5 Things you need to know

By: Diane Benjamin 1) I’m collecting signs gas stations have on their pumps to comply with Pritzker’s demand people know he delayed the $.02 increase until after the election. Thorton’s at Route 9 and Hershey just has the Pritzker verbiage. Correction: This is at the Exxon Mobile station off 74 in Downs. The reader who […]

Bloomington Regular Agenda

By:  Diane Benjamin At 1:221:45 the Bloomington Council finally got to the regular agenda. First was hiring a consultant to update the historical preservation plan.  The City Planner claimed this group is going to do extensive public outreach.  (Bring it On Bloomington flopped, but the results of that public outreach are golden  https://blnnews.com/2014/09/19/bring-it-on-bloomington-flops/) One thing […]

Cannabis Task force will be a joke

By:  Diane Benjamin The Downtown Task Force was a joke, the vast majority of people did not want to build a  new library and bus transfer station by tearing down a parking garage.  Tari claimed the Budget Task force was a success, it proved that Council was incapable of making any cuts.  Huge success Tari.  […]

Nobody represents you!

By:  Diane Benjamin If the residents of Bloomington still haven’t figured out the Council doesn’t represent you, watch last night’s meeting.  The schmoozing was over the top with accolades for each other for everything but breathing. There were a few slaps in the face to citizens.  The first one was made by City Manager Tim […]

Pepsi Ice? Coliseum? Tax increases?

By:  Diane Benjamin Pepsi hasn’t paid for naming rights at the Ice Center for years.  That doesn’t keep Bloomington from still giving them free advertising: PDF page 196 of the annual financial statements:     http://www.cityblm.org/home/showdocument?id=20281 “Pepsi” is also on PDF pages 32 and 33. Grossinger Motors does pay for naming rights of the former US […]

Losing money on purpose

By:  Diane Benjamin Tari Renner was much more demure at last night’s Bloomington City Council meeting.  As history shows, his new non-confrontational attitude is temporary. It looks like spending $10,000,000 on an aquatics center is dead.  Several aldermen have a new-found respect for declining revenue, especially David Sage.  Of course, he works at State Farm […]

UPDATE Breaks for State Farm – you? NOPE

  This item got pulled from the consent agenda for discussion.  Hales claimed Springfield exempted insurance companies from utility taxes.  That doesn’t explain why State Farm is named but Country Financial isn’t.  Both are in Bloomington and both are insurance companies. Lets say Hales is right.  Call the Brady bunch and change it!  It’s still […]