benjamin August 2nd I wrote a story about Bloomington’s Liquor Commission: https://blnnews.com/2016/08/02/is-tari-declaring-himself-king/ Monday night Tari wants to be granted all power to enforce, permit, and control liquor in Bloomington. From the agenda: http://www.cityblm.org/Modules/ShowDocument.aspx?documentid=11004 From the packet page 238: http://www.cityblm.org/Modules/ShowDocument.aspx?documentid=11003 The only “confusion regarding the authority of the local” Liquor Commission has been FOLLOWING […]
By: Diane Benjamin Connect Transit issued their 12 month UN-audited financial statements at their last meeting. Celebrate now – they didn’t lose as much as they budgeted: Page 7: http://www.connect-transit.com/documents/July%2026,%202016%20Regular%20Board%20Meeting%20Binder1.pdf They did lose more than $1 million in June bringing the year total to just short of $10 million. Has ANY local press reported on […]
By: Diane Benjamin A reader sent me the following email. The Pantagraph is legendary for getting the facts wrong, but they can’t get their own facts straight? These guys can be trusted to accurately report news? (Note: Another example of why I started BlnNews more than 4 years ago.) . . .
