By: Diane Benjamin Normal spent $100,000,000+ on Uptown and they aren’t done spending money. See this story: http://www.onlyinyourstate.com/illinois/small-town-downtowns-il/ 9 Small Towns In Illinois Where Downtown Is The Place To Be Normal isn’t on the list and it isn’t a downtown destination, unless you like the taxpayer-funded free events. These 9 cities used existing buildings. Quaint […]
By: Diane Benjamin Bloomington finally released the financial statements for April 30, 2016. The TIF report still hasn’t been released and neither has a separate audited statement on the Coliseum. Maybe another year? Two? At this point, what difference does it make? It’s much easier to read the information from the Comptroller’s site. Total Full […]
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 […]
By: Diane Benjamin At last night’s City Council meeting some aldermen were upset by a Public Comment where the person evidently tried to campaign or something. Alderman Fruin wants rules against it. No, you can’t see the comment in question. Meanwhile, Mayor Tari Renner evidently gave a campaign speech and called it the State of […]
I was interviewed for this story WEEKS ago, glad to see this is STATE problem. The story is published on the Better Government Association website: http://www.bettergov.org/news/illinois-foia-appeals-linger-with-no-end-in-sight Illinois FOIA Appeals Linger With No End In Sight Lengthy appeals process, non-binding decisions hamper ability to obtain records through Illinois Freedom of Information Act. After Edgar County corrections […]
By: Diane Benjamin The email below was written by the now fired VenuWorks Executive Director. It was received under the Freedom of Information Act. The City of Bloomington heavily redacted tons of other emails, so this is all the information available. If walking at night from the Coliseum is dangerous for female employees, how safe […]
By: Diane Benjamin The City of Bloomington included a newsletter with October Water/Sewer/Garbage bills. You can see it here: HERE There are a number of problems with the newsletter. I wonder whose job it is to put it together and include it with the bills. The Communications Director? First, the newsletter sent in October is […]
Bills and Payroll posted at 8:53. See this link for details: https://blnnews.com/2016/09/26/what-is-bloomington-paying-tonight/ By: Diane Benjamin The agenda for tonight’s Council meeting was posted last week. This item is on the agenda: This means the Finance Department knows what Bills and Payroll the Council is expected to approve. They knew this last week! The actual list […]
By: Diane Benjamin Tonight’s Committee of Whole meeting starts at 5:30 – not the normal 7:00 pm. A transparency award is scheduled to be presented by the Illinois Policy Institute. It’s a WEBSITE transparency award, not a general transparency award. Transparency is much more than a website! It’s not meeting in secret and violating the […]
By: Diane Benjamin See this document – page 16 – 26 2015 Audit Communication The title: RECOMMENDATIONS FOR IMPROVEMENTS CONTROL DEFICIENCIES This report is from the City of Bloomington’s auditors. Every other year I have reported on these “Control Deficiencies”, many are reported year after year after year with nothing being done to fix the […]
By: Diane Benjamin The next meeting of the CIRA (Central Illinois Regional Airport) Board of Commissioners is May 10th. Since the April meeting, Minutes for January-March have been posted on their website: http://www.cira.com/ See the bottom of “About CIRA” If you missed previous stories, CIRA was violating the Open Meetings Act by not posting meeting […]
By: Diane Benjamin The Central Illinois Regional Airport is owned by taxpayers. It isn’t a private company doing whatever it wants – it just acts like it. The meeting minutes aren’t posted on their website. No agendas and no meeting dates either. That means they are violation of the Open Meetings Act! I thought CIRA […]
Quote from Special Agent Patrick Bohrer, assistant section chief Public Corruption/Civil Rights program at FBI Headquarters. “We depend greatly on assistance from the public. So let me end by saying, if anyone out there has any information about potential wrongdoing by a public official, please submit a tip online or contact your local FBI field […]
By: Diane Benjamin The City of Bloomington now believes “Citizens don’t have a right to know”. The local media is told what to report and they dutifully comply. Here’s the latest example: I’ve written before about deficiencies in Internal Controls at the City. In English – the Auditors found the City isn’t doing enough to […]
By: Diane Benjamin Don’t miss the update: http://blnnews.com/2015/11/04/more-on-the-illegal-meeting/ Today an illegal meeting was held at City Hall. David Hales has divided the Council into groups of three to meet on various issues. Instead of being open and transparent by discussing City business at City Council meetings, they are meeting with no public notification as required […]
By: Diane Benjamin Hillary Clinton and the City of Bloomington have a lot in common! Both think they are entitled to decide who is press and who isn’t. The UK’s Daily Mail frequently reports on things the American Press refuses to. One of their reporters was banned from covering Hillary events. The American press is in […]
By: Diane Benjamin A Freedom of Information Request was filed (not by me) for invoices from Sorling Northrup in Springfield. This is the firm Jeff Jurgens works for, the attorney Bloomington uses instead of replacing Todd Greenberg. The request was received including the summary below of charges per month. The cost per month is HUGE. Greenburg was […]
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 […]
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 […]
By: Diane Benjamin Today I was in court again for my lawsuit against the City of Bloomington – it’s either #4 or #5 (losing track). The judge has promised to issue a ruling on January 28th. City Attorney Rosalee Dodson is no longer with the City, at least that’s what the substitute said. No explanation […]
By: Diane Benjamin Below is the other Freedom of Information Act request I filed in October that was completely ignored by the City of Bloomington (Tari Renner). I spoke about this one at Monday’s Council meeting, see the video posted yesterday. __________________________________________________________________ Diane Benjamin <teapartybloom@gmail.com> Oct 27 […]
By: Diane Benjamin Transparency has a strange meaning to Bloomington. They love to tout how transparent they are, but their version of transparency means knowing what they want you to know, not truth. How transparent was Paradigm? Weren’t you led to believe Bloomington wasn’t involved until after Rob Fazzini left the Council? (See previous posts) […]
by: Diane Benjamin The email below was sent to me by Tari in April of last year. I almost believed he wanted transparency. Typos left on purpose. Tari Renner <tarirenner88@yahoo.com> 4/12/13 to me Thanks so much for filing the complain against the City on transparency!! Way to go – we all owe you a debt of […]
by: Diane Benjamin There is one BIG misconception in government: Producing audited financial statements don’t mean the auditors looked for fraud! The auditors of every government agency are hired from the outside, but they only look at presentation, not transactions. Want proof? The books of Dixon Illinois where and employee stole over $50,000,000 were audited! […]
by: Diane Benjamin I was in court again this morning. Nothing exciting happened, the case got continued until November 14th because the original judge was busy with another case. I do have many of the emails the City redacted in violation of the Freedom of Information Act. They gave them to me because they obviously […]
Make sure you read the comments to this story at Blnnews.com (Especially McLean County!) by: Diane Benjamin McLean County has forgotten they work for us. Taxpayers are merely their piggy bank. On September 30, the Attorney General’s Public Access Office issued a BINDING opinion against the County public comment policy. Normally the AG just writes […]
21 Sep 2014 | Brian Costin Illinois Policy Institute http://www.illinoispolicy.org/mclean-county-makes-a-mockery-of-open-meetings-act/ In 2010, the Illinois General Assembly unanimously affirmed the right of citizens to speak at public meetings in stating: “Any person shall be permitted an opportunity to address public officials under the rules established and recorded by the public body.” In a sense, McLean County […]
by: Diane Benjamin Want proof? See this link to their policy for speaking at Board meetings: http://www.mcleancountyil.gov/index.aspx?nid=663 Get on your knees and beg permission Hope the County administrator doesn’t “misplace” your request 5 days before the meeting Then hope Matt Sorensen (chairman) doesn’t cut you off because you aren’t worthy to waste their time on […]
by: Diane Benjamin Everybody understands that you want the citizens of Bloomington to believe you are doing a great job. The citizens want to believe their government is working for them, not the other way around. Citizens want to see government providing essential services without making their lives more difficult, or more expensive. Bloomington […]
by: Diane Benjamin At Monday’s Council meeting, spending over $1,000,000 to fix the Coliseum parking garage was on the agenda. Aldermen submitted questions for City staff before the meeting, the questions asked by Alderwoman Stearns weren’t included on the City website. She questioned Renner and Hales at the meeting as to why hers weren’t included, […]
by: Diane Benjamin Tari’s view of government: Repeat a lie often enough and some people might believe it Don’t question me I’m right, you are wrong I can make everything perfect if pesky citizens get out of the way People have to pay more taxes, I need more money The future of Bloomington is downtown […]
by: Diane Benjamin Transparency in Bloomington means City Hall decides what they want you to see, then they celebrate posting documents they claim you want to see. Mayor Renner has an agenda from which he plans to take no detours. He doesn’t care what you think and he doesn’t like being challenged. Many of the […]
by: Diane Benjamin When Tari Renner was running for office, he stated all public documents should be posted on the City website. Watch the video – he almost seemed like he meant it: . I wonder why I received TWO denials in 1 week for Renner emails? They are public documents, unless you are hiding […]
by: Diane Benjamin I sent the following Freedom of Information Act Request to the City of Bloomington on March 31st: Date: Mon, Mar 31, 2014 at 9:11 AMSubject: FOIA requestTo: Tracey Covert <tcovert@cityblm.org> I am requesting the following information under the Freedom of Information Act: . All emails […]
About appointing a Council member to replace Jennifer McDade: Stockton polled the Council for their choice and never informed the members of what the others thought. Has Renner already made up his mind? I hear at least 3 people are interested. Who will get a fair shot at the seat? How transparent will Mayor Transparency […]
by: Diane Benjamin From the Illinois Policy Institute http://illinoispolicy.org/wp-content/files_mf/1381871836102_countiesFINAL.pdf# Online transparency is the best solution to address the corruption problems in Illinois. Illinois does not need to be the national headquarters for political corruption; this state can be a national leader when it comes to good government transparency and accountability reforms at the state and […]
by: Diane Benjamin Here’s what the Mayor’s version of transparency was during the campaign: Published on Mar 21, 2013 Since the beginning of his campaign, Tari Renner has continually stressed transparency. Tari believes it is ludicrous that you can’t see how your hard earned tax dollars are spent! As mayor Tari would throw open the doors […]
by: Diane Benjamin There once was a mayor named Tari Who campaigned on promoting transparency Evidently a myth Too difficult to deal with Free speech must no longer exist! Excerpts from emails sent from Tari to me: From June 2013 Thank you Diane for your diligence! Your parody was actually MUCH closer to reality that […]
One of the best protections against corruption is transparency, and in today’s digital age one of the easiest ways for government to be open and accountable is through posting public documents on the Internet. The Illinois Policy Institute just updated their analysis of all 102 Illinois Counties. The report concentrates on transparency because the […]
by: Diane Benjamin Bloomington Mayor Tari Renner won the transparency battle with city lawyer Todd Greenburg. The ruling by the State’s Attorney’s Office to release the Wall traffic accident records will be complied with. See this previous post for more information: http://blnnews.com/2013/06/16/renner-vrs-greenburg/ Now Tari, what about those Executive Committee minutes?
