Normal’s Town Council has approved a sales tax rebate for the owner of neighboring shopping centers trying to fill vacant retail space along Veterans Parkway, near College Avenue.… MORE
Category Archives: Politics
Normal Council to consider tax breaks for struggling shopping centers
The Normal Town Council is being asked to provide tax breaks to the owner of adjacent shopping centers struggling to recover after Dick’s Sporting Goods moved to Bloomington two years ago.… MORE
Pawar drops out of governor’s race
Illinois voters won’t make a final decision on their choice for governor for more than a year, but already two top contenders are dumping millions of dollars of their own wealth into their campaign warchests.… MORE
Next Normal city manager expected to have ‘passion for local government service’
The company hired by the Town of Normal to conduct only the third city manager search in 50 years has posted a job description for the post on its website, providing some details what the town council is looking for in replacing retiring Mark Peterson.… MORE
Democratic candidates for governor leery of incentives to lure Amazon
Illinois’ politicians and business leaders have agreed that they’re taking an all-hands-on-deck approach to courting Amazon’s newest location, which will bring with it tens of thousands of high-paying jobs. Democrats running for governor are taking a noticeably different tone.… MORE
Unit 5 financial outlook tied to local economic growth
It’s not mismanagement that led Unit 5 schools to break from a tradition of balanced budgets, but rather a “perfect storm” of factors out of the district’s control, according to Superintendent Mark Daniel.… MORE
Rep. Brady holds off on Rauner endorsement
Republican State Representative Dan Brady of Bloomington is not ready to endorse GOP Governor Bruce Rauner for reelection after Rauner signed into law an expansion of taxpayer-funded abortions.… MORE
Bloomington mayor laments ugly political environment
Bloomington Mayor Tari Renner is accusing his detractors of engaging in “physical accosting” and “physical intimidation” of elected officials, and he says he doesn’t know what can be done to soften the tone of an caustic political environment.… MORE
Bloomington aldermen set to adopt rules after Japan credit card uproar
It appears the Bloomington City Council is ready to adopt an ordinance forbidding the city’s elected leaders to carry government credit cards, and establishing guidelines how taxpayer dollars are reimbursed to them for conducting official business.… MORE
Council cautious on BCPA-VenuWorks pact
Bloomington aldermen were less than enthusiastic Monday night about a proposal to hire the company now managing the downtown sports arena to also run the Bloomington Center for the Performing Arts.… MORE
Blogs
Labor Day – Expanding voting rights for all
By Mike Matejka Because of COVID, there is no Labor Day Parade this year. It’s always a great event for our everyday workers to march proudly down the street and enjoys the festive crowd. If there had been a parade, this year’s Labor Day theme was to be “150 years of struggle: your right to vote.” …
Is federal mobilization the answer?
By Mike Matejka As President Donald Trump threatens to send federal marshals into Chicago, over the objections of Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker, recall another Illinois Governor who protested the incursion of armed federal personnel into the city. Those federal troops, rather than calming, escalated the situation, leading to deaths and violence. Illinois poet Vachel Lindsay…
In these troubled times, to my fellow white Americans
By Mike Matejka Our nation is at a unique watershed in human relations. African-Americans have been killed too many times in the past before George Floyd, but the response to this man’s death is international and all-encompassing. I was a grade-schooler during the Civil Rights 1960s. I watched Birmingham demonstrators hosed and the Selma – Montgomery…
Workers’ Memorial Day – Remember those whose job took their life
Looking around our community, when we say employer, most will respond to State Farm, Country, or Illinois State University. We too often forget those who are building our roads, serving our food, or our public employees. COVID-19 has made us more aware of the risk. Going to work every day for some people means…