By: Diane Benjamin The Unit 5 response to concerns about both School Board President Alex Williams and teacher Matt Chapman was to create a video of employees talking about how great Unit 5 is. The video quality is horrible and garbled. Hear it yourself at 40:25: https://vimeo.com/event/5178296 That is yet another fail for Unit 5. […]
By: Diane Benjamin I’m starting with Public Comment. Two people spoke about human trafficking in Bloomington. A group called Allies Against Trafficking claimed Bloomington has 14 massage businesses. They want the City Council to pass an ordinance requiring these businesses to register with the city so an investigation can determine whether they only hire licensed […]
By: Diane Benjamin If you want to buy something and then find out the cost is more than twice what you expected, what do you do? If you’re the Town of Normal and want to save 50 feet with an underpass that vehicles can’t even use, you plow ahead and look for more money from […]
By: Diane Benjamin Last November the Springfield City Council violated the rights of a citizen during public comment. Review this story: https://blnnews.com/2024/11/14/did-the-springfield-city-council-violate-civil-rights/ The American Center for Law and Justice is now involved. (ACLJ) This month they sent a letter to the Springfield Council merely asking for a written apology and assurances Rosanna Pulido’s 1st Amendment […]
By: Diane Benjamin Here’s the most exciting part of last night’s meeting – just hit play: There was only one Public Comment with no sound. Toward the end somebody finally figured that out, the comment must have been funny because it made mayor giggles laugh. The rest of the meeting was predicable, nothing exciting. Do […]
By: Diane Benjamin Keep in mind the Springfield City Council is the same one that planned to not put Public Comments on video. They changed their mind when opinion turned against them. https://blnnews.com/2024/10/18/surprised-our-state-capital-is-censoring-citizens/ On October 29th the Springfield City Council told Rosanne Pulido she had to cover her T-Shirt. She was not allowed to speak […]
By: Diane Benjamin I’m not sure what the original source of this is, but it is verified in a story linked below by the State Journal Register: Amendment I Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; […]
By: Diane Benjamin Unless government fears you they will continue to fleece you. Taxpayers are the bottom of their food chain. They don’t care what expenses you have or that you can’t afford groceries – their needs are superior to yours. Below are a ton of comments that I redacted all identifying information for. People […]
By: Diane Benjamin Did the wind last night affect the downtown campers? Did garbage blow everywhere? Was refuge provided to the people living in tents? If you are in the area please let me know! The Bloomington Council held a Committee of the Whole meeting last night. The first Public Comment was by Surena Fish […]
By: Diane Benjamin 3 people showed up for Public Comment at the June Connect Transit meeting. No, none of them were there to mention the taxpayers abuse by their ridiculous losses. Just May was almost $1.5 million. All 3 speakers were employees of Connect. They can barely be seen because most of the screen is […]
By: Diane Benjamin The video below is from Public Comment at the McLean County Board meeting last night. Just hit play. These speakers expect poll workers to be perfect. Perfection doesn’t exist. Nobody is perfect. 4 people spoke and then Kathy Michael. Why anyone would sign up to be a poll worker if they aren’t […]
By: Diane Benjamin Evidently many people wanted to speak at Public Comment last night concerning the LRS/Henson transfer station. They were not allowed to speak, Chair Catherine Metsker explained why at 5:35. Jackie Beyer was allowed to speak. She gave a first hand account of what happened at the Rules Committee and the Executive Committee […]
By: Diane Benjamin I wrote this story about the Rules Committee meeting, but there is more to the story: https://blnnews.com/2024/02/09/what-happened-at-the-county-rules-committee-meeting/ Besides Democrats attempting to weaponize the County Board against Republicans, numerous other changes were presented. Most were discarded because Republicans objected to their nonsense. Now we know why this meeting is not on video! Democrats don’t want you to […]
By: Diane Benjamin The speaker is different than the one in this story: https://blnnews.com/2024/02/01/comment-to-springfield-council-about-illegal-immigration/ This Public Comment happened on February 6th. The speaker states many facts and then asks what the Council is doing to protect the citizens of Springfield. Just hit play: (you might want to keep listening to the guy who follows)
By: Diane Benjamin A few people stood up for you at Public Comment. Just hit play to hear them below. You can hear the Mayor’s stupid Public Comment statement too – no Public Comment is for citizens. The council doesn’t care what speakers say, especially when only a few bother to address them. The City […]
By: Diane Benjamin I’ve been waiting years for someone to file with the Illinois Attorney General’s Public Access division concerning their policies. Public Comment is Freedom of Speech and a 1st Amendment Right to address grievances with YOUR government. McLean County thinks you need to give them 24 hours notice if you want to speak. […]
By: Diane Benjamin Received by FOIA. Remember the Normal Town Council meeting where everyone who wanted to make a Public Comment wasn’t allowed? Since no one NOW on the Council wants to hear from citizens, 30 minutes was set and not challenged. Pam Reece doesn’t have a problem wasting a citizen’s time who wants to […]
By: Diane Benjamin Every citizens who wasn’t allowed to speak to THEIR council Monday night should have been outraged when Chris Koos cut off Public Comment after 30 minutes. They are making decisions that will affect your life and they don’t care what you think. The rest of the crowd should have stood up and […]
By: Diane Benjamin Chris Koos claimed on Facebook recently that Normal’s sewer system is fine: See 2:50 on the video. Nord asked about this payment: Pam Reece verified the Maplewood area has sewer problems. Oops Koos. _________________________ 16:25. Koos decided to let Kevin McCarthy read the LONG list of appointments before the Council voted. Stan […]
By: Diane Benjamin 1) Biological males are using female restrooms at Normal Community. The rights of females are immaterial. Cancel culture cancelled the right to privacy for females. 2) Refer back to this story: https://blnnews.com/2023/02/22/proof-normals-staff-runs-the-town/ Remember all those “community” meetings Normal had to hear what people wanted to see in Uptown South? The email Mercy […]
By: Diane Benjamin See tonight’s packet here: https://www.normalil.gov/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/4382 Besides other items, Normal will be giving $100,000 from ARPA funds to Carle for the Mobile Clinic that Bloomington already passed giving $150,000 for. https://blnnews.com/2022/06/14/bloomington-minus-2-aldermen/ FYI: Normal has an undated Social Media policy: https://www.normalil.gov/DocumentCenter/View/18492/Social-Media-Disclaimer-?fs=e&s=cl If the Town’s public comment policy doesn’t prove to you Normal does not […]
By: Diane Benjamin Donna Boelen wanted this on the record, unless you see her Council comment at the end of the meeting it is only on the record for staff. Donna asked again about the updated Intergovernmental Agreement with Connect Transit. Supposedly Bloomington has done their work and it’s sitting in Normal stalled. She shouldn’t […]
By: Diane Benjamin The Council proved they are capable of sane discussions last night, maybe because one person was absent. Can Bloomington get the names right? Donna Boelen was acting mayor last night since Mboka is out of the country because of his father’s passing. Nice job Donna for the first time being thrust into […]
By: Diane Benjamin There is MUCH more to cover from last night’s meeting, stay tuned. How many people did this guy speak for last night? Just hit play: Donna Boelen had one of the many “comments of the night”. Tim Gleason stated again only Rowe Construction bids on road work. Donna thinks out of town […]
By: Diane Benjamin School Board meetings operate under 2 different statutes in the Illinois code. First they must comply with the Open Meetings Act which requires agendas be posted 48 hours in advance of meetings. OMA also requires time allotted at every meeting for Public Comment. Most units of government do not respond to people […]
The hard part is over – getting on the ballot! Jim now has a website: https://jamesfisher91st.com/ He also has a Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100079458038412 (James Fisher – Freedom for Illinois) Invite Jim to speak to your group. Look over his website and ask him questions! JamesFisher91st@Gmail.com Now it is up to Primary voters in the 91st […]
By: Diane Benjamin All you taxpaying citizens in Normal aren’t allowed to go speak to the Council and be first up if your topic isn’t on the agenda. You have to wait until the end of the meeting which could be hours of waiting. Of course special people get to speak out of order. Remember […]
By: Diane Benjamin A lady I went to high school with experienced losing her son almost a year and half ago. He was found dead in the Ohio River. She still has no idea what happened to him. The police have no idea what happened to him. She has lived in agony since his body […]
By: Diane Benjamin Attention Mayor Mboka: You don’t have a right to limit speech! Read up, Urbana just paid attorney’s fees to settle a lawsuit against them for doing exactly what you did last night: https://edgarcountywatchdogs.com/2021/10/urbana-settled-open-meetings-public-comment-lawsuit/ The comment Mboka objected to starts at 25:29. The lady could be called clueless, combative, obnoxious, and probably other […]
By: Diane Benjamin 6 members of Angels4Freedom spoke Wednesday night. Their comments were planned and must be watched in order. They want to work with the schools, but they will sue if common sense doesn’t return to education.
By: Diane Benjamin I picked this comment from the Unit 5 School Board meeting last night because it proves problems in Unit 5 never get solved. The District still can not get kids to school on time. It was brilliant to fire employees who aren’t vaxed, including teachers, which now means they are short staffed. […]
By: Diane Benjamin A group of parents attended last night’s meeting. It was held in the auditorium at BHS, a room that big was not needed. Two weeks ago many of the same people attended at the same location and walked in without masks. Last night two police officers were posted at the door not […]
By: Diane Benjamin It’s not what you are thinking! The Public Comment below is from Chris Collins who started a non-profit called HOPE – Housing Our People Everywhere. HOPE has a website: https://etihw34.wixsite.com/website-1 This organization wants to build homes for the local homeless. He has talked with the Community Development Department, they told him he […]
By: Diane Benjamin h/t a reader Below is a short clip of a discussion before the meeting started last night. Chris Koos was not going to allow all the people who showed up to speak, he wanted Public Comment limited to 30 minutes. He also had no intention of letting them speak at the beginning […]
By: Diane Benjamin The start time of the meeting was changed to 6:30 because of scheduling problems now that the room is shared with the County. I hear it’s temporary. The video was not fun, the group wasn’t socially distanced but not together either. Toward the end of the meeting the audio was fine but […]
By: Diane Benjamin Government only thinks they can set rules for citizens at public comment. They can limit your time, but not what you say. Chris Koos tries it, Mboka Mwilambwe just started reading a statement to limit you, Unit 5 did last week, and so did District 87 two weeks ago. Be inspired – […]
By: Diane Benjamin Refresh yourself on this story: https://blnnews.com/2021/06/16/stan-is-ethically-challenged-not-even-close-to-the-rest-of-normal/ I apologize to readers, this slipped my mind until I listened to Steve Suess’ show tonight. What is the Normal Public Comment policy? https://normal.org/854/Addressing-the-Council Citizens can only talk before the meeting if their comments are germane to the agenda. What was the agenda for the “attack” […]
By: Diane Benjamin A reader sent some questions to District 87. The response was written by: Dr. Diane Wolf Assistant Superintendent Curriculum and Instruction District 87 Question: What is the district’s position on the 1619 project and its use in the school’s curriculum? Response: We do not and never have used the 1619 project as […]
By: Diane Benjamin Before Bloomington attempts to regulate what citizens can say at public comment they need to read what the Attorney General’s office wrote: This is a condensed version: https://www.jdsupra.com/legalnews/pac-rejects-public-body-s-limitation-on-4628106/?fbclid=IwAR1IBUY570-nAqltZZP3sNWFh243BbKvVTrK6m7e47vswXUzoMabFqz-l0E Excerpts: The PAC found that because there was no evidence that the comments actually disrupted the meeting, the council could not restrain the speech. In this case, the city council muted two speakers during public meetings. The first speaker criticized a […]
By: Diane Benjamin Last night Kirk Allen (Edgar County Watchdogs) couldn’t speak at Public Comment so I spoke instead. I wanted to make sure people and the City knew about the story they published yesterday. https://edgarcountywatchdogs.com/2021/02/city-of-bloomington-police-coverup-exposed-zero-reporting-from-media-even-after-being-provided-all-the-facts/ The story includes proof of a Bloomington cover-up by allowing an officer to resign instead of prosecuting him. The […]
