By: Diane Benjamin I hope the next mayor eliminates most if not all proclamations. Tari wasted a lot of time last night reading 3. Two of them were to declare the month of October something important. He made these pronouncements 5 days before October will end. Guess they weren’t important enough to announce earlier. Public […]
By: Diane Benjamin John Butler and his lawyers have been telling media John didn’t know his employees were stealing concession money. Evidently he’s such a great guy he agreed to a misdemeanor and paid $450,000 in restitution just because. That of course was after spending who knows how many thousands (hundreds of thousands?) on attorneys […]
By: Diane Benjamin If written many stories about the Art and Camille Taylor incident, they are all linked in this story along with the body cam videos: https://blnnews.com/2020/08/08/was-art-taylor-attempting-to-incite-something/ More information has been received by FOIA after an earlier FOIA obviously didn’t produce all of the documents involved. It was filed by John Boch. Start with […]
By: Diane Benjamin Hitler was elected. The people of Germany voted for a socialist because he promised to save them. Democratic Socialism. Those wanting to re-write history don’t want you to know his party was called: National Socialist German Workers’ Party. Socialists always come to power promising equality and free stuff. It’s easy to get votes […]
By: Diane Benjamin Previous stories: https://blnnews.com/2020/03/30/illegal-parade-yesterday/ https://blnnews.com/2020/03/31/gleason-response-to-parade/ The 4 year old kid that got his own City parade isn’t even sick. Colleen Winterland, Street Supervisor (base salary $75,499.58) is buddies with the kids mom. Yes folks, government is all about WHO you know. This proves it is Us vrs. Them. The mom, Melisa Menssen, tried […]
By: Diane Benjamin After the roads discussion at Monday’s Committee of the Whole meeting for the Bloomington City Council, the Finance Director (Scott Rathbun) did a short presentation. Rathbun mentioned the City may need the excess reserves if a lot of employees decide to retire. They not only have to pay employees for all the […]
By: Diane Benjamin The VenuWorks report is not the audited version, it is therefore immaterial. Time allowed for the presentation is 5 minutes, included will be the fictional economic impact of the arena. See PDF page 40: http://www.cityblm.org/Home/ShowDocument?id=19928 Financial information is on PDF page 39. The loss does not include depreciation on the building which […]
By: Diane Benjamin On January 19th I reported three payments of $1,600 to the Blooming-Normal Economic Development Council: https://blnnews.com/2018/01/19/mondays-bills-foias-filed/ The three payments are for Tari Renner, Scott Black, and Steve Rasmussen to go on the One Voice trip to Washington DC: https://www.bnbiz.org/programs/one-voice/ The County and the Town of Normal will probably also be […]
By: Diane Benjamin I attended the Black-Sage-Schmidt Townhall meeting last night at the BCPA. At most 30 citizens attended and many staff members. The aldermen didn’t waste a lot of time going over what people already knew. Most of the time was questions and answers, mostly about budget issues. One citizen asked why a NO […]
By: Diane Benjamin On May 1st when the newly elected Council members were sworn into office the City threw a party. It didn’t matter the oath they took was illegal. I received this email this morning from the City Attorney: Yes, I told him I want copies of the new oaths WITHOUT the signatures redacted! […]
By: Diane Benjamin http://www.cityblm.org/Home/ShowDocument?id=15356 PDF page 147 Bloomington sealed its own fate last April. When the people elected believe they can create economic growth by stealing your money, the future is bleak. Essential services aren’t funded because things like fixing roads aren’t sexy. Building a legacy is. Tari Renner lost his self-defined economic development role […]
By: Diane Benjamin The second session of the retreat was 3 hours and 33 minutes. I DID NOT LISTEN TO EVERY SECOND! I jumped around and listened to more than half. It was obvious Quality of Life is not going to be in proposed cuts. The discussion involved real spending for the first time in […]
By: Diane Benjamin I could have predicted what would happen last night with sharing expenses to redesign the Towanda-Barnes/Ireland Grove intersection. $900,000 is a lot of money, but I bet this Council won’t even approve spending far less. The proposal was for the County to pay half and the City half. That intersection is: Not […]
By: Diane Benjamin Even on sick leave, Tari can hold a business meeting at a bar and use the City PCard: http://www.cityblm.org/Home/ShowDocument?id=14856 The rest of the council still has no problem feeding themselves at your expense. Looks like the Chamber of Commerce is behind “Quality of Life” Monarch Group is Real Estate Development. Funny how WHO […]
By: Diane Benjamin From time to time even I am shocked by what comes out of the mouths of Aldermen during a City Council meeting. I’m awarding TWO “Seriously?” awards from last night’s party. Since the Special Meeting started at 5:00, I bet food was served. It used to be announced, but it wasn’t listed […]
By: Diane Benjamin Maybe some members of the Bloomington City Council finally realized their fearless leader has been abusing his government credit card. We’ve listened to Mayor Renner spew his “there are no free lunches” for years in order to raise taxes while he was dining on the backs of taxpayers. The Japan trip finally […]
By: Diane Benjamin When you pick progressives to run your City you will pay more in taxes. You picked their vision to “keep moving Bloomington forward”. Fiscal responsibility and Needs before Wants aren’t ever discussed. Send this article to the local leftists so they know what progress looks like: Why Are Liberal Cities So Unaffordable Alderman […]
By: Diane Benjamin I’m not celebrating the State Police investigating Tari Renner’s use of a City PCard for a personal purchase. Being investigated is not the same as being prosecuted. We will find out if laws still matter, sometimes it’s hard to tell. Illinois Constitution: Government officials and employees aren’t allowed to read the law […]
By: Diane Benjamin The Bloomington City Council spent almost an hour discussing why citizens shouldn’t be allowed to choose the lowest cost electricity under Municipal Aggregation. The final vote was 7-2 with Aldermen Sage and Mathy against limiting your rights. The rest of the Council voted with one finger pointed directly at you. Even with […]
By: Diane Benjamin Follow-up to this story: https://blnnews.com/2017/06/02/b-n-is-getting-the-delphi-treatment/ (It won’t be the only one!) The Bloomington Normal Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) is trying to get out of complying with the Open Meetings Act. What does the Open Meetings Act say? OMA applies to all “public bodies”: http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/ilcs3.asp?ActID=84&ChapterID=2 I’d love to know what grounds they […]
By: Diane Benjamin I will be on Cities 92.9 today at 3:30 with Ben Yount to discuss the future of BlnNews. Now for last night’s Bloomington City Council meeting: Bring in the CLOWNS! Oops, they were already there! Starting at 1:05, and ending 45 minutes later, the Council droned on about spending $300,000 at The […]
Tomorrow I’m back, for one story! The unbelievable Bloomington City Council tonight is forcing me to report. (and all you supporters!)
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! […]
By: Diane Benjamin At last night’s Bloomington City Council meeting: 1) Local attorney Chris Gramm was fed up with Renner citing the reading of Green Eggs and Ham to the local media as a reason to change the Public Comment policy. Chris did read it years ago as a protest to Renner’s pending tax increases. […]
By: Diane Benjamin Tari Renner is claiming this: Tari forgot to say the City borrowed $10,000,000, imposed a .04 per gallon gas tax, and a .25% Sales Tax increase to do it. Aren’t streets and infrastructure maintenance what citizens expect from government? Previous Councils spent money recklessly on pet projects instead of essential services, Tari […]
By: Diane Benjamin Although optional for some unknown reason, this statement is usually submitted with candidate petitions: See the candidate filings here for Bloomington: http://www.becvote.org/wordpress/electiondatesandoffices/petitions-filed/ Two candidates did not sign this form! Does that mean they aren’t citizens? Or, does that mean they ARE associated with the communist party? Or, does that mean they will […]
By: Diane Benjamin Mayor Renner said over and over and over last night that Bloomington is not raising your taxes. Here is Tari’s tax bill he paid in 2016: http://mcleanil.devnetwedge.com/view/RE/21-12-428-001/2015 Looks like in increase to me Tari! Of course, that increase is due to your house being assessed for more money. Government doesn’t have to […]
By: Diane Benjamin The Creativity Center isn’t ADA compliant! Lisa Madigan will target them next, and thanks to the Bloomington City Council you will be on the hook for that building too! The below is from the minutes of the 10/24/16 meeting in the packet for approval Monday night: http://www.cityblm.org/Modules/ShowDocument.aspx?documentid=11609 See PDF page 34. Joni […]
By: Diane Benjamin Of course the TIF District passed last night 8-1. Only Kevin Lower knows government doesn’t create economic development without taking your money to do it. Free markets are dead in Bloomington. I hear Giebelhausen is still planning a hotel for the Pantagraph building, not where the City wants one and not in […]
By: Diane Benjamin A public hearing was held on April 25, 2016 pertaining to MetroNet coming to Bloomington. http://www.cityblm.org/Modules/ShowDocument.aspx?documentid=10172 This item was included in the documentation: It’s appalling the City thinks they can determine who is a “right” fit. These are the same guys who thought the Coliseum was the “right” fit. Secret: Tari and […]
By: Diane Benjamin Jamie Mathy has announced he is running for Alderman in Ward 1. WGLT has everything you need to know about Mathy: http://wglt.org/post/jamie-mathy-running-bloomington-alderman Mayor Renner and at least 3 UN-named aldermen attended his announcement. The goal of Bloomington’s leadership has always been to be just like Normal. Everything passes, there is very little […]
By: Diane Benjamin Campaigning for reelection has begun for Alderman Black. Yesterday he was on Cities 92.9 with two people supposedly from the Illinois Policy Institute. I’ve never heard of either of them, in fact they never said their last names while I was listening. Scott had them totally snowed into believing he was a […]
By: Diane Benjamin Hit PLAY below to hear last night’s Public Comment: Some of the speakers were REALLY good! Two things of note happened: Diana Hauman managed to get restrictions removed for a small business trying to open. (Listen to public comment) It seems that somewhere between the Zoning Committee and the Agenda, the number […]
By: Diane Benjamin State Farm isn’t growing here. Formally local jobs now exists in other states. Send Mike Madigan a thank-you card. A recent report rated all 50 States from Best to Worst for business. See this story: http://chiefexecutive.net/2016-best-and-worst-states-for-business-full-list/ Celebrate now – Illinois is number 48. Businesses and jobs will never return to Illinois as […]
By: Diane Benjamin See Bills and Payroll for Monday night – the LAST page: http://www.cityblm.org/index.aspx?page=242&parent=9535 Remember how Bloomington was exposed in the Chicago Tribune paying massive penalties for allowing employees to SPIKE their pensions? http://blnnews.com/2015/08/26/imrf-what-did-hales-know-and-when/ Remember when the Budget Task Force recommended fixing the problem but never did? Well, it just cost you another $122,735.32! […]
By: Diane Benjamin Scott Black was missing last night! More proof the elected Council representing the voters is just a campaign slogan. I had to laugh during a discussion about the proposed storage facility in south Bloomington and the Zoning Board of Appeals. Nobody showed up to protest the ZBA approval, even though the meeting […]
By: Diane Benjamin May 2014. Aldermen Lower and Stearns had a list of proposed cuts. Renner would not let them speak! Instead, Renner read a prepared statement. Watch the video: Little Scotty did an interview this week on WJBC: http://cdn.stationcaster.com/stations/wjbc/media/mpeg/Bloomington_Ald__Scott_Black_with_Terry_James__11_19_15-1447963935.mp3 Scotty happily bashed Alderman Lower, the WJBC host was happy to join in. I’ve never […]
By: Diane Benjamin The citizens elect Aldermen to represent them. We could talk all day about who they really represent, but how can they represent the people when they don’t attend Council meetings? Last Monday Aldermen Sage and Black were absent. No mention of the empty seats – 2 of 9. The roll was […]
By: Diane Benjamin Alderman Schmidt was given a few minutes at the end of last night’s meeting to discuss proposed cuts by the Budget Task Force. She is the one who held her own meeting a few weeks ago and she drove the conversation last night. Tari put the Task Force together, but since the […]
By: Diane Benjamin I attended the Roundtable council meeting held today at the Police Station. Only 4 alderman attended: Black, Hauman, Painter, and Schmidt. Mayor Renner did not, but maybe 10-12 staff people were there. I don’t personally know many of the staff, so it’s difficult for me to determine who was there. Many citizens […]
