Tag: solar panels

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Tri-Valley: Reconsidering whatever you discussed? (Solar)

By: Diane Benjamin More to this story: https://blnnews.com/2023/04/13/guess-what-caused-the-olympia-school-fire/ The March 15th School Board meeting had this on the agenda: https://www.tri-valley3.org/documents/board-meeting-agenda—minutes/2022-2023-agenda-%26-notices/402369 Since TV doesn’t Live Stream or video School Board meetings, unless you were there you have no idea what was discussed. The minutes don’t provide details of discussions, so you won’t know much more when […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Too Much Hilarity: Connect Transit

By: Diane Benjamin March 28, 2023 meeting: https://www.connect-transit.com/file/1222/03%2028%202023_BoT%20Meeting%20Packet.pdf Connect had an operating deficit in March of $1,231,478. Every Fixed Route passenger was subsidized $5.13, celebrate though! February was $6.23. Every ride on Mobility was subsidized $34.75. Celebrate again because in February it was $34.90. Read the Congressional Update starting on page 13. It details the […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Celebrate Electric Buses!

By: Diane Benjamin Connect Transit Board meeting yesterday: https://www.connect-transit.com/file/556/03%2022%202022_Board%20of%20Trustees%20Meeting%20Packet.pdf Payment: $2,490,777 Add that to the $1,589,156 from this story: https://blnnews.com/2022/02/21/connect-transit-pays-proterra-for-electric-buses/ The total cost of 4 buses is $4,390,913. They still have $310,980 to go (unless that was sent as a deposit and I missed it) Next add $1,715,000 for solar panels. https://blnnews.com/2021/03/04/pulling-the-plug-on-electric-buses/ All this so […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Connect Transit Tosses your money

By: Diane Benjamin Don’t forget – there is no penalty for stupid government! Participants just move on to being stupid elsewhere 2019 Story: https://blnnews.com/2019/11/16/connect-transit-empty-buses-and-brains/ BEB is Battery Electric Buses March 4, 2021 story: https://blnnews.com/2021/03/04/pulling-the-plug-on-electric-buses/ Minneapolis abandoned electric buses for biodiesel Today: https://www.westernjournal.com/california-city-bought-electric-bus-company-promoted-white-house-now-considering-scrapping-expensive-fleet-nonstop-disasters/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=conservativetribune&utm_content=2021-07-23&utm_campaign=manualpost&fbclid=IwAR2w9iJr0t2OuY09oA-K4uRCSbifA1V7dKuZ2gLx4Y2JMY0kg8IsypGYh_A Another story from today: https://djhjmedia.com/steven/california-agency-looking-to-scrap-electric-buses-because-they-melt-catch-on-fire-and-costs-a-fortune-to-repair/ Quote: One Southern California city’s test run of […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Dispelling the uninformed

By: Diane Benjamin A LONG comment was left to today’s Earth Day story that I didn’t post. Below is just the first lines and proof this person doesn’t care about facts, I left their typo: China is at the forefront of mitigating global warming. Apparently America’s exceptionalism means we blame other countries fro our lack […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Pulling the Plug on Electric Buses

By: Diane Benjamin Every dollar Connect Transit spends is grant money. Where does that GRANT money come form? Tax dollars – YOU. They spent $1,715,000 on solar panels and charging infrastructure in preparation for electric buses. https://blnnews.com/2020/12/01/more-connect-transit/ Last month Connect ordered their first 4 electric buses: PDF page 26 https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Yp2A-6qp7zjhmjc2XVjk9RPUrY9-yDxx/view That brings the total that […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Solar panels?

By:  Diane Benjamin Today I received an email from Habitat for Humanity with this included: Did you know all the people in California who invested their money in solar panels still didn’t have power when PG&E shut off power?  No Tesla charging, no lights, nothing! https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-10-10/californians-learning-that-solar-panels-don-t-work-in-blackouts Might be worth asking questions before you spend a […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Normal – Part 4 Connect Transit

By:  Diane Benjamin This will be the final story documenting the Normal council meeting held on 10/7/2019 See the other parts here – they all tie together: https://blnnews.com/2019/10/08/the-normal-circus-last-night-part-1/ https://blnnews.com/2019/10/08/the-normal-circus-last-night-part-2/ https://blnnews.com/2019/10/08/the-normal-circus-last-night-part-3/ The Connect Transit problem is now clear.  The Board, appointed by both mayors, has a mission that doesn’t align with what taxpayers expect a transit […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Abandon Ship Abandon Ship! (I mean the bus)

By:  Diane Benjamin News Flash:  The working group is a joke.  Connect Transit has no intention of serving the people who MUST ride the bus because the board is appointed by 2 mayors who think Bloomington-Normal is Chicago.  Don’t forget Connect hired a firm for more than $50,000 to facilitate – they expect you to […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Connect Transit’s Budget

By:  Diane Benjamin https://www.connect-transit.com/documents/BUDGET%20DOCUMENT%20-%20Final_Revised.pdf I read it so you don’t have to.  It reads like a socialist dream, Connect wants to be “a sought after expert in transportation solutions”. (PDF page 11) That won’t happen with huge empty buses! Excerpts: PDF page 7:  (You need to see that last one!) PDF page 11: PDF page 13: […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Solar Panels for Connect Transit, you won’t approve!

By:  Diane Benjamin Below are screen shots from Connect Transit reports for what they paid Corn Belt for electricity.    https://www.connect-transit.com/about/trustees/packet.asp Note:  Connect Transit does not posts report as “searchable”.  If the Illinois Policy Institute was still giving transparency grades, they would flunk. Obviously they are paying between $3,900 and $4,300 a month.  At $4,300 […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Bloomington, the rest of the meeting

By:  Diane Benjamin (Something isn’t right about the Habitat solar panels, I’m waiting to hear back from an expert.) The $135,000 sales tax rebate to Habitat got tabled.  Austin Grammer stated the City asked Habitat how they could help them with their project.  In other words, the City volunteered to give them money.  Solar panels […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Renewable Energy Charade-Comparing Apples to Orangutans

One of the most important energy matters to accurately understand is that popular “renewable” electrical energy sources are not even remotely equivalent to our conventional energy sources. Not. Even. Close. Of course renewable lobbyists don’t want consumers and politicians to be aware of that reality, so they go to great lengths to disguise it. Everything […]