By: Diane Benjamin Another Police Officer was murdered this morning – this time in Fox Lake Illinois. The Democratic National Committee (DNC) unanimously adopted a resolution in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement on Friday afternoon during a summer meeting in Minneapolis. http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/aug/31/black-lives-matter-democratic-national-committee Meanwhile, Black Lives Matter was marching and chanting “Pigs in a […]
By: Diane Benjamin I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character. Martin Luther King, Jr. Remember the IWU teacher (professor?) who wrote a book about the racist TEA […]
By: Diane Benjamin City officials for decades have justified spending by calling it Quality of Life. Frequently cited is “people and businesses will move here”, it was just used to justify flamingos. With State Farm and Mitsubishi leaving, how’s that working for you? Quality of Life is why the Coliseum was built. That’s why the […]
By: Diane Benjamin The management agreement for the Coliseum specifies concessions will be handled directly by CIAM or an “independent contractor”. BMI Concessions is NOT independent, since John Butler owns both CIAM and BMI, I can’t find where BMI ever received approval from the City Council to operate as a separate company. From CIAM’s management […]
Update: Comments to WJBC’s Renner story are CLOSED. I wonder why? By: Diane Benjamin Maybe whoever posts podcasts for WJBC is on vacation. Maybe the other staff doesn’t know how to do it. Maybe nobody listens to the podcasts, so they quit posting them. Tari Renner was interviewed way back this morning by Scott Laughlin. […]
By: Diane Benjamin Bloomington is going to raise your taxes. They can’t find cuts because everything they do is so vital to the City. Sure. Let’s talk time. How many staff hours were WASTED on Paradigm? Former Alderman Rob Fazzini was working behind the scenes to put the deal together before he resigned. The legal expenses alone […]
By: Diane Benjamin Brady Homes did a subdivision off Fox Creek road called Fox Hollow. Toward the rear of the subdivision is a retention basin that is supposed to drain. It doesn’t. Brady failed to maintain it, thus the drain is clogged. In the Fall of 2014 the City of Bloomington accepted it from Brady, […]
By: Diane Benjamin Obviously there are a lot of empty big retail spaces. Tax receipts in both Bloomington and Normal are down. I’ve talked to apartment owners who can’t find renters. This morning I got a call from the personal assistant of an owner of a commercial building. She wanted to know if I was […]
By: Diane Benjamin The bird-cage liner and Tari Renner don’t want to listen to citizens – unless the citizens agree with everything they do. Walking hand-in-hand, the Pantagraph and the City tried to stifle speech they don’t want to hear. Finding out their vile plans were illegal, Renner’s campaign daddy, Steve Vogel, is now encouraging […]
By: Diane Benjamin Tari Renner signed the Not In Our Town pledge. He even made a big deal about it at a Council meeting. Other members of the Council signed it as well. Evidently Judy Stearns was correct when she called it “window dressing”. The pledge is meaningless when violators, especially signers, suffer no consequences […]
By: Diane Benjamin When Alderman Kevin Lower announced his Townhall meeting, he didn’t set an agenda. He merely listed items that could be discussed based on what citizens were telling him. Tari’s email to supporter(s) makes it clear that spending is his highest priority, regardless of the consequences. Tari is Markowitz part 2 – opinions of citizens […]
By: Diane Benjamin A little history of Tari’s childish behavior: November 2013-Tari tells the council in secret (Executive) session he won’t tolerate dissent. Still waiting for Attorney General to issue final ruling: http://blnnews.com/2014/06/04/absolute-proof-judy-stearns-was-right/ First attack on me December 2013: http://blnnews.com/2013/12/22/mayor-transparency-exposed/ February 2014-Tari attacks Judy Stearns for proposing budget cuts: http://blnnews.com/2014/04/29/mayor-unhinged-the-video/ February 2015 – Tari recruits Brexton Issacs to […]
By: Diane Benjamin Check out the Coliseum’s Income and Budget numbers from 2006-2007: Income: $3,353,392 fell short of the budgeted $3,580,500. Now look at the numbers from 2014 – 2015: (click to enlarge) Income is over $1.3 Million less, the Budget is over $1 Million less! Admitting defeat? In April 2008 they reported income of $3,251,651 […]
By: Diane Benjamin Since no charges have been or will be filed against Fistbump for knocking on Nora Dukowitz’s door, I attempted again to get an un-redacted copy of the police report she filed. See this post for what I previously received: http://blnnews.com/2015/05/28/nora-dukowitz-the-police-report/ The information I received this time remains redacted, but I do have some new parts: […]
A reader called WJBC. They consider it over. Truth doesn’t matter to them either! By: Diane Benjamin The ONLY reason I started BlnNews is more than obvious. Local news didn’t exist. The Pantagraph and WJBC slanted every story to fit their purpose. They praised elected officials for their brilliance while in office, then blame them when […]
By: Diane Benjamin Unlike Bloomington who NEVER answers Freedom of Information Requests early and frequently extends them, Normal ALWAYS answers! I certainly don’t approve of how Normal operates financially, but Tari could learn transparency from the Town of Normal. Normal has never tried to hide anything they are doing. Yesterday I did a FOIA request for any […]
By: Diane Benjamin Federal debt now stands at more the $18 Trillion. Bloomington and the County want it higher. Tonight the council will vote to approve a Federal Tiger grants application to expand Hamilton Road and build a Multi-Modal Transportation Center by the Law and Justice Center. Bloomington can’t afford it, so make the entire country pay […]
By: Diane Benjamin Nora Dukowitz wants a court to approve why she doesn’t do her job. The Cities 92.9 reporter wanted questions answered and she refused to respond. Since Nora refused to see him at City Hall, he knocked on her door. She didn’t answer (no surprise), so he left his business card. That’s it, no stalking. […]
By: Diane Benjamin Since I just got back from a road trip north where driving on roads means paying for the privilege, I haven’t been able to comment on Nora Dukowitz’s attempt to silence the press. I don’t remember a time when Bloomington had any real local press. Obviously Nora has no idea what it looks like. I feel […]
Fruin showed up – vote was 8-1 to spend staff time and around $25,000 on consultants so the issue can be examined. An answer has to be reached in 4-5 weeks. NOBODY asked why the building owners haven’t been held accountable for the condition or how much they and the developer will make off taxpayers. […]
By: Diane Benjamin On April 20th the Bloomington City Council held a meeting with area legislators. I hear only 2 showed. Here’s the facts: The meeting was held in a room where live-streaming wasn’t possible. The local bird-cage liner didn’t do a story on the event. Governor Rauner has proposed cuts to dollars sent back […]
By: Diane Benjamin . Watch the public comment at the beginning of the meeting. Deb Polzin was especially good, but some of the others were great too. No wonder the video got lost for a while. The standing ovation for Judy Stearns and her comments after begin at 27:00. See Sage sitting the entire time, […]
By: Diane Benjamin At the end of April Alderwoman Stearns is leaving the Bloomington City Council. She chose not to run for re-election. Back in November of 2013 – way over 1 year ago – Stearns walked out of an Executive Session (Council’s Secret meeting) because she felt Mayor Renner was violating the Open Meetings […]
By: Diane Benjamin Remember the Bill Brady Grant – McGraw Park – Central Catholic – Jim Fruin fiasco several months ago? After the park expansion was voted down, Brady tasked ex-mayor Jesse Smart (who Rauner kicked off the State Board of Elections) with finding new places to spend his legislative pot of money. Renner acted […]
By: Diane Benjamin Below are P-Card (like a debit card, except billing is once a month) charges for the month of January (scroll to the bottom): http://www.cityblm.org/Modules/ShowDocument.aspx?documentid=8213 ________________________________ Jimmy John’s # 1408 $ 181.44 Working Dinner D. Hales, T. Renner, City Council, 5 Other Staff‐ 01/12/2015 Monicals Pizza $ 45.75 Working Lunch for Finance Department‐ 01/07/2015 Lucca […]
By: Diane Benjamin The Council did nothing to hold Tari Renner accountable when he attacked me in December of 2013: http://blnnews.com/2013/12/22/mayor-transparency-exposed/ The Council did nothing to hold Tari Renner accountable when he attacked Alderwoman Stearns in April 2014 in an open session meeting. Watch the video, Council members had to intervene to stop his attack: […]
The citizen below sent this response to Mayor Renner: Dear Mayor Renner, Thank you for your response to my email regarding your recent comments about Diane Benjamin on blnnews.com. I do not know you personally, and its not my intention to attack you; however, I am going to be candid with my comments and opinion. […]
By: Diane Benjamin The venomous comments made by Tari Renner on my website have nothing to do with our dislike for each other. His comments were meant to silence political opposition – Freedom of Speech! I was merely Tari’s latest victim. He claims I and people who agree with me launch savage attacks on him. […]
By: Diane Benjamin The Pantagraph and WJBC are in full MOVE ON mode. Tari’s forced apology is their evidence for burying the controversy. Alderman Scott Black wants nothing more than to forget his mentor’s foul mouth. Who says they get to decide Tari’s fate? I’ve received a ton of comments and emails from citizens either […]
By: Diane Benjamin 5 minutes after Renner’s phone call to me, that he obviously didn’t want to make, I got an alert on my phone from the Pantagraph stating he had apologized. 5 minutes after that the Pantagraph reporter called for a comment. Shortly after. her story was posted to the Pantagraph website. Looks suspiciously […]
I sincerely apologize for this story: http://blnnews.com/2015/02/11/pantagraph-covers-for-renner-facts-deleted/ I was outraged that you would use your adult son to justify your vile behavior. I shouldn’t have written it because your relationship with your son is between the two of you. Diane Benjamin Tari, none of this changes the fact that you posted comments un-becoming a mayor […]
By: Diane Benjamin The vile comments made by Tari Renner were posted to this story: http://blnnews.com/2015/02/10/does-tari-know-that-judy-isnt-running/ IWU students have commented at the last two Council meetings. The two took turns attacking Alderwoman Stearns. The obvious question is why since she isn’t running for reelection! Review last year – the answer is clear. Tari is getting […]
By: Diane Benjamin Last night Bloomington’s Mayor left the following comment on this story: http://blnnews.com/2015/02/10/does-tari-know-that-judy-isnt-running/ This is what Tari claims is an attack on his son. A reader made this comment: I’m as conservative as they come, but why are you coming at a college kid and his girlfriend? Seems kind of creepy […]
By: Diane Benjamin The Peoria Rivermen signed a new deal last weekend with the Peoria Civic Center. It is for one year with an option for another. If you didn’t know – the Rivermen are co-owed by Bart Rogers and John Butler: CIAM (Central Illinois Arena Management). Meanwhile, the Coliseum doesn’t have professional hockey, doesn’t […]
By: Diane Benjamin The only interesting parts of last night’s Council meeting were the public comment and Aldermen comments at the end. IWU students have suddenly taken an interest in local politics. It doesn’t hurt that one is a Renner student and the other is his girlfriend – see below. From twitter: Brexton Isaacs retweeted […]
By: Diane Benjamin I have video of the entire debate last night between the 5 candidates for Ward 4. I will post it later. I will also be posting more clips, but I will start with the two below, turn your sound up! First, you need to understand who Amelia Buragas is. -Amelia is a […]
By: Diane Benjamin I feel citizens have a right to know “who knew what and when” concerning Officer Schumaker’s racist comments. I filed this Freedom of information act request to find out: All emails between Tari Renner, David Hales, and Police Chief Finney concerning the June 2013 Calhoun/Denny’s incident and the actions/discipline of Sgt. Ed […]
by: Diane Benjamin Th article below recaps what Decatur “invested”. Most of these projects are completed. $350 Million later, is Decatur “Quality”? Is their economy better? Are businesses flocking there? Keep in mind: Everything Decatur “Invested” came from taxpayers. Decatur is dominated by unions and Democrats. Bloomington elected its first Democrat Mayor. Seeing a pattern? […]
More Not In Our Town hypocrisy from Twitter: Is this where I’m supposed to say “I object to these words and the damage they cause. They have no place in our community.” (from the NIOT pledge – Intolerant words) By: Diane Benjamin If you watched the Bloomington City Council meeting last Monday you saw: Tari […]
I few people have asked to see the court order issued by the judge today. Page one is below – there are 13 more pages just like it. I realize it is difficult to understand. The judge is responding to the emails the City redacted point by point. It may be available on line somewhere […]
